Read Online Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7) by Olivia Jaymes - Free Book Online Page A

Rayne tried to calm the ever-growing anger in her belly. She hated that Dare Turner could get under her skin like this. The fact that she found him physically attractive only made it worse. Someone that hot looking shouldn’t be such a jerk.
    “I’m here. I’m just mad.”
    “He really is just doing his job like Jared said. He had to investigate you to see if there was some sort of link between you and the murder. He’d be remiss if he didn’t.”
    “Sounds like Jared didn’t have to sleep on the couch.”
    Which was a good thing as the couple were completely perfect together. Rayne had never seen truer love than Misty and Jared. They were disgustingly happy and still hot for each other, even after having a baby. She could only dream of finding someone to love her half as much as Jared loved Misty.
    “He didn’t,” Misty giggled. “He explained the process of looking into a murder, and honestly it sounds terrible for the people closest to it. A lot of poking into your private life and nosing around which is awful, but I guess something that has to be done. I know Dare gets on your nerves, but you might want to cut him some slack on this one.”
    She wanted to do that, and then he’d do something that made her change her mind. He’d had a tough time of it and she’d hoped to be able to be extra kind to him when she saw him, but then he went and dodged her for days. She couldn’t decide whether to kick him in the shin or give him a great big old hug.
    “Gotcha. Slack. I’ll get right on it.”
    Dare did have a thankless job that she wouldn’t want for all the money in the world, so maybe she would let it go. She wasn’t the type to hold a grudge.
    “I don’t suppose Dare said anything to Jared about the case when he called? I don’t have a clue as to what is going on with it.”
    “Not that I know of, but Jared said it takes time for the autopsy and forensics to come back. Dare may not know anything.”
    “I simply want to know why someone broke into my shop and then shot someone.”
    “You may never really know the truth, even after Dare finds who did this. Criminals aren’t known for their veracity.”
    Rayne shivered at the thought that the person who perpetrated these crimes might get away scot free. That meant they were still around and could come back. Perhaps to finish what they started.
    The disturbing thoughts didn’t make for a good night’s sleep. For her own peace of mind, she hoped Dare caught whomever had killed that man.
    And put him behind bars for good.
    *   *   *   *
    Dare slammed his fist down on the scarred wood of the old desk. Sitting in his office at the sheriff’s station, he had the file in front of him from the tattoo shop break-in and murder, and to say that there wasn’t much there was an understatement.
    The fingerprints hadn’t matched anything in the system.
    The footprints out back of the shop had turned out to be a common hiking boot, size ten.
    The autopsy revealed the victim had been shot in the back from about five feet away with a .38 caliber revolver. The bullet didn’t match anything in the system either.
    Dare had no witnesses and barely any evidence. Jared and Logan were working on the background of the victim, but they’d been spending all their time on a different case so Dare was in waiting mode.
    He fucking hated waiting for anything.
    There had been no other break-ins since then and crime had been light, except for a couple of teenagers spray painting graffiti and a rumble down at the local watering hole. Nothing that was going to lead him into finding out why someone would break into Rayne’s shop and then shoot another human being after chasing them out of the back door. He didn’t have the patience to put puzzles together one piece at a time. He was no Sherlock Holmes.
    Speaking of no Sherlock Holmes…
    Deputy Billy was lumbering into the sheriff station to take the late shift. Dare was ready to go home, pop open a beer, and sit in