Army Ranger Redemption by Carol Ericson Read Free Book Online Page A

Harley’s engine again, and then peeled away from the shoulder of the road.
    Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair and tucked the bag of yarn beneath one arm. Time to put Rusty Kelly and Jim Kennedy out of her head and get back to work.
    Rusty? That was easy. Jim? That presented a whole different kind of problem.
    * * *
    J IM LOCKED HIS helmet against his bike and grabbed a basket on his way into the hardware store.
    Why had Scarlett kept quiet about his tattoo? When she saw it on his back, she must’ve realized he’d lied to the cops about knowing the dead man, or at least lied about knowing something about him. Had she believed his story about not seeing Rusty’s tattoo? Had Musgrove believed his story about not recognizing Rusty last night?
    He didn’t even know why he’d lied. Habit? He’d lied so much over the past few years of his life he didn’t even know the truth anymore.
    He steered his basket down the home security aisle and looked over some sensor lights and cameras. He’d been planning to make a few improvements to Slick’s cabin, but security hadn’t been one of them—until Rusty turned up dead last night.
    Who’d murdered him and why? Could be a barroom fight or some kind of deal gone wrong. But why here in Timberline? As far as he knew, the Lords of Chaos didn’t operate in this area anymore, and Rusty didn’t have family nearby.
    He dropped a few items in his basket and wandered a few aisles over to have a look at the dead bolts. While he was reading the back of a package, a man bumped his arm reaching for a bin of locks.
    “Sorry, bro.” The man swore and smacked him on the back. “Jim Kennedy. J.T.”
    Jim’s muscles tensed as he drew back. He didn’t like people touching him when he didn’t see it coming. He really didn’t like surprises, and he didn’t like being called by his nickname.
    The man beside him grinned, his yellowed teeth peeking through a heavy beard. “You don’t remember me? It’s Chewy. I ran with your old man back in the day.”
    Jim squeezed the plastic packaging in his hands until the sides cut into his fingers. What the hell was this, some kind of LOC reunion?
    He remembered Chewy—mean SOB with a short-fuse temper, used to smack his woman around.
    “Chewy. Yeah, I remember you.”
    “So the army took your sorry ass, huh?” Chewy had dropped the big paw he’d proffered in a shake when Jim ignored it. “Heard you were some hotshot ranger, a sniper. You always were a good shot, son.”
    “Tell me, Chewy. Are the Lords of Chaos running a club in Timberline again? You heard about Rusty, right?”
    Chewy blinked his small, flat eyes. “Rusty? Haven’t seen that fat SOB in a couple of months. What happened to him?”
    Jim thought he might be able to catch Chewy in a lie since the sheriff’s department hadn’t released the identity of the dead body yet. Chewy was as dumb as a box of rocks, but not that dumb.
    Jim lifted one shoulder. “Just that he’s back in town, too. Saw him the other day.”
    “I’ll be damned. Old Rusty. I’ll have to look him up.”
    “You’re staying in town?”
    “For a while. Had some good times here.” He ran his fingers through his graying beard. “Sorry about Slick. That was a tough break. If any of the Lords had been with him that night, whoever killed him would’ve been dead meat.”
    “Yeah. Gotta go.” Jim tossed two dead bolts into his basket and rolled away.
    Should he bring up Chewy’s appearance in town when Deputy Collins questioned him about Rusty? Chewy would clam up or run if the cops came down on him...and Jim just might need the old biker for information.
    Jim finished shopping for Scarlett’s items, as well as his own, and then secured them in the saddlebags on his bike. He checked the time on his phone. Scarlett would still be working.
    He headed for Slick’s place—his own now. His brother Dax had dropped off the face of the earth since his release from prison. Jim planned to sell it and