Falling Hard and Fast by Kylie Brant Read Free Book Online Page A

brothers were shooting him warning looks. “How was they to know you’d be home? Hell, it was Friday night. On the weekends you’re usually puttin’ it to whatever pookie you’re seein’ and—” His words ended on a yelp and a curse as one of his brothers obeyed Lonny’s unspoken command and cuffed Carver smartly across the head.
    Cage’s voice remained friendly, but his eyes were hard. “Did you hear that, Tommy Lee? These boys were betting I’d be gone Friday night. I guess that’d just make them cowards, and not would-be killers.”
    â€œI reckon they can use that line in their defense, Sheriff.” Tommy Lee preened a bit at the exchange.
    â€œNow that’s an idea.” Cage took the cigar out of his pocket and held it. “I’ve contacted a public defender torepresent the lot of you. Carver’s got his own P.D. already. I figured the drug charge would be enough to keep his lawyer busy.”
    â€œWe don’t need us no damn public defender,” Luther snarled. “We got plenty of money. I want my phone call so I can get me a fancy lawyer out of Baton Rouge. You gotta give me the phone call, Gauthier. I know that.”
    â€œAnd everyone said book learning was wasted on you.” Lonny had been a few years older than Cage, but after he’d been held back a time or two, they’d ended up in the same class—at least, until Lonny had been sent to a juvenile center for theft. “And you’re right about one thing. You do get a phone call. If you want to use it to hire yourself a different lawyer, go ahead. But be sure and tell him that there’s no hurry getting up here. Bail can’t be set until Judge Ranier gets back from fishing on Monday.”
    He tucked the cigar back in his pocket and looked at Tommy Lee. “You can take care of the phone calls, can’t you?” When Tommy nodded, he turned and headed to his office. By the time he shut the door behind him the Rutherfords were already fading from his mind.
    Dropping into his desk chair he started to lean back, then hissed out a breath when he came into contact with the chair. Straightening, he cursed imaginatively. After Zoey had delivered him home from Doc Barnes’s with the advice to get some sleep, he’d spent the better part of three hours trying to do just that. He figured he hadn’t had to sleep on his stomach since he’d been in diapers. It appeared he’d lost the knack. By the time exhaustion had kicked in, it had seemed as if the alarm was already going off.
    Refusing the pain medication Doc had tried pressing on him hadn’t been an act of machismo, as Zoey had accused. He couldn’t let anything fog his thinking right now. There were just too damn many unanswered questions. His eyes lifted to the bulletin board above his desk that had been cleared of everything but photos of Janice Reilly. He surveyed a picture they’d obtained, taken a year or two beforeher death, as if the image wasn’t already branded on his mind. She’d been robbed of life in the most savage, brutal way imaginable. He figured the least he owed her was a clear head during the course of her murder investigation.
    He picked up the report of last night’s ruckus at his place and flipped through it. With his usual methodical precision, Chief Deputy Fisher, head of the criminal investigation division, had typed Cage’s statement and the events surrounding the Rutherfords’ arrest. According to Charity’s gossips, Fisher’s personal life had been a shambles since his wife had left him three months ago, yet that hadn’t tainted his professionalism on the job. Cage couldn’t help admiring the man for that.
    Tossing the report aside, Cage reached for the files containing the information they’d gleaned so far on Janice Reilly’s murder. Unthinkingly, his hand crept to his pocket, before he caught himself and