Tri-Tip (Grade-A Beefcakes 3)

“And Kaitlyn still works at the library,” I added. “Speaking of not being able to walk right, you let her up for air sometime.”

While I didn’t think Duke and Jed were into having Kaitlyn submit, they were dominant men, and I had no doubt they took charge in the bedroom. But definitely not to the same extent as what Parker needed.

Jed grinned. “But she quit the job at the hotel. At first, she hadn’t been thrilled to have us help her financially, but getting her house fixed up and rented made her feel like she could hold her own. That she could be self-sufficient again.”

“Not that she’ll ever have need to be,” Duke added.

I could see why Kaitlyn didn’t want to rely on a man financially, especially since her dad had been a drunk deadbeat… and worse from what Gus had said. But I knew Duke and Jed. She was theirs and they had zero plans to let her go. Ever.

“And Parker’s the sheriff,” Tucker said, closing the lid. Smoke came out of the little vent at the top. “No way will she let you guys run roughshod over her. Hell, she’ll probably Taser you if you even tried.”

“If it kept her name off the ballot and had her handing that badge over to Hogan or Beirstad, I’d let her Tase me,” Poe said. The guys eyed him, but said nothing, obviously recognizing how serious he was about having her stepping down and letting someone else have her job.

The mention of Beirstad had Duke and Jed looking grim, but it wasn’t Roger, the one who’d been fucking with Kaitlyn who was running for sheriff, but his older brother, Mark.

I didn’t want Parker to be sheriff. It wasn’t because I thought her underqualified or not good at her job. But shit happened. It made me nervous with the possible dangers she faced.

Poe wasn’t alone in that thinking. But Parker wasn’t the kind of woman to rely on a man. She might give over her control to us in the bedroom—or even the shower—but she kept it elsewhere. There was no fucking way she’d let us run roughshod over her as Tucker said. If she wanted to add her name to the ballot for sheriff, we were going to have to support her in it. I glanced at Poe because I wasn’t sure how he would handle that.

“She’s smart. To be a lawyer, really fucking smart,” Poe added. “There are plenty of other jobs out there for her. Jobs that don’t require carrying a gun for safety.”

“She could talk to Porter,” Duke offered. “He’s the DA and based in Clayton.”

Poe frowned and I looked to Duke. “Is that your cousin?” I wondered.

“He’s two years older than me. Grew up with us. His mom and our mom are sisters.”

“Don’t fuck with her, Poe,” Gus warned. “She’s worked hard for this job. For what she’s built for herself. If this is what she wants, all of us have to respect that.” He eyed the others as well before turning his attention to Poe. “Would you want her telling you to stop being a vet because working with horses might get you kicked?”

“When a horse carries a gun, then we’ll talk,” Poe countered.

Our attention turned to the sound of a vehicle pulling up, parking beside the others. Parker’s sheriff SUV.

“Is that a dog in the front seat?” Duke asked, hands on hips. “I didn’t know they had K-9 now.”

“They don’t.” I grinned at Parker’s new sidekick. She may not want a dog, or consider herself a dog person, but she had one now. Honey was in the passenger seat, sitting there as if she were Parker’s partner. Ears perked up, her tongue hanging out.

“That’s Honey,” Gus said.

“That’s what you call her?” Jed asked. “I call Kaitlyn sugar.”

“The dog, you fucker,” I said, going past him. “But she does taste like honey.” I went down the walk and over to Parker. Poe beat me to her, opening the door before she could do it herself. As soon as she climbed out, Honey followed then trotted off to explore and Poe pulled Parker into his arms and kissed her. It was a blatant kiss of a guy who

wanted a woman. But there was an obvious hint of desperation to it, as if he held her to reassure himself that she was alive.

10

PARKER

* * *

“Spill, woman,” Julia said when I joined the ladies in the kitchen. The scent of grilling meat followed me indoors. Spread out on the granite counter were plates with rolls, bottles of condiments, a basket of chips and a crock pot that had something bubbling inside. By the smell, I guessed baked beans.

I glanced between the three of them. Julia Duke had gorgeous red hair—where it came from, I had no idea since she looked nothing like any of her brothers—and a quick grin. Kaitlyn pushed her glasses up her nose and had a soft smile, as if she had a secret. Ava looked all glamorous with her blonde hair in beautiful curls down her back, her nails a bright fire engine red.

I was off for two days barring any acts of God and wanted to kick back and enjoy the dinner. I hadn’t seen Gus’s brothers and sister since high school and had never met the others. First impressions were important and I figured a t-shirt and jeans were better than a uniform.

But, my stick straight hair was pulled back in a rubber band I’d found on my desk and I wore zero makeup. Looking at Ava, I felt ridiculously unladylike. And that wasn’t taking into account I had several inches on them and maybe forty pounds. I was ready for the roller derby while they were ready for a day at the mall.