CHAPTER TWO

– MARVIN –

I watch the feisty woman's ass walk away from me and mentally groan. Damn. I've wanted nothing more than to bury my cock in any hole that woman possesses ever since I laid eyes on her a few months ago.

Our line of work made our paths cross and has kept us on the same road ever since. However, she keeps pushing me off said road, or wants to run me over for that matter. I know I'm partly to blame and have never cared much about what women think or feel when it comes to my words or actions.

Except when it comes to the dark-haired beauty with her stormy gray eyes that can punch me right in the soul when she shoots a glare. Giving me a deadly glare is all I've ever gotten from the woman ever since I opened my mouth in her presence.

It's why my lips stay sealed as I follow her to the coffee machine. I could certainly use the caffeine. I've been riding for hours to get here after one of the agents of the most recent dead body we found fucked up. The female agent got too cocky and now she's missing along with her colleague.

I could have called Kathleen's father and explained my concerns, but the woman has been occupying my brain for far too long. It's time I put an end to it. Not only do I want her under me, I want that smart-as-a-whip head of hers working on this case. I've already put things in motion and talked things through with my father who handled the rest for me.

"You can fix your own if you want some," Kathleen mutters and saunters into her office.

Grabbing a mug, I pour myself some coffee and add creamer before I follow her.

Plunking my tired ass in one of the chairs near her desk I state, "One of the agents who found the last body the serial killer left for us to find fucked up and now she and her colleague are missing."

Kathleen's head whips up, a glimpse of eagerness for more details overtakes her eyes. "What did she do to fuck up?"

I can't help but wince. "She got too cocky and gave an interview in front of the dead body. It all happened before I got there and she didn't mention anything until I saw it on the damn news."

Kathleen frowns. "I haven't seen it, what did she say?"

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I tap the screen and find what I'm looking for. Turning the thing in her direction, I place my phone in front of her and let the video play. Her lips purse and she starts to shake her head while she watches the interview the agent gave.

After a few minutes, she slides the phone back in my direction. "She's the one who did a stupid, brainless action. I can't believe she called him that and added how he'll be apprehended by a woman. It's as if she's deliberately provoking him and now he proved her wrong by taking her, and the other agent."

"Agreed. Also, why I reached out to Rourke and your father when I couldn't reach you. If that fucker is pissed he could go after all law enforcement women who are involved in this case," I state.

The part where I mentioned I couldn't reach her is bullshit because I'm fairly sure the woman has been deliberately dodging my calls.

"So, you want me off the case I'm not even on? Better yet, you'd like me to stay home and twiddle my thumbs." Her voice has a frosty edge to it.

Fuck. Why am I always stepping on landmines when it comes to this woman?

Kathleen gets to her feet. "Thanks for your concern, but I'm not on this case and I've let you handle everything when the killer left a body in my town, and we stumbled onto the buried one the same day."

She grabs a file and throws it in my direction, letting it slide over her desk so I can grab it.

"I had a hunch and did some digging, do what you want with it, I don't care." She points at something over my shoulder. "There's the door, close it when you get your overbearing ass out of my office."

Ignoring her ramblings, I thumb through the file she gave me. A slow smile slides across my face.

"You're thinking the ranch is some kind of connection because a body was buried years ago on the edge of that property and one was recently dumped there?" I muse, completely blown away by the new lead and angle she gave me.

"Eastlynne recently bought that ranch. I remember who lived there and my mind jumped to an idea. You should run names and see if one fits the profile."

An idea strikes and it would allow me to keep an eye on her, and have her brilliant mind on this case.

Throwing the file back at her I state, "Your hunch, you run the names and let me know what you find out."

She stares at me before her eyes narrow. "Why?"

"Truth?"

She rolls her eyes. "No, lies, please because that would be the most helpful thing you can do."

A chuckle slips over my lips. "I could use your help."

Suspicion fills her gaze and she sinks into her chair. "Right. Thanks for your honesty, you can leave now."

Her phone indicates she's receiving a message. When she's thumbed through her phone she gets to her feet and rounds the desk.

"Thanks for the heads-up about the serial killer. Good luck catching him," she states and walks out of her office.

Releasing a curse, I jump up and follow her out the door. "Hang on, boss lady, I'm coming with."

Kathleen whirls around to face me. "No, you're not. Get the hell out of my town and go catch yourself a serial killer instead of bugging me."

"Can't," I quip.

The deputy sitting behind his desk watches our banter with interest while he tries to look busy.

"What do you mean, you can't? It's real fucking easy to get back in your vehicle and drive until you can't see my town in your rearview mirror."

I slowly shake my head. "As of this morning, I'm the new undersheriff."

"Get the fuck out," she mutters under her breath and firms her voice to snarl, "Tell me you fucking didn't."

I shrug. "Then I won't tell you." Turning to face the deputy I tell him instead, "You guys are shorthanded with one deputy moving out of state, and the undersheriff just retired. The time I spent in this town was enough for me to decide to move here indefinitely. With the job of undersheriff available, I made a few calls." I glance back at Kathleen. "Everything is set and done, boss lady. I'm all yours."

"You're insane," she snaps and steps closer, jabbing a finger against my leather cut. "How the hell can you move here, take a job without my knowledge, and leave your duty of catching killers and being the president of Cowboy Bikers MC Lawmen? That shit doesn't make sense, asshole. So, try a-fucking-gain and this time make me believe the truth instead of rattling out lies."

I wrap my fingers around her wrist and give a gentle squeeze. "Check the patch you're pressing your finger against."

She rips her hand away from me and glances at my chest where the patch "nomad" is. For now, because I have more plans that need to be thrown into action.

"Motherfucker," she mutters.

With a satisfied smile in my voice I tell her, "I'm still a part of Cowboy Bikers MC Lawmen, which will give us the added resources when we take on extra cases. For now, I'm still in charge of the serial killer case and would like your help to solve it. I do have to be at the Iron Hot Blood ranch later today to make sure my stuff arrives safely. Rourke offered to house my two horses until I've found my own place."

Through clenched teeth, she grits, "Why didn't I hear anything about this until now?"

I shrug. "If you would have answered any one of my calls, I would have talked it through with you first. Ignoring me didn't leave me any other choice than to follow my gut and make the switch."

"Follow your gut? You're unbelievable." She checks her watch. "I don't have time for this bullshit, I have to go."

Whirling around, she strides out the door, leaving me to follow. I open the door on the passenger side of her patrol car while Kathleen gets behind the wheel.

"Get out and in the back, Wrench," I order and open the other door, her dog instantly listens to me.

"Suck-up," Kathleen mutters as I get into the front and she starts the car.

The corner of my mouth twitches. "He likes me, you should try it some time."

"I'd rather eat dirt and shit sandcastles," she states, making my laughter flow through the car as we hit the road.

Best decision I ever made was to transfer here. My parents weren't overly joyed when I talked it through with them yesterday morning. Especially my mother. While my father hoped I would continue to follow in his footsteps, he also understood and respected me to go and follow my gut.

He, like many others in our MC, experienced firsthand what it's like to find a woman who intrigues, challenges, and creates a havoc of chemistry inside the body. I've tried to ignore my body and mind when it comes to Kathleen. Yet, every damn time life finds a way to make our paths cross.

Then those agents went missing and the thought of Kathleen being at risk entered my brain and it made everything crystal fucking clear. Within a day I had everything set. Well, not everything. There's one crucial part I still need to get done…which involves claiming the woman sitting next to me.

Easier said than done when she's trying to get me out of her town as soon as she sees me. This time I came prepared and rooted myself in place. I'm going nowhere and she'll realize soon enough that she's mine. If only we could have a moment to communicate on a normal level since this woman brings out the best and worst in me all at the same time.

The first indication which made me realize she was damn special? I've never met a woman who instantly made a deeply rooted protective streak flare up inside me the second I laid eyes on her. I remember my first time in town all too vividly because of a gang we needed to take out.

A gang who liked to use women as punching bags and had a main business in dogfights. I stepped foot inside the Iron Hot Blood ranch to see Kathleen standing there, looking gorgeous as fuck, and Wrench glued to her leg.

The visual was like serving the perfect picture to the gang we were trying to bring down. I might have overreacted by going over her head to steer her away from danger, taking the case from her hands. But I needed to do it for my own sanity. We've been going head-to-head ever since.

"Where are we going?" I question.

Kathleen doesn't take her eyes off the road when she states, "Body farm."

My head whips her way. "You guys have a body farm?"

A smile tugs at her lips and she graces me with a glimpse of her stormy gray eyes. "Yes. A friend of mine is a forensic anthropologist and he's the one we founded the research facility with about three years ago. He trains students, making the main purpose study material, but there's also a law enforcement forensic science to exploit. My dad and I helped with the funding, which also allows us to be involved in some of the projects, conduct experiments, and gain valuable perspectives in the process."

"How come I've never heard of this one? I know of a handful all over the states–"

She cuts me off when she says, "Private funding and it's a very small one. We receive donated bodies for scientific research purposes from the hospital nearby. There are three cadavers on-site. Well, there should be. Elena just texted me that she found a fourth body on-site and no paperwork indicating a new experiment."

"Body dump?" I question.

Her stormy gray eyes hit mine again as she parks in front of a small ranch. "Yes, a female body dump."

Fuck. That's too much of a coincidence with my suspicions of the serial killer returning to this town. Thank fuck I followed my instincts and moved here.