Read The Bad Boys' Reluctant Woman for Free Online Page A

Zoe over instead.
    “What can I get you?” Zoe asked.
Brent knew she’d never seen the Sheriff. Tristan rarely came into The Dugout.
He had more particular tastes.
    “Zoe, I’d like you to meet Law
Castle’s finest Sheriff, Tristan Carmichael.”
    The two shook hands. “What can I get
you?” she asked again.
    There was no change in her attitude.
Zoe didn’t like law enforcement either.
    “A beer would be great.”
    “Coming right up.”
    She disappeared.
    “Is that the girl I’ve heard so much
about?”
    “If you mean to ask, is she the girl
busting mine, Jake, and Connor’s balls, then the answer is yes.”
    “Here’s your beer.” She handed the
beer, took the money then placed the change on the counter without touching
Tristan.
    “She doesn’t like you.”
    “Criminals or runaway foster kids
don’t,” Tristan said.
    “Zoe’s not a criminal.”
    “I know.”
    “She’s a foster kid?” Brent asked.
    “I’m not at liberty to say.”
    Brent sat down staring at the guy
next to him. Tristan was a strange guy. “What are you trying to say?”
    “I’ve looked at her file. Zoe Howard
is her name. She’s got some interesting facts about her, and no, she’s not a
criminal, but she might be a runaway foster kid.” He watched as Tristan tipped
the bottle and took a long swig.
    “I fucking hate you right now.”
    “She’s the one that has Connor
asking after a Bill?” Tristan asked, moving on as if Brent hadn’t spoken.
    “Yes, he’s hassling the girl.”
    “Walk away from this one, Brent.
Bill is not your problem.”
    Brent sat down. He didn’t like
taking orders.
    “He’s a problem to Zoe.”
    “She hasn’t reported a problem. Take
my advice and back the fuck down. Bill is not a Law Castle problem. If you
don’t listen to my advice, you’ll be in a whole shit-load of trouble.”
    Brent’s anger was beginning to rise.
He didn’t like being told what to do.
    “You know we can’t accept that,
Tristan. Why are you really here?”
    “Out of courtesy
to an old friend. The Law Castle Bad Boys are good for business. The women come for a piece of
the bad boy pie, and it brings business to a potentially dying town.”
    “What’s this got to do with Bill and
Zoe?”
    “All towns have their bad parts,
Brent. Bill is simply the bad piece in a puzzle.”
    “You’re not going to give me more?”
Brent asked.
    Tristan shook his head.
    “Then I won’t take your advice. If
this Bill oversteps his place, he’s going down.”
    The other man smiled and got off his
seat. “That’s why I like you, Brent. You’re always prepared to do the right
thing.” Tristan patted him on the back and then left.
    Brent was way too confused.
    He left his seat and made his way
out to the front of the club. The whole parking lot was packed with cars and
trucks. He hoped none of them were drinking.
    Brent dialled his home waiting for
one of the other two to pick up.
    “Hello?” Connor answered on the
fifth ring.
    “Where’s Jake?”
    “Painting in his
studio.”
    “What did you say to Tristan
Carmichael?” Brent asked.
    “What? I told him about Bill. Why?”
    Brent stared up and down the road.
“Because I think I got a warning and confirmation to go after him if he makes a
move.”
    That got Connor’s attention. “Where
are you?”
    “Outside The
Dugout.”
    “Shit, why didn’t you guys wake me?”
    “Because you’re
not a superhero. You still need your sleep.”
    “Whatever. I’ll be down in a few
minutes.”
    Brent closed his phone and took a
deep breath.
    “What’s going on?”  
    Brent froze at the question. He
turned around to see Zoe with her arms folded underneath her breasts. She
looked concerned. “What do you mean?”
    Zoe lifted up a card. “It’s not
every day I get a guy’s number or a note on the back.”
    He took the card from her. Tristan’s
details were on the front, his personal numbers along with the sheriff’s
numbers. “There is no note.”
    “Turn it over,”