Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7) Read Online Free PDF Page A

couldn’t help but wonder how Spartacus would feel if she came home with a puppy one day. It probably wouldn’t be a happy sight.
    “Maybe I will,” she agreed, giving herself a silent lecture that she would look, cuddle, and kiss but not adopt. “Actually I already have a cat. Spartacus.”
    James burst into delighted laughter. “Spartacus? I don’t suppose there’s a story behind that name?”
    Like most things in Rayne’s life, it was a silly one.
    “He looks like Kirk Douglas.”
    His brows shot up and his mouth hung open. “Your cat looks like Kirk Douglas? I’ve seen hundreds, maybe thousands, of cats in my lifetime but I’ve never seen one that looks like Kirk Douglas. I don’t suppose you have a picture?”
    She was a doting pet parent; of course she had a picture. Her phone was filled with them. She dug it out of her purse and swiped at the screen only to see she had several missed calls and texts.
    “What the–”
    Quickly paging through them, she shook her head as her anger began to boil.
    “What’s going on?” Misty asked, leaning over to whisper in Rayne’s ear. “You’re making a face and not an attractive one.”
    “The alarm at the shop has gone off and the security company has been trying to call me. I need to get to the shop and see what’s going on.”
    Misty straightened in her chair and tossed her napkin on the table. “Then we’ll get the check and leave right away. I hope it’s a false alarm. Do we need to call the sheriff?”
    Dare Turner. Rayne couldn’t catch a break and stay away from that guy. “No, the security company will have notified the police. I’m hoping they’ll get there before I do, honestly.”
    “Jared will go with you if you want,” Misty offered. “He’s hauled in a few burglars in his time.”
    “I’ll be fine. I just need to get there and see what happened.”
    Misty and Jared signaled for the check and Rayne murmured her apologies to James.
    So much for romance. Her life always came back to business.
    With any luck she’d still have one.
    *   *   *   *
    Grumbling under his breath, Dare surveyed the damage to Rayne Dunn’s tattoo shop with dismay. She’d relocated to Valley Station after her shop in the nearby Fairfield had burned to the ground because some crazy bitch was trying to kill Misty. Now less than a year later her new shop had been burglarized and reduced to what appeared to be a fucking mess. The little lady was not going to be happy and neither was Dare.
    He might not get along with the sarcastic brunette, but she was a resident and business owner in this town and that meant she deserved the best from her law officers. This wasn’t Dare’s best. He took pride in his job and this didn’t reflect well on him. He was determined to bring whomever did this to justice.
    “Has anyone called Rayne?” Dare asked Deputy Billy. “Does she know yet?”
    “The alarm service that called us said they notified her. I’m guessing she’ll be here any minute.”
    And madder than a wet hen. Rayne could certainly get upset over little things so this big thing was liable to send her into orbit. He only hoped he could keep her calm so he could ask her some questions.
    “Keep an eye out for her arrival. I need to talk to her.”
    Everywhere Dare looked around the shop there was mayhem and destruction. Carts and equipment overturned, drawer contents tossed aside, and paperwork strewn as far as Dare could see. The backroom hadn’t fared any better, and if anything was worse. Every file cabinet had been pilfered and the lockbox in the desk had been broken open. If there was anything of value in this building it had been taken.
    “Oh my God. What the hell?”
    Dare heard Rayne before he saw her. She’d come in the front door and he had to step over the contents of a bookshelf to get to her. Pale and shaking, she was flanked by former sheriff Jared Monroe and his wife Misty. They each had a hold of one of her arms as if keeping her from