Page 13 of Hard Rain

Whip lifted the coffee toward his mouth. “Maybe. Stop by the pool hall later.”

Before Whip could take a drink, Axel snatched the cup clean out of his hand and took several swallows himself.

Fuuuck.

The coffee was hot as hell.

Worth it.

Sheriff Mercer stared at him flatly. “You always steal drinks from people?”

“Only when they’re standing too close to my paperwork,” Axel replied.

Whip choked back a laugh.

Mercer’s eyes narrowed slightly before he looked back toward Whip. “Anyway, I was saying—”

“Don’t you got a job?” Axel cut in.

The sheriff opened his mouth, probably to tell him exactly where to shove that comment, when a deputy leaned out of one of the back offices.

“Sheriff! The DA’s on line one.”

Mercer sighed through his nose and pointed once toward Whip. “This conversation ain’t over.”

“Looking forward to it,” Whip answered easily.

Axel handed the coffee back.

Mostly empty now.

The walk to the Lakeview U.S. Marshals field office was quick. The small building sat between the sheriff’s department and county records.

His desk had been shoved up against Whip’s and hadn’t moved for the past year.

Worked for him.

Warrant sheets and county maps were pinned to the wall above a copier rattling on its last leg.

Next to the copier near the back wall sat Knox Granger, flipping through paperwork with quick, efficient movements. Blond hair fell across bright blue eyes sharp enough to miss absolutely nothing. Slender build. Young enough, most people underestimated him at first glance.

Usually right before he put them on their ass.

He knew that firsthand and rubbed his jaw at the memory.

Knox hadn’t come out of the military like most of the task force guys. Mid-twenties and fresh-faced compared to the older marshals around him, he’d still passed the Marshal Service written, psych, and field tests with honors. Then won last year’s regional karate championship on top of it.

People learned real fast that the size difference stopped mattering once Knox started moving.

“Did you dig him outta his cousin’s trailer or actually have to chase him?” Knox asked, shoving back from his desk with a cocky grin.

“No running involved,” Axel said smugly.

“Where’s the boss man?” Whip asked.

“On his way over to next door,” the man in question said, his deep voice growling from behind them.

Axel glanced over one shoulder, taking in their boss.