Sheriff Daddy (Montana Daddies Book 10) by Laylah Roberts (good book club books txt) 📗

hands. He felt someone walk in behind him, and Ed turned to see Jace and Jimmy. Jace looked bored. Jimmy’s eyes were wide. He was Ed’s newest recruit and this was his first bar brawl.

“This doesn’t involve the law,” Loki called out. “This is a matter of honor.”

“Loki, sit your ass down or I’ll arrest you and throw you in a cell,” Ed called back. Loki loved theatrics, but Ed wasn’t in the mood.

“Nobody locks Loki up!”

“All of you sit down!” Ed roared as everyone started to talk. Fuck, any second now someone was going to start off again. “Anyone standing will be arrested.”

There were lots of grumbling, but everyone sat. He half-turned towards Jace. “We need to get Gary’s goons and Loki’s guys separated, then start interviewing people. Did you call in Ranger?”

“Yep, he’s two minutes out, Sheriff.”

And that’s when Loki struck. Ed turned, just in time to see him reach the three women who were, sitting on the table. Reaching out, he grabbed Georgina, throwing her over his wide shoulder. She screeched, trying to fight free. Kiesha made a grab for her and nearly fell off the table.

“Loki, put her down right now!” he yelled. Fuck, what was he doing? Ed rushed towards him.

“Put me down!” Georgina smacked her palms against Loki’s back.

“Spoils of war!” he screamed before taking off towards the back of the bar.

Ed saw red.

Normally, he gave Loki some leeway. The huge man might be insane, but he also had a big heart. Logically, Ed knew that Loki would never harm Georgina. But this was Georgina. Nobody touched her but Ed.

Jesus.

“Put her down, now,” he demanded.

“She’s mine!”

Georgina was trying to free herself. He could have told her not to bother. Loki was an ex-Marine and her tiny hands wouldn’t be able to inflict damage against the muscular man.

“Stay still, wench!” Loki slapped his hand down on Georgina’s ass.

“Oh shit!” Kiesha cried. “Loki, put her down. She’s not a local. She doesn’t get it.”

Ed could feel a headache starting again in his temples. Why him? Why did he have to attempt to tame this crazy town filled with wild people?

“Put her down now!” Crap! He was going to have to arrest the bastard. Which wasn’t going to go down well.

“No!”

Loki disappeared out the back. Fuck! Ed turned and headed towards the front door. It would be quicker to go out that way and then head around to the back.

“O’Ryan, help keep the peace. Jace, Jimmy, start questioning people. I’ll be back.”

“We’ll help you, Ed!” Kiesha called out.

“You’ll stay right where you are,” he roared back, hoping that she listened to him for once.

Fuck. Who was he kidding?

Turning, he left the bar and raced around the side of the building. He was getting too old for this shit. He needed to consider retiring. Buying a small house by a lake, doing some fishing.

This wasn’t happening.

She was safe. This wasn’t the past.

Strong. Be strong, Georgina.

“You put me down right now!” Georgina demanded. Her voice came out a bit shaky. A whole bar full of people had seen him kidnap her. Ed was there. He’d come for her.

Even though he didn’t like her, he’d still do his job. Right?

She attempted to move, but the giant was as strong as he looked. Damn it. This was not an easy position to get out of. He had a tight hold of her thighs which meant she couldn’t kick him and when she tried to throw herself off his shoulder, he just tightened his hold.

That left only her hands free and he didn’t seem to feel her hits or scratches.

This was really humiliating. She should be able to free herself. But as well as the panicky feeling that was growing in her gut, she was also full of pink flamingos. And having his shoulder pressed into her gut wasn’t a great feeling.

“Let me go. Let me go!”

“Easy, girl, we are nearly there. Loki will take you home with him, set you up as his princess. You will want for nothing.”

Okay, so this guy was obviously drunk. He kept referring to himself in the third person and he seemed to think she was a spoil of war. But if anything, that made things worse because there didn’t seem to be any reasoning with him.

Crazy. He was crazy.

Help was coming. And she wasn’t helpless.

Where was he going with her? She wriggled around, trying to free herself.

Ed’s coming.

Unfortunately, all the logic in the world wasn’t helping her overcome her fear.

Stalked. Trapped.

No. Nope. She’d conquered those fears. She was strong. She was capable.

She wasn’t prey anymore.

Hurt. Afraid.

It took her a moment to realize that the big, crazy man had stopped moving. And then she heard a small whimper.

“Girl? You okay?”

No, of course, she wasn’t okay.

“Loki, put her down!” Another deep voice demanded. One she knew. Her panic started to recede. He’d come for her.

She gasped as Loki turned suddenly. Shoot! She really needed off his shoulder. She was about to vomit pink flamingo down his back. Although perhaps that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“She’s mine!” Loki called out.

“She’s not yours. And you know she’s not a local. Rules are you can’t do this to anyone who is from out of town.”

So he was allowed to do this sort of thing with the locals? That was insane.

“Georgina, are you alright?” Ed asked calmly.

“Let me down. Let me down now!” Okay, even she could hear the hysteria in her voice.

“Fuck, Loki let her down. Now.”

To her shock, the big man actually put her down. Gently. She stepped back quickly, brushing her shaking hands over her arms and trying to act like she wasn’t just a few seconds from tipping over the crazy cliff and having a total meltdown.

What had she been thinking coming here? Tonight had been a huge mistake.

“What kind of place is this?” she asked, her breath coming in sharp pants. “What sort of sheriff lets some crazy man just abscond with people? This isn’t real!”

“Princess, you shouldn’t talk to the sheriff like that.