Hard Brake (Wilkins Brothers Book 2)

Chapter 18

GRUFF

“Hey Gruff, your phone keeps going off, dude.” Maverick ducks his head under the car that I’m currently working under and has my phone in his hand.

“Is it Jasper?”

“Nah, looks like Radcliffe. I mean, I’m assuming that is who Sheriff Shithead is in your phone.”

I chuckle as I push the creeper out from under the car. I put his number in my phone years ago when he was being a bit of a dick over a speeding ticket that I got and I never changed it back. “Yeah, that would be him. Shit, it's probably about Miguel. I’m going to call him back in the office.”

“Yep, no problem.” Maverick hands me my phone after I wipe the oil and grease off my hands and I call Radcliffe back. He answers right as I close the door to the office.

“Hey Sheriff, I take it you have news for me?”

“Sorry for all of the calls, Gruff. I just really needed to get in touch with you.”

“It’s fine. I’m guessing it is Miguel?” I clutch my hand into a fist just thinking about him.

“I wish I had better news for you, but my contact with the Feds said that Miguel was leaving this morning to head back to Arizona.”

“Okay. Are they following him? What are they going to do if he gets too close to Camila?”

“I hate to say this to you, Gruff, but the fact is that the Feds aren’t too concerned with his actions here. There is nothing illegal about him getting near Camila. She doesn’t have a restraining order against him and as long as he doesn’t break any laws, I can’t arrest him or even threaten him to get out of here.”

“So what? We’re just fucking screwed?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“That is pretty much what it feels like. How the fuck am I supposed to protect them if you won’t help me? Why are you even fucking calling?”

“Calm the hell down, Gruff, you’re not doing them any favors getting pissed off like this. No, I can’t just arrest him from being around, but trust me, I will take him down for the smallest thing. If he goes 57 in a 55, he’s getting pulled over, okay?”

“I still don’t feel like that helps us at all.”

“I’m sorry Gruff, you just have to trust the system, okay?”

“You know that’s hard for me to do.”

“I know, but you have to, okay? I’m on your side, I promise. The last thing I want to see are those three get hurt in any way. The more I learn about this guy, the worse it gets. Listen, Gruff, I’m getting a call from my office, I need to take. I’ll be in touch with you again.”

He hangs up without me getting the chance to say goodbye, but maybe that is a good thing. I’m just pissed off that there isn’t more that could be done. I get that the Feds are more concerned with arresting him and charging him for drug trafficking and shit, but that doesn’t mean Camila’s life and well-being shouldn’t matter.

I take a look at the time and realize that Jasper has been gone with them for some time now. Camila really wanted to go spend some time with Bellamy and Elsie today. I can’t blame her, it sure is more fun over there than around here. I had a lot of shit that needed to be done around here, so Jasper said he’d take them over. I would have expected them to be back by now, but I lost track of time when I was working. I call Jasper’s number and after four rings it takes me to his voicemail.