Free Pretty Reckless (Entangled Ignite) by Jodi Linton Page A

beat-up trailer to the next. Trash was piled underneath the big oak tree and the aboveground pool was a popular pissing spot for the boozers around the park.
    I prayed Dobbs hadn’t alerted Gunner to the situation; I’d had more than enough of my hunky ex for one day. Avoiding any possibility for a stand-off with that ornery Texas Ranger, I by-passed the park’s entrance to buy myself more time, only coming to a dead end and having to circle back around. The metal gates flew by my windows as I cruised down the dirt path toward Skinny’s trailer, feeling slightly antsy. Sure enough, parked in the middle of the long dirt drive, the black Yukon blocked me from going any further.
    Gunner leaned against the SUV’s bumper. I parked a short distance away and exited my vehicle, managing not to look back over my shoulder as his heated gaze followed me to where Dobbs was plunked down on a picnic table bench. Skinny had lived in this same white and blue trailer since birth and probably still slept on the same John Deere sheets he’d had back in grade school. The trailer he’d inherited when his mother passed was wedged between two tall mesquite trees. Skinny’s ’72 gold Ford Pinto was parked under the torn, black and white awning.
    “So what’s the plan?” I asked, reaching Dobbs.
    He turned around, wheezing from the heat, his khaki shirt stuck to his back. “I’m not sure. Skinny has dead-bolted the God damn door. Abby Sims, who lives two trailers down, called in the disorderly conduct. She’s worried sick Skinny is going to blow his doublewide sky high.” Dobbs waved over at Abby, whose nose was smashed against the storm door as she hip-cradled a baby. She frowned at the sheriff and slammed the door closed. “The fool’s been ranting and raving for the past half hour about how some ketamine dealers stole his stash of meth as punishment for not following along with their agreement.”
    “I can see how that could be a problem.”
    “Only if someone wants to get in, and I can’t think of anyone who would,” Gunner said, coming up behind me. When I ignored him, he shouldered past me. “Are you two just going to stand here all night?” he barked. “I don’t even know what we’re doing here, but let’s get to it.”
    Dobbs sighed and pressed his palm to his head. “We could kick down the door.”
    Gunner took a step forward. “Or we could just knock first and see what happens.”
    I knew damn well that was directed primarily at Dobbs. Even when Gunner was wound up tighter than a car lot owner during a hail storm, he would never suggest that I step foot inside Skinny’s trailer. The place was known as being a stashing point for methamphetamine.
    I pulled my revolver out and carefully placed my finger over the trigger.
    Gunner shot his head around. “Laney, you stay back.”
    I looked at him.
    “I’m not asking,” he said.
    “Are you telling me that’s an order?”
    “Well, yeah,” he snapped, even though he wasn’t my superior and had no call to give me orders. Only Dobbs could do that.
    “Dobbs?” I asked.
    “Maybe Gunner’s right,” he said with a heavy sigh. “You never know what Skinny might do.”
    “Damn the both of you,” I bit out, cutting Gunner a ‘go to hell’ look. I felt more like a disgruntled teenager than a deputy. I wasn’t even entirely sure why Dobbs had bothered calling me to come out if he wasn’t going to let me do the work I was paid to do.
    I watched impatiently as Gunner squeezed himself behind a dead spider fern near the front door of Skinny’s trailer and kicked the tip of his cowboy boot against the bottom of the white screen door. “Texas Ranger,” he hollered.
    I heard the screen door creak, then saw fingers wrapped around the edge.
    “Where’s Laney?” Skinny’s nasally voice asked. “I’ll only talk to her.” He wiggled his finger at me.
    Giving Gunner a ‘hey when you got it’ grin, I stood and slowly dusted off my jeans before heading to the