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“I don’t think so, Mayor,” Wroth growled, causing the man to turn a sickly shade and gulp. “We aren’t done with our discussion. You’ve been running unopposed for several terms now. My money has helped fund your campaigns. Tell me, did you know your constituents were mistreating my daughter?”
“Of course not!” he answered, but it came too quickly, too nervously. “I would have put a stop to anyone speaking ill of Doe, had I heard it personally.”
“Right,” Wroth muttered with a disbelieving nod. “I’ll be dropping by your office tomorrow. I think a few changes around this fucked-up town are in order if you expect my family to continue to contribute funds.”
“Before you go,” I said, stepping in the hastily retreating coward’s way. “You can consider this my official resignation.”
The mayor’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “Now listen, son. I don’t care what anyone else says. You are the best candidate for this town’s chief of police. I would gladly put the citizens’ safety in your hands.”
My eyes drifted to Doe, but she wouldn’t even look at me. “Fuck off.”
“You want a bigger salary? I can pull funds from other departments to give you a raise. Anything you need, Carling. Just because your in-laws came to me first doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have offered you the job if you’d applied for it personally. You have what this town needs.”
“He said no, dumbass,” Piper snapped at him. “Now go before someone has to show you to the door. And if it’s me, I promise, you’ll be leaving with a few bruises. I’m not nearly as civilized as my cousins.”
Blowing out a frustrated sigh, the mayor nodded and started for the exit again.
“Mayor Teller, wait,” Doe called before he could reach the door.
He turned so fast he nearly tripped over his feet. “What can I do for you, Miss Doe?”
Squaring her shoulders, she turned to look at me. “How badly do you want the job?”
“I didn’t even want the job until your parents approached me about it,” I told her honestly. “But once they had my ear, I realized that I did kind of want something different. A steady job that meant settling down, to give me roots and show you how committed I was to being here with you.”
“Do you still want it?”
In three steps, I’d erased the distance between us. Grasping her around the waist, I molded her body to my own. “I only want you. The job, that house? None of that matters without you.”
“Oh, the house is a big fuck no,” she muttered grumpily. “But the job…we can discuss it if you really want it.”
“It’s a good offer,” I told her, feeling hope zinging through my blood. “We’d have great benefits. The money isn’t the best, but no law enforcement position pays that well anyway. But it will be enough that I can provide for you and any children we might decide—together—to have in the future.”
“Money doesn’t concern me.” She tipped her head back, her blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I love you, Jenner. And while we obviously have some things to work on, I don’t want to break up. If this job will make you happy, then I want you to take it.”
“You make me happy, little lamb. Having you is all I care about.”
“Jenner,” she grumbled frustratedly. “I’m having a serious conversation with you about the damn job. Something we should have had to begin with, instead of you just announcing that you were taking it without including me. Now, I’m making you include me. Do you want the job or not?”
I pulled her closer, wanting to kiss the breath from her lungs, but I knew if I did that with all the emotions running through me in that moment, I wouldn’t be able to stop. And I would have to fucking stop, because her brothers, father, and uncle were right there watching. “If I can have you and the job too, then yes. But if taking it means losing you, then fuck no.”
“See, was that so hard?” She glanced over at the mayor, who was sweating bullets from how hard Wroth Niall was glaring at him. “Jenner will take the job.”
“Right. Then I’ll see you on Monday, Police Chief Carling.”
I didn’t spare him a glance as I watched the first signs of amusement flicker through Doe’s eyes as the mayor practically ran out of the house.
“You’re sure about this?” I asked, needing to be certain.
“I know you don’t like to be idle. You weren’t a fan of all the traveling Violet does during football season, and I wasn’t either. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous about you being a cop, but the position is mostly an administrative role.” She shrugged. “Plus, I can use you to scare the assholes in this town now. I think everyone who ever called me Godzilla should get at least one speeding ticket.”
“They fucking called you Godzilla?” Piper snarled. “Who the fuck did that kind of shit, Doe? I need names.”
“A list would be nice,” Liam agreed, his jaw popping. “I’d like to pay a few of them a personal visit.”
“Lyric married into an actual motorcycle club, or is it a gang?” Gabriella commented. “Maybe they can come with him the next time he visits and scare the piss out of some of those old fuckers.”
Doe huffed. “I’m not giving anyone a list. There’s no reason why anyone needs to stir up trouble after all these years.”
