For Them, We Must

Deal with the devil.

Author's Note - Hi everyone! So I guess I have to eat my "never say never" words...but I'm so excited to present the next story in my Oakley & Kayce series. I couldn't just give up this family. I tried to move past, but little one-shots just wouldn't do them justice and I missed them so much. So call me selfish, but I'm back to my old faithful ones :) This one picks up a few months after the epilogue from For Her, He Will. 

Thanks, as always, for reading along with me! 

"Kayce Dutton, I'm gonna murder you," Oakley muttered under her breath.

She was driving down the highway, and the clock on the dash read the time to be a little after midnight. Oakley had just left Tate, the poor fifteen-year-old half asleep, was now on the living room couch with a shotgun just in case. The twins were still asleep in their rooms upstairs. Oakley hadn't had enough time to call the bunkhouse, wake someone up, have them come to the main lodge...and well, there wasn't time.

Oakley pulled the truck into the parking lot of the county jail and shut off the engine. It was quiet now, as it should be on a random Wednesday night. Oakley got out and tugged her jacket around her body as she quickly walked inside.

The lighting was bad, a blub in the corner was blinking as Oakley walked up to the reception desk. The man behind it had been a year or two ahead of her in school growing up. But Oakley couldn't remember his name for the life of her. His badge read Williamson.

"Hi," Oakley sighed.

"Can I help you?" The officer asked with a cocky tone.

"I'm here to pick up my husband," Oakley gritted through her teeth.

"Name?" The officer pulled out a clipboard.

"Oakley Dutton."

"Your husband's name," The officer rolled his eyes.

Oakley frowned, knowing this officer knew who she was and, more importantly, knew who her husband was. This whole state knew her husband. You can't be the Livestock Commissioner for the past seven years and not have people know your name at least. But this officer in front of Oakley was being petty.

"Kayce Dutton," Oakley tried to be calm.

"Like the Livestock Commissioner?" The officer pretended to be shocked.

"Something like that," Oakley nodded her head once. "I'm just here to pick him up."

"Let's see," The officer looked at his list. "Here it is...Kayce Dutton...picked up on one account of disturbing the peace and one account of disorderly conduct...that sound like your husband?"

Oakley's eyes narrowed at the officer in front of her.

"Can I get my husband or not?" She asked.

The officer snorted, setting the clipboard down and slowly standing up. He was now taller than Oakley, but she didn't feel any less strong. He pulled on his belt to raise his pants.

"Depends...you got his bail?" The officer asked.

"Bail?" Oakley leaned back some. "He was picked up for a bar fight. Why does he need bail?"

"Because he's here, girl," The officer sighed. "It's one thousand and fifty-two dollars."

"One thousand...?" Oakley took a deep breath. "Can I pay with a card?"

"Cash only here," The officer sneered. "There's an ATM out back though."

"You don't have a card reader?" Oakley crossed her arms. "Have you not moved passed the nineties?"