He wasn’t wrong.
When JJ had been about to mention her break-in and subsequent fight with Price at Josiah Teller’s, Price had put pressure against her. He trusted the sheriff and knew he was a lot more lenient when it came to going off the books in certain situations but, in that moment, Price had found himself oddly protective.
JJ had gotten the hint and left the search out as well as her intention to conduct one at Jamie Bell’s house. Instead, she had simply stated her findings as definitive “They aren’t my brother” statements for each.
Marty Goldman’s adventure had been a bit different.
Just as Lawson Cole’s name and attack had changed the game for the sheriff while Winnie’s mention had changed the players.
What Price had told JJ in the bathroom had been true. He recognized what she had done, even if the others didn’t. When the man in the woods had lied about having Winnie, he had unknowingly forced JJ to pick her anonymity or the immediate action of making sure his daughter had been, and would continue to be, okay.
Price hadn’t been in those woods. He hadn’t seen her have to decide, but the best he could guess was that she had made the decision in record time.
Not only that, she had gone up against an armed man with nothing more than her hands to try and get to Winnie as fast as possible.
JJ Shaw had already sacrificed a normal life to try and save a man in secret. Now, she had sacrificed her identity at just the possibility that his daughter was in danger.
The least Price could do was protect as much of that identity as possible, even if that meant withholding from his friend, his boss and his colleagues.
JJ Shaw had told the truth to help him.
Lying to protect her?
Price had decided that was the least he could do.
Now he fixed his friend with an apologetic smile but didn’t tell him he was wrong.
Sheriff Weaver, to his surprise, returned his own smile.
“I know it might be a strange thing to say, but sometimes you remind me of my wife,” he said.
Price placed a hand to his chest.
“Considering your wife’s nickname is Sheriff Trouble, and she’s one of the most epic people I’ve ever met? I’m honored.”
The sheriff rolled his eyes.
“While she is those things, I meant the whole calculations thing.” Liam tapped his head. “You’re talking to me, but your numbers are running all around the people you’re trying to keep safe. I’m even guessing you already have a plan to try and do that, with or without any of our help.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Since he had seen that Winnie was alright, Price had already started putting together a list of what happened next. Some of the items on that list had been dependent on how the sheriff would react to their news.
And how Lawson Cole would react to two of his lackeys being in custody.
“My main priority is making sure that Knife Guy’s bluff of having Winnie doesn’t ever become a reality,” he pointed out. “If we can do that while running down Lawson Cole and his group while keeping JJ and her brother out of harm’s way, I’d be counting my blessings every day for the rest of my life.”
The sheriff nodded. Any teasing friendship disappeared. He was nothing but the sheriff when he spoke again.
“We’ll hope that JJ’s source comes through and can tell us who our man in custody is. Ideally, they’ll know who the guy she sent to the hospital is too. Though, we won’t be able to see him for a good while. Last I heard he might not make it.”
They hadn’t talked about it yet, but the fact was that JJ hadn’t just fought against the man in the woods. She’d nearly killed him. Though he had gotten his licks in on her before she had gotten the upper hand. Price had spent the better part of an hour trying to convince her to go to the hospital. The only reason he hadn’t been more forceful about it was thanks to the EMT who had taken a good look at the cut before bandaging it.
“As for Anthony Boyd and Connor Clark, I’m reading Darius in on the bare-bone facts when he gets back,” Liam continued. “Between the two of us, we can try to figure out where they came from.”
This was a point of contention.
The urge to protect JJ flared again.
