Becoming Rain

by K. A. Tucker

  Luke kicks the tire gently. “Red. Should get a good return on it.”

  “Well, we appreciate it. It gives Jesse and Sheriff Gabe something to do.”

  Sheriff Gabe?

  A scuff of boots against the gravel announces someone new a second before I hear, “When is she going to stop calling me that?”

  “Never. You’ll always be the sheriff to me,” Alex answers, smiling at an older version of Jesse.

  There’s a sheriff involved in whatever scam this is? I shouldn’t be surprised. Small-town law, keeping the peace, no one the wiser. Still, this is getting more interesting by the minute.

  “I wish he was still sheriff. Then he wouldn’t be in here, fucking up my engines,” Jesse says, turning to lay a tender kiss on Alex’s cheek. If her scar bothers him, he doesn’t let on.

  Maybe he’s the one who gave it to her?

  Jesse heads for a rustic sink beside the wood table that runs along the entire back length of the garage, neatly lined with tools and jars of small bits.

  “So you finally got rid of the Mustang, did you?” Gabe reaches, patting Luke on the shoulder with a “nice car,” before sticking his hand out in front of me. “I’m Gabe. And you are . . .”

  Screwed, if this guy has radar for fellow law enforcement. My biggest selling point is that there’s absolutely nothing about me that hints “cop,” and yet all I can think about right now is a story about this one guy on the D.C. force who had the uncanny ability to peg every last undercover he ever met.

  I hope to God Sheriff Gabe isn’t that talented.

  I smooth away my internal struggle with a smile as I return the handshake. “I’m Rain. Nice to meet you.”

  As he walks past Luke, I hear him throw a low mutter of, “Well, it’s about time.”

  Luke smirks. “How’s your restoration going?”

  “It’s coming. I’d be driving it by fall, if you’d stop giving Jesse all these cars to fix up.”

  “Better money than what I’ll make in town,” Jesse throws back.

  Luke pats the back of the Corvette like a proud parent. “This one will go up for auction in a month if it’s ready.”

  Gabe knocks the side panel with his knuckle. “And it came from . . .”

  “I already told you, Dad,” Jesse protests but Gabe ignores him, black eyes just like his son’s leveled on Luke. His voice overly calm.

  And I realize what this is. An impromptu interrogation. Gabe wants to see if Luke’s story matches his son’s. He’s asking the questions that I want to, but can’t. Which begs the question: how much does the retired sheriff know about what Luke and his son are involved in?

  Luke smiles easily. A smile that says he knows exactly what Gabe’s getting at and it doesn’t faze him. “For three grand, off some old guy in Boise who bought it thinking he could fix it up before he realized that not everyone is meant to rebuild cars.”

  “Hey! Just like you!” Jesse chirps with mock surprise, smirking at his father.

  A long pause, a shrewd look, and then Gabe relents with a slight smile and a nod, satisfied with his answer.

  And giving me mine. There’s nothing shady happening here. Luke and his friend are flipping cars honestly. I release the breath I held trapped in my lungs, relaxing with each second that passes, swimming in relief. Relief that I haven’t witnessed anything damning to Luke yet, that I can hold onto this fantasy that Luke hasn’t been pulled into the theft ring for just a while longer. Because the sooner I’m proven wrong, the sooner this case will be over, and the sooner I’ll have to look into those big blue eyes and condemn him.

  But today . . . I can relax.

  “Come and show me your new ride,” Jesse says, wiping his somewhat clean hands on a rag. But I don’t miss the low murmur to his dad as he passes. “I already told you, none of that shit will come here.”

  None of that shit. So both of them know something about Luke’s involvement with Rust and it seems that neither approves. I wonder how much they know. I wonder what it would take to make them talk.

  Too many questions I can’t answer, but I do know that Jesse’s another door. So is the sheriff. More mental notes, more potential informants.

  “You interested in looking at car engines?” Alex asks me as the three men wander toward the Porsche.

  I should really stick with Luke in case something important is mentioned. I should.

  But my gut tells me that what’s happening over there is just three guys with a love for cars getting hard-ons for Luke’s latest toy. Nothing the FBI needs to invade. I’m more curious about this girl and what happened to her face. There’s definitely a story there.

  “Not particularly . . .” I laugh.

  She waves me toward the barn and I follow. “Do you all live here?”

  “Just Jesse and I. His mom and dad and sister live next door, over there.” She gestures to the ranch-style house hidden behind a line of trees.

  “You must get along well,” I muse. As much as I love my parents, the idea of buying the house right next to them brings a dull ache to my head.

  “We’ve been through a lot together,” she says absently, draping her arms over a newly mended fence, her gaze locked on the two horses drinking from a stream not far from us. “They’re such beautiful animals, aren’t they?” A slight frown zags across her forehead. “I used to be afraid of horses growing up. Can you believe that?”

  “I can, actually. They’re big animals. Have you lived here long?”

  “About a year.”

  I glance around at the place. “It’s a really nice ranch.”

  She smiles, the movement pulling at the scar. It must bother her, because she adjusts her hair to cover it. “It is. I’m very lucky to own it.”

  So she owns this ranch? A girl with a giant scar on her cheek, who can’t be more than in her mid-twenties, owns a place like this? I sense a much deeper story behind her words, but she only leans forward to scratch the head of the old dog that sauntered up so quietly. “Hey, Felix.” Its nose twitches as it grazes my jeans. Smelling Stanley, no doubt.

  The tranquil countryside is disrupted, the horses’ ears twitching as the Porsche’s engine suddenly comes to life. Jesse and Luke stand at the back, their arms folded as they study the exposed engine; Gabe’s sitting in the driver’s seat. “Boys and their toys . . .” Alex murmurs.

  “I think Luke would marry that thing if he could. I was afraid to get in it; I may dirty it.” The surveillance team has tailed him to the car wash three times this week already.

  She laughs. “Yeah, I remember his room at their old apartment being really neat. I’m sure the new place is pristine.”

  “I know, right? What twenty-four-year-old guy has a cleaning lady come every week?” I’ve watched the plump blond lady scrub his floors and dust his furniture every Sunday afternoon like clockwork.

  And then I bite my tongue, because I’ve admitted to something that Luke hasn’t told me. That I wouldn’t know unless I’ve been, say, scoping out his place. It’s so minor, it’ll probably never come up, and I shouldn’t give it another thought . . . but those are the kinds of insignificant bits that can create colossal fuck-ups in a case a year from now. I’m not normally so careless. It’s just that I keep forgetting why I’m with Luke in the first place.

  “How did you two meet?” Alex asks.

  “I brought my Audi into his garage.”

  She nods, gazing over at him. A sad smile takes over her face. “He’s a really good guy.” Her hand wanders to touch her chin, her finger grazing over the thin white line that I’m sure she never forgets is there. “So, tell me . . .” She suddenly turns and catches me staring at her scar. “Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

  Chapter 23

  ■ ■ ■

  LUKE

  “You pick her up at The Cellar?” Jesse asks, taking a
sip of his beer as he watches Alex help Rain climb into a saddle of the tall black and white horse. By her hesitation and stilted movements, I’m guessing she’s a first-timer.

  “Nah. She came in once to get her car fixed, started flirting with me. One thing led to another.”

  “I’ll bet Miller loved that.” Jesse’s dealt with him before; he’s seen firsthand the hate-on that he has for me.

  “Miller can suck my balls,” I mutter. “Actually, she has a condo right across from me.”

  “Ahh . . .” He nods and smiles, as if I’ve said something important.

  “Ahh, what?”

  “One of those million-dollar condos?”

  Now I know what he’s getting at. He’s also met the kind of women I normally go after, and he’s had plenty of comments to make about them. “Yeah, her family has money. So?”

  “I’m just messing with you, man. She seems different. Nice.”

  “She is,” I argue. “Both.”

  “Is Priscilla willing to share?”

  Mention of Priscilla brings me back to thoughts of last week, to how relieved I was that Rain believed me, and forgave me. “I think I’m done with Pris.”

  Jesse smiles at me. A big, non-Jesse smile.

  And I wait for it. I know it’s coming. “So, Luke Boone is finally hooked.”

  “It’s only been a few weeks, if that.”

  He shrugs. “Sometimes it only takes a few seconds.”

  “We’re taking it slow.”

  “And yet you brought her all the way out here, to meet us? To meet Alex?” He folds his arms across his chest, turning to face me. Of all the guys I’ve ever met, Jesse’s never been afraid to call me on my shit, to chew me out for being an idiot.

  “It’s a long drive out to the middle of fucking nowhere. I needed the company.” To tell the truth, the long car ride flew by, and we talked about nothing.

  “Isn’t that why you always bring Licks with you?”

  “Yeah, well, Rain drools less than Licks does.”

  Jesse bursts out laughing, something he never did when we lived together. Pre-Alex.

  “You sound happy, man.” I slap his shoulder. “I’m glad.”

  “And you? Everything’s good?” A shadow passes across his face. “How’s Rust?”

  I shrug. “He’s fine. It’s all fine. You know.” He doesn’t know. He suspects, just like I once suspected before being brought into the fold. But I’ll never come out and tell him. That’ll just drag him into the mix and I won’t do that to him.

  Never again.

  “Boone . . . Fuck. Why are you even hanging around those people? Didn’t we go through enough last year?”

  “This isn’t tied to that. Viktor’s gone, out of the picture.”

  He shakes his head. “I keep hoping that you’re going to get your wake-up call, like I did. You’ll be scared out of your mind, and you’ll regret even thinking that life was appealing, and you’re going to just get the hell away from it.” He looks ready to continue his tirade, but he finally relents with, “Alex doesn’t want to be sending birthday cards to the state pen.” He pauses, his jaw clenching. “Or a graveyard.”

  “Don’t worry. Rust has it covered. He’s smart. And a graveyard? Seriously? These guys aren’t like that. They’re assholes, but they don’t just off people for the hell of it. Come on.” Alex and Rain trot past side-by-side, Rain letting out a giddy burst of laughter now that she’s gotten the hang of it. “How’s Alex doing?”

  At the mention of Alex, Jesse’s eyes locate her and soften. I’ve never seen a guy so balls-in-a-purse whipped by a woman. “She’s great. I mean, she’s remembering things, here and there, but she’s handling it all really well.”

  I hesitate before I ask what I’ve been waiting to talk to Jesse about for days now. “So, how hard was it to be with her after what he did to her? I mean, did it take a while for her to let you . . .?”

  Jesse gives me a “what the fuck are you asking and why?” scowl, forcing me to elaborate. “Rain’s ex . . . I don’t know what exactly he did to her but, he did something. We’re taking it slow.” Excruciatingly slow. A-long-shower-a-day-keeps-blue-balls-away slow.

  Instant understanding passes over Jesse’s face, and a mutter of “shit” slips out. “Well, it was a bit different with Alex, you know that. With her memory and all.”

  “Right.” I guess their situation is too unusual. That’s not going to help. I heave a sigh. “I just don’t want to make any asshole moves and scare her off.”

  “Well then don’t be yourself.” I raise my eyebrows. “Okay, okay. I’m kidding. You should actually be yourself. The version who isn’t so wrapped up with all this shit.” He flicks my watch to make a point. “She doesn’t really seem like the type. And . . .” He watches the two women for a moment, in deep thought. “Just follow her lead. She’ll let you know when she’s ready.”

  “And what if her lead is holding hands and watching reruns of Friends for the next year?”

  “Then your hand’s finally going to be useful for more than one thing.” He gives me a swift but soft punch to my stomach as he stands.

  “You’re a really shitty friend, you know that?”

  “And yet you won’t go away and leave me in peace,” he says, chuckling as he lowers the hood on my engine.

  Rain’s laughter fills the quiet again, followed by the sound of water splashing. We’re drawn to the fence line to watch the horse she’s riding pick up speed and tear through the stream, sending water spraying everywhere. She seems to have figured out the right posture and stance quickly, her thigh muscles tensed as she holds herself just shy of the saddle, moving up and down with the rhythm. Giving me a fantastic view of her ass.

  “I think I’ve found my new hobby,” she shouts my way, adding, “Am I any good?”

  “Yeah, not bad,” I mutter, adjusting myself before everyone here knows exactly how good I think she is.

  Jesse’s chuckle carries through the air.

  Chapter 24

  ■ ■ ■

  CLARA

  The sky is beginning to change color by the time we’re saying our goodbyes, following an afternoon of riding and leisurely grooming the horses, which Alex informed me are both named Felix.

  “That was fun. I hope we see you back here again,” Alex says to me, before shooting a pointed look at Luke.

  He laughs, reaching around her neck to give her a warm hug. “Next time we’ll bring Licks and her mutant with us.” He moves away to say his goodbyes to Jesse and Gabe, leaving the two of us together, me securing the camera I’ve had out a few times this afternoon, sneaking candid photos of the farm and of Luke. For the case, I tell myself.

  “Keep him out of trouble for us, will you?” Her worried eyes settle on Luke’s back.

  So, Alex obviously knows something, too. “What kind of trouble can Luke possibly get into at the garage?” I ask as casually as possible.

  “I’m not worried about that place. He just . . .” She purses her lips. “He just hasn’t had the best role models in his life. He’s been misguided.”

  “By who?”

  “By people who love him. I think they do want him to be happy, but the way they’re going about it is wrong.”

  “He’s a grown man now. I’m sure he’ll do the right thing. Right?”

  “Yes, he will do the right thing. Eventually.” She smiles sadly. Her fingers graze the side of her face again. Almost absently, she whispers, “I wouldn’t be here right now, if it hadn’t been for him.”

  I fight the urge to go into cop mode and coax answers out of her, knowing that if Gabe heard me, he’d see right through me. And, if he wants to protect his son by association—as any father would—he’ll warn them that there’s an undercover on Luke and this case will be over.

  Alex’s words could mean many things—
she wouldn’t be here, at this farm; she wouldn’t be here, with Jesse—but the fact that she touched that horrific scar tells me that it’s more than that.

  “Just take care of him for me,” she says with a reluctant smile. “I worry about him. He’s a good guy, with a kind heart.”

  A lump forms in my throat. A person needs to be a solid judge of character in my job. I’m an excellent judge of character. I sense that Alex is a genuine person, and that my target did something monumental for her.

  “Sure, okay,” I lie. I’m not here to ease her conscience or to take care of Luke.

  I’m here to do the exact opposite.

  And for the first time, that makes me feel ill.

  Which tells me that I’ve broken one of the most basic rules of undercover work: don’t get emotionally attached to your targets. That’s never been an issue for me. I’ve never cared about what I’m setting them up for or what’s going to happen to them once I’ve done my job. They’re all grown-ups, making their own decisions. No one’s forcing their hand.

  “Thanks for the cash, man,” I hear Jesse say to Luke, slapping his hand. “It’ll come in handy. We still have a lot of work to do around here.”

  “Yeah, like paving your driveway so I don’t kill my car on it.”

  “Okay, Princess.”

  Luke gives him the finger. “I’ll call you in a week to see how it’s going. Maybe you can drive it in?”

  “Drive to Portland?” Jesse’s face screws up. “Fuck that.”

  “How are we even friends?” Luke blurts out.

  “Because you’re desperate and lonely?”

  Luke laughs, reaching forward to give Jesse a guy hug. I hear him murmur, “Miss you, man,” before he climbs into the driver’s seat.

  Both Gabe and Jesse smile at me. “Good to meet you, Rain.” Gabe jabs his thumb toward the driver’s side. “Keep that one honest, will you?”

  “I’ll try my best,” I say with as much conviction as possible. They all care about him; that much is obvious. Maybe they’ll succeed in convincing him to follow a different way of life. I haven’t proven anything about his current way of life conclusively yet, but it’s looking more and more grim by the day.