Roughneck

by Stone, Piper

  She’d never thanked me before. The concept wasn’t in her nature. “Once a day at least.”

  Giving me a sideways glance as well as a waning smile, she folded her arms and continued shivering.

  In the Texas heat.

  Everything about this was getting out of hand. And the sickening feeling remained pooling in my stomach, eating at my insides. What game was being played?

  “Why don’t we make some breakfast?” she suggested, her mood shifting one-eighty. “Daddy, I mean.”

  “Good idea.”

  I was no longer certain what to do to enable her to trust me.

  * * *

  Summer

  I’d managed to get out of the house. In fact, I’d taken Jack’s truck without asking. I knew there would be hell to pay when I returned, but I needed time and space. His anger at seeing the text was similar to mine, boiling, but this was something only I could do. I was now firmly convinced that Jonathan was behind everything that was happening to the ranchers. Especially given the recent text, but if there wasn’t any proof, then I could only exacerbate an already difficult situation.

  The drive into town allowed me to think and by the time I pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store, I had a dangerous plan in mind. While the decision wasn’t difficult, I knew that by doing this, my life would change forever. So would Jack’s. Would he accept? Would he be angry?

  Would he ever want to see me again?

  Everything was riding on this, even more so because of the way I felt about Jack. I hadn’t looked for love, nor had I believed it could ever happen to me. I’d been beaten down for so long that the concept had left me empty, refusing to believe I needed a man in any regard.

  Then Jack had popped into my life like a firecracker, the kind of rocket that had stolen my breath from second one.

  All my mother had ever wanted was to love and be loved. I’d long since forgiven her for falling in love with a monster. Jack was a true prince. And so, I would do the right thing for his family as well as my very soul. The second to last step of ridding myself of Jonathan’s control forever.

  I sat in the parking lot, holding my phone in my lap, mulling over the ramifications of my actions. No one knew the lengths my mother had gone to protect me, or her legacy. Oh, Jonathan had suspicions that I was harboring evidence of some sort. He was also pissed at my standing with his company. I’d followed my mother’s wishes for several reasons, including thwarting Jonathan’s ability to wash his bloody hands.

  My mother had finally accepted the fact that Jonathan was the Devil reincarnated, but it had been too late—at least for her. She’d lost her life only three months after going to great lengths to get me alone during my last break from college. I hadn’t wanted to come home, but she’d insisted.

  Thank God I had.

  What she’d told me would forever burn in my mind, even though I’d pushed away the damning accusations. By that point, I’d almost given up in my determination to destroy him. Sighing, I fingered the phone, trying to prepare myself for making the call. My mother had been in tears, shaking me when she drilled into my mind various steps that had to be taken.

  But only during a true crisis—a life or death situation.

  Anything else would result in Jonathan obtaining the final upper hand, eliminating all possibilities that I would have any inheritance. I had to play my cards right. I’d placed the conversation in a padlocked box, hidden in the back of my mind. Now? Everything had resurfaced. Her terror of being discovered. Her hatred of the man she’d married.

  Her understanding that her life could be cut short.

  And it had been.

  There’d been no advance warnings of what was to occur, no pinpointing of exactly the moment Jonathan realized my mother had become a threat. His business trip across the country had coincided with spring break, giving my mother and me time alone together. I hadn’t comprehended the lengths my stepfather would go to at the time, but there was nothing the man wasn’t capable of.

  Including murder.

  I slid my finger across the screen on my phone, pulling up my contacts. My mother had only trusted one individual and my phone call would begin to unravel an empire.

  Or so I prayed to some God above.

  My hand shook as I attempted to dial the number, gulping and wheezing as the phone rang one, two, then three times. The single click was the only way that I was able to tell he was on the line.

  “It’s time,” I whispered, more lightheaded than I’d been in years.

  “You’re certain?”

  “More than I want to share.” I gulped after saying the words, my anger increasing when I heard the heavy sigh. I was ready to lash out when I finally heard the answer.

  “Understood. I will contact you when everything is ready.”

  “Fair enough and... thank you. I need one more favor.”

  There were no sounds coming from the other end of the line.

  “Mark Tomlin. I know the name, but uncertain from where. Please find out for me. Instructor out of Quantico.”

  The second click ended the call abruptly, with no need for further conversation. The instructions had been laid out years before, plotted and planned by what my mother had called a force to be reckoned with. I had no idea who they were or what relationship they’d had with my mom, but I was grateful for the help.

  Now, all I had to do was wait.

  And worry.

  And panic.

  There was no relief in my mind as I cut the engine, attempting to pretend that everything was going to be all right. I would need to confide in Jack, but only after I’d had confirmation that everything was in motion. That would take some time. We had two more days here. I could only hope that the future would be brighter.

  I eased out of the truck, glancing right and left as if the big, bad boogeyman was going to jump out from behind a car. There was no such creature, no clandestine looks as I walked toward the store. There was also no way that Jonathan could know I was here. What was the saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? If only the bastard had any idea.

  The only cover that managed to sound reasonable was purchasing items to make dinner, as if I could cook. At least the excuse seemed plausible.

  My phone rang and I knew instinctively who was calling. Jack. Gritting my teeth, I decided to ignore it, but I’d have to face the consequences soon enough.

  Every person in the store greeted me with a smile, even a kind word—the Texas way. I gathered things into my basket in record time, wanting nothing more than to head back to the ranch, falling into Jack’s arms. What was likely to occur was another round of discipline. Every time I moved, the way my jeans scratched my bruised bottom was a distinct reminder of his dominance.

  And I loved every second.

  Who would have guessed I’d be turned on by such a controlling man?

  Shameful girl.

  I enjoyed the warm blush creeping up along my jawline, leaving my mouth dry, but a lump formed in my throat as I headed to checkout. Was I a nutcase to want this in my life? I laughed softly to myself as the clerk ran the items over her scanner. I craved Jack. I longed for his touch as well as his firm command. Nothing had changed, no matter the circumstances.

  Bags in hand, I struggled to grab my keys as I headed out of the store, resigned to whatever Jack was going to do. Almost instantly, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck, forcing me to stop in my tracks. Beads of perspiration formed on my upper lip, but I pretended that I was merely adjusting the bags as I scanned the parking lot. There was no outward sign of anyone out of place, but I knew someone was there watching me.

  Stalking me.

  This time, Jonathan hadn’t lied. I’d been found, which meant time was running out. All I could do at this point was pretend. Plastering a smile on my face, I took long strides toward the truck, as casually as possible, sliding the bags onto the passenger seat. I even hummed as I slowly walked around to the driver’s door, dropping the keys in o
rder to buy time. A quick glance to the right brought me the confirmation I needed.

  Two men. Two goons.

  Two assassins.

  The huge black Ram couldn’t hide the burly men sitting inside, their faces half covered by sunglasses. They were trying to appear as just regular cowboys, but I knew better. They were on Jonathan’s payroll.

  Not only did they know the exact location of the ranch, they also had made a visual sighting of me. Jonathan had been tipped off regarding my whereabouts by someone close. The only possible source was on the oil rig. There was no other possibility. Who the hell had betrayed me?

  The phone rang again.

  Get in the truck and drive. I held my breath until I was out of the parking lot.

  Fear constricted my breathing during the drive, goosebumps popping along my arms. I glanced in the rearview mirror at least two dozen times, half expecting to see guns positioned out the windows. I was sick to my stomach and couldn’t get back to the ranch fast enough, spinning tires as I raced down the long driveway. They hadn’t followed, at least that I’d been able to tell, but why would they have to? They simply could abduct me in the middle of the night.

  Or worse.

  Out of sorts, I had to slam on the brakes and the noise brought Jack running out onto the front porch. Boy, he looked pissed. Shit. Shit! My right foot was tapping absently on the floorboard and it took me three tries to cut the engine. I had to get control of myself. Maybe I’d been hallucinating. Maybe I was losing my mind.

  I fumbled with the latch, almost falling on my face in an effort to climb out of the cab.

  “Where in the fuck have you been?” he demanded as he stormed toward me, yanking the bag of groceries out of my hand.

  “I went to the store. That’s all.”

  “Without my permission? Without even telling me? You simply stole my keys and the truck in an effort to purchase groceries?” Jack huffed, yelling louder than I’d ever heard him before.

  “I’m sorry!”

  “Not as sorry as you’re going to be.” Jack studied my eyes and I could swear he was looking right through me. “Get inside the house!”

  I’d never felt so small around him, so pitiful in my actions. He deserved the truth. He deserved to be warned. Instead, I did as he commanded.

  I obeyed.

  He didn’t immediately follow me. I could see him glaring at the road then twisting his neck to look toward the door. I backed into the kitchen, gripping the counter. Tell him. Just tell him everything. I wanted to. I wanted nothing more than to confide in him, but he might be in significant danger already. I needed answers. I had to have the plan firmly set in motion.

  After he slammed the bag onto the table, I couldn’t even manage to look in his direction. I was jumpy as well as nauseous.

  “That’s it, Summer. You and I are going to have a discussion, right here. Right now.” Jack’s face was beet red from anger. Control was slipping out of his fingers. “You’re not getting out of this. What in the hell is really going on? All this clandestine bullshit, as if your stepfather is some freaking criminal. Is that the case? Is it?”

  When I opened my mouth, the only sound was a strangled breath.

  He paced the floor, swearing several times. “I told you before that I can’t handle liars. I can’t.”

  “I’m not lying to you. I just wanted to surprise you and make dinner.”

  “And the text that made you so jumpy? You expect me to buy the fact that you’re no longer concerned?”

  “What in the hell is going on here?” John asked as he came into the room.

  Jack huffed, giving him a sideways glance. “Summer is hiding details about her past and she’s pretending to be in danger.”

  “I’m not pretending anything!” I closed my eyes after spouting the words.

  “Then you need to start talking,” Jack snapped.

  The tension was thick, giving me a headache. The second I stole a glance out the window, Jack caught it, rearing back as if to explode.

  “I can’t. Not yet.” I barely managed the whisper. “You have to trust me.”

  “Let the girl alone, Jack. Christ, son. You’re the one scaring her,” John pleaded.

  “Trust you? I’m not certain how I’m supposed to do that, Summer. For all I know, you’ve been lying to me about everything, including the fact you even have a family. You show up on my rig immediately picking fights. You act like you’re afraid of your stepfather, but after repeated attempts to find out more in order to help, you continue to blow me off. You have no social life that I can see, including on the internet. No Facebook. No Twitter. No Instagram. All I know is the two texts I’ve seen on your phone and the little bit that you’ve told me, which doesn’t amount to jack shit.”

  He’d been checking up on me. “Jack, please.”

  “Are you going to tell me everything about your stepfather and this wretched past you’ve alluded to?” Jack closed the distance until his massive body loomed over mine. “Are you?”

  I winced when he shouted the last question.

  “Jack!” John admonished.

  “Do I need to repeat my question?” Jack continued.

  “I... can’t. Not right now.” Had I even muttered the words? Holding my stomach, I was almost forced to double over.

  “Right. Of course you can’t.” Jack skirted around me, taking long strides toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” My voice was nothing more than that of a little girl.

  “To find a little peace and perhaps sanity.” Jack slammed the door on the way out, the force rattling the entire house.

  There was no way to pedal back from the fact I’d lied about everything. There were no soothing words to whisper to myself about the strength of our romance, but we barely knew each other. He didn’t really know me at all. All the magic was destroyed.

  I’d lost him forever.

  Chapter Ten

  Jack

  Lies. Fucking bloody ass lies.

  “Damn it!” I jerked the steering wheel, pulling into the parking lot of the bank, hesitating before cutting the engine.

  I knew instinctively that Summer had been lying to me from the start, but the manner in which she played the game had finally taken a toll. I’d spent the better part of four hours at a bar, listening to bad music and trying to think rationally. I’d also made another call to Riley, insisting he dig deeper into her background. What in the hell was the girl lying about?

  Maybe she was the criminal element, faking her identity.

  I laughed bitterly at the thought. I certainly wasn’t a good judge of character.

  She’d fallen asleep on the couch, no doubt waiting for me. I’d carried her to the bedroom and sat awake the majority of the night searching the internet for anything on Holmes Enterprises. What I found was fascinating, but certainly not a smoking gun. Everything seemed on the up and up, which made everything that much worse. There would be no sleep until I could fix this freaking mess. It was barely nine in the morning, but I was determined to be the first one in line.

  Storming inside, I pushed past everyone in an effort to get to the bank manager. I’d known Bob Simpkins for years, having opened my first checking account with the man when I was fifteen. He certainly didn’t look happy to see me when I barged into his office, tossing the contract down on his desk.

  Bob stood, his face flushing. “Jack Stone. It’s good to see you. Are you back for good?”

  “Bob. I wish I could say the same thing about you. Now, do you want to cut the crap? What the hell kind of contract did you coerce my father to sign?”

  He glanced down at the papers, but I could tell he knew exactly what I was talking about. His face became pinched, all the color draining out. “I didn’t coerce your father into doing anything, Jack. The ranch is in pretty bad shape. He needed money to make repairs and with his bad credit, there was no one else that would loan him the money. I had to call in a few favors to make this happen. The refinance was a solid d
eal.”

  A deal for the Devil. I planted my hands on the chipped fake wood, leaning over. “You’re a liar, Bob. I can see it written all over your face. What kind of commission are you getting when these properties are forced to foreclose?”

  He huffed and puffed, a tic appearing in the corner of his mouth. “How dare you! I’ve been a part of this community my entire life. I only want what’s best for the ranchers. These are difficult times. You may have left the area, but you must know how dire everything has gotten.”

  “Yeah, I left, Bob. I left to serve my country. Then I come back to...” I grabbed the contract, crumpling it in my hand. “I came back to this bullshit. I doubt it’s even legal. My father has been an upstanding resident for four decades. Why would you allow this to occur?”

  “I had no choice. Trust me, their attorney made certain everything was exactly as it should be.”

  “Their attorney. Do you mean Holmes Enterprises? I did some significant research on the company. Seems they’re into several businesses and not all of them legal. I’m no expert, but I think an attorney would find their business dealings very interesting, if not the police. My guess is there have been certain payoffs to look the other way?” I snickered, seeing his shocked expression. Some of what I was telling him was nothing more than a shell game, but I must be running on all cylinders, at least given the amount of sweat beading on his forehead.

  “That’s a horrible insinuation to make,” Bob choked out.

  “Not an insinuation, Bob. More like an accusation. I also did some checking when I was here just a month ago. Now that I have this shoddy contract, I’m certain the press will love to hear all about how you’re helping a ruthless firm destroy our little community. Then I’m going to take what I know to the sheriff.”

  Huffing, Bob wiped sweat from his brow. “You can’t do that, Jack.”

  “Do you want to tell me why?”

  Bob gave a heated look. “They are some pretty bad men. You don’t understand who you’re dealing with.”

  “I know all about them.” The ugly truth was I’d only scratched the surface regarding who they were. There was a board of directors, but I had a feeling they were simply a front for the illegal activities. I was bluffing to see how far I could go with Bob. His expression alone was enough to make my blood run cold. “What hold do they have over you, Bob? What?” I watched the beads of sweat trickling down both sides of his face. “Money?”