Mended Hearts: Bad Boy Action-Adventure Romance (Renegade Series Book 2)

by Arabella Steedly

  Jake stood beside the stove in a new pair of red boxers she had given him for Christmas. The smell of cooking eggs was vivid. He paused a second before answering. "No bad dreams... couldn't sleep wondering how my appointment at the bank will go today."

  Vanessa was confident, knowing her husband the way she did, that he was stretching the truth and the stress of his project had triggered another nightmare. Walking into the kitchen, she rested her hand on his bare back.

  "Are you okay?"

  "Yes, just hungry. How about you?"

  "Good. I'm good."

  "Why don't you go with me since today is Wednesday and the clinic is closed. I'm sure Averett would be impressed... told him the other night you are quite the businesswoman." Jake grinned.

  She eyed what was in the skillet with suspicion. "Under normal circumstances, I would love to. But I'm feeling kinda light headed and well, nauseous."

  "Morning sickness?" Jake laid down the spoon and pulled her into an embrace.

  "That would be my guess," she groaned.

  "Take it easy... rest."

  "I'll pass on breakfast. For now, I'm thinking crackers and ginger ale to settle my stomach,” Vanessa said, sinking into a chair.

  "You need to eat, honey. I'll wrap it up for later."

  “You’re so real sweet." Vanessa had no intention of touching those squiggly looking eggs. And the greasy bacon was definitely yuck, but she appreciated Jake's concern and loved him for trying to help.

  Suddenly, a knot formed in her belly, and her mouth flooded with watery saliva. Vanessa stood and made a mad dash down the hallway. Jake followed close behind, holding her hair as she tried to throw up, without success. Finally, he helped her up and led her to the couch, arranging the pillow and blanket. Soon, Jake returned with the crackers and a glass of ginger ale and set it on the coffee table beside her.

  "Just nibble and sip until the nausea passes."

  "I would tell you not to baby me, but I appreciate it this morning. I'm sure I'll be fine in a few minutes. The doctor said to let him know if this started and he would call me in a prescription."

  "That's my girl." Jake kissed her hand and finished fixing his breakfast.

  Vanessa chuckled to herself. Jake sat in a different chair at the table so he could keep an eye on her while he watched the morning news on TV.

  After he ate and cleared the table, he came back to check. "How are you feeling? The color in your cheeks is coming back."

  "Better, but not a hundred percent yet. That’s why they call it morning sickness. It only happens in the morning." They both laughed. Even though she was joking and fully expected to feel better soon, Beth told her she really never got over it until her last trimester.

  God... please don't let that happen to me... I need to work... It's key to our financial success. She thought.

  Jake dashed off to the shower and dressed in a business suit. She eyed him from the couch while he gathered his plans and other documents from the dining room. Glancing at the grandfather clock in the foyer — it was only eight o'clock.

  "Why are you leaving so early. The bank doesn't open until nine."

  He looked surprised by her question. "Oh, well... I thought I'd stop by the feed store and pick up a new halter for Tamara. The one she has is frayed."

  "I see." Vanessa wondered what he was really up too, but didn’t have the energy to ask.

  He handed her another pack of crackers and refilled her glass before they kissed goodbye. Vanessa listened as the sound of the truck faded away. And the next thing she heard was the clock striking nine and sat up, yawning. Thank God the morning sickness had passed. Now, she felt energized and hungry for oatmeal. After finishing two bowls, she decided to start the laundry since the hamper overflowed with Jake's work clothes.

  Still in her robe, Vanessa thumbed through a magazine and watched a few morning shows — listening for the dryer to buzz. By eleven o'clock she had finished three loads and was on the fourth. This time when she laid the basket on the counter, movement on the security monitor hanging on the wall got her attention. Her heart raced as she stood watching the grainy image of someone slipping through the back door of the barn.

  At first, she had no idea what to do. Their security cameras, strategically placed around the property were always videoing, but no one actually sat and monitored them. If Jake thought he detected something out of the ordinary, he'd go outside and check. All he had ever seen were a few wild hogs or even Apollo running around the yard. So they paid little attention to the device anymore. Until now...

  Her mind raced as she ran to change into her jeans. Should she call Jake or the police? Should she grab one of Jake's weapons from the gun cabinet? After pulling on her t-shirt, she did none of those. Instead, Vanessa ran out the back door, careful not to let the door slam and searched for Apollo, but he was not around. As she snuck closer toward the barn, she heard a high pitched squeal. Continuing around a stack of hay, the squeals turned to groans and moans.

  Forgetting any danger to herself, Vanessa entered the barn. She could tell the noises came from an empty stall nearest the back door. Searching for an object to protect herself, Vanessa grabbed a wooden saddle brush and rushed toward the stall.

  When she stepped inside the hay strewn enclosure, she raised the heavy brush above her preparing to bash someone in the head. Surprised at what she saw Vanessa yelled, "What the hell!" and froze in place. It seemed no one heard a thing, as she stood staring at the bare ass of a man she didn't recognize at first.

  For a moment, she thought he was assaulting the young blonde beneath him whose legs were sprawled wide open. Her heels pressed into the small of his back. She reclined across bales of hay covered with her clothes. The guy’s white ass cheeks were right in front of Vanessa as he slammed into the young woman completely oblivious to their surroundings.

  The girl’s eyes squeezed tight as she urged him on wanting more. Although Vanessa would never admit it to anyone, when she saw their tryst was consensual and the woman was in ecstasy, she watched for a moment and bit her lip.

  You have to do something... This is your barn... Who are these people?

  When she cleared her throat, the guy didn't even miss a stroke. By the girl's moans and whimpers Vanessa could tell she was close to an orgasm and by his panting he was too. What should she do? Walk away and hide waiting to see who they were?

  Before she could talk herself into doing that, she got a weird urge. Walking closer, she brought the brush down across the bare ass of the guy grunting in front of her leaving a bright red square mark on his butt.

  Screaming in pain, he pulled free leaving the woman's swollen folds exposed and hopped around cursing while he tried to pull his jeans up over his erection. Vanessa gasped when Tiny yelled at her, "You bitch. Leave us alone."

  Then Vanessa stepped back more aghast. Emma Carter grabbed her clothes, and clutched them to her breasts as she ran nude out of the barn into the pasture begging, "Please don't tell my mother... please, please, please..."

  Before Tiny could run away, Vanessa lashed out, "What are you doing? Emma is barely eighteen, and you are what thirty or so?"

  "Stay out of my business," Tiny yelled as he pulled his shirt down over his head making no effort to cover his growing erection. Then she noticed how his eyes were hooded as he reached out to grab her arm. When she backed away, he stepped closer. Then they both stopped to listen as Jake's truck pulled up in front of the barn prompting Tiny to finish dressing.

  "It's my husband. I suggest you come with me and explain this to him. After all, you were in our barn." Vanessa challenged Tiny in a low voice as she raised the brush again ready to defend herself.

  Moments later, Vanessa trembled when she told Jake what had happened. "Well, I was doing laundry and saw someone on the security monitor..." Vanessa filled Jake in on every detail. But was careful not to mention what happened at the end. Vanessa was unsure if Tiny planned to force himself on her or hoped she was aroused after watching
and would agree to accommodate him.

  If I tell Jake... He will kill this guy with his bare hands....

  Jake was calm, at first, and told her not to call the law — he would handle this himself. Loosening his tie, he asked. "What do you think this place is? Your private spot to sneak away and have sex with the neighbor girl? You should be ashamed of yourself."

  "Listen, man, I'm sorry about this. She said we wouldn't be caught because everyone was busy."

  "How would she know that!" Jake clenched his jaw.

  "I have no idea... That's just what she said. Look, the girl was desperate to get laid. I've never seen anyone so..." Then Tiny glanced over at Vanessa and didn't finish his sentence.

  Now, Jake's anger was building. The cords of her husband's neck stiffened as he opened and closed his fists. So far, he held back and didn't slug the guy. Instead, Jake glanced down at the ground for a second and then back up at him and took a step forward.

  "You are not welcome on my property. I don't know what your game is? You showed up here yesterday... said you ran out of gas... looking for Beth. Today you're fucking around behind Beth's back in my barn. I don't know where you came from, or why you think you can get away with that kind of shit, but you can't."

  "He was here yesterday? I wasn't told that." Vanessa scowled at Jake.

  "That is the real reason I showed up here. I was waiting for Emma to meet me but she never did. Emma said her mother was home and she couldn't leave." Tiny told them rubbing his butt cheek.

  "Oh, I see,” Jake smirked.

  "Look, I get it. I made a mistake, and I'm sorry. It won't ever happen again." Tiny tried to turn and walk away.

  "Damn straight it won't. Get the fuck out of here and don't ever come back!"

  "But Beth.., " he began to say over his shoulder.

  "But Beth, nothing. We'll take care of her. I doubt you'll be seeing Beth again either."

  "That's not right, man!" Tiny whirled around.

  "No, what you did was not right. Now, leave, or I will make you leave."

  "You think you can take me army boy?"

  “I’m sure willing to try if I must. What I have in mind, though, was a trespassing charge to get rid of you and make sure you don't come back."

  "Fine. I'll go, but keep an eye out over your shoulder." He brushed the straw off his jeans.

  "You do the same... TINY!"

  They both kept an eye on the guy as he wandered down the driveway, past the clinic out to the road. “Whew, you got here just in time. Where is his car?" Vanessa asked as she grabbed Jake's arm and steered him toward the back porch.

  "Who knows?" Jake shook his head. "If you weren't out here I would have ripped the guy apart.” Mumbling to himself he walked on. “…sneaking around on the property… cheating on Beth. There's something going on here that doesn't meet the eye."

  "What do you mean? Why didn't you tell me he was here yesterday?"

  "I didn't want to worry you. Granted it was weird, but nothing came of it. So I decided not to... especially since you're pregnant. But today, I'm convinced something more is going on. And you, Vanessa… You need to be more careful! God only knows what might have happened if I hadn’t shown up when I did.” Jake picked up the plans he had laid on the hood of his truck earlier and continued walking toward the house. “Anyway, I suggest you call Beth and warn her about this guy.”

  "No... I don't want to tell her about Tiny and Emma. That would be cruel." Vanessa shook her head.

  "You don't have to mention that. Just say he got caught messing around here without permission and that Jake wanted her to be informed since she works here. Make it look like it was my idea." He smiled down at his wife. "I see you're feeling better. Did you call the doctor for that prescription?"

  "Yep... I can pick it up tomorrow." Vanessa patted his arm. "What did you find out at the bank? What about the new bathroom?"

  Jake grinned and kissed her head. “The loan for the whole project is in the process of being approved. We should be able to start in a few months. Now, go call Beth and give her a friendly warning. Jake said pouring them both a glass of iced tea. "I'll be right back... I'm getting out of this hot suit."

  Vanessa swallowed hard and picked up her phone.

  It's not like I didn't warn her... I hope she's not already in too deep...

  Chapter 17

  Jake leaned back in his office chair and set his Stetson on the desk. Since the altercation with Tiny, a few weeks before, things had taken an even stranger turn. He had met several times with Chembroke behind Vanessa's back — that alone caused added stress. What was worse, the investigator had turned up absolutely nothing on Tiny that tied him to either Vanessa or himself.

  What he had discovered, though, was Tiny's real name was indeed, Saul Winchester. But Winchester was his middle name — Martin was his last. Even though Jake found the name thing curious, it was not a crime. Tossing Chembroke's folder in a drawer, he decided to put his worries aside unless he saw a clear reason to change his mind.

  Today was Saturday, and he had finished his chores. Jake had even found time to take Tamara on a short trail ride out to the lake while Vanessa tended to an emergency with someone's dog. Hearing the clock strike ten, Jake decided to fix brunch since neither one had eaten breakfast. When he finished stirring the sausage gravy and pulled the biscuits from the oven, Vanessa walked in.

  "Good morning." She greeted him with a smile.

  "And good morning to you." He pulled her into a kiss.

  Pregnancy agreed with her. Vanessa had that healthful glow that folks often spoke about. Though she wasn't far enough along to have more than a tiny little bump, she was more beautiful than the day he had met her.

  "Breakfast?"

  "Ummm. That gravy smells so good." Vanessa giggled. "At least it does today. Now tomorrow's another story." Laying her purse on the counter, she peered at him, grinning.

  "What? What's going on between your two ears."

  "Blueberries... I'm craving blueberries."

  Jake laughed and opened the fridge again rustling around. Moments later, he set plates covered with steaming biscuits and gravy on the table, and a bowl of blueberries off to one side. He noticed a small statue sitting in the center beside the salt and pepper.

  "What the hell is this thing?"

  "A Ganesh, hand carved from ox bone." Vanessa gave him a lopsided smile while studying his face.

  "I can't decide if this is the most beautiful or most hideous thing I have ever seen." Picking it up, he took a few moments to examine the odd work of art.

  “It’s supposed to bring us good luck. The owner of the beagle I treated this morning gave the statue to me."

  "I love beagles." He glanced across the table. "We should adopt one from the shelter."

  "What about Apollo?" Vanessa frowned and got up to call him inside. Apollo came bounding in and flopped down beside her chair.

  Jake reached over and scratched his head. "He didn't complain when you got the pot belly pig." They both laughed as he twitched his ears at the sound of his name, but he remained otherwise immobile sopping up the attention.

  "God, can you imagine him trying to deal with a puppy? Vanessa dropped a piece of biscuit into Apollo’s mouth. She laughed and scooped up a spoonful of berries while Jake turned the statue back and forth in his hands.

  "This is a strange gift... wouldn't you say? I've never seen one before. How can it be so incredibly intricate, and so ugly? It looks like an elephant mated with a human."

  Vanessa's eyes popped open, and she wagged her index finger at him. "You better be careful. I don't know what the Hindu version of hell is, but I'm pretty sure you just bought yourself a ticket," she teased.

  Jake scowled realizing he said something that may be horribly offensive. Since there was no person from that faith in their home at the moment, he shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. "What are you going to do with it?

  "It's a good luck charm. I thought we'd put it at the head of our be
d." She sounded serious.

  "Are you saying I have no luck in bed?"

  "Don't be ridiculous." Vanessa looked down at her belly. "My current condition indicates that is not the case."

  "Good point."

  They both laughed. Jake almost tripped over Apollo while reaching for Vanessa's empty dishes while she poured them another cup of coffee.

  "What have you been doing while I was out?" Vanessa asked.

  "I took a short ride on Tamara and started cleaning out the stables."

  "That explains why you look so dirty."

  "I'm a dirty man. You should know that by now," he chuckled.

  "Yeah, and you need to go take a shower."

  "Let's finish our coffee first. It is Saturday... slave driver."

  While Vanessa sat at the table flipping through sales flyers, he took a moment to relax. Leaning closer, Jake found himself, once again, drawn to the Ganesh. Lifting it off the table, he was surprised by its heavy weight. Perhaps it was not as hideous as he thought. After examining it a second time, he was impressed by the intricate craftsmanship.

  While Vanessa was still engrossed in her hunt for coupons, Jake carried the statue to their bedroom and sat it on the dresser. He chuckled to himself wondering how long it would be before she realized what he had done. When he emerged from their room after his shower, Jake yelled down the hall.

  "How about a dinner date sexy?"

  "Oooh, that sounds good. What do you have in mind?" Vanessa asked without looking up.

  "Lady's choice."

  "Uh, how about some Mexican food? Is that little place near the interstate still open? We haven't been there for months."

  "Casa Blanca? I think the last time we were there was before the hurricane."

  "That sounds like a good place to me and the bean." She snickered.

  "Bean?"

  "Well, the baby can't be much bigger than a bean at this point."

  "You would know better than I. Any idea about names? Or are you planning on calling our child Bean Morrow?" Jake stood over her peering down at the ads she had set aside.