by BA Tortuga
Until he could move Bri and the babies—which shouldn’t be long, four to six weeks—he’d just avoid everyone. Especially Gianni. The man made him stupid. That was dangerous and humiliating. Really humiliating. Mr. Franklin came into the barns. “You got something for us to do, boss?”
“Send Kody and Harrison to ride fence. Y’all can oil the gates.”
“Yessir.” Mr. Franklin gave him a sideways kind of look. “You okay, son?”
“Just fine, sir. Got me a bit of a headache is all.”
“Ah. Well, you just hang in there. It will all be fine.”
“Yessir. Thank you. Y’all make sure to drink lots of water, huh?”
“We will.” Mr. Franklin chuckled. “We’re grilling hamburgers tonight if you want to stop by.”
“I’ll be there. For sure. I’ll run to town and get potato salad.”
“There you go.” Mr. Franklin nodded and smiled before leaving him. They were good guys, these cowboys.
They were the ones who really worked here.
Bonner should have known no one would give a rodeo cowboy this job.
Maybe he ought to talk to Miz Jerilyn. She’d seemed decent enough. Maybe she had a hay farm somewhere not on this property that he could run.
Or not. They all had to be in on it. They all had to know.
Bonner’s cheeks began to burn like someone had set flame to them. Jesus. He was a fool. A newborn fool.
Angel Girl stuck her nose over the stall door, neighing at him. “Hey, baby. I need to call Micah.” He needed to warn the man. Maybe Micah wasn’t being fucked with, but regardless, Micah deserved to know. This was—fuck, he didn’t even know what this was.
“Hey!”
He whirled around, damn near landing on his ass. “What?” It was that Colt guy, and he wasn’t really wanting to be bothered.
“Whoa. Easy, man. You okay?”
“Fine. What do you need?” He wasn’t in the mood, and he was well aware he wasn’t this bastard’s boss.
“Look, I need to ask you a few questions about your sister.”
“No.” Easiest. Answer. Ever.
Colt blinked. “What?”
“You heard me. I said no.” He was at least the fake boss, and he was one hundred percent Bri’s older brother.
“Her ex-boyfriend kidnapped our boss.”
Gianni? Kidnapped? “Is he—what happened?”
“He was at a meeting, and when he left, the asshole kidnapped him.”
Sweet Jesus. He began to sweat a little. “Have they found him?”
“Yeah. Yeah, they’re taking Snake into custody.”
“Well, yay. Then there’s no reason to bother Bri, is there?” He was not going to let this little fuck bully him. Not, notty, not. He wasn’t afraid of a two-thousand-pound bull. This guy was a piece of cake.
“I need to know some information about him.”
“Do you now? Your cowboy is slipping, man.” Sorta like Gianni’s accent.
Colt waved an impatient four-fingered hand. “You’ve seen me cowboy up, and you ain’t stupid. I can’t tell you what’s going on, but I need your goddamn help. It’s not easy for me to ask.”
“I’m not letting you at my sister. You tell me what you need to know. I’ll go talk to her and let you know what she says.”
“Well, I did say I needed to talk to you about her. I don’t do girls.”
“Ask.” He wasn’t going to play games no more with these assholes.
“I need to know if he ever pillow-talked about anyone higher up than him. In the gang or not. Did she ever overhear phone conversations where he was talking to someone he deferred to. That kind of shit.”
“I have no idea. She’s just a kid. She’s not into his shit.”
“Can you ask? You said you would. Tell her that the questions came from the police, but they won’t ask her to come in for her safety.”
He stared at Colt a moment, then nodded, blowing out a breath. “I’ll ask. Give me a bit. I’ll call you.”
“Come to the house.”
“No. I said I would call.”
“There will be good coffee. And food.” Colt dangled those words like cat toys. Too bad he wasn’t a pussy.
He shook his head. No. He’d been embarrassed enough. He wasn’t sure why Gianni had used him, but Bonner was done with it. “I’ll call you in a while.” He had to call Micah anyway, didn’t he?
“Anything you can get will help.”
“Sure.” A man had his pride, though, and Bonner’s was rearing up like a bronc on steroids. Colt stared at him for a little while longer, then turned and stomped off. Pouty little man was used to getting his way. Too fucking bad no one had bothered to tell Bonner that he was supposed to give a rat’s ass, wasn’t it?
Yessir.
He was going to follow the fucking letter of the law so he kept his job. That was it.
Anything else was off the fucking table.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“GET OFF me.” Gianni wanted to get back to the ranch. The damn EMTs wouldn’t leave him alone, and he’d played along, but he was ready to meet about all this shit and then maybe get Bonner to take a shower with him. “I’ll see my doctor as soon as I get home.”
“Sir, I have to suggest—”
He started cursing in Italian, just letting the world have it. He didn’t need any more shit than he’d already taken, goddammit.
The guy backed off, hands in the air. He probably thought Gianni was going to go gangster and pull a gun. Oh, that would be fun as fuck.
Almost as fun as the sight of Luis and Alison pulling up in a stretch limo. Praise God. “It’s about time.”
“Nice ride.” That was one of the cops, who looked vaguely familiar.
“Right? Thanks for everything. You know where to find me if you have more questions.” In a week or two. Possibly a month.
“We’ll be in touch.”
Gianni would bet they would. He headed straight for the limo, letting Luis hold the door open, muttering, “Thanks, man.”
“De nada.”
“Damn.” He sank into the leather seat, gently putting his head back. “What a day.”
It was what? Noon? Later? Fuck.
“You think? What the fuck were you thinking, Cesare? Seriously, you don’t check your quadrants?” Alison was shaking, and he was in for a raft of shit.
“It was past midnight in the back lot of a law enforcement office. No one does dirty deeds there.” Yeah, he was slipping.
“Tom’s going to beat your ass, man.”
“Shut up.” He hadn’t been reckless. Not one bit. He’d been distracted, sure.
“Not a chance. You got whacked by a low-level biker.”
“I know! Jesus.” He shook his head, then clutched at it. “God, it stank in there.”
“Don’t you have anything you can give him? Excedrin? Something?” Luis banged out a rhythm on the steering wheel.
“There’s whiskey back there.” Ali didn’t have to sound so fucking smug.
“I don’t need that with a head injury. Quiet would be nice.” Possibly even blessed.
“Who’s the new guy?” Alison was never one to take a hint.
“Doctor. Tom sent him in for Xavvy, who got beat up. It’s like a movie.”
“You think? Jesus, man. How’s the local?”
“Beat to hell. Pissing blood.”
“Dammit.” She and Luis sighed in unison.
“I know. I’m getting tired of laying groundwork. We need to make progress.” Enough people he cared about were hurt, up to and including him.
“So, obviously the dickhead isn’t the ringleader.” Alison sounded utterly disgusted.
Gianni snorted; he got it. “Obviously. The dickhead is so fucked-up he doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground.”
“And yet,” Luis drawled, “he got the drop on you.”
“Will you stop it? I told you, I got a little loose. It’s Mount Pleasant, for fuck’s sake.”
Luis chuckled. “Man, there’s no way we’re letting this go. No fucking way.”
Lord save him from Fibbies. “I will shoot you. Hell, better yet, I’ll sic Colt on you.”
“God, I will have to explain how I expect him to keep better tabs on me than he did you.” Luis winked at him in the rearview.
“He was very busy with something to do with your biker.” Alison sounded gleeful.
“My biker? Snake is not mine. At all. Full stop.” Jesus fucking Christ, these two were going to kill him.
“But you have such intimacy now,” Luis drawled.
Or he could just murder them. “I will beat you both to death.”
“Right now you couldn’t beat a stuffed animal in a fight, Caesar.”
Gianni gave up, lying back again. Man, he needed sunglasses. “Hey, Ali. Are there sunglasses in the glove box?”
“Yeah, hold up.”
“Thank God. My head is huge.”
“Dr. Bow Tie will help you out.” She almost—almost—sounded sympathetic.
“Mason,” Gianni said. “His name is Mason. Don’t even underestimate him.” That man was dangerous. He loved it. No one wanted a boring team. Alison tsked, and he opened his eyes to see her holding out glasses and a bottle of water. “Goddess.”
“You know it.” Her eyes searched him. “That was not good, partner.”
“I know.” He held her gaze. “I swear to God, I wasn’t being stupid. I did look. He was waiting until I got to the truck.”
“We should have been watching him. Colt’s got the entire ranch wired for sound.”
“I know. I know. Now he’s in custody for something not narcotics. This could be very good for Xavvy.” He figured Xavvy could worm his way up higher and move fast doing it.
“Yeah. Don’t sleep, Caesar. Not until the doc clears you.” Alison was so cute when she was threatening.
“I won’t.” He closed his eyes.
“I mean it,” Luis said. “I will sing.”
“Heaven help us. Stay awake, Cesare. I mean it.”
“Don’t sing.” What would Luis sing, he wondered? “El Rey”? “El Paso”? “Dame Lo Que Quiero”?
Maybe all he knew was “Happy Birthday.”
It was Selena that Luis was humming, though. Lord have mercy.
He bet he could sleep through it. Hell, he slept through Alison snoring like a chainsaw drill team…. A man who could survive that could do anything.
Chapter Twenty-Three
MICAH SAT in the front room, eyes wide.
“Jesus, buddy.”
“I know. I know. I was stupid.” Bonner put his head in his hands. “I just… let myself be eighteen again, you know?”
“Was it good?” Micah was such an enabler.
“Yeah. Not worth it, but it was fucking good.”
“I don’t know what to say, man.” Micah gave him a sympathy look.
“Just tell me to have another beer and avoid the boss at all costs.”
“Right. I mean, what the hell is going on in that house?”
“I don’t know, but Kody and Harrison are in on it too. And they’re all over everything. I figure they’re either into drugs or cops.” Six of one, half dozen of the other.
“If they were cops, why bring you on?”
“I don’t know. You think they want me to take some sort of fall?” God, didn’t that hurt.
“Maybe.” Micah pressed his lips together. “But you said Miz Jerilyn hired you before he even came to town. And why hire me?”
“I don’t know. I’m serious. I know something’s up. I know it, but I have Bri to worry about. As soon as she’s stable, I’ll leave.”
“That sucks. This is the best job we’ll ever have.”
“Yeah, I know. I know.” He sighed, feeling about as low as he could.
Bri came out of the bedroom, hand on her lower back. “What are y’all hangdogging about?”
“Nothing, Sister. Just yammering. How’s those babies doing?”
“They’re heavy. Y’all want cake? Miss Maria brought down the best lemon poppy seed. I can make coffee.”
“We’ve got beer, but thank you. Micah? You want some?” He just wanted to bash his head against the wall.
“Hell yes. No need for coffee, Bri. I know it makes you nauseated.”
How did Micah know that when Bonner didn’t?
“Are you hanging out with my baby sister?”
“Yeah. She’s bored, you know? And trapped in here.”
Asshole. He wasn’t the one who’d got knocked up by the scary biker.
“Stop it, both of you. What’s your problem, Bon? You’re all growly.” She moved to the little kitchen, and the clinking of plates and forks came plain.
“Just made a mistake with the boss is all, honey. You know how that pisses me off, when I give someone a reason to fuss.” Not exactly the truth but close enough.
“Oh. Oops. Well. It’s not like I never made any.”
“Snake’s in jail.” It popped out, but he might as well tell her.
“What for?”
“Kidnapping the boss to get to you.”
He heard the plastic plate hit the ground.
“Sis?” Bonner hopped up so he could go to the kitchen. “You okay?”
She stared at him with wide eyes. “Kidnapping?”
“The boss,” he agreed.
“Shit.”
“Indeed.”
“Is he… okay?”
“Far as I know, yeah. He’s back home.” Bonner hadn’t seen him or heard from him. “One of his lackeys wanted me to ask you some questions.” Bonner had no idea why he was doing what Colt had asked. He was a schmuck.
“Like what?”
“Did he talk about drugs and shit?”
She went to pick up the plate, and Bonner fetched it for her. “No. I mean, he talked a lot about how important he was. Head of the gang and all that.”
“Here or in Arlington? I mean, that’s a big difference.”
“He actually lives in a trailer in Wolfe City.” She wrinkled her nose. “I went there once. That was when I decided to break up with him. He always said he was in Arlington on business.”
“Huh.” This didn’t make sense. None of it. It was making his head hurt, trying to make sense.
“So how did he end up here?”
She shrugged while cutting more cake. “He drives a lot and goes to bars all over.”
“Maybe he’s a dealer, you think?”
“How the hell would I know?” She wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“Bullshit. You slept with the man!”
“I was drunk!”
“You’re not legal!” Like that mattered, Bonner knew, but it was his best comeback.
“I didn’t pay a lot of attention, okay? I thought he was a bad boy. I was sowing wild oats. He went downhill really fast. Like, when I met him, he was really clean. Then he started to get greasy and gross.” She was starting to cry now.
“So….” He just didn’t know a lot of druggies. Drunks? Sure. Pill poppers? Absolutely. But heroin and meth and stuff? Not so much. Maybe they went crazy.
“Maybe he cleaned up to woo your sister?” That was Micah, coming in to take cake from Bri. “Sorry, I was eavesdropping. But true colors, right?”
“Right. At first it was leather jackets and roses, and then it was wet T-shirt contests and melted Snickers bars.”
“See?” Micah fist-pumped. “So, he drives the I-30 corridor and hits bars and stuff. I bet he’s making deliveries, for sure.” Micah was from California. Bonner thought maybe he knew more just from watching the news.
“Okay, so he was here for drugs.”
“For me.”
“What?”
“I told Cheri that we were coming this way. Not the details, but….”
Bonner groaned. Cheri was Bri’s best friend and a giant gossip whore whose older sister was a bartender. Like the perfect storm.
“Do you think the gang will show
up here for revenge?” Micah asked.
“I don’t know.” He chewed his lower lip. “I guess I need to tell the assholes at the big house.” He could just tell Kody that he wanted to talk to Colt, see what happened. The idea made him grin. Yeah, let the bastards know he knew what was what.
“What?” Micah asked. “What’s funny?”
“Nothing. I’m just trying to get my shit together.”
“That is funny.” Micah winked. “Eat some cake before you make any decisions.”
He whapped Micah and grabbed the cake. “Asshat.”
“Dickhead.” They could do this for hours. Bri grabbed them all forks.
“Shit for brains.” He felt better already.
Bonner just needed to remember who he was. He was a cowboy, through and through. And he was done playing games.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“WHERE THE hell is my foreman?”
Mr. Franklin looked at Gianni, bland as milk. “What, son?”
“Bonner Fannin. The man my aunt hired as foreman. The man who missed our weekly meeting.” It had been three days since Snake had kidnapped him, and Gianni hadn’t seen Bonner once. There had been a message for Colt, delivered via Kody, but that was it. No one answered at the foreman’s house, so he was down here at the bunkhouse, hat in his hand so to speak.
“He’s working hard, son. In the back pasture. Fence stuff.”
“Fine. I’ll take the four-wheeler.” He was going to talk to Bonner if it killed one of them. Franklin’s eyebrow winged up. Christ, did they teach that to all of them?
He firmed his mouth up, which hurt, because his bruises were impressive and the split lip was worse. “Is there something I can help you with, boss? The Texas life is sure suiting you….”
“Pushing it, Mr. Franklin.”
His lips twitched, trying to grin now. “I’m sure I’d never ever push, Mr. Cesare.”
“Nope. No cowboy ever did that. I appreciate the offer, but I need to see Bonner.” He needed to see why Bonner was avoiding him.
“Yessir. I’ll gas her up.”
“Thank you.” He was just too damn sore to cowboy up and ride a horse. The ATV would bounce a lot, but it would be faster. “You’re welcome.” The old man tipped his hat and started toward the building that held the four-wheelers, nice and slow.
