How had she done it? How had Rebecca managed to take his thirst for revenge and quench it with a single kiss? Alex climbed into his Jag, put it in gear and flew down the Huntington drive. The stately oaks lining the drive passed in a blur of deep autumnal russet.
He’d clearly lost his mind. Here was his perfect opportunity for revenge and he was allowing the woman who’d helped destroy his life—and the lives of his family—convince him to give it up. Again. Of course, Sebastian Huntington had played a big part in that, since it was through him that Rodriquez had managed to get so close to Rebecca, which had forced Alex to act.
None of that changed the bottom line, he reassured himself. He had his plan in place. Granted, it was a new plan, but the end results would remain the same. When Huntington finally realized that his friends had deserted him and he wouldn’t be able to finagle his way out of his current predicament, he’d be left with one choice. To sign over the deed to Huntington Manor and leave town. In the meantime, Alex would make sure the embezzled funds were returned to the TCC with interest. Then he’d clear off any outstanding Huntington debts, including Paulo Rodriquez’s. He frowned at the reminder.
Paulo.
He’d have to talk to his onetime friend and find out what the hell was going on. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d touched base. Maybe once in the past year, when he’d asked his old friend to keep an eye on Alicia after the arson fire. Even then, it had been by phone. But the fact that Paulo had chosen to go after Sebastian Huntington raised red flags. It was time for a face-to-face reunion.
To his surprise, he found Paulo waiting at El Diablo. He was leaning against the black McLaren he’d been driving earlier, a sleek machine that must have set him back a cool mil. He grinned when he saw Alex pull in and lifted his hand in greeting.
Alex climbed out of his own vehicle. He crossed to Paulo’s side and gave him a hard hug. “Good to see you, man.”
“My address hasn’t changed any more than I have.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe it’s you who’s changed, eh? Maybe the barrio isn’t good enough for you anymore?”
“You know that’s not true.”
They’d just chosen different paths in life. Paulo’s wasn’t one Alex cared to follow. He’s always assumed they’d both understood that fact and made peace with it. Now he wasn’t so certain.
Paulo let the comment pass and inclined his head toward the barn, still in the process of being rebuilt. “Problems?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” And it wasn’t. Once Huntington’s complicity in the arson fires had been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt—and despite the man’s protests, Alex suspected it would be—there would be retribution. And it would taste sweet, indeed. He deliberately changed the subject by gesturing toward the McLaren. “I see you’ve bought yourself a new toy.”
It was the perfect distraction. “It’s just in. I think I own the only one like it in the entire state.” Paulo’s avid gaze ran over the sleek lines of the car, examining it with more passion than he would a woman. “Make my day, Alejandro, and tell me you aren’t just a little envious.”
“Maybe a little.” Alex smiled. “Though I’d think you’d choose something a bit more subtle, something the cops don’t instantly peg as belonging to you.”
Paulo clasped his hand to his chest. “You wound me, amigo. The cops have no reason to stop me. I’m a legitimate businessman these days.”
“I gather that includes your business with Sebastian Huntington?”
An expression of amused delight appeared on Paulo’s face and his grin flashed white. “I wondered when you’d figure that out. Accept it as a gift from an old friend.”
Alex stiffened. “Tell me what you’ve done.”
“Consider it payback for what Huntington did to you, little Alicia and Tía Carmen.”
“You scammed him.”
Paulo gave an impatient click of his tongue. “He was easier to train than a dog. I said, ‘roll over’ and he asked how many times. Even after the first deal went bad, he came back begging for more. He made it easy. Too easy.”
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! Alex forced a smile to his lips. “Come inside and have a drink while we discuss it.”
“Nothing to discuss.” Paulo rubbed his hands together. “Soon, you and I will both own big Texas homesteads. You will sit in your El Diablo, while I am lord of Huntington Manor.” His eyes took on a frenetic glitter. “And when I submit my application to the TCC, you will get me approved. You and my beautiful new wife.”
Alex didn’t like how this was going down. Not even a little. “Congratulations. I didn’t know you were engaged.”
“Oh, I’m not. Yet. But I have a feeling Rebecca Huntington will do almost anything for her dear papá. Especially if it keeps him out of jail, yes?”
“Becca?” he said, stalling. It confirmed his worst suspicions.
“I’ve wanted a taste of her for a long time.” Paulo’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t deny me that taste, would you, mi amigo? Not considering I was honorable enough to keep my hands off her while you took your fill a few years back.”
“Honorable.”
The word tasted like acid in his mouth while fury burned in the pit of his stomach. The mere idea of Rodriquez putting his hands on Rebecca had the most base and brutal instincts ripping through him. The bitter irony tore him to shreds.
His friend was right. Chances were, Rebecca would do anything to save her father. Hadn’t she all but offered herself to him in exchange for his help? And hadn’t he taken advantage of that fact not even an hour ago? How did that make him any better than the man standing before him? At least Paulo was honest in his desires, while Alex had wrapped his up in the pursuit of revenge and justice.
“There’s only one problem, Paulo,” Alex found himself saying. He could only pray he could pull this off without incurring his old friend’s wrath. “I’ve agreed to pay Huntington’s debts. If you’ll tell me what he owes you—”
“Have you lost your mind? This is the man who made your life a misery. The man who destroyed your family. The father of the woman who—” He stopped dead and swore. “Of course. The woman.”
“It’s done. Let it go and walk away.”
“No!” Paulo cut him off with a slicing sweep of his hand. “That’s not going to happen. I’ve worked too long and hard to allow that cabrón to escape vengeance.”
“He didn’t do anything to you. It’s not your revenge to take.”
“Don’t you understand?” Paulo’s retort bit sharp in the quiet night air. “I’m doing this for you. I’m doing this for your sister. For your mother.”
Alex refused to allow the lie to stand. “You’re doing this because it’s the only way you can force Rebecca into your bed.”
Paulo’s expression turned ugly. “Do not interfere, hombre. We have been friends a long time. But no one, not even one I consider mi hermano, takes what I regard as mine.”
“Rebecca Huntington isn’t yours. She never was and she never will be.” Alex stepped closer, ignoring the way Paulo’s hand shifted to the back of his jeans. There was only one way to get through to a man like Rodriquez. “The lady belongs to me. Her father belongs to me. Huntington Manor belongs to me. And I will protect what is mine.”
Rage swept across Paulo’s face, ripping apart any remaining shreds of civility. “You are making a mistake, Montoya.” He tore open the door of his McLaren and slid in, gunning the powerful engine. “A big mistake.”
Hitting the accelerator, he forced Alex to jump to one side as he sent the car screaming down the drive, a rooster tail of gravel kicking up in his wake. Getting the nicks and scratches out would cost him a pretty penny, which wouldn’t help his mood any. Alex glanced across the yard, surprised to see his foreman, Bright, standing on the portico of the sprawling ranch house, a shotgun leveled in the direction of the retreating taillights.
“He had a gun,” Bright called. “Tucked in the back of his belt.”
Paulo always
had a gun tucked in the back of his belt, but Alex didn’t bother to explain that fact. He lifted a hand. “Thanks, Bright. Everything’s fine.”
For now. But for how much longer? Not only did Alex have to deal with Paulo Rodriguez, but he’d now committed himself to paying off the TCC debt—along with whatever Huntington owed Rodriquez. Even more pressing, he needed to make a decision about Rebecca, as well. Was he going to prove he was as savage as Rodriquez by sacrificing his honor and taking what she’d offered? Or was he going to do what his mother would have considered the “noble” thing and help the woman he’d once loved?
His intellect strained toward noble. Unfortunately, the rest of him wasn’t listening.
Rebecca unlocked the front door of Sweet Nothings and flipped the discreet sign in the window from “Please visit later” to “Please come in!” She’d already started the coffee percolating on the vintage serving table that separated the retail area of the store from the section containing the cozy sitting area and the dressing rooms. And she was literally counting the minutes until the freshly ground beans finished brewing. She’d managed two whole hours of sleep last night and it showed. Thank God for makeup, since it managed to hide most of the damage.
She couldn’t decide whether to be relieved or dismayed when the morning started out dead slow. At least it gave her time to put out a shipment of new inventory and catch up on her billing. She was on her third cup of coffee when the bells above the doorway released a light, sweet chime, signaling her first customer of the day. To her delight, it was Kate.
“Thank goodness it’s you.” Rebecca headed for the silver service and topped off her own coffee, then poured a second helping into another delicate Lenox cup and saucer. She handed it to her friend. “All I’ve gotten whenever I call is your voice mail.”
Kate accepted the coffee with a grateful smile. “I know, I know.” She took a sip and moaned. “I swear you make the best coffee in the entire county. Maybe the entire state.”
Rebecca took a restorative sip and then handled the situation the way she always did—confronting it head-on. “Okay, what’s up? I can tell when you’re trying to avoid something, and you have avoidance written all over you.” She mentally braced herself. “What’s going on? I’ve left a thousand messages. Why haven’t you gotten back to me?”
Her friend winced. “I’m sorry. Things got crazy after lunch the other day.”
“So, you have been ducking my phone calls.”
Kate held up a hand. “Only until Lance got his facts straight. Plus, I wanted to be with you when we spoke.”
Rebecca stared in dismay. “It’s that bad?”
Sympathy swept across Kate’s pretty face. “Yes,” she stated bluntly. “It’s that bad.”
“If this is about the TCC accounts…” It took every ounce of resolve for Rebecca to meet her friend’s eyes. “I know about it and it’s true.”
“Oh, sweetie!”
“The money will be replaced,” Rebecca stated emphatically. “Every last dime. Alex has agreed to loan us the money in the meantime.”
“Alex?” Kate looked as amazed as Rebecca felt.
“See what you miss when you don’t return my calls?” Her flash of humor died and she met her friend’s gaze. “I’m determined to see he’s paid back as quickly as possible, even if I have to take on a second job to do it.”
Kate caught her lip between her teeth. “There’s something else you should know. I’m not really supposed to tell anyone, but you should have some warning.”
“It’s about the arson fires, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Kate caught Rebecca’s arm in hers and guided her to the divan adjacent to the tea table. “Sit before you fall down.”
“He didn’t do it.” Tears welled up in Rebecca’s eyes and she blinked fiercely to hold them at bay. She wasn’t a crier, but between her father’s confession, the interludes with Alex and the lack of sleep, her self-control was pared down to a mere thread. “I swear, Kate. Dad’s admitted to taking the money, but he swears he had nothing to do with the refinery fire or Alex’s barn. And I believe him.”
“Of course you do,” her friend said in a soothing voice.
“I know he’s not the easiest man to like,” Rebecca confessed with difficulty. “He’s hard and…and arrogant. And he’s made mistakes. But he wouldn’t endanger lives.”
“Darius Franklin is looking into it. I trust him. He’s a good man. He’ll get to the bottom of everything.”
“I spoke with him the other day and I agree with your assessment. He is a good man. He…he advised we get a lawyer.” Without warning, Rebecca dissolved. Her cup rattled against the saucer and Kate rescued it before the fragile porcelain could shatter. Without a word, the two embraced and rode out the storm. At long last, Rebecca pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“I’m—”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” Kate said in a fierce voice. “After all the times you stood by me while I wept over Lance, don’t you dare. You hear me?”
Rebecca managed a watery smile. “I hear.” Behind them, the bells above the door sang a gay greeting and she flinched. “Will you cover for me while I fix my makeup?” she asked in an undertone.
“Of course.” Kate spared a quick glance over her shoulder. “Oh. It’s Alicia Montoya. She and Justin will be tying the knot soon, won’t they? She’s probably here to pick out something for her wedding night.”
“Let’s hope that’s all she’s here for,” Rebecca murmured.
Not waiting for a response, she hastened into the back to the small powder room. She groaned when she looked in the mirror. Black mascara tracks streaked her face and left crescent moons beneath her eyes. She looked like a zebra, her face dead-white in between the black stripes, while her eyes and nose were red and swollen. The downside to being a redhead. Everything showed on her face.
She took her time washing up and reapplying her makeup. Then she loosened the formal knot of hair and allowed the auburn strands to flow loose around her shoulders. Better. If Alicia looked closely, she wouldn’t be able to miss the hint of red that lingered around Rebecca’s eyes. But with luck, it wouldn’t be readily apparent. Taking a deep breath, she exited the powder room and returned to the front section of the store.
Kate and Alicia had their heads together, deliberating between two nightgowns. Kate held the first, a sexy little black number that revealed far more than it concealed. Alicia clutched the second, a deep ruby gown that gave an extra luster to her lovely olive complexion.
“Is this for your wedding night?” Rebecca asked as she joined them.
“Yes, it is.” Alicia gave her a shy smile. “I’ve wanted an excuse to buy lingerie here for a long time.”
Rebecca returned Alicia’s smile with surprising ease, probably because the other woman had a knack for making people feel comfortable. “Yes, I remember you telling me that when you were in here a while back with Cara. But you didn’t have anyone special to wear it for.” She gave a wide smile. “Until now. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” She returned to deliberating between the two choices. “I just can’t decide whether to go full-out sexy with this black one, or more modest with the red.”
“If you’re asking my advice…”
“Yes, please!”
“Go with the red. The black may look sexy, but it’s too blatant for a wedding night. One look and all your secrets are revealed. You want more romance. More mystery. And watch…” She draped the material over Alicia’s arm. The feather-light material clung, while the light seemed to sink into the gown, turning the silk almost transparent against her skin. “Justin will be able to see through the gown just enough to drive him crazy.”
The next hour passed in a flash. Helping Alicia choose lingerie for her wedding and honeymoon proved a delightful distraction. Afterward, while Rebecca rang up the stack of purchases and Alicia looked on with a shell-shocked expression, Kate discussed wedding details.
“Ha
ve you decided whether or not you’re holding the wedding at El Diablo?”
“That was our original thought, but after the incident with the barn, Alejandro has changed his mind. We’ve decided to marry at the mission church.”
“Just because of the fire?” Kate asked in concern. “Is he worried about another incident?”
“Not since Darius installed security. But after the fire, Alejandro’s housekeeper quit and he’s had a terrible time finding a replacement.” Alicia shrugged. “It just made more sense to switch the venue to the church. Besides, it’s a beautiful old place, all stone and timber. And we’ve decided to have the ceremony on Christmas Eve after Eucharist.”
“I can’t think of anything more perfect,” Rebecca said with all sincerity.
She finished ringing up Alicia’s purchases, then wrapped them in tissue and placed the lingerie in a series of elegant boxes. But all the while her brain spun in circles, replaying that one sentence over and over again. Alejandro’s housekeeper quit and he’s had a terrible time finding a replacement. An idea formed. A crazy, impulsive, outrageous idea.
The minute Alicia left the shop, Rebecca turned to Kate. “I know the perfect person for Alex’s housekeeper. And the best part about it is that it will kill two birds with one stone.”
Kate stared in utter bewilderment. “What in the world are you talking about?”
“Not what. Who.”
“Okay, I’ll bite.” Kate smiled indulgently. “Who would be the perfect person for Alex to hire as his housekeeper?”
“Me.”
Six
Alex tucked his hammer into his tool belt. Stepping back from the barn, he settled his Stetson more firmly on his head to shade his eyes from the late-afternoon sun and stared up at the towering structure. Almost done. Soon, no one would ever know there had been a fire here.
He always found hard physical labor satisfying. It also had the added benefit of easing some of the pent-up anger and frustration from his encounters with Huntington and Rodriquez. The temptation to allow the two men to destroy one another was overwhelming. He’d actually consider it, except for one thing.
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