Renegade Protector

by Nico Rosso

  His muscles were taut all around her. His eyes so hungry. And still he waited. She nodded and scratched her nails over his shoulders. He plunged inside her. She hooked her legs over his and urged him on. He sped faster, growing in urgency. The intensity on his face deepened. She rocked with him. Another orgasm grew with a deeper heat.

  If she could just tell him, she could set it free. “Ty...” she moaned, breathless. “Ty...” she whispered.

  He surged harder into her, deeper. She came, crashing together with him. After another thrust, he froze and spent himself, pulsing in her. His muscles were stone. The features of his face etched. The power of his release sent her own into the farthest corners of her body.

  Slowly, he moved again. His head dipped down for a kiss, where she tasted his salt and breathed him in. He pulled from her and leaned to the side, both of them resting on their backs. She sank into the blankets. Their bodies pressed close along one side. She ventured with her fingers until she found his. They wound their hands tight.

  The air settled and rested warm on her naked skin. She turned to look at Ty’s profile. His brow was calm, but those eyes did not rest, staring at the ceiling. “What do you see?” The cracks and texture of her bedroom ceiling were well-known to her.

  “History.” He brought his gaze to her. “Determination.” Rolling to his side, he stroked her hair while still holding her hand. “I see an amazing woman who deserves to feel good. To thrive any way she wants.”

  “I want this.” Her fingers skimmed his cheek and urged him toward her. They kissed, and while the immediate hunger was sated for now, the need hadn’t burned away in their passion. It remained, deep within her chest. She parted the kiss and let her fingers linger on his face. There was so much more she wanted to learn about him. Time might not be on their side. She shoved the dark thoughts away and tried to savor the moment. “And I want dinner.”

  He smiled. “I like the way you think.” They both sat up and she collected her clothes as he shucked the condom and got dressed. His body disappeared beneath the jeans and tank top, but she still felt the resonance of him throughout herself.

  She’d thought that intimacy like she felt with Ty could exist only in the bedroom, but it followed them down the stairs and into the kitchen. He brushed against her or took a moment to give her a kiss on the cheek while they moved about the island collecting food. He sliced another artisanal loaf of bread into slabs that she covered in peanut butter and local raspberry jam. They didn’t bother with plates and ate off the cutting board, leaning on the island.

  “The fanciest peanut butter and jelly sandwich I ever had.” He chuckled between bites.

  She lifted her pinkie while holding her sandwich. “Only the finest at Rancho Balducci.”

  The heat returned to his eyes as he looked at her. “Fine is right.” He edged nearer, until his leg rested against hers. Warmth blushed on her chest and neck, as if she was still naked in his gaze. She rubbed her knee up and down on his thigh and was rewarded by a little growl from his chest.

  They finished the meal this close, then shut down the ground floor for the night. Back in her bedroom, she arranged for company, sorting the pillows on the bed and putting out another towel in the bathroom. Ty took off his jeans and put them with his shoes by the foot of the bed. She’d never danced this quiet, intimate dance before with someone, but somehow knew the steps with Ty.

  She emerged from the bathroom to see him placing his pistol on the bedside table closest to the door. The silent music she’d been dancing to stopped. She went into the closet, took out her rifle and leaned it against the wall next to the bed.

  The heat from their bodies had soaked into the sheets and mattress. She focused on that warmth instead of the cold burn that the rifle had left in her hand. Ty slid into bed next to her and drew her close to him. His arms surrounded her. She laid her head on his chest. The steady rhythm of his heart helped hers slow. Right now, she reminded herself. No matter what the Hanley Group threw at her, they couldn’t take away what she felt in that moment with Ty. He ran his fingers through her hair. She willed time to slow so she could absorb all she felt. Sleep started taking her. Panic scrambled up through her, wanting to stay awake and keep hold of Ty. She had no idea what world she’d wake up to.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ty watched the sky turn from black to purple to lavender and couldn’t stop the day from arriving. He lay in Mariana’s bed, soaking in her warmth, hoarding it. Each memory from last night was collected and held tight. Her trust and passion shook him. He’d never known that deep a connection was possible for him. Falling asleep with her hair fanned across his chest seemed like a scene from someone else’s life. The sound of her calm, soft breathing now was treasured.

  And all of this could be shattered in a second. The Hanley Group had been rattled, but not scared off. Firing back at the goon on the phone had felt good, but Ty knew it wasn’t the end of the conversation.

  Mariana stirred, voice raspy. “The sun up?”

  “Not yet,” he whispered back. Her warm hand slid against the side of his thigh, moved higher until it rested on his shoulder with their arms wound together.

  “Good morning.” Her fingernails gently scratched his skin.

  “Good morning.” He shifted so he could kiss her forehead. Toro stood up next to the bed, and Ty and Mariana both tightened. Ty strained to hear anything unusual in the waking world around them. His pistol was within reach. Then Toro yawned and scratched at his ear with his back foot, relaxed. The air returned to the room, but the complete calm was gone.

  Mariana disentangled herself from Ty and eased to the side of the bed. “I think I’m all out of food. You want to do breakfast in town?”

  “Sounds good.” Staying in one spot made them easier targets. He rose, giving up the blankets for a chill, and pulled his phone from his jeans on the floor. No contact from the other Frontier Justice members yet.

  The next few minutes could’ve looked like an ordinary morning with an ordinary couple taking turns in the bathroom and getting dressed, except for the rifle Mariana replaced in the closet and the pistol Ty reattached to his belt. The weight was heavier than usual.

  Toro was fed before Ty and Mariana headed out of the house. Ty took a minute to listen to the growing day. Birds streaked from the trees, chirping. Far below Mariana’s property, farm equipment rumbled. A loose board on the roof of her porch creaked in the breeze. Nothing out of the ordinary. He shifted his holster under his jacket, making it ready.

  Mariana stared at her trees. “I’ve got to get these apples off.”

  “Once we relieve the pressure, the harvesters will come back.” But predicting when that would happen, and exactly how, was beyond him. They’d struck at the Hanley Group and were now in the frustrating position of waiting to see what move the bad guys made next. Unless Frontier Justice came up with some actionable info on Innes. Ty yearned to have something to move on.

  “I’m driving.” Mariana opened the door to her truck. Ty climbed in with her and shifted some hand tools on the floor over so there was room for his feet. The cup holders on the center console were filled with gardening ribbon, a pair of pruners and work gloves.

  Every car they passed on the way into town was inspected, but nothing looked like trouble. Instead of Ty’s concerns being put to rest the more the day played out normally, he was set more on edge. The next fight was coming, but when?

  They found breakfast at a small busy diner, which probably hadn’t changed in the last fifty years. Mariana sat in their booth at the end of the row, staring at her coffee more than drinking it. He shifted his foot forward until his lower leg touched hers. Her stare moved up to him. An attempt at a smile didn’t take hold. “How do you stay together under the pressure?”

  “We’re capable of surviving so much.” He’d seen people emerge from horrific circumstances. “We just have to convince oursel
ves that we’re going to make it.”

  “Simple,” she said ironically.

  “I know it isn’t.” He slid his hand across the table. She placed hers on top. The heat from the night before and the quiet calm of the morning returned to him. “But those sons of bitches are convinced they’re going to win.” Some looks swung around from the men at the counter and Ty lowered his voice. “But there’s no guarantee they are. That means we can.”

  “You’re convinced we’re going to make it?” From the emotion in her voice, he felt she was talking about more than just saving her land.

  He knew how to build a case against a criminal. The smallest details piled up to condemn them. He could pick apart their logic, turn it against them and catch them. In a fight, he knew how to use leverage to get the upper hand, even if he wasn’t stronger than the other man. But what did he know about making a relationship work? Only that he felt more like himself when he was near her, and the thought of not seeing her again left an ache in his chest. “You have me for as long as you want me.”

  She turned her hand over to hold his. “Don’t quit.”

  “Never.” The table and public setting kept him from kissing her the way he wanted. A glimmer in her stare showed she was feeling the same.

  They finished their meal and headed to the market to replenish her kitchen. Every aisle hid a blind corner and potential threat. Ty was struck with how ordinary it felt to scan for trouble, but casually discussing what to make for lunch with Mariana seemed so foreign.

  The cashier, a white woman in her fifties, had a friendly smile for Mariana. “Omar in Produce is talking about doing another local table if you have some apples.”

  “Plenty.” Mariana bagged her own groceries. “I’ll bring some.” When Ty went to assist Mariana with the bags, it caught the attention of the cashier. Had Pete been fueling fires around town? Mariana saw how the cashier was looking at him, and she jumped in. “Ty’s helping out around the place.”

  The woman nodded with understanding. “Handyman?”

  “Whatever needs fixing.” He hefted the bags as Mariana paid and they walked out together.

  The drive back to Mariana’s home was just as ominously quiet as the whole morning. Once they were close enough to see the house, Mariana hit the brakes. Parked next to his car were two other vehicles: an SUV and a sleek sedan.

  “What do we do?” She looked at him with worried eyes.

  He put his hand on her tense arm. “I know them. It’s okay.”

  The truck slowly picked up speed again, now on the private part of the road. “Frontier Justice?”

  “It’s a start.” Having backup arrive immediately boosted his confidence. “Vincent Solaris and Stephanie Shun. He’s FBI. She’s...connected.”

  “Sounds sketchy for one of the good guys.”

  “She’s a good guy because she got out of the family business.” Ty had run up against the periphery of her father’s organized crime ring a couple of times during investigations in San Francisco.

  Mariana parked next to the other cars in front of her house and got out, looking around warily. He joined her, not seeing the others. A conversation came from around the back of the house, but Ty couldn’t pick out the words. After a moment, Vincent and Stephanie appeared. The thirtysomething Chumash man smiled broadly, upbeat, while the Chinese American woman around that age shared some of his enthusiasm, but maintained a cautious edge. Toro kept a distance from them, but didn’t bark.

  “This place is amazing.” Vincent approached, hand extended to Mariana. He wore jeans, cowboy boots and a simple jacket. It didn’t show, but Ty knew he wore his sidearm. “You must be Ms. Balducci.” She shook Vincent’s hand, then the introductions were made all around.

  Stephanie glanced to the orchard at the side of the house. “I wanted to try one of your apples, but couldn’t presume.” Her jeans had a dash of fashion in the function, with rugged boots that probably cost a month of Ty’s rent. A draped sweater didn’t reveal any pistols, but she could easily be packing in her purse.

  Mariana started toward the trees and waved the others on. The shade tempered the sun on Ty’s shoulders. He gladly took an apple from Mariana as she offered them all around. “Salty,” Ty said after the first bite.

  Stephanie nodded as she chewed slowly. Vincent’s bemused smile showed up when he tasted it. Mariana ate as well, checking out the newcomers on her property. Toro ventured a little closer. For a few seconds, the only sound was of apples being eaten. Ty brought them back to business. “Anything on Innes?”

  “I asked around, but the name and description didn’t ring any bells with my people.” Stephanie adjusted the edges of her bob haircut with a finger.

  Vincent squared his broad shoulders, looking more like a G-man than when he was savoring the apple. “No criminal record. He ran a couple of businesses that declared bankruptcy, but that’s not unusual for financial players. Some ‘charitable donations’ to questionable companies. Probably fronts, but I haven’t had the computer time to track them all the way down. They go way down.”

  Ty took the new information and tried out some possibilities. “Could be payments for goods or services. Could be a way of covering debts. Gambling, bad investments.”

  Stephanie frowned with doubt. “If he was in debt like that, I feel like it would’ve been on my network’s radar.”

  “I’m working without a warrant.” Vincent ran his hand over his clean-shaven face. It looked like he hadn’t had much sleep. “Any prying I do takes three times as long because I have to cover my tracks. Still haven’t been able to get into all of his banking history. It’s a web.”

  Stephanie, on the other hand, appeared as if she was fresh from a Mediterranean vacation. “Any escalation here?” She glanced between Ty and Mariana without expression, and he couldn’t tell if she was speculating on what had changed so drastically since last night.

  Mariana answered, “Nothing since a nasty phone call yesterday.”

  Ty added, “We pushed back, but I don’t think it was enough to scare them off.”

  “So until we can dig up anything on Innes, we’re just waiting for them to make a move?” Stephanie’s impatience tightened her voice.

  Ty felt the same. “That’s the situation.” He was more than ready to face off with the bald man and anyone else, just to finish it.

  Vincent took a deep breath and looked about the area. “But at least we’re here.”

  Mariana put her hand over her heart. “Thanks so much for coming.”

  “We had to,” Stephanie replied.

  “Yeah.” Vincent turned toward the house and stared at it. “Thank you for what you’re doing.”

  Ty’s gut clenched. Before he could get in front of the conversation, Mariana asked, “What am I doing?”

  “This house.” Vincent was reverent. “I mean, we’re really here.”

  Stephanie, too, gazed at the structure. “Where it started.”

  “Where what started?” Mariana grew wary and stepped back from Ty and the others.

  Ty wanted to bridge the distance between him and Mariana, but knew it would only force her farther away. “I haven’t told you.”

  Mariana’s mouth thinned, her eyes went cold. “I’m not going to like this.”

  Stephanie looked between them, incredulous. “You didn’t tell her?”

  Vincent only added, “Oh, man.”

  Ty’s heart sank. There was no good excuse, and the tension was already running so high that he knew any explanation now was going to blow up in his face. “There was no right time.” His words sounded scripted and hollow. “We were dealing with the immediate issues.”

  “And other things,” Mariana shot back. “So tell me now.”

  Ty walked out of the shade of the trees, into the bright sun. He waved toward the house. “This is where Frontier Justice started, Mariana.
This house was the first meeting place.”

  Her gaze remained stony. “My family built this house.”

  Though they knew the history as well as Ty, Stephanie and Vincent remained silent. Usually recounting this part of the past energized him, but as he spoke, he knew it was only widening the chasm between him and Mariana. “Your family was one of the founders of Frontier Justice. From what I could find, a rancher was trying to force them from here. Some people, including our ancestors—” he indicated Vincent and Stephanie “—came to help. They beat the odds, gathered in the house and came up with the plan for Frontier Justice.”

  Mariana closed her eyes, her brow drawn down, for a moment. When she looked at him again, it was as if he was a stranger. One she didn’t trust. “So what am I doing now?” Toro hurried to her side and stared down Ty and the others. She fired her words at Vincent and Stephanie, too. “You thanked me for doing something, but as far as I knew, I was only trying to not get killed so someone could build a resort on my land.”

  “The idea was—” a cold ache settled in Ty’s chest “—that we’d start over where Frontier Justice began. We’d use this house as a base of operations.”

  “My house?” she nearly shouted, pain lacing her words.

  That pain lanced through Ty. “If you would allow us. Only if.”

  Mariana became dangerously calm. “You came here with plans for my house.” Her fury could scorch the hills, and Ty almost wished to be erased with it. “Just like the developers, but instead of threatening me, you showed up like a superhero. You got close.” Tears shone in her eyes. “Was that your plan?” She twisted the last word like a knife in his heart.

  “No.” He choked. Vincent and Stephanie watched cautiously, silent. Ty knew they could see the raw emotions, and could guess what had happened. More explanations would just sound like thin excuses, but he had to try. “My plan was to help you. I didn’t expect...the rest.” Mariana winced. “I was going to tell you...the house, doesn’t matter to me anymore. It was always going to be up to you.”