“Trust me,” Killian cut in, impatience shading his words, “that’s just all the more reason to take every precaution.”
“I think what Killian is trying to say is that we want to minimize any risk you’re exposed to.” Adam’s fast-paced interruption showed his rush to avoid what had started to become a tense conversation. “You know, something can be made safer by really thinking through the consequences and—”
“Are you trying to say I’m too stupid to know when something is dangerous?” Rachel didn’t need to hear any more of Adam’s fancy talk. She could read between the lines.
“Of course not.” Adam flushed, shooting her annoyed glare. “You’re trying to twist this conversation into an argument, and all we’re trying to say is if you go to a bar with your friends, you should tell us.”
“Because I’ll be safer,” Rachel concluded, appearing to appease Killian when he nodded.
“Absolutely.”
“And exactly how is that?” Rachel glanced between the two men, who were scowling. “What are you two going to do? Go sit in front of the bar?”
There went Killian’s ears, turning bright red and telling her she’d guessed right. Of course, he denied it. “No, but then we will know to check on you, give you a call and make sure you got home all right, and you can wipe that smirk off your face, girl. There isn’t anything unusual about that. Lots of couples do it.”
He might have a point, but Rachel couldn’t help her suspicious nature. “So, if I told you, say…I’m going up to the county jail to do an interview, you’d just call and check to make sure I had a safe drive. Nothing else.”
Of course not, and Killian didn’t even bother to lie but automatically assumed her example to be real. “Why would you go to the county jail?”
“See, that’s my point.” Rachel paid his real question about as much attention as he had her implied one. “I don’t have to explain or justify my actions to you, either of you. I’m not some idiot who needs you to do her thinking for her. To treat me that way tells me you don’t have any respect for me.”
“You want to cry on about how we don’t respect you, but you know what, Rachel?” Killian paused, taking a moment to calm his tone down slightly before taking his best shot. “You don’t respect us.”
Rachel’s jaw fell open and sputters came out, but she didn’t actually have a response for that one.
“That’s right.” He didn’t give her the time she needed to recover and blast him. Keeping her head spinning, he nodded over his own conclusion. “You think we’re a couple of idiot men, unable to change or be reasoned with. In fact, you refused to even take our courtship seriously from the beginning, writing us off as incapable of being the kind of mature men that would be able to keep up with the likes of you. Well, you know what, honey?”
Rachel clicked her teeth shut, hating the way he drew out that endearment.
“We ain’t the ones running around lying about things, keeping secrets behind your back. We’ve been open and honest with you from the beginning. Now I think it’s time you started giving us equal measure.”
As much as she really wanted to take on that fight, Rachel couldn’t deny he had a point. She never really had given them a chance, always assuming she knew what their reactions would be. Even recognizing her bias didn’t stop her from thinking she was right. Still, they did have a right to screw up before she got mad at them for it.
Adam must have sensed the weakness in her hesitation because he brought all his tender charm into play when he covered her hand with his. “Killian may be a bastard—”
“My parents were married, thank you.”
“—but he isn’t wrong. We wouldn’t worry so much if we didn’t care so much. I know you’ve probably thought this is all just a game to us, but it isn’t, Rachel. We love you, and we want to build something here, but that’s going to require trust and compromise on both parts.”
Rachel blinked, staring at Adam with wonder. She couldn’t believe he’d sunk so low. Those were the words her heart had been aching to hear, words that had been whispered to her in her dreams, but she’d never imagined he’d use them to get her to submit. This was worse than when he’d used sex against her because she had no defense.
No matter what her mind reasoned, her heart wouldn’t listen. It had heard what it wanted and overruled any objections. Maybe he meant it. Maybe if she tried to trust them, they’d surprise her. Hope filled her, moving her to make the riskiest decision of her life.
“You’re right.” That appeared to stun both men, making them cast nervous glances at each other as they no doubt tried to figure out this unpredicted move. “This relationship isn’t going to work without trust and compromise, so I’ll make a deal with you. I will tell you everything, but you don’t get to make my decisions for me, nor do you have the right to punish me for the ones I make that you don’t like.”
She’d trust, but they’d compromise. There could be no other way to move forward. Adam appeared to understand and didn’t hesitate to agree. “I can do that.”
They both turned to look at Killian, who glared back. True to his difficult nature, he needed clarifications. “Then what the hell do we get to punish you for?”
Rachel couldn’t help but smile at the whine hidden in Killian’s words. “I promise to give you ample reasons to go all He-Man on me, Killian.”
“Okay.” Killian didn’t look appeased but determined. “Then answer me one other question. Do you regret reading our Cattlemen files?”
That caught Rachel off guard. She didn’t have a clue how to answer. Her heart regretted because it had hurt, but her mind reveled because it had wanted to know. Either way, she couldn’t guess which answer would appease Killian the most. The honest one revealed too much of her emotions. Despite Adam’s confession or her agreement, Rachel wasn’t ready to let the secret into the world.
“Because the way I see it,” Killian continued on after giving her a moment, “is there isn’t much difference between you reading our private files and us going through your private papers. Is there?”
Rachel hated being wrong, especially when she kept turning out that way this morning. “I guess.”
“And since you punished us last night by kicking us out of your bed for our sins, don’t you think we should get equal measure?”
He’d led her right to the water’s edge, but Rachel refused to drink. “I guess that depends on whether or not you agree to my suggestion.”
“I’ll agree, but I want the file incident grandfathered in.”
He should have been a lawyer or a union negotiator because more than being stubborn, Killian had a valid point. “Fine, but this is the last time you’re using sex against me.”
“Against you?” Killian snorted. “Don’t even complain like that, Rachel. We know you loved every single second when we got you in those ropes.”
She might have, but that didn’t mean it didn’t cost her the next morning when she realized the night had meant the same thing to them. “Just promise me.”
“Fine. I promise. No more using sex against you.”
Chapter 29
Wednesday, May 7th
Adam had interfered before the conversation soured after that crack by Killian. Still, with Killian sitting there glowering at her, Rachel hadn’t been inspired to give their new agreement her full cooperation. Not that she could have.
It didn’t matter if Patton hadn’t asked for her loyalty, Rachel still couldn’t rat her out to Killian and Adam. Thankfully, they hadn’t pressed her for an answer. They had, however, made her hand over the files.
That along with a promise that she had no intention of writing a story about the Cattleman’s Club had appeased them. An achievement that hadn’t been as easy to attain when it came to their concerns about her research into prostitution. Now there had been a conversation fraught with tension.
Rachel had ducked and avoided the more sensational aspects of the truth. She’d even managed to answer their questi
ons without directly lying. She’d simply glossed over the parts she’d known would upset them.
Killian and Adam weren’t dumb, though. They’d already figured out that she had some professional help. While Rachel managed to keep Kitty’s name out of the conversation, she hadn’t been able to avoid mentioning Deputy Watts.
True to form, Killian and Adam had wanted to butt right in and take over, indignant that she was working with another cop. Rachel hadn’t wasted her breath arguing with them. Instead, she’d tested their newfound truce and put her foot down.
Killian and Adam would not be involved in her research. There would be no more discussing that matter. Shockingly enough, there had been none. Suspiciously, though, Watts had become too busy to assist her.
Rachel wasn’t dumb, either. She could put two plus two together, but lacking any real proof, she hadn’t dared to make an outright accusation. Besides, she might just thank Killian and Adam for their interference. They’d helped provide the motivation she needed to do her own research.
That research had led her to Nick Dickles and the luxurious Camp D. Luxurious was actually an understatement for the well-appointed complex she discovered at the end of the narrow dirt road. Following the twisting drive to a secluded little parking lot, she tucked her car into a shaded spot.
A sign clearly directed visitors to the office, but the path led into a wandering maze of flower beds. Strolling into the Disney inspired fairy-land, Rachel quickly became lost but not concerned. Instead, she allowed herself to get lost in the pleasures of the massive garden.
Drugged by the sweet, flower-scented air and lost in the joyous music of the birds tweeting above, Rachel wandered right around a curved and smacked right into a brick wall. Only brick walls didn’t grunt and stumble backward. Still, her nose throbbed like she’d rammed it straight into steel. Cupping it, she tried to throw off the sting while the man recovered his balance and offered her a hand.
“Are you all right?”
Rachel released her nose to wiggle about. It throbbed in response. “No piercing pain. No blood loss. No permanent damage.”
The man laughed, drawing her eyes up until she almost stumbled backward. He had the most brilliant blue eyes. Not even blue…they’re like violet.
“Are you wearing contacts?” The question just popped right out of her and almost instantly Rachel regretted it. “I’m sorry. I guess I must’ve done some damage after all.”
“It’s cool.” The man’s grin didn’t dip an inch as he extended his hand. “I get that kind of response a lot and, no, these are my real eyes. I’m Seth Jones.”
“Rachel. Rachel Adams.” Rachel smiled as she took his hand. This man could be in the dictionary next to the word beautiful. Tall, solid, with the kind of smooth features that made his easy charm contagious. “And I really am sorry about the mow down. I was just looking for the office.”
“Adams?” Seth’s gaze narrowed slightly as he considered her. “You’re the reporter for that paper down in Pittsview, right?”
“Did Mr. Dickles tell you I was coming?” Rachel asked, letting her question be her answer.
“Yeah, uh, I heard about it. Nick’s up in the office.” Seth nodded down the path. “You need some help finding it?”
“I guess I am a little lost,” Rachel confessed, unable to shake the feeling of familiarity. There was something there, something she couldn’t put her finger on. “But I don’t want to keep you from anything.”
Seth snorted at that as he turned to start leading the way. “Never too busy with work not to take a break. That’s the best way to live life, now isn’t it?”
Rachel couldn’t help but smile at his words. Seth Jones had a charm about him that went deeper than dazzling eyes or a velvety drawl. “I guess that depends on whether you’re the employer or the employee.”
“Could also depend on who your employer is. Nick’s a pretty laid back boss. Besides, he’d have my butt if I didn’t help out a pretty young lady like yourself. Always got to be mannerly when a lady is around.”
“Is that right?”
Nick Dickles was a legend through southern Alabama. Not because he’d managed to secure himself a full academic scholarship to some Ivy League school. It was the multi-million dollar prostitution ring he’d built and managed while attending college that had earned him notoriety.
The good ol’ boys back home had reveled in knowing one of their own had conned all those proper rich girls into taking off their clothes for money. Unfortunately for Dickles, the IRS didn’t share in local boys’ sense of humor. That explained why he’d graduated with not only a diploma but also with a four-year, all-expenses-paid trip to a federal penitentiary.
Dickles’s stint in the big-house had only added to his reputation. He was back now and working on his legend by helping disadvantaged youths. But if keeping a man as charming as Seth on the payroll was any indication, Dickles’s good deeds still didn’t make the man tame.
“Well, then,” Rachel returned Seth’s smile, “I’ll be sure to tell Mr. Dickles you’re his number one employee of the month.”
“Trust me, he already knows.” Seth winked at her as he led her around a tiny courtyard and under the shade of the cherry trees lining the walk. The landscaping really was beautiful, but as they walked Rachel began to realize that much of it was edible, too.
“If you don’t mind me asking, Mr. Jones, what exactly do you do here?”
“It’s Seth,” he corrected her. “And I teach the auto shop class.”
“So you’re a mechanic.” Rachel couldn’t help but think of Hailey in that moment. Seth Jones might be a good distraction if she really wanted to escape Kyle Harding.
“That would be a charitable description. I actually used to run cars for a chop shop down in Louisiana. I picked up a few tricks before I got pinched.” Seth spoke with no hint of shame for his colorful past but almost sounded amused. “I got shipped here and just never left.”
“Well.” Rachel looked for something positive to say. “That’s quite a compliment, in a way. I mean that you would want to stick around and help out. You must really think a lot of the work Mr. Dickles is doing.”
“Nick’s cool.” Seth shrugged. “And I ain’t got nowhere to go.”
That sounded sad to Rachel. “You don’t have family?”
“Eh.” Seth made a face as he paused outside a door bearing the words “Main Office.” “My mom left my dad before I was born. Of course, I’m not sure where she is right about now. As for him, I hear he got killed not too long after she left.”
“I’m sorry.” Rachel could feel the heat in her cheeks, but this blush had nothing to do with her men. “I shouldn’t have pried.”
“It’s cool. It’s old news.” He flashed her a quick smile. That’s when it hit her. As the hinges on the door whined open, they heralded a revelation that left Rachel stupefied.
She’d seen eyes like that only on one person ever. That smile, too, the slightly perverse sense of humor and…My daddy was murdered. Davey Jones had been killed by his best friend, Mitch Davis, leaving Patton Jones orphaned because her mother had run off. Orphaned as in with no family of any kind, anywhere. So who the hell is Seth Jones?
“Well, it was nice to meet you, Miss Adams.” Seth broke her stupor and the long silence with a nod past the door he still held. “I’m sure Nick’s waiting on you.”
His prod made her realize she’d been gawking. Feeling the heat of her flush fill her cheeks, Rachel offered up a quick smile and words that ran too fast together as she hoped he didn’t realize the reason behind her staring. “It was nice to meet you, too, Mr. Jones, and thanks for the assistance. Maybe one day I’ll have a chance to return the favor.”
“Ah, don’t sweat it. Between you and me, Nick’s been in a great mood and I think partly because he’s been having so many visitors. What with that deputy showing up yesterday and taking him down memory lane and your pretty face today, the boss is happy. That makes all our lives easier.”
/>
Rachel stalled out in mid-step, feeling everything inside her swirl for one dizzying moment. She didn’t need to ask Seth to repeat himself. He’d spoken clear enough. A deputy had come to see Nick yesterday. Killian had been late, saying he had to pick up a few hours because he pissed the sheriff off.
She should have done the math then, but it had been a plausible excuse. Killian seemed to specialize in irritating Alex into giving him extra shifts. It could have been mere coincidence that she’d told him about her upcoming interview at lunch and he’d happened to be four hours late for dinner. It could have been, but it wasn’t.
Now the only question was what had he done. The way to find the answer wouldn’t be asking either Killian or Adam but going in there and seeing what kind of interview Dickles gave her. With that thought firming up her conviction, Rachel entered Dickles’s office, ready to give him the roughest interview of his lifetime.
Try as she might, Nick didn’t make it easy to be difficult. Just as Seth had commented, Dickles turned out to be as easygoing as the ocean’s breeze. Between his quick smiles and disarming charm, it became quickly apparent how a man like Nick Dickles had ended up a pimp. He had a smoothness that, strangely enough, made a woman instinctively trust him.
It made it that much harder for her to tell if he were bullshitting her. On the surface, he appeared to answer her questions with a frankness that made her think she’d gotten an honest answer. Still, knowing Killian had interfered made Rachel certain she was being expertly led in the wrong direction. It frustrated her trying to figure it out. By the time Nick led her back to her car, Rachel gave up on trying and went with the blunt method.
“I wanted to thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions.” Rachel paused in the shadow of the door Nick held open. It was hard to look up into his smoky gray eyes and concentrate, but she managed.
Penn, Jenny - Rachel's Seduction [Cattleman's Club] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 30
