Rancher Under Cover

by Carla Cassidy

  It didn’t help that he was exhausted. He’d lied to Caitlin when he’d told her he’d handed Juan over to the local authorities.

  Instead he’d called his fellow agents to pick him up. Juan would be grilled about what he knew about the Raven’s Head Society, and Rhett knew that somebody would be dispatched to deal with Marc Jiminez. Rhett’s personal hope was that the man didn’t live to see another sunrise for what he’d done to Caitlin.

  After Juan had been picked up, Rhett had crawled into bed with Caitlin at her insistence that she needed him close to her. He’d remained awake for a long time after she’d fallen asleep, hating himself and what he was about to do to her.

  “How about some breakfast?” Esmeralda asked, pulling him from his dismal thoughts.

  “Sure, if it’s not too much trouble,” he replied. Nothing worse than betrayal on an empty stomach.

  “No trouble at all,” she replied.

  As she bustled around, placing bacon in a skillet and cracking eggs, Rhett directed his gaze out the window and wondered when Mickey would arrive home.

  The man had given Caitlin no idea where he was holed up. For all Rhett knew it might take him the whole day to travel back home or he could appear at any moment.

  Rhett had his fellow agents standing by and the only thing left to do was wait for the man to show up, wait for the real heartache to begin.

  He was halfway through his breakfast when Caitlin walked into the kitchen. He couldn’t remember her ever looking more beautiful. Her glorious hair was loose and fell in soft waves around her shoulders. Her eyes were bright and she looked eager for the day to unfold.

  Instead of her usual jeans and a T-shirt, she was dressed in a pair of black dress slacks and a black-and-white blouse that looked both sexy and classy at the same time. The fact that she’d dressed up to see her father only served to make Rhett feel worse than dirt.

  “Good morning,” she greeted him and sat in the chair across from him. Impishly she plucked a piece of bacon from his plate. “Mmm, I’m starving this morning.” She bit into the bacon and then flashed him a quick grin.

  “Don’t you eat off his plate like a silly child,” Esmeralda scolded. “I’ll have your breakfast ready in just a few minutes.”

  “It’s going to be a great day,” Caitlin said. “Dad will be home and we’ll finally get to make sense of everything that’s happened. Then we’ll figure out what he needs to do to get himself out of the mess he’s in.”

  Esmeralda placed a cup of coffee in front of Caitlin and then laid a hand on Rhett’s shoulder. “And we’ll tell Mickey how lucky we were when Randall showed up on the doorstep looking for a job.”

  Caitlin’s eyes darkened for a moment. “And hopefully Randall isn’t hearing the call of the wind just yet.”

  Esmeralda frowned and moved to the window. “Is the wind blowing this morning? I hadn’t noticed.”

  “A little inside joke,” Rhett replied, although he was the last one who felt like laughing. Caitlin and Esmeralda didn’t know it yet but there was a virtual gale blowing that would take him away.

  He was aware of Caitlin looking at him expectantly, as if willing him to tell her he wasn’t going anywhere. Instead of answering her, he picked up his coffee and stared out the window. This was definitely going to be one of the worst days of his life.

  After finishing his breakfast, he left Caitlin, who was still eating, and went outside, needing desperately to distance himself from both the women.

  As usual he found himself at the small corral. Molly neighed as if in greeting but kept her distance. In all probability he’d be gone by nightfall, leaving devastation behind.

  He’d be onto another assignment and would return to his solitary life. It was the way he’d wanted it, the way he’d chosen to live, he reminded himself.

  He hoped Clint or Caitlin would continue to work with Molly. He hoped eventually Caitlin would heal enough to love somebody. He felt as if he was leaving behind so many loose ends here.

  Molly was on the verge of trusting him and with a little more time and work would heal, but he wouldn’t be here to see it. And Caitlin…after today he’d never see her face again, never hear the sound of her laughter or know the pleasure of holding her in his arms.

  He’d been told to get close to Caitlin and he’d achieved his goal, done his job far too well. It would be a long time before he could finally get her out of his heart.

  He tensed as he gazed out in the distance and saw a puff of dirt that signaled the approach of a car. Already? The odds were good that it was Mickey returning home.

  He headed back into the house, his heart heavy with dread. “A car is coming,” he said to Esmeralda and Caitlin who were both still in the kitchen.

  Caitlin jumped up out of her chair as Emeralda quickly washed her hands at the sink. Rhett followed Caitlin as she flew out the front door and stood poised on the porch.

  Rhett’s information about Mickey was that the man drove a BMW and the car that pulled to a halt in front of the house was an old beat-up Ford. Still, it was definitely Mickey O’Donahue who got out of the driver’s door.

  With a small cry Caitlin launched off the porch and into her father’s arms. As Rhett saw Mickey embrace her in a bear hug, his heart grew even heavier.

  If he was going to do his job, right now would be the time he’d step in, identify himself and take Mickey into custody, but he couldn’t do it—not yet. Caitlin needed time with her father and, duty or not, Rhett wasn’t going to deprive her of that totally.

  Mickey was just as Caitlin had described him. Although not a particularly tall man, he gave the aura of power and strength. His long, light auburn hair was tied at the nape of his neck and he wore a pair of jeans and a navy polo shirt that stretched across beefy shoulders and arms.

  The two stood together for several long moments, talking to each other. They were too far away for Rhett to hear their words, but he knew that whatever was being said was important to both of them.

  Finally they released each other and, as he and Caitlin approached the porch, Rhett noticed that Mickey’s fair skin looked slightly sun-damaged, his nose was a bit crooked, but his eyes were keen and radiated intelligence as his gaze swept over Rhett.

  “Dad, this is Randall Kane,” Caitlin said when they reached him. “He’s taken over for Garrett Simms as foreman and I don’t know what I would have done without him over the last week.”

  Mickey grasped Rhett’s hand in a firm, no-nonsense shake. “If that’s the case then it’s nice to meet you, Randall.” He threw his arm around Caitlin’s shoulder. “I’m glad somebody was here to take care of my little girl. Let’s get inside where we can talk.”

  Rhett followed behind father and daughter as they entered the house. Mickey released Caitlin only long enough to greet Esmeralda. The two hugged for a long moment and exchanged whispers before Mickey finally released her.

  Minutes later they were all seated in the living room. Rhett had thought he’d give Caitlin and her father a little alone time, but Caitlin captured his hand and pulled him down next to her on the sofa while Esmeralda and Mickey took the two chairs opposite them.

  “You can speak freely in front of Randall,” Caitlin said to Mickey. “He knows about what happened to me in the jungle and we know this has something to do with a secret society.”

  Mickey’s features seemed to crumple in on themselves as he gazed at his daughter. “I would kill somebody for what they did to you,” he said in a broken voice as he buried his face in his big hands.

  “Dad, please tell me what’s going on,” Caitlin said. “Dylan Kelley told me that you and Hank got involved with a plot to kill the president.”

  Mickey shook his head, and when he pulled his hands from his face his features looked ravaged by guilt and more than a whisper of fear. “We didn’t know. We didn’t know what we were getting involved in. We thought it was just a group of wealthy, powerful businessmen getting together to figure how best to help the country throu
gh the tough times that have been going on. We didn’t realize what their true goal was until we were in too deep and then we didn’t know what to do. I thought if we just distanced ourselves, laid low for a little while it would all go away.”

  He shook his head and his gaze was soft as it lingered on Caitlin. “I thought you were safe from all this. I thought you were out of the country and nobody could harm you.” Grief darkened his eyes, a father’s grief for his daughter’s pain.

  “Apparently this Raven’s Head Society has very long arms,” Rhett said. “Caitlin was not only attacked in the jungle, but the man behind the attack sent somebody here to kill her.”

  “Randall caught him last night trying to set the house on fire. He told us he was sent here by a man named Marc Jiminez. Do you know this Marc?”

  “No, but I didn’t know a lot of what was going on with the society,” Mickey replied.

  “We turned the man who tried to set the fire over to the authorities,” Caitlin said.

  “Then I owe you more than I’ll ever be able to repay you for keeping my loved ones as safe as possible,” Mickey said to Rhett.

  “Did you know Lana has been kidnapped?” Caitlin asked.

  Mickey nodded. “I spoke to Hank this morning before coming back here. He’s holed up at Cole and Dylan’s ranch in Montana.”

  “So, what happens now?” Caitlin asked.

  “I don’t know. The members of the society would like me dead and I’m sure the government would like me behind bars.” Mickey leaned back in his chair and released a weary sigh.

  He closed his eyes for a long moment and when he opened them again there was a fire blazing in the blue depths. “I owe the society no allegiance. I don’t believe in their goals or their methods. After what they did to you, I’d like to see them all burn in hell. I’ve been afraid to come forward with the information I have knowing that by talking I’d put a target on my back, but after what was done to you, I’ll gladly take the target to see these men shut down.”

  Rhett knew it was time to make his move. In waiting he was just prolonging the inevitable and suddenly he just wanted it over and done.

  He stood and pulled his badge from his pocket. “Mickey, I’m FBI Special Agent Rhett Kane and I’m here to take you into custody.” As he said the words he shot a quick glance to Caitlin and he knew if he lived to be a million years old he’d never forget the look on her face.

  Caitlin felt the earth tilt beneath her as she stared at the man she’d thought she knew, the man she had grown to love. Had she suddenly lost her mind? Had she heard him wrong?

  Mickey released a rusty laugh and rose to his feet. “Well, well, if this isn’t a hell of a surprise.”

  Esme began to weep as Caitlin continued to stare at Randall…or Rhett…or whatever his name was. An FBI agent? The cowboy with the dusty boots and charming smile was an FBI agent? He was here because he wanted to arrest her father?

  She felt removed from herself, as if her brain couldn’t quite compute what was happening and her emotions were just out of reach.

  “You gonna cuff me?” Mickey asked as he placed his hands behind his back.

  “I don’t think that’s necessary, is it?” Rhett pulled his cell phone from his pocket, hit a number and held it to his ear. “Need a pickup,” he said and then clicked off and dropped the phone back in his pocket.

  “I’d already decided to turn myself in. You’re just making it easy on me,” Mickey said.

  “If you cooperate I’m sure something can be worked out to get you back home as soon as possible,” Rhett replied.

  Empty promises, Caitlin thought, some of the numbness beginning to wear off. He couldn’t know what her father might be facing.

  He’d lied. The words thundered through her brain. From the moment he’d stepped on the front porch and wrangled a job out of Esme, everything had been lies.

  Everything he’d done, everything he’d said to her had been a calculated move to stay close so he would be here when Mickey came home. Every touch they’d shared, every secret revealed and shared, everything had been a big, fat lie.

  Anger began to bubble just beneath the surface, an anger she didn’t fight but rather embraced. She began to shake, tears burning at her eyes, as her father walked over to her and embraced her.

  “Don’t be afraid, Caty girl,” he said as she burrowed against him. The scent of cigars and his familiar cologne might have comforted her if her feeling of being utterly and totally betrayed wasn’t resonating through her.

  “Everything is going to be fine,” Mickey said as he kissed her on the forehead and then released her. “We’ll all get through this somehow.”

  She watched as he walked over to Esme and pulled her onto her feet and into his arms. He whispered to her for a moment, kissed her on the forehead and then let go of her. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

  He then looked at Rhett. “Let’s go outside and wait for whoever is coming for me.”

  For the first time since he’d stood and identified himself, Rhett looked at Caitlin. “I’ll be back in. We need to talk.”

  “Don’t bother,” she replied through tight lips. She held his gaze defiantly, seeing in his regret, remorse and the guilt of a man who knew exactly what he had done.

  She’d had less than twenty-four hours to savor the fact that she was in love with him, but she’d have a lifetime to regret loving him, to hate him for what he’d done.

  As the two men walked out of the front door Caitlin felt as if her heart went with them. One man had earned her love through a lifetime of caring, the other had stolen her love under false pretenses.

  She was empty, bereft in a way she’d never known before. She turned and Esme grabbed her in a tight embrace, the older woman weeping the tears that Caitlin couldn’t release.

  Once again a numbness had overtaken her as the depth of Rhett’s betrayal sank in. Esme finally released her. “We must be strong,” she said. “We must stay strong until your father comes home. And he will come home soon!” She said the words as if by her sheer willpower alone she could make them come true.

  As she disappeared back into the kitchen, Caitlin sank down on the sofa. He’d held her in his arms. He’d kissed her and made love with her as if she’d meant something to him. He’d insinuated himself into her life, into her very heart, and all he’d been after was her father.

  Looking back she now remembered how often he’d asked questions about Mickey, how curious he’d been as to where Mickey might be, if he had contacted her. Why hadn’t she seen his deception before the moment he’d identified himself? Why hadn’t she realized the laid-back, sexy ranch foreman was asking far too many questions about a man who was an absent boss?

  She’d been such a fool. She’d made it so easy for him. She’d just accepted him at face value, had clung to him in need and believed he was nothing more complicated than a cowboy who had lost his wife.

  God, she didn’t even know if that were true. He might have just made up the whole Rebecca thing in order to gain her sympathy.

  She’d even called his last employee to check him out. The call had probably gone to another FBI agent who had pretended to be a rancher Rhett had once worked for. This entire thing had been a well-oiled operation and she and Esme had just been two women to exploit.

  Why wasn’t she crying? Her heart had never felt so battered, so broken, and yet it was as if the pain was too intense for the mere release of tears.

  The front door opened and closed and she steeled herself as he walked back into the living room. “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say,” she said, vaguely surprised by the bitterness in her voice.

  “Caitlin, please. Just hear me out. I know I’ve hurt you and that’s the last thing I ever wanted to do. I had a job to do and I’m sorry that you had to be part of it.” His voice was lower than usual, heavy with obvious regret.

  She stared at him. “You lied to me about who you were and what you’d experienced in your life. Every move
you’ve made while here was a calculated one to get close to me so you could get to my father.”

  “That’s not true,” he protested.

  “Was it under orders that you took me to bed?”

  His green eyes were dark, haunted as he held her gaze. “Of course not, and I didn’t lie to you about my life, Caitlin. My parents really were rodeo people who died in a car wreck. I was a rancher. I lost my wife in a riding accident and sold the ranch and for the next six months reeled in grief. I wound up in Detroit and joined the police force, made detective in record time and was recruited by the FBI when I found out some information about the Raven’s Head Society. That society puts our national security at risk and we knew that your father had information we needed.” The words spilled out of him as if forced by enormous pressure.

  “Fine,” she snapped. “You got what you wanted. There’s no reason for you to hang around any longer. Wait.” She lifted a hand to her ear. “I think I hear that crazy wind blowing, and that means it’s time for you to move along, cowboy.”

  He winced, as if finding her sarcasm physically painful. “I don’t want to leave it like this between us, Caitlin. You need to know that it wasn’t all about the job.” He took a step toward the sofa but before he could get too close she jumped up and backed away from him.

  She didn’t want him close enough to her that she could smell his familiar scent, she didn’t want to see the little gold flecks in his deep green eyes and remember how he’d gazed up at her as they’d made love.

  “Please, just go,” she said wearily. Couldn’t he see that just by standing here in front of her he was breaking her heart yet again? She just wanted him gone. The numbness was starting to wear off and she was having difficulty reclaiming her anger. Instead, a deep grief was welling up inside her, a grief that had tears burning at her eyes once again. And the last thing she wanted was for him to see her weep.

  “I don’t want to go without letting you know that you got to me, that when I held you in my arms it wasn’t just because I was told to do whatever necessary to get close to you, it was because I wanted you there. I need you to know that when I made love to you it was real and it had nothing to do with the reason I was here.” He held out his hands in front of him, as if beseeching her to listen…to understand.