“Mmm. I wanted to drive you crazy.”
His thrusts got harder and quicker. He wasn’t far, but neither was she. She snaked a hand down between her hip and the bed, and he felt her play with herself. “Ahh. Baby, that’s going to make me come faster. Please tell me you’re there. Fuck.”
“Yes, yes…” her words trailed off as he unloaded himself inside her. He supported himself with his hands then slowly eased down on top of her. He tried not to put his full weight on her as they both needed to catch their breath.
“Don’t think this means we’re not going to finish what we started earlier, but apparently not today.”
“Okay. Maybe when we have more time and privacy?”
“Agreed,” he said as he raised his body off of her. “Stay put. I’ll clean you up.”
29
It was Monday and Thomas had just left worked, so he called Cat to tell her he’d see her for dinner. He was dead tired when he pulled into his parents’ driveway with lunch. They’d just settled at the table when the front doorbell rang. “Are you expecting company?”
“No. Kayla wouldn’t even knock and Mitchell wouldn’t come to the front door. No one else has called for a visit,” his mother said.
His dad made a move to get up, but Thomas stopped him. “I’ve got it. Keep your seat.” His mood was already sour so he felt for the person on the other side of the door. When he looked through the glass, he saw a man in an Italian, tailored suit. He swung the door opened. “Mister, I don’t know who you are, but this is posted property. My parents haven’t received a call asking for permission to visit, so I suggest you state your business and move the hell on.”
The man stuck out his hand and Thomas left it hanging. He drew it back as he cleared his throat. “I’m Antonio Agosta, but my friends call me Tony. My acquaintance next door says you’ve run into some problems recently, so I’ve come to offer to purchase your parents’ property.”
“Did you see a For Sale sign on the property that I missed? Because the last time I checked, which was about five minutes ago, this property wasn’t for sale. Please leave and don’t come back.”
“Dr. Gregory. I hope this isn’t your bedside manner at the hospital.”
“Do I look like I’m at a hospital? ‘Cause you sure as hell don’t look like a patient.” The fact that this man knew who he was put Thomas on alert.
“I only ask nicely once, Dr. Gregory. I’m in town until Wednesday. If your parents change their minds, here’s my card.” The man offered his card, and when Thomas didn’t take it, he dropped it and walked down the front steps to a black town car waiting in the driveway.
Thomas shut the door and walked back to the table. “Un-freaking-believable,” he said.
“What was that all about, son?” his dad asked.
“That was one of the Masterson Investments trio. He’s one of the sons, named Tony, and he offered to buy your property. I told him it wasn’t for sale, and he politely informed me that he only asks nicely once.” Thomas ran his hand down his face and took a deep breath. “I need to call Kayla so they know what just happened in case his next stop is the ranch.”
He walked to the back of the house and called her. She put him on speaker phone so he could explain everything to Mitchell and Evan at the same time. “I don’t know if y’all should be expecting company or not, but he seems to be making the rounds.”
“Thanks. We appreciate the head’s up,” Mitchell said before they disconnected the call.
Thomas went back and ate his lunch. “I think I’ll nap here for a little while just in case Mr. Agosta decides he wants to come for another visit,” he told his parents.
30
Mitchell and Evan left the kitchen while the girls finished up the dishes. As soon as they were in the living room, Mitchell started, “Apparently, Nathan knew what he was talking about. Masterson Investments didn’t waste any time once complaints were filed. Do you think he’ll come out here?”
“Yeah, he’ll come. The question is when.” Evan responded.
“If he sees you, will he know you?”
“Yes. Undoubtedly.”
“Then we need to come up with a plan.”
“As always, Ginger and I will stay in my room when he shows up. You can handle ‘im, but you know Kayla will want to be there,” he said.
“I don’t know if I want Mak near this guy.”
“That’s between you and her, man. You can’t put me in that spot.”
“Can’t put you in what spot?” Kayla asked as she and Ginger joined them.
Evan gave Mitchell a “handle it” look. “Mak, Evan thinks this Tony guy will show up here, and I agree with him. He and Ginger will stay out of sight while the guy is here, and truthfully, I don’t want him seeing you either.”
“Mitch, you said we’d handle everything together from now on,” she said.
“I know, baby. But when a man loves a woman, she becomes his weakness. I don’t want him to see my weakness. If anything happens to you, they may as well kill me because I won’t stop until I kill the person that hurt you.” He wrapped her in his arms and buried his face into the side of her neck. This was where he gathered his strength, his resolve.
“But I want to be there to support you, to show solidarity to this jerk,” she whispered.
“I don’t want him to be able to identify you when you’re not with me. I need to keep you safe, and anonymity is what will do that.”
“Don’t you think Carlos has told him what I look like?”
“I’m sure he has. I’m sure Carlos has even shown him a picture, but he hasn’t seen you with his own two eyes. You aren’t a person to him, right now. You’re just collateral damage, just someone else he needs to get rid of. If he sees you, then it becomes personal. I don’t want that, please.”
“So it’s okay for you to be personal?”
“When he killed my cattle and tried to kill you, he made it personal, baby,” Mitchell answered.
“When he burned my parents’ property, he made it personal for me.”
“Mitchell is right. He won’t see it that way, Kayla,” Evan softly said. “He knows you’re important to your parents and to Mitchell. In all honesty, he knows if he takes ya out he can win both battles. He’s not the kind of man ya want to make contact with. I promise ya, you’re better off not letting him see ya.” Thank you, big brother.
Her green eyes stared up at Mitchell’s blue ones. He couldn’t tell if it was hurt or sadness he saw in them, but she slayed him. He bent his knees so they were looking eye to eye. “I love you, Mak. Please let me protect you the best way I know how. Knowing you’re close and safe is my strength. You give me strength.” He needed her to know this was coming from his heart as much as his head.
She sighed. “Fine.” He’d been with her enough to know that when she said that, it was anything but. She was relenting and that was all he could ask for at the moment.
“Thank you,” he whispered just before he touched his lips to hers.
They didn’t have to wait long before Roger’s ring tone sounded on Mitchell’s phone. “Roger?”
“Mitchell, there’s a black town car turning into the driveway. Do you want me to handle it?”
“Nah, I’ve kinda been expecting them, but can you and the guys make sure the herd is close to the barn. Keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, load a couple of rifles and keep them handy.”
“On it.”
“Thanks.” Mitchell disconnected the call and faced Evan and the girls. “He’s here. Evan, I want a shotgun.” Mitchell walked with the girls toward the office where Evan was coming out of the gun safe with the gun Mitchell asked for. Kayla gave him a quick kiss, and Ginger gave him a quick hug. When Evan gave him the gun with one hand and hugged him with the other, Mitchell said, “I’ll be glad when you can be seen ‘cause I’m getting tired of handling all this shit.”
“Me, too, man. Me, too,” Evan said with a slap on Mitchell’s back.
> When they heard the doorbell ring, Mitchell walked to the front door. He opened it to find a man in an Italian suit, just as Thomas described. Mitchell gave him a once over and stood in the doorway. “May I help you?” He made sure the man saw him set the shotgun beside the door.
The man’s eyes followed Mitchell’s hand before they come back to meet his. “I’m Antonio Agosta, but my friends call me Tony.” He reached out to shake Mitchell’s hand.
Mitchell crossed his hands over his chest. “I know who you are.”
“Then I’m sure you know that I’ve come to make an offer to purchase your ranch,” the man said with a smile that reminded Mitchell of a sleazy used car salesman.
“Yeah, but my ranch isn’t for sale.”
“Everything is for sale, Mr. Riverton. Name your price.”
“I don’t think you heard me. My ranch is not for sale,” Mitchell said very slowly, enunciating his words clearly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to finish cleaning my guns. You need to get back in that car of yours and get the hell off my property.” Mitchell reached for the shotgun.
“What happened to southern hospitality?” Tony asked.
Mitchell chuckled. “This is southern hospitality. Usually uninvited guests on posted property are greeted with a shotgun blast to a tire. I suggest you leave before my southern hospitality runs out.”
“Mr. Riverton, I’ll only make this offer once. I’m in town until Wednesday. If you haven’t changed your mind by then, you may get a visit from some of my associates. They don’t like it when I don’t get what I want,” he said as he backed away from the door.
“Is that a threat, Mr. Agosta? Let me explain something to you.” The man stopped walking when Mitchell stopped speaking. “We’re in the country out here, so the Sheriff knows we deal with poachers a lot. He believes in the Second Amendment. Since this property is posted, he completely understands when we shoot first and ask questions later. He just figures it saves him a trip out here. I sure hope your associates don’t find themselves at the wrong end of a gun.” Mitchell released a shell into the chamber. The sound was unmistakable. Mr. Agosta didn’t run, but he sure didn’t take too long to get into his car either. Just for fun and to make his point, Mitchell aimed at a tree beside the driveway. He timed the shot and hit his mark just as the town car was beside the tree. The driver didn’t stop to check for traffic as he turned out and headed toward town.
“What the hell was that?” Evan yelled as he came toward Mitchell.
“My southern hospitality running out,” he answered.
“What does that mean?”
Mitchell shrugged as the girls joined them in the foyer. He recounted the conversation he had with Mr. Agosta. “I just wanted him to know that I can play his fucking mind games, too.”
Evan shook his head and chuckled. “We don’t need to draw any more attention, little brother. At least not until we see what happens tomorrow.”
Mitchell put the gun in the closet. When he walked back into the kitchen, everyone was gathered around the table for shrimp and grits. He grabbed a bottle of wine and took a seat. He raised his glass for a toast, “Here’s hoping for a peaceful night.”
“Here, here,” they all echoed.
31
Last Sunday, Carlos insisted Nathan drive him to pick Tony up at the airport, about forty-five minutes away. It had been a few days since the wreck, but Nathan still had a headache from the concussion. Carlos’ right leg was in a cast that extended above his knee and his left was in a walking boot because of his ankle. Nathan knew the drive would be bad enough, but the company was worse. He was popping ibuprofen every few hours to keep the pain manageable. If they started yelling, he’d pull the car over and get out. Lucky for him, Carlos was on pain meds that caused him to sleep for most of the trip, and Tony wasn’t in a talkative mood either, maybe because Nathan wasn’t Carlos. Small miracles do still happen.
Today would be different. Nathan’s headache was tolerable as long as he took the ibuprofen. Maybe if he were in a wheelchair like Carlos, he’d sit this one out. But there was no way in hell he was missing a year-long operation culminate in arrests. He wanted to see the cuffs on Antonio Agosta, Carlos, and Richard Beal. Harley still sat in the county jail, so they wouldn’t get him on anything tonight. He wished he could see the old man and Lorenzo, too. Maybe the guys would take pictures and share them later. This was a huge night for the good guys. Some major players would be taken off the board.
He popped more ibuprofen and made his courtesy phone call. When he heard her voice on the other end, he knew she was nervous. “Hel-lo?”
“Hey, sugar. You okay?”
“Yes. How are you?”
“I’ve been better, but I sure would like to see you.”
He could tell when she was with Evan because she seemed more confident in her questions. “Am I going to see you at all?”
“No, sugar. Why don’t you invite some friends for dinner and a sleepover? I know how you like that. I’ll see you soon, though.”
“Okay. Be careful and call when you can.”
He disconnected the call and wrapped his head around what was happening tonight. As much as he loved this part, he also hated it. He loved watching the scum go down, but he absolutely hated them putting the damn cuffs on him, too. The guys were usually pretty cool to let him get a good view before they escorted him out. Today, he made sure his voice recorder was on as well as his tracker. He wanted his team to have everything they could possibly need to take these bastards down. On top of that, he wanted them to know his head still hurt so they’d take it a little easier on him.
Nathan sent a text to Carlos to be ready to leave in half an hour. Since Tony took the town car yesterday, he didn’t know if they’d have it back today. If not, Dick would pick them up in one of his cars. That’d be hell on Carlos and not too good for his head, either. At least Sam had his bike, lucky motherfucker. Nathan stepped in the shower and just let the water run over him. It was going to be a long night. When he got out, he not only dressed, but packed his shit in his duffle bag in the closet. His team just needed to be able to grab it. He sent a new text to Carlos saying he was ready, and popped a couple more pills.
Nathan walked to the room next door. “Carlos, let’s go!” He banged on the door and heard mumbles from inside. Son of a bitch, he must’ve taken extra pain pills. “Carlos!” He banged a little harder. Nathan heard movement, then what sounded like Carlos falling. He heard curses before Carlos opened the door. When he did, he looked like shit. “Dude, it’s after two. We’ve got to go.”
“My pain pills weren’t working fast enough, so I took a little something to take the edge off. I must’ve taken more than I thought.”
“What’d you take?” Nathan walked into his room and saw the paraphernalia on the table. Carlos didn’t have to tell him – heroin. Some of the white powder didn’t make it into the spoon Carlos heated it in. The syringe and tourniquet were lying on the floor. “Does Tony know you took some of the pure heroin?”
“He’s the one that gave it to me. He said it’d help until the pills kicked in. I didn’t use much. There’s some left if you want it.”
“Are you insane? One of us needs to be able to drive, asshole. Get dressed. We’re going to be late as it is. I don’t want Tony yelling because my fucking head still hurts.” Carlos stumbled back toward the bed and found the jeans they’d cut to fit over his casts. He fell into his wheelchair and tried to roll into the bathroom. His chair was too wide to fit through the door so he hobbled in to do his business. Nathan stood where Carlos couldn’t see him as he took a short video of the shit in Carlos’ room. When Nathan heard Carlos curse because he hit his foot on the door, Nathan looked at his text messages. Carlos threw on a shirt that wasn’t near as pristine as the ones he normally wore to a sale. He looked like a strung-out user, which Nathan guessed he was today. Nathan called Tony while he waited for Carlos to get his shit together.
“Tony, Carlos is finally up
and functioning, do you want me to drive you over to Dick’s?”
“Yes. I need to call my father so I’ll meet you in the lobby in fifteen minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I like that, Nathan. You’ll go far with Masterson Investments,” Tony said before he disconnected the call.
Nathan turned to Carlos, who was firmly in his wheelchair. “Let’s go find you some coffee while we wait on Tony. He’ll be fifteen more minutes,” he said.
A half hour later, they were on their way to Dick’s place. Nathan drove with Carlos riding shotgun. He still looked like shit, but Tony was the epitome of an Italian business man. His suit was perfectly tailored, shoes shined to the point that any military personnel would be proud, and not a hair out of place. Nathan looked like the muscle he was hired to be. When they arrived, there were a few cars around the place – Dick’s souped up muscle cars. Tony walked inside as Nathan got out the wheelchair for Carlos.
The lights were dimmer in the garage so Nathan removed his sunglasses and looked around. The guns were laid out on a table to his left. There were several cases of assault rifles and a few handguns. He took it all in and mentally cataloged it as best as he could. On the opposite side of the garage lay the drugs. Everything from marijuana to cocaine, heroin, meth, ecstasy, and even some date-rape drugs. A little something for every dealer. Not all of the heroin was pure and neither was the cocaine. The marijuana was high quality from Jamaica. Who the hell knew about the rest? That was some really scary shit. The pure stuff would go to high-end dealers who serviced the rich and famous, maybe some of the marijuana, too. Date rape drugs and ecstasy would end up at high schools and colleges. The rest went to the real addicts who didn’t care where their next hit came from. All in all, it would be a good bust.
Nathan needed some air so he walked outside to calm his nerves. By now, his room was cleaned out, and DEA had everything out of Carlos’ room to add to his charges. His blood was pumping faster and he felt it in his head, so he popped a couple more ibuprofen to try to combat the adrenaline. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to center his thoughts. When he raised his head, he saw headlights turning in the driveway, so he went inside to let Tony know they had company.
Unwelcomed Greeting: A Riverton Crossing Novel Page 21
