by KC Crowne
“That’s right,” James agreed. “These cartel pricks, they don’t fuck around. If they’d gotten the slightest whiff of any sort of bullshit, they would’ve opened fire and asked questions later – long before we had a chance to show up.’
“I suppose I see the wisdom in that,” Crystal admitted, though she looked angry. I wondered if we’d have a discussion about this later. “But damn, that was some serious shit we were in.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” James said. He hooked his thumbs into his belt and leaned against the car behind him. “That guy we just took down—” At that moment, the other agents brought the boss to one of the cars and shoved him into the back. He stared daggers at me, as if wishing he could take me apart limb from limb with a hard enough look. “That’s Cesar Mendoza, one of the top lieutenants in the Mendoza cartel. We’ve been working for months tryin’ to get a case together big enough to take him down. And this was the perfect chance to do it.”
“So, that’s the end of the cartel?”
“Not quite,” James said with a little laugh. “They’ve been operating out of northern Mexico for years, slowly makin’ their way across the state. Their plan’s been scoopin’ up businesses here and there, usin’ ‘em as little bases of operation, and slowly takin’ over the town. And Idylwood was their next stop.”
“And we stopped ‘em dead in their tracks, right?” I asked.
“Takin’ down a cartel’s no easy business. Gonna take years to turn the tide in this war. But if we can use this prick to root out the rest of the corrupt fuckers in the PD here and in city hall, it might be enough to finally start pushin’ ‘em out of Texas.” He looked at each of us. “Most importantly, we can bring to justice the men who killed the mayor and terrorized the city.”
“That sits just right with me,” I said.
James glanced toward the ranch, squinting his eyes at it. “Let me take a look at this place,” he said. “Why don’t you two come with me?”
Crystal and I shared a look, one that made it clear neither of us knew what was going on. Crystal smiled at her friends before falling in next to me as we followed him. We passed the agents leading the wounded cartel members out of the ranch, the low-level thugs just as pissed at us at their boss was.
He opened the door and let us step in first. The place was a warzone, broken glass everywhere. My eyes found the briefcase on the table. It was closed and didn’t look like anyone had looked inside. I knew what was in there.
“Now,” James said. “I did a little pokin’ around into your situation. Heard those cartel thugs did all kinds of damage to your little bed and breakfast. Now, that money ought to be taken in as evidence, but we’ve got more than enough of that to put Mendoza away for a long, long time.”
“What’re you sayin’, James?”
He grinned. “I’m not sayin’ anything, only that some might consider it only fair that they pay you back for what they did. I bet that cash would make all kinds of nice improvements to your place, get it up and runnin’ before you know it.”
He checked his phone, but I didn’t see any sign that he’d gotten any kind of call or text. “Well, would you look at that – gettin’ a call from the boss. I’m gonna head around back, not keep the big man waitin’.” He smiled at us and winked. “You all have the run of this place for a few minutes, I suppose. See y’all in a few.” He flashed us a smirk before heading out, the door shutting behind him.
“Wait a minute,” Crystal said, pointing to the briefcase. “Did he just say what I think he did?”
“I do believe he did.”
“Can we just take it?” she asked, frowning. “Wouldn’t that be illegal?”
I shrugged. “I worked with the Rangers long enough to know that cash, if you turn it in, is gonna spend the next year in evidence before it vanishes into one slush fund or another. And hell, the guy’s got a point – usin’ their money to fix the B&B is only fair.”
Crystal bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before zipping over to the briefcase and grabbing it off the table. “Least they can do after what those fuckers put us through.”
I grinned. “Now, how about we get Sabrina and Adie and blow this joint?”
“I’m right there with you.”
We stepped outside, Crystal holding the briefcase in one hand, my hand in the other. But I wasn’t ready to leave quite yet. There was one thing left to do.
I turned to Crystal, took her chin into my hand, and planted a kiss on her lips. “I love you, baby,” I said. “And I ain’t never gonna let you go.”
She smiled. “I love you, too. And you damn well better not.”
Chapter 27
Crystal
Later that night, Sabrina, Adie, and I were at Rainbow Canyons. A few agents had escorted us back to the ranch, and when the long line of cars pulled up to the main cabin, lights flashing, any chance vanished of the rest of the Walker clan not knowing something major had gone down. They were all waiting for us in the entry hall, eager expressions on their faces. After checking to make sure we were all okay, it was question and answer time in the lounge over some well-earned drinks.
And when that was all said and done, my friends and I hurried to Wyatt’s cabin, eager for a little solitude after our death-defying afternoon. The briefcase full of money was on the table, open so we could see all the stacks of bills.
“I’ve never seen this much money in one place before,” Adie murmured, awe in her voice as she picked up one of the stacks and flipped through it like a deck of cards. “And it’s ours?”
“That’s the long and short of it,” I said, taking a beer from the fridge and cracking it open, holding the cool can against my forehead. I was still in something of a daze. “It’s ours to do whatever we want with.”
Sabrina gave me a concerned look. “Are you sure about this, Crystal? Maybe, I don’t know, maybe all this was a sign we ought to pack up and try somethin’ else.” She smirked. “Maybe instead of a bed and breakfast in cartel country, we can open a flower shop in the Midwest.”
That got a laugh out of me since I could tell she was only screwing around. “Not a chance. Y’all knew when we started this whole thing that I’m as stubborn as they come. And now that those gangster pricks are out of the picture, I’m ready to pick up right where we left off.”
Adie’s eyes widened with excitement. “Right! We can start by gettin’ the place all cleaned up, then after that we can finally get the building up to code and make the improvements we talked about.”
“It’s not gonna be easy,” Sabrina said. “But I’m thinkin’ if we got through all this, there ain’t nothin’ we can’t do together.”
I grinned. “Now you’re speakin’ my language.”
I passed out beers, making a mental note to replace Wyatt’s stash before we left the ranch. Together, we counted up all the money, laughing as the sum went up and up. It was more than we’d agreed to sell the place for.
“Guess they didn’t bother makin’ sure the amount was dead-on,” Sabrina commented, sitting back in her chair. “Figured they were just gonna take us out anyway.”
Adie smirked as she opened her beer. “Well, we sure showed those pricks who was takin’ who out.”
We were all shaken up, sure, but we were tough as nails and not about to let a little old thing like a high-noon firefight break our spirits. Going into business with them was the best decision I’d ever made, and they were only making the case clearer and clearer.
“And what about Gerald?” Sabrina asked, glancing at me with a grin.
Hearing his name snapped me back into reality. “What about him?”
“I heard you two talkin’,” she said with a smirk. “Sounds like somethin’ mighty serious is goin’ on between you too.”
“It was…um, just somethin’ we said in the moment.” I was uncomfortable, and I wasn’t sure why. I wondered if saying I was in love with him had made me feel like he had control I wasn’t ready to give up?
“
Somethin’ you meant,” Adie corrected, pointing at me. “I don’t care how much adrenaline is runnin’ through your veins, you don’t tell a man you love him unless you mean it.”
“All the same, I wanna think about it,” I said, wanting to get off the subject as quickly as possible.
Adie and Sabrina shared a knowing look, as if they were hip to some information that I wasn’t. “What?”
“Nothin’,” Sabrina said before taking a sip of her beer. “Just thinkin’ about stuff.”
“Well, what I’m thinkin’ about is whether or not that James fella’s single,” Adie said with a broad smile.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course I am! You saw the man, right? Tall and handsome and filled out that white T-shirt like he was Marlon Brando or somethin’. And no doubt he’s as brave as they come.”
“Adie and the Fed,” I mused. “Sounds like some kinda cheesy romance book or somethin’.”
“Nothin’ cheesy about a man who looks like that,” Adie sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes. “And if he’s tight with Gerald, you know he’s gotta be a good guy on top of it.”
We all laughed again, and I glanced at the stacks of money around me.
“This is really it,” I said. “After all the trouble and danger and everything else, we’re about to finally get our dream off the ground. Hope you ladies aren’t in the mood to sit on your duffs, ‘cause I’m so ready to get to work it’s not even funny.”
Adie raised her beer, and Sabrina did the same. “Hell,” she said. “I’ll drink to that.”
We tapped our cans and sipped. As soon as the swig was down my throat, I felt tired, like the day had finally taken its toll on me.
Adie’s phone buzzed on the table. “Oh,” she said, reading the screen. “It’s a text from Chance. He says Mama G’s makin’ a special dinner for us and that we’d better bring our appetites in a little bit.”
“You know,” Sabrina said. “Somethin’ about this whole thing, somethin’ good that came out of it, is that we all finally got a chance to get to know the Walker clan.”
“That’s right,” Adie agreed. “Here we were thinkin’ they were all a bunch of lyin’ snakes, tryin’ to sabotage our business. But when it came down to it, they took care of us like we were family. Now I’m feelin’ all kinds of silly that we ever thought they were anything different.”
“You’re right about that,” I said. “We really showed our behinds when it came to them.”
“And speakin’ of showing your behind to the Walkers…” Sabrina laughed after she spoke, and it didn’t take a genius to know what she was referring to.
“Alright, alright,” I said. “Enough of that.”
The girls laughed, all of us taking more sips of our beers. I was tired, worn out. And feeling all kinds of out of sorts. “Why don’t y’all head to the house. I’m thinkin’ I need a shower.”
“Sure,” Sabrina said. “We’ll keep the party goin’ for you in there.”
Another text showed up on Adie’s phone. “And speakin’ of parties,” she said as she read the text. “The Walkers look like they’re throwin’ one after dinner, bonfire and all.”
“They really know how to roll out the welcome mat,” Sabrina said. “I’ll give them that.”
The two of them got up, tossing their beers into the trash can on the way out.
“See y’all in a few,” I called after them.
They waved over their shoulders as they headed for the ranch, their figures disappearing over the nearby hill. As soon as they were gone, I felt alone. Not just in the literal way, but like the world was closing in on me and there was no one there to help ease the burden. I had no idea why I felt that way. The crisis was over, and we had all the money we needed to get the B&B back on track.
But all the same, I was scared. Fear coursed through me, like I was all alone in dark woods in the middle of the night, not even moonlight to guide my way.
I walked into the cabin, going to the bathroom and stripping off my clothes and getting into the shower. I turned the water up hot, hot enough to blur my mind and not let me focus on anything but the heat on my skin. It worked for a time to clear my head, but as soon as the water was off the fear returned.
I worried it might never go away.
After drying myself off with a towel and wrapping it around my body, I moved through the bedroom. As I stepped into it, I heard the sound of the front door opening. More fear, another hot rush, took hold of me. I froze in place, for just a moment, listening to the heavy footfalls terrified me, the wood of the cabin floor creaking loudly.
I grabbed a heavy, decorative bowl and quietly slipped out of the bedroom. Every step I took sounded so loud. As I reached the living room, I peeked around and breathed a quick sigh of relief. Gerald stood in the living room, leaning against the high-backed leather chair across from the couch, an easy smile on my face.
“Now, this is what I call a fair turnabout,” he said, glancing down at my towel.
I was a little flustered, my eyebrows raising. “Now, what are you talkin’ about?”
“You got to see me in my towel,” he said. “Only right that I do the same.”
I laughed, remembering what he was talking about. “Difference now is that you’ve seen me in a hell of a lot less than this.”
“True, true. But there’s somethin’ to be said for leavin’ a little to the imagination.”
After the humor of the situation faded, the fear returned. Gerald picked up on it right away, concern appearing on his face. He stepped over to me and placed his hands on my bare shoulders. Instantly, the fear melted just a bit.
“How are you feelin’?” he asked. “What you went through today – that’s not somethin’ most people would handle easily.”
“I’m handlin’ it,” I said, my tone a tad sharp. “I’m fine.”
He furrowed his brow, not believing me. “Baby, I know you’re as tough as they come, but you don’t have to pretend it wasn’t what it was. That was life and death back there, and if you’re rattled, I don’t want you to feel like you have to pretend you’re not. I know there’s only so much I can say, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned bein’ with you, it’s that there’s nothin’ to be gained from hidin’ the way you feel from the one you love.”
I gazed into his eyes, seeing nothing but compassion and care in them. “How do you cope with somethin’ like that?”
He took me by the hand and led me over to the couch, sitting me down next to him. My hair was wet, cool against my skin. Gerald placed his hand on my upper back, his touch warm.
“It’s hard. Knowin’ how close you might’ve come to…hell, I don’t even wanna say it. But you can’t think about what might’ve happened, or what almost happened – you have to think about what did happen,” he advised. “You and the ladies all got out of there safe and sound, and the bad guys are behind bars. No point in writing alternate history that’ll just tear you up inside to think about.”
Then he took my chin in his hand again and gently turned my face to his. “And I’ll say this – I protected you then, and I’ll protect you now. Baby, as long as I’m breathin’ air, I ain’t gonna let a single person even get a chance to do you harm. It don’t matter if it’s a member of a cartel or an ornery customer at the B&B.” He smiled warmly, and I did the same.
“You hear? I love you, and I’ll be there for you no matter what. And it’s gonna be my life’s purpose to make sure you’re taken care of.” He tilted his head to the side and raised his eyebrows, as if considering something. “But of course, you’re your own woman, independent as a stallion. I love that about you, and never wanna see it gone.”
His hand stayed on my back, and with each word he spoke, with each moment his skin was on mine, more and more tension melted from my body, replaced with love for the man next to me, the man I knew would do anything for me.
“I love you, baby. And nothin’, and I mean nothin’, is gonna change that. You hear?”
> Tears formed in my eyes as I nodded in understanding. One trickled down, and Gerald softly touched the side of his thumb to my face, wiping it away. The fear was gone, and all that remained was a longing.
And like always, Gerald sensed my needs without me having to say a word.
He moved forward, kissing me. His kiss was gentle, love rushing through my body like a mellow tide on the shore, receding only to come again and again. He placed his hands on my shoulders, pulling my body to his. Then, when I was facing him, I reached up and pulled the towel, the knot coming undone and the fabric falling down to my thighs.
Gerald removed his lips form mine, casting his glance over my body. “How the hell are you so damn beautiful?” he asked, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe his own eyes.
“And how the hell are you such a damn cornball?” I grinned, and he laughed.
“Alright now. You keep up with that and I might just have to take you in the bedroom and screw the sass right out of you.”
“I’m thinkin’ I’d be just fine with that.”
A mischievous smirk took hold of his lips and he swooped in, shoving his arms under my legs and scooping me off the couch. I let out a happy squeal as he rose, carrying me fireman-style, holding me close as if I weighed no more than a feather.
“I’m a man of my word,” he said as he carried me to the bedroom. “Maybe I oughta prove it to ya.”
I was thrilled, excited and aroused in the way only Gerald could make me. He laid me down on the bed, my wet hair spreading out around my head. He gazed down at me with that same look as before, the look I loved, the one that let me know there was no other woman in the world for him.
Then he took off his shirt, exposing his perfect, muscular body. Next, he kicked his boots off his feet, followed by the rest of his clothes. Gerald was hard as hell, his thick cock pointing ahead, erect just for me. It was a hell of a thing, knowing I could make a man like him feel.