“I’ll be in touch.” I ended the call rather than point out the inaccuracy in Rile’s statement.
When I went back to look for Mila, I found her gazing out the window. Like yesterday when we were having breakfast, she looked like an angel with the way the sun’s rays came in through the window. I stood and stared, not wanting the moment to end. When she turned and smiled, it only intensified the feeling.
“That was Cortez DeLéon. He, Keon Edgemon, and Miles Stone will be meeting us at the ranch this afternoon.”
“Your partners.”
It would take me some time to get used to thinking of them in that way, but yes, that’s who they were.
“Once we’re there, I’ll ask you to contact Adler and invite him there as well.”
“I don’t know what I’ll say.”
“We have a three-hour drive to figure it out.”
Having a plan to deal with Livingston, along with knowing I’d have backup from Rile, Edge, and Grinder, left me feeling less anxious than I’d been last night or even this morning.
My gut told him two things. First, Adler was no friend to Mila. He had an agenda. Second, I would be willing to wager that he’d been the one snooping around the cabin the night before. That was the reason I’d asked Mila to turn off her phone. If Adler, or anyone else, had found us at the cabin, that meant someone was tracking her.
Like every other time we’d driven any distance, Mila was asleep not long after we got on the road. Also like every time we’d spent time in my truck, I stole every glance I could at the beautiful woman sitting beside me.
She’d spoken frankly when she told me that she hadn’t allowed another man to touch her in nine years. However, I found it troubling that I hadn’t found any record of an assault. Whatever had happened was significant enough that it still impacted her in a profound way. The natural assumption was that she had been sexually assaulted. If it had happened nine years ago, she would’ve been seventeen years old. While some juvenile records were sealed to protect the privacy of the victim, the intelligence networks that the ranch’s security system was tied into would’ve had a record if she’d had as much as a hangnail.
The other thing nagging at me was her lack of a relationship with Judd. She’d made no mention of contacting her father with news of her sister’s death, nor had she asked if Mac had contacted him. The only thing she’d said about him was that some people weren’t cut out to be parents. I made a mental note to pull a full report on Judd Knight. In my gut, I didn’t believe Judd had been the one to assault Mila, but something didn’t add up about her relationship with him.
She shifted her body against the seat. I looked over and thought back to our earlier conversation. “I hardly know you, yet I feel safe with you,” she’d said. I didn’t say it, but ever since the first time I saw her, I’d felt an overpowering need to protect her.
“Decker?”
“Yes, sweetheart?” I smiled.
“Does it bother you that I always fall asleep?”
I grasped her hand, rubbing the back of it with my thumb. “There are occasions that I imagine it would bother me very much. While I’m driving isn’t one of them.”
Her cheeks turned pink, and she shifted again, this time crossing her feet in front of her. I released her hand and rested mine on her leg.
Her muscles flexed as she squeezed her thighs together, sending a current of need from my hand straight to my cock.
“You can’t look at me like that, baby,” I said, hating that I had to tear my eyes away from her to watch the road.
“I can’t help it.”
I groaned. “God, Mila. You’re killing me.”
“I’m sorry.” She spoke the words, but the look on her face said she wasn’t the least bit apologetic.
“Do you know how much I want to kiss you right now?”
Her lower lip stuck out just slightly when she nodded and it did me in. I couldn’t wait another minute not just to kiss her, but to hold her in my arms, to feel her skin against mine.
I turned the truck off the highway and onto a road that was familiar to me. I parked under a tree and unfastened her seatbelt at the same time as mine. I leaned across the console, my hand on her nape, and pulled her to me. “I’m going to kiss you, Mila, and I’m not going to be gentle about it.”
She didn’t hesitate. The moment the last word left my mouth, she kissed me. I wanted to hold her, touch her, feel her naked skin, but I kept myself from doing anything more than wind my tongue around hers. I am an aggressor by nature; that’s who I am. I couldn’t be that way with Mila, though. I had to let her take the lead, let me know what she was comfortable with and how far she was ready to take things between us.
When I pulled back to look at her, something else caught my eye. We were out in the middle of fucking nowhere, but not far from where I’d parked, I could see another vehicle. We had a goddamn tail, and I hadn’t noticed.
“Fasten your seatbelt,” I said, keeping my eyes on the dark SUV I could see from the passenger-side mirror.
“What’s happening?”
“We have company, but don’t worry, they won’t be with us long.”
I threw the truck into gear and put the gas pedal to the floor. Instead of speeding off in the opposite direction, I spun around and drove straight at the other vehicle. Whoever it was—and I intended to find out—would have no time to even get the SUV started, let alone try to escape the oncoming vehicle.
“Keep your seatbelt on, but get down as low as you can,” I told Mila.
Gun drawn, I pulled up alongside the other vehicle and fired twice, hitting both tires on the driver’s side before I continued back onto the highway.
Part of me had hoped the man behind the wheel was Adler Livingston. It wasn’t, which is why I hadn’t fired at the driver instead of the tires.
I got off at the next exit and drove down the side roads of the small town until I was certain no one else was following us. I pulled over and held my hand out to Mila, wishing I could still her trembling.
“Did you see who it was?”
“It wasn’t Adler.” I kept one hand on hers and pulled my phone out with the other. I punched in the license plate number and a description of the vehicle and sent it to Mac before calling him.
“Who do you know in Grover?”
“Allen Bach is the sheriff.”
“Have him get whoever is available to State Road 114, about a quarter mile from the highway. Suspected link to Sybil Knight’s murder. Vehicle is disabled.”
“What did you do?”
“Shot two of the tires.”
“Good job.”
I ended the call to Mac. The next call I placed was to Rile.
“What’s your twenty?” I asked before Rile had the chance to say anything.
“Entering Highway 35.”
“I’ll send you coordinates in a few minutes. We need an escort.”
I set the phone down on the dash. Mila looked at the one sitting on the console. “You have two?”
“Personal and business.”
“Which number do I have?”
I picked up the secure line and sent Mila a text. “Both.”
Once we got to Waco, I drove to the same restaurant we’d gone to for breakfast on our way to Bluebell Creek.
“Is this okay with you?” I asked when I pulled into the parking lot and sent the text to Rile.
“It’s fine,” she said, but her cheeks were flushed, perhaps remembering her embarrassment over the declined credit card.
“Would you rather go over there?” I asked, pointing to another diner.
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
I crossed the road and parked in the lot.
“Wait,” Mila said before I got my door all the way open.
“What?” Following her line of sight, I saw what had made Mila warn me; Judd Knight was sitting in the front window, looking directly at her.
17
Mila
It had been n
ine years since I last saw my father. Before that, it had been an equal number. When I first noticed him sitting near the window, I considered the possibility that he wouldn’t recognize me. That hope was quickly squashed. Once his eyes met mine, they remained locked on my face.
His expression was impossible to read. I saw no sign of recognition, no smile, not really a frown—just a steady gaze in my direction.
“What do you want to do?”
I tore my gaze from my father and looked at Decker. “I don’t know.”
“It’s evident you and Judd are estranged.”
“That’s one way to put it,” I mumbled, not necessarily meaning to say the words out loud.
“Your call, sweetheart. I’m happy to drive away.”
Was I strong enough to face the man who had betrayed my trust, who’d lost the right to be acknowledged as my parent? It seemed with everything I’d been through in the last few days, I felt empowered—as long as Decker was by my side. It was inexplicable, but it was real.
“Let’s go in.”
Decker opened his door the rest of the way and came around to my side of the truck. When he opened my door and gave me his hand to help me out, I grasped it. “Don’t let go of me,” I pleaded.
“Never.”
By the time we entered the near-empty diner, my father was walking toward us. I stopped, leaving enough room between us that he couldn’t reach out and touch me.
“Hello, Mila,” he said as if he’d seen me yesterday. “And, Decker.”
As much as I wanted to look at Decker to gauge his expression, I couldn’t take my eyes off Judd; if I did, he might step closer, which I couldn’t allow.
“Why don’t we take a seat?” he said, motioning to the booth where he’d been seated.
“I’d prefer a table.”
With his hand still holding mine tightly, Decker led us farther into the restaurant. He pulled out a chair for me that faced the door. He took the seat beside me, forcing my father to choose from two that would mean his back was to the entrance.
“You did some damage to one of my vehicles,” he said, looking directly at Decker.
“I don’t like tails.”
“Neither do I.”
I studied the exchange between the two men. Decker appeared on high alert, not at all friendly with Judd, which had been my initial concern.
The only read I could get on my father was that he seemed to know he wasn’t in control of the situation. It would be interesting to watch him attempt to wrangle it, like he did everything else. My money was on Decker, though.
“I was saddened to hear of your sister’s death, Mila.”
I opened my mouth to respond and then closed it. Saddened? Interesting word choice. I would think that a parent who lost a child would be devastated, inconsolable. Sad was something an acquaintance might feel, not a father.
“Who told you?”
“The sheriff.”
“I’ll make arrangements to have her buried in Bluebell Creek next to Mom.” Why had I told him that? Did he really care what happened to Sybil’s remains? He hadn’t even spoken her name.
“Can I get y’all anything?” asked a waitress as she approached our table. “Oh, y’all didn’t even get menus. I’ll be right back.”
I let go of Decker’s hand and pushed back my chair. “That won’t be necessary. We’re leaving.”
Decker stood and put his hand on the small of my back as we exited the diner. When he held the door open for me, I froze. Three men were getting out of an SUV parked next to Deck’s truck.
“They’re with us,” he whispered into my ear, but then continued walking toward the truck as though he didn’t know them.
We were on the highway before Decker spoke. “I won’t feel comfortable until I get you back to the ranch, even with an escort.”
I nodded when he looked over at me.
“Is there anything you’d like to talk about?”
“Do you mean Judd?”
Decker shrugged. “He’s the elephant in the backseat.”
I smiled. “You have a knack for putting me at ease, Decker Ashford.”
He reached over and squeezed my leg right above my knee.
“I don’t have a relationship with my father. I haven’t for a very long time.” Had I ever, if I really thought about it?
“Since your parents’ divorce?”
“It felt like he abandoned us. Although, to be honest, we were never close.”
“When’s the last time you saw him?”
“It’s been a long time,” I mumbled, looking out of the passenger window and praying he wouldn’t ask for details. “How well do you know him? You said before that you’d only met him once or twice.”
“I recognized him, but didn’t know him well enough for him to recognize me.”
“That concerns you.”
“It does. I’m also concerned that he had someone following us.”
I turned in my seat so I could keep my eyes on him as he drove. His jaw was locked tight on the toothpick that hung from the side of his mouth. Every so often, he’d take one hand off the wheel and flex his fingers.
He turned his head, smiled, and winked. “You’re awake.”
“I like looking at you, Decker.”
He reached over and took my hand in his. “Likewise, baby.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d ever…”
“Keep talkin’. I’m listenin’.”
I laughed. “I don’t want to scare you.”
“Not much does, Mila.”
“I just didn’t know if I’d ever want to be with a man. But I do, Decker. I want to be with you.”
He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my palm. “I want that too, at whatever pace you’re comfortable with.”
I closed my eyes and thought about the way Decker had kissed me before he pulled back and noticed the SUV parked not far from us.
At that moment, I’d wanted him so badly I was ready to crawl across the console and straddle his lap. I’d never known what it felt like to desire someone without control, without reason, even before…
When I thought about Decker’s hands on my naked body, there was no fear lurking in the back of my mind, only impatient anticipation.
“Will your friends be staying at the house with you?”
“Colleagues, and absolutely not. The ranch has plenty of other places they can stay.”
When I turned my phone back on, I expected to find missed calls and messages from Adler, but there weren’t any. Not a single one. I should’ve felt relief; instead, I was perplexed. Had he given up and returned to Boston? If he had, that would be a good thing, right?
Decker came out of his office and closed the door behind him. I held up my phone. “Nothing.”
He didn’t look surprised, which I also found perplexing.
“What should I do?”
“Wait and see if you hear from him again.” He walked over to the front door and let in the three men I’d seen outside the restaurant.
Decker introduced each one. “Mila, this is Cortez DeLéon, also known as Rile.”
Of the four men who stood in front of me, Rile was the oldest. His skin was tan and weathered, and while he was bald, his shortly cropped beard was gray. His right arm was covered in tattoos all the way to his wrist, and he was almost as tall as Decker, but with broader shoulders. Until the other men walked in, I would’ve questioned whether there was anyone alive in better physical condition than Decker Ashford. Each of them exuded power and strength; being in the same room as them was heady, if not overwhelming.
Rile stepped forward and took my hand. He dipped his head and looked into my eyes. “I’m very sorry for your loss, Miss Knight.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, looking into hazel eyes that, like Decker’s, seemed to be peering straight into my soul.
“This is Keon Edgemon, also known as Edge,” Decker said when the youngest of them stepped forward.
Edge’s unruly dark hair was clos
ely cropped on the sides but a little wild on top. His deep brown eyes held a twinkle of mischief as he brought my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.
“That’s enough,” growled Decker, taking my arm out of Edge’s grasp. “And this is Miles Stone, who we call Grinder.”
The last man to approach and shake my hand was the most hesitant of the three. His smile was engaging, but behind it, I saw a haunting hint of pain. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said. “I am also sorry for your loss.” There was an edge in his words that spoke of hurt. I found myself wanting to put my arms around him and hug away the sadness in his eyes that mirrored my own.
Grinder took a step back, and the three men turned to Decker, who invited them to take a seat.
I turned to him too, and when I took a step toward the bedroom, he held out his hand. “The conversation we’re about to have involves you, sweetheart.”
I nodded and came to sit by his side.
Rile sat forward in his chair and took a deep breath. “Your friend from Boston, Adler. What do you know of his background?”
“Not much, to be honest.”
“Let’s begin with what you do know.”
18
Decker
I watched Rile as he walked Mila through what he already knew and what he wanted to know from her perspective. Part of me wished he’d shared the report he obviously had on Adler Livingston, but the other part was fascinated by Rile’s technique. As long as the man didn’t cross a line that would unfairly put Mila on the defensive, I’d sit back, watch, and listen.
“What about his parents? Have you met them?”
“I have not.”
“Do you know how Marshall Livingston accumulated his wealth?”
When I saw Mila flinch, I moved closer and took her hand in mine. The color drained from her face.
“Gentlemen,” I heard Rile say, motioning to Edge and Grinder, who both stood and left the room.
“What just happened?” I asked, keeping my voice soft and even.
“Adler’s father’s name is Marshall?”
“That’s right.”
Decked (The Invincibles Book 1) Page 8