“We don’t have to talk about this right now.” I was about to open the truck door when I heard Tee-Tee call out to us.
“Wait,” she said, walking closer. When she was within a couple of feet, she looked directly at Rebel. “How are you, Lucy?”
“Fine, Tía. How are you?”
“I heard otherwise.”
I was about to step in, but stopped when Rebel rested her hand on my arm a second time.
“I didn’t kill anyone. I swear on my granddaddy’s grave I didn’t.”
Tee-Tee nodded and took another step closer. “You’d have to be in the kitchen by four for breakfast. You can take a break before and after lunch since not many hands come in, in the middle of the day, but you’ll have to be back by three to start dinner.”
“It’s your decision,” I told Rebel when she looked at me.
“I’d like the opportunity.”
“Meet me in the dining hall in an hour,” Tee-Tee snapped before turning and walking away.
I opened the door and held my hand out to Rebel. She didn’t need my help getting in, but I liked that she took it anyway.
As I climbed into the driver’s side, my first thought was to ask Decker what he knew about Tee-Tee’s relationship with Rebel but decided against it. I’d already asked him to see what he could find out about her mother’s death. If I wanted to get to know the beguiling woman sitting beside me, I couldn’t continue asking questions behind her back. I needed to learn about Rebel’s life directly from her.
“You probably want an explanation,” Rebel said as I pulled the truck into the garage.
“An explanation? No.”
“Tee-Tee isn’t my aunt.”
I turned to face her and nodded.
“When I was a teenager, I’d go to her house sometimes. I was friends with her daughter.”
“You didn’t know she worked here at the ranch?”
Rebel shook her head. “Tee-Tee’s daughter, Blanca, and I lost touch.”
She didn’t make a move to get out of the truck, so I didn’t either.
“Blanca…she was pretty messed up.”
“Is that why you lost touch?”
“Yeah.”
I reached over and took her hand. “I told you before that you don’t owe me an explanation. If this is something you don’t want to talk about, you don’t have to.”
Rebel shook her head again. “I want you to hear the truth from me before Tee-Tee tells you.” She took a deep breath. “Blanca invited me over one afternoon, and when I got there, she was high on meth. I hated it when she got high, because she’d always try to pick a fight with me. It didn’t matter what it was about; I’d learned long before that regardless of what I said, she’d keep arguing. So, I left. I don’t think I even said goodbye to Tee-Tee, because I was so mad at Blanca.”
I squeezed her fingers. “Go on.”
“Early the next morning, Tee-Tee showed up at our house, demanding that my granddaddy get me out of bed. Their arguing woke me up, so I went out to see what was wrong.” Rebel took another deep breath. “She accused me of taking money. A lot of money. I don’t remember the amount, but she said she’d had it set aside to pay her rent.” Rebel turned her body so she was facing me. “I didn’t take it. I swear I didn’t.”
I brought her hand to my lips. “I believe you.”
She scrunched her eyebrows. “Why?”
“I just do.”
“You’re saying that you, who’s known me for a matter of hours, believe me.”
“That’s right.”
“Yet a woman who’d known me most of my life, didn’t.”
“Did she ever find the money?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you think happened to it?”
“I couldn’t prove it, but I have no doubt that Blanca took it.”
“Did you say so at the time?”
Rebel shook her head. “Not to Tee-Tee. She never would’ve believed me, and since I didn’t have proof, it didn’t feel right accusing her. Especially knowing how she’d react.”
“What happened after you denied taking the money?”
“She said she was going to press charges against me, but I never heard another word about it.”
“What about your granddad? Did he believe you?”
“Yeah, he did. Not long before this happened, he asked why Blanca didn’t come around anymore, why I always went to their house. I told him the truth.”
“That she was using meth?”
“Yes.” After another deep breath, she continued. “My mom was an addict.”
“He understood your frustrations with Blanca, then?”
“Yeah. I think he tried to talk to Tee-Tee about it. Not that day, but another time. I don’t know for sure, but…that’s the kind of man he was.”
“Where’s Blanca now?”
“Barton Creek Cemetery.”
Her blunt answer didn’t surprise me, but the fact that Rebel had accepted Tee-Tee’s offer to work in the kitchen, did.
“Are you sure about taking the job?”
“I don’t have any choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“Who else is going to hire me? Let’s say that you are able to prove I didn’t kill Possum; even then, there are people who are going to doubt it. I may be acquitted, but that doesn’t mean someone would take a chance on me. I don’t think even Bobby would risk it.”
I had so much admiration for the woman sitting next to me. It took a lot of courage for her to set her pride aside the way she did. Something she’d said didn’t sit right with me, though.
“We don’t have to prove you innocent, Rebel. We need to find who killed him, and make sure they’re brought to justice. If we’re unable to do that, Hammer will still advocate that there isn’t evidence to prove you killed him. Once the court hears who Possum was affiliated with, that alone should be enough for reasonable doubt.”
She looked away. “Might as well leave me in jail.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because if you or someone else can’t find out who killed him, everyone is going to think I did. They’ll think that for the rest of my life.”
“Let’s take this one step at a time. The first thing you need to do is get ready for work.” I got out of the truck and went around to open Rebel’s door. When she climbed out, I trapped her between the vehicle and me. “I’m going to kiss you.”
“You are?”
I nodded. “Yes. As long as that’s okay with you.”
She smiled. “I don’t know, Edge. As you said, I do need to get ready for work.”
“Afraid that once I do, you won’t want me to stop?”
“Something like that.”
I kissed her long, deep, and hard—the only kind of kiss I could give Rebel. When I took a break and rested my forehead against hers, she ducked under my arm and rushed over to the door. That she couldn’t get in reminded me I needed to take care of getting her into the security system before she went to meet Tee-Tee. If it came down to it, I’d call the cook myself to tell her why Rebel was late. The bottom line was, she wouldn’t be able to get into the dining hall unless her profile was input.
11
Rebel
I had no idea what to wear. Not that I had a lot of choices. While I appreciated the clothes Shadow had lent me—given me—they weren’t at all my style. I wasn’t complaining, but for now, jeans and a collared shirt would have to do. If Tee-Tee wanted me to dress another way, she’d let me know. The woman had never been shy about expressing her opinion.
I didn’t tell Edge, but when I looked into her eyes earlier, I didn’t see anger or judgment or even distrust; I saw warmth. That’s the reason I said I wanted the opportunity. It wasn’t solely the job. I wanted the opportunity for Tee-Tee and me to be okay again—as much as we could be.
When I walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, I didn’t see Edge. I still had over a half hour before I needed to be at t
he dining hall, so I grabbed a glass of water and sat down at the breakfast bar.
As soon as I did, Edge walked out of a door off the kitchen that I hadn’t noticed before.
“There you are,” he said.
When he leaned in and kissed me, I wondered why I hadn’t asked Tee-Tee if I could start tomorrow. It wasn’t like I’d forgotten his earlier promise to “take care of me later.” How could I? The man had left me on the edge of an orgasm that I knew would be powerful, maybe the most powerful of my life.
“I mentioned earlier that I need to set up your profile in the security system.”
I nodded, not knowing what that entailed but sensing some trepidation on Edge’s part. He motioned for me to follow him through the same door he’d come out of. When I did, I saw an elaborate computer setup with several monitors.
He pulled out one of the chairs. “Have a seat.”
Once I was seated, he set a trackpad by the keyboard. “Put the fingertips of your hand on this.” Edge shook his right hand, again like it had fallen asleep.
He flexed his fingers, put his hand on mine, and adjusted the way my fingertips rested. “Hold them like that and look right here. Keep your eyes open.” He pointed to the screen. “Okay, you can relax,” he said a few seconds later.
“What is this?”
“The system Decker developed uses facial-recognition software for the most part. There are certain areas, though, where the security is more complex, so you’ll need to scan your palm and fingertips.”
Edge turned the chair and looked into my eyes. “I know this feels intrusive, and I’m sorry for that. However, I can assure you that everyone who sets foot on the ranch has to go through the same process. It’s more in-depth if they’ll be working here.”
I wasn’t sure whether I believed him or not. Staring into the computer had felt like having a mugshot taken, and putting my fingers on the trackpad felt like being fingerprinted. It made me feel as much like a criminal today as I had the day I was arrested.
He reached out and cupped my face with his hand. “I wouldn’t lie to you, Rebel.”
“It feels…the same.”
“I know, and I wish it weren’t necessary, but it is. If it will make you feel better, ask Tee-Tee about it. She’ll tell you the truth in the same way I have. Watch as the ranch hands enter the dining hall; you’ll see they go through the same process you will.”
I shrugged; until I saw how it worked with my own eyes, I couldn’t help but be skeptical.
Edge glanced at his watch. “We should leave.”
I followed him out to the garage, he opened the passenger door of the truck, and held out his hand. Instead of helping me in, he drew me into his arms. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten, Rebel. Tonight, you’re all mine.”
His whispered words sent shivers down my spine. I turned my head, wishing he would kiss me, but he didn’t.
“I won’t want to stop,” he said, as though he’d read my disappointment.
It didn’t take long for us to get to the dining hall. Edge pulled up in front, and before he could come around, I jumped out of the truck.
“Don’t do that,” he muttered when he met me by the front bumper.
“Do what?”
“You’re a lady, Rebel, and as such, I expect you to allow me to be a gentleman.”
“I can manage—”
“I don’t want you to manage. The next time you go against my wishes, there will be consequences.”
I laughed but he didn’t. “You’re serious?”
His eyes bored into mine when he nodded.
“What kind of consequences?”
“You’ll see.”
When he took my hand, my first instinct was to pull away. However, his threat made me think twice. As we approached the main dining hall door, Edge pointed to what looked like a trackpad mounted to the wall. He took my hand and pressed it to the pad. “Look here.” He pointed to a screen above it. Within seconds, I heard a click and the door automatically opened.
“If there’s ever someone behind you, they’ll know not to follow you in. Even if they tried, the door would close before they could get through it.”
“This is crazy,” I mumbled.
Edge motioned for me to go inside, and as I crossed the threshold, the door closed like he’d predicted it would. I heard another click, the door opened, and Edge joined me.
“Let’s find Tee-Tee.”
As he said her name, she came out of a set of double doors.
“On time. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t be.” She motioned me over to her. “You can pick her up after dinner,” she said over her shoulder as we walked away.
Edge held up his hand, and I waved goodbye, wishing I had expressed more appreciation for everything he was doing for me.
“I’ll give you a tour. After, we’ll start prep for dinner.”
“If you’re too busy, I’m sure someone else could give me a tour.”
“I said I’d do it.” She motioned again for me to follow.
Twenty minutes later, I had seen the dry-food storage areas, the walk-in coolers, and the main kitchen where the grills and ovens were located. As we walked, she asked me about the different things I liked to cook. Almost everything I told her was a dessert or sweet of some kind.
The last area Tee-Tee showed me was the counter where the food would be set up.
“All the food is served cafeteria-style.” She pointed to trash cans set up on the perimeter of the hall. “The hands are expected to clean up after themselves.”
We sat at one of the tables, and she explained that the menu was set a week in advance and, rather than having to go out to secure supplies, everything was delivered directly to the kitchen. Each meal was comprised of hearty-yet-fresh-and-healthy food. While King-Alexander Ranch was self-sustaining in terms of meat and produce, Tee-Tee often traded with other ranches for specialty items. That way, the cowboys and ranch hands weren’t served the same meals again and again.
On the menu for tonight was Texas-style chili, a spinach salad, cornbread, and dessert.
“What’s the dessert?” I asked when Tee-Tee didn’t elaborate.
“That’s up to you to figure out,” she answered before walking away.
“Wait! What do you mean?”
Tee-Tee looked over her shoulder. “You know where everything is stored. Go see what’s there. After you’ve made your decision about what you’ll make, come back and tell me.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I mumbled, not thinking she’d hear me, but she did.
“You can do it.”
Those four words brought tears to my eyes. I’d been estranged from Tee-Tee for so long, never dreaming we’d even reconcile, let alone that she’d have faith in me. The fact that she did and admitted it, surprised me as much as it made me emotional.
In the dry storage rooms, I found baking flour, sugar, and the other ingredients I’d need to make a basic cake. Since I remembered seeing oranges and clementines in the coolers, along with buttermilk and eggs, it only took me ten minutes to come up with my decision. When I walked into the kitchen, Tee-Tee was standing with her back to one of the prep tables. She raised her eyebrows.
“Orange-scented buttermilk cakes with a simple vanilla drizzle and topped with slices of clementines.”
She didn’t respond, but I caught the hint of her smile and knew she was pleased.
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Tía. I know—”
She held up her hand. “Don’t make me regret it.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
With dessert being my only responsibility for this evening’s meal, I learned how to operate the big, industrial-size mixers along with the massive ovens. I also learned that Tee-Tee had developed an easy system for multiplying any recipe in order to feed the number of workers on the ranch at any given time. Since December was a slow time of the year on any operation like this one, I was shocked by the number of people expected tonight.
>
“Quint Alexander and Decker Ashford don’t believe in a seasonal crew,” Tee-Tee explained.
“They don’t?” The idea of it shocked me, not that I understood the intricate details of running an operation of this size.
She didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t ask any questions that didn’t relate solely to making my dessert.
As I took the last sheet out of the oven, I heard the dinner bell ring. All I had left to do was drizzle the icing and lay the slices of fruit on top of each cake, but in order to have it ready when the diners were, I had to stay focused on my task. I was so involved I didn’t notice when Tee-Tee approached and stood next to me until she cleared her throat.
“Is everything all right?” I asked, worried that I’d done something wrong.
“Look.” She motioned with her head.
I smiled when I saw Edge dishing a big bowl of chili before grabbing two pieces of cornbread. Just when I thought he’d walk away without noticing me, he looked into my eyes and winked.
“Es un buen hombre,” I heard Tee-Tee say. “Trátalo bien.”
I agreed. Edge was a good man, and he deserved to be treated well. “I will, Tía, I promise.”
12
Edge
Knowing Rebel would be working through the end of dinner gave me time to get some work done. The first thing I did was make sure my partners were on board with us taking this on as a job.
“I’ll be covering the costs for this one,” I told them when we gathered at the ranch’s main house. “Rebel was released into my custody.”
In response, three of the four men seated at the table shook their heads.
Deck was the first to speak. “Out of the question.”
I’d expected that reaction from him. The first job we’d done after the Invincibles formed was essentially asset protection for the woman who was now Decker’s wife. It had turned into a great deal more, but even then, I wouldn’t have taken a dime in payment from Decker; Rile and Grinder felt the same.
I turned to the fourth man at the table, my brother. He hadn’t officially signed on with our firm, but even if he had, I wouldn’t have let him work this job.
Edged (The Invincibles Book 2) Page 6