Deadly Secrets

by Sarah Barrie

  CHAPTER

  15

  Jordan tapped her foot impatiently and Madi put a reassuring hand on her arm. She smiled at her but both were silent — both knew how important the next few minutes were going to be. Joel turned up with two more of her heifers. She now had ten animals lined up ready to go into the sale ring and nine more tied up in the pavilion ready to take next. Her bull was by her side; although he was last on the agenda, she wasn’t leaving him for a second. He’d swabbed clear and a last-minute vet declaration was in the auctioneer’s hands. The announcer’s voice came over the loudspeaker as another animal sold. Time to go.

  Jordan felt sick. Her feet were frozen to the spot. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath — and felt her lips covered in a soft kiss. Eyes flying open, she saw Reid smiling at her. Madi giggled, Joel coughed.

  Jordan felt gratitude rush through her and wondered at how quickly she had begun to rely on his support. And he must have dropped everything to be with her for this.

  ‘You’re here.’

  ‘Of course.’

  A look passed between them, a look in which she saw Reid searching for any of yesterday’s hurt or anger. No, she wasn’t mad. Any last traces of that would have vanished with this latest gesture anyway. ‘That you they’re calling up?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘So go do it.’ He looked so confident, so positive.

  ‘Okay.’ She took a deep breath, gathered herself together and led the first heifer away.

  Joel gave Reid a friendly slap on the back as they followed behind Jordan to watch. ‘You made it.’

  Reid grimaced. ‘If I was a traffic cop, I’d burn my licence.’

  ‘Worth it.’

  ‘Yeah.’ He watched Jordan enter the pavilion. ‘Here we go.’

  Her first heifer sold for almost twice what she was hoping for, a couple more were disappointing. As they went through, Jordan tallied numbers in her head. She was doing okay, but still twenty thousand shy of her bottom line. As expected, it was all going to come down to her bull.

  She led a heifer back out, did her best to summon up a smile for everyone as she took his lead rope from Carol. Joel’s hand covered hers. ‘I’ve got this one, love,’ he told her gently.

  ‘Joel —’

  ‘How can you parade a bull when you’re shaking so hard you can hardly stand up?’

  She was shaking? She hadn’t even noticed.

  ‘Let Joel do it. We can watch from the stand,’ Reid said from behind her.

  ‘No. I love you both for wanting to help…but this is something I have to do.’

  As soon as she said it she realised what she had said. I love you both. It was true. Joel like a father and Reid…like Reid. But she hadn’t meant to blurt it out. Her eyes flew to his but his look was simply supportive, encouraging.

  ‘Go on then. Kick ass.’

  Heart in her throat, she led her bull into the ring and walked him around as the announcer read out his information. Almost sick with nerves, she stood him up as bidding began at ten thousand dollars. It just kept going.

  Less than five minutes later, he’d pulled off a sale record of almost twice what she’d needed.

  She led him out, stunned.

  ‘Congratulations, Jordy.’ Joel gave her a bear hug, then moved out of the way so Carol could do the same. Jordan handed him to Joel with a beaming smile then ran flying into Reid’s arms and jumped.

  ‘Well done!’ He smiled and caught her, kissed her. ‘You did it.’

  ‘Of course she did.’ Joel said. ‘Now let’s get these cattle to their rightful owners and head off.’

  ‘Damn straight,’ Madi replied. ‘Mary’s set up something special.’

  ‘She’s what?’ Jordan asked, surprised.

  ‘The whole town has been rooting for you. Expect a Mary-style party,’ Carol warned happily.

  It took longer than planned to make it back, with many people stopping to congratulate Jordan and chat as they did what needed to be done, but finally they were back in Mary’s cafe, relaxing and discussing the events of the weekend. Mary had rushed Jordan when they’d walked in and proposed a toast to her success. Reid had given her a stern look when she’d accepted the Champagne forced into her hand, but said nothing when she took an obligatory sip with everyone, then put it down again, almost untouched. Now he was standing beside her, watching her with an impatient, hungry look in his eyes.

  He’d missed her last night. He wanted her now, to himself, to show her how much. But he was going to have to wait. Someone had taken a seat at the old piano in the corner and people were crowding around it. Jordan was drawn in. With an apologetic look, she sang along with the group to some silly song he didn’t know.

  The mood in the room was light and happy. No one seemed in a hurry to leave. Champagne glasses kept filling, beers were passed around. He wondered how everyone thought they were going to get home.

  ‘Reid, I don’t know how to thank you.’ Joel’s voice broke his trance.

  ‘Not necessary.’

  ‘When will you need those statements?’

  ‘We’ll get to it. There’s a lot to get through in the next few weeks.’ He watched as Jordan stood, smiled and moved toward him. ‘Right now I just want to take Jordan home and celebrate her success.’

  The cheerful playing started up again behind Jordan as she joined them. ‘Hello, my two favourite men.’ There was a light in her eyes Reid hadn’t seen for days; he liked it there. ‘Is everything okay?’

  Joel gave her shoulders a squeeze. ‘Perfect, love.’

  Jordan’s smile widened and she performed a playful twirl. ‘I feel like I could dance on the table.’

  ‘Tell me,’ Reid couldn’t help but ask, ‘if you’re like this sober, what kind of a drunk are you?’

  ‘Quiet!’ Joel laughed. ‘We used to ply her with whatever we had to get her to shut up and keep still. Now we have a hell of a time.’

  ‘Thanks for that.’ She landed a playful punch on Joel’s arm.

  ‘You ready to head off?’ Reid asked.

  Yes, she was ready. She wanted Reid to herself. She hadn’t had a chance to ask him what had happened last night and the question was burning her — as were the looks he’d been sending her all afternoon. When she looked at him now it was there again; the promise written all over his face sent tingles of excitement skidding through her rapidly overheating system.

  ‘I’ll…just go say thanks to Mary.’

  ‘Seems you’ve got a bit of pull these days,’ Joel commented. He patted Reid on the back. ‘You’re a good man, Reid; for what it’s worth I hope it works out with Jordy.’

  ‘Thanks. I’ll keep you posted on Carter.’

  Once in the car, Jordan didn’t waste any time. ‘I want to know everything. Spill.’

  ‘It’s an ongoing investigation.’

  ‘Oh please, so what?’

  ‘So there’s protocol. I can’t tell you much at all.’

  Jordan heaved out a sigh. ‘Now you decide to stick to protocol? Can you at least tell me about the look on his face when you arrested him?’

  He laughed. ‘Alright, I can tell you this much…’

  As they drove back to Jordan’s, Reid told her as much as he could of what had happened.

  ‘So…the whole lot of them are under arrest except Brian, because he’s done the bolt,’ Jordan summed up as they pulled up outside her house.

  ‘We don’t know what’s happened to Brian. No one seems to know where he is.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘Did I actually detect a hint of sadness?’

  ‘Before Brian went to work for Hal he worked for Dad.’

  ‘Yeah, Joel told me.’

  ‘He was nice, that’s all. We spent a lot of time working around the place. Dad thought he had a lot of potential with the horses once. It’s just a shame when nice people turn out that way.’

  ‘Yeah well, years of drug abuse will do that to you.’

  When they finally pulled up in J
ordan’s driveway, Mack emerged from out of nowhere and leapt at Jordan with enough force to send her back against the car as she got out. ‘Mack! How did you get out? Hi buddy…settle!’

  ‘I think I just got it. Mack truck, right?’

  ‘Correct. And as he’s out, I reckon he must have destroyed that stable door once and for all.’ She laughed, wrestling with the dog until he turned his attention to Reid and raced around the car to give him a similar greeting. ‘He certainly likes you a lot more than he used to.’

  ‘That’s lucky for both of us. I’ll get your bags, go on in.’

  ‘It’s nice to be home.’ Suddenly tired, she wandered into the house and flopped down onto the lounge and threw her feet up. ‘I’m going to the bank tomorrow with my sales list and letting them know the cheque is on its way!’

  Reid lifted her legs to make room and sat down. ‘How’s it feel?’

  ‘Unbelievable — literally. It’ll be a long time before I don’t wake up wondering how to keep the bank off my back.’

  ‘Doing all that on your own…if anyone deserves to succeed, it’s you.’

  ‘I wasn’t alone.’ She shifted up to place her head on his shoulder. ‘I had Joel and Carol, and Madi.’

  ‘And now you’ve got me.’ He gently nipped at her ear, making her smile. But she wondered about that statement. Did she have him? For how long?

  He sighed dramatically. ‘What could possibly be worrying you now?’

  She didn’t bother to ask him what gave her thoughts away. ‘What happens next?’

  ‘I have some serious time to put into this case over the next few weeks. I have to go back to the city.’

  ‘Of course.’ She couldn’t quite keep the disappointment from her voice.

  ‘Do you want to come?’ His teeth nibbled their way lightly down her throat.

  ‘Do I want to what?’

  ‘Come with me.’

  Jordan tried to turn her head to look at him, but was prevented when his fingers dove into her hair, holding her still while his mouth explored the delicate skin behind her ear.

  She shivered. ‘What, like for the day?’

  ‘Yeah, or two…or three…’

  He wants me go with him. She couldn’t prevent the smile. ‘I can’t leave the farm for the next few days.’

  ‘Then how about some company on the weekend?’

  ‘I think I can accommodate you.’

  His other hand joined the first in her hair and he pulled away a little to look into her eyes. ‘I probably will need to you to come to the city at some point. I want to talk to you about making a statement against Hal.’

  Her face clouded. ‘About what? I don’t have any proof of anything.’

  ‘You know more than you think. Between what Madi knows, what Joel can contribute and your experiences with Hal, testimony from the three of you could be very valuable.’

  Jordan’s gaze moved to his chest as she thought about that. ‘Well… if you think it will help…’

  ‘It will. And Jordan, I want you to officially come clean about the accident.’

  Her eyes flew back up to his. ‘What? But then Joel will —’

  ‘Be fine. In return for his and Madi’s help with the investigation, everything will be put right.’

  ‘But what’s the point?’

  ‘Clearing your record. You weren’t driving the truck. You acted in defence of your friend to prevent her possible murder and the drugs weren’t yours. Jordan, it’s time to put all this behind you. Properly.’

  She thought about that for a minute and searched his face. ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  ‘Then…okay.’

  Reid traced a finger along her brow. ‘Worry line’s gone. Tired?’

  She pulled a wry face. ‘Why, do I look it?’

  His laugh was low and appreciative. ‘You were furious when I said that.’

  ‘I’ve been furious at you a lot.’

  ‘I asked for it. I couldn’t resist you when you were mad.’

  Jordan straddled him, traced a finger lightly down from his jaw to the barrier of his shirt. ‘Well, I’m not mad right now…but resistance is futile.’

  ‘Star Trek?’

  Her face split into a grin. ‘You watch Star Trek?’

  ‘About a million years ago. What happens if I resist?’

  ‘Torture. No touching me, detective.’

  ‘Does this involve you getting naked?’

  ‘Eventually.’ Her fingers slowly undid the buttons of his shirt, and she took her time tracing the planes and ridges of his chest. ‘But this time, we’re going to take it really, really slow.’

  When he let out a shuddering breath, she continued her lazy exploration over the smooth, hard contours of his back as she pushed his shirt from his shoulders. She marvelled at the broad expanse of those shoulders, tasted, teased, grazed lightly with her teeth…every one of the muscles under her touch was tight and overstretched. His body was radiating heat, tension.

  She continued to undress him, drawing out every move, every touch.

  ‘Jordan…’

  Reid was going insane. Never had he been subjected to the sort of pleasure she was dishing out with a few simple caresses. His hands opened and closed at his sides, his breathing sped up. He liked the idea of taking it slow; it was a good one. In theory. But his body wasn’t cooperating.

  He lifted his hands and Jordan placed them back at his sides.

  ‘Uh-uh.’

  Sliding away, she stood in front of him, and with more torturously slow movements, she slipped out of her clothes, dropping them carelessly one by one in a pile at her feet. She watched a muscle move in his jaw, saw him swallow, heard his breath suck in. Smiling provocatively, eyes never leaving his, she straddled him again. Then she hovered for one long, sensually tormenting moment before, millimetre by aching millimetre, she slid down onto him.

  The breath left Reid’s lungs in one long whoosh and slowly, languidly, she began to move. Pure pleasure coursed through her, layered with the heady sensation of feminine power. Reid’s hands gripped her waist, and they were just a bit rough, a bit biting. He reared up, took a breast in his mouth, tugged, suckled, increasing the throbbing need inside her, building it. He repeated the process on her other breast, while one hand slid from her hip so his fingers could stroke her. She began to shake so hard she lost her rhythm, picked it up as the heat inside her burned like wildfire. She tightened around him; he was so hot inside her, his fingers so sure, his mouth so insistent. She clasped his shoulders as her head fell back, her face clouded with ecstasy. Everything she was went rigid and bowed. The orgasm ripped her in half; taking her breath and sending her spiralling into oblivion. As her body dissolved, boneless, he held her together just a few seconds longer. Then he went with her.

  Several minutes passed before either moved. Finally, Jordan grasped enough energy to slide off him — sideways, straight into a prone position on the lounge beside him. ‘I know it’s been said… but wow. Again.’

  ‘Yeah. That.’ Reid took a few deep breaths, dropped his head sideways to study her. He smiled at the way she was sprawled completely comfortably, naked, all over the lounge.

  ‘You’re doing it again,’ Jordan remarked through half-closed eyes. ‘Staring at me.’

  ‘I’ve always stared at you — as secretly as I could. I’m probably going to do it a lot more now that I don’t have to pretend I’m not.’

  Laughter rumbled in her chest. ‘I’ll return the favour. You’re built, detective.’ She reached out a lazy arm, traced a small scar near his left collarbone. ‘I meant to ask…what happened?’

  ‘Cranky drug runner.’

  Jordan’s face tightened as she realised how close it had come to his heart. Reading her thoughts, he shook his head. ‘I had a vest on. The bullet just skimmed it and caught me. Freak shot, but not life-threatening.’

  ‘Yeah? How many inches is this, roughly, from your head? Three, four? What about your neck? Half
an inch?’

  He pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her. ‘I was fine.’

  ‘There’s a longer one on your back.’

  ‘That was a knife. Lots of stiches but I kept my kidney.’

  This time she shuddered. ‘How many…’

  ‘Stabbed once, shot twice. If it makes you feel better, in all three cases we got the bad guys.’

  It didn’t make her feel better. Not at all. She thought back to the first time she’d seen him. It had stood out; in his stance, in his control, in his manner. He wasn’t a guy to mess with. She couldn’t believe she’d accepted his cover for a second.

  ‘Have you ever…I mean, did you ever need to….’

  ‘You want to know if I’ve ever killed anyone. Yeah, once. I didn’t have a choice, but it’s not something you get over in a hurry, no matter what they did, or what they were going to do. There are lots of pieces of my past I should talk to you about. But later. Okay?’

  Jordan nodded, feeling the coarse hair from his chest scrape lightly against her cheek. She didn’t want to know any more. Not yet. He shifted again, getting to his feet and lifting her into his arms.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she asked, summoning up a smile.

  ‘Come on, this is supposed to be a celebration. We’re drinking Champagne. In bed.’

  ‘Whoa, really? I got a frown for the sip I took at Mary’s.’

  ‘Someone might have reported you.’

  ‘To who? My probation officer?’

  ‘Could have been complicated. There’s a distinct conflict of interest going on.’

  ‘You bending the rules for me now?’

  ‘I’ve been bending the rules from day one. And come to think of it, depending on where we’re at with the paperwork…you probably don’t have a probation officer anymore.’

  ‘It’s hard to keep up.’

  ‘You keep up just fine.’ He dumped her on the bed, making her giggle. She rolled off.

  ‘I really want a shower.’

  He rethought his next move, nodded, smiled wickedly. ‘Now that’s tempting. We’ll have a shower. Then while I get the Champagne…eventually, you can put on one of those sexy things you have in your top drawer, so I can peel it off you again.’

  ‘I knew that search of my premises would lead to trouble.’