by Jill Sanders
“Oh, princess. Don’t fight it,” Ryan said, laughing. “Can you believe all this trouble I had to go through just to get my hands on him?” He pulled her father’s hair and raised his face so she could see the blood dripping from his nose and mouth. His eyes were shut and when she tried to call out to him again, Ryan dropped his head so she could no longer see his face.
Ryan laughed, but instead of the warm sound she’d grown used to, it came out more as a deep cackle.
“Years.” He walked towards her. “Years I’ve wasted looking for him. To pay him back for what he did to me.”
Nothing was making sense. She kept looking for any sign that her father was still alive, but he didn’t move. Then Ryan stood in front of her and crouched down until his face was right in front of her. His blood-covered hand ran up and down her face gently. “I guess getting to play with you was just the bonus I needed.” He smiled and she noticed how really thick his beard was. She could barely see his teeth through the dark coarse hair. When he leaned down to place a kiss on her lips, she screamed.
“Nikki?” Ryan shook her out of the nightmare.
Hearing his voice, she swung out and clocked him, catching him off guard. Her mind was still back in the nightmare, so she kept swinging until he finally had her arms pinned above her head as he sat across her legs.
“Nikki?” he said again. “Are you okay?” He held both of her hands in one of his and leaned over to flip on the light.
When the light hit his face, she realized that his face was clean shaven, and his hair was short. She closed her eyes and immediately hated her mind.
She knew all about reading dreams. Years after the abuse had stopped with David, she had attended counseling to help her get over the effects.
“Are you alright?” Ryan asked, releasing her hands.
She nodded her head, keeping her eyes closed tight and trying to hide her embarrassment.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, hovering above her.
When she opened her eyes, she gasped and sat up. “You’re bleeding!” She rushed from the room and grabbed a clean washcloth and soaked it in cool water. She returned to his side of the bed and watched in horror as he wiped the blood away with the back of his hand.
She pulled his hand away and dabbed at his lip, which was quickly growing in size. She sat next to him on the bed, cleaning his mouth, and she felt like crying.
“I’m sorry,” she said when his lip was clean. She tried to avoid looking at him, but when his fingers pulled her chin up, she couldn’t deny his wishes.
“Do you want to tell me why you just tried to kill me?” He smiled slightly, opening the cut on his lip again. She started to clean it, but he shook his head and took the washcloth. “Come here.” He pulled her until they sat against the headboard, his arms wrapped around her.
“It was a stupid dream.” She closed her eyes and rested her head back against his shoulder. He slept without a shirt, and she loved the warmth of his skin against her cool cheeks.
“And in this dream I was hurting your father?”
She looked up at him, shocked.
He chuckled. “You talk in your sleep as well as give a mean right punch.” He held his jaw and she felt her cheeks turn red.
“I’m sorry.” She rested back down, not wanting him to see her embarrassment.
“Don’t be.” He chuckled. “It’s good to know that you can throw a punch.”
She nodded. “Yeah, my father made sure of that.”
“I bet. There’s that protection again.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. “You were using me to get to him.” She sighed. “It was just a stupid dream.”
“Oh?” She could tell he was thinking about it.
“I guess it makes sense.”
“What does?”
“It’s nothing.” He started to slide back down, but she stopped him. “Your father was the one who took down the father of the man I’m trying to take down.”
She sat up and looked at him. “You know about my father?”
He nodded. “Everyone I work with does. He’s somewhat of a legend.”
“My father?”
He smiled. “One of the first stories I heard in training was about the Cougar. That was his street name. Anyway, I didn’t know it was your old man until I talked to Mr. Holton.” He shook his head. “Cougar took down Hijo del Diablo’s old man almost twenty years ago. But it was how he did it that was so ingenious.”
“How?” she asked, scooting up and crossing her legs in front of her.
“He used the kid.” He frowned a little. “Everyone knew that Diablo—that’s what we called his old man—had been running drugs into the states for almost seven years. He’d been responsible for over three hundred deaths in the US alone. It was rumored that an entire town in Mexico had been killed to protect his identity.”
“What happened?” She was caught up in the story.
“Well, according to what I heard, the Cougar showed up and befriended the kid, who was a teenager, at his birthday party. Over the course of the next few years, he convinced him to betray his old man. When they came to take his father away, the kid turned.” He shook his head. “I guess he decided he didn’t want to be responsible for taking out his old man. Anyway, he grabbed one of the agent’s guns and shot Cougar in the leg.”
Nikki gasped.
“Sorry.” He held onto her.
“No, it’s okay. Go on.” She leaned closer to him.
“Well, after he’d shot your dad, the kid took off in all the commotion. It’s been rumored that he escaped to the US where he contacted all his father’s buddies and took over as head of the business under the name, Hijo del Diablo. Son of the Devil.”
She shivered and he pulled her closer.
“Thank you for telling me all this. I couldn’t get anything out of my father. All he would do was not deny that he’d worked for narcotics.”
He nodded. “We shield ourselves so much in deceit, sometimes it is hard to come out of it.” He rubbed her hair away from her face. She looked up at him.
“You did. For your family.”
He nodded. “Sometimes you have to step out and ask for help.”
She frowned, wondering why her father hadn’t talked to her.
“He had his reasons for not telling you. I’m sure.”
She nodded but could think of nothing that would have kept her father from talking to her.
Over the next few days, Ryan stayed busy helping his cousins separate the cattle and brand the ones they were keeping. The weather had made a turn towards winter sooner than everyone had predicted, and he spent half his time fighting to stay warm.
Nikki had left a message for her father that next morning but hadn’t heard back from him. He could tell that she was concerned that she’d offended him, but Ryan was certain he was just busy trying to help them out of the situation they had gotten into.
The last time he’d talked to her old man, he was back in the states and tracking down Hijo del Diablo. Even though her father hadn’t said so, he could tell that he’d felt a little responsible for unleashing the kid on the world. No one in the department blamed him—the Cougar was legendary. But still, he’d done his job.
One thing he’d learned early on was that you did what you had to in this job. No matter what. Especially when you were deep in cover. Ryan learned that lesson on one of his first undercover jobs when he’d been initiated into a gang that was distributing meth at a high school. He’d crossed a few legal lines, but in the end, he’d closed the gang down and the school was a safer place for his actions.
He was actually enjoying the hard work that he’d been doing over the last few weeks at the ranch. He’d always loved working on the back of a horse. His roping was improving, and he knew that he could regain his title of best roper. He’d been practicing every chance he could. Nikki had been helping him and seemed to enjoy it, especially when he used her as bait.
They had agreed to
go with everyone in town to the big Halloween party at the Rusty Rail that night, and he still hadn’t had time to put together a costume. By the time he drove up to the house, it was only an hour before they were due to go out.
He planned on a quick shower so they could get going, but when he walked into the house and saw Nikki sitting on the couch waiting for him in her little outfit, he knew they’d end up being much later than he’d planned.
It didn’t register what she was dressed as. All he knew was that the skirt was short and the top was low. Her hair was tied up in two long braids that laid perfectly across her breasts, which where magically hoisted up under her chin.
When he started walking towards her, she shook her head and held out her hands.
“Don’t! You are not going to do what I think you’re thinking about.” She stood up and ran around the couch. He followed her and she laughed and screamed for him to stop.
But when he finally got his hands on her, all arguments fell away. Instead, she started pulling him closer as his mouth moved over hers. Not until he pulled her towards the bedroom did she start objecting again.
“Ryan, stop. Do you know how long it took me to do my hair?”
“You can do it again.”
“No, I can’t.” She put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “Besides, we’re already late. Now, go in there and shower then put on your outfit.”
“I don’t have a costume.” He smiled and tried to pull her closer.
“You do now.” She smiled and pointed to the bedroom.
Chapter Thirteen
“I am not wearing that,” she heard him say from the other room and she smiled. Then she walked in and leaned against the door frame while crossing her arms over her chest.
“If you don’t wear that, then we won’t match, and I’ll have to change into something else.” She watched his eyes run up and down her sexy cop outfit and his eyes heated up. She could see the inner war he was battling, and finally without a word, he grabbed up the outfit Haley had provided for him and marched into the bathroom to shower and change. When he stepped out again, she tried hard not to laugh.
“Great.” He stood there frowning down at the black-and-white outfit. “Why do you get to be the officer, and I have to be the criminal?”
She smiled and walked over to him. “Because, Haley only had these costumes that would fit us.” She lied only a little. “And besides, I thought you liked my outfit. It came with these.” She held up a pair of shiny handcuffs.
His eyes narrowed and his hands pulled her closer. “You are in big trouble.” He leaned towards her.
“Later. We’re running late.” He groaned when she pulled away, and she laughed as he followed her closely.
She could tell that he was having a hard time focusing on the short trip into town. He kept stealing glances at her. It didn’t help that she kept recrossing her legs to get comfortable. The skirt was really short and she was getting more and more concerned that she was going to split the small top. She had just planned on not wearing costumes, but when Alex and Haley had shown up earlier with a handful of items, she couldn’t refuse these.
Glancing over at Ryan, she smiled. He’d purposely chosen not to shave to complete the villainous look. His hair had grown a little longer and he’d spiked it around, making it look messy. She wondered why she’d had such a problem with him when he’d had the beard and long hair in the first place. No matter what he wore or how he looked, he’d always be handsome to her now.
She looked out the window as they drove into town. It appeared that every car in town was parked in the dirt lot for the Rusty Rail. It had been years since she’d been to a place like this for fun. Usually she was there to follow someone and was focused only on catching her man in the act.
“When was the last time you were in a place like this for enjoyment?” she asked Ryan.
“I suppose when I was here last. Almost nine years ago.” He laughed. “I can’t even remember the last time I was out on a date.”
She glanced at him. “Why haven’t you dated?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s hard to explain what you do to a woman who is trying to find a man with a respectable career.”
She nodded. “Tell me about it. The last man I dated actually blamed me for wrecking marriages. Like I was the one forcing the people to cheat on their spouses.”
He shook his head in disgust as he pulled into a parking spot. “When I worked at the college, several parents accused the force of entrapping their kids. They even tried to sue the department.” He turned off the truck and looked over at her. “Are you sure you don’t want to just go home and let me show you how to use those?” He nodded to the handcuffs she’d snapped around her belt.
She laughed. “No, I haven’t been to a party in years. I want to dance and have fun.”
He pulled her close across the truck seat. “You can dance for me.” His smile was quick. Then he kissed her quickly and helped her out of the truck.
“Remind me to thank my cousin.”
“For?” She looked over at him.
“Finding the smallest outfit known to man.”
She laughed as they walked across the parking lot hand in hand.
When they entered the building, they scanned the dark room and tried to find anyone they knew amongst all the masked and costumed people. Finally, Ryan laughed and pointed to a couple dressed in matching pirate outfits. When she looked, she immediately knew it was Reece and Melissa.
A large group of people approached, and she recognized everyone in their outfits.
“We were about to send out a search party,” Alex said. She was dressed as Tinker Bell and Grant was a very unhappy Peter Pan. She tried not to laugh at him or the other men who had obviously dressed in what their spouses wished. It’s amazing what a man would do for love, she thought with a chuckle. She looked at Ryan and her smile faltered. Why had he agreed to dress in his prisoner outfit? It was true she hadn’t given him much choice, but maybe was there more to it. Was he falling for her? Could they have reached that point so quickly?
As everyone laughed and talked about their outfits, she stood off to the side and wondered about her feelings towards Ryan. She watched him interacting with his family and knew that she felt different about him than any man that had come before.
She hadn’t known what her father and mother had really gone through. Now that she knew exactly what her father had done for a living, she wondered if his job had played a part in their separation. Her mother had chosen not to remain in contact with her either, but she wondered if it was because of the job.
Did she mind what Ryan did for a living? Every ounce of her said no, but she couldn’t deny that the danger was real. She remembered that night in the alley and shivered.
“Are you cold? We could go,” Ryan said eagerly into her ear, causing her to chuckle.
“No, not until you dance with me.” She tugged on his hand and they made their way to the old wood floor where other couples were moving around to the band.
When he wrapped his arms around her, all the other couples melted into the background. They danced slowly, and she felt her heart beat against his as she held her breath and looked into his eyes.
No, she had never felt this way about anyone else before and for some reason that scared her. Her steps faltered a little and he held onto her a little more tightly.
Ryan tried to concentrate. Really, he did. He was so concerned that he’d fumble and step on her toes in those fancy boots she was wearing. But his eyes kept going back to the light material of the outfit as it stretched over her skin. His hands wandered up and down her back, and he felt her move in pleasure as he touched her.
He knew that he was making a fool of himself in front of his family, but he didn’t mind it. He had found it hard to concentrate on the conversation while they’d stood talking to everyone. Not until she pulled him to the dance floor, and he held her in his arms had he finally felt centered.
&nb
sp; When she touched him, his heart rate spiked and for a split second, he thought he could have a stroke and be completely content. He glanced over and noticed that his brother and Melissa were gliding around the floor next to them. Then he noticed his cousins and their husbands and suddenly the room was too crowded for his liking. Spotting double doors that led outside, he swung Nikki around and slowly headed towards them.
They moved outside, and he smiled when he saw the large deck that overlooked a field with a small pond. There were only a few smokers standing by the windows. He took Nikki’s hand and walked her to the edge of the deck where they would be virtually alone.
“It’s wonderful here.” She sighed and leaned on the railing.
He nodded, not sure if he trusted his voice. The Texas weather was warm enough during the day, but in the evenings it had started cooling off, so he moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
“I can’t believe how much has happened in such a short time.” She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Like?” He realized he could get lost in her eyes. Especially with the moonlight shining off them and her hair.
“Like us.” It came out as a whisper.
“It’s good, though?” He pulled her closer and smiled when she nodded.
“Part of me doesn’t want to leave.”
“Leave?” He frowned.
“Well, yeah. I mean…” She shifted and he felt a shiver of concern chill his blood. “We’ll have to go back to our regular lives someday soon. We can’t hide out here forever.” She frowned and looked down at his shirt.
“I suppose.” He tried not to frown too much. He knew it would end someday; after all, they couldn’t spend the rest of their lives hiding from Hijo del Diablo and his men. But here in Fairplay, it was hard to think about his old life. Especially since Nikki was here.