Stetsons and Stakeouts

by BA Tortuga

  Gianni looked at the guy, who wore a big exit hole, and at Bonner. Then he laughed, even though it hurt. Like, really.

  “Cesare! I need an ambulance here for Harrison!” Mason’s voice was sharp, sure.

  “There were two more outside!”

  “Yeah, they fled.” Micah popped up like a bad penny.

  “I’ll tell EMS they’re clear!” Gianni found his phone. Christ, another head blow. He wasn’t going to have any brains left that weren’t scrambled like eggs. Bonner looked at him, and then his legs folded, his lover collapsing.

  The brace kept Bonner from landing on his back, but he face planted. Damn, this was going to delay that beach trip even longer.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  IF HE didn’t ever wake up in the hospital again, it would be okay with him. Seriously.

  Bonner blinked, trying to focus, trying to figure out what he was hearing.

  “Uncle Bonner, I have a couple of someones here to see you.”

  “Bri?” He opened up, all the way. “Bri, you okay?”

  “We are. We’re good. I’m here with Luis and Jerilyn and your nieces.”

  “Are they in here?” He tried to turn his head, but his muscles screamed.

  “No. Just us. Your man is dealing with a shitstorm, by the way.”

  “Is he?” That didn’t surprise him at all. “Are the babies okay? Are you?”

  “Alaina and Cassidy. They’re great. Luis is taking good care of me.”

  “He is, huh?” Well, he guessed better an FBI agent than a biker named Snake. “Let me see the babies. Hold them up.”

  She stood up, letting him see first one, then the other little infant.

  “They’re gorgeous, honey. Honest.”

  “Ten fingers, ten toes, six pounds each.”

  “Good deal.” That was good for twins. He’d read all about it online. “Am I all broke again?”

  “The brace bounced the bullet off. They’re saying it’s a miracle, Bubba.”

  “And I hate that stupid thing….”

  “Yeah, but you’ve been in and out for a couple days. Trauma to your lungs. You’re doing better now.”

  “Oh, good.” He needed a bubble. A big hamster ball. “How’s Gianni’s head?”

  “Well, he stopped slurring….”

  “Oh good. His folks?”

  “All good.”

  “Everyone else?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to that.

  “Greg? He didn’t make it. Harrison is stitched up, on medical leave. Everyone else is fine. Well, Micah’s a little freaked, and the Colt guy? Whoa. He’s mad, I guess.”

  He smiled at her. “You got my phone and charger?”

  “Yep. Gianni also gave me a bunch of stuff for you. Jammies and slippers and some kind of soap he says you like. He says he owes you strawberry ice cream.” She eyed him. “Are you two a thing? Like a thing, thing?”

  “I want to be, yeah. I don’t know how this is all gonna play out, but I want to be.” He didn’t know how to think about all this. It was hard, getting shot at. “I killed someone.”

  Her face screwed up. “I know. Micah cried all over me, Bubba. Like blubbering. You ain’t going to, are you?”

  “No.” He wasn’t the blubbering type. “And I don’t need you doing it to me either.”

  “Nope. I don’t have time to sit and cry. Much.” She chuckled. “This is exhausting.”

  “That’s what they tell me. You seem to have done okay so far.” Luis and Bri? Damn. He would never have expected it.

  “I think I am. I told Miz Jerilyn no about adopting them, but I agreed to stay with her for now.” Her chin jutted out.

  “You do what you need to, honey.” He was tired, and he didn’t know what to do about anything right now.

  “I will.” She came over and bent to kiss his cheek. “I should let you sleep. You want your phone?”

  “Please. Can you plug me in close by?” He needed to think, and he needed to rest. More than that, he needed to talk to Gianni.

  “I got a longer cord.” She plugged in the phone, then laid it where he could see it and touch it. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Love you.”

  “Love you. Kiss those babies and tell Miz Jerilyn hello for me.”

  “I will. Micah wants to see you tomorrow. Is that okay?”

  “Mm-hmm.” Go, Bri. Please.

  He needed some privacy. Now.

  Bri headed out with the world’s biggest stroller, the door closing behind her.

  Jesus Christ.

  “Siri, call Johnny.” He knew how it was spelled now, but when he’d put it in his phone, Siri had autocorrected to Johnny as in Appleseed.

  The phone rang twice, and then a low voice sounded. “Caro? Bonner? Is that you?”

  “Yeah. Is this a bad time?”

  “Of course not. How do you feel?”

  “A little broke-dick. Bri brought the babies by.” Must be nice to be enough of a regular that they’d bend the rules for him.

  “I told them to let her in. Like your corner room?” There was warm teasing in Gianni’s voice. And relief, he thought.

  “How are you? How’s your head?”

  “I may never be the same.” Gianni chuckled. “I brought specialists in from Dallas for you, though. We were worried.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m tough.” He thought he was, anyway.

  “Caro, you are the toughest man I know. A cowboy through and through. No matter what they did to you, you just kept getting up. You saved my life. Again.”

  “I love you.” And that was that.

  “I love you too, caro. I never thought I’d say that in my life. I… I’m dealing with Greg’s stuff today, and with the inquest. I’ll come tonight. It might be late.”

  “You do your thing, Gianni. I’ll be getting out soon.” He wasn’t sure what he was going to do once he did, but he would figure it.

  “You’ll come home, you mean.” Gianni seemed very firm about that.

  “Will I?”

  “Sì, tesoro. You will. I need you.”

  Bonner didn’t know about that. He felt as worthless as tits on a boar hog ninety percent of the time, but it did feel good to hear it.

  “Just rest, hmm? I know it sucks to be back in there.”

  “I’ll be out in no time.” As soon as he saw a doctor.

  “I know. They said as soon as your lungs cleared up, they would let you come home.” There was a low murmur of voices, and Gianni sighed. “I have to go, Bonner. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Goodbye, honey.” He hung up and sat, trying to figure out what the hell had happened to his life. How the crazy life of a rodeo cowboy could have possibly gotten weirder.

  He had no idea what to do next. God help him, he was in love with a frickin’ DEA agent who was the son of an Italian count. In love enough to face a man with a gun and not even consider backing down, for fuck’s sake.

  Never piss off a cowboy as much as those drug fellers had pissed him off. He’d had enough. There was plenty of hitting and hurting and shooting for a whole lifetime, dammit.

  Maybe two.

  The nurse, who he knew well, came in then. “Are you in any pain, B?”

  “Yeah.” Bonner looked over at him, tried to smile. “Don’t tell on me, huh?”

  “Nope. I’ll give you something instead. How’s that?” That look was all sympathy.

  “Please. Aren’t you tired of seeing me?”

  “I’m only tired of you being hurt. You need to stop getting shot, buddy.”

  “No shit on that. I vote I’m done there.”

  “Me too.” Gene, that was his name. Gene gave him a shot, and the whole world went blue. “Oh….”

  “Yeah, man. Rest, huh? Your guy calls every hour to check on you.”

  He smiled. “My guy….”

  “Yep. He’s adamant. We keep an eye on you, don’t let you hurt, and give you anything you need.” Gene laughed. “He’s a stand-up guy.”

  “He is.” His stan
d-up guy. Weird.

  “Get some sleep. We’ll try some Jell-O in a bit.”

  Bonner only chuckled. He had learned his lesson there. Poop and you go home. Maybe someone would bring him ice cream.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  GIANNI SAT at the kitchen table, his head in his hands. Jesus, he was tired, but he needed to go see Bonner. Needed it. Soft hands landed on his shoulders, fingers digging in and rubbing. “Son, you have to rest.”

  “Hey, Mamma. I need to go see Bonner.”

  “He’s in good hands. I sent your papà to sit with him.”

  “Oh God.” He laughed helplessly. “I guess I could have a nap. I told him it would be late.”

  “You should. You should let yourself rest, baby. You’re going to crack down the center.” She started rubbing again.

  “I have to see him, Mamma. I have to. He took another bullet.” Thank God it had deflected off the brace.

  “He did. He killed a man for you too, but you have to take care of yourself first.”

  “Mamma.”

  “No.” Her tone brooked no argument. “You’ve been on the go and letting guilt guide you for three days.”

  “I’m the team leader.”

  “You are, and your people at the top dropped the damn ball. Why weren’t they watching you? Watching this place?” Her voice was sharp as a razor.

  “I don’t know. We should have gone somewhere else to recover.”

  “Bullshit. This damn ranch is the most defensible place between Dallas and Texarkana, and you know it. You were all on medical leave. Where was the backup?”

  “I don’t know….” Wait. Wait. She was right. Where was the backup? Wasn’t Tom supposed to have a team in place? Especially since Colt was in crisis and wouldn’t be on it so well. So….

  Chris and Xavvy came in, both of them moving slow but steady. Chris was out of the wheelchair, but the firefight had damn near put Xavvy in one.

  “What’s up?” Chris asked. “How can I help?”

  “We,” Xavvy growled.

  “I feel like an idiot.” He rubbed his temples. “Where’s our backup, guys? Tom’s people should have had a watch on this place.”

  “My guys are on it, man. I swear, Farley is on it. What else do we have to do at the sheriff’s department, for fuck’s sake? Short cash drawer at the Church’s? Cow tipping at the fair?”

  Xavvy blinked. “How well do you know Farley?”

  “We all went to school together, huh?” Gianni said, and Mamma snorted.

  “That was a long time ago, boys. Things change. People get poor. Or tired of being second best. Your daddy had a bodyguard who tried to kidnap him when they were just out of military service, and they’d been friends since infancy.”

  “Chris? Is he buyable?”

  “He’s got five kids and another on the way. He’s rentable by the hour, but murder? I can’t see that.” Chris shook his head.

  “He would only have to not schedule a shift,” Xavvy murmured. “He’d know when you were coming here, know that the Cesares would all be busy.”

  “Shit. Shit, man….” Chris looked sick.

  “Where is he now, Chris? Do we know?”

  “I can make a call.”

  “Do it nice and easy.”

  “Sure.” Chris tugged out his phone, hit just a few things on the screen, and put it on speaker.

  Mamma stayed right there, stroking his neck and shoulders, listening quietly.

  “Hey, Dean. How’s it going?” Chris managed to sound pretty normal, but he had an excuse to sound low.

  “Good. Good, man. How are you feeling? About ready to come back to work?”

  “Yeah, no. My head still has a divot the size of a golf ball.”

  “Jesus. At least you didn’t get hurt during the second attack, right?”

  “No. No, but Harrison took two bullets. Greg is dead, man.”

  “I heard there were some casualties. That sucks. At least they didn’t kidnap the Cesares, right?”

  Gianni shot Chris a look. That wasn’t public knowledge unless Chris had told Farley himself. “Where is he?” Gianni mouthed.

  “Where are you? I need you to run me out something from the office.”

  “I’m out on 30, checking something out.” There was a noise. An intercom. “Calling Dr. Cox.”

  The hospital. Farley was at the hospital. So was Massimo. So was his Bonner.

  Gianni didn’t wait. He mouthed, “Stall him” at Chris and headed out at a run. The two men he loved best in all the world were there, and no one was going to hurt them. Not this time.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  BONNER STARED at Massimo Cesare with wide eyes. “That’s a strawberry shake.”

  “Sì. My son said you preferred them.”

  “Yes. Yes, thank you, sir.” What in the hell are you doing here?

  “You’re welcome. My wife, she is trying to get Gianni to rest, so I came to sit with you, sì?”

  “You’re awful kind, sir. I appreciate it.” Appreciate it and am so fucking freaked-out.

  “Are you worried, Bonner? I am not here to yell. I am here to thank you. You—I know what it is like to have to do what needs to be done with a bad man. You did it for my son.”

  “I had to. I never….” He’d never shot a man before, but that was his Gianni. He never even blinked.

  “I know. But for him you did.” Massimo sat back. “I would do it for my wife. My son.” Massimo held his gaze. “You came back out for me, after you took my Diana to safety.”

  “Well, I needed to get you out of the line of fire.” He didn’t know what else to say.

  “Yes. You took care of family.”

  His phone buzzed next to him, and he grabbed it and read: Farleys the mole. Dont let him in.

  “Massimo. Can we lock the door?”

  “I think so?” Massimo didn’t argue. He stood and went to the door. “Yes, it will latch.”

  “Gianni says it’s Farley. The policeman.”

  “What?”

  “I’m not sure. We… I need to get out of this bed, man. It’s a clear shot from the window.”

  “Bathroom.” Massimo came back to him after locking the door. “No windows, and another door between us and them.”

  “Fair enough.” He met Massimo’s gaze. “I’m getting real fucking tired of getting shot.”

  “I imagine so.” Massimo helped him up, along with all his tubes and whistles, eased him to the bathroom. The seat there was all he could manage, and he was sweating and shaking.

  He texted Gianni, In the bathroom. Hurry. Pls.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  GIANNI SCREECHED into the parking lot, three Texas Rangers meeting him at the main doors to the hospital. “Five-twenty,” he snapped.

  Kody was right there, craggy face set in harsh lines. “Boys, you clear out the nurses’ stations, make sure no patients are harmed. Cesare, I’m with you.”

  “Good man.” They took the stairs, even as one man branched off to take the elevator so he would come out right at the nurses’ station.

  “Are they warned?” Kody murmured.

  He nodded. Yeah. Massimo had Bonner. He trusted his father and his lover to make a stand, but he’d much rather settle this without more violence. Hell, he’d prefer that Bonner come out of this no more broken than he was now.

  He and Kody slowed the last few steps, the other Ranger right behind them. They needed to make sure no one was on the landing, or just on the other side of the door.

  Gianni sent Chris the text to call Farley again, and they listened for the ringtone.

  They heard it, heard Farley answer. Good and bad. If he was at the nurses’ station, he might see the third Ranger and freak.

  “I’m going in,” Gianni muttered. “I have reason to be here, at least.”

  “He’ll be able to use you for ransom too, man,” the Ranger said, and Gianni laughed.

  “Oh, I don’t think so.”

  Kody snorted. “My money is on C
esare. Okay, we’ll back you.”

  “I’ll draw his attention. Y’all go around back.” He stepped out of the stairwell like he belonged there. “How’s Bonner doing, y’all?”

  “Hey, Boyardee.” Deena smiled and waved him over. Farley stood across the desk from her, leaning one elbow on the counter. “Better than last time.”

  “Oh good. I worry about him, sì?” He offered Farley a warm smile, telling himself not to give them away. “Farley, how goes?”

  “Good. Good. I just have a few things to wrap up before I can go see Chris at the ranch.” There was something in Farley’s eyes….

  “Yeah? You might have to wait until the morning. He was going to bed when I left.” Don’t push it.

  “Ah. Yeah, he called and told me not to come.” Farley shrugged.

  “He’s still moving pretty slow, huh? You want a cup of coffee before I go in, wake up my guy?”

  “Sure, man.” Farley sounded so easy. So normal.

  “Good deal. Come on. There’s a little waiting area, huh?” Away from the nurses’ station, away from Bonner’s room.

  “There is.” Farley led the way back to the waiting area, and they both grabbed a Coke out of the machine instead of a coffee.

  “Thanks. I wanted to thank you for all the work you’ve done on this case.”

  “No problem, man. It’s my job.” Farley shrugged, standing there, not lighting anywhere.

  “You really were great. Can I ask you something, though?”

  “Sure. No problem.”

  “Why did you never assign anyone to the house the other day? Chris says you were supposed to be handling the surveillance and manpower.”

  “What?”

  Gianni knew the Rangers were out there, had his back. He had a vest on, and he was armed. He could go on the offensive. “You didn’t assign the security. You were supposed to have manpower on the house.”

  Farley’s face smoothed out into that fake calm of a man who knows he’s caught, right before he pulled a gun. Sure enough, Farley yanked his service weapon. “I didn’t mean for it to get bad, Boyardee. You need to believe me.”

  He drew down in the same breath. He’d played this game way more than this local yokel. “How much did they pay you?”