by Sable Hunter
For the next couple of days, Austin worked tirelessly fixing fence, ordering grain, and herding cattle. He even verified the delivery of a bull to a buyer in central Texas. To keep up with the ranch business, Tomas presented him with his own laptop. He really liked the old man. As for his relationship with the woman who claimed to be his fiancé, he was endeavoring to give her the benefit of the doubt. She seemed to be trying also. Nothing would do Martina, but they make plans to go into town so he could meet her uncle, Esteban, and have dinner. He’d asked why Esteban never visited the ranch, but he got no answer. Maybe he would learn more if he just cooperated and listened.
Everything felt strange. He felt disconnected. And it wasn’t just his memory loss. He was having odd incidents of déjà vu, like he was repeating the same things over and over again. Even Brock acted weird, he’d come up to him and whispered that Austin had missed their meeting and asked if there was something wrong. Austin had said no, he didn’t think so. Then Brock had whispered something which kept repeating itself in his head, over and over again. He’d looked at Austin, grabbed his arm and said, “What happened to you? Did they drug you or pay you off?”
The look in the man’s eyes spooked him. “What do you mean?”
“We were supposed to work together to get out of this mess. Don’t you remember?”
“No.” Austin didn’t know what to say. “What do you mean?”
“Fuck!” Brock threw his hat on the ground. “Forget I said anything. I don’t even know if I can trust you anymore.” He walked off.
Austin stood there confused. Shit. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to believe.
Thanksgiving came and went. He was surprised they celebrated it, actually. But they had turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings. Austin had a sneaky suspicion they did it all for him. He appreciated it. One thing struck him that day, though. When they were having their meal, there was a bronze statue sitting on the dessert table. He was drawn to it. It was a rendering of a cowboy roping a stampeding bull. There was no way he could not touch it. It drew his hand. The metal was cool, but so familiar. Looking down at the plate on the base, he saw the artist was Aron McCoy. Nice piece, but he’d never heard of the artist.
***
Hill Country of Texas
Noah held Skye as tight as he could. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe.” She laid her head on his shoulder and he hugged her up.
“Can you believe all of this?” Over the past couple of weeks, she and Noah had become so close. He loved her. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind. “What will happen to Langley?”
“He tried to kill you. I want him prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” As he remembered the hit and run, the tampering of her truck, the way he’d burned down the hunting cabin and held her at gun point. As far as Noah was concerned, they could throw the idiot in a cell and throw away the key.
“But he’s sick.” Despite all the horrors Skye had known the prejudice, the rape, imprisonment for self-defense, she still hated to be the instrument of pain for anyone else.
“Yes, he’s dying and he wanted to take you with him.” Noah kissed her full on the lips. “I can’t feel any sympathy for him. He threated the person I love most in the world.”
Skye stood up and climbed into his lap. “You have accepted me unconditionally. I never expected someone like you.”
He picked up her hand and gazed at the ring he’d put on her finger. “Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. You’ve colored my world with joy.”
They teased one another, playing and loving, celebrating the fact they’d found one another and battled their demons together. A good night’s sleep, shower sex, planning and dreaming for the future can go a long way toward healing battered hearts.
The DNA tests had come back negative, proving without a doubt that the blood and remains on the dive suit were not Aron, so there was still a glimmer of hope he would be found. Noah had no idea what their next step should be, but at least they weren’t planning a funeral. He knew he would still wake up thinking about his past and who his mother could be, but having Skye in his arms made it all bearable. Someday soon, he’d start asking questions about his mother, but not right now.
So the day after Thanksgiving, they woke ready to conquer their world together. “You do realize I don’t have any clothes to wear.”
Noah laughed. “Naked looks good on you. Who needs clothes?” When she’d playfully pooched out her lips, he pulled her to him, chuckling. “I’ll have a good time outfitting you like the Princess you are.” He looked forward to making her happy.
“I don’t need much…” She’d started to argue with him, but as he picked up his phone, he saw there had been a call from Jaxson McCoy. The message was simple.
CALL ME. IT’S IMPORTANT. ARON.
Noah grabbed his phone and dialed. Jaxson answered. In a few minutes, Jaxson told Noah something which almost caused him to drop the phone. He said he’d seen a man who was the spitting image of Aron. “I was in Sonora, Mexico visiting a ranch called Los Banos. He’s calling himself Austin Wade.”
Noah’s heart had started pounding. “Skye, we’re going to Mexico. Jaxson thinks he saw Aron.”
She squealed, jumped into his arms and kissed him hard. He was shaking. “See, prayers are answered, Noah.” He decided not to tell his family anything, Noah didn’t want to get their hopes up until he knew something for sure, especially Libby. So they left a note and slipped off, knowing the rest of the McCoys and their women would assume they just needed some time together.
In the car, Skye put a loving hand on his thigh and squeezed. “Smile, be happy. As long as Aron is alive, anything else can be worked out.”
“I know,” Noah agreed. He was so excited; he had to calm himself in order to think clearly. “Let’s see. We need to get you some clothes, first. I thought we might go to the airport boutique, but we have to go right by the mall. Let’s stop there, and while you’re shopping, I’ll call Roscoe and tell him what’s going on.”
“Good idea.” Skye was still trying to get used to her new role as Noah’s fiancé. The ring on her finger was a visible proof it was all real, but the huge turn had life had taken for the better was still hard to comprehend.
“I love you, Princess.”
His out-of-the-blue declaration made her heart leap. “I love you, too, Noah. More than the rest of the world put together.” She leaned over and kissed him tenderly on his cheek. Skye’s heart was so full of happiness, she could hardly be still. If the vehicle had a convertible top, she just might lift off and float away.
“I can promise you, when all of this is over, we’ll start building a life together.” He looked at her as he parked in front of a name-brand women’s clothing store. Getting out and opening her door, he escorted her inside. “I’ll be right out front. Buy anything your heart desires.” He handed her his credit card. She gave him a skeptical look. “I mean it. You’d better buy so much we have to have help carrying the bags to the truck.”
“You’re so sweet.” She hugged him. “I’ll get all I need.”
“You better.” Noah kissed her on the end of the nose. Stepping out toward the entrance, he dialed the PI, who picked up after two rings. “Roscoe.”
“Did you have a good holiday?”
“I did, Noah. What’s up?”
“Jaxson says he saw Aron at a ranch down in Mexico. I’m on my way to the airport. I want to see for myself before I tell Jacob or the rest. But I wanted to tell you where I was going.”
“Hold on. Where are you?”
“I’m in Austin. The ranch is Los Banos in Sonora, Mexico.”
“Let me do a little research before you just take off. I’m in San Antonio. I can be with you in a little over an hour. Don’t hop a plane yet. Meet me at Mandola’s in the Triangle on Guadalupe.”
Noah hated to delay, but he thought perhaps Roscoe was right. He hoped an hour was enough time for Skye. Waiting on a woman
to shop was new for him, but she shocked him by finishing in less than a half hour. “Three bags…not enough.” He fussed good-humoredly.
“Later, I’ll make you sorry you offered.” She handed the card back to him.
“You keep it.” He hugged her up. “I talked to Roscoe and he wants to check out Los Banos and see what we’re dealing with. We’re meeting him at a restaurant up by the University of Texas.”
“It’s probably best we know what we’re getting into.” She stood by while he opened the door and put her packages in, then shut it. When he was seated, she reached over and played with a strand of his hair. “Where were we going to fly to, what city?”
Noah had to admit he hadn’t thought this through. “When we get to the restaurant, we’ll get a drink and do some research.”
The Italian restaurant was comfortable and the waiter highly recommended the pizza. “I’m starving.” Skye studied the menu. “Oh look, everything is in half portions.”
“Great,” grumbled Noah. “I’ll have to have four half portions.” They ordered their food, plus some for Roscoe, and a pitcher of tea. By the time their pizza had arrived, so had the P.I.
“Are you sure Jaxson said Los Banos?” Roscoe asked the question before he even sat down.
“Yea, that was it. If I’m not mistaken, the name sounds familiar.” Noah berated himself. “I should have checked the records at home before I left, but I’m almost certain we’ve done business with them before, several years ago. I think Aron went down there a couple of times.”
“It’s possible. Tomas Delgado runs a clean operation, unlike how his daughter runs her business.”
“What do you mean?” Skye asked, her fork paused in mid-air.
Roscoe looked between the two of them, pushing his Stetson back on his head. “Let me explain. Delgado raises cattle, but he married into the Rodrigo family, who run an entirely different kind of business.”
“Like what?” Noah had no idea what he was getting at. He had stopped eating, realizing he was about to learn something he wasn’t going to like.
“Martina Delgado, daughter of Tomas, runs the El Duro drug cartel.”
“Drug runners?” Skye was aghast.
“Drug lord,” Noah corrected her. “Why would Aron be mixed up with people like that?” All he could think was that his brother had known these people before. What did this mean?
“First, we don’t know for sure it’s Aron.” Roscoe reasoned. “And second, if it is, we can’t assume what his situation is there. But what we do know is that you’ll have to be careful. You can’t just waltz in there and ask to see him.”
Noah thought. “You’re right. We need a plan. These people could be dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” Roscoe laughed harshly. “Try deadly. If it is Aron, and they know his true identity, the name McCoy would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull.”
The waitress brought them their check. Noah took it. “There’s no way Aron is working with them willingly.” He dry scrubbed his face. “Do you think he’s undercover?” The idea that Aron was a spy of some kind almost caused him to laugh. “He isn’t known for his subtlety.”
“I agree with you, but we still need to have a plan.”
“But I want to go now,” Noah protested. “What if he’s there now, but if I wait too long, he disappears?” He wasn’t pretending to make sense. The idea that he could see his brother again soon was incredible.
“I agree we can’t waste time, but you need help.”
“Who?” Skye asked, knowing they needed to keep this from Libby until the information was more concrete.
“You tell me.” He looked at them both. “We need a real rancher who can contact them to get us an appointment to see Tomas.”
“Our cousins won’t do,” Noah admitted. “Unless one of us uses a false name.”
“Too risky,” Roscoe countered. “You have to know these people are sharp. They are technologically savvy. In seconds of them meeting you, they’ll run your image through a computer and know your real name and your dog’s name.”
“Unless you have a fake identity.”
“True, but we don’t have time to manufacture that, not if you’re in a hurry to verify he lives.” Roscoe told the waitress to bring them coffee. “So, think. Who can you ask? More importantly, who can you trust?”
Noah racked his brain.
“And it can’t be someone who is readily associated with your family.”
Noah huffed. “Well, it’s going to be hard to find someone we can trust and them not be associated with the family.” Skye rubbed the top of his hand, giving him support. “Micah Wolfe,” he said at last.
Roscoe paused, thinking. It was his business to know the family’s business, history and associates. He took his ipad and checked some notes. “Good choice. He’s been out of the country for several years. Former SEAL. Has valuable connections. Plus, he’s Aron’s friend.” He looked up. “Call him. See if he’s willing, and if he is, ask him to meet us at the airport.”
***
Los Banos Ranch
“What did she do to Austin?” Brock asked Alessandra. Her head lay on his shoulder as they nestled down into the hay.
She faced him, feeling more at home with him than she ever had with her family. “I don’t know the details, but I am sure she did something to ensure he didn’t recover his memory.”
“Drugs?”
Alessandra laughed. “Well, that is what we do.”
“Not ‘we’, mi amor, you are an innocent.” Brock caressed her face.
“Not completely innocent.” She sighed. “You can’t live as close to this as I have and not be tainted by it to a certain extent.”
“Can you tell me what’s going on?” he asked, carefully. “I just want to protect you.”
“I could,” she spoke slowly. “And I hesitate, not because I don’t trust you, but because I do not want to endanger you.”
“I want to be where you are. If you are in danger, where else would I be?”
She smiled wanly. “Austin Wade is a man named Aron McCoy. Martina fell for him a few years ago when he came to the ranch. He wasn’t interested, but she never forgot him.” He was listening to her intently, so she continued. “I’m sure you saw the news or read the papers. On his honeymoon, he disappeared while snorkeling off the coast of the Caymans. Thousands turned out to search for him, but they didn’t find him because Martina picked him up from the water and brought him on the yacht. He was severely injured and had no memory of who he was or what happened. We took him to Mexico City where he had surgery, and then we brought him here. But his memories began to return and my sister took him to someone who could ensure those memories were lost and would not surface again.”
“Jesus!” Brock knew it was something like that, but to hear it stated so baldly made him realize how cold-blooded Martina actually was. He had to be careful. It didn’t matter if Alessandra loved him or not, her older sister would kill him in a heartbeat. “What can we do?”
Alessandra buried her head in his chest. “I don’t know. But the deception won’t last much longer. Aron’s brother has offered five million dollars for information on him.”
“Five million is a lot of money.”
“Yes, and even though she’s tried to hide his identity from people in the organization, there are many that know. She controls by fear, but there will be someone who is brave enough to take the risk. It’s only a matter of time.”
Brock agreed, because he planned to make the phone call himself.
Chapter Nine
Austin, TX
“Of course, I’ll help you,” Micah answered after Noah had explained to him what was going on. “I think we ought to be prepared for anything.”
“I agree, what do you have in mind?” Noah listened.
“We need to be armed and since we can’t take weapons on a commercial flight, I think we ought to go by private plane.”
“We don’t have a plane, and I’m draw
ing a blank on who to ask. If we have to charter, it’s going to take a while. We’ll also have to be honest about what they’re getting into.”
“True, but I have a suggestion. Let’s ask Kyle Chancellor. He has a plane, plus he was on the SEAL team with me. He knows Aron and would want to help. Besides, the guy will come in handy if we get in a gunfight too.”
“Gunfight...shit.” Noah was realizing this wasn’t going to be a piece of cake. All he’d envisioned was flying down, tapping him on the shoulder and bringing him home. “But as far as your suggestion goes, hell yes. If Kyle Chancellor will fly us down there, that would be great. I didn’t know he was back in the states.” He had played for the Longhorns along with Micah and Aron. Heir to Chancellor Industries, he’d won the Heisman trophy his senior year at UT. “How soon can you ask Kyle?”
“Actually, he’s sitting across the couch from me and is on his cell having his plane fueled up. Hold on.” Micah was speaking to Kyle, then he was back. “He said for you to meet us at the Austin Executive Airport off of I35. We’ll bring the guns.”
Noah pocketed his phone, turning to Skye. “I don’t know if you should be going, Princess. This could be dangerous.”
“Oh, no.” Skye shook her head. “Where you go, I go.”
Roscoe didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to get in between a McCoy and a female.
Noah ended up losing that argument. He paid their tab and they drove out to the airport. When they arrived, Micah was waiting for them at the gate to direct them to the right hangar. Once they boarded, Noah realized Kyle wasn’t flying the plane himself. He had brought another member of the team along to pilot, Tyson Pate.
Once they were in the air, Roscoe got their attention. “We’re flying into Hermosillo. Vance will have a car waiting on us and he’s found a house in a town closer to the ranch, a village called Cananea. He’ll have a sweep done before we get there. We just can’t be too careful.”