by Donna Grant
Just as he expected, Curtis shifted uncomfortably in his seat but didn’t utter a word.
Raymond leaned back. “I offered each of you a chair for poker and our side entertainment because I thought you could keep your mouths shut and do whatever needed to be done. Grow some balls.”
Billy Gonzalez leaned his forearms on the burgundy felt table and turned his black eyes to Raymond. “Curtis might be fine sitting back and saying nothing, but I’m not. You had one of your men push the photographer into the arena. Have you seen the video? Do you have any idea how close she came to getting killed?”
“I know exactly,” Raymond stated. “I was there. And had she died, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Curtis reached for the bottle of bourbon and topped off his glass. He drank it down before he set the glass on the table and released a breath while sitting back in his chair. “We have the pictures, and while it appears Naomi did get me on film, you can’t see my face. Once we have the film, we wait things out until she returns home and all this dies down.”
“Yes,” Ethan said, nodding his head. “I like that plan.”
Larry Anderson had yet to say anything. Raymond’s gaze settled on his oldest friend and waited. After a minute, Larry’s hazel eyes met his, and a pale brow rose briefly as he shrugged. That was his friend’s silent agreement for whatever Raymond decided.
Raymond held his cigar between his fingers as he rested his hand on the table. On the other side of his house, his wife was watching a movie with his daughters and son. They knew better than to disturb him when he had his friends over.
“The fact is, there is a real possibility that attention is on us,” he told the men. “Sharon Biermann phoned before each of you arrived and said that nothing about either Naomi’s or Brice’s accident was mentioned at the Easts’. That’s good news. It was the perfect opportunity for them to speak privately, but they didn’t.”
Billy wrapped his fingers around his glass. “But you still believe the Harpers will look into things?”
Raymond nodded slowly. “Had Curtis not tried to take Naomi’s camera, Brice Harper would never have gotten involved, but he is. And that means we need to take precautions. We need to let him and his family know just what we’re capable of.”
“We need to be careful,” Larry said. “I know what kind of power the Easts have, and Brice and Caleb Harper are essentially Easts. We’ve given them a reason to dig into us. We can all get through it unscathed if we handle things correctly.”
Ethan smiled. “I can do that.”
Curtis snorted loudly. “Do you think you can keep your prick in your pants long enough?”
“You’re the one with the hard-on for Whitney,” Ethan retorted.
“And we’re the ones who have to remind you we don’t coerce little girls.”
Ethan’s face went red with anger. “Why you—” he began and lunged from his chair.
Billy and Larry shoved Ethan back down. This wasn’t the first time that particular argument had taken place, and it wouldn’t be the last.
Frankly, Raymond understood Curtis’s obsession with Whitney Nolan. She was a spectacular beauty with long legs and a vibrant soul. He had enjoyed making her suck his cock. In fact, he very much wanted to visit her again. More so now than before.
But if he wanted his men to hold off, that meant he would have to, as well.
“Have you calmed down?” Raymond asked Ethan as he took off his hat and rested it on the floor by his chair.
Ethan gave a brief nod, his eyes on Curtis full of hatred.
Raymond smoothed his hands over his black hair that held just a hint of gray at his temples. He started to speak when his cell phone rang.
He reached into his sports jacket and fished it out. He was careful to keep his face impassive when he saw that it was Sharon who called. It wasn’t a good sign that she was phoning again.
“Hello?” he answered.
“We have a problem,” she whispered frantically into the phone.
He looked up at the men who were staring at him. “Meaning?”
“Whitney and Naomi snuck out of the house and went to the barn.”
Raymond shrugged. “So?”
“Whitney returned a little later. I can hear her crying through the wall. I think she told Naomi.”
Fuck. This was not what he wanted. “But you aren’t sure.”
“I saw Whitney’s face when she left the barn. She told Naomi.”
“Thanks,” he said and hung up. Raymond returned the phone to his pocket and took a deep breath. “Plans have changed.”
Billy raised a black brow. “How so?”
“Sharon suspects that Whitney told Naomi about us.”
Ethan’s face went white as he got to his feet. “Names? My God, Raymond. My political career will be over.”
“Sit your stupid ass down and shut the fuck up,” Curtis stated. “And your career isn’t the only thing that’ll be over. Everything each of us has worked for and garnered over the years will be gone.”
Larry finally lifted his glass to his lips and took a sip of the bourbon. “If Naomi had our names, Clayton would have already called Danny, and our man in the sheriff’s department would’ve informed us.”
“Good point,” Billy stated.
Raymond brought his cigar back to his lips and took a long drag, letting the smoke fill his lungs before blowing it out. “Obviously, the mishaps with Naomi and Brice weren’t enough to remind Whitney to keep her mouth shut.”
“Do you have something else in mind?” Curtis asked.
“I do, actually.”
Billy raised his brows as he asked, “Care to share?”
Raymond shook his head. “I’m still putting it all together. I’ll let you know. Until then, do not approach any of the girls. Don’t do anything to bring any sort of attention to yourselves. And if, by chance, the Harpers or Naomi Pierce visit you, you know the drill.”
“As if we’d admit to anything,” Ethan replied irritably.
“Goodnight, my friends,” Raymond said as he got to his feet, ending the meeting.
He motioned to Larry to hang back. At the front door, Raymond waved to Curtis as he got into his truck and drove away. After talking with Billy, Larry, and Ethan, the mayor finally made his way to his car and left.
Raymond wasn’t surprised when Billy remained behind, talking for a bit longer in the light of the front door. Out of all the men, Billy was the wildcard.
Ethan liked the idea of forcing young girls, and Curtis bordered on being a stalker with one girl until she left the rodeo and he was forced to find another to obsess over.
He, like Larry, wanted to dominate women. All women. But it was a high to show women his power and how easily he could help them—or destroy them.
But while Billy had sampled many of the girls, Raymond had yet to determine just what he got off on. Billy never hesitated to follow him in all ventures, but that didn’t mean Raymond didn’t keep an eye on him.
Only after Billy had driven off did Raymond walk away from the house with Larry trailing after him. They strolled for several minutes before Raymond paused and looked over the subdivision he’d developed.
“What are you thinking?” Larry asked.
“Sharon has always done as we asked. We’ve paid her a lot of money over the years to keep her mouth shut and dissuade the girls from telling anyone about our visits.”
Larry crossed his arms over his chest. “You think she’s going to talk?”
“She might. Clayton East has the ability to get people to do what he wants. I’d rather not find out if she is more afraid of him or us.”
Larry nodded slowly.
Raymond turned to face him. “Whitney, Sharon, and Cooper Owens will be on their way back from the East Ranch tomorrow morning.”
“I know just the man to call.”
“No. I want you to take care of it.”
Larry shrugged. “Sure. But why?”
“We�
��ve made a point to keep our hands clean of such things. Those we’ve blackmailed or bribed have agreed to help us. But we’ve never resorted to such … extremes.”
“True,” Larry agreed. “Does it have to be in the morning?”
“It does. I want the Easts and the Harpers to be very, very concerned.”
His friend rubbed his chin, a troubled look on his face. “This could push the family into digging in their heels and exposing us.”
“Or they could be so devastated that they decide to leave well enough alone.”
“You’re taking a chance, Raymond.”
He thought a moment and nodded. “My entire life, I’ve taken such chances. Look around. Look what we’ve created. I’m sought after in the community, wanted to help young businessmen and -women. I’m on the Board of Directors for the rodeo, and I have a successful construction company. And you’re in the background as you’ve always preferred.”
“I don’t regret anything we’ve done,” Larry said. “I just don’t want it all to fall apart either. We’ve got a good thing here. There has only been one girl who tried to say anything, and we ran her out of town. The others, we paid off. We can continue like this if we back off for a while.”
Raymond raised a brow. “You mean you want us to leave Whitney and the others alone? You want me to allow that photographer to print more pictures and attempt to find out who was following Whitney?”
“I do. I think it’s the smart move.”
It was the first time they had differing views on such an important issue. It wasn’t that Raymond didn’t respect Larry’s opinion, but Raymond knew to gain anything, chances had to be taken. And this was no exception.
“Do you know what might happen if we tell Ethan or Curtis that they can’t have one of the girls?” Raymond asked.
Larry raised a brow. “What do you think Curtis will do when he finds out you’ve killed Whitney?”
“I’ll shove another pretty girl into his lap and let her suck his dick. It won’t take him long to become just as obsessed,” Raymond stated.
“I’ll do as you ask, but I wish you’d reconsider.”
“You’ll thank me when all of this blows over. And if by some chance the Easts and Harpers start poking around, the next time I hit Brice over the head, I’ll make sure he never gets back up again. No one is going to ruin what we’ve built here. No one.”
Chapter 17
How could she be this happy? Naomi stretched beneath the covers before she threw them off and jumped up to grab a quick shower.
She tied her hair up and stood beneath the hot spray as she grinned like a silly schoolgirl with her first crush. Ever since Brice had asked her to go riding, she’d pictured them racing horses over the land.
Her smile faltered as she thought about Whitney. Brice said nothing could be planned until Whitney and Ms. Biermann left the ranch. Naomi hadn’t thought about what she would say to remain behind. Or if Brice even wanted her to.
She thought he might. He had mentioned a horseback ride, so obviously he wanted her to stay. Right?
Naomi dropped her head back to look at the ceiling and the steam swirling above her. She didn’t know. And she didn’t want to presume. When she assumed anything, it was always as her father used to tell her.
“Don’t assume anything, Naomi. Because it’ll make an ass out of you and me.”
Despite his warning, she’d learned the hard way. Time and time again. She wasn’t going to do that today.
Her good mood dissipated some as she finished washing and turned off the shower. She dried off then stood before the mirror. After swiping the towel over it to clear it of steam, she looked at herself.
She’d never been much for makeup. It wasn’t that she didn’t like it, it was that she couldn’t seem to make her hands do what was needed to put it on properly. Her mascara ended up everywhere but on her lashes. And don’t even get her started on eyeliner.
Yet she found herself wishing for the highlighting powder she had bought and her favorite lipstick. Since she didn’t have it, she’d have to make do. She used the old-school method and pinched her cheeks before letting her hair down.
She shook it out and dressed before combing her fingers through her tresses. Next, she flipped her hair over as she bent to give it some volume.
When she straightened, she gave herself another look. She squared her shoulders before walking quietly from the room. Halfway down the stairs, she heard the conversations from the kitchen.
It was barely six o’clock, but the house was buzzing. How she’d forgotten country life. She was used to waking up at seven. Well, she set her alarm for seven but didn’t get up until around eight.
She stifled a yawn and walked into the kitchen. Her eyes immediately landed on Brice, who was taking a drink of coffee. He smiled at her, the delight in his blue eyes evident even to her.
Suddenly, it felt as if there were a dozen butterflies in her stomach. Her nervousness was off the charts. Her hands were clammy, her heart was pounding, and she couldn’t catch her breath. All because of Brice.
“Morning,” he drawled.
She grinned and walked to an empty stool at the island. “Good morning.”
Naomi made herself look around the kitchen at the others. The only one not up was Whitney. Brice placed a mug of coffee in front of her. She smiled her thanks and wrapped her cold hands around it.
Ms. Biermann passed the sugar and cream, but Naomi only reached for the sugar. She sighed in contentment at the first sip of the heavenly caffeinated beverage. If she had one vice, it was coffee.
Caleb chuckled as he came up on the opposite side of the island. “I don’t function without coffee either.”
“It’s an addiction,” Naomi replied. “And I have no desire to stop drinking it.”
“Me either.” Caleb winked at her before helping Brody with his backpack while Brice spoke with Wynter.
Naomi watched the interaction with interest. Clayton and Abby walked the kids to the door, where they handed them off to an older man.
“That’s Shane, the ranch manager,” Brice explained.
“Ah, okay,” Naomi said and took another drink of coffee.
Once the kids were gone, Abby sat while Clayton began getting eggs and bacon out of the refrigerator. Jace pulled out pans while Cooper refilled his mug and shook his head at his friend.
“One day, Jace, you’re actually going to get full,” Cooper said.
Jace grinned at him. “Doubtful.”
“We really need to get going,” Ms. Biermann said.
Naomi turned her head to the woman and said, “Whitney isn’t even awake yet.”
“I plan to get her up.”
“Why?” Naomi felt defensive and protective of her friend. “Whitney had a long day yesterday. Let her sleep.”
Ms. Biermann’s gray eyes met hers. “Whitney is a rodeo queen. That role requires her to be at events as well as the rodeo to represent her title. She’ll be able to rest when her reign has ended.”
Naomi had the overwhelming desire to knock the woman off the stool. She hadn’t been raised to retaliate with violence, but after what Whitney had endured, Naomi wasn’t sure she could hold back.
“You told me just a few minutes ago that Whitney didn’t have to be anywhere until after lunch,” Abby said.
Naomi smiled in triumph at Ms. Biermann, who pinched her lips as if she were sucking on something sour. “So Whitney can sleep as long as she needs and eat a nice breakfast,” Naomi stated.
“She certainly can,” Brice added.
Cooper and Abby struck up a conversation while Ms. Biermann stewed in her anger. Brice’s conspiratorial wink made Naomi grin.
“Need some help?” Naomi asked Clayton.
He shook his head as he glanced her way with a grin. “No, ma’am. I’ve got this covered.”
Naomi reached around to check her phone when she realized she’d lost it sometime yesterday. “Can I borrow a phone?”
“Sure,
” Brice said and handed her his.
“Thanks. Be right back,” she told him as she slid off the stool and jogged up the stairs.
She opened the door to her bedroom and glanced at her bag. She didn’t allow herself to look at her ruined equipment again. That was for another time, and she was having too much fun this morning to wreck it.
Naomi sat on the bed and punched in her mother’s number.
“Hello?” her mother asked in a voice roughened by sleep.
“Hey, Mom.”
There was a pause. “Naomi, what in God’s name are you doing up at this hour and sounding so chipper?”
“We used to get up this early.”
“That was a long time ago, honey. You didn’t come home last night. Are you okay?”
Naomi grinned. “I am. I suppose that means you didn’t check your messages after we talked yesterday, did you? I left you two.”
“It was a late night, and I always forget when I put it on vibrate. And yes, I did get the messages, but it’s early and my brain needs a minute to function properly. I’d love to ask if you went home with a hot cowboy, but I already know you did,” her mother said in a teasing voice.
Naomi didn’t bat an eye as she replied, “No, that’s something you’d do.”
“Damn right,” Diana replied with a chuckle. Then she said in a serious tone, “I saw the video of your fall. It’s much worse than what you said in the messages.”
She sighed, feeling as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. “There is so much I have to tell you, but now isn’t the time.”
“Do I need to be concerned?”
“Yes, but not for me.”
Her mother made a sound in the back of her throat. “I’ve been worrying about you since I learned I was carrying you. It hasn’t stopped, and it never will. You could have died yesterday, and you didn’t come home for me to fuss over. I also didn’t get upset when you asked me not to come to the ranch.”
“I know,” Naomi said in a small voice. “I asked that for your safety, Mom. If I had thought for a minute you were in danger, I’d be right there with you.”