"So I've been told," Spike said with a devilish grin. "But I'm on your side. The other guy should be scared."
"I wish I could stick around, but I need to bring the horses in. I won't be long."
"I'll be helping Connie transfer the funds into her new accounts. If the managers at her investment firm give her any trouble, I'll talk to them."
"You're the best," Caleb said gratefully. "Text me if you need me."
He headed to the front door, but as he stopped to grab his jacket from the coat hook, he heard the distinctive whinny of Connie's cell phone. Pausing to listen, he overheard her say hello to Dan Simpson. The company had reached out to her immediately. Feeling the huge weight lifting from his shoulders, he pushed open the door and stepped outside.
With the sun dropping behind the hills, he zipped up the warm suede coat, stuffed his hands in the pockets and started off. Creatures of habit, the horses were by their gates ready to be brought in, but as he approached, compelled to glance up at the thicket behind the paddocks, he caught his breath.
The mountain lion was quietly sitting in front of the trees staring down at him.
Caleb froze, but fleetingly.
Though the reason behind the cougar's presence remained a mystery, the animal's predatory instincts couldn't be ignored. Caleb needed to bring in all three horses at once. Checkers and Goldie, easy to handle, came out first, and tying them to the fence he fetched Domino, but he kept his eyes on the big cat above them.
"Hania," he mumbled as he led the horses across the open area towards the barn. "I have to do a search on that name when I get back."
Carefully maneuvering the horses through the barn aisle, he released them into their stalls, then considered closing the doors that led into the corrals. He doubted the lion would attack a horse in a small fenced area, but after distributing the hay, he still couldn't make up his mind. Walking outside, he stared up at the thicket. The magnificent creature, unmoving, gazed back at him.
"I sure wish I knew your story."
An unexpected thought flashed through his mind, and grabbing his phone he called Spike.
"Hey, Caleb."
"Spike, don't blow up Jerry's computer."
"Okay. Tell me why."
"I know we're not one-hundred percent sure he's watchin', but like you said, let's assume he is. We can use that. We can set him up. Let's lure him here."
"Why didn't I think of that? And talk about impeccable timing. My finger's on the destruct button."
"No shit," Caleb mumbled, sending his gaze back to the trees. "Damn. He's gone. This is unreal."
"Who's gone?"
"I'll tell you later. You can watch Jerry's computer, right?"
"Yep. His firewall was as thin as tissue paper."
"Again, you're scary, but I'm lovin' every minute. We've got a good chance of knowin' if he takes the bait. I'm gonna call Heath and arrange to move the horses over to Dream Horse Ranch. I want them outta here until they catch this guy, and Connie and Martha too. I'll sleep better."
"Sounds good."
"How's everything else goin'?"
"Great. The money's being transferred into Connie's new accounts as we speak. She almost squeezed the life out of me when she hugged me a minute ago. You'd better get up here. I might not survive another one."
"I won't be long," Caleb said with a chuckle, then ending the call, he glanced up at the thicket. "You're not gonna bother the horses, are you Hania? You're here to help me. I may not understand what's happenin', but any time you wanna give me another brainstorm, I'll be listenin'."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Without mentioning Spike's name, Caleb gave Heath a quick rundown of the events, and the threat Jerry suddenly posed. Heath immediately invited him to bring the horses to Dream Horse Ranch.
"I sure would love to know how you managed to get Connie's money back."
"I wish I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."
"I knew you were gonna say that. I'll send Andy there with the six-horse van. No need for you to haul two trailers. Just let me know when he should hit the road."
"I sure appreciate this, Heath."
"Hey, we've gotta keep our women and horses safe, right?"
"Number one item on our job description. I'll call you soon."
"Speak to you then."
Dropping his phone back into his jacket pocket, Caleb started up to the cabin, then noticed David and George arriving to clean the paddocks and the barn. Veering off, he hurried over to let them know the horses would be gone for a few days. By the time he'd finished, Spike's Mustang appeared, driving from the cabin to the house. Walking swiftly across the lawns, he reached the front door as Spike pulled up.
"All done?" Caleb asked as Spike climbed from the car.
"For now. I've got my laptop with me. We can keep tabs on the dirtbag."
"Hey, Connie. What did Dan Simpson say?"
"Everyone at the company is completely floored," she replied, climbing from the car and hugging him. "They have an I.T. group trying to trace back the deposits, and he said something about the FBI."
"Don't worry," Spike said, seeing the look of alarm on Caleb's face. "All roads lead to the land of Oz. They'll soon realize there's nothing to find. I need a drink. Connie, do you have any bourbon in the house?"
"I'm sure we do," she replied, leading them into the house. "Let's go into the living room and kick back before dinner. I could use a shot of vodka. What about you Caleb?"
"Bourbon sounds good to me too."
They entered the comfortable lounge, and as Caleb and Spike dropped on the couch, Connie moved across to a small table by the window. It held a tray with three decanters and a few glasses.
"I have to talk to you and Martha," Caleb began. "We need to—"
"Did someone mention my name?" Martha asked, walking into the room carrying a platter with some tasty morsels. "How did everything go? What's the news? Your timing is perfect. I just pulled these out of the oven. I thought they might tide you over until dinner," she said, placing the plate and some napkins on the coffee table.
"Thanks, Martha, and yes, we do have news. Wonderful news. Spike located Jerry, and the most amazing thing happened. Spike scared him into returning my money."
"That's extraordinary. My goodness me! Spike, what on earth did you threaten him with?"
"I told him I could have the FBI knocking on his door, and if he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in jail, he'd be wise to send back the cash. All I did was find his new email account, but it would be best not to tell anyone. Law enforcement would not be very pleased with me threatening people online."
"I don't care what you did, I'm just so relieved and happy. Thank you, Spike. You're a hero."
"Martha, please sit down for a minute," Caleb said solemnly. "I need to discuss something with you and Connie."
"Spike already told me about moving the horses," Connie declared, walking over with the drinks. "I think that's a really good idea."
"You and Martha need to go to Dream Horse Ranch with them. Spike and I plan to lure Jerry here and grab him. We need to make sure you two are safely outta the way."
"I'm not going anywhere," Connie said firmly. "And I'm not interested in a debate."
"I'm sorry, Caleb, but if Connie's staying, so am I."
"Looks like you've got yourself a standoff," Spike remarked, sipping his drink. "Should we toss a coin?"
"Forget it. I'm staying!" Connie said vehemently. "You'll need our help."
"You can help us by stayin' outta the way!" Caleb exclaimed.
"Then we will. We'll lock ourselves in Martha's apartment, or we could stay in the cabin."
"Hey, the cabin could work," Spike said. "They'd probably be fine over there."
"Then everything's settled," Connie said happily. "Martha, I'll give you a hand with dinner. We can let these two figure out their brilliant plan, and talk about how difficult women can be."
"Hey," Caleb said, striding acros
s the room to her. "I'm lookin' out for you, for both of you."
"I know, but leaving here—I can't do it."
"Let's have a chat upstairs," he suggested, lowering his voice. "You and I need to talk this through."
"I'm not changing my mind."
"I'm not gonna ask you to, but I still want a private word," he insisted, then turning to Spike and Martha, he added, "We'll be down in a few minutes."
"Just one thing," Spike said, rising to his feet and meandering across to the fireplace. "How do you start this thing?"
"The button near the base on the left," Martha replied. "Here, I'll do it for you."
"Thanks. Flames help me think."
"A drink and a fire. Can't beat it," Caleb agreed, then taking Connie's hand, he led her from the room.
Crouching down, Martha pushed the red knob, and the fireplace filled with flame.
"Spike, do you think we'll be okay?" she asked solemnly. "Please be straight with me."
"Yeah, we'll be okay," he replied, meeting her eyes. "But Jerry's no dummy. He's cunning, and he won't just fume and move on. Caleb thinks we've got to lure him into a trap. I disagree. I think the only way to catch this bastard is figuring out his next move and being ready for him."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In his tropical island paradise, Jerry screamed, hurled furniture, then screamed some more. Finally downing several swallows of expensive whisky, he marched outside and stood at the railing of his ocean view terrace.
Connie, or someone working for Connie, had out-maneuvered him on the dark web.
Just a short time after he'd read the email she'd sent her father, his accounts had been cleaned out, and his frantic messages to Dragon999 had gone unanswered.
Then they'd bounced back.
Dragon's email no longer existed.
Suddenly clear-headed, as the warm breeze floated around him, Jerry placed a call to Island Air.
His next call was to his best friend and sometime lover, Connie's former husband, Max Dryer.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Closing the bedroom door behind them, Caleb pulled Connie into his arms, hugged her tightly, then placing his hand under her chin, he tilted up her head.
"You know I love you."
"Uh, you do?"
"Your heart can feel it, even if the words aren't spoken."
"Then you know…?"
"That you love me? Of course, darlin'."
"When I think about Max and Jerry, I don't understand how I could have been with them. I'm so embarrassed."
"I'm not any kinda expert, but relationship postmortems are only good for about five minutes. If you want my take, I think you were conned, plain and simple."
"Caleb, you're right. I'm a—"
"Don't say it. We all do foolish things, but you wised up."
"Only because you walked into my life."
"You were already beginnin' to wonder. You would've bailed. Maybe not as soon, but you would have. You need to quit beatin' yourself up. We have to focus all our attention on the here-and-now. Both Spike and I are worried about Jerry. The guy's a psycho. There's no tellin' what he might do."
"But I can't leave. I'll go crazy."
"Hey, I understand, I do, but if I agree to let you stick around, there are conditions."
"What kind of conditions?"
"You're gonna stay wherever you're put."
"I will!"
"And I'm gonna make sure of it. Take off those jeans and lay on the bed. I'm gonna spank your butt just enough to make sure you do what I say. Jerry's a bad dude, and if I tell you to duck, or run, or hide under the bed, I don't wanna stand there for five minutes and talk about it."
"I'll follow your instructions, I will, I promise."
"Are you followin' them now?"
Connie's butterflies fluttered, and her face reddened. Throughout her life she'd been able to talk her way out of anything, but Caleb was different. She loved that she couldn't get the better of him, and the determined glint in his eye told her there was no wiggle room.
"Go on," he said sternly. "Take off your jeans and panties, then get on the bed. I'm goin' into the bathroom. When I get back I wanna find you undressed and lyin' down."
Excitement and apprehension fired through her body. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she watched him march away, then undressed and climbed on the bed.
"I'm not looking to be in the line of fire," she called, laying back, wondering why he hadn't ordered her to bend over pillows.
"Connie, Connie, Connie," Caleb muttered, appearing from the bathroom. "Protestin' right to the end."
"Can you blame me? What else am I supposed to do?"
"I thought that was obvious. Listen! But your sass is all part of your charm. Lift your legs over your head."
"Seriously? That's, uh, weird."
"Are you sure you wanna be arguin' with me right now?"
Frowning and unsure, she swung her legs in the air, but as he pushed her calves down, she spied her wooden hairbrush in his hand.
"You're not using that!"
"No, I'm carryin' it 'cos I have nothin' better to do," he replied, moving his palm across the back of her thighs.
"Caleb, I'm sorry I gave you a hard time, and I won't move from wherever you tell me to stay."
"Sounds like you've met a hairbrush before."
"I haven't, but I can guess."
"Hush up. I'm gonna make this short and sharp. You can practice what you learned today. No yellin'."
He abruptly landed the first swat, and squeezing her eyes shut, she grit her teeth.
"Shit, that hurts."
"You betcha. I've had enough of your backtalk!" he scolded. "You're gonna listen, or you'll get your butt burned. We're not talkin' rocket science."
"Yes, yes! I'll do what you say, I will, I promise."
"Your constant arguing is a habit, Connie," he continued, flying the hard wooden brush across her bottom. "A habit that could put us both in danger. If you wanna stay, you're gonna do as you're told."
She'd been hissing through his stern swats, and he paused to let her catch her breath.
"Two more, then we're done. Ready?"
"Okay."
He delivered them to her sit spot, then throwing the brush on the bed, he lowered her legs, sat down, and pulled her into his arms. The discipline had been swift but strict.
"Have I made myself clear?" he asked softly. "Will you do what I say, when I say, and no sassin' me back?"
"I will. I know I can be difficult," she said woefully. "I don't mean to be."
"Yep, I know, and that's why I had to spank you and make it count. You argue without thinkin'. I can't have that, not right now. I have no idea what we're gonna be facin'. If you're gonna stick around, you've gotta do what I say."
"I understand, I do."
"Are we good?"
"Except for my poor backside."
"That spankin' might've saved your life, or mine."
Her head had been resting against his chest, and pulling back, she moved her arms around his neck.
"I love you, Caleb. Completely. With my whole heart."
"I love you too, darlin'. You're livin' inside me. You always will be."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Entering the living room, Caleb immediately knew something was wrong. A dark frown carved in his forehead, Spike stared down at his laptop.
"Spike, what's up?"
"Oh, hi," he said, lifting his eyes. "I'm glad you're back. We have a problem."
"What kind of problem?" Connie asked. "Wait, before you answer, should Martha hear this?"
"Yeah, she should."
"I'm right here," Martha said, walking in the room. "I heard you come down the stairs. Dinner's almost ready."
"You should all take a seat."
"You're beginnin' to worry me," Caleb remarked, settling into the love seat next to Connie. "Has Jerry surfaced in his emails?"
"That's what I'm worried about. There's been nothing."
"I don't think so. If I was him, I'd have more than one computer and several email accounts. Connie, does the name Max mean anything to you?"
"Max! That's the name of my ex-husband."
"Was he friends with Jerry?"
"Not to my knowledge. Okay, now I'm getting creeped out. Why?"
"A guy called Max was giving him tips on horse races."
"Holy crap!" Connie exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "It has to be him. He's a trainer! Caleb, I can't believe this. What does this mean? Have Max and Jerry been in cahoots all this time?"
"Damn," Caleb muttered, standing up and putting his arm around her. "Spike, what exactly did you find?"
"Initially only two emails, and they were embedded in strings involving other people, but then I found one sent about a month ago. Connie, you might want to prepare yourself. Max told Jerry how much he cares about him, and how he can't wait to visit once Jerry's settled in the islands. I've got a pretty strong feeling Jerry deleted their emails, and somehow missed this one."
"I'm scared," Connie said, leaning against Caleb. "Max is only an hour away."
"And you say he's a horse trainer?" Spike pressed.
"Racehorses. When we were married he took over this ranch. We broke up because I found him cheating on me at the track—with guys! Two of them."
"Fuck me!" Spike muttered, then hastily added, "Sorry, Martha."
"You don't have to apologize. I think I might have mumbled those words myself at the time."
"Whatta you thinkin', Spike?" Caleb asked solemnly.
"Connie, am I right in assuming Max has a horse van?"
"He's got three, or he did. You don't think he'd show up here and take the horses, do you?"
"I've been thinking Jerry might pull a stunt like that, but from what you told me he's not a horse guy. With a horse-trainer involved, from where I'm sitting, that's a real possibility. Jerry could have his revenge and get your money at the same time."
"How?"
"Simple. This Max guy rolls up with a couple of goons, holds you and Martha at gunpoint, loads the van and drives away. You'd do anything to stop him, and if you couldn't, you'd do anything to get your horses back. You'd send him your money in a heartbeat."
To Kiss A Cowboy (Hunks and Horses Book 1) Page 13