by Sophie Oak
Ben Leander slid the shades off, and there was no mistaking the contempt in his baby blues as he looked around. “Wright? I almost didn’t recognize you in that costume. It looks like Halloween around here.” He briefly inclined his perfectly coiffed head toward Zane. “Hollister. I should have known you would be here.”
Bill looked around and seemed strangely comfortable being the only man in the room with his dick hanging out. Zane respected that about him. “Please feel free to use the office as long as you need to, gentlemen. If I can be of any assistance, I’ll be out on the lawn.” He closed the door quietly behind him.
Worthington shook his head. The sunglasses came off, and he smoothly slid them into his pocket. His eyes narrowed on the closed door. “Why the hell was that guy naked? Wright, what kind of place is this?”
“Hell, as far as I can see,” Leander replied, giving the office a once-over. It was obvious to Zane that Leander didn’t care for the homey surroundings.
“Welcome to rural Colorado, city slickers,” Zane said, throwing Max’s earlier words out. It felt good. Finally a place where he fit in and these jerks stood out like sore thumbs. Zane couldn’t believe Nate had called these guys in. Nate sure hadn’t thought outside the box on this one. “Shouldn’t the two of you be kissing someone’s dress shoes in El Paso?”
Leander rolled his eyes and then pointedly ignored him. It wasn’t the first time. Zane wasn’t stupid. These two put up with him because they thought Nate was going places.
“The director wanted us on this as quickly as possible. So Ellis is causing trouble?” Leander asked.
Nate reached in his pocket and pulled out the note from earlier. He passed it to the tall, dark-haired agent. “He had some men jump Zane last night. Apparently there’s a bounty on his head.”
“I didn’t think it was Hollister’s head he was interested in,” Worthington murmured. His lips curled slightly in distaste. Zane was pretty sure the agent was offended by the scars on his face.
Nate went a pale white. “Damn, you know that already? I didn’t put that in the report.”
Worthington raised a single aristocratic brow as he looked the note over. “You didn’t have to put it in. I have my ear to the ground. When you called in, it didn’t take long to get a snitch talking. Ellis still has men in Texas willing to work for him. I was surprised they managed to track you down, though. Hollister fell off the grid. He isn’t even pulling a paycheck. The Barbarians must be very serious about him. The word on the street is that Ellis is offering a lot of cash for him.”
“Where is he getting the money?” Zane asked the question with an exasperated sigh. “The man’s in jail. We shut down his operations. I know he still has followers, but where is he getting the kind of cash he needs to put a hit out on me?”
Leander shrugged. “You didn’t find all the cash. According to the forensic accountants, there’s millions missing. We just can’t figure out where he put it. It has to be in accounts somewhere, but there’s no paper trail. We’ve taken apart every computer associated with the Barbarians and can’t find the account numbers. He must have them memorized. We aren’t allowed to torture him, so we’ll probably never know. He kept everything hidden, even from his own lieutenants.”
“Son of a bitch,” Nate growled in obvious frustration. “Everything else is in the report. I want this guy taken down. I want to prove he’s running his gang from prison and get him shut in solitary for the rest of his freaking life.”
“That’s not going to be easy.” Worthington stared down at Nate. “We’re going back the motel to call the Denver office, and then we’ll be at the meeting tonight. We just wanted to check and make sure you found…suitable arrangements.” A smirk lit the agent’s face. Zane wondered if he’d still smirk if he broke his nose. “Obviously no one will look for you here.”
Leander snickered. “Yeah, Wright, just shoot anyone wearing pants, and you’ll be fine. It should make the job easy.”
Nate stood and sighed. “It’s a good, defensible position, okay? I’m doing the best I can with a bad situation. Back off. I have enough to deal with.”
“No shit,” Leander replied pointedly, looking at Zane. “Everyone knows what you have to put up with, man.”
Nate shook their hands. Zane stayed right where he was. No way was he kissing anyone’s butt.
Callie was his focus now. If she wasn’t Nate’s, then they would part ways. Zane didn’t like the thought of it. It left him unsettled. He’d watched Nate’s back for years, depended on him for his very existence while they were undercover. They were closer than brothers.
And Zane would let him go, if the choice was between Nate and Callie. A strange quiver hit his gut. Callie was his future.
Nate was talking quietly to the agents while Zane had a sudden vision of building something here. He would have his bar, and he would have Callie. The only thing marring that vision was the thought of Nate being so far away.
The door closed as Leander and Worthington walked out.
“Well, that went as well as it could go. Damn it, Zane. Why can’t you try to get along with them?” Nate stood over him, a disapproving frown on his face. “They have power in the agency. They can get things done. Why can’t you play the game for once in your life?”
Because he’d tried, and he wasn’t good at it. Zane got up. He was never going to be good at politics. Nate was a natural when he wanted to be. Nate could schmooze and cajole and get people to do what he wanted. He’d shown not an ounce of charm since the day they came to Bliss. Nate had saved it all up for those assholes from the agency.
Zane sighed. Nate’s priorities were all screwed up. He compromised with people who didn’t care and fought with ones who did. Well, Zane wasn’t making that mistake. He pulled his T-shirt over his head and let it fall to the ground.
Nate’s eyes widened when Zane’s hand hit the fly of his jeans and drew the zipper down. “What the hell are you doing?”
“You want me to play games and compromise?” Zane shoved his denims down with his boxers after kicking off his shoes. “I’ll play, but only when it counts.”
He walked out of the office as naked as the day he was born. This place meant something to Callie. He was going to prove he could fit in.
Chapter Eleven
Callie took a deep breath as she made it to the lawn. The air held a wonderfully crisp feel to it, but Callie could feel her cheeks burning with heat. There was a smile she didn’t feel plastered on her face as she walked by people she’d known since she was a child. They called out greetings and asked how she was doing. How was she doing? She was falling apart. The last twenty-four hours had been a hurricane of emotion, and she wasn’t sure how to handle any of it.
She was in love, but naturally she couldn’t be normal. She couldn’t fall for a guy and settle in to something comfortable. No, she had to fall for two men, neither one of them easy. Zane had a death wish, and Nate wanted something she wasn’t sure she could give him. If she looked deep down, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to try. Callie turned at the edge of the lawn, preferring to walk for a bit before she headed to her room.
She walked down the narrow path that led to the front gates. The aspens were beginning to turn to browns and golds. It was almost fall, and soon it would be winter. Where would she be when the snow started falling? Would she be holed up here? Would she be packing to move to Denver? And where would they be? Nate would be waiting for his time to be up so he could move on. Zane would be drinking in some bar, maybe.
She forced herself to slow down. She could hear the clang of horseshoes hitting the metal post and the jovial laughter of the men playing the game. A small group of women walked past. Callie recognized a few of them from her mother’s old group of friends. She found a picnic bench and pondered the fact that she felt apart from everyone. She was surrounded, almost constantly, by people she knew and cared about, and she felt so alone. It was last night that had done it, she decided. She never felt as connected as
she did when she made love with Nate and Zane. She became a different person. When they were alone together, she felt loved and wanted and free.
How could she give that up? How could she keep it?
“Callie Sheppard?”
Callie turned with a little gasp. She hadn’t heard the man walk up behind her. Scratch that. Two men in some serious suits. Cops. She knew two cops when she saw them.
“Officers?” They had to be here about last night. Nothing else happened in Bliss. Certainly nothing that would bring out Feds. There was zero doubt in her mind that these boys were Feds.
“Agent Benjamin Leander, I’m with the Drug Enforcement Agency,” the taller of the two said. His skin was bronze but with the slightest hint of orange that came from a salon rather than the sun. His dark brown hair was impeccable, and she bet he had a skin care regime. Definitely not a rough-and-ready cop. He was a bureaucrat. “This is my partner, Agent Marcus Worthington. We’re investigating the threats against Zane Hollister. You were at the bar when Hollister was attacked last night?”
Callie glanced at the second man who looked like a blond clone of the first. She nodded. “Yes, I was there.”
He studied her behind those mirrored aviators he wore. She couldn’t see his eyes, and it was a bit unnerving. She felt a bit like a bug under a microscope. His mouth was turned down as he took in her clothes. She was suddenly very aware of how cheap everything she owned was.
“What were you doing at that bar? You don’t look like a biker,” Worthington commented.
She swallowed. She wasn’t about to admit that she’d gone there to get laid. “I was just getting a drink. Is there something illegal about that?”
Agent Worthington huffed and turned away. Leander leaned in. “There’s nothing illegal about getting a drink, Miss Sheppard, but that is a known place where outlaw bikers hang out. You don’t seem to keep good company.”
“I didn’t know anyone there except Zane.”
“Like I said, you don’t seem to keep good company, ma’am.” Leander sat perfectly still, almost unnervingly so. “If you didn’t know anyone, why did you go?”
Callie felt her eyes narrow. “I’ve answered that question for you, Agent Leander. I was thirsty.”
“Fine, we’ve established you were thirsty and can’t pick your friends. Let’s move on. What happened when you got to the establishment?”
She folded her hands in her lap and clenched them tightly. She was going to get through this little interview for Zane’s sake. “I ordered a drink and talked to Zane.”
“How do you know Zane Hollister?” Worthington stood over her, one foot on the bench, arm negligently across his knee. “Or were you just trying to pick up a date for the night?”
“Is this how you question a witness, Agent Worthington?” Nate’s deep voice cut through the condescension. Callie turned, and Nate strode toward her. He sat down beside her, his hand entwining with hers. He didn’t look at her but kept his eyes on the men across the table. “Ms. Sheppard is a witness, not a suspect. She’s also my girlfriend. I expect you to treat her with some modicum of respect.”
Leander sighed. “Sorry, Nate. I didn’t realize you brought a girl with you.”
“We thought she was some local piece Zane was doing.” Worthington snorted dismissively.
Glancing at Nate, she saw his eyes narrow and knew he was about to explode. She needed to avoid that. He wanted to go back to the DEA, and beating the crap out of a couple of agents wouldn’t help his case. It was time to start standing up for herself. A slow smile slid across her face. She wasn’t about to let these jerks intimidate her or make her feel bad about herself. She could do that all on her own.
She pulled her hand out of Nate’s. “I am local, gentlemen. And I’m definitely doing Zane.”
She felt Nate stiffen beside her. At least he wasn’t thinking about punching the agents now. Her heart thudded dully in her chest when she realized his face had turned a bright red, and he wasn’t trying to hold onto her anymore. This was what a relationship would be like with Nate. He would always be ashamed of what they were.
“I thought you said she was your girlfriend.” Leander was talking to Nate but stared straight through Callie.
Callie shrugged. It didn’t matter what they thought of her. She just wanted Nate to get out of this with his pride intact. She loved him. She couldn’t put him through this type of relationship. Zane could handle it, if he really wanted to. Nate would never be able to live the way a threesome required, and she couldn’t live the life he wanted. “I’m his friend, and I’m a girl. That’s just the way we talk out here in the country. I’m not Zane’s girlfriend, either. I only saw him a couple of times. I’m the Sheriff’s admin. I run the office.”
“I bet you do.” That came from Worthington. His sunglasses were off. He stared openly at her.
Then he was staring at Nate’s enraged face. He pushed his body away from the table and was in the other agent’s space with the inherent grace of a predator. “You back the fuck off. She is my girlfriend, and she is Zane’s girlfriend. It isn’t a friendly relationship. Get it? And neither one of us is going to allow you to treat her with disrespect.”
Worthington pulled back and held his hands up. “Sorry, man. Didn’t realize you and Hollister were…like that.”
Nate hauled her up. Callie stumbled and held on to his waist to stop from falling. Nate’s arm slid under her shoulder and pulled her close. “Yeah, well we are, and it’s really none of your business. You just find a way to get this bounty off Zane’s head.”
Leander stood. He put a hand on his partner, neatly separating the men. His handsome face was all smooth and conciliatory. “Whoa, Nate, man, we didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just a surprise. Of course, we’ll do our best for Hollister.” He nodded Callie’s way. “Ma’am, I apologize for the misunderstanding. We’ll go now, but if you can think of anything that might help, give us a call.”
Worthington backed off with a little shake of his head, and the agents retreated through the community’s heavy gates. Nate stared as they walked away.
“Why did you do that? I can handle them, Nate.” Callie took a step back.
He turned and looked a bit startled. “Why should you have to handle them? They were being jerks. I knew they never liked Zane, but I didn’t think they would be such pricks where a woman was concerned.”
“I’m sure they wouldn’t to a woman they considered a lady,” Callie explained. “But I’m just a country girl. We’re good for a quick lay and not a lot else.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d come up against the type. She’d had more than her share of handsy tourists who thought she should be thrilled they were willing to give her a whirl.
Nate’s jaw tightened. He forced her to look up into his face. “Is that what you think of me?”
She shook her head. Nate wasn’t like that, but their problems were unworkable all the same. “I know I’m not an easy lay for you.”
“Damn straight. You’ve actually been really difficult, Callie.” His face softened, and he leaned over, brushing his lips sweetly against hers. The sensation made her heart clench. It took everything she had not to wind her arms around his neck and deepen the kiss. Nate pulled back, his face wary and a little disappointed. “I love you, Callie. I won’t let anyone put you down.”
And they would in his world, Callie knew. Unless she was willing to change everything about herself, she would be an albatross around his neck. “It’s okay, Nate. It didn’t bother me. So they’re going to figure out who’s after Zane?”
It was time for a change of subject. She turned from the picnic table and began walking back toward the lawn.
Nate looked like he wanted to argue but finally went with her. “We know who wants Zane. We just don’t know why, beyond revenge. If Ellis just wanted him dead, he could hire a killer. I don’t understand the game he’s playing. I know Ellis. I worked with him for years. He’s a bastard but a straightforward one. I
f he wanted Zane dead, someone would have shot him.”
“Is it a tradition in that club of his to take a trophy?” She shuddered at the thought of someone carving up Zane’s body to prove he was dead. It was a horrible thought, but these were criminals.
“Not that I’ve heard of. The only trophy these guys are interested in is money. This is a business, sweetheart. They can be brutal men, but I’ve never heard of taking someone’s tat.”
Callie thought of the elaborate tattoo on Zane’s chest. It was a work of art covering his entire left pectoral muscle. There was a fierce snake at the center with flames weaving around it. The multi-colored design must have taken hours and hours to impress on Zane’s skin. Her gut twisted at the thought of Zane dying for that damn tattoo. “Are they any good? Those agents, I mean.”
He stopped and took her right hand in both of his. “Baby, I know I haven’t given you a reason to believe me, but I promise it’s going to be okay. I’m not going to let them kill Zane, and I won’t let them hurt you. Leander and Worthington are real movers in the agency. They can bring other people together. They’ll find out the information we need. This was a big case, Callie. We locked up the bad guy, but we didn’t find all the money. The DEA still has people looking for Ellis’s accounts. Besides, Zane used to be an agent. You have to understand that cops take care of their own.”
Callie didn’t think they had seemed very caring. They had been downright rude when talking about Zane. But she had to trust that Nate knew what he was doing. “All right. Let’s go see if Zane’s settling in.”