“My love, Georgiana. I was just thinking of you naked, ready, and waiting for me. I miss you so much, my love.” Then he realized that he was hearing crying on the other end of the phone. “Georgiana, what is wrong. Tell me.”
“Bonnie was stolen. She was in the barn in Florida and someone came in the middle of the night and stole her. Apparently there’s a series of horse heists happening across the state. There are very few leads and not much information. I never should have let Teegan take her. I don’t know anything about the people she is with. This is entirely my fault. I made a decision based on my friendship with Teegan and trusted that she did her research. I feel so stupid and now my perfect horse may just disappear.”
She broke into tears and sobbing. “I’m sorry to dump all of this in you when you have your own sadness to deal with, but I can’t even think clearly without you. I can’t formulate a single coherent idea about what to do. You know the world of the high-end horse deal. Can you think of anything that might help me or the police?”
Vicente sat up on the edge of the bed, stunned. “Georgiana, my love, I cannot tell you how sorry I am. We will find Bonnie and she will be fine. I will make a few calls and see if I can find out anything. You know, the world of international horse sales is really quite small. There are only a few brokers who have worldwide reach, especially with known international sport horses. I promise you, I will make progress on this for you.” He could hear her breathing slow and the sniffling abate.
“Thank you, Vicente. I don’t know what I’d do without your steadiness. Oh, and I’m so worried about you. What’s happening there? How are your mother and sister?”
“It is as I expected. They are still distraught. I believe that tomorrow, while it will be very hard, will give them closure and a path to moving forward. I have had to restrain myself from reminding everyone that Ricardo lived on a knife’s edge, took this family to the brink of ruin, and then disappeared. But, a mother’s love is deep and strong, so I have not been the logical engineer I usually am.” He paused and drew in a deep breath. “And I saw Angelica tonight. She was abroad somewhere, buying horses and returned earlier today. She is with her new fiancé. I think he might become husband number four. He is in the horse world too, though I do not know him.”
“What’s his name? Maybe I know him.”
“Andrew Saint Romaine. Blond, tall. Rider, three-day-eventer, I think.”
Georgie gasped. “Andrew Saint Romaine is not a good person. Let me rephrase that. Andrew Saint Romaine is a bad man who is cruel to horses. Wealthy and stupid. He tried out for the US equestrian team several times and didn’t make it. Dash and I often served as the team vets for the US regional competitions. I can’t tell you how many times we had to care for his horses—cuts, abrasions, and lameness from overwork. Classic examples of what I’ve been preaching about, training rides versus competition rides. He’s notorious for beating his horses to exhaustion. I know that he doped his mounts as well, as we tested many of them. In fact, Dash once got positives on three of his horses and, oh my God.” She stopped speaking.
“What, cara, what?”
“And someone broke into Dash’s truck and stole his samples and records box—all of the blood, all of the preliminary test results from all of the horses at the competition were stolen. The only horses at that show with any problems with banned substances were Andrew Saint Romaine’s. What if… Vicente, do you know where Angelica was while she was abroad? And was Andrew with her?”
“I do not know, but I will find out. And you should talk to Teegan and get the names of the people she worked with. This seems too odd to me, not to somehow be connected.”
They talked for a few more minutes, but both needed time alone to process all of this fully. They were about to hang up when Vicente said, “You know, Georgiana, right before you called me, I was here in this bed, missing your face, your body next to mine. I was getting ready to call you because I wanted to hear you have an orgasm. I wanted to at least hear you moan my name in the phone and know that you were touching yourself where I kiss you, where I make love to you. I wanted to talk to you and give you pleasure, even from here.”
“Hmm, Vicente, you have a way of making me feel sexy even in the worst circumstances. How do you do that to me? Tell me.”
“It is because I love you and want you. You are beautiful and you make me feel whole. It is simple. I told you, I looked all over the world for you. Right now, you are in your bed in Maryland, yes?”
“Yes, I am.”
“And you are naked, correct?”
“Yes, because…”
In unison, they said, “Because you never know.” And they laughed together.
“So, you are naked, and I am naked. I wish I could see you, my love. I have to imagine you…Will you do what I tell you to do?”
“Yes, Vicente, yes. I want this.”
“Spread your legs, Georgiana. Dip two fingers inside. Are you wet, my love?
“Yes, Vicente, I am getting wetter. My fingers feel good inside.”
“My cock is very hard, Georgiana. It is hard for you. Slip your friend Officer Victor deep inside your pussy.” He heard her breathing shift as she emitted a low moan. His own heartbeat was rapid and his breath was increasing. He stroked his hard shaft. “Put the vibrator on your favorite number. You know, you never should have told me your pleasure secrets.” He let out a low, throaty chuckle.
“God, this feels so good. I am moving the dildo in and out, Vicente. Hmmm, it feels so good when I drag it up over my clit.”
“Pull the dildo almost out of your pussy so only the head is inside. Move the head, rapidamente in and out. Does that feel good, Georgiana? Is your pussy getting wetter? I want to lick your pussy and taste you. Move the dildo in an out. I would lick all the way up from the back to your clit. Push it in deep.”
He heard her gasp and she shoved the dildo deeper, quicker. He could hear her breathing in his ear, her moaning, her orgasm building.
“Move the dildo in and out, Georgiana. Listen to the sound your wetness makes. Is the vibrator near your clit? Angle it up, vibrate around your clit. I want to lick all around it, swirling my tongue, tasting your juices. I want to hear you moan, my love. Are your nipples hard? I would be rolling them around with my fingers, feeling them, little hot pebbles. My cock is hard for you. I am stroking it for you. I can hear you panting. I want to cover your mouth with mine, sucking your tongue, biting your beautiful lips. Come for me, Georgiana. Come hard. I will come with you.”
“Oh God, Vicente, I am going to…I can feel my clit, hot and wet. The feeling is moving up…oh…oh…”
Georgiana came hard, bucking into the dildo, envisioning Vicente’s cock in his hand. She heard him grunt and let out a long, low moan, knowing that he too had the release they both sought and needed so much.
They were quiet, letting their breaths drop back to normal.
“Vicente, I’ve never done anything like that before. Oh my, thank you. You seem to be very good at phone sex!” She laughed lightly.
“I have never done it before, either. This is all about you and me and our connection. I must confess it was very erotic. I loved telling you what to do and knowing that you would do it.”
“It was very, very sexy. I loved it. I much prefer you in person, but, well, it was hot, very, very hot. I loved it when you told me what to do.”
“Well, we will talk about this more when I am home, after I ravage you for hours, of course. But, in the meantime, we both have things we must do and we need rest to be effective. I will take care of my family and do some calling around about Bonnie. You need to call Teegan and find out who those people are. Do you remember when you and I agreed that we would support each other whatever it takes?”
“Yes. I meant it.”
“I am going to have to get a bit close to Angelica to understand her new horse business. My experience with her and my intuition tells me that she is not really truthful. Given what you told me about Saint Roma
ine, I am even more skeptical. So, I want to make this very clear to you. I have no feelings for Angelica, but I know what makes her tick and I will use that to find out what we need to know. I love you with all my heart and I will do whatever it takes to find out what happened to Bonnie and get her back safely. Do you understand me?”
Georgiana had never heard Vicente’s voice so serious. She could hear the emotion and the strength in his words, and she believed every word, but her heart feared Angelica.
“Yes, Vicente. I love you and I trust you. We need our sleep. Take care of yourself tomorrow. I will be thinking of you and your family all day.”
“Good night, my love.”
The next morning, Georgie called Teegan, determined to find out who she was connected to and if there were any links to Angelica and St. Romaine.
“Teegan, here is the information I need. What are the names of the people you were working for? What do they look like? Where are they now?”
“Georgie, I am so sorry…”
Georgie cut her off. “We are not discussing anything except the information I need. I need it right now.”
There was silence on the line. “Okay. I understand. Her name is Maria Teresa Durante. She is a dressage rider, long wavy blond hair, and blue eyes. She is from Spain. She wears way too much perfume. He is tall and blond, three-day-eventer. His name is Andrew Monroe. He has a slight British accent. They have a horse business in Spain and in England. Misty has known them for a while. That’s how I met them. They’ve leased a farm near Wellington, where they are building a program to expand their business. They’ve been very good to me and took a big interest in Bonnie when she arrived. That’s what I know.”
Georgie’s antenna was up. “When you say ‘big interest,’ what do you mean?”
“Oh, you know, making sure she had the best stall, having the vet come over every day to check her out after the trip, oohing and ahhing over her and asking me to show them what she could do.”
“Did you do any kind of research on these people besides talking to Misty?”
Again, there was a silence from Teegan. She took a deep breath. “No. I’m sorry, Georgie. I was so excited to be able to find a place and to work with Bonnie that I let myself believe that everything was perfect. I’m so sorry.”
“Yes. I am sure that you are. The fact remains that I need to find my horse. What was their reaction when they found out Bonnie was stolen?”
“I don’t know. They were already gone for their trip when I discovered she was missing. They were going to Europe to their farm in Spain. I guess that the police have spoken with them.”
Georgie had heard enough to know that these facts and what she and Vicente had discussed were hardly coincidental. Like Vicente, Georgie had a very strong intuition that something was wrong and that Teegan’s new bosses were somehow connected to Bonnie’s disappearance and the theft of the other horses. She and Vicente just had to put it all together.
“Teegan, one final question. Were any other horses stolen at the same time as Bonnie, from that barn?”
“Yes, two others, a Maryland Thoroughbred, a bay, who is an eventing horse, and a Dutch Warmblood stallion, who has been a fantastic jumping prospect recently. Both came in the day before Bonnie. I took some pictures on my phone. Shall I send them to you?”
Yes, absolutely. Did you take any pictures of Bonnie, after she got there? If so, send them too.”
“I will. Georgie. We’ll find her, won’t we?”
“Yes, I am determined to find her. Thank you for the information, Teegan. I will undoubtedly have more questions. Send the pictures as soon as you can. Good-bye.”
Georgie nursed the sick feeling in her gut. She felt guilty for having let Teegan take Bonnie to a place that she herself did not investigate. Her anger—intense and almost hostile—made her stomach churn with bile. She could not believe that Teegan had not done the research either. And, she felt intense hatred toward whoever would take her horse, as well as others, and endanger them, ultimately profiting from selling stolen sport horses.
She looked at her watch, and calculated the time difference between Maryland and Spain. It was one thirty in Maryland, making it seven thirty in the evening in Spain. It would be fine to call Vicente now as the services would be over and people would be drinking and eating. She dialed his number. It gave her great comfort to hear his voice in her ear.
“Vicente.” His voice resonated, deep and warm. He paused. “Hola. Give me two minutes to leave this room and go somewhere I can have a private conversation with you. I will call you right back.” He hung up.
Georgie surmised that he was among other people and did not want to allow them to hear their conversation. As she waited, she opened her laptop and her e-mail. Teegan had sent three messages with attachments. She glanced quickly at the first two and was opening the third e-mail when her phone rang.
“Georgiana, my love. How I needed you today. I felt your strength from here.”
“Vicente. I was there with you. You know that. Are you better now that the services are over? How are your mother and sister?”
“It was very hard. The mass this morning was difficult but somehow beautiful and comforting. My mother found solace in the priest’s words about everlasting life. I am certain that no one told the priest what a bad person my brother was, but I was grateful that he could give my mother something positive to hold onto. And, of course, Angelica made a scene wailing and crying much too loudly, dressed inappropriately and stinking of that perfume she wears that I absolutely hate!”
“My, my. You sound wound up! Well, how many people are still at your house? Can you have a longer conversation with me now? I think I have some important information.”
“Yes, I am wound up. Angelica left after the mass and did not go to the cemetery. Later, I overheard my sister confronting her about that, and Angelica’s response was that she had business to attend to and that even a dead man cannot stand in the way of her business deals. My sister burst into tears, and I walked around the corner, glaring at Angelica. She put on her best fake smile and said, ‘Vicente, my horses are here. You must look at them. You will be so proud of me.’ She is, as you American’s say, clueless—and inconsiderate and selfish. She thinks only of herself.”
“Hmm. Well, this is of no surprise to you, is it? What I really want to know is how you are, how you are feeling given the events of today. I’ve been fretting about you, all day.”
“Thank, you, cara. I am fine now that this is almost over and I can be back with you. I hope by the end of the week. Let’s talk about Bonnie. What have you found out?”
“Okay. I spoke to Teegan and she sent me several pictures of Bonnie and two other horses that were stolen from the same barn on the same night Bonnie was taken. I’ll forward the e-mails to you. She also gave me the names of the people with whom she was working. The guy’s name is Andrew Monroe. He is an eventer, blond and tall. I am suspect because the description sounds too much like Andrew Saint Romaine. The woman’s name is Maria Teresa Duarte. Do you know that name?”
Vicente drew in his breath, hard, and exhaled loudly. Georgie could hear the shift in his breathing. “I am barely controlling my rage, Georgiana.” He paused. “Angelica’s full name is Angelica Maria Teresa Cruz, which is her given name. She took my last name when we married. She has been married two more times since our divorce. Number two was Oriol, and number three was Duarte. I want to strangle her and that simpering idiot that dares to call himself a horseman.”
“Oh my God, Vicente. So Angelica and Andrew probably have stolen Bonnie and the other horses. You need to go to her barn and find out if they are there. If they are, we need to get the police involved.”
“Give me a second to think this through.” He paused. “Late tonight, after I am sure she is asleep, I will go to Angelica’s barn and see if Bonnie and these two other horses are there. I will call you, but you should make arrangements for getting on the first plane to Spain. It will take you a full
day to travel. The flight alone is about seventeen hours, so the sooner you get on a flight, the better. The five thirty from Dulles that I took is the best option, I think. I have a feeling that I am going to be seeing Bonnie tonight.
“You should also call the detective in Florida you have been working with and see if she knows anyone in the police departments here. I will also reach out to my friends here and find someone in the policía who is not in thrall to Angelica and her family. I need someone who will not hesitate to make the right call if an arrest is required.”
Georgie realized that Vicente had gone deep into his logic mode, ticking off things that needed to be done, making sure no detail was forgotten. She had never heard him quite like this before. It was fascinating, oddly thrilling, and, if truth be told, very sexy. He was in complete control of an unknown situation.
“Bring copies of Bonnie’s papers. And, bring copies of the police report for her, too.”
“I will also bring a copy of Jan’s police report from my office break in. I bet that is somehow connected, as well. Okay, I will get all of this underway. How are you going to keep Angelica from figuring out what you’re doing?”
“She already had made overtures to me about seeing the horses. She has the truly misguided notion that I will fall back in love with her if she runs a good horse business. I am going to have to give her lots of wine tonight so she sleeps. That will not be hard. Then, tomorrow I am going to have to pretend that I am interested in her, the business, her child, and everything else to keep her from thinking that we know what she has done. I pray that I can keep up the charade for two days while you travel here. This is the true definition of ‘whatever it takes,’ isn’t it, my love?”
“Yeah, I guess it is. I don’t like the idea of you paying her any attention. Do you think it will work?”
“Yes, she is shallow and thinks she is smarter than everyone else. I know her too well. She can be manipulated just by being flattered. She will not suspect. She is blinded by her own self-centered needs. On her list of moral blemishes, stealing horses to sell for profit is rivaled only by her willingness to commit adultery, use people, and harm them through her selfishness.”
Through the Red Gate [Honor Creek Farm] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 12