by Em Petrova
“I’ve got Special Investigator Roshannon calling you in five minutes to go over his cases.”
“Oh damn, is that today?”
“Yes.” Marlena’s tone tinged with amusement.
“Okay. I’m headed south to speak to the state representative. He wants that statement from me. Publicity stunt, pure and simple. He wants people to believe he supports agriculture and the ranchers should all vote for him.”
“Most likely. Plus, you’re a pretty face for a photo shoot, Amaryllis.”
Amaryllis grunted. The last thing she wanted was to be considered for her pretty face. Being known as a kick-ass Texas Ranger was all she expected. Who gave a damn what she looked like as long as she was bringing in the criminals?
“Thanks for reminding me about Roshannon.”
Her cell rang. “There he is now. Talk to you later, Marlena. You can tell me all about those naughty kids of yours and what pranks they’ve pulled this week.”
“Oh, I’ve got a doozy of a tale for you. Speak soon, Amaryllis.”
She hooked the CB back in its holder and grabbed her cell. “Amaryllis Long.”
A beat of silence.
“Hello?”
“Hello. This is Roshannon, Aiden Roshannon from Crossroads.”
His deep voice projecting through her truck speakers made her feel the man was sitting in the truck with her. While she’d had plenty of other Rangers working with her, she’d never directly noticed a voice the way she did Roshannon’s.
“I hear you’ve got a heap of trouble up your way,” she said.
“That’s right. Something big going on here, too many cattle thefts to be random.”
“Probably a group working together. Splitting profits.”
“That’s running through my mind too.”
Good—they were on the same page.
“There’s also some butcherings going on.”
“Ah. I’ve seen that a time or ten as well. Fill me in.” She listened for five minutes as Roshannon recited all the events and details. He sounded as though he was reading from a book.
She cut across him. “Where are you seeing most activity?”
When he responded, irritation sounded in his voice. “It’s scattered. Look, I’m not sure why I’m telling you these things. You don’t have any idea what’s going on in Wyoming.”
She almost rolled her eyes, but she’d gotten good at stopping that habit. Men didn’t like women rolling their eyes at them and then one-upping them on the job. Even though Roshannon couldn’t see her.
“Look, I’ve got five years under my belt. I’ve seen plenty and rustlers are rustlers, no matter what part of the country.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m taking all the measures you do. This call is just a formality.”
Because his boss had asked Roshannon to consult with her.
“I see. Well, you do what you need to do up there in Wyoming, Roshannon. You know where to find me if you need any advice.”
She kept her tone cool and even, though she wanted to scream and hurl things at her cell phone. The man wasn’t any different from most of those she came in contact with. Ranchers who called her sweet thing and dismissed her to speak with another man who knew much less.
“Thanks for your time,” Roshannon said.
“Goodbye.” She ended the call and stared at the road ahead of her, seething. By this time in her career, she should be used to being treated like an imbecile. Why should a female know a thing about cattle? Land sakes, she should be in the kitchen making biscuits. In her line of business, the year may as well be 1950, while she operated in present day. An age where a woman was a Texas Ranger and did a fine fucking job at it too.
She breathed a heavy sigh through her nostrils and tried to shake off Roshannon’s call. He didn’t think she was worth his time. Well, good luck to him. She’d seen big operations like he was describing before, and it wasn’t something a man could take down on his own. The way Sheriff Latchaw had made it sound, there weren’t many investigating cattle crimes in Wyoming and they needed all the help they could get.
Stubborn ass of a man.
Every time she met someone, expecting to be treated as an equal, she came away angry and disappointed in humanity. By now, she should have known Roshannon would be no different.
She continued on down the highway.
He did have a yummy voice, though.
Later, when she stopped, she’d Google him and see what she could dig up on the man. He was probably an ugly cuss, with a face only a mother could love.
Within half an hour, she’d reached her destination. As she walked toward the office of the state representative, she steeled herself. Being used for votes didn’t sit well with her, and she’d give this guy a piece of her mind, same as she had Roshannon.
Amaryllis wasn’t a woman to roll over and take commands.
* * * * *
When Aiden’s twin answered his cell on the fourth ring, Aiden said, “Dude, you’re pretty fucking hard to track down.”
“Hello to you too, Mr. Merry Sunshine. What’s crawled up your ass already this morning? It’s only eight-thirty.”
“Been trying to call you for hours.”
“Got the messages. Didn’t have time to answer them. We’ve got big trouble up here, a cold case reopened suddenly when we got word this guy’s been bragging about killing a woman.”
“Does it seem to be true?”
“I’d like to hazard a guess and say yeah, since he saw us coming and ran for it. Spent all night hunting his ass all over the county. Then he crossed the border and I had to work with that county’s sheriff’s department, but it seems we lost him. For now. He has a warrant out, so now the suspect’s gotta answer to Wes.”
“Must be a big case if you’ve already sicced our bounty hunter cousin on him.”
“Benefit of havin’ law in the family.” There was a smile in Judd’s voice.
“Exactly my thinking, which is why I was calling.”
“More trouble your way with the rustlers?”
“Yeah, and people are starting to freak out. I’ve caught a few guys stealing, but there is definitely a bigger operation going on here. Overnight, five gone from Owens’ pasture. And another found dead, butchered on the road.”
“Jesus, are you serious? I can only imagine what that must have looked like, the blood on the road and a carcass left behind.”
“Scared the nipples off a woman coming home late from the night shift. I’ve been up all night.” He rubbed at his unshaven jaw and it rasped beneath his knuckles.
Judd grunted. “Poor woman. So, you need help with the case?”
“Not exactly, but I’m getting help anyway.” Aiden stared at the overflowing garbage can in his office. Around two a.m., he’d decided his desk was overrun with papers and purged it. All the while, his brain had been working overtime on the case and he’d kept stopping to scribble notes to himself.
And think about the woman who he’d spoken with several times. Amaryllis Long wasn’t as pleasant as her voice suggested. Each time she copped that know-it-all tone, he wanted to wring her neck. After five phone calls, each forced by Sheriff Latchaw, he was about to go against orders again and refuse to speak with Amaryllis. Even though one of her suggestions about evidence had panned out, she didn’t have to sound so smug about it.
“What are you talkin’ about, Aiden? I don’t exactly have spare time for chitchat.”
“Neither do I. What do you know about Amaryllis Long?”
Silence on the other end. Aiden could almost see Judd gnawing his lower lip as he was prone to do. Then his brother let out a long breath. “Heard she’s the best at catching rustlers down in Texas.”
“I’m working with her on these cases. Against my will.”
“Against your will? Latchaw set you up with her.”
“That’s right. And she is as irritating as they come. Easier to talk to a damn rooster.”
As kids, they’d had a rooster named M
r. Banty who never shut up from dawn till dusk. Finally, their pa had shot him for their dinner because he was so irritating.
“If Latchaw set you up, he has good reason. He’s seen his fair share of similar operations, and this must be big if he’s bringing in consultants,” Judd said.
“So you know of her.”
“Yeah, I do. She’s coming here to help you with the case?”
God, he hoped not. Talking to her on the phone was bad enough. Even though between her snotty words, he liked the sound of her voice. All husky, raspy even. Like she’d screamed all night in pleasure.
“I don’t think she’s coming to Wyoming. Latchaw foisted her onto me, and I don’t feel like she’s helping much. It’s just another thing on my to-do list, you know?”
Judd was quiet a minute.
“Shit. What do you know?” Aiden demanded.
“I knew all about you speaking with Amaryllis.”
“Why didn’t you just come out and says so?”
“I wanted to hear what you said first.”
“What else do you know? I hear in your tone that you’re withholding information, Judd.” Aiden pulled off his hat and glared at nothing and everything. Right now, he was ready to spit nails. He hated when Judd held info over him.
“Aren’t you supposed to Skype with the woman?”
Fuck. Triple fuck with biscuits and gravy.
“Who told you that? Latchaw?”
Judd issued a low whistle. “You don’t have any idea what you’re in for, brother.”
“What do you mean? She’s pretty?”
“Don’t you ever use the Internet, Aiden? You act like you were born in another century. Open up a browser and type in her name.”
“I’ll do it later. I’m away from my desk.” He wasn’t. He just wasn’t about to do it while Judd was on the line.
“Look her up. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s intense.”
“Intense how? She’s a nagging woman, I know that much.” She’d been riding him with questions every time they were on the phone. Now she’d do it face-to-face on a damn Skype call.
“I mean she’s protective of her cattle ranchers like a momma bison is to her young.”
“We all feel that way. That’s nothing to note.”
“I mean like I’ll-throw-a-pipe-bomb-through-your-windows-motherfucker kind of protect. She goes all out to apprehend her suspects, even if it means going in the back door of the law. You’re working with the best, Aiden. My advice is take advantage of it. And enjoy your Skype call. I heard you’ve got a doozy of a black eye to show her.”
“Fuck off.” Aiden rubbed a hand over his face. Great—all he needed was a woman who wouldn’t follow the rules. Aiden couldn’t be associated with someone who wouldn’t—he’d gotten himself in plenty of trouble in the military for exactly the same thing.
“Shit,” he said quietly.
“Just think of what you’ll learn from having new eyes on the case. Remember that time we let Sadie Townsend into our detective club?”
He groaned. “Don’t remind me. Disaster.”
“At least you got to kiss her.”
“But she was flirting with you and Wes the whole time she was there.”
“We all had crushes on her.”
“That’s when we learned family sticks together and girls can’t interfere with that.”
“Right. But I’ll call you tonight and see how it went with Amaryllis. I know you’ve got a thing for brown-eyed girls.”
Fuck. He didn’t want the image of Amaryllis in his head right now. He was tired and if she was as beautiful as his brother said, he’d just end up being horny, staring at the dust on his paddle and flogger.
Judd said something to another person on his end. Then he said, “Aiden, I gotta run. Sighting of a man running through somebody’s back yard. Might be our man. Good luck.”
“You too.”
Aiden hung up and stared at the trash again. Maybe he’d better tidy up before he Skyped Amaryllis. Not that she’d see more than his face on the screen.
Judd’s words filtered into his brain again. Like I’ll-throw-a-pipe-bomb-through-your-windows-motherfucker kind of protect.
Great. He was dealing with someone who was as crazy as him.
A rap on the door made him look up to see Latchaw standing there, looking every bit the old-school sheriff. Big white hat, face lined but animated. “Need ya in my office, Roshannon.”
Aiden stood and followed, knowing what was to come. He wasn’t afraid of a little video chat, but he didn’t know how to keep the annoyed looks off his face. When he spoke to Amaryllis on the phone, she couldn’t see him shaking his head or pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
He went into Latchaw’s office.
“Close the door.”
He did, feeling one of his stress migraines squeezing at his temples again. All of a sudden, he was back in the interrogation room, being asked where his loyalties lay and thwarting rumors that he was a terrorist.
He dragged in a deep breath. He wasn’t in the Marines anymore, and Latchaw wasn’t investigating him.
“I’ve got Amaryllis on standby here.” Latchaw pressed a button on his keyboard and a face popped onto his screen.
Aiden’s breath whooshed from him. He stared at the woman he’d been talking to, wishing like hell he’d gotten a chance to Google her like Judd had suggested.
Nothing could have prepared him for seeing those big, brown melted-chocolate eyes on screen. Or the strawberry blonde hair. Her coloring was pale, pointing toward her hair color being real and not a dye job. But those dark eyes made him question it.
Delicate bones, a wide forehead tapering down to high cheekbones and a pointed chin. Her lips full, the lower lip fuller. Kissable. Bitable.
His groin took a hit at that thought. Too long since he’d had a submissive on her knees for him. He really needed to listen to his brother and cousin and get out in the dating field again.
Finding a woman who suited his tastes was another problem, though. Shivis hadn’t been completely off-base in suggesting Aiden had darker inclinations in the bedroom.
“Amaryllis, this is Roshannon.”
She stared out of the screen at him. Her eyes deep enough to fall into. She sat back in her chair, giving him a new view of her. Revealing a slender neck and a plaid shirt that he’d bet his sidearm was straining across the breasts.
His cock stirred behind his fly.
He tugged his hat brim to cover his discomposure. Judd hadn’t warned him—not even close. Amaryllis wasn’t just beautiful—she was drop-dead gorgeous. Banging-hot. The things he could do with those plump lips…
“Take a seat, Roshannon. I filled in Amaryllis about yesterday’s events. She has some suggestions of where to start our search.”
Aiden took a seat and tried for a casual expression. He was failing miserably, he knew by the little image of himself in the lower corner of the screen. He looked tense, ready for battle.
He relaxed his grip on the armrests and nodded to Amaryllis. “Uh—What are your thoughts?”
“You’re looking in far too obvious places. You’re looking at a list of people who’ve committed crimes in your counties or the surrounding counties.”
Aiden shot a glance at Latchaw, who was nodding. “That’s right.”
“I had a case where several Rangers believed our suspect was a guy with five counts of felonies already and had served seven years on a prior. But I couldn’t see it. I believe you’re dealing with something similar—it’s not obvious.”
“So what do you suggest?” he said tightly. So roughly that Latchaw threw him a look.
Amaryllis shifted in her chair, bringing those bouncy breasts upward as she settled in a new position. Aiden’s jeans got pretty damn tight, and he had to control his breathing. The things she was doing to his body… He could almost feel the handle of his paddle in his palm.
He closed his fist and thumped it in a light rhythm on the arm
rest. Distraction. He couldn’t be looking at this woman in such a way. She drove him crazy—and not in a sexual way.
She was talking and he missed what she said. Dammit.
She tipped her head in an adorable way, a way that called out to him with all the sass he loved in a submissive. Oh, she could be tamed. The little wildcat just didn’t know it yet.
Yet? Roshannon, you can’t do a damn thing with this woman. She’s off-limits, she’s like seven states away. And she’s a pain in the ass.
She’d have a pain in her backside if he ever got near her. He knew exactly how he’d get her in hand.
Fuck.
“You’re not paying attention to anything I’m saying, are you, Roshannon? You think you’re the first guy to ever ignore my suggestions?” She sat back and folded her arms, which only pushed her breasts out more.
He groaned inwardly. This was bad on so many levels. Not only were her tits the most mouth-watering delights he’d seen in his life, but the sheriff—his boss—stood a few feet away listening to her tell off Aiden for thinking she was worthless in this position.
There were sooooo many other positions for her.
Double fuck.
He pushed out a breath and attempted to grab hold of the reins. “Look, Amaryllis. I believe you know your stuff. Your track record is testimony to that.”
She only tipped her head in that “what else?” way. Cute, charming and fucking annoying at the same time.
“I just don’t believe you can tell us what to look for when you’re in Texas. You don’t know the area. The terrain is even a factor. For instance, a rancher settled between mountains with one road in to his property and a locked gate on it to keep out trespassers has five cows missing. There’s not a lot of ways in to his property to steal them. The mountains run right up to his borders. You can’t see what we’re dealing with.”
God help him, she drew her lower lip between her teeth and worried it for a split second. But it was enough to set his teeth on edge, his cock at full attention.
He fisted his hand so hard his knuckle popped.
Latchaw stepped toward the desk and toward the screen with Amaryllis staring out of it. “Seems like there’s only one way for you to see—come to Wyoming. I’ll have a ticket booked for you within the hour. Keep an eye out for the email confirmation.”