by Vanessa Vale
Kady popped up, stood and put her hands on her hips. “No way. I need to be involved. She’s my sister and—”
“She wants your attention.” Sutton leaned forward, put his elbows on his knees and spoke with enough of a bark to have her mouth clamp shut. “You just said that. If you’re there when they’re caught, you’ll be rescuing her. Or, if she sees you, she may think you’re against her. You’re the victim here, not her. So as for you going? Not happening.”
Sutton was the least gentle person I knew. He was flawed. Cranky. Rough. Mean, at times. Not to Kady, but he was serious with her. A straight shooter who didn’t soften any blows. And right now, she needed that. I may have coddled her on my lap, but that was more for me than for her.
Her shoulders slumped.
“Kady, love, Cord and I need you here,” Riley told her. “Safe in the house. We won’t be able to focus if we have to worry about you.”
She sighed, gave Riley a serious look. “Yes, you’re right. I don’t want you hurt because of me.”
“Good girl,” I murmured, proud of her for understanding. She flicked her gaze to me as I stood, leaned down and took her lips in a quick kiss. I was so proud of her. She was so fucking strong.
Briggs was going down. Her sister, dealt with. This was like fighting in the war. The enemy was identified and we had a mission. We had to do everything to protect our own. And that meant being able to focus. There was no fucking way I’d be able to do that if Kady was anywhere near someone dangerous. I couldn’t be distracted.
She reached out, took my hand, glanced at me, then Riley. “You’ll come back to me?”
She was worried for me. Us. I pulled her so she was in my arms, her body pressed up against mine. I held her in a tight hug, kissed the top of her head. “Sweetness, when this is over, we’re never letting you go. Okay?”
She didn’t delay, didn’t even take a second to think. All she said was, “Okay.”
And while I’d been done for from the very beginning, I was ruined all over again. Then, I’d decided she’d be mine. Mine and Riley’s. But now, she was agreeing to be ours. There was a big difference and it felt like…everything.
“I’ll stay here with her,” Jamison said. He looked to me, then Riley. He didn’t have to say anything for us to know he’d protect her with his life. “Go get this done.”
Damn straight. I wanted Briggs behind bars, Beth in a locked down rehab and Kady in my bed. Permanently.
13
KADY
“Muzjik? That can’t be a real word.”
I stared down at the strange mix of letters that was giving Jamison triple letter, triple word points.
“A Russian peasant,” he replied, updating his score on a scrap piece of paper.
“If you’re this good at Scrabble, I bet you can do the Sunday crossword.”
Jamison shrugged a shoulder and didn’t look at me, but I had my answer.
“You run the ranch and you’re very smart. What else do you want to tell me about you?” I asked.
We were sitting at the kitchen table, the board game between us. The men had left two hours earlier and Jamison took his role of staying with me seriously. We’d done all the dishes, baked brownies and pulled out Scrabble from the selection by the fireplace in the great room. At first, I’d assumed the game was more to keep me distracted than anything else, but Jamison was a competitive player.
He’d done a good job of distracting me, but my thoughts had gone to what Cord had said.
When this is over, we’re never letting you go.
They hadn’t just been words. He’d meant them. What we had wasn’t just sexy times. It wasn’t just intense orgasms. It was deeper, more complex and had been from the very start. I wouldn’t have called it love at first sight. No, that was too cliché. It was a connection, a bond, that went soul deep with them. I couldn’t explain it. I just felt it. Within me and in Cord’s words, Riley’s look.
And by agreeing, I’d set my fate. As for the others, they hadn’t said a word. They hadn’t poked fun or made snide jokes. Not even when I’d been sitting on Cord’s lap as we’d talked. They knew the way it was and respected it. Even with two men wanting me to be theirs. Two men. There was no doubt.
Oh, I wanted their kisses, their gentle—and not so gentle—touch. I wanted their dirty words. I wanted their big cocks. I was starting to think I might even want more butt stuff. Strangely enough, I liked it. How could I not when they made me come so many times I forgot my own name?
“You’re no dummy,” he countered, breaking me from my thoughts.
My cheeks got hot, but if he had any idea what I’d been thinking about, he didn’t let on. Scrabble. We were talking about a board game, not the desire for my guys to take my anal virginity when I saw them next.
Scrabble. I’d thought I was a decent player, until now. Being a bookworm had paid off in the past, but not with him.
“I’m not scared of you,” I told him, pointing my finger at him. Took in his intelligent gaze, saw the experience there. Life lived. “This whole...quiet, brooding thing you’ve got going is to, what? Keep people at a distance?”
His hair was cut short, neat. Threads of silver were at his temples. I guessed him to be late-thirties. I could see a tattoo peeking out from beneath the cuff of his shirt. He was handsome, but hard looking. Rugged, like a cowboy, but with rough edges as if he’d been through rough times. Survived.
“Good. My job is to keep you safe, not have you fear me,” he countered.
I put my palms on the table, leaned forward. “You’re a big softie.”
One dark brow winged up, the one with the scar through it.
“Don’t tell anyone.”
Jamison’s cell pinged, indicating a text. It was sitting beside his right arm on the table. He pulled it closer, read the display.
“They’re at the station. It’s over.”
“They got them?”
“Yes. They’re going to question them, but Archer wants you there.”
Adrenaline shot through me. I was glad they were in police custody, but I was worried for Beth. No matter what I said or what the others tried to tell me, I loved my sister and worried about her. It wasn’t going to go away, no matter what she did. I loved her. Not her actions.
But, her actions were what put her in jail and it was time to find out her reasons. To get to the bottom of all this.
I stood, my chair sliding across the wood floor. “Let’s go.”
Thirty minutes later, I walked into the Barlow station, Jamison at my side. I was a mixed bag of emotions. Excitement at seeing Cord and Riley, knowing they weren’t hurt. Nervous at seeing Beth, not sure how she would behave. Scared of hearing David Briggs’ intentions. But while they might be in jail, there was no closure. Yet.
Cord and Riley were talking with Sutton, but when they saw me, they left him behind. And like the first time I saw them, my heart skipped a beat.
Riley pulled me in for a hug, then a quick kiss before passing me off to Cord for more of the same. Their touch, their scents were reassuring. Loving. Now wasn’t the time to go all mushy.
“Jamison said they’re in custody.”
“Your sister’s in a meeting room and Briggs is in a cell,” Riley said, angling his head in the direction I assumed were where they were kept.
“It’s over, just like that, while we played Scrabble?”
Riley smiled, glanced up at Jamison who stood just inside the doorway. “Scrabble, huh?”
“Thanks for coming in, Kady,” Archer said, coming over to us. Here, in the station, he was more imposing, more official. While I didn’t doubt he had experience with all kinds of crimes, Barlow wasn’t Philadelphia. Having someone arrange a murder-for-hire didn’t happen every day.
“I would think you’d want to see the back of me. I changed the crime statistics of the county in the few days I’ve been here.”
He smiled at that. “True. But Barlow would be boring without you. So would these two.�
� He looked pointedly at Cord and Riley.
“What do you need me to do?” I asked, resolved to make his life easier. I had no doubt he had tons of paperwork to deal with before he was able to go home. Since it was already after ten, it was going to be a long night.
“Mr. and Mrs. Briggs aren’t ruthless masterminds. We caught them easily, just flashing our lights and pulling them over.”
“Really?” I asked. “I envisioned stun grenades and Tasers or something.”
Cord laughed. “You definitely watch too much TV or we need you moved out of Philadelphia as soon as possible.”
“Briggs is a sociopath, no doubt about it,” Archer continued. “He didn’t—doesn’t—think he’s done anything wrong, that he was within his rights to come to Montana and meet his new sister-in-law. True criminals hide from the cops. Only the crazy ones believe they can’t be caught. Briggs made a very clear path for us to follow, to easily tie him to the crime. Same rehab as your sister. Hell, he married her. Wire confirmations to the dead guy. Airline tickets to Montana, even a rental car with a GPS that puts him on the road to Steele Ranch. I’d hate to be his defense attorney.”
“And Beth?” I held my breath.
“It appears she’s just a pawn in all this, but I’ll need your help talking to her to find out. But she’s not innocent either.”
“Can I see her?” I looked up at Riley and Cord. “Would that be all right?”
“I’d like it if you did. Your sister’s somewhat…brainwashed by Briggs. She needs rehab, Kady, as you know. I can probably get her into a jail drug program.”
I nodded. “You want her to see the truth about Briggs.”
He looked at me steadily. “I do. It’s the only way to get her on her way to recovery. When you talk to her, it’s not going to be pretty. She’s going to be mad at you. Besides inheriting money, she’s been arrested coming to see you. She and her husband are now in jail—separated—again, because of you,” Archer continued. “She’s using, Kady. The signs are all there, but I don’t know when she’ll need another fix.”
“I understand.” I’d been through it before, recognized the signs. Knew what happened.
“I’ll be in the room with you,” Archer continued. “Your men can watch from my office. I don’t want them in there. I don’t want her to know anything about you here. About Cord and Riley, at least not until you’ve had a chance to talk to her. You have what she wants. A man—men—to love you. Instead, she’s got Briggs. You’ve got it all, Kady.”
I glanced up at Riley and Cord. I did have it all.
“All right.”
“There’s a one-way mirror in there so Cord and Riley can observe.”
This confrontation with Beth was years in the making. Our relationship, what was left of it, was dependent upon the outcome. I knew I’d have to be prepared to walk away, to let Beth go, in order for me to move on. She was toxic—and dangerous to me—and unless she got serious help and turned her life around, she couldn’t be in it. I just had to hope I was strong enough for whatever happened.
But just seeing Riley and Cord before me, stalwart and strong, I knew I could handle it. I wasn’t alone anymore. I could face this, or any other problem, because they’d be with me. Beside me.
“I’m ready.”
“Keep this in mind,” Archer began. “Briggs is going away for a long time. Decades, if not life. So whatever you hear, whatever happens next, he won’t have access to Beth. And, know that he can’t bother you again.”
After those grim, but reassuring words, Archer led me into a small room, used for meetings or group work, but also served as an interrogation room. The only sign of that use was a metal rod permanently affixed to the sturdy table where handcuffs kept Beth’s wrist secured. She looked up when I came in, her eyes widening in surprise.
Where I had red hair like our mother, she favored her father. Black hair, dark eyes. Her once porcelain complexion was splotchy and gray. Her hair was cut simply just above her shoulders. She wore no makeup and had on a plain black t-shirt. I couldn’t see her lower half to know what else she had on.
“Kady. God, get me out of here!”
She tugged on the cuff, making the metal rattle. “They’ve made a mistake. I shouldn’t be in handcuffs. Do something.”
“What did they say you did?” I asked neutrally, pulling out the chair across from her, sitting. I folded my hands on the table, settled into the neutral mindset I used when I had to deal with a crazy parent at parent-teacher conferences.
“I don’t know! No one is telling me anything. We’ve only been in Montana for two days and all we’ve done is come to visit you. Where is he? Why aren’t we together?”
“He’s in one of the jail cells. This place is pretty small.”
She relaxed knowing he was nearby. “He’s gorgeous, isn’t he? Women on the plane were looking at him and they were jealous. Spitting jealous of me. Of me!”
“When you called this morning, you said you two met at New Beginnings.”
“It was fate.” She sighed, her eyes all dreamy. “We were in a group together.”
“Why was he there?”
She gave a small shrug, looked down at her fingernails. “Drugs. The judge”—the word was spit out as if it was poison—“made him go. David said he’d been framed, that he had to be there for six months because someone put heroine in his car. Can you believe the way he was treated?”
Six months in rehab instead of years, perhaps decades, in prison for possession? I had to wonder what he’d said to get the judge to be so…flexible. Based on the clear-cut evidence Archer mentioned against him, I doubted he’d get out of these charges with time in a no-security rehab facility.
“Doesn’t matter now because David is fine and decided to leave the place.” She tugged at a hangnail and I had to look away. “Well, once we got engaged.”
“Sounds romantic.” It wasn’t, but I had to say what she wanted to hear to keep her happy. And she wanted me to be pleased for her. Anything else and she’d go off. I’d seen it enough times to know how to walk this mine field.
She tucked her hands back into her lap, looked at me and beamed, all dreamy like a seventh grader with her first crush. “It wasn’t love at first sight or anything, but when we got together…wow. It was like he really wanted to know about me. He listens. I mean, what guy wants to hear a fucked-up story like ours?”
“He knows about Mom and Dad?”
“Of course,” she replied, as if I were a little kid. “He knows everything. We have no secrets.”
That was the segue I was looking for. I flicked my gaze to Archer, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Silent. He and Jamison were very similar.
“He obviously knows about me.”
“You are my sister.” The look on her face screamed duh.
“And my trip to Montana.”
“When you first told me, I was mad. Really mad. I mean, you find out you have a dad you never knew and inherit millions. And part of a ranch. That’s so not fair. No one ever gave me anything.”
“Mom and Dad gave you money to go to college.” I didn’t mention that I paid for her four other stints in rehab and was paying a second mortgage on a teacher’s salary because of it. I’d even given her the clothes off my back one winter.
Her eyes narrowed. I’d struck a nerve with just the mention of our parents. “They paid for the first year and look what happened. They died.”
“They didn’t die, Beth, because you went to school. They died because of a horrible accident. The money was still there for you, for college. They gave it to you.”
She sniffed, rubbed her nose with her finger.
“What did you do with it? Your college money?” I prodded.
Turning her head, she didn’t look at me. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I want Deputy Do-Right here to give me my one phone call.”
Archer didn’t even blink at her harsh tone.
“Who would you call?”
She pursed her lips. “I’d call you, but you’re here. So get me out.”
“No.”
There. I said it.
Three…two…one.
“No? No! Kady, what the fuck?” She tugged at the handcuffs, ready to pace and wave her arms about, make a scene so she’d get the attention and sympathy she wanted.
“David Briggs is being charged with…what, Sheriff?” I asked, calmly.
“Attempted murder, solicitation to commit murder and a few other things.”
Beth stilled, blinked.
“Murder?” she all but yelled. “Who would David kill? He’s been in rehab and then with me. I think I’d know if my husband had killed someone.”
“Attempted murder.”
“Attempted. Fine, the person’s alive then. No harm, no foul.”
“Don’t you want to know who he wanted killed?” I asked.
She shrugged.
“Me.”
Her mouth fell open as she stared for a minute. “You?” She looked sincere in her confusion, although she’d turned into quite a skilled liar after doing drugs.
“David Briggs heard about my inheritance through your oversharing during one of your groups in rehab. He wanted it. He married you, hired someone to kill me so you, as my beneficiary, would inherit it all.” None of it was proven, but we all knew it to be true. We just needed to know if Beth was involved.
“Wait…wait,” she said, holding up her free hand.
I didn’t wait, but kept right on talking.
“As your husband, what’s yours is his, especially since there was no prenup.”
“No way.” She shook her head vehemently. “David would never do that. He’s not like that. You’re wrong, Kady. You just can’t stand to see me happy, to have a gorgeous man who loves me. Jealousy makes you petty and think up this shit.”
“Then why are you here?”
“In Montana? David wanted to meet you.”
“David wanted to finish what his hired thug didn’t. That’s why he had you call the other day, to confirm I was actually in Barlow. The guy he paid to kill me broke into my house that night. And this morning, he asked you to call me, didn’t he? Not because he wanted you to break the news of your marriage, but to see if I was alive or not.”