by Lexi Post
Vince needed her and Rachel let him take her. He groaned as his movements sped up, becoming shorter, until he did no more than rub against her, stroking her clit as his cock buried deep inside her, pressing her farther into the mattress.
This is what he had wanted for them, this coming together in the most natural of ways. This connection that could heal and cleanse and wrap them in goodness. But she’d denied them. Denied him.
Her moans became quick pants, short high vocal noises, cuing him into her growing pleasure. He pushed hard into her tight sheath, loving how tightly she held him and sucked at him as he pulled away slightly.
He couldn’t get enough. It was as if he would take all she had to make up for the years they’d been apart, but that was impossible. Even as his balls tightened in readiness, his resentment grew. He rubbed himself against her clit, pushing into her, wanting to punish and pleasure at the same time.
Her fingers bit into his back as she arched with her orgasm, her yell triggering his own.
He grasped her tight, his flowing into the condom as she spasmed around him. He groaned in pleasure—triumph and irritation rumbling through him.
She stroked her hands down his back as his breathing evened out. She’d given him some of what she’d kept from him over all these years.
Peace.
He lifted his head and looked at her.
She smiled, her blue eyes soft with his loving.
His mind jerked against his thought. He couldn’t love her again. “I better get some food into you.” He pulled his hips back, easing out of her.
She sucked in her breath, her brow knit with disappointment.
Turning toward the bathroom, he strode in and closed the door. Hell, what a mess he was. He’d thought he knew what he wanted, but he didn’t. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought having sex with Rachel would make everything go away, but now it was worse.
He disposed of the condom and washed up. Somewhere in his mixed up head was the notion that to feel human again, to feel that there was good in the world, all he needed to do was to make love to Rachel. But his resentment tripped him up and grew with their intimacy. It blocked his love and left him frustrated.
He came back out, his jeans pulled up, his belt buckled and his shirt tucked into his pants. “I’ll get dinner served. Don’t take too long or your stomach will be rumbling again.” He strode toward the door. When he reached it, he turned.
Now he should say how good it felt to be with her again, but it didn’t. “Don’t be late.” With that, he headed for the stairs, his cowboy boots loud on the steps.
He strode into the kitchen and pulled out two large bowls. What the hell was he doing? He’d just had sex with the woman he’d always loved despite a bellyful of resentment poisoning his insides.
She’d soothed his soul but sent it reeling off into another direction.
He pulled a ladle out of a drawer. All these years they could have been together, if she’d just told him the truth instead of trying to protect him. He could have looked for another job, one he liked. He could have helped her and she would have helped him, kept him sane.
Every time he thought of his days on the force, he felt dirty, sullied by the company he’d been forced to keep for the good of society. But he would think of her and he felt washed clean. But just now, it all merged, his feelings a jumbled mess.
He looked down at the ladle in his hand. It was bent backward. What the hell was he doing?
Honestly, I agree with you. Hunter’s words came back to haunt him.
He bent the ladle back to its proper position and plopped the stew in the bowls. The creak of the floorboards above his head warned him she was up and about. He couldn’t wrap his head around what he felt.
He placed the bowls on the table just as she came through the door. She’d changed into a too-big-for-her t-shirt, pajama bottoms and a pair of ratty slippers that looked like they may have been raccoons at some point. Her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail but still pale blonde wisps escaped.
Hell, she was just as beautiful like this as she was in jeans and chaps. “Just in time.” He held out a chair for her.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but she sat without saying a word.
He took the seat opposite her, waiting for her to taste the stew. He knew it was good and despite his mixed emotions for her, he wanted to see her reaction.
She blew on a spoonful and tasted it. “Oh wow. This is really good.”
“Glad you like it.” Satisfied, he took a mouthful and swallowed. It needed more pepper, but it would do. “Tell me what has happened over the last seven years.”
She choked on her stew before wiping her mouth. “Why do you want to know?”
“Lots of reasons, but the most important is that it may have something to do with your missing money.” He gave her a smile of encouragement and took another mouthful himself.
She laid down her spoon. “Let’s see. After Dad died, I took care of Mom. She didn’t last long. Not more than a year. I think after Dad passed, she really didn’t see a point in living. They were so in love.” She paused to take up her spoon again and have another mouthful.
“There were medical bills, but Dad had provided for us pretty well, as long as the ranch continued to make a profit. Of course, I had to pay for Crystal’s therapist, which wasn’t cheap. But I had suggested it to her and she took it upon herself to find someone she liked. That’s how I knew she was willing to get help.”
“Who?”
“Who was her therapist?”
He nodded.
She frowned. “It was a Dr. Feller, Fuller, something like that.”
“Do you mean Fielder?” He remembered seeing that name on a number of checks.
“Yes, that’s the one. She saw that woman for a couple years until she felt better. I think it was losing Dad and then Mom during that time in her life. She got into drugs and sex, even lost her baby, which devastated her though she didn’t really like the child’s father. I can’t take any credit for Crystal getting her act together except for making the suggestion that she see someone.”
Vince continued to eat without making a comment. In the silence, he built a connection between what he saw in the books and the deeper research he’d done that day. He didn’t like his conclusions.
Rachel finally continued. “After that, Crystal finished college. I hired Sam before that and I bought Foxglove. Matterhorn I acquired a couple years earlier. There were improvements to the house and barns, and of course, the birthing of new cows and all the usual work on a ranch.”
He finally picked up the pattern he’d been missing about Rachel. “What did you do for fun?”
She paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth. “Fun?”
“Yes. Hobbies, vacations, nights out with friends, boyfriends.”
She put the spoon in her mouth then swallowed. “I don’t have time for hobbies or vacations. This is a small operation so my crew is lean, but knowledgeable. I need to be here. I have a few friends from high school I see once in a while and a couple from college I chat with over the phone. But honestly, by the time my day is done, a movie and a couple cookies is all I need.” She smiled tentatively, almost apologetically. “I know. Not a very exciting life.”
He didn’t respond. The fact that Rachel never, ever put herself first became perfectly clear. Her life was all about her responsibilities to others and the ranch itself. That insight took the sting out of her lying to him in a way he couldn’t have imagined. Her actions that night when she broke it off with him fit. It wasn’t about him.
He studied her as his jumbled feelings settled in to a comfortable spot. If he’d looked at their relationship before with an investigative eye, he still would have missed it because there hadn’t been enough evidence. Now, years later, it all made sense. That was the break he needed to finally put the pieces together. Rachel knew no other way, but that wasn’t living. It was existing.
“I think we need to change that.”
His heart began to find some stability.
She waved her spoon in front of her. “Oh no, I’m perfectly happy with the way my life is right now. I don’t need any more excitement than insufficient funds notices and a stolen bull, thank you.”
Hell, where was his mind? He’d completely forgotten to ask her. “Have you told anyone about those?”
She rolled her eyes. “I think everyone from here to Austin knows about Matterhorn. That’s probably why the Sheriff thought they’d find him.”
He shook his head. “No, I meant the money issues.”
She sat back and her shoulders slumped. “No. I didn’t want anyone to know.”
“What about Crystal and Sam?”
She shook her head.
“Good. Don’t tell them. I don’t want them to accidently slip and give our investigation away.” Or know I’m investigating them.
She came alert at that. “You think it’s someone who knows us?”
He nodded. “I do, but I’m not done following a couple trails yet. Then again, we were speaking about your lack of excitement.”
She blushed. “I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.” She didn’t look at him.
He kicked himself. He shouldn’t have had sex with her when his own heart was so confused. “I didn’t mean tonight. Friday night Big Joe’s has a live band. Why don’t we go down so you can have some fun?”
She snapped her gaze back to him and gave him a shrewd look. “Have you been talking to Crystal?”
“No. Why?”
“No reason.” She crossed her arms over her waist. “I have a question for you.”
“What?” He raised his eyebrow, curious.
“Do you still work for the police department?”
Though her words were light as if she’d run into an old friend on the street and was just catching up, he was well aware of how important his answer was. “No.”
Her arms loosened. “And this job you have with the Oteros? Do you go away for long periods of time?”
He chose his words carefully, especially after the search for Esteban down in Mexico. “Sometimes, but I’m not undercover, so I can usually communicate unless there is spotty cell phone coverage.”
“Shit, we have that in the north pasture.” She grimaced. “What about the danger? Is it like it was on the force?”
Again he thought of the fire fight down in Mexico. Hell, they’d had to make war on a drug lord complete with explosions, automatic weapons and helicopters. But it wasn’t like undercover work. He didn’t have to live day in and day out with the scum of the Earth. “It’s a lot less dangerous.”
Her arms unfolded completely, her relief obvious.
“But it does get dangerous sometimes, just in a more direct way.”
“You mean like breaking down the door of a bull-napper and shooting up the place?”
He chuckled. “Yes, something like that.”
She smiled, then rose and picked up their bowls. “You cooked, so I’ll clean up.”
“That sounds fair.” He stood as well. “I have something else I want to research before calling it a day.”
“Really? Do you always work so tirelessly on a case?”
“Yes. Don’t you work tirelessly at your job?”
She opened her mouth then closed it. She finally responded. “Good point.”
As she turned toward the sink, he strode from the room. He wanted to check on that doctor and send a message to an old friend he had who was still at the department.
As he powered up the computer, he inhaled the scent of the leather chair and listened to the clink of the dishes being rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher in the kitchen.
It reminded him of when he used to come to Sunnyview. Rachel had brought him here, but her family and even the house had embraced him, made him feel like part of the family. He’d never had that before or since.
He looked around the den, what Rachel called her office, but it was still her father’s den, his pictures on the wall, his books in the bookcases. Rachel’s activity in the kitchen reminded him of her mother’s, of family. This could be a typical evening for him if he wanted it to be…and if Rae wanted it to be. The question was, did both of them still want it?
Chapter Six
Vince felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket. Carefully, he extracted himself from under Rachel’s head, slipping a couch pillow beneath her. He didn’t want to wake her. It had taken some persuasion to get her to relax on the couch with him after dinner.
Pulling out his phone, he responded to the written message and quietly stepped outside.
Walking off the porch, he made his way toward his truck where Hunter stood, his silhouette clear in the moonlight. “Tell me.”
“I found out why Marie works at the First Austin Bank. Crystal put in a word with the manager of the local branch.”
“How the hell did you find that out?” Vince had to admit, he was impressed.
Hunter shrugged. “I went to her teller window and asked for change for a hundred. Then I told her I’d heard from the Hendersons that this was a good bank and that I was thinking of opening an account. She couldn’t say enough about both Rachel and Crystal.”
“Smart. What about Crystal’s night on the town?”
Hunter tipped his head. “That depends on which night. From the sound of her friends, she’s out about five nights a week and from her familiarity with the bartenders and waitresses, she’s a regular. She bought three rounds for over fifteen people and she was dressed to impress.”
“According to Rachel, Crystal has a very good job at one of the major accounting firms, but she supplements her income with the proceeds from the ranch.”
“I didn’t hear anything about her job.” Hunter shrugged. “I did hear a couple of her male friends complaining. It appears that Crystal never spends more than one night with a man, so I was thinking one of her cast-offs might be pissed off enough to steal a bull.”
“Interesting. But I doubt the man would borrow money from the ranch’s checking account.”
“You think the two issues are connected?” Hunter’s doubt was obvious.
“I do. I’m just not sure how.”
Hunter didn’t say anything. The night was silent except for the occasional shuffle by the horses in the barn.
Vince hesitated to tell Hunter what he discovered, mainly because it wasn’t good, but also because he didn’t have a solid trail yet.
Hunter finally spoke again, keeping his voice low. “I checked out the address you gave me. It’s one of those shared office space places where there’s a receptionist for about twenty companies, all small, and they rent out meeting rooms. There are also single offices with computers in them. Some are empty, but others are being occupied.”
Vince let out his breath. Hell, that wasn’t what he wanted to hear even if it was the break in the case he was hoping for. “That’s the address of CR Seed and Grain Company. I discovered today that it’s not an actual seed company, but more of a pass through. It takes the money and somewhere it gets the supplies that are ordered.”
“Sounds like a front.” Hunter leaned against his rented Jeep.
“It has to be. I also found out the payments to Crystal’s former therapist went to the same account.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
He took a deep breath. “No, it doesn’t. That leads me to Crystal or someone she knows, like maybe that therapist. But I also discovered that Sam’s daughter has had an enormous amount of medical bills that started with a lung condition when she was born.”
“Shit. That’s financial motivation right there. So is his wife off the hook?”
He shook his head. “I figured out why the daily balances didn’t match the bank statements.”
Hunter waited.
“The bank statements are fake.”
Hunter’s brow lowered. “Wait, how can the bank send out fake bank statements?”
“They can’t unless someone was switc
hing them before they were mailed out. They are on the same paper.”
“But Marie is a teller. She wouldn’t have access to the bank statements. They probably come from some major bank location.”
Vince silently agreed. It could be that Marie was simply supplying the paper and someone else, like Crystal, made them look real by switching them out after they arrived at the ranch and she’d opened them. That wasn’t something he was ready to discuss, especially with Hunter who considered the women as close as sisters. “Why would Rachel still be getting bank statements mailed when she can go online and pull them up?”
“Good question.” Hunter looked past him at the house. “Is she still awake?”
“No. She fell asleep in front of the television, so you can sneak in and she’ll be none the wiser.”
“So what’s next, Mr. PI.”
He moved his hand up to lift his hat, but he’d left it in the house. He kept coming back to the stolen bull. If it was to leave a message like the Oteros received a while back, the perps would have left part of it. His gut told him it had to do with money. “I’ve been off the ranch longer than you. How long do you think it’d take to sell Rachel’s bull?”
“In a public or private sale?”
“Private. Very private.”
Hunter thought for a moment. “If the seller already had a buyer in mind, it could be less than a day. Why, what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that if the bull was stolen to sell, then money will be showing up in the checking account anytime now.”
“Shit, I’m glad I brought you in on this case. Give me an enemy with a gun or an overzealous Dom with a whip and I’ll take care of it. This finance stuff gives me a headache.”
He raised his brows. “Overzealous Dom with a whip?”
Hunter grinned. “Yup. It’s how Adriana and I got together.”
It sounded like something Pablo Otero could shed some light on, but Vince preferred staying in the dark on that one.
Hunter pointed to the house. “How about you walk me in. I’ll be up most the night, but with the day work you have me doing, I might just fall asleep before dawn. I can’t tell you how much I thought about the peace and quiet out here while in that nightclub.”