The sky was hazy bright, like the morning after a good rain, but clouds were building over the mountains. They’d be getting a good storm that night, no doubt. He slid into the driver’s seat and started his truck, then pulled Connor’s card out of his pocket, and flipped it over. Pedro Rios, 123 “A” Street was written in sharp black letters.
Rick radioed the station on a secure channel and informed them that he had a lead, and gave the name and location. Then he put the truck into gear and drove to the address Connor had given him.
Weeds and refuse choked the front yard of the small house. The blue paint—vivid at one time—was now bleached ghostly pale and crackled like a parched riverbed. Like most homes in the border town, iron scrollwork barred the windows.
The rusted gate creaked as Rick swung it open. As he walked up the concrete steps, he saw the door standing open about an inch. His gut clenched. He glanced up and down the street and pulled out his gun, shielding it. No cars were parked in front of the house or the houses next door. The street was empty of people.
As soon as Rick crept up to the door, he smelled it. The heavy miasma of decomposing flesh. Bile rose. He leaned back, his head against the house, fighting to keep his stomach from heaving up the
nachos
.
A rhythmic whoosh-whoosh-whoosh echoed from inside the house. With his gun in his right hand, Rick eased the door open with his left.
No sign of anyone inside.
He knocked. “Border Patrol.”
No answer. Not that he expected any.
Rick pushed the door wider with his boot, but remained out of sight. When nothing moved and he heard no sound but the whooshing noise, he held his gun in front of him and rounded the corner.
The overwhelming stench slammed into him, enough to damn near drive him to his knees. His eyes and throat burned, and he struggled to swallow. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and covered his nose.
The body hung on a rope. A rope tied to a meat hook. A man. His swollen head tilted at a bizarre angle, and his tongue…Rick closed his eyes for a moment, then made himself look again. That thick, engorged tongue—and the face, hideous purple-blue like the hands. His hands looked like surgical gloves blown up and painted black.
A ceiling fan churned next to the corpse, the blades skimming the top of his black hair and striking the rope, causing the whoosh-whoosh-whoosh noise. The room was trashed. Chairs smashed, garbage littering the floor, the couch on end.
Damn.
Rick listened for sounds inside the house and heard none. He headed back outside and jogged down the stairs, filling his lungs with clean air.
From the looks of the man, not to mention the smell, he’d been dead for a while, and Rick doubted if anyone had hung around to see what happened next. He kept his gun drawn and went back to his truck to radio the BP headquarters and the police.
While he waited for the cops to arrive, he checked out the front room again. He didn’t recognize the man, but the face was too bloated to be sure. The cadaver’s feet were at least two feet off the floor. No chair, or anything else he could’ve stood on, was close enough to the man for it to be a suicide. Plaster had chipped away from around the meat hook, exposing the beam it was screwed into.
Sirens screamed in the background as he glanced at the garbage around the room. Fast food wrappers, a sock with a hole, a toothpick, a matchbook cover, and sunflower seed shells were scattered among the trash.
Rick noticed a torn piece of paper. He couldn’t quite make out the word, but he thought
Toro
was scrawled across the top of the scrap.
Was it related to
El Torero
, meaning the matador? Or
toro
, meaning bull?
Two hours later Rick headed home, after giving his statement to the police about how he’d come across the body, and why he was there. He’d hung around to gain information during the police investigation. Identification in the corpse’s pockets said the man was indeed Pedro Rios. After examining the scene and the body, the homicide detective said he suspected Rios had been murdered.
David Connor would be in for a nasty surprise when he got hauled down to the police station for questioning. Protecting sources was one thing. Murder was another.
* * * * *
After she returned from her interview with another rancher, Lani headed out to relax beside Sadie’s pond. She sank into the swing’s cushions, slowly rocking back and forth in time with the sound of toads croaking by the pond. The waterfall’s gentle babble soothed her nerves, and a late afternoon breeze stirred to caress her face. The air smelled of rain, the sky dark with pregnant storm clouds.
Pregnant. What would it be like to be pregnant with Rick’s child? To have his baby? Lani stretched out on the swing and covered her face with her hands. How could she think of such a thing, when she’d known the man for such a short time? He probably wanted nothing more than a little fun in the sack. Well, he was certainly all that.
What an incredible night they had, not to mention the hours before dawn. She never knew it could be like that. So fulfilling. So incredibly good.
That’s what Theresa and Calinda had been talking about.
Rick was right. No matter what happened next, she couldn’t regret what they shared last night.
She relaxed, imagining all the tension in her body seeping through the cushion of the swing, swirling into the ground, deeper and deeper, until everything around her faded and she slid into a deep sleep.
The sun warmed Lani’s face, caressing her lips, her eyelids, her brow. A heady sense of pleasure enveloped her and she sighed, content to bask in the gentle, loving heat.
“Lani,” the sun called to her in a throaty whisper.
“Mmmm,” she murmured, then opened her eyes to see that it was dark outside and Rick was bent over her. “Rick.”
He balanced on the edge of the swing, his arms propped on either side of her hips. He shifted and ran his finger down her nose. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
She smiled. “I dreamed the sun was kissing me.”
“Not the sun.” He bent and brushed his lips over hers. “Me. I kissed you here.” Her lips. “And here.” Her nose. “And here…and here.” Her eyelids. “And I want to kiss you in places the sun can’t reach. In places that only I can touch you.”
Lani flushed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I want to kiss every inch of you.”
Rick gave her his sexy grin that made her stomach flutter. “I’ll consider that a promise.”
She noticed his hair was wet and he smelled of apple shampoo. “You’ve taken your shower.”
He ran his hand down her neck and over the curve of her breast, and she gasped, her nipples tightening at the sensual touch.
“It was one of those days,” he murmured. “I knew if I came near you first, I couldn’t control myself.” He nuzzled her ear, then kissed it. “See? I can’t even keep my hands or my mouth off you.”
“Mmmm. Let me sit up.”
“Why?” Rick nipped at her chin and then her lips. “I like you where you are. Beneath me. But if you want to be on top…”
Lani smiled. “All right.”
He helped her up, then drew her onto his lap. Lani tried to protest, but the strength of his arms made her feel safe and secure, and wanted, something she hadn’t felt since her parents and sister had died.
“Are you ready to tell me what your ex did to you?” he murmured, surprising her with the directness of his question.
She slipped one arm behind him and the other across his hard stomach. The scent of Sadie’s roses mingled with the smell of impending rain. A chorus of crickets filled the night and in the distance a
coyote
howled. The only light came from the windows of the house, and stars had begun to appear through patches of clouds in the evening sky.
Lani gave a deep shuddering sigh as Rick caressed her shoulder, down her arm and back again. “Do we have to talk about him?”
“I think it’ll be good to realize that he was just a bastard who didn’t deserve you.” Rick gently massaged the nape of her neck. “How did someone as sweet as you ever hook up with a sonofabitch like that?”
She tensed at the thought of her ex-husband’s courtship. “We started dating when I was in college. James was charming, attentive, and handsome. And I was young and naïve.”
A raindrop landed on Lani’s ankle and soft splatters hit the canopy above. When she started talking again, her voice was flat. “After the accident he was always around. A few months after I lost my family he stopped by my apartment and found me crying. He fixed me a glass of wine and said it would relax me. Next thing I knew it was morning, and we were in bed, naked.”
Rick made a sound like a low growl. Rain pattered harder, but Lani continued, knowing she needed to tell him everything. “I couldn’t remember a thing. I freaked out, but James said I drank the entire bottle of wine on my own, then pleaded with him to stay.”
Memories twisted in her gut like a serrated blade. “He insisted that I begged him for sex, and told him I didn’t want to be a virgin any longer. He said we should get married because he loved me, and in case I was pregnant.
“I thought I was in love with him. I trusted him.” She curled her fist. “I was so stupid. I really thought he loved me.”
Rick caught her chin in his hand and made her look at him. “Stop beating yourself up over the guy. You were young and innocent, and the bastard took advantage of you.”
She reached up and kissed him. “You’re so good to me.”
“You’re so good for me.” He brushed his lips over hers and she shuddered, every nerve in her body raw with desire. “Think anyone would notice…”
“Out here?” She gave him a horrified look.
“I’m just teasing you.” He kissed her again. “Though I find the idea appetizing.”
Rain began pouring down and a barrage of lightning split the sky. Thunder rumbled, an unearthly sound that made her heart pound.
“We’d better get inside.” Rick scooted her off his lap. “We’re sitting on a metal swing, and that’s not a smart thing in a thunderstorm.”
He grabbed her hand and they raced in the rain to the house. They reached the porch just as lightning flashed again, the crash of thunder immediately following. They were still laughing, still holding hands, when they walked into the house.
When she saw Trevor, Chuck and Sadie, she tried to pull away, but Rick wouldn’t let go.
“How come you’re holding Lani’s hand, Dad?” Trevor’s face twisted as if in thought. “Is she your girlfriend?”
Lani blushed, but Rick nodded, his face solemn. “Yes, she’s my girlfriend.”
Trevor bounced up and down. “Cool. Can I have a little brother or sister?”
Chuck and Sadie burst out laughing, and Lani wanted to hide.
Rick smiled and looked at her. “One step at a time, Trev. One step at a time.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Damn straight I’m upset about what those illegals did.” John Stevens scowled around his toothpick in response to Lani’s question.
They were sitting in the office of the former sheriff’s sprawling ranch home. After asking the rancher’s permission, Lani had set out her small recorder, and she checked her list of questions as they talked.
“Exactly what happened?” Lani kept her expression professional, but her pulse beat a little faster at the heat in Steven’s words.
He narrowed his hazel eyes, his scowl deepening. “A group of ‘em passed through the east pasture. Instead of climbing through the barbed wire fence, they cut it with wire cutters. Hundreds of my cattle got out.” Stevens clenched his fists and his face reddened. “My herd got into some bad feed and it killed ‘em all. We’re talking thousands of dollars gone to hell.”
Before Lani could reply, a phone rang. Stevens withdrew a cell phone from the breast pocket of his denim shirt and checked the display.
“‘Scuse me, ma’am.” He shifted in his seat and glanced toward the doorway. “I’ve got to take this call.”
“I’ll wait in the hall until you’re done.” Lani stood and wandered out of the ranch office as she heard Stevens answer the phone, speaking in fluent Spanish.
As she waited for him, she studied framed photographs and newspaper articles on the man’s walls. Apparently the rancher was active in local politics. He and Mayor Montaño shook hands in one shot. In other clippings, Stevens had posed with other men and women that were local politicians and businessmen according to the various captions.
A few minutes later, Stevens came out to the hall to let her know he was done with his phone conversation, but he’d have to cut their interview short. Lani followed him into the office, sat down and hurried through the remainder of her questions. In some ways she was glad for the earlier interruption. The rancher seemed more relaxed, even jovial after the phone call, like he’d received good news.
When she finished the interview, Lani gathered her recorder and notebook, and thanked the rancher. The phone rang again as she was leaving, and she told Stevens she’d see herself out.
As she drove the SUV along the dirt road leading from the ranch, she passed a vanload of people heading toward Sweetwater. The van was traveling so fast that a cloud of dust rose around it, and the driver almost swerved into Lani’s vehicle. She bit her lip as she gripped the steering wheel.
The man driving the van barely spared Lani a glance, even though he’d almost run her off the road. She clenched her teeth. Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have a license.
In the Turner’s study, Lani sat before her notebook computer and typed in John Steven’s responses to her questions as she transcribed the recorded conversation. When she came to the part where she’d left the room and the rancher began to speak in Spanish, she reached for the fast forward button. She hadn’t even thought about the fact she’d left the recorder on when he took the call. She paused when she recognized one word.
Not a word—a name. Gordo. The same name Dee MacLeod Reynolds had mentioned.
Was Stevens speaking to or about someone named Gordo? Or was he talking about something else altogether?
Sadie breezed into the study, interrupting Lani’s train of thought when she handed her the cordless. “It’s your editor.”
As Sadie walked out of the den, Lani put the phone to her ear. “Hey, Theresa.”
“How’s my favorite reporter and shopping bud?” Theresa’s pleasant voice flowed over Lani, making her homesick for her friend.
“Wonderful.” Lani smiled and sighed. “Couldn’t be better.”
“Mmmm—hmm. You sound awfully satisfied. Does that mean you’ve found yourself a decent man?”
Warmth crept up Lani’s neck, and she tried to keep her voice from betraying her. “What in the world makes you say that?”
Theresa snickered. “You can’t fool me.”
No use trying to keep anything from Theresa—talk about an investigative reporter. She’d been one of the best. The woman definitely could scent anything out of the ordinary.
Lani settled in the office chair and eyed the door of the den. “His name is Rick and he’s the most incredible man I’ve ever met.”
“Way to go.” Lani could picture Theresa’s devilish grin. “So, how’s he in bed?”
A wave of embarrassment swept over Lani. “Theresa!”
“I want details. Come on, give it up.”
“Well.” Lani glanced at the door again and lowered her voice. “The man is amazing.”
Theresa’s throaty laugh was so loud that Lani had to pull the phone away from her ear. “‘Bout time you found a real man. You deserve better than that loser you were married to.”
Lani picked at a loose thread on the hem of her blouse. “I’m sure this is a fling for Rick, nothing more. Besides, I’ll only be here a short time more.”
“You’re having fun, aren’t you?”
Smiling, Lani said, “He makes me feel beautiful.”
“You are beautiful. I’ve been telling you that for ages. You should never have listened to a damn word the jerk ever said.”
“Yeah, yeah. So how’s Calinda? Keeping you company since I’m not there?”
“We’re having lunch tomorrow, as a matter-of-fact.”
“Tell her hello for me.” Lani spun around in the chair. “Did you call just to chat?”
Paper rattled, and Lani imagined Theresa was shifting one of the many piles on her desk. “Yeah, and thought I’d check to see how your feature is coming along.”
“Good.” Lani rattled off a summary of what she’d learned so far.
“Great job.” Theresa’s voice held approval. “I’ve got one more question.”
“What’s that, dare I ask?”
“After meeting and bedding this hunk named Rick, are you still coming home on the eighteenth?”
Lani shook her head and giggled. “What do you think I’m going to do? Park myself here permanently just because I met a man who’s incredible in bed?”
“I think that’s as good a reason as any.”
Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Lani said, “You’re incorrigible.”
Theresa gave a wicked laugh. “Just come up for air every now and then, okay?”
After Lani said goodbye, she punched off the cordless, set it aside, and wandered into the kitchen. She was still smiling when she saw Rick’s mother.
“Need help with anything, Sadie?”
Sadie grabbed her gardening gloves off the counter. “If you’d like, you can help me with dinner, but I won’t be starting it for at least an hour. I’m off to gather a few squash, tomatoes and onions out of the garden.”
Trevor tore into the room and almost smacked into Lani. “Hey, Lani! Wanna come outside and play with me in my hideout?”
Lani looked from Trevor to Sadie. “Sure, if your grandmother doesn’t need me in the garden.”
“You two go ahead.” Sadie picked up a wicker basket from the table. “It’ll give my ears some rest.”
Trevor took Lani by the hand and practically dragged her through the orchard to where his hideout was hidden in the windbreak. His hand felt small and warm in hers.
Through the trees, Lani could see the dirt landing strip where Rick kept his plane, and she shivered. Beyond that, stubby mesquite bushes seemed to go on endlessly to the foot of the mountains. One thing she’d noticed about this part of Arizona was how she could see for miles and miles in the valley. No trees or hills blocked the view, other than those planted around the ranch house.
When they reached the playhouse, she scooted in after Trevor and sat cross-legged on the floor.
“Wanna play chess or checkers?” Trevor snatched a game board from a pile beside the toy box. “Dad and Grandpa taught me how to play both of those games and I’m really good.”
Lani laughed. “You’d probably destroy me at chess, so how about checkers?”
Trevor set up the board in record time, and proved to be a great checkers player. She was amazed at the mature strategy he used to beat her.
When it became too dark to play anymore, they packed up the game and went back to the house. As soon as they walked in the door Lani saw Rick, his hair wet from his shower. Her pulse picked up and butterflies filled her belly.
“Dad!” Trevor ran up to Rick and hugged him. “I beat Lani three times at checkers and she only won two times, but then it got too dark and we had to come back into the house.”
Rick ruffled his son’s hair. “You’ll have to challenge her to chess, next.”
“I did but she said I’d destroy her, so we played checkers.” Trevor whirled and headed for the kitchen. “I’m so hungry I could eat ten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I’m gonna ask Grandma what’s for dinner.”
When Trevor raced around the corner, Rick grasped Lani’s waist and kissed her long and hard. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day long,” he murmured.
“I’ve missed you.” She settled her head against his chest, her hands resting on his shoulders, allowing herself to feel wanted in his embrace. “How was your day?”
“Great, now that I’m home, and you’re in my arms.”
When the house was quiet, and when he was sure Trevor was asleep, Rick went to Lani. Rain fell from the eves outside her bedroom window in soft patters.
She was waiting in one of his denim shirts, the snaps undone to where he could see the curve of her breasts. After he locked the door, he turned to her and she slid her arms around his waist.
“About time.” She tilted her head up to smile at him. “I’ve been dying to get my hands on you.”
He kissed her hard, letting her feel all the passion built up inside him. When he pulled away, his breathing was already ragged from desire. “I almost said to hell with waiting.”
Lani led him to the bed. “Yesterday I promised to kiss you all over, but we were a little, ah, rushed last night,” she said, remembering how they could hardly wait to tear each other’s clothes off once everyone went to bed. This time she wanted it slow, wanted to pleasure him in the ways that he had pleasured her.
Rick helped her pull his T-shirt over his head and his lips quirked into a grin. “You were a quite the little wild thing. Not sure I can wait, though.”
She ran her fingers through the hair on his chest and smiled at the teasing note in his voice. “Well you’re just going to sit back because it’s my turn,” she said as she lightly ran her fingernails over his flat nipples.
Lani skated her fingers down his rock-hard abs to the waistband of his jeans. She unbuttoned them, her knuckles brushing his cock with every movement. His erection seemed to grow harder and longer and she smiled when she saw Rick grit his teeth and clench his hands at his sides. She took her own sweet time as she pushed the jeans to the floor and then he stepped out of them. Before she pulled down his briefs, she ran her hand over the length of his erection, tracing the outline with her fingertips, teasing and taunting him.
“I can’t get over how big you are,” she murmured.
Flames roared in Rick’s gut at her every touch, her every word. The feminine approval in her eyes was obvious as she gazed at his naked body and especially his cock that jutted toward her.
She pulled his briefs slowly down to his feet. “I plan to kiss you everywhere.”
“Everywhere, huh?” He kicked off the briefs then sat on the bed. In a fluid motion he settled on his back, his hands behind his head. “I’m all yours, darlin’.”
“That’s what I want.” Lani eased onto the bed and straddled him, and he almost roared when he felt her bare pussy against his thighs. “All of you.” His denim shirt looked so damn good on her, and he could see the dark circle of her nipples through the opening.
He groaned, wanting to roll her onto her back and thrust into her hard and fast. To hell with it. He wanted to take her now. “You’re gonna torture me, aren’t you, woman?”
“Yeah.” She trailed her fingers through the hair on his chest to his waist and back, but avoided his cock. “I love your body.”
A rumble rose within his chest and he ached to stroke her. He slid his hands under the denim shirt and felt nothing but the satin skin of her hips. Blood pooled in his groin, almost to the point of explosive pain.
Honey-gold hair fell across his face as she brushed her mouth against his. She ran the tip of her tongue over his lips, then slipped into his mouth. She tasted of mint from her toothpaste, along with her own unique flavor. He clenched her hips in his hands as he drank her honeysuckle scent.
Her lips met his nose in a kiss as light and fleeting as a butterfly. Slowly she moved her lips to each eyelid, softly kissing each one. When she trailed her tongue to his ear, she murmured, “I love how you sound like a purring mountain lion when we’re together.”
He reached under the shirt and captured her breasts, then traced her nipples with his thumbs. With a small gasp she arched her back, pressing her hips closer to his, her pussy damp against his cock. She pulled at the snaps of the shirt until it was completely undone, and then let it slide from her shoulders.
Rain continued to pound on the rooftop in time with the beating of his heart. In the low lighting of the Victorian lamp, Rick could clearly see every curve, the way Lani’s breasts rose firm and high and the way her nipples jutted toward him. She was silk and satin, heat and fire, and he wanted her in ways he’d never imagined wanting any woman.