Luke: Armed and Dangerous (16 page)

“She’s dead now.” Brad nodded toward a massive oil painting of a robust woman with
bright brown eyes. It was hanging over an equally massive mantelpiece, as if surveying
the entire room. “Mrs. Fenning. Nice woman, from what I’ve heard. Now, tell me, what
were you doing at Gina’s?”

“Checking on her.” Luke seated himself on the thick leather arm of one of Fenning’s
couches. “She seemed like she had a hard time at the Christmas party.”

Taylor took a seat on the stone hearth of the fireplace, and kept his gaze on Luke’s
face. “You asked her about Guerrero, though.” Luke’s fist clenched before he could
get a handle on himself. “Guerrero’s a bastard. Friend of mine told me he’s been scaring
women in Douglas, and I was afraid he’d come on to Gina—to your sister. That she might
need a little help.”

This seemed to appease Taylor a bit, but his tone stayed wary. “What she needs is
to be left alone.” He shook his head and stared at the stone floor. No dust, no dirt,
no lint. Luke wondered if Taylor kept the place this clean, or if he hired help for
Fenning. “If we’d known about Guerrero and all this drug bullshit, we never would
have moved here.”

Luke shifted on the couch arm. “Do I get to ask where you came from?”

Taylor opened his hands, as if to say fair enough. “I worked on a ranch in Colorado
before I came here.”

The man didn’t say a word about Gina, and the way the afternoon light showed the tight
line of his jaw, Luke figured he didn’t intend to say anything, either. Fine. He wasn’t
about to push it, for now.

He wondered where Fenning was, then figured the old man was probably passed out, tucked
into his room by Brad Taylor, who obviously had a history of taking care of people
who needed him.

“So, Gina’s had it rough.” Luke didn’t intend to pry. He hoped Taylor could understand
that he just meant to be helpful to the woman. “I knew something was wrong. I just
couldn’t put my finger on what it was.”

Taylor stayed way too tense, but Luke could tell the man was working to control himself.
“My sister’s known her share of bad guys. Let’s leave it at that.”

Luke shifted his grip on his Stetson. “Understood.”

Taylor made eye contact with him again—no shotgun this time, but no less serious,
either. “Don’t ask her any more questions, Rider.”

“Not a problem.” Luke gave Taylor a long look. “But I do have a question for you.”

“Guess I owe you an answer.” Taylor’s nod was slight as he spoke. “As long as it doesn’t
cause trouble for Gina.”

Luke fiddled with his hat on purpose, keeping his gaze away from Taylor to make his
inquiry as casual as he could. “The day I came to Gina’s house, were you by any chance
in the barn?”

“Yeah. When I’m not looking after stuff for Mr. Fenning, I have an apartment there.”
Taylor shrugged. “I fix things up for Gina, mend the fences and maintain her appliances—and
make sure she and my niece are safe.”

“Good.” Luke thought about Lola on her tire swing. “I’m glad the little girl has an
uncle on her side.”

This seemed to put Taylor more at ease. “I try. She’s a great kid.”

Luke didn’t ask about Lola’s father, making a money bet to himself that Lola’s dad
might be who Gina was running from. “How’s Fenning?”

Taylor’s frown deepened, and now he looked tired on top of worried. “Rough.”

Luke glanced around the huge living room again, at all the stone and wood and paintings
and happy grandchildren—hints of how hard Fenning had worked in his life. “I didn’t
know he had a problem with drinking. Couldn’t tell by the looks of this place.”

“He’d been sober for years.” Taylor glanced up at the portrait of the stately woman
over the fireplace. “Cleaned up for her, and kept clean, but he fell off the wagon
last month, around the anniversary of Mrs. Fenning’s death.”

Taylor glanced toward a room with a set of closed double doors. Fenning’s study? “I’m
hoping he’ll get it out of his system soon,” Taylor continued, “and I’m taking him
to an AA meeting tomorrow night, if he’s not passed out.”

“Hope it does some good.” Luke stood, intending to see himself out and get back to
Trinity—after he made a phone call to Rios, and checked in with Ralston and Wayland.

Taylor got to his feet, too, and now the man looked bothered. A little guilty. “Rider,
about the gun—”

“Forgotten.” Luke waved him off. “Look after your sister and your niece—and good luck
with Fenning.”

The sound of tires on gravel made both of them look out one of the big front windows.

A silver Jag, an older XJ model, pulled to a hard stop at the edge of the paved driveway,
spraying a cloud of rocks and dust as the tires popped off the side of the pavement.

What the hell?

Luke’s pulse kicked up a notch, and he made a mental check. Phone in his left duster
pocket. Glock in the holster behind his right hip.

Jags weren’t common in this part of the country. This was truck- and SUV-navigated
ranchlands. Was this Guerrero? One of his stooge-assholes?

But Taylor was hanging his head, looking like a dog that had been kicked real hard.

No man could make the guy look like that.

Nope.

Whoever was in that Jag—definitely female.

The minute the door opened, Luke saw an almost pained look of embarrassment claim
Brad Taylor’s face, and he understood. He didn’t even have to see the long legs, the
big chest, or the gray eyes as the pretty—but compared to Taylor, much older—brunette
got out.

Couldn’t be any doubt about who’d come calling.

“Joyce is a friend,” Taylor said, a little too quickly. “With... benefits. As long
as I keep her happy, she helps me keep Fenning’s ranch running and in good shape.
She’s been out of town for a day or two, and—”

“You don’t have to explain.” Luke had already located the nearest back door. “I parked
by the barn, so I don’t think she saw my truck. I’ll let myself out.”

“Thanks.” Taylor was already heading toward the front door to meet his friend.

Luke got out as best he could, and made his way to his truck, feeling like he needed
more than a computer program to keep track of all of Douglas’s secrets.

“Rios,” he said into his phone a few minutes later, as he sped down the road toward
the Flying M. “Find out who Brad Taylor really is, and follow up on his sister. It’s
Gina.”

He waited for Rios to get over being surprised and get the info written down. “I think
we need more eyes and radar on Joyce Butler’s place. I know she’s Ralston’s childhood
buddy, but something about that woman’s just... not right. If he won’t go for it,
get our field office on it.”

***

Without bringing attention to himself, Luke hitched one hip against the door frame
of the MacKenna kitchen and folded his arms across his chest as he watched Trinity
and Skylar prepare a taco dinner.

Zack Hunter came up beside him and stood, speaking so low only Luke could hear him.
“I’ve sent the postcard that Sky received to check for prints, but you know we probably
won’t get much that’s useful.”

Luke knew a lot of people had handled that postcard, no doubt, since it got mailed
from some little town upstate, nowhere near where Gary Woods and his rustling buddies
were being held while they waited for their trials.

“Sky was pretty upset when they came in from the barn,” Zack said. “Let’s keep things
light.”

Luke nodded, and Zack headed to his office in another part of the sprawling ranch
home.

One shotgun in his face—yeah, that was enough for any evening. Light, low-key, all
of that was fine by Luke. Besides, he had to be very careful, since Skylar and Zack
knew about his cover and real background, but Trinity didn’t. He needed to tell her
soon, but it wasn’t that easy, or even that advisable, letting the information out
at this point in the operation. One false move by anybody, with Guerrero already so
damned suspicious, and he could find himself useless in the field, and Rios, too.

Still, after Guerrero’s little stunt at the restaurant, and now the damned postcard,
Luke didn’t want Trinity too far out of his line of sight. Especially now that he
knew Zack—damn him—had involved her in part of the investigation.

That night in the hot tub—
Christ.
He knew Trinity needed time to get her thoughts together, to get past her breakup
and understand what she did and didn’t want in her life, but he’d given her about
all the time he could stand.

He could still taste her, from the flavor of her kisses and the juices between her
thighs. Damn but she was sweet. His cock grew tight against his jeans and he shifted
slightly, hoping nobody would notice he had a major hard-on.

Grease popped and crackled on the stovetop as Skylar dipped a corn tortilla into the
hot liquid to make a taco shell. Warm aromas of seasoned meat, Mexican rice, and refried
beans made Luke’s stomach growl.

Neither of the women had noticed him yet, and it gave Luke a few more moments to study
Trinity as she diced a tomato on a wooden cutting board. Wisps of strawberry blond
hair fell into her eyes, shielding him from her vision, as she slid the knife into
the tomato.

Luke itched to brush the strands behind her ear, to follow his fingers with his tongue
and lick a trail down the row of gold earrings along her lobe. And then he’d bite
her just below her lowest earring, a soft nip that would make her moan for more.

“Hey there, Luke.” At the sound of Skylar’s voice, Trinity’s head shot up and her
cheeks blushed a nice shade of rose as her eyes met his.

“Are you able to join us for dinner tonight, or are you going into town for some Friday-night
action?” Skylar asked.

“Depends.” Luke gave Trinity a slow smile. “If Trinity here is up for dancing, we
could head on over to Sierra Vista.”

Trinity’s eyes widened and she blushed a richer red. “I, uh, can’t. Dance, I mean.”

“Guess I’ll just stay for dinner then.” Luke winked then turned his attention to Skylar.
“Need a hand?”

“You’re not flirting with my little sister, are you?” Skylar cocked an eyebrow, the
corner of her mouth quirking into a smile.

Luke gave a slow nod as his gaze moved back to Trinity. “I am. I’m doing exactly that.”

Skylar laughed and gestured with the tortilla she was holding. “You could cut up the
onions for Trinity. She hates them.”

At the mention of onions, Trinity’s freckled nose crinkled and she pointed the knife
she was holding at a bunch of green onions on the granite countertop. “Have at it,
big guy.”

“Sure thing.” Luke ambled over to the sink and washed his hands. Trinity kept her
attention focused on the tomato, dicing it into the smallest bits he’d ever seen.
“You aiming to turn that into sauce?”

Trinity’s cheeks burned as she stopped in mid-chop and stared down at the desecrated
tomatoes. “I, uh, like them that way.” She lifted the cutting board and scraped the
tomato goop into a bowl with the knife.

Darned if she was going to tell Luke that she’d been daydreaming about him the whole
time she was dicing the tomato. He was all she’d been thinking about, every minute,
and it was going to drive her crazy.

“How would you like to join us for dinner first of the week, too, Luke?” Skylar asked
from behind them. “Rylie’s coming with her brother Levi, and we’re playing poker afterward.
You’d make it an even six.”

Trinity cut her gaze to meet Luke’s and he grinned. “Strip poker?” he said with a
teasing glint in his eyes and Skylar laughed. “Count me in.”

“Just be prepared to ante up, cowboy.” Skylar banged the frying pan against a burner
as she moved it off the heat. “And keep your clothes on.”

Luke chuckled and gave Trinity a look that said he could see right through her blouse.
Her body ached so badly for him she could hardly stand it.

“I’m finished with the taco shells,” Skylar said, and Trinity glanced over her shoulder
to see her sister shut off the stovetop burner. “I’ll let Zack know dinner’s about
ready,” Skylar added. “Back in a sec.”

The moment she left the kitchen, Luke moved close to Trinity, his jean-clad thighs
brushing against her as he murmured, “How was your afternoon?”

Luke’s spicy aftershave flowed over Trinity, bringing back memories of the Christmas
party and of the hot tub, and the way he held her today when he talked to her on their
walk.

How was she supposed to concentrate on his words?

She looked away from Luke and slipped the vegetable knife into the dishwasher, barely
able to think with him so close. “Ah... fine,” she said as she shut the dishwasher
door. “But I enjoyed my lunch a lot more.”

He caught her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. His touch caused her skin
to tingle and her nipples to peak beneath her blouse.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, his blue eyes intent. “And you know how much I want you.”

“I... um...” Trinity could scarcely breathe the way Luke was looking at her. “Want...”

Yeah. That’s what she was doing.

Wanting.

It was all she could do.

His smile was tight. “You think you’re about over breaking up with what’s-his-name?”

“Race,” Trinity muttered, vaguely remembering her ex-boyfriend’s e-mail. “Nothing
to get over, really. It wasn’t that kind of relationship.”

Damn, she wanted to slide her fingers into the thick brown hair beneath his cowboy
hat. She wanted to see his incredible body again, touch him and taste him... and finally,
finally feel him inside her.

Cripes but she had it bad.

Lust. A serious case of cowboy lust.

Luke’s smile turned sensual as he ran his thumb along her lower lip. “I can read those
pretty green eyes, sugar. We’re right for one another, but you’re not feeling sure
about that yet, are you?”

“You don’t know what I’m thinking,” she whispered. “And you don’t know we’re right
for each other.”

“It’s the truth.” Luke lowered his head, bringing his mouth inches above hers. “You’re
flat out too scared to admit it.”