Southern Comfort (3 page)

Then, well maybe she'd think about asking Riley if he wanted to meet. It wasn't like she expected them to take a look at each other and fall madly in love, but despite reality not surpassing fantasy, he had become a really good friend and she'd like to meet him in person.

The doorbell rang and she remembered the locksmith. Hurrying to the door, she dismissed thoughts of Texas and focused on the right now – namely making sure Rodrick Becke didn't set foot in this house again without having to break the damn door down.

  Chapter Three

Rodrick closed the lid on his laptop and swiveled in his chair to face the ceiling-to-floor bank of windows behind him. Fifty floors up, his office looked out over New York, sprawled like a decadent whore, a bit rough around some edges but still the most magnificent piece of ass in the brothel.

He'd always thought of New York as his, as if he commanded the city, sitting in his steel and glass tower, moving money across continents, affecting economies, controlling lives and industries. It made him the next thing to a god, and he was addicted to the power it bestowed.

He sighed and stood, jamming his hands into the pockets of his pants. Things were starting to look serious. His father and brother had assured him that no one could prove Becke Ltd was guilty of any wrong-doing. He'd been given assurance that great care had been taken to make sure the family and the company were protected.

It was not what they said that bothered him, as much as what they did not say. His brother Rolf had brought business into the company that was tainted with the stench of organized crime. If it had been only of a domestic variety, it would have boded ill, but Rolf was an ambitious man. Becke Ltd was now in bed with criminal organizations around the globe.

Dirty money was laundered every day. Rolf often laughed that they were the world's most profitable cleaners. There was a time Rodrick had tried to laugh about it, but the truth was, he'd never wanted to be part of that. Sure, he wasn't above juggling the books to put more in his own pocket, but he was very careful to make sure what ‘
extra´
he took was taken in small, virtually unnoticeable amounts.

When billions of dollars were trading hands every year, funneling a half of a percent to an off-shore account was child's play. What Rolf had gotten them into could not only land them behind bars, but quite possibly six feet under. Rodrick was getting jumpier by the day, looking for threats at every turn.

With a groan he pulled his hands from his pockets and covered his face, his fingers massaging the orbits of his eyes where a stress headache threatened. Damn Analise. She'd wrecked everything. If she'd left things alone, he could have taken Gina and fled. But now that escape route had been ruined.

Damn Analise.

The sound of his office door closing had him whirling around with his heart pounding. He almost lunged for his desk drawer where he kept the handgun he purchased a few months ago. What met his eyes didn't slow his heart-rate, but the speed had nothing to do with fear. Gina Russo. Just looking at her aroused him. Even now he marveled that she had fallen for him.

Gina was not yet thirty, had the body of a Victoria's Secret model, a face beautiful enough to stop traffic and was, without a doubt, the most passionate, and inventive lover imaginable. There was nothing she wouldn't try and she indulged his every fantasy.

Just looking at her inspired an erection. Rodrick had never wanted a woman the way he wanted Gina. She had appeared in his life during a time when he and Analise were little more than room-mates, navigating the house in ways to avoid running into one another.

Gina had brought laughter, excitement and passion back into his life. He would do anything to keep her.

"Gina, what are you doing here, darling?"

"I was worried." She crossed the room to him, her walk that sensual sway that made a man's eyes move up and down her body. "You were so distracted today at lunch and after that fight you had with—"

He put his fingers to her lips. "Shhh, I told you, it will be fine."

She raised both hands to wrap around his wrist and guide his finger into her perfectly colored and glossed lips. He couldn't stop the reaction of his body to her actions.

When she slid his fingers from her mouth, she dropped his hand and placed hers on his chest, leaning in a bit closer.."I'm frightened, Ricky."

"Of what?"

"My safety. My credit card. The one you got me a few months ago. It was declined today at Macy's. And when I left, two men in a dark sedan followed me at Macy’s, and when I left I was followed by two men in a dark sedan)

"Are you certain they were following you?"

"Yes. They pulled up to the curb when the driver stopped at the penthouse."

Rodrick pulled her into his arms. "I'll figure a way out of this, Gina."

She pushed back to look at him. "You better."

With that she pulled away, hugging herself. "I wake at night in a cold sweat, imagining what kind of financial ruin this could put you in."

She pivoted on one sharp pointed stiletto to face him. "Are you sure you don't know where the money is?"

"Yes, I told you. I've looked but Rolf has me locked out of some parts of the system and—"

"Then find someone who can let you back in!  Ricky, you have to do something!"

"I know. And I'm trying. I swear I am. Just give me a little more—"

"No." Gina held up one manicured hand. "I love you, Ricky, but I live in a state of anxiety and I can't go on like this. You have to do it now or…or I will have to – to walk away."

"No!" He rushed to her, taking her by the arms. "No. You can't leave me."

"I can. I won't have a choice if you don't do something."

  I'll fix this Gina. Somehow I'll fix it. I promise. I'll find enough to satisfy them for now until I can figure out where the rest of it is."

"What about the money your wife stole from you?  Can't you get that?"

"She put it in an account in her name only."

"But you're her husband."

"That doesn't matter. Unless she dies, I can't touch it."

"So you can't touch it even though you’re married but if she died you could?  That doesn't make sense."

"It's because of our wills. Were she to die, her will gives me everything she has, including the money she took."

"Then it's a shame that bitch didn't get run over by a truck today."

"Gina, darling, you don't mean that."

"Oh yes I do. It's her or us, Ricky. Which is more important to you?"

Rodrick pulled Gina into his arms to hide his expression from her. She'd always been able to read him and he had no desire for her to know the chill her words gave. He'd admit that he was furious with Analise for taking the money, but even so, he wouldn't wish death on her. He might have stopped loving her a long time ago, but he didn't have the heart to wish for something like that.

Still, that horrible little voice inside his head said that it would make things a lot easier. If he had that money, he could pacify the people who posed the greatest threat to him. Or he'd have enough to run away with Gina and live comfortably for the rest of his life.

If only he had that money.

*****

Distant lightning drew Riley's attention as he stepped out of his truck in the parking lot of Billy's Bar. The weather forecaster had damn near crowed with the announcement they had a sixty percent chance of rain tonight. Riley would believe it when he saw it. The drought of the last few months was hurting everyone, ranchers and farmers alike.

Were it not for Cotton Creek, which ran right smack dab through his property, he'd probably have lost a lot of his herd. Now the creek was running lower than it had in the last decade. Hoping that distant lightning was the portend of a house- shaking, gully-washer of a storm, he reached inside his truck for his guitar case.

A dozen or more voices called out greetings the moment he walked into the bar. Riley couldn't help but grin. Billy's was the real life equivalent of
Cheers
. Here everyone
did
know your name. He returned the greetings as he walked over and took a seat on a stool at the end of the bar.

"What'cha having, Riley?" Cody Sweet, the tiny brunette woman behind the bar grinned at him.

"Whatever's on draft."

"It's on the house since you're playing."

"Well, in that case…whatever's on draft."

Cody chuckled and drew him a beer. "Dad tell you I have my eyes on a new mare?"

"Don't believe he did."

"She's a beaut. I'd like to breed her to Twostep."

"I thought your daddy said you were gonna get rid of that hellfire."

"He wants me to, but you know I love that horse. And he's only mean to people he doesn’t like."

Riley chuckled. "Which is damn near everyone."

Cody grinned. "That new fella of yours has me teaching him to rope. Seems he has a hankering to try his hand at rodeoing."

"Yeah, he has a hankering to try his hand at everything."

"He is mighty enthusiastic."

"So how long's he been at it?"

"A couple of weeks. He's actually got potential. But I wanna pit him up against a feisty beast and I know you got that one cow that's ornery as a snake, so I was hoping I could ride over Sunday afternoon and round her up. If that's okay with you."

"Just fine. You wanna stay to dinner?"

"Are you cooking?"

This time it was a full-blown laugh that emerged. "Oh no. You, Cody Sweet did
not
cast aspersions on my skills in the kitchen. Why, if memory serves, the last time I was at your house for dinner-"

Cody tossed a bar cloth at him. "Don't say it."

Riley caught the cloth and grinned at her. "Yeah, I'm cooking. Steak and potatoes. Even I can't mess that up."

She laughed and snatched back the bar cloth. "Well fine then. I'd love to, Riley."

They and everyone else in Cotton Creek knew that there was a lot of things Cody Sweet could do, but cooking was not on the list. Unlike her mama and her sister, Hannah, Cody had no talent for cooking. In fact, Billy, her father, always joked that Cody could burn water.

"So." She leaned over the bar toward him. "What do you hear from Miss Stained Butt?"

"I should'a never told you that."

"Oh come on, it was funny. And it's not like I'm gonna tell anyone. But no matter what you say, Riley, I know there's something going on there. You been messaging with her for forever."

"Forever?"

"Well for a year at least. Come on, fess up."

"I told you, we're just friends."

"Yeah right. You ought to invite her to come down for the annual rodeo and barbecue bash. It's just around the corner. She might get a kick out of it seeing as how she writes those romance books about cowboys. And oh damn, I almost forgot. I read her last book and god as my witness, every time her hero, Colt, opened his mouth it was you."

"Excuse me?"

"He talked just like you."

"Along with half of Texas."

"No, it was you, Riley. I bet you a dollar to a donut she used you as her hero. I think she has a crush on you."

"She's never even met me."

"But you Facebook message with her more than KC Snapchats with her friends. Which reminds me, are you ever gonna put your picture on your profile?"

"Probably not."

"Well why not. Hell, Riley, you're hot – for an old guy, I mean."

"An old guy?" He pretended shock at the comment, knowing full well it was not intended as an insult.

"Well you are old enough to be my daddy."

"That I am."

"And if I didn't love you like family, I might even be tempted, so why not add a photo?  I'll take one for you."

"You know why I don't."

Cody shrugged. "Sometimes you have to let go of the past, Riley."

"Hello pot. I'm Kettle, nice to meet you."

Cody's eyes narrowed for a moment but then she shrugged. "Yep, it takes one to know one, don't it?  You want a refill on that beer?"

"You got any barbecue left?  I didn't have time to eat."

"I made up some sandwiches for dinner. Wanna split with me?"

"How many you got?"

"Four."

"Well, if you're sure you can survive with just two."

"For you, I'll make the sacrifice. Let me run back and warm 'em up. Cole slaw and potato salad?  Hannah made 'em both fresh today."

"That'd be good."

"You got it." She refilled his beer and then headed for the kitchen, hollering for her sister. "Hannah, watch the bar!"

Riley grinned and turned to look around. The place was pretty packed, but then it was almost nine o'clock on a Saturday night. Lot of folks looked forward to throwing back a few brews at Billy's. It was a place to socialize, dance and unwind from the week.

He spotted Otis, Jimmy and Fred on the old stage, setting up. Billy walked up behind him. "So you playing or drinking?"

"Little of both. Cody's gonna share her dinner with me. Didn't have time to eat."

"Cody's giving you half her food?  Now that's love. Dang if she can't out eat half the men in Cotton Creek. Her mama spent half her childhood fearing she had a tapeworm."

"She can put it away."

"That she can. Okay, when you'd done, let's get to it."