Luke (Armed and Dangerous Book 2) (7 page)

“Is that why she took up with Guerrero? Some sort of daddy-payback thing?” With a wry smile, Luke added, “Sorry to interrogate you, but after I sided with Nevaeh in the fight, it’s not likely I’ll get anything out of Ms. Butler.”

“I’d say that depends on what you’re willing to give her in return.” The CBP agent folded his arms across his chest.

“No thanks.” Luke shook his head. “That one’s definitely not my speed, either. Butler’s full-throttle, damn the curves, and I’m thinking she doesn’t much care what she drives.”

Ralston’s sigh said a lot. “It’s sad, but that’s how Joyce operates. The lady doesn’t like spending nights alone.”

Luke waited and watched Ralston shift through different emotions. The man’s face finally settled into an expression that told Luke his loyalty to law enforcement was winning out over old friendships.

“To answer your question, no. I don’t think Joyce planned to use Guerrero to jab at her father. I think she just wanted his company, his attention—but I get the feeling she got into something. Something way over her head. I think she’s scared of the bastard now, but she won’t admit it to me.” Ralston’s color darkened. “Even if she did admit that, I’m not sure she’d tell me why.”

Luke took this in and waited some more, because gut instinct told him Ralston had a little bit more to say.

Ralston’s frown turned deep and Luke got his first glimpse of a side of the man that wasn’t laid-back at all. “I’ve got reason to believe Joyce knows a little about how Guerrero’s getting his goods across the line—that she may have been helping him round up UDAs to use as mules. If he even needs mules.” Ralston gestured to the door of the sunroom. “Hell, Joyce’s family owns half the borderland in these parts. Guerrero could have tunnels on one of those properties.”

Hooking his thumbs in his Wranglers, Luke rocked back on his heels. “Joyce Butler would have agreed to something like that?”

“Not if she had a choice—she’s not stupid.” Noah raked his fingers through his dark hair and grimaced. “But since Guerrero showed up, women I’ve known for years have left, or changed, or gone squirrely like Joyce. I wish I could figure that bastard’s angle. I don’t know how he gets them on his hook, or how he keeps them—but I know one thing for sure. Francisco Guerrero doesn’t seem to give women many choices at all.”

Gina Garcia, the pretty blond doing all she could to give her kid a good start in the world, drifted by the sunroom, looking as lost and frightened as a woman could look. Luke studied her wide eyes, her pale face, and the way she seemed cut off from anything safe and comfortable. “Yeah,” he said to Ralston. “I’m beginning to get that impression.”

The knot in Trinity’s belly grew tighter as she drove closer to the Flying M Ranch. She’d changed out of the wild made-for-Nevaeh- and-not-Trinity outfit, and into a pair of worn Levi’s, a royal blue scoop-necked T-shirt, thick socks, and Nikes. She’d even taken a moment to tone down the blush on her cheeks with a tissue. Didn’t have to worry about the lipstick—Luke had eaten that off.

Shivers skated along Trinity’s skin at the mere thought. Cripes— when would she be able to push that kiss and that man to the back of her mind?

She guided the Mustang onto the dirt road leading to the MacKenna ranch. It’d been over four years since she’d been home. Four years since she’d stormed out and told Skylar she didn’t care if she ever saw her again.

It had taken Trinity a long time to realize that Skylar had done the best job she could in raising Trinity. Sure, there were only a few years between the two of them, but Skylar had been there for everything when their mother died and their father drew away from them.

In Trinity’s immaturity, she had seen only that Skylar had what she didn’t—beauty, talent, intelligence... But one day, long after she’d established herself with Wildgames in Europe, it had hit Trinity that she did have all that Skylar did, she had just needed to recognize her own self-worth. Skylar had tried to tell her that time after time, but Trinity had let envy—jealousy—cloud their relationship.

Eventually, when Trinity had moved to England, she’d sent Skylar a letter, chatty and friendly, trying to reestablish their relationship. Skylar had been warm and receptive, just as always.

That had been a couple of years ago, and now, Trinity had come home. It really was time to make amends. To say the things she should have said long ago.

And to finally bury the old, insecure part of herself she should have laid to rest with her troubled childhood.

Meaty MacKenna...

Countless memories unraveled in Trinity’s mind as the Mustang’s wheels rattled over the cattle guard. She slowed the car down as she drove toward the house.

Toward her home.

She’d spent her entire life at the Flying M, up until her two years at the university and then the last four years in Europe. She’d practiced calf roping and barrel racing in those corrals to the northeast of the ranch house. Despite darkness shrouding the ranch she could easily make out the split-rail fencing and the water trough made from a fifty-gallon steel drum.

And over there, in that huge old barn, was where they kept Dancer, Trinity’s mare. Farther out back she could even see the bunkhouse where most of the ranch hands lived, and she smiled. When she was growing up on the ranch, she’d certainly had her fair share of crushes on hot cowboys.

At the thought of cowboys, one particularly tall and good-looking one came immediately to mind. Amazing—she’d finally been able to forget Luke Rider for all of what, three minutes?

As she brought the Mustang to a halt in front of the house and switched off the ignition, the knot in her belly rose into her chest, making even breathing difficult. Why was she so anxious about getting together with her sister after all this time? Maybe it was the combination of seeing Skylar, and what had happened earlier with Luke.

After she took a couple of deep breaths, Trinity climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind her. A dog barked from inside the house and the tawny glow of lights spilled through the kitchen’s curtains.

She paused for a moment to look up at the now almost clear star-spattered sky. Wow. She’d missed the sight of all those stars. It was so dark out here in the middle of nowhere that stars were far more plentiful and brilliant, and the Milky Way was like white cotton candy spun across the universe.

Dirt and rocks crunched under her shoes as she made herself walk toward the house. Rain-fresh desert air filled her senses, along with the instantly familiar ranch smells of cattle and horses. The weeping willows and oaks had sure grown in the past four years.

Wooden stairs squeaked as she jogged up them to the plant- crowded porch, thick enough that it looked like a small jungle.

A porch light flicked on as Trinity reached the front door, and she blinked away the sudden brightness. The rattle of the doorknob caused the knots in her belly and chest to double. Then triple.

The door swung open, but Trinity couldn’t make out the shadowed figure in the entrance, until the person stepped onto the porch.

Skylar.
She hadn’t changed much in four years—if anything she was more beautiful than ever. Her auburn hair flowed around her shoulders, her skin as flawless and perfect as it had always been.

Only she seemed happy. Happier than Trinity remembered ever seeing her.

“Yes?” Skylar cocked her head, a puzzled smile on her pretty face. “Can I—” Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “Trinity?”

Trinity gave her sister a little smile, pleased that Skylar had remembered to use that name and not Madeline. “Hey, Skylar.”

“You
brat!
” In the next moment Skylar had her arms wrapped around Trinity, hugging her so tight that the air whooshed out of her lungs. Skylar still smelled of orange blossoms, and her embrace was warm and loving. “I missed you so much, knothead,” Skylar whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

Trinity pulled away and smiled, swallowing hard and fighting back tears that she’d never expected. “I missed you, too, string bean. I didn’t realize just how much till now.”

“You look so—so different.” Skylar shook her head as she held Trinity by the shoulders and looked her up and down. “I thought you had to be someone who’d gotten lost or something. Until I saw your eyes. You have Mom’s eyes, you know.”

A dog barked as though in agreement, and Trinity reached down to pet the black-and-white Border Collie. “That’s Blue,” Skylar said as Trinity rubbed the dog behind his ears.

“What a gorgeous boy you are,” Trinity crooned.

“Think you might like to let her in out of the cold, Sky?” a masculine voice asked. Only one man had ever called Skylar “Sky.” Trinity’s gaze shot up to see Zack Hunter standing just behind Skylar.

“Zack?” was all Trinity could manage as she stood straight and looked at the man who had once been her sister’s boyfriend— about ten years ago.

“I was saving this as a surprise, for the next time we talked.” Skylar grinned up at Zack before looking back to Trinity. “Come on in and say hello to my husband.”

“Your husband?” Trinity stumbled across the threshold as she followed Skylar, Zack, and Blue into the ranch house, and let the door swing shut behind her. “You’re married?”

“Almost two months.” Skylar held up her left hand, the marquis stone in her wedding band glittering in the light. To each side of the diamond a peridot was set in the gold band. “It happened too fast to send out invitations and do all the formalities.”

“Wow.” Trinity sighed with admiration at the ring. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Welcome home.” Zack settled his arm around Trinity’s shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. “Sky, why don’t I leave you ladies to catch up while I head to the study?” he said as he released her.

“To watch the end of the football game no doubt.” Skylar grabbed him by his shirt collar and reached up to brush her lips over his.

“Watch it, woman.” Zack’s voice rumbled as he wrapped his arms around Skylar’s waist. “I might just throw you over my shoulder and cart you off to the bedroom, reunion with your sister be damned.”

“Mmmm,” Skylar murmured against his lips. “Promises.”

Zack gave Skylar a smoldering look that reminded Trinity of the way Luke had looked at her earlier. Hot, sensual, and possessive. The kind of look that curled a woman’s toes.

I’ve. Got. To. Stop.

No more. No more about Luke.

Zack gave Skylar a hard kiss and then winked at Trinity before walking past the enormous Christmas tree and striding down the hall toward the study.

For a moment Trinity had to stand and absorb the living room of the place that had been her home since her birth until she left for Europe. There had been some changes in the past four years. Lots more house plants filled the room that was decorated in a Southwestern motif. Navajo rugs were scattered across the tile floor and the walls were covered with a combination of Southwestern oil paintings and family portraits. Skylar still had all the pictures of Trinity and other members of the family on the end tables, as well as lots of new ones that she’d have to spend time looking at later.

The room smelled of pine from the Christmas tree, and of leather from the overstuffed chairs and couches. And there was that old rocker that their mom used to rock them in when they were little, long before she’d died.

When Trinity’s eyes met Skylar’s, her sister flashed a grin and motioned toward the kitchen. “Let’s fill one another in over our favorite chatty food.”

“Rocky road?” Trinity laughed as her sister headed toward the freezer with Blue at their heels. “Remember all the times we’d sit at the table with a half gallon of the stuff and eat it straight from the carton with a spoon?”

“Ohhhh, do I ever.” Skylar yanked open the freezer door, then dug out the ice cream carton.

After grabbing a couple of clean spoons out of the dishwasher, Skylar and Trinity settled at the table in the breakfast nook, while Blue curled up at Skylar’s feet. A peridot heart pendant sparkled at Skylar’s throat, and Trinity shook her head, remembering all those years ago when Skylar had said she’d never wear it again.

Incredible how things change. How people change.

The carton made a sucking sound as Trinity popped off the lid. “You bought this just because I was coming home, I’ll bet.”

Skylar stuck her spoon into the container and scooped out a spoonful. “Uh-huh.” Her gaze lighted on Trinity’s left ear, and then she tilted her head and looked at Trinity’s right. “Very cool. Definitely suits your sexy new image.”

Trinity shook her head and laughed. Thinking of herself as sexy was taking some getting used to.

The sisters spent the next three hours bringing one another up to date on their lives. Skylar told Trinity how Zack had come back, determined to make up for lost time. “And have we ever,” she said with a laugh.

Trinity shared with Skylar all she’d done while living abroad, the places she’d been, the people she worked with, and even a bit about Race. She was surprised at her reluctance to talk about the man she’s been with for two years. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Skylar that she thought he was going to give her an engagement ring for Christmas.

And she definitely couldn’t bring up the cowboy she’d met tonight. No, that was better left unsaid.

One kiss, one night, end of story.

Even after the sisters had hugged and said good night, and Trinity had crawled into the four poster bed in her old bedroom, she couldn’t get Luke Rider off her mind.

Instead she stared up at the canopy, looking at the patterns of colorful light on the white fabric that were reflected there from her Tiffany lamp with the stained-glass shade. In place of the colors, she saw Luke, reliving every touch of his hands, his lips, his body.

Trinity pulled her nightgown over her head and tossed it on the floor before she shimmied out of her thong and ditched it, too. She brought her hands up to her breasts and pinched the bare nipples. Instead of the one man she’d had sex with for the past two years, she could only visualize Luke. Could only imagine his hands caressing her, flicking his thumbs over her nipples.