Wildcard (14 page)

He’d given it to her hard last time and he’d wanted to take it nice and slow, but right now all he could think about was driving into her until she screamed out with her climax.

“Fuck me, Jess,” she demanded, and that was all it took.

“Grab hold,” he said even as he cupped her ass, raised her up and impaled her slick core with his cock.

“Yes!” she shouted as she gripped his shoulders, wrapped her legs around his waist beneath his duster, and arched her back. “God, you’re just perfect.”

Jess lifted her up and down on his cock, her bare ass rubbing against his jeans every time he buried himself deep inside her.

Harder and harder he rammed Trace, and she only begged for more. He’d never in his life been so crazy, so frantic—so in love with a woman like this.

Trace’s cry tore through the cave as her pussy contracted around his cock. Jess thrust again and again and again, and she shuddered and rode out every wave of her orgasm.

Sweat poured down his face, down his chest, and down his abs, to the place where they were joined. A burst of sensation exploded in his loins and he came inside Trace in a heated rush.

Trace collapsed against his shoulder, her breathing harsh and warm upon his skin. He held her tight, keeping his cock firmly within his woman as it continued to throb and pulse.

Shit.
They’d done it again—no condom. Damn, but this woman made him crazy.

“Jess,” Trace said against his shoulder, her voice husky and filled with passion. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

In the next instant he heard an all too familiar click, and he froze as ice chilled his spine. Jess pressed Trace tight to him, shielding her with his body.

Laughter came from behind them and then a voice said, “At least you got that out of your system, honey…before you have to die.”

Chapter Fourteen

Fuck
. Jess’s gut clenched as Trace gasped and stiffened in his arms. His cock was still lodged inside her pussy, she was completely naked and vulnerable…

And there was a gun-wielding bitch with her sites trained on them.

He turned his head and focused his gaze on Kathy Newman while protecting Trace the best he could with his body. “We’re a little busy here,” he said, trying to stall for time as he formulated a plan to get him and Trace out of this mess he’d gotten them into.

Trace peeked over his shoulder, her eyes wide. “Kathy?” Her gaze rested on the slim semi-automatic in Newman’s grip, and Trace audibly caught her breath. “What’s going on?”

Big Tits smiled and rested one shoulder against the cave wall, her grip never wavering. “You already know I’m an expert marksman. No doubt you realize in two shots you’ll both be dead.”

Jess didn’t waste words. Instead he sized Newman up…the unwavering confidence in her eyes, the egotistical curve of her mouth, and her relaxed stance.

“Why?” Trace asked, and before he could stop her, she eased her legs from around his waist. His cock slid out of her core as she stood in his embrace.

“I rather liked you in that position.” Newman aimed her gun at Trace’s temple. “Make another move like that and you’ll be one dead little slut.”

Forcing his arms to relax around Trace, Jess said, “Let Trace grab her clothes and leave. This isn’t about her.”

“Oh, sure. Like
that’s
going to happen.” The woman grinned, and she actually looked like she was having a little fun.

Egotistical bitch thought this all was a game. Well, he sure as hell could use that to his advantage.

Newman’s gaze lingered for a moment on his cock and her tongue flicked against her lower lip. “Nice firearm you’ve got there.” Her cold gray eyes moved to Trace. “What a waste, firing your bullets in
that
hole. I came ‘round your place last night, to show you what a real woman could offer, but you weren’t home. Pity. I sure wanted a good fuck before I had to kill you.”

Jess ground his teeth as he clenched Trace’s arm tighter and felt her tremble beneath his hand. He didn’t know whether it was from cold, embarrassment, or anger, but figured it was probably a little of everything.

“Toss me your weapon.” Newman turned her gun on Jess. “The one you keep under your duster. And you know the old cliché…nice and slow, cowboy.”

Jess released Trace and started to ease his right hand towards his back.

“Uh-uh.” Big Tits shook her head. “I’ve had several pairs of eyes on you these last couple of weeks and I know you’re right handed.” She indicated Trace with a nod. “Hold onto the slut’s arm with your shooting hand, where I can see it. Use your left to bring out the gun.”

Jess tensed at her reference to his woman, but obliged and gripped Trace’s arm with his right hand. He could feel her shaking even harder, and sensed her fear and confusion.

Very slowly he moved his left hand beneath his duster. ‘Course he was just as deadly a shot with his left as his right, but he wasn’t about to take a chance with Trace’s life. He’d have to find another way to deal with this bitch.

Newman pointed her gun toward Trace’s head again. “You know she’s dead if you make me the tiniest bit suspicious.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said as he slid one finger along the cell phone in his holster and pressed button number one…all in the same motion it took to move his hand to the butt of his gun.

Keeping his movements as slow as possible, Jess brought out the gun and held it up where the woman could see it, barrel pointing down. “What do you want with my gun, Newman?”

She indicated the cave opening with a jerk of her head. “Throw it all the way up there.”

Jess tossed his weapon. It clattered, spun, and came to an abrupt stop at the boulder that guarded the entrance.

Her eyes never left his. “How does it feel to be left alone and defenseless with your cock hanging out, Agent Lawless?”

God damn it.
How far would she take this?

Trace gasped as she stared at Kathy, unable to believe what the woman had just said. “Agent?” she repeated as she looked to Jess and almost reflexively started to step away from him.

“Don’t move,” he commanded her, tightening his grip on her arm.

Newman giggled and propped one hand on her hip, her nails bright red against her jeans and her pale gray eyes filled with mirth. “Sorry to spoil those feelings of love,
sugar.
” She gestured at Jess with her gun. “Got a little insider info of my own that told me all about what’s really going on. This slick cowboy’s been fucking you for information and to get closer to that whore sister of yours. Dee MacLeod’s been one of his prime suspects from day one in a little matter of drug smuggling.”

Trace had felt cold and vulnerable as she’d stood there in only her socks and looking down the barrel of the gun. But now the slow heat of anger and confusion crept through her, melting away the frost.

She couldn’t for a moment believe that Jess had been using her. It wasn’t possible.

“You lying bitch.” Trace clenched her fists as she glared at Kathy.

“Go on.” Kathy smiled at Jess and gave an encouraging nod. “Tell her that you’re an undercover intelligence agent with the DEA and that you hired on to the Flying M to investigate Dee.”

Trace’s gaze shot to meet his. “Jess?” she whispered, feeling like she was caught up in the middle of a kaleidoscope…her whole world seemed to turn upside down and every which way with only a few words, and nothing was what she thought it was. “Are you—is this…true?”

The grip he had on her upper arm lessened and he rubbed his thumb along the soft flesh of her inner elbow, as though to comfort her. “I am with the DEA, and yes, your sister was part of the investigation, but—”

She jerked her arm away. “You used me?”

“Damn it.” He scowled. “No—”

“Shut up,” Kathy shouted loud enough to cut through his denial, her voice echoing throughout the cave. “Time to get you two down to where the action is. You’re both going to be my saving grace, so to speak. Savage and Jarrod are far too close, just like you, Jess. Hell, even Rick’s got the pieces and he’s trying to put them together. We need a smokescreen fast, so thanks for coming way up here. Now I can solve two problems at once.”

Jess gave Trace a measured look, as though that was meant to clear up all the lies. If there wasn’t a gun trained on them right now, she’d have socked him in the gut, like she’d done in the barn, but this time she’d make sure it would hurt like hell.

He turned away from Trace, every possible scenario running through his mind as he fixed his gaze on Kathy. “Let’s see…Trace and I are going to have a lover’s quarrel. I’ll have supposedly shot her with my weapon and then turned my gun on myself. That’ll keep everybody stirred up and distracted while you shut down this pipeline and move the operation elsewhere.”

Kathy’s lips tightened and her smile seemed forced. “My, what a smart special agent you are.”

A muscle twitched along his jaw line. “Not very original, Newman.”

“Whatever.” The woman gave a bored look and braced her shooting arm with her opposite hand. Looked like she might be tiring a bit. “With the extra groundwork I’ve laid and doing it all here, on the MacLeod ranch—well, that gives me some advantages, too. It’ll be a big help when the feds think they’ve found the pipeline and the bitch responsible. That way, they won’t come looking for us any time soon.”

“You’re gonna try to make it look like Dee was running your drug operation all along,” Jess said like it was cold fact. “Then you’ll quietly wait until everything dies down and open up shop.”

Smile broadening, Kathy replied, “Something like that.”

“Your family has money.” Jess narrowed his gaze. “What the hell are you running drugs for?”

“Oh, get real.” Kathy rolled her eyes, but then focused on Jess in a flash. “You know as much as I do, there’s never enough to go ‘round.”

“And like father, like daughter,” Jess said quietly.

“You leave my daddy out of this.” Newman’s hand trembled, the gun wavered slightly and Jess knew he’d struck a nerve.

“Henry Newman retired.” Jess took advantage of her distracted anger and stuffed his cock back in his jeans as he spoke and zipped them up. He knew now she wasn’t planning to shoot them until she got them to another location. Jess would be too big a body to drag far, and she couldn’t afford an evidence trail that close to the cave. Not yet anyway. “Henry turned over the family business to his little girl,” Jess continued, “and she’s trying to make it as big as Daddy did.”

Anger turned Kathy’s face an odd shade of purple. “I’ve made this operation bigger than he ever dreamed. Hell, my men are smuggling double the drugs from Mexico, and security is ten times tougher these days.”

“And you’re in tight with the Mexican drug cartel.” Jess fastened his belt and dropped his hands to his sides. “Bet Daddy’s proud.”

Trace folded her arms across her naked breasts and stared at Newman, an incredulous look on her face. “How do you intend to pin your drug smuggling on Dee?”

“Well, you see…” Kathy’s expression was like a wicked little girl who always got her way. “Dee MacLeod will be getting an urgent message from her kid sister to meet her right away. Near here, of course.” Sighing, as though with great pleasure, Kathy continued, “Your sister will find both of your very dead bodies about the same time the sheriff’s department arrives to investigate an anonymous tip.”

Trace’s thoughts spun and she hugged herself tighter, her body shivering as she grew even more numb from the cold. “So…you were the one who sent the post card,” she said, her voice harsh. “To…to frame my sister?”

“You got that right.” Kathy grinned. “All part of the plan. It’ll help back up the ‘evidence’ showing that she double-crossed her partners.”

The woman’s giggle was really getting annoying. Her voice was almost singsong as she went on, “The sheriff and deputies will find not only bodies, but plenty of drugs and meticulous records that show Dee’s been running this operation for the past two years. Motive, opportunity—it’ll be a slam-dunk.”

“They’ll never buy it,” Jess said. “You’re wasting your time.”

“I’ve bought the best forgery in the country. So good, in fact, that Dee MacLeod will be locked away for a very long time.” Kathy stuck out her lower lip and shook her head. “Sad, really. Grieving in jail for her dead sister, and for her husband who will have lost his life in the line of duty, not long after.”

“
Bitch,
” Trace said with such venom that she was sure she was going to sprout fangs. “Before you have the chance to do anything to him, Jake will hunt you down like the snake you are. One way or another you’ll pay in your own stinkin’ blood if you carry this out.”

Kathy eyed Trace’s naked form and smirked. “Amazing. From such a fat cow to a skinny slut. What did you do, have head to toe lipo?”

Jess forced himself to remain calm and to keep from reacting to Newman’s barbed tongue. His heart twisted as he saw how blue Trace’s lips had become, and the red blotches on her skin. “Let Trace put on some clothes.”

“I
am
getting sick of looking at that ugly body.” Newman nodded toward Trace’s clothing. “Go ahead, but just remember the ‘no sudden moves’ rule. Not that you’re capable of doing anything more than screwing the ranch hands.”

Trace’s body wracked with shivers as she moved to put her clothes on, and Jess’s gut tightened.

While Trace dressed, he asked Newman, “You planning to execute this plan alone?” He knew the answer before she gave it to him.

“Are you an idiot?” the woman replied with another roll of her eyes. “Figured an intelligence agent might actually be intelligent. Speaking of idiots…” Her gaze darted toward the entrance.

If Jess had been close enough to her, he’d have had a chance to disarm the bitch. She was getting tired, and she was definitely overconfident.

“Get your ass in here now, Ry,” she shouted over her shoulder, but kept the gun steady on Trace. “You’ve taken long enough.”

Big Tit’s gaze returned to land on Trace, who had finished dressing and was crouched down, tying her Nikes. “Maybe I should just shoot you here,” Newman said. “Your dead weight would be easy enough for Ry to carry.”

“Forensics,” Ryan Forrester said as he rounded the boulder, a pistol in his hand. “We need to do this just right and wait to kill ‘em down at the stash.”

Trace stood, her eyes widening at the man’s appearance, but Jess didn’t even blink. He’d known all along that Forrester was tied into the drug operation, he just hadn’t been positive exactly who the bastard had been working for.

“Grab Lawless’ gun,” Newman ordered Forrester. “On the floor, to your left. Give it to me. And keep your weapon trained on Lawless. I’ll watch the slut.”

“Ryan Forrester.” Jess made sure he said it nice and slow and loud enough to carry to the cell phone in his holster. “You’ve sure been one tough bastard to track down.”

The man chuckled as he scooped up Jess’s gun and handed it to Newman before he backed up to the cave mouth again, his own weapon trained on Jess. “After the way you fucked up my rustling operation,” Forrester said, “this is gonna be sweet. Almost as sweet as screwing with Dee MacLeod and Kev Grand. My favorite smokescreens.”