Mustang by Piper Stone

Chapter 12

Mustang

Snow.

The single light over the front door barely did enough to illuminate the falling and drifting snow, but I knew what to expect. The storm could bring a potential of at least a foot, maybe more. While I’d always enjoyed a snowstorm, this one merely ate at my craw. I searched the darkness with my flashlight as I walked closer to the bank of trees, making certain one of the assholes hadn’t decided to come back.

As if I could actually see a damn thing in the blinding pellets. After a full minute, I shoved the flashlight into my pocket, taking a second to make certain my gun had remained in position. I refused to take any chances. Not now.

Not with the woman I…

Great. Fuck me. I cared far too much for her, even after our less than stellar interactions. She’d fired up more than just my cock on several occasions.

My nerves.

My anger.

My… heart.

I grumbled under my breath as I moved toward the massive woodpile, grabbing another stack. If it hadn’t been for the assholes, the night would seem almost normal, as if I really knew what that meant. I’d never lived on my own before enlisting, the quarters at basecamp and overseas always shared.

The cabin I’d rented was almost too much real estate for me, although it was just as small as the quaint cottage belonging to Danni. Hell, I didn’t need much anyway. I thumped onto the porch, happy to hear two solid barks coming from inside. I was also forced to admit that I’d grown fond of both dogs, especially Rattler. He was… well, he was worth getting to know.

When I closed the door behind me, Rattler came to visit first and I could tell by the look in Danni’s eyes that she was both pleased as well as still concerned. That was her way. The ultimate animal lover.

“Hiya, buddy,” I said before heading toward the hearth. I noticed a file folder had been placed on the other side of the hearth. She had been a busy girl.

She’d risen onto her knees, holding her arms out as if she could catch the pup from a fall.

“He’s fine, Danni. Stop worrying. Both of them are going to be just fine.”

“I’m going to worry,” she said before half laughing. “Don’t say it.”

I shook my head before placing the majority of pieces of wood on the hearth, tossing a couple onto the fire. She eased down, reaching out to pet both the pups as I tended to the fire. When they curled in front of her legs, I grabbed my glass of wine and retreated to the chair, studying her intently. I’d been patient as we’d fed the dogs and grabbed a snack, but I was finished with her stalling tactics.

“Is the car yours?” I asked as nonchalantly as possible.

“That’s my baby. The truck is for work.”

“And what you did was stupid as hell.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how many times you want me to say it,” she said in a partial whisper.

I took a sip of the wine, my eyes never leaving her. “Then trust me enough to tell me the entire story.”

Inhaling, she crossed her legs, staring into the fire. A full minute passed. “Here’s exactly what happened, Mustang. I’m going to try not to leave anything out, but I do need to believe that you’re going to trust that I will tell you the truth. Can you do that?”

“You have no reason to lie to me. Do you?”

Sighing, she shot me a harsh glare then grabbed her wine. “I’d been here barely a week when I got a call in the middle of the night to help an injured steer. I have no idea how the person, who refused to give his name, found my clinic, but I felt obligated to go. The steer’s leg had been severely injured. Could have been an animal attack, but I wasn’t certain. I didn’t notice until I was leaving that the place seemed off. While there were at least six other animals in the barn, the entire situation seemed odd to me.”

“That doesn’t necessary mean anything. Sometimes ranchers will separate the livestock they’ve sold out of a lot. Maybe the rancher was merely terrified that the injured steer would create an issue.” Although what she was telling me did seem strange. “Did you see anyone else?”

“No. He met me at the entrance to the ranch and drove me to the barn, which was pretty close to the road. Granted it was dark, but I could swear the place was abandoned.”

“Again, just depending on the ranch, there could be two or more entrances. Big Meadow has three access points, although the one you came in is the main road.”

“I get that and some Robert Cooper used to own the place, someone I’ve never heard of. I don’t think I would have thought too much more about it except I also received a phone call from an investment firm asking if I wanted to consider being their personal veterinarian.”

“Name?” Cooper. The name sounded familiar, but I wasn’t certain from where.

“RH Holdings.”

Another name that didn’t ring a bell, but I made mental note. “I take it you declined.”

“Yes, and again, I thought maybe since I was new, perhaps that was the reason for the call, maybe even since Dr. Forester was no longer one of the local vets. However, when I mentioned it to a friend of mine, she told me that there’d been some issues, so I read some articles, found out auctions have been an issue and decided that I’d look around.”

“But you threw around accusations.”

“I know. I’d made a few phone calls, to other clinics and even the sheriff’s office. After that, another threatening phone call. I only planned on taking pictures when right off the bat, one of cowboys tried to throw me out.”

If I had to make a guess, I’d say that person was the asshole who’d been following her. I shook my head, rubbing my jaw. “Why did you come to the ranch? Because you met me at the auction?”

“No, but I wish it was that simple. After the auction, I received another anonymous phone call saying plainly that Big Meadow was the perpetrator. That if I wanted to point fingers, I should do so where there were real issues.”

“Interesting. There was something about my truck that troubled you. What?”

Shrugging, she took a sip of wine. “There was a truck following me after the auction, that same one that basically ran me off the road before the group of assholes arrived at my doorstep. A black Ram with tinted windows.”

“Did you catch the license plate?”

“No. But I did take a picture of it with my camera.”

“Where’s your camera?”

“In the other room. I’ll get it.”

When she handed it to me, the picture was clear but with no way to see the plate. I scrolled through some of the other pictures, realizing that she’d captured several of the ranchers up close and personal, including the man who’d followed her. Her photographs might come in handy. “Later, you’re going to email that to me, Danni. While the truck isn’t unusual, someone might recognize it. It’s just about time to go to the sheriff. I’m finished with playing games here.”

“I understand.”

“Why did you leave the house today against my orders? I know there’s a reason.”

Danni glanced at the folder. “My friend called again and said she wanted to provide me with important information, which surprised me since she’d tried to push me away from doing anything drastic that last time I talked to her.”

“What’s in the folder, Danni?”

She fidgeted, placing her hand on the top, running her finger aimlessly back and forth. “It would seem the holding company is made up of several ranches, three of them out of state. From what my friend found, there are questions being raised by the FBI already, concern about stolen cattle. She wanted me to have the information.”

“And I suppose you told her about me.”

After wrinkling her nose, she held out the file. Even in the warm glow of light, I could see a hint of embarrassment crossing her face as she smiled shyly. “Yes. The truth is I felt something for you the second I met you. Anyway, she’s the one who told me right after the auction that you were dangerous.”

What the hell?

“Out of curiosity. What’s her name?”

“Sandra Ellis. She’s the only girl from living here before that I’ve reached out to or even wanted to.”

Initially, the name didn’t ring a bell. Then I couldn’t help but laugh. “I know her, at least I did.”

“I thought you did since you attempted to steal a couple of her father’s horses.”

While her words weren’t exactly accusatory, I could certainly see why she’d question placing any trust in me. “Yep, I did, but did she tell you why?”

“No, just said you were a bad boy growing up.”

“Yeah, I was. I took the two horses because she and I were going to run away together but we were caught.” I could see the stunned look on her face then a smile slowly erupting.

“You know, I remembered her talking about one hot boy when we were younger, but she never mentioned names. It used to piss me off that she didn’t trust me enough. I left town shortly after that, I think.”

“She didn’t mention any names because I didn’t come from the same upper echelon family as she did. At the time, my parents owned a small ranch, not worthy of the huge estate her father owned.”

She shifted closer, narrowing her eyes. “I thought your dad owned a mechanic’s shop?”

“He does now.” I realized karma was making a play to kick my ass all over again. “My dad got some bad advice, investing in a company that was fraudulent, much like what you’re describing.”

“What?”

“My family lost enough that they had to sell the ranch. Fortunately, my uncle let him come in on the shop after that, but losing the ranch broke my dad’s heart. Nearly broke mine too. Never caught the asshole who did it either and my father refused to talk about what had happened. There were zero monies recovered for a number of investors.”

“That’s terrible. Then you do understand.”

I took a sip of wine, realizing it wasn’t as difficult as I’d thought. “Oh, I get it. We went from living in a nice house to an apartment over my uncle’s garage. I started getting into serious trouble after that. That’s why Sandra’s father never wanted his baby girl to be with the town troublemaker. He even tried to pay me off. That’s when she and I concocted a plan to get away. Hell, we were barely fifteen, had no driver’s license. Stealing the horses seemed to be a good idea at the time.”

“And he never pressed charges.”

“That’s because I threatened to tell everyone that he tried to bribe me.” I couldn’t help but grin.

“You were a bad boy.”

“Card carrying,” I said, still grinning.

Danni shifted her gaze toward the fire. “I wonder why she never told me the truth.”

“Maybe because she’d lied to everyone, including her father about what had happened. Guilt is a terrible thing to hang around your neck. However, that was a long time ago and I’m not the same person.” I eyed the file before getting up and grabbing it, easing the glass onto the coffee table. I remained standing, moving closer to the fire for the light. As I flipped through the pages, every muscle in my body tensed. Listed as one of the companies that were a part of RH Holdings was Big Meadow. Shit. While the other names of the various companies meant nothing to me, the news was something that Hawk needed to hear.

I closed the file, handing it back to her and walking toward the window. “No wonder you believed we were all doing something illegal at the ranch.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t believe it now, but I have no idea what to think other than someone is out to get you and the ranch. Just so you know, I also had a warning earlier today from the same guy who begged me to come and look at the steer in the middle of the night. He warned me that it’s dangerous. I got the feeling he was riddled with guilt. There is a connection that we’re missing.”

Hell, yes, there was.

While nothing made any more sense than it had earlier, I wasn’t certain I was the person to put together the pieces. Snarling, I yanked out my phone, finding it difficult to control my anger.

“What’s wrong, Mustang? Did you think of something?”

“I need to make a phone call.” As soon as I glanced at the screen, I hissed. “No fucking reception. Damn it!”

“You suspect something, don’t you?”

“Maybe, but what I know for certain is that someone is trying to frame Big Meadow. That shit isn’t going to fly.”

“There’s nothing you can do about it tonight. We’re stuck here.”

I crouched down, studying her face, hating myself even before I opened my mouth. “Why do I get the feeling that you aren’t telling me everything?”

“Are you kidding me? I asked you to trust me. I thought you could do that,” she retorted.

“That’s exactly what I want to do, but some things aren’t adding up. For example. Why have you been smack in the middle of this? Don’t you find it coincidental that the single friend you have used to know me or that you were sent to spy on the ranch I worked at?”

Flustered, she shrank back. “I don’t know. Yes, it’s odd, but I’d just gotten here, Mustang. I hadn’t met you. I guess I could say isn’t it strange you suddenly found an injured animal and there was nowhere else to go but my clinic?”

Yeah, she had a good point.

“Did the caller ask for you by name?”

She grew even more frustrated, rolling her eyes. “I can’t remember. Why? What the hell are you getting at?”

“Why? Because every scrap of information is important, Danni.” I realized I’d raised my voice. “At least it is to me. If you want me to trust you, then I need to know every damn detail of what you know, who you talked to, and what you’ve heard. Seems mighty fishy that you were there at the auction, were the person singled out to receive these mysterious phone calls. Then you have this file handy tonight? Were the men hanging outside your door guys you hired to play a part?”

Danni opened her eyes wide, the shock evident on her face.

“Look,” I started. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What the hell was I doing?

“Don’t,” she hissed, throwing out her hand.

After jerking to her feet, she stepped over the dogs, placing her wine on the table hard enough I was surprised the glass didn’t shatter. I could feel the heat of her anger boiling through her. When she left the room, I dropped my head, chastising myself for being such a freaking ass. Everything about what was going on left a bad taste in my mouth, a reminder of my former life. I was pissed, more so than I could stand.

I rose to my feet, leaning over the mantel. Even the asshole in me knew that I should go after her. Damn it. What the hell was my problem?

A few seconds later, I heard her storming into the living room. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed she dumped a blanket and a pillow onto the couch.

“There. I certainly don’t want you to get cold tonight since you are sleeping on the couch. Good night, Mustang. Since you took my weapon from me, I guess you won’t have to worry about me shooting you in the middle of the night. Come on, Zorro. Let’s go to bed where it’s safe.” Backing away, she turned on her heel, storming toward the stairs.

“Danni. Don’t.”

She stopped for a few seconds, turning around abruptly. Even the dim light of the fire allowed me to see that she’d shut down. I had difficulty with trust, and what little we’d gained had just been erased.

“Don’t what? You know, when I first met you, while thinking you were perhaps the sexiest man I’d ever seen, I could tell you were an asshole. You proved my point more than once. Then, when you brought Rattler in, I could see something else entirely in your eyes. A real person, one who cared about a creature almost as much as I did. I think a tiny part of me fell in love with you at that very moment. When you saved me tonight, I was shocked, so ashamed at my behavior, but you were larger than life, refusing to back down.”

“Look—”

“Don’t you dare interrupt me! Then, when you held me after we… fucked, I melted like some lovesick young girl. You aren’t the only person with trust issues. I can’t trust anyone because the single man I thought I could love when I lived in Maryland lied to me. He lied about his work, his life, and the fact he loved me. It had taken me years to be able to trust anyone and he broke it in the matter of six freaking months. Then you. You, larger than life you. A man I thought I could… love. Well, wallow in whatever self-pity you have hung around you like a medal of honor. My bet is that you’re going to end up alone and very lonely. And. You. Deserve. It.”

When she stopped, her chest rising and falling from her anger, she dared me to say anything.

And I froze. What the hell could I say? She was right. I’d broken what little trust had been possible between us.

“To answer your question, I was terrified when those men appeared outside my door, honking their horns and hollering at me. Terrified. But it’s just as I thought. You couldn’t give a shit. Good night, Mustang. Thank you for saving my life. Hopefully after tomorrow, we will never see each other again.”

There was no point in going after her right now. Every muscle was tense, my mind reeling. My God, even my heart ached. I heard the thumping of Rattler’s tail just before he got off the couch, slinking toward me. As I looked down, I realized I’d just lost her. I’d just lost the…

Woman I loved.

“Rattler, what the hell am I supposed to do?”

He woofed, nuzzling against my leg.

“I know. You can call me an idiot.” I moved toward the couch, grabbing the file before sitting down. There had to be answers, something crucial that I was missing. When I found it, I would crucify the asshole who dared to try to implicate Big Meadow, including my damn best friend. I yanked open the file and began to pore over it, page by page.

Then by God, I would find a way to get her back.

I yanked the bottle of wine, pouring the rest into my glass and guzzling almost the entire amount. As if drinking was going to give me any peace. Fuck!

After a few minutes, I flipped the pages in the file, reading every single line.

What the information suggested was clear. It would appear that RH Holdings was seeking investors, utilizing the names of several ranches, including Big Meadow as a draw. It was quite possible the other ranchers had no idea that their names were being used, especially since they were out of state. However, given what Hawk had discovered regarding the other auction, my gut confirmed that this was a personal endeavor to bring Big Meadow down. Why? Damn it. Why?

I kept going back to Tanner’s comments. I could only hope that Hawk had been able to figure out if his brother had been involved in some suspicious activity.

Tossing the file, I leaned my head against the back of the couch, frustrated as hell. When Rattler placed his head on my leg, immediately closing his eyes, I sat still, rubbing his head. “You know what, little man? You look like a very special pup who belonged to a friend of mine.”

Rattler’s snort was just about the only thing that could give me a smile at this point.

Except for her lilting voice.

The touch of her soft hands.

The scent of her exotic perfume.

The taste of her lips and sweet pussy.

The feel of being inside of her.

I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath. What the hell was wrong with me?

“Go around to the right,” Hawk instructed.

I glared at Hawk, my hackles raised. I didn’t like this shit at all. It felt like we were walking into a trap.

“Make certain none of the bastards are coming,” he continued.

“You certain you want to do this?” I asked half under my breath. Of course I wanted to save Snake. To think he’d been wallowing as a prisoner of war in this freaking hell hole made me sick. It also brought out every ounce of rage. Rage at the system, at the assholes in charge who had refused to give us any goddamn help, and even at Hawk. Everything had been based on info from a damn insurgent informant. Nothing had been checked. Now we had one chance of getting him and all the other freaking prisoners out of here.

Yeah, like that was going to happen.

“You fucking second guessing me, Mustang?” Hawk barked.

“Maybe I am. If we get this wrong, Snake’s death will be on your freaking head!”

“Shut the fuck up,” Reaper hissed.

Hawk exhaled. “We’re not going to get this wrong. I know what I’m doing.”

Yeah, he knew all right. He’d always been the one to know everything and how to handle every single exercise or decision on contract work. I bristled but was required to follow his orders. Fine.

Vader and Scorpion moved off, leaving Reaper with me by Hawk’s side. I could barely breathe from the rapid beating of my heart. I was sick, my head reeling with all the ways the mission could go wrong. Damn it. I couldn’t think this way. We would get Snake back. He was going home in a couple of weeks. Hell, maybe he’d even take Apollo with him.

Hearing a noise, Hawk threw out his hand, stopping our progression. The three of us hunkered down, scanning the perimeter. While we’d calculated the timing of the sentry soldiers who walked the prison compound every night, there was always a possibility that our mission had been compromised.

Through the night vision goggles, I was unable to detect any sign of movement. A sick feeling remained in the pit of my stomach. It felt like we were being watched.

After waiting another thirty seconds, Hawk motioned for Reaper and me to flank the building as he headed toward the door leading inside a long building, the location scouted, Snake’s identity confirmed.

“Stay down,” Reaper said through clenched teeth.

“I don’t like this,” I said as quietly as possible. Five seconds ticked by. Ten. Twenty. It seemed like Hawk was taking too much damn time. What the fuck?

Boom!

The bright flash was blinding, the force of the explosion tossing us into against the fence. Rattled, I surged forward on instinct until I realized the entire building holding the prisoners was on fire.

“Jesus!” I managed to say, every part of my body shaking.

“We have to get out of here,” Reaper added, scrambling toward Hawk.

“No. We go in!” Hawk insisted, struggling to get to his feet.

From several sides, I heard the sound of Afghan soldiers, their boots storming toward us. The crackling of wood and the hiss of the fire was paralyzing and for a few seconds, I was unable to move.

Reaper pushed me forward, his grip remaining on my shoulder. “Get it together, soldier.”

I instantly snapped out of my fog, jerking forward. There were screams coming from everywhere. As shots rang out, I could tell Hawk was going into the burning building. I raced toward him, yanking his arm. “No!”

“Let go of me,” Hawk yelled.

“We can’t get to him, Jake. He’s gone. We have to get out of here.”

“No. No!”

Boom… Whoosh!

Pop. Pop. Pop.

“No! Damn it, no…”