Luke (Armed and Dangerous Book 2) (26 page)

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 Trinity in a heated rush.

Trinity collapsed against his shoulder, her breathing harsh and warm upon his skin. He held her tight, keeping himself firmly inside his woman as they both held on like they never wanted to let go.

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

“Luke,” Trinity said against his shoulder, her voice husky and filled with passion. “I’m in love with you.”

In the next instant he heard an all too familiar click, and he froze as ice chilled his spine. Luke pressed Trinity tightly to him, keeping her back to the cave wall and shielding her with his body.

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

Fuck. Luke’s gut clenched as Trinity gasped and stiffened in his arms. His cock was still lodged deep inside her, and she was completely naked and vulnerable.

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

Luke turned his head and focused his gaze on Joyce Butler while protecting Trinity 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 Trinity out of this.

Trinity peeked over his shoulder, her eyes wide. “Joyce?” Her gaze rested on the slim semiautomatic in Butler’s grip, and Trinity audibly caught her breath. “Half the world’s out searching for you. What’s going on?”

Butler smiled and rested one shoulder against the cave wall, her grip staying firm on her Colt .45. “Just to remind you—you’ve seen me shoot. You already know I’m an expert marksman, so don’t fuck with me. Two shots. That’s all it’ll take.”

Luke didn’t waste words. Instead he sized Butler up . . . the un-wavering confidence in her eyes, the egotistical curve of her mouth, and her relaxed stance.

“Where have you been?” Trinity 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. “And why are you here now, doing this?”

“I rather liked you in that position.” Butler aimed her gun at Trinity’s temple. “Make another move without my permission and you’ll be one dead little slut.”

Forcing his arms to relax around Trinity, Luke said, “Let Trinity grab her clothes and leave. Whatever you’ve got going on, 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 was all a game. Well, he sure as hell could use that to his advantage.

Butler’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 Trinity. “What a waste, firing your bullets in that hole.”

Luke ground his teeth as he clenched Trinity’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.” Butler turned her gun on Luke. “The one you keep under your duster. And you know how it works... nice and slow, cowboy.”

Luke released Trinity and started to ease his right hand toward his back.

“Uh-uh.” Butler shook her head. “I’ve seen you shoot at the firing range, too, and I know you’re right handed.” She indicated Trinity with a nod. “Hold on to the slut’s arm with your shooting hand, where I can see it. Use your left to bring out the gun.”

Luke tensed at her continued insults to Trinity, but obliged and gripped Trinity’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 Trinity’s life. He’d have to find another way to deal with this bitch.

Sorry again, Ralston, but I’m afraid you read this one ass-backward. We all did.

Butler pointed her gun toward Trinity’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, hoping like hell the cave didn’t block the signal... all in the same motion it took to move his hand to the butt of his gun.

Keeping his movements as slow as possible, Luke brought out the gun and held it up where the woman could see it, barrel pointing down.

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

Luke 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 Denver?”

She stared between his legs again.

God damn it. How far would she take this?

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

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

Butler 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 Luke with her gun. “Your sweet innocent cowboy isn’t what he seems to be at all.”

Trinity 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 Luke had kept something that major from her.

“You’re lying.” Trinity clenched her fists as she glared at Joyce.

“Go on.” Joyce smiled at Luke and gave an encouraging nod. “Tell her that you’re DEA, undercover. That you hired on to the Flying M to investigate Skylar, among other things.”

Trinity’s gaze shot to meet his. “Luke?” 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 initial investigation, but—”

She jerked her arm away.

“Be still,” Joyce shouted, 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. Wayland and Hunter are far too close, just like you, Denver. Hell, even Noah’s got pieces of this puzzle, and he’s trying to put them together. I need a smoke screen fast, so thanks for coming way up here. I figured it would be Skylar and Zack—seen them up here at least once a week. That’s who I was waiting for, but it’s no big deal. I can still solve a bunch of problems at once with you two.”

Luke gave Trinity a measured look, as though that was meant to clear up everything he’d neglected to mention.

Like his real name.

Like his real job.

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 when he scared her during her workout. This time she’d make sure it would hurt like hell.

Luke turned away from Trinity, every possible scenario running through his mind as he fixed his gaze on Joyce. “Let’s see... Trinity 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 your operation elsewhere.”

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

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

“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 storing my stock in this cave’s back chamber and running three sizeable tunnels under the Flying M—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 who’s been helping Guerrero. I can make my ‘escape,’ and nobody will be bothering to investigate me anytime soon.”

“You’re gonna try to make it look like Skylar was letting Guerrero run his drug operation off the Flying M all along,” Luke said like it was cold fact. “Then you’ll quietly wait until everything dies down, and help him open up shop again.”

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

“Your family has money and major political connections.” Luke narrowed his gaze. “Why the hell are you helping a psychopath like Guerrero?”

“I’m not helping him, you stupid fuck.” Joyce rolled her eyes, but then focused on Luke in a flash. “I’m carving out his territory.”

A new coldness swept through Luke as he finally got a grasp of the full measure of Butler’s insanity. “You’ve hooked up with another cartel to compete with Guerrero.”

“Had to do something when the market crashed. My daddy’s campaigns need a lot of money.”

“Does he know about this?” Luke had to fight not to charge toward Joyce Butler, grab hold of her, and shake the shit out of her. “Does your father have one clue what you’re doing to his good name?”

“Leave my father out of this.” Her face darkened, and Luke knew he’d struck a nerve.

He took advantage of her distracted anger and stuffed his cock back in his jeans and zipped them up as he spoke. He knew now she wasn’t planning to shoot them until she got them out of the cave, and probably near the entrance to one of her tunnels. Luke would be too big a body to drag far, and she couldn’t afford an evidence trail that close to the cave. Not until she found other options to stash her stock, and got some new tunnels built. Besides, her plan would lose its impact if his body and Trinity’s didn’t point the way toward the tunnels Butler wanted law enforcement to find.

“You think killing us will keep Guerrero off your ass?” Luke risked prodding the woman, looking for any other opening he could find. “He’s probably got an army out looking for you now. He’s already trashed your house.”

Anger turned Joyce’s face an odd shade of purple. “I’m not some pussy he can scare off by painting puta on a smashed wall and breaking a bunch of glass. I’ve made this operation bigger than he ever dreamed. Hell, my men are smuggling double the drugs his boys are bringing out of Mexico. That’s why he’s buying up property like crazy, looking for any advantage to up his transport and production.”

Luke fastened his belt and dropped his hands to his sides. “He’ll kill you. That’s what Guerrero does.”

“We’ll see. If he moves on me after I implicate Skylar MacKenna, he’ll just be tipping his own hand.” Joyce’s eyes regained some of their focus, and her grip on her pistol tightened. “I think he’ll spend his time planting evidence to implicate rival cartels, distancing himself from the tunnels, and chasing after my UDA mules. Francisco Guerrero is all about appearances. It’s his weakness—and by the time he gets back down to business, I’ll have most of the border property in this area sewn up. He’ll have to pack up shop and move on down the road.”

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

“Well, you see...” Joyce’s expression was like a wicked little girl who always got her way. “Skylar MacKenna will be getting an urgent message from her kid sister to meet her right away. Near the tunnels, of course.” Sighing, as though with great pleasure, Joyce 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.”

Trinity’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 postcard,” she said, her voice harsh. “But not to get revenge for your ex-lover Woods getting caught rustling cattle for Guerrero. To make it look like my sister had pissed off her drug-running partners?”

“Good job, Meaty. I’m impressed.” The woman’s giggle was really getting annoying. But for once the nickname didn’t. Joyce’s voice was almost sing song as she went on. “The fire—now that was just for kicks. I’d hoped to cook a few of those horses and that damned prize bull, but oh well. It was fun enough to watch all of you run around screaming and moaning. I sent Skylar another postcard about that, from her drug buddies, telling her the next time it’ll be her house.”

Trinity had no idea what to say to this psychotic bitch, but she didn’t have to talk, because Joyce was filling up all the air space.

“So, Sheriff Wayland will find not only bodies, but threats from Skylar’s gang, plenty of drug residue in this cave, the tunnels—and in one of those tunnels, meticulous records that show Skylar’s been running this operation for the past two years.”

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

“I’ve bought the best forgery in the country. So good, in fact, that Skylar MacKenna will be locked away for a very long time.” Joyce 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. And that leaves another border ranch open, and I’ll beat Guerrero to it when it hits the auction block. If I can’t run him out of town outright, I’ll shut off all his access points, one way or another.

“Bitch,” Trinity said with such venom that she was sure she was going to sprout fangs.

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