The Heart of Texas (18 page)

Chapter 36

When Eden heard her Momma call from Jeff's apartment and found her, she slid to her knees in horror at her side and shook her head as Sandra made her promise not to say a word—"Not one word, Eden." Eden helped her to her own rooms, separate from Gerald's, got her painkillers and water, and sat by her on the bed.

"Did Jeff do this, Momma?" she had asked quietly.

"No, Eden, it was the monster we created inside him."

"Mom, you can't say that. Riley and I were brought up the same way, and however dysfunctional that was, well, we turned out okay."

"Eden, there is evil in him, even I can see that. He was never like you and Riley. He was always his father's boy, never mine."

"If he's evil, he needs to be stopped, Momma." Eden cradled her mom to her. They had never been close, but that didn't mean she didn't love her. Jeff was not getting away with this.

* * * *

Riley sat back in his seat, the final papers in front of him. Eden sat to his left, his mom to the right, each in their own way ready to make the Hayes name mean something with the scratch and scrape of a pen.

Jim stopped him, just as he reached to sign, placing a hand flat on the papers. Riley looked up startled, blinking at Jim, wondering why he'd stopped him.

"Riley, you realize what you're doing here?" Jim asked for what Riley assumed was the fiftieth time today.

"Jim, this is what we want. We wanna drag Hayes Oil up by its ears and make it accountable for its standards, we want you in as interim manager, we want you to organize a management team, and we want Jeff's power cut off at the knees for what he's doing to the company." Riley summarized each step with a tap of the pen on the papers. "Have I covered everything, Eden?"

"Jim, manager, team, Jeff, knees; I think that covers it," Eden replied.

"Mom?"

"I've waited too long, watched too many good people get hurt by Gerald's actions, and now Jeff's actions. I want it done." Riley sketched a look at his mom, still concerned about the bruises on her face that even makeup couldn't cover. He hadn't asked where she got them after she stopped his concern with a harsh
"Enough,"
and Eden had just closed her eyes and shaken her head, saying
"Leave it"
silently. Riley hated that his mom was hurt, hated that someone had hurt her, hoping to God it wasn't his dad that had done this to her, but not knowing who else to blame. And now, sitting here under the harsh light she looked tired and exhausted, but equally relieved.

Riley knew that what he was doing was exactly the right thing to do. Quickly he scrawled his signature, Riley Nathaniel Campbell-Hayes, bold and strong on the line next to his printed name on all three copies, and soon after, Eden added hers, and finally Sandra. Riley pushed the papers towards Jim, feeling as if the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He may still have a twenty-two percent stake in Hayes Oil, but from this moment on, he was a name on a piece of paper. The real control had passed to Jim and to a new management team.

Jim paused. Only his name was needed on the contract, and that was it. He could go into Hayes Oil, guns blazing, and clean house from top to bottom. He stared into Riley's eyes. Then drawing in a deep breath, he added his signature and closed the file, passing everything to the other lawyer who had been employed for this moment only. Sandra stood and left the room, and Eden made to follow her, but Riley stopped her, following instead. He wanted to be there for his mom, wanted her to believe that he was here for her, and he caught her at the turn of the corridor, with a quiet "Momma?"

She stopped, turning to face her son, tears tracking down soft cheeks, her expression twisted in grief.

"What's wrong? Do you regret what we just did?" Riley needed to know.

Wordlessly, she shook her head, her hand to her mouth, taking the single step that meant Riley had her safe in his hold.

"It's a good thing what we're doing here," she said softly, gripping his shirt and looking up. Riley looked at the bruise on her face, the mark on her neck, the exhaustion in her face, and he needed to know.

"Who did this to you, Momma?" He traced the bruise and half closed his eyes as she winced at the touch. "Was it Da— Gerald?"

Sandra shook her head. "No, he wouldn't go this far. Riley. I'm scared."

"Scared of who, Momma? Who did this?"

"Your brother." Riley stepped away from her, his head reeling. Jeff had done this?

"Mom?"

"He isn't well, Riley. We need to get him help."

"Isn't well? I've put up with his shit all my life, but to hurt you… I'll kill him if I get my hands on him."

* * * *

Riley left the office, climbing into the Hayes limo and giving instructions to cross the city to the tower. Jim was sitting next to him, his face blank, and his thoughts obviously elsewhere.

"You okay?" Riley asked carefully. He needed Jim to be strong today, to present a joined front.

Jim looked at him, blinking. "Yeah, just… your mom." Riley didn't push any further. He could see something still existed between Jim and his mom, but knew the time wasn't right yet. He didn't want to pry. He wasn't even capable of imagining the headspace Jim was in at the moment.

They arrived, and no one questioned Riley and Jim and the team of five people following them as they passed through the security and on to the bank of elevators.

No one questioned them as they appropriated Jeff's office in his absence, and shut down IT systems to be covered by new systems when they rebooted. The IT specialist was rewriting code and reallocating passwords in as many seconds as it took for Riley to back out of the office and hide in the supply room, close to hyperventilating.

The elevator sounded, and Riley peered through the frosted glass of the room's door, inhaling as he saw Jeff pass reception. He stepped out. Jeff looked at him oddly, which wasn't new, to be honest.

"Hiding in the stationery room, little brother? Is Campbell in there?" He didn't wait for a reply, just carried on to his office, stopping on the threshold.

Riley heard talking, shouting, and closed the distance to stand behind Jeff. He felt anger radiating off his older sibling.

"As of today, Jeff, the consortium controls just short of fifty percent of Hayes Oil." Jim was adamant and firm.

"What the fuck. You can't have enough shares to control. What about my family?"

"It's true, Jeff," Riley said softly, handing Jeff the contract copy. "We need to ask you to leave the premises until we get the management team in place and up and running, then we'll sort out what your position will be here." Riley tried to word it diplomatically, seeing his brother's brown eyes glaze and harden in shock. Keeping himself focused on the fact that his brother had hit their mom, he kept his heart closed to any kind of pity.

"What the fuck? This is our company, Riley." His lips tight and his voice strained, Jeff sounded like he was going to burst a blood vessel.

"It's bigger than just us," Riley replied patiently, moving to one side as two men from security flanked Jeff. Jeff shrugged off their touches.

"I'll take these papers to my lawyers."

"You do that, Hayes. I can assure you that all the legal documentation is in order," Jim said simply, and then turned his back on the eldest Hayes son, effectively ignoring any response Jeff might give.

"Just go," Riley said encouragingly. "We'll talk later."

Jeff was finally escorted, swearing and threatening, to the lobby by the guards he had formerly employed.

Chapter 37

Jack was restlessly waiting for Riley to return from the tower, only half understanding the conflicting emotions that must be running through his husband. He wanted to help Riley, but he needed Riley to explain how he should be helping. As soon as Riley's SUV came to a halt, Jack was pulling him out of it, past the paddock and to the back to Solo's old barn, back to where he'd had Riley naked and spread for him, holding on to the beam, begging Jack to make him
feel
. Jack didn't want that now, not at this moment. He didn't need lust, or fire, or fucking— he needed to touch, to remember the good in amongst all the bad.

They didn't say anything, not even as Jack pushed Riley back into the corner, back into the shadows, and started to pull at clothing, uncoordinated and clumsy. Riley stopped Jack's fingers, pulled his own shirt off, his own T-shirt, his own boots, jeans, and boxers, finally standing naked and hard in front of his husband. Jack shook himself out of staring, realizing he was doing nothing productive but watching as each muscle moved, as each inch of golden skin was exposed to his gaze. Slowly he stripped off his clothes, finally standing as naked as Riley, his hands reaching to touch. Riley stopped him, grasping at his hands and bowing his head.

"Riley?" Jack's voice was liquid gold, Texas slurred, and wary. Was this so wrong to need Riley now? Did Riley not want this?

"I never expected to love a man," Riley said softly, raising his head, his face tired, his eyes red rimmed, and his lashes spiked and thick with tears. Jack could see he was stripped bare, literally and figuratively, and everything he had to offer was here in front of Jack. "I didn't think I could, that it was even possible," he added carefully, placing a hand flat to the side of Jack's face. Jack turned his head to kiss the palm and then pushed into the hand like a cat, his eyes half closed. "But in all the things that are wrong." He stopped. "Jack… this is right. Is that what I should be feeling? That this seems so right?"

"Riley, I can't tell you how to feel, I know that it's like I've been waiting for you all my life." He took a step forward, bare skin against skin. Jack could taste Riley's tears on his lips, taste the dark heat of him as he deepened the kiss, his hands moving to trace hip bones, and around to Riley's lower back, resting on the dip, one hand stopping there, the other moving to brush across hard nipples.

Riley sighed into the kiss. They didn’t have long, but Jack needed this gentle reminder of what he had more than breathing.. The sharp cut of passion and need made him move, subtly at first, and then with more insistence against Riley. They had nothing here, no slick, no plans for making love in
their
barn.

Riley began to drop kisses to Jack's neck, biting and sucking small blooming marks into his skin, using his hand to tilt Jack's head to one side, following the kisses to his pulse and down to the hard nub of his left nipple. He used tongue and teeth to worry at the small mound, his hand twisting and stroking its mate. Jack pushed into the exquisite pain-pleasure of the small bites. He was lost to the sensation, his head thrown back, his dick hard and weeping, wanting to fall to his knees and suck Riley dry, wanting… everything.

It rocked him to the core when it was Riley who moved to his knees in the straw, drawing Jack out of his fantasies at the tentative touch of Riley's mouth, just circling the tip, licking the pre-cum and sucking gently.

"Ri— fuck," was all Jack managed to push out, leaning back to grab one-handed to the stall side, the other hand twisting in Riley's hair. Gently he pulled his husband's head back, the hot mouth leaving his dick, and Riley's suddenly uncertain face looking up. "You don't hafta," Jack said on a breath, trying to be noble, trying to give Riley the chance to back away, but Riley didn't. He simply repositioned, sliding his hot wet mouth as far down as he could, the difference in length made up by Riley's clever fingers, jacking his lover as he sucked him in rhythm. Jack was a pleading incoherent mess as Riley moved his fingers back to trace Jack's heavy balls, moving attention from his dick to draw them individually into his mouth, softly rolling the weight of them and wetting his fingers at the same time. He may not have done this before but, fuck, Riley was a quick learner. He was following what Jack normally did to him, his hands cupping and rolling, his mouth tight on the hard length of his lover, suction tight, movements faster, deeper, and he stroked fingers against Jack's ass, finding the spot he needed, pushing, rubbing, insistent.

Jack couldn't look down, because seeing Riley's lips stretched obscenely wide around him would be enough to finish him. He was on that precipice where he wanted to come, but the sensation was too damn good to come. He didn't want to lose it; he wanted it to last forever. He started to talk, trying to settle his orgasm even as it curled in the pit of his stomach and the base of his spine.

"God, Riley— your mouth— your— Riley— nuuhhh— I'm gonna come— Riley." He tried to pull Riley away by his hair, but his husband was having none of it. If anything, he just sucked harder with the counter rhythm of his hands and his fingers sending Jack higher. With a strangled groan, he shot into Riley's mouth, sharp, hard, his hands tightening with a frightening grip, hearing Riley whimper around his dick, but not being able to stop himself.

Finally Jack released his hold, pulling Riley to stand, looking up into a face smug with pride, and it was too much. Jack just pushed him back, flat to the wall, grabbing Riley's hard straining dick and setting a rhythm of twisting and pulling, Riley's expression of pride changing to one of
fuck— jeez— now
in the blink of an eye. It wasn't going to take much. He was already so close, and as Jack closed his hard teeth around the corded muscle of his neck, it was enough to send Riley tumbling over the edge into oblivion with a muffled shout, swallowed by a hot sticky cum-slick kiss. He panted into his release, his orgasm washing over him in waves, hard sweat-sheened skin sliding against him, murmured praise against freckles and bite marks.

"I want a real ceremony. I want real words." Riley was insistent.

It was Jack that said it first, but Riley repeated it, a litany of confirmation, that they were in this together, that there was nothing they couldn't do if they were together.
I love you— I love you— I love you…

Chapter 38

Jeff found Gerald on the sixteenth hole.

By the time they were at the eighteenth hole, Gerald was the picture of enraged father, but inside he just knew Jeff wasn't strong enough, with his temper and his sexual perversions, to guide Hayes Oil. The photos he'd found on his desk last night, carefully arranged so he couldn't miss them, showed him that. Maybe he should have put his money on the bastard son instead. Perhaps it wasn't too late.

"Dad?" Jeff sounded almost petulant at what had happened, demanding that Gerald sort it out, that Gerald get on Jim and get him his role at Hayes Oil back.

Gerald just turned around to his eldest son. "Why in the Sam hill did I waste my time on you?"

* * * *

Jeff was left standing, his mouth open in shock as his dad stalked to the eighteenth hole, catching up with his golfing buddies. He was losing control here. He hadn't found out where Lisa was with the kids, and his brother had turned on him. As for Elizabeth Campbell, well, she needed to learn a lesson. He adjusted his pants as he half hardened at the memories of her whimpering under him. Now Elizabeth? He had control over her.

* * * *

Beth was fighting to keep herself sane. She was sure she was being watched. It felt like eyes followed her everywhere, and it was starting to get to her. She was normally so level headed, pragmatic, calm, but for some reason just now, she felt scared and vulnerable. As she replaced the fuel nozzle on the pump, she cast a final look around the gas station and hurried into the shop to clear the bill. When she came back out it she found a familiar figure leaning against the driver's door, his arms folded across his chest and a wry smile on his face.

"Miss Elizabeth," he said, nodding and tracing a look down her body. He stopped on the obvious bump that she curled her arms around to protect.

"Get away from my car." Beth managed to form words despite the cold ice in her heart and the fear spiraling up her spine that left her unable to move.

"I hear you may have some news for me."

Beth reached into her bag, fingers hesitating over the pepper spray and instead closing around her cell phone, pulling it out and scrolling for a name.

"I have nothing to say to you," she managed to half whisper, terror clutching at her as he moved away from the door to stand toe-to-toe with her. Craning her neck, she looked up, images from the party digging like knives into her eyes. Fear and terror, tears and pain, so much pain. She saw his hands move, hovering an inch above her bare arms, the static hissing around her as she imagined his touch.

With a smile that Beth could only describe as evil, he leaned down to whisper six words in her ear, bringing bile from her stomach.

She couldn't move, couldn't talk, wanted to scream, push him away, even knowing how solid he was and that he could probably lift her and throw her to one side. Chuckling softly, he sauntered back to his car, climbed in, and, with a wave, drove off in Dallas direction, leaving her shaking and terrified. Pressing the button she had selected, she started to cry even as Steve's voice came on the line.

"Beth?"

"Steve, help me."

"Beth? Where are you?" She managed to blurt out where she was, shivering the words in haphazard mindless chaos, and she heard him say things, important things."Stay where you are. I'm coming."

Her fingers were shaking so badly she dropped the cell, clutching her stomach with one hand, the other resting on the scar that twisted across her chest, her breathing shallow.

Six words.

"I'm gonna come for what's mine."

* * * *

Steve made it in ten minutes, his heart in his mouth, his head spinning with thoughts. The baby, she was losing the baby. Her heart, she was dying. He wasn't going to make it in time. She was going to die. He had the presence of mind to shout his fears over the phone to Jack, who didn't even reply, Steve knew he was on his way, knew Beth could need both of them.

He arrived at the gas stop to see a large man leaning over Beth, who sat huddled on the ground next to her car, arms around her legs, rocking and sobbing. Steve immediately pushed him out of the way. "What the fuck are you doing?"

The large man stepped back, his hands raised. "I work here. I was just asking her what's wrong. I saw it from the window. Seriously, dude, I was just looking out for her."

Steve wasn't listening. He dropped to his knees next to her, listening to her repeat over and over, "He can't have her, he can't have her, he can't have her." Desperately, he pulled her hand away from her knees, encouraging her to sit up, and she jerked upright, a scream in her throat, terror in her eyes, scooting away from him even as she seemed to realize who it was. She then fell sobbing into Steve's arms.

"Beth, God, what happened?" She couldn't answer. She was sobbing so loudly it must have hurt.

"I saw some guy, real tall, talking to her, and then he left, and she just kinda collapsed," the attendant said quickly. "You want I should phone 911?"

"No!" Beth cried desperately, clawing at Steve's arms as he tried to soothe the tears. "Take me home." Steve didn't hesitate. He scooped her into his arms and hurried to his SUV. He helped her into the passenger seat, buckling her in as she clutched at him to stay. "Don't let him take her."

Steve shook his head. "Who, Beth? Who?"

"The baby, he wants her and says he's coming for what is his." Steve suddenly understood exactly what she was trying to say. She hadn't told him who the father of her daughter was, saying he was nothing, saying he was meaningless to her and her daughter, but Steve needed to know. He couldn't fight a ghost.

"Who, Beth? Tell me."

"I can't. He said he would— I can't. Don't hate me, Steve, please." She looked so lost, small, so convinced he would want nothing to do with her, want not to touch her.

"Beth, I could never hate you, I love you," he said simply, filing away the hate and the need to kill for much later.

Jack barreled into the station, jumping out of the truck before the engine really died, and was at Beth and Steve's side in seconds.

"Is it the baby? Beth, is it your heart?"

"It was him," Steve said, "the father of the baby."

Jack looked confused, reaching in past Steve to touch his sister, making sure she was okay. She just looked at him blankly.

"Beth?"

She couldn't speak at first, couldn't even look her brother in his eyes. She lowered her eyes, clutching at Steve's hand. "He says he wants my baby, says he's gonna come for her."

"Who, Beth? Who?"

"He said I couldn't tell; he said he'd hurt me."

"He can't hurt you, Beth, because we'll keep you safe. Talk to me." This came from Jack, her big brother, half of the big brother team that looked after her. Steve knew Jack kept her wrapped in safety, and she could tell him everything.

"I didn't want it, Jack." She clutched at his hand, looked up at the brother she adored. "You gotta believe me, I didn't want to. He wouldn't listen. I said no." Jack rocked back as he clearly recognized the implications of what she was saying.

"It's okay, Beth, it's okay. Tell me."

"Jeff— Jeff Hayes."

Jack staggered back, anguish distorting his features.

He looked at Steve, and they exchanged heated looks, and Steve gathered a weeping Beth in his arms.

Leaning into the car, Jack reached out and touched his baby sister on her cheek.

"I love you, Beth, it will be fine. Everything will be fine. Don't worry, he can't touch you. I won't let him.
We
won't let him."

Steve said he was taking Beth back to the ranch to Donna, shut the car door, and turned to Jack. Steve knew where Jack was going now that he was sure Beth was going to be safe with his mom and Steve.

"Should you get Josh as well?" Steve asked.

"No, not today," was all Jack said in reply, his voice even. Dangerous.

Steve wanted to stop him, not out of fear for Jeff, but out of fear for how much trouble Jack could get into. Half of him wanted to go with Jack to
see
Jeff.

"Promise me, Jack, that you'll remember your family, your husband. What you have. Remember."

Jack nodded, crossed to his truck and left. Steve watched him go, his heart heavy. His head still numb with shock, he climbed into the car, leaving Beth's car at the pump, promising someone would be over to get it soon.

He arrived back at the D, handing Beth over to Donna, who suggested that Steve give them a while. He paced the kitchen, murder in his heart, and with a final decision, he grabbed his keys and within minutes was on the main road, heading back the way he'd just come.

* * * *

Jack turned into the Hayes mansion, not stopping for security at the gate. He had murder in mind. He was going to strip the skin from Jeff's body an inch at a time for what he'd done to Beth. Seriously. Inch by red bloody inch. When he screeched to a stop outside the main door, he didn't leave the truck parked straight, or worry about blocking anyone in; it was pure adrenalin and passion that pushed him in through the front door, shouting Jeff's name. Turning on his heel he saw Jeff appear from the breakfast room, his tie perfectly tied and his suit just so, his hair carefully groomed and looking like butter wouldn't melt.

"Good morning, brother-in-law," he said calmly. Jack just let the red mist descend. He didn't give Jeff another chance to speak as his fist contacted with Jeff's jaw in a satisfying crunch and forcing Jeff's head back. Following it through with another punch to his temple, another to his neck, then his chest, he pushed the taller man, countering every hit that Jeff tried to make back, until his fists throbbed with pain and blood splattered in haphazard marks on the pristine walls. Someone grabbed his wrist and forced him away from the whimpering bleeding man lying on the floor, and Jack turned to his new attacker, Riley. Pulling his arm from Riley's grip, he pushed past him to land a couple more blows, this time closing his hands around Jeff's neck, feeling the life under his fingers weak and pathetic. Riley used his entire body to force him away from Jeff, prizing icy hands free from Jeff's neck, and shouting at Jack, shouting something Jack couldn't hear over the beating of his heart, over his complete and utter fury.

"Jack, stop! What the fuck?" Jack snapped out of it, pushing back and away from his husband, sickness inside him as he looked at the man lying on the floor.

"He raped Beth. Your brother raped my sister. Now he's threatening to take the baby from her. Tell me I can't kill him, Riley."

* * * *

Riley was horrified, sickened at what Jack was saying, shock making him turn back to his brother. He was bleeding on the floor, trying to crab-walk backward away from them, terror in his eyes. He didn't want to believe that this man he called brother was capable of rape and of hitting their momma. He didn't want to believe it. Couldn't. Then he turned to Jack, who leaned on the wall, blood on his face, his shirt, and the utter loss in his eyes was damning.

"No," he said, just one word, not a word of disbelief but one of denial. Jack straightened against the wall, his eyes bright with temper.

"Fuck you, Riley," he spat, throwing open the front door and half running to his truck.

"Jack! Fuck, wait! I didn't mean— Shit." He caught up with Jack as he reached the door of his truck, pulling at his arm and forcing him to wait. "Jack, he nearly killed my mom. He beat her unconscious. You think I don't want to kill him myself?" His words stalled; he wasn't sure what he was trying to say. In his head, it had sounded better. "But killing him is not the way. Jack, please. We need to talk to Beth, see what she wants to do."

"He touched my sister. Riley, we need to call the cops. My beautiful sister." The last was a plea, a plea for Riley to see why, to see what was bringing Jack to his knees.

"We'll go home, Jack. We'll talk to Beth. Please listen to me. If we get the cops involved now for any of this, then Beth is dragged through the papers and her life becomes open to all. Jack, you have to let me deal with this inside the family. For Beth. For my mom."

Jack bowed his head, took a deep breath, and climbed into the truck, starting the engine. "I'm gonna go for a drive, get my head straight. I'll be at the D in an hour."

Riley nodded, watching as the man he loved drove away, then he turned to face the mausoleum of ice, wondering what the fuck he needed to do now.

* * * *

Jeff half crawled to his apartment, passing a maid on the stairs who simply looked at him in horror and then turned tail and ran. Jeff knew that there were only three staff here today, that at least one of them had probably heard the whole thing, and that he would have to dig deep into his pockets to keep that one quiet. No sense in people knowing
how
Beth got pregnant, just that he was a daddy, and he would have the baby when it was born, fucking fag brother in the way or not.

He shouted down at the small woman, "Go home, all of you, just go home! I want this house empty in ten minutes." She nodded, scurrying off to God knows where to carry out his bidding, and the familiarity of ordering his staff around felt strangely settling.

He watched as they left in their cheap cars, going home to their shabby houses, and then he washed off the worst of the blood in the bathroom, the water running red, then pink and then finally clear. It seemed most of the damage was internal. His breathing was harsh, his chest heaving with pain. Fucking bastard Campbell. He was gonna pay for this.

Steel shot though his spine as he straightened, and in his head, he started to consider ways in which Jack could meet an untimely end, maybe with brother dearest sitting next to him when it happened. Maybe a car accident? Another fire?

A noise behind him made him turn, and he looked in disbelief at the barrel of a gun, and the person holding it.

"You?" he smirked, disbelief giving way to certainty that the weapon would not be used.

The bullet entered high on his chest. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.