Their Ex's Redrock Dawn (Texas Alpha Biker) (16 page)

Zeb didn’t look at her when he asked, “Thought you wanted?”

“I had a crush on Cabe, Vincent’s best friend, for a long time ... too long,” she said, knowing her voice tightened with worry. “It’s before I figured it out.”

“Figured it out?” Zeb asked, glancing at her, with his arm still warm and holding her close.

She made sure he was looking at her when she said, “That you know when it’s right. That you
really
know for sure when it’s real.”

“Hell, you are so right, sweetness.”

See, now she knew.

Before had just been a crush.

With Zeb it was real. So real, it took her breath away.

Before Zeb let her out of the truck at the fairgrounds, he gave her some instructions should she run into Tula or Shaw, then he kissed her in a way he’d never kissed her before. It was tender and slow ... and very thorough.

“So sweet,” he murmured against her lips. “We get this day done and your pussy is mine in that big bed of yours.” He kissed her breathless, then added, “All night.”

Zeb had a way of taking her terrible problems and wiping out the anxiety, fear, and apprehension she should be feeling, and replacing it with anticipation and wet panties.

She kissed his bottom lip. “’kay, ranger.”

She so wanted to just go and do that with him, but it was there and real and it was coming, but right then she needed to take care of business to get back to that and maybe make “that” happen for the rest of her life.

As Zeb followed Carly, he felt lucky the pageant’s talent show portion was drawing a crowd and making the fairgrounds busy. It made it harder for anyone to make the fact he was keeping close to Carly. And he tailed her sexy swaying ass into the stage area, where he sat in the rows directly behind the judges’ platform. That got him two things: out of line of sight from the stage and anyone hanging around back there like Shaw, and out of sight of Tula when her turn came. But it still left him with eyes on his babe.

He’d just done a scan of the area, as Carly took her seat, when he felt someone sit next to him. One glance had him looking into the face of a guy that looked like he had something to say.

“I’m Cabe, a friend of Carly’s and Vincent’s.” The guy’s hand came out, and Zeb looked at it. “Vincent described you, man. I’m on watch for this shit.”

Zeb took his hand for a quick grip, well aware this was the dude Carly said she’d had a mistaken crush on. Zeb didn’t get any jealous twinges; instead he was very glad for the backup. This dance they were doing was dangerous, and what Shaw was up to—what Shaw had already set up—was a fucking unknown quantity that had Zeb very edgy.

“Zeb,” he said, then he asked, “You see Shaw?”

Cabe looked around with a hard look and shook his head. “Not yet, but I’ll be sitting right next to her.”

Zeb nodded. “Good.” Then he said, “We need to not spook his ass so we can catch him.”

“I hear you,” Cabe replied, then he added, “Vincent’s got other eyes watching. He’s not taking any chances.”

Zeb felt better. “Got a meeting with Walkinghorse after this.”

Cabe nodded as he stood, then he made his way to sit beside Carly, while Zeb’s eyes swept the area again. He’d be glad when the damn pageant was over the following night.

Carly watched in horror as Rick climbed up the aisle steps toward her.

“Shit,” Cabe swore, next to her, as her heart pounded.

She knew she couldn’t run, and she didn’t even dare look back at Zeb as she looked at Rick’s face, trying to understand how he could be doing what he was doing. She wanted to jump up and scream at him, but she couldn’t.

She wanted him surrounded by a swat team of officers, handcuffed, and taken to jail. But that wasn’t going to happen either. At least not yet. At least not until she helped make it happen, she thought. She knew Zeb was watching her, so she put her hand to the back of her neck, exposed by her long ponytail, and she slowly crossed her fingers, hoping Zeb would see her sign. Then she flipped up her ponytail in a haughty manner and squared her shoulders.

So Cabe could hear, she said, “Let’s take this bastard on.”

Cabe squeezed her hand quickly, then removed his hand to turn, as if he wasn’t paying attention to Rick approaching her. Rick not only approached her, he came around the judges’ platform and stepped up on it to move right to her side. Just like a husband might do.

“Carly, baby,” Rick said, pushing between Carly and Cabe. “I’ve been worried about you.”

She had to take his hug as much, as it made her cringe, but she did it turned to look over Rick’s bent shoulder right at Zeb, whose charged eyes got her through it. Then she kept turned so she could see Zeb past where Rick crouched to talk to her.

Rick looked dressed up in slacks and a collared shirt, which she thought was strange because he was a jeans and boots man. His eyes were intent and his face showed signs of a forced smile, especially around his mouth ... she could tell.

She didn’t let Rick lay any more false crap on her, and under her breath but so he could hear, she blurted, “I’ve called a lawyer, Rick, and I
don’t
have time for this. This isn’t the place.”

She and Zeb had talked about her doing this to push Rick into a corner, and Carly saw the hard glint in Rick’s eyes right before he covered it.

“Lawyer,” he hissed, then he tried to take her hand, which she quickly pulled from his grasp as if he were a snake trying to strike her. “Carly, we
need
to talk about this. Let me sit up here with you.”

Carly’s eyes widened as she looked at him crouched in front of her, and she wanted to fall backwards to get away from him.

Instead she gritted her teeth. “No way,” she muttered. Then she added what she hoped would make his leaving final: “Talk to
my
lawyer.”

Carly tried to turn back to cold-shoulder him, but he put his hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, Cabe stood and fell into Rick’s arm, dislodging it as she heard the growl coming from Zeb behind them.

“Carly,” Rick whined.

Just as Cabe said, “Didn’t see you there, Shaw.”

“Yeah, man, it’s okay,” Rick said distractedly, trying to inch around Cabe, who was not letting him. Then Rick said, “I’m not leaving.”

Carly sucked in a breath as Rick moved to the other side of Cabe and grabbed a chair to pull it up to the end of the judges’ table. “I’ll be here when you finish, Carly,” he said stubbornly.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce the tenth annual Redrock Beauty Pageant and this evening’s talent category!” an announcer’s voice blared over the loudspeakers.

Carly glanced over her shoulder at Zeb, who shook his head sharply, meaning for her to leave Shaw there and ignore him. Cabe had no choice but to sit beside her and between her and Rick. The fairgrounds president glanced her way, and she avoided his gaze.

Then the first contestant was up and the lights were down in the audience and at the judges’ table. For the first three contestants Carly felt as if she was going to jump out of her skin at any second, expecting something to happen to her. Why else would Rick make such a big deal about sitting close to her if it wasn’t to target her?

But she knew Zeb was right behind her, and Cabe was beside her, and nothing happened, even so far as Rick never looked at her, but scooted forward, while sitting straight and watching the contestants closely. Rick even stole some paper from Cabe and started jotting things down.

Was she going crazy? What was he doing?

Halfway through the talent show portion of the pageant, Miss Freaking MintLeaf was up, and Tula actually sent a little wave toward the judges’ table. Carly’s eyes narrowed, looking over at Rick, who was sitting board straight with his eyes glued to Tula.

Un-freaking-real.

Tula apparently never found an organ, because she came out in the same sequined dress Carly had seen her in before. Tula was carrying batons, and there were batons on a stool behind where Tula stopped at center stage. Throbbing rock music started, and Tula pirouetted, made a pose, and tore off the bottom of her gown to reveal a leotard-type outfit that was sequined with fringes on the leg holes.

Then Tula started twirling ... herself and her batons.

Tula only dropped the batons twice, and at the end she set one of the batons on fire. Carly cringed, hoping Tula didn’t drop the damn thing. Luckily, Tula caught the one baton she did throw, and at the end she fell into a very suggestive pose on her knees with her thighs spread wide as the music faded, while Rick clapped as if he’d seen a powerfully moving performance.

Carly’s stomach curled as she wondered if Tula were in on the plan for Rick to murder his wife?

––––––––

O
ne performance after Tula’s was finished, and Rick got up and left the judges’ table. He didn’t say a word to her as Carly stared after him, feeling furious that he was making her feel like she should call him back to ask him what the hell was going on.

Cabe’s hand brushed hers again. “Strange as hell,” he muttered.

Carly nodded to him, and she barely watched the rest of the contestants—she just scored them whatever Cabe was scoring them, while her thoughts whirled. At the end she gave her score sheets to the fairgrounds president, and she asked Cabe, “Can you go with me backstage for a minute? Stick close, but not like we’re together?”

Cabe raised his eyebrows, but nodded, and Carly made sure she moved close enough to Zeb when she stepped down from the platform to murmur to him, “I have to go backstage. Not long, and Cabe will stick with me.”

Carly saw the argument on Zeb’s face, and she hurried by him with Cabe following, but not too close. It was time to get some freaking answers.

Backstage, Carly made certain she didn’t see Rick anywhere, and then she congratulated contestants while hearing Cabe behind and to the right of her doing the same thing. Good cover. When she finally saw Tula, she moved toward her and bumped right into her on purpose.

“Oh, sorry,” Carly said, not meaning a word of it. Then Carly sort of crowded Tula backward until Tula was separated from the other people who were milling around. One glance had Cabe talking to a stagehand off her right shoulder.

“Oh, Judge Oliver!” Tula exclaimed. “I hope you liked my twirling.”

“Very impressive. Where did you learn it?” Carly asked, acting as if they were having a typical judge and contestant interaction.

“Oh, I took lessons,” Tula said, and she put her hand on Carly’s arm, while giving her a sincere look that did not touch her eyes. “You are so cool for letting that little thing go today.” She moved closer as if confiding secrets. “You know ex’s can have a hard time letting go. But I told Zeb ... ah, Mr. Andersen that he can’t come around me anymore and break the rules.”

She flashed a bright smile that Carly wanted to smack off her face, but Carly ignored the urge as she shrugged Tula’s hand off her forearm.

“Yes, ex’s,” Carly muttered. “So you’re divorced, then?”

Tula’s face said she was going to lie before she did it. “Of course. Totally divorced.”

One thing Carly took from it was that Tula might not be able to lie easily. “So, one thing has puzzled me since it happened, Miss MintLeaf. At your first interview on stage, you called out for a ‘Judge Shaw’ like they weren’t there and you wondered where they were.”

“I did?” she asked, looking blank. “I don’t remember that because Judge Shaw was right there with you tonight, you know that.”

“Judge Shaw?” Carly asked, with a horrible quake attacking her.

“Right by Judge Santos, and you’re Judge Oliver, right? I try to keep the judges’ names straight. It’s my business to know and all that.”

Carly could barely speak. “Yes.” She struggled, because she needed more information, but it was hard to think through the pounding in her skull. “Um, I think Judge Shaw is married,” Carly muttered.

Tula’s features instantly turned stunned, then as fast turned into fury that looked like she was struggling to hold back. “What?” she exclaimed, then she uttered, “He better
not
be.”

Carly was certain Tula hadn’t wanted that last piece out for anyone to hear, as Tula’s hand clamped over her mouth, and Carly had great satisfaction in saying, “Oh, maybe I’m wrong, I cannot keep track in this town. But I thought he was a rodeo clown or something—”

“Bull rider,” Tula provided, shocking Carly again. Her going-to-be ex and in jail was never a freaking bull rider in his life. He apparently could throw bull, but that was another thing. “National Champion, that’s why he’s on the judges’ table now. You might not know that since he’s not from around here like the rest of you judges. He follows the pageants now, and this is the first one he’s judging. How cool is that?”

“You know so much about this,” Carly choked, then she managed to say, “Good luck. I think you are definitely a top runner.”

Tula squealed and jumped up and down before she settled and thanked her, then skipped away.

“Oh my God,” Carly breathed, clutching her throat.

A warm and strong hand settled on her back. Carly looked over her shoulder and up at Cabe. “Heard most of that, babe. Totally fucked.”

A few minutes later, Zeb pulled Carly to him, and he felt her shaking as he looked over her head at Cabe. Then Cabe filled him in on some crazy, messed-up information, and Zeb cupped Carly’s nape as he held her close. They were in an alcove near an exit and away from the public, who were on the other side of the amphitheater grounds.

Cabe nodded, and Zeb didn’t know the man, but he looked seriously pissed as he muttered, “You need anything, I’m right there.”

Then he walked away, giving them privacy. What Carly didn’t know was that Zeb had his eyes on her during her entire encounter with Tula. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but at times he could read Carly’s face and tell she was shocked, pissed, and then terribly shocked again.

“I don’t think she knows,” Carly mumbled into his throat, where he felt a few hot tears.

“Yeah, but she’d play anybody to get that crown,” Zeb muttered. Just then his cell rang, as Carly clutched his waist. He hooked it out of his pocket and, not letting go of her, he thumbed it on and put it to his ear. “Yeah.”