Trouble With the Law (2 page)

There was no way she could leave that pen there
.  It was a very expensive Mont Blanc.  A pen she had been given by her attorney father when she graduated from law school.  A momento of the only time in her life he'd ever told her he was proud of her.  So what if he'd only said it on the card that came with the pen, and he was a thousand miles away in Northern California handling a big case at the time.  He had finally said it.

"Do it, Red," Trace urged in a low growl, as he edged the pen with his toe again
.  She dropped to her knees beside her briefcase and crawled under the table.  She saw Trace's hand resting on his crotch.  He stroked himself, and she saw the hard ridge of his large penis outlined under his jeans.  Her mouth watered, as she contemplated doing what he asked. 

She had always been curious what the big draw was with him
.  Why women were always after him.  Policewomen and attorneys alike, even the female criminals fell prey to his charms.  Hell, she'd even heard he'd done a judge and a female senator, while he was a detective.  He must be one hell of a lover is all she could come up with.  Curiosity about him is what had her so hot and bothered when she was representing him.

Trace unzipped his jeans, and she saw his thick erection straining at the top of his tight white underwear
.  She bit back a groan, as her hand closed around the ink pen.  His foot landed on top of her hand to trap it. 

"You know you want to do it, Veronica
.  You've wanted to do it for years.  Since you first met me," he suggested softly.  "Now's your chance, Red.  To get your answers and satisfy your curiosity." His sexy, tempting voice sent a chill down her spine.

How the hell did he know that
? Ronnie had been super careful never to let him know how he affected her.  She had to be careful, he was her client and it would have been unethical for her to do otherwise. 
He’s not your client now
, her inner slut whispered. 

"There are cameras," she replied in a voice she didn't recognize as her own, weak and pliable
.  After she said it, Veronica also realized she'd just told him without telling him that she was considering it.

"They can't see," he coerced, his voice deeper and gruffer, his dick even harder
.  "You're getting your pen.  Just put those beautiful red lips around my cock and suck me, until I come." Trace shoved his underwear down and his very impressive erection sprang free.  He fisted it and stroked himself.  "Do it, Veronica."

She tugged her hand from under his boot, and clutched the pen in her fist
.  She looked down at it, looked back at him, then back at the pen.  Her fist tightened, as she fought her inner slut that wanted to do exactly what he asked her to do. 

Nobody told Veronica Winters what to do, she reminded herself
.  Nobody else would dare suggest something like this to her.  She would bite off their balls if they even thought it.  Yet, here she was under this table considering sucking Trace Rooks' dick.  Because he wanted her to do it.  And the thought of it both thrilled and disgusted her at the same time.

Yeah, she wanted answers for Joel and the rest of the people at the R & R about Leigh Ann Baker's whereabouts, but this was way above the call of duty
.  That brought to mind the former beauty queen, and this man's association with her.  Why she was here in the first place.

He could have killed her and dumped her body somewhere in the
Texas wilderness.  As intractable as the man sitting at the table was, Veronica could believe he could do it too.  Trace Rooks was a lot less tempting when that thought settled in her mind.  Veronica scooted backwards from under the table, whacking her head as she tried to stand. 

Rubbing her scalp, Veronica met his eyes, as she asked, "Did you fuck Leigh Ann Baker?"

His eyebrows raised.  "Why the hell do you care?" Trace asked sullenly, and she heard him zip his pants before he sat up in the chair.

Veronica was good at off-the-cuff, shock value questions
.  They caught people off guard, and sometimes they got the answers she needed.  If he said yes, it would confirm that he had been with Leigh Ann and probably knew where she was.

She shrugged
.  "If so, you lied to me about how long it's been since you've had sex.  And I don't put my mouth on men who sleep around," she said flatly as she slid her pad off the table and put it in her briefcase, before dropping her pen inside. 

He didn’t respond, and she hit her limit on patience with him.

Ronnie picked up her briefcase, then faced Trace Rooks.  "As tempting as your offer is, I'll have to decline.  You can keep your answers, and take them with you when they fry your ass if she's found dead," she told him then yelled for the guard.  "Forget I offered to help you," she said as she walked toward the guard feeling his hot eyes burning her back.

***

Ronnie was still steaming when she pulled her car up in front of her house and turned off the ignition.  She sat there a moment and took a deep breath.  How dare he talk to her that way.  Not much got her rattled, but Trace Rooks rattled her today.  But there was nothing more she liked than a challenge.  He had done that as well.

His whole performance today had been an act to test her
.  A battle of wills to show her he was in control.  He’d meant to rattle her, and had done a damned good job of it.

Mark one up for him
.  He’d won the battle, but the fight was far from over.

She was going to help him whether he liked it or not
.  It wasn’t about helping him really, it was about helping herself.  Ronnie needed to help him, so she could finally stop rethinking her actions, and forget about Trace Rooks.  Stop feeling guilty for being such a self-serving pushover three years ago.  She would make amends by getting him out of this new mess he’d gotten himself into, then she would walk away with a clear conscience.

She grabbed her briefcase off the seat beside her, and opened the door
.  Ronnie was good at picking the truth out of a pack of lies.  That’s what she did for a living.

Trace Rooks had lied and hedged a lot today, but one thing he said was true
.  He hadn’t done a damned thing to Leigh Ann Baker.  Ronnie was sure of that.  The woman was still alive somewhere.  She didn’t know what was going on there, but she was going to find out.  He was going to tell her. 

Tomorrow, she would go back to that jail, and she was through playing with him
.  Tomorrow would be all about getting the answers she wanted.

And she wasn’t giving him a blow job to get them.

***

That night, after he finished the slop they tried to convince him was dinner, Trace lay on his back on the narrow cot in his cell counting the divots in the plaster ceiling overhead
.  When he heard keys being inserted into the lock of his cell, he wanted to hang a
Do Not Disturb
sign outside his door.  A guard visit after lights out could only mean one thing.  He had another fucking visitor.  He wasn’t in the mood. 

Trace rolled onto his side to face the wall, and feigned sleep
.  Maybe they’d just tell whoever the hell came to visit that he was sleeping and they’d have to come back tomorrow.  He sure as hell hoped it wasn’t Ronnie Winters coming back for round two.  He definitely wasn’t in the mood for that.

“Get your ass up,” the guard growled, and Trace tensed
.  There they were again, his favorite words.  The guard must’ve known he was playing possum, because he came over and shoved his shoulder.  Hard. 

“I said get up,” he repeated, and with a sigh, Trace rolled and sat up on the bed.

“Am I getting out?” Trace asked.

The guard laughed
.  “You wish.”

Trace stood
and preceded the guard to the door, walked out then put his hands on the cold concrete wall, so he could be cuffed.  After the guard finished, he grabbed his bicep and escorted him down the hallway.

“Where am I going? Are they finally going to arraign me? Kinda late for that, isn’t it? Trace asked with frustration
. 

It was late in more ways than one
.  Not only was it probably nine o’clock at night, he’d been in here a freaking week now, and hadn’t been before the judge yet.  He was being held for questioning.  And had been questioned many times.  He gave them the same answers, a stoic stare and tight lips.  He knew they were getting frustrated, and it was kinda funny.  Trace wondered if maybe tonight, they’d amp up their interrogation techniques, and maybe take him to the broom closet for a little while.

Nah, this was the twenty-first century, he had rights
.  They were careful not to infringe on them.  Except when he pissed them off.  But he wondered where the hell he was being taken if he wasn’t getting out. 

“Where are we going?” Trace growled.

“You have a visitor.”

“No, shit?” Trace replied sarcastically with a snicker
. 

The guard’s fingers dug into his arm, as he led him to the interview room and opened the door
.  He didn’t take Trace to the chair, he shoved him inside then locked the door behind him.  Trace went to the chair on the far side of the table, so he could see the door when his visitor came in.

Keys rattled, the door opened and his mother walked in
.  His eyes widened, and hers watered, as she sucked in a sharp breath.  He saw her stiffen her shoulders, and draw up her courage.  This woman did not look like his mother. 

“Wow, mom
.  You look…different,” Trace said, and swallowed hard.  She looked better than he’d seen her look in years.  There was a confidence about her that he had never seen.  It looked good on her.

“I got a makeover,” she informed him, and walked over to sit down at the table.

He wondered why she was there.  He hated that she was.  Trace had refused her visits in prison.  He hadn’t wanted her to see him like that.  He didn’t want her to see him like he was now either.  “You shouldn’t have come,” he said dragging his eyes from hers.

“I told you that I’m divorcing your father when I called you the other day
.  I wanted to talk to you about it.”

His eyes swung back to hers
.  “This couldn’t have waited until I got out of jail?”

This was not something he wanted to deal with right now
.  Trace was glad she finally saw Leland for what he was and decided to get away from him.  She should have done that years ago.  But she wanted to talk about that now?

“No, it couldn’t
.  You’ll go back to that ranch, and I can’t talk to you there.  I’m not going there.  I know what goes on out there.”

Trace’s eyes narrowed
.  “You
do
?” Good Lord, she better not say that too loudly, or she would be right in here with him.

Her coral painted lips twisted smugly
.  “I know that and a lot more.  That’s exactly what I told your father too.  I know he issued the order to have Leigh Ann Baker killed.”

Trace vaulted up and walked around the table
.  Leaning down close to his mother’s ear, he hissed, “Mom, shut the hell up!”

“I also know you’re working for him now at that ranch, and that he got you the job there when you got out
.  It’s sickening that he turned a good man, my own son, into someone I don’t even know anymore.  Someone I don’t want to know,” she said and her voice wobbled.  “That’s only one of the reasons I hate him.”

A shiver passed through Trace
.  His mother was treading in some dangerous water right now.  Especially if she’d confronted Leland about what she knew.  “Mom, you need to stay the hell away from him, and for god’s sake don’t threaten him like that.”

“I know you’re afraid of him now
.  And I know you only took that job at that ranch, because he didn’t leave you any other choice,” she said then stiffened her shoulders.  “But I’m not afraid of him anymore.  And if you think I need to stay away from him,
you
do too.  You don’t need to go back to that ranch.  I’ll help you find something else to do.  You tell them where Leigh Ann Baker is, Trace.  It’s the only way you’re going to get out of here.”

Guilt shot through him, mixed with a good dose of fear
.  What Trace didn’t
need
was his mother getting involved in this mess.  Worrying about her safety on top of everything else was more than he could handle right now.  “Mom, you look great, sound great.  Get away from him.  Just walk away, and forget everything you know.  Don’t worry about me, I can take care of myself.”

“I am walking away, but I’m not forgetting
.  That man is not going to get away with ruining my son,” she replied, her voice breaking.  “If he made you do something to that woman, I’m going to kill him myself.”

“I can’t talk about it mom
.  It would only put you in more danger.  You know Leland and what he’s capable of.  Remember it, and stay the hell away from him!” Trace ground out.