Chapter 20
Arms wrapped around each other, Rio and Skylar walked her family out to the waiting limousine. She motioned to the driver standing by the open back door that he could get back inside.
She and Rio had just gotten off the phone with her paternal grandparents in Spain. Skylar e-mailed pictures of her and Rio to them. They couldn’t be happier for her and were cutting their vacation short so they could return to meet Rio in person and help plan the wedding. Skylar was shipping Pure Bliss to their home.
“I don’t see my car,” Mr. Dupree said.
“I tipped the driver and dismissed him.” Skylar went to her father. “You can ride with Mother.”
His gaze cut sharply to his ex-wife. “I don’t think she wants me near her.”
“Perhaps if you told her you loved her, she’d change her mind,” Rio told him.
A soft gasp came from Meredith. “You’re wrong, Rio.”
“Father, this might be your last chance,” Skylar warned. “Tell her. Do whatever it takes to get her back.” She swallowed. “I can’t imagine being away from Rio for three years. I would have gone insane.”
“If it hadn’t been for you and work, I would have,” her father admitted softly. “It’s the parents who are supposed to teach the children, but tonight you taught me to fight.” He went to his ex-wife. “I’m telling you again, I didn’t have a one-night stand with the woman I met in the bar. Yes, I was foolish to go up to her hotel room because she said she wasn’t feeling well.” His mouth tightened.
“I didn’t expect her to come out of the bedroom in her lingerie or for her to grab me. I certainly didn’t expect someone to be taking pictures. I got out of there as fast as I could. My mistake was in not calling and telling you what had happened,” Beau finished.
“The pictures didn’t look like you were resisting,” Meredith said, agony in her voice.
“Pictures can be altered, Mrs. Dupree,” Rio told her.
Meredith swallowed. “She tried to blackmail me when Beau refused to pay up.”
His handsome face twisted in anger. “I put the fear of God in her when she came to see me. I had security escort her out of the building, and I made a police report. I have faults, Meredith. You know that better than anyone,” he said. “If it suits my purpose in court I will bend the truth, but I didn’t cheat on you then or since the divorce.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I figured if I ever got the chance to ask for forgiveness, I better be able to tell you there hadn’t been another woman in my life.” He blew out a breath. “I know you’ve dated and I under—”
“Dates. Just dates,” she murmured. “You broke my heart. You broke my heart.”
“Honey, please forgive me.” He pulled her into his arms, kissing the tears away before finding her mouth. She clung to him as much as he clung to her. “I never stopped loving you, Meredith. Just let me prove it to you. Please, don’t push me away again. I’m not sure I could survive this time.”
“Give him a chance, Meredith,” Skylar’s grandmother said. “You know you want to.”
“Beau made a mistake, Meredith. Don’t you make one by holding on to anger or pride,” Meredith’s father told her. “I believe him.”
“Trust your heart, Mother,” Skylar advised. “That’s what I did.”
“One chance, Beau.” Meredith’s voice trembled, then firmed. “That’s all you’ll get.”
He held her hand tenderly. “Thank you. That’s all I’ll need.”
“Let’s get going. We’ll see you at celebration brunch in the morning.” Skylar’s grandfather helped his wife into the limo, then carefully handed her his signed baseball, and the box with her diamond-and-ruby brooch. Beau assisted Meredith after she gave a quick hug to Skylar and Rio. They waved as the car pulled off, then went back inside.
Arms in the air, Skylar twirled in a circle. “I’m so happy.”
Rio picked her up in her arms and headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. “I’m about to make both of us a lot happier.”
Skylar bit on his earlobe, suckled. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“I know.” He stopped in front of her door. “The code.”
Skylar pushed her skirt of her dress out of the way and punched in the code. Rio was inside in seconds, closing the door after him, turning her away from him. His warm lips brushed over the velvet smoothness of her skin as his arms circled her waist to cup her breasts. Even through the material he felt the nipples harden, reaching for him.
He quickly undressed. Once he touched her again, he wasn’t going to let her go for a long, long time. Finished, he pulled the zipper of her gown down, enjoying the material slowly opening to reveal more of her bare skin to him. As it did, his mouth, tongue, hands followed every dip and curve. By the time he reached the bend of her knees, she was trembling so badly she could hardly stand.
Kneeling, he glanced up at the flawlessness of her body. His hardened even more. All she wore were the earrings he had given her, lacy panties, thigh-high stockings, and her heels. He stood and walked in front of her. She took his breath away. His hands were unsteady when he unclamped her hair, ran his fingers though the thickness.
His fingers still in her hair, he took her mouth with passion and greed. She moaned deep in her throat. He lifted her out of the dress. She clamped her legs around his waist. He heard her shoes hit the floor. Gauging his steps, he walked backward until he reached the bed. The covers were turned down.
With her securely in his arms, he lay down and scooted until they were crosswise on the bed. He took her nipple into his mouth, sucking and teasing. His hands slid downward. The lace gave under his strong hand. She was bare and open to him, her woman’s softness rubbing against his erection. He sucked in a breath.
She leaned over to lick the hard point of his nipple. “I’m going to make it better.” Her fingers trailed over his length, brushing, rubbing, skimming. He lifted his hips to increase the incredible pleasure of her touching him.
She reached beneath the pillow, pulled out a condom, and rolled it onto his stiff erection. She’d barely finished when he lifted, guided her onto him. The fit was tight, the sensation exquisite.
Her hands splayed in the middle of his chest, her eyes closed as pleasure rippled through her. She rocked against him. Each tantalizing movement took him deeper. She rode him with wild abandon, savoring the feelings rippling though her until she could hold back no longer. She stiffened, calling out his name as she went over, taking him with her.
* * *
“I have a surprise for you.” Her chin propped on her folded hands, Skylar lay stretched out on top of Rio.
“I’m not sure I can handle it.” His hand lazily swept up and down her bare silken back to her hips.
“I bet you can.” She rocked against him, felt him respond. They’d made love twice. It was after one in the morning. “See, but I’m talking about another kind of surprise.”
She kissed his chest, rolled out of bed, and picked up her discarded dress. “I will always have fond memories of this gown.” Going to the closet, she hung it up. On the way back she stopped to pick up fresh lingerie and continued to the bathroom.
In less than five minutes, she was back. She’d combed her hair and put on a pair of black low-cut panties and a demi-bra. She went straight to his white shirt and put it on. “Let’s go. Food is waiting downstairs.”
Rio rolled out of bed to pull on his briefs and pants. “You can’t wear my shirt. There’re other couples in this house who might have the same idea.”
She wrinkled her nose and pulled off his shirt. “When we’re at my place or yours—” She stopped on the way to her closet. “I can’t wait to see your place. Anyway, we can walk around naked if we want.”
With her bent over to slip on black slacks, Rio thought he might be up to a third time after all. She slipped on a black cashmere sweater and flats, and reached for his hand. “We can always bring the food back up here. I’ll take the tray back early.”
“You naughty man.”
He started for the door. “Behave and be quiet.”
She put her finger over her lips.
Shaking his head, he led her quietly down the stairs, past the great room and the dining room into the kitchen. He switched on the light.
The house manager Patterson whirled around from the refrigerator, dropping a carton of half-and-half. He held a small brown vial in the other hand. Fear widened his eyes. His mouthed worked like a fish out of water. He turned to flee.
Rio had him by the collar of his robe and pajamas before he’d gone two steps, snatching the bottle out of his hand. “Start talking before I pour whatever this is down your lying throat.”
“This isn’t my fault. Tennyson threatened my sister and her family. He had pictures of them at their home, where she and her husband work. Even where their three children go to school. He threatened to harm them and break both my legs if I didn’t help him discredit you and Mr. Navarone.” He began to cry.
“I called Blade. He’s on his way.” Skylar stared at the sniveling man with hurt confusion. “I trusted you.”
“We all did,” Rio said. “I checked you and your sister and her family out again after the first break-in. Her family is doing well in Amarillo.”
Patterson’s frail hands tried ineffectually to remove Rio’s. “But they wouldn’t be if I hadn’t agreed to help Tennyson. It’s not my fault. He made me do it. I wouldn’t do anything to harm Mrs. Navarone if he hadn’t made me.”
“What did you say about Sierra?” Blade’s voice was dangerously chilling.
“If you kill him, we’ll never have the whole story,” Rio said.
The man whimpered louder.
“Before he died, he’d tell me everything I needed to know.” Blade started for the man.
Sierra stepped in front of her husband. “I’m fine. I won’t be if you beat the crap out of Patterson. We need to find Tennyson and put an end to this.” Sierra grabbed Blade’s arm. Shane moved to the other side.
“Keep talking,” Rio ordered as the kitchen filled with more houseguests. Two of Rio’s men positioned themselves behind Patterson.
“Two of the paintings sold tonight were fakes. I switched them out and gave the real ones to Tennyson. He’d planned to raise questions about their authenticity a couple of weeks after the auction, but things changed when Ms. Dupree saw me talking with Tennyson’s right-hand man. If she could identify him, it would lead back to Tennyson.” Patterson, growing paler, reached for a chair. Rio lowered him into one. “He hired new people to be at his office just in case and kept the other man out of sight.”
“So that’s why you were so nervous when I asked you if things were all right and you asked me not to tell anyone,” Skylar said. “His back was to me. I only caught a glimpse of him.”
“I didn’t know that. When I told Tennyson, he was infuriated. At first they hadn’t wanted you to be able to connect us, then Tennyson became enraged because Mr. Navarone didn’t want him at the charity event.” Patterson swallowed. A jerk of his collar got him talking again.
“I didn’t want to do it, but he made me. Martin dotes on Mrs. Navarone and planned on making her crepes for brunch this morning. Tennyson sent the drugs to make her ill along with a gunman. I smuggled him in the trunk of my car tonight. The same way I smuggled in the first man. Tennyson said he was just to tie up Ms. Dupree, scare her so she wouldn’t talk if his plan was ever discovered. She wasn’t to be hurt. He wanted you and Mr. Navarone to suffer for causing his downfall. He said it was fitting.”
“Tennyson lied,” Rio snapped. “The gunman planned to kill her.”
Patterson shook his head in disbelief and horror. “No. No. You’re wrong. He gave me his word.”
“The word of a liar isn’t worth warm spit,” Blade tossed out.
“You should have told someone, Patterson,” Shane said tightly. “Now you’re going to prison.”
“I don’t want to go to prison. I was just scared for my sister and her family, and for myself. Surely, you see I had no choice.” The house manager looked from one person to the other. “You have to help me.”
“You could have come to me,” Blade said, fury in every syllable. “Instead you were willing to cause harm to two innocent women.”
“Skylar felt sorry for you, and you were willing to let that bastard have her.” Rio’s hand fisted in the man’s collar and cut off the circulation.
Skylar grabbed his hand. “Don’t let him ruin our lives. Turn him loose. Rio!”
His hand unclamped. The house manager crumpled to the floor crying. “He said he was just going to frighten her.”
Shane dragged the man to his feet. “Where’s Tennyson?”
“He’s nearby. The—the man tonight was to sedate Ms. Dupree and put her in the trunk of my car. He was to wait in the backseat. Once she was missing, Tennyson knew Mr. Sanchez would turn this place upside down looking for her. He gambled on you not searching my car.” Patterson rubbed a shaky hand across his face.
“When things settled down, I was to—to put the drugs in the half-and-half, then fake chest pains and leave to deliver the gunman and Ms. Dupree, and then return. He wanted to know how both of you reacted once Ms. Dupree was missing, and Mrs. Navarone became ill.” He dropped his head. “I’m supposed to call back after I finish in here.”
“Where’s your phone?” Rio snapped.
“My pocket.”
“Call Tennyson and put it on the speaker,” Rio ordered.
Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, Patterson punched in the number. “Mr. Tennyson. I—I did as you instructed.”
“Good. Your sister and her family might survive, and you might not end up in the hospital after all. I wish I could see that bastard’s face when his wife is convulsing and dying.”
Patterson jerked, almost dropping the phone. Rio caught his hand and steadied it. “D-dead? You said it was to make her sick.”
Tennyson laughed nastily. “I was afraid you’d be too big a coward to go through with it otherwise.” His voice hardened. “And if you even think of going back and disposing of the milk, I’ll do more than break your legs, I’ll have my man carve you into little pieces. Understand?”
“Y-yes, sir.”
“Good. Is the Dupree woman secure? I haven’t heard anything on the news.”
Rio nodded.
“Y-yes. They’re keeping it quiet.”
“I bet that bastard Rio is going out of his mind searching for her when she’s right under his stupid nose. He won’t be so bad now.” Tennyson laughed again. “Bring her to me. I have some things planned for her before she dies. We’re on the tarmac at the Santa Cruz private airstrip three miles out of Santa Fe. Do you know how to get here?”
Once again, Rio nodded.
“Yes, sir,” Patterson answered again.
“I just wish the man I sent tonight had taken out Rio, but you can’t have everything.”
“No, sir.”
“What did you say?”
“I—I meant, yes, sir. Mr. Tennyson, you deserve only the best.” Patterson’s voice quaked.
“That’s what I had until that bastard Navarone and his guard dog Rio interfered. Well, I’ll have the last laugh,” Tennyson said with contempt.
“Yes, sir.”
“Bring that woman to me as soon as you can, then I want you to go back and call me the second you can after Blade’s wife is dead. Don’t keep me waiting this time. The poison works fast. There’s no way he can save her.” Tennyson laughed. “I wish I could see his face.” The line went dead.
Patterson hunched his shoulders as if trying to disappear. “I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know.”
“This is what the man Skylar shot was holding as a bargaining chip. The bastard knew about the poison and was willing to let Sierra die to plea-bargain a deal,” Rio snarled. “He overplayed his hand. He wasn’t wearing gloves. With his fingerprints on this bottle, he’ll be looking at two counts of attempted murder.”
“He better pray he never gets out of prison.” Blade’s nostrils flared with rage.
Rio pulled Patterson to his feet. “You have one more phone call to make. Where are the keys to your car?”
“On top of my dresser.”
“I’ll get them and bring his car around front and meet you there.” Shane hurried out of the room.
Rio started out of the kitchen. His two men followed. Blade was already gone.
Skylar stepped in front of Rio. “Let Dakota take care of Tennyson.”
“Sure. We’re just going to smoke him out,” Rio said. “Don’t worry.”
“Rio.” Skylar glanced at the frightened, crying man. “He was scared. He was more terrified of Tennyson than he believed in you or Blade.”
“And that’s the only reason I didn’t come down harder on him,” he told her. “Let’s go.”
Skylar followed Rio and the whimpering Patterson to the door. Conner and Henderson got into the back seat of the waiting SUV. In seconds a black BMW 745 pulled up. Opening the back door, Rio helped Patterson inside. Blade got in on the driver’s side. Shane moved to the passenger seat. The BMW sped off, with the SUV following closely.
“Rio said they’d call Dakota.”
“Do you believe him?” Sierra asked.
“To a point. He’ll call, but I’m worried about when,” Skylar answered.
“Same here,” Sierra said. “Blade has never lied to me, so that means he plans to call after they’ve dealt with Tennyson.”
“There’s only one thing we can do.”
“You read my mind.” Together, the women walked back into the house.
* * *
“Mr. Tennyson, we’re here,” Patterson said, his voice trembling.
“That didn’t take long. I’ll have Hawkins lower the steps.”
Rio took the phone from Patterson. “My men are here to guard you. You’re in enough trouble so don’t move or make a sound.”
The car dome lights off, Blade and Rio got out of the car and headed toward the steps of the small Learjet. Shane got out as well. Henderson slipped into the backseat to guard Patterson. Conner, his hand on the butt of his Glock, stood by Shane and waited.
“I want Tennyson,” Rio said.
“You can have him—once I’m finished,” Blade said, hitting the steps. Rio was right beside him.
Guns drawn, they entered the luxury cabin. The smirk on Tennyson’s face died. He bolted behind a man almost twice his size. Without hesitation, the man reached for the gun in his shoulder holster.
Rio and Blade fired at the same time, hitting the man in each thigh. Howling in pain, he went down. Rio and Blade were already moving toward the door Tennyson had fled through. Rio disarmed the man and put a zip-tie on his wrists, then cursed as Blade kept going. Hearing Shane coming up the steps, Rio was up just as Blade shot the door lock, then kicked. The door slammed against the wall.
Blade went through first with Rio close behind. Tennyson glanced up, terror in his eyes as he backed against the wall. Blade’s fist landed solidly under Tennyson’s chin. Rio caught him before he fell and plowed his fist into his soft belly. Blade pulled the man toward him and drew back his fist.
“That’s enough, fellows,” Dakota called from behind them. “He’s not worth the aggravation. Besides, he looks unconscious.”
Blade let the man drop. “Which one called you?”
Dakota squatted to examine his prisoner. “Don’t know what you mean.”
“Did Sierra or Skylar call you?” Rio asked.
“Confidential.” He patted Tennyson on the cheek. “A deputy is outside with Patterson. Which one of you has the vial?”
Rio pulled the small brown bottle out of his pocket in a cloth napkin. “My fingerprints are on there as well.”
“Thanks. I expect all of you and Ms. Dupree to be at my office after brunch to give a statement.”
“You change your mind about coming?” Blade asked.
Dakota spun. “Wasn’t sure the invitation was still open.”
“It is,” Blade said. “By the way, Rio got engaged tonight.”
“Congratulations.” Dakota rubbed his nose. “Kind of figured it wouldn’t be long the way you acted toward Ms. Dupree. You got yourself some woman.”
“Don’t I know it,” Rio said. “I’m sure you know about the painting switch. The real paintings are probably on the plane.”
“I’ll check. ’Night.”
“’Night, Dakota,” Rio and Blade said.
Rio glanced at Blade, who nodded. “Tennyson threatened Patterson’s sister’s family, and him. We all heard it.”
“So I was told. It will be noted on my report,” Dakota assured them, then turned back to Tennyson, his eyelashes fluttering. “Tennyson, you have to be the dumbest man on this planet to go after their women.” He pulled the groggy man to his feet. “You’ll have the rest of your life in jail to think about it. Starting tonight.”