Brutal Heir (Billionaire Heirs #2)

Chapter 26

Ezequiel

I’m coming up on the main house, cattle trailer in tow, when I see the dust clouds kicked up in opposite directions. Security’s running around the ranch like a guy who lost his wedding ring and is about to go home to a jealous wife.

I pick up my cell, to call Addler. He likes to know what’s happening on his property at any given point. It’s a lesson learned from the old man himself.

His truck’s out front, so he should be home. What the hell. May as well stop off and see how he’s doing. Might catch him limping around after a day of hard labor. Been a while since the college boy had to sweat. Might get a word or two about his friend.

I pull up to the two-story Spanish-style house Addler calls home and kill the engine. I open the door, take a step out, and wince. Getting out of the truck brings my own sore muscles to mind. Not that it stopped me from a good, hard fuck not too long ago.

I take a deep breath and check the perimeter. There’s nothing out of the ordinary in the vast expanse of the ranch stretching out around me. In the distance, the cow I just dropped off in the next field is grazing lazily along with a few others.

I open the wrought-iron gate in front of the house. It creaks a little as I push it open. The day’s so tranquil, I can hear the sound echoing across the property. There’s enough security around the house that we’d get notified if anyone without a fob was coming too close. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.

Locking up behind me, I move on to the large wooden door at the entrance and let myself in. More out of habit than anything else, I check my boots before stepping into the grand foyer. Best to avoid Mayela’s wrath by keeping from dragging dirt and mud through the place while she’s away.

The walls are covered in his mama’s artwork. Images from the ranch at different points in time. Some while she was here and others from pictures out of the family albums. There’s several doorways leading out to different parts of the house.

I hear noise coming from the kitchen. It’s pretty much where I figured I’d find him, so I continue on through the main living room and dining area. Damn, it’s a whole workout to get across the house. I shoulda gone around the back like I usually do, so I’d avoid all this.

I walk into the kitchen and get one hell of a surprise.

Addler’s on the kitchen floor, with a woman draped over him. She’s wearing his shirt; the curve of her hips and her bare legs show she’s astride him. Her feet are down around what looks to be his shorts. It’s Elena, I’d recognize that long, dark hair anywhere.

Damn it. I may be able to back out of here without them noticing. They’re both caught up in a kiss that don’t look like it’s gonna end any time soon. The image is hotter than any porn I’ve ever come across.

Resigned, I let out a breath then clear my throat.

She gasps, looking up to find me standing close by. I have enough sense to look away. I’m still a man, so it’s not like I could ignore that rack of hers. I don’t need to think about that right now.

Staring at the kitchen table doesn’t help. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her sit up, and the shirt she’s wearing is wide open. Holy fuck .

Addler drags her down against him. She curls into him like a lost child. There’s only so much I can do to be polite to the nice lady. And this is really pushing the limit.

“I’ll come back,” I offer.

“Give us a second,” Addler says, enjoying himself enough that he’ll probably be paying for it later.

“Gotcha,” I reply. The best I can do is head to the back. “I’ll be out here.” I let myself onto the patio through the French doors.

I can’t help but wonder how long this has been going on, and it bugs the shit out of me. I don’t usually have the curiosity of a comadre looking for good gossip. Which gets me to wonder if Mayela hasn’t heard the chisme . As the de Marco’s long-time housekeeper, she’s always up to date on what’s happening.

I step outside and take a deep breath of fresh air. The sun is high in the sky, already beating down onto land.

Speaking of heating up, the door opens, and Addler joins me on the patio.

“Well, that was unexpected.” I’m not sure if I should apologize or give him a hard time about not saying anything about Elena.

He runs his hand over his beard. “Didn’t exactly plan on it myself.” A shit-eating grin covers his face.

“Wanted to check in with you,” I say, before we end up distracted by what I just walked in on. “Something’s up.”

He immediately loses the grin. That’s to be expected. We’re out in the middle of nowhere, so, if things go wrong, we can only rely on one another. “What happened?”

I look to the roads in the distance. “Got some security vehicles running around out there.”

“You sure it’s them?” As if I haven’t been watching everything that’s been going on since the day Kelly Oil showed up on the ranch.

“It’s several vehicles running around. They’re kicking up enough caliche to show they’re speeding,” I point out. “Which means it has to be security.”

He frowns. “They haven’t called in?”

“No.” I push back my hat, running the back of my hand over my forehead.

“Not even Bill?” he asks, sounding skeptical.

“No.” I shake my head.

He goes quiet; likely his mind racing. He would have expected the old law dog to check in if the shit hit the fan. So, if Bill hasn’t called, does he know what’s going on?

“What about the security admin you ran around with?” he asks, freezing me on the spot. What about her? I stop the words before they come out of my mouth.

Of course, she would come to mind. This isn’t about me and her. She’s just the next logical choice. I hadn’t thought about it, but, I guess, when Bill’s not around, she’s the next one in charge.

“I haven’t called her,” I admit. “Figured I’d check with you first.”

He cocks his head. “Do you know anything about her?”

There’s a loaded question if there ever was one. I know she doesn’t carry a gun and doesn’t watch where she’s walking. I know she sleeps in that cute little dress that lets me get to her tits without any trouble at all. And I know how it feels to be inside her tight little cunt. That moment when I was riding her while she was asleep comes to mind. Then the image of her on the counter.

Yeah… Obviously, that’s not what he means.

“Her name keeps popping up every time something happens. Even when the old man was still here.” And, as annoying as it may be, “She seems to have her nose in everything.”

“Hrmph.”

For not being a local, she’s pretty damn nosey. Doesn’t help that Bill is always sending her out to do shit. Even though he knows there’s still places on this ranch where she has no business poking her nose. Sage is going to check on the guard . Sage is interviewing the suspect. Sage is going to meet you and document the incident. She’s damn near everywhere…

“Sage. What the hell kind of name is that?” I ask, not really expecting an answer.

He snorts. “I said the same thing.” He turns thoughtful. My shoulders tighten. Something bad’s coming. I can feel it. “Kelly Oil has some shit going on.”

“Oh?” I knew it.

Addler checks behind him, as if he expects Elena to show up suddenly. Somehow, I don’t think she will.

“Derrick says they’ve got money missing they can’t account for. So far, everything leads back to South Texas. Specifically, the ranch, since it’s the newest acquisition.”

“Shit.” My family’s embroiled in the kind of life that deals in cash. I have millions I can’t account for in this country. It caused me a problem when I wanted to buy a place of my own. I’m lucky the de Marcos have enough money coming in that they can fold my part into theirs.

“That’s why I showed up at the office early,” he explains. “If they have something to hide, they’d have to do it before Monday.”

“Girl from the office.” I glance toward the house, wondering if she’s got a part to play. “She tangled up in this?”

“Not that I can tell.”

Not that he can tell… Wonder how hard he’s looking. Because from what I walked in on, I’d say he’s not looking in the right places. Or maybe what he found sent him in another direction.

“Sure you’re not running blind?” I ask him point blank. It’s a legit question, considering I have my own stake in the thing with Kelly Oil.

“I’ve been checking the books. Once Bill’s back, we’ll see if there’s anything he’s seen that could seem suspicious.”

“Good.” I’m glad nothing’s come up with her. Although I know she and Addler have some history, I like the girl. She didn’t think twice before diving in to get her hands dirty to get the cow out of the mud. And the first thing she thought of was making sure we had food and water. “She makes a hell of a sandwich.”

“Yeah.” He grins. “She does.”

Well, with that out of the way, we need to figure out the next step. “So, what do you want me to do?”

“Keep an eye out.” He shakes his head, as if there’s still no clear path. “If you find out anything from security, let me know.”

Let me check. I dial her number, but get voice mail. “I’ll try her again in a few.”

“Okay, thanks.”

I take the outside route so I don’t bump into Elena again. I’m not sure she’s ready for that.

Getting into the truck, I head home to drop off the trailer. I’m halfway there when my phone rings. Sage. I hit the button to answer the phone.

“Hey,” I reply, a smile in my voice.

“Hey. I’ve got a situation,” she says, sounding concerned. “Elena came to the office on Friday and hasn’t been heard from since.” Her voice trembles. “I have guys looking for her—”

So, it’s been a weekend fling for them. “She’s fine, if that’s what you are wondering.”

“And Bill said to…” She pauses. “Did you say she’s fine?”

“Yes, I just saw her over with Addler.”

The roar of her truck’s engine goes down. “You physically saw her?”

That’s a hell of a way to put it because I saw way more than I intended.

“Yeah. Come by the house, and we’ll go over.”