Chapter Nine

James

 

I stared out the front window towards the blue sky and watched the sun peeking through the rolling clouds. I wished Evelyn was with me to witness the true miracle of God’s beauty. The way she took off, it left me uneasy. I didn’t want her to regret what happened. Damn, that was hot. I don’t remember ever feeling that caught up in a moment.

My truck sat in its usual parking spot near the barn, small traces of the previous night’s rain in the shape of puddles around the tires brought back the image of Evelyn and my body entangled together.

I chuckled as I thought about how neither of us realized the rain had even started.

My phone set on the table as I turned to check. It was dark. I swiped the screen, just in case the flashing lights were disabled or not working. No messages. No missed calls.

There was still a large section of fence that was in need of inspection, cattle that needed to be moved to the back field, and animals to feed, so I decided to call Evelyn after the morning chores were done. I didn’t want to push too hard. She was one that I really didn’t want to get away.

I grabbed my gloves and headed out the front door, stopping on the porch to let the sun kiss my face before starting my long day. A truck slowed on the main road and then turned onto my lane. It was bright blue, unfamiliar, and I immediately assumed it was one of the Jasper kids, probably here to gloat about the low-ball number I got for the cattle the night before.

My stance firmed beneath me as I worked on calming my anger. I watched the truck rolling up the lane, still unable to make out who was inside, but able to make out that whoever it was, they were alone. Brave bastard.

The truck stopped a few feet from the porch where I stood. My eyes narrowed as they strained to look through the windshield towards the stranger behind the steering wheel.

Holy shit!

I strolled towards the truck as the door opened, my arms widening to greet my old friend. He stepped out of the truck, his boots landing firmly in the dirt.

“Hey, brother,” I grinned as he stepped towards me.

A sting bit me hard in the jaw as my feet tumbled beneath me. Soon, I was on my ass, in the dirt, looking up at Axel. My hand covered the sting; my eyes narrowed as I scattered to my feet. I wanted to swing back, but I was still in shock from the blow. My shoulders pushed back, my chest moved inward, towards the man that just knocked me to the ground.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I spat, my breath beating against Axel’s face.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” he retorted.

I chuckled angrily, twisted my neck to loosen the nerves that were tightening as I tried to fight back the urge to knock his shiny bald block off his shoulders.

We both stood tall, we stood close, and as I smelled his breath, there was no trace of alcohol. He wasn’t drunk, so why?

“You’re the one who showed up here swinging,” I protested, taking a step back as I spoke.

I looked him over, up and down. Aside from acting a fool, he looked good, and it would’ve been good to see him.

“I told you not to fuck with Evelyn, that she was a good girl,” Axel growled.

My stomach ached at the thought she’d called him, that she regretted our encounter so much that she found it one-sided. My head spun as my hands reached up to try and stop it. The night played over in my head, the kiss, the way our eyes locked, her moans. No. She wanted it. I hadn’t been out of the game so long that I couldn’t read a woman.

“I don’t know what she told you, but I can assure you it was a mutual thing, brother,” I stammered.

“She didn’t tell me anything. She didn’t have to,” he snarled, reaching behind his back.

I stood there, wondering if this was it. Was he pulling a gun, shooting me dead right there in the spot I stood, and for what?

“Hold on,” I raised my hands, offering a sign of peace.

“I got these this morning,” Axel reached back in front of him with a stack of white papers folded in half.

He shoved the papers towards me until I finally took them. As I unfolded the stack my eyes widened and my heart raced. It was a photo of me and Evelyn standing at my truck, her lips on mine, and mine on hers.

“What the fuck?” I gasped, moving to the next paper.

It was another photo, this time more of me than of Evelyn as she lay in my truck allowing me to remove her jeans. Fuck.

My chest tightened as I moved to the next, a photo of her in my arms, raindrops captured by the photographer, unapparent to either of us as we made love under the moonlight.

“Where did these come from?” I sighed.

“An anonymous e-mail,” Axel replied, his tone still filled with fury.

“It has to be one of Jasper’s kids,” I sighed, refusing to look at the other photos in the stack.

I turned and walked towards the house, ready to go after whoever invaded Evelyn’s privacy so hideously.

“I’ll fuckin’ kill em’,” I growled, pushing through my front door.

“This could kill Evelyn, not to mention her career,” Axel tossed out as if I wasn’t already thinking the same fucking thing.

“Does she know?” I turned to find Axel standing in my office doorway.

He shook his head.

Thank God.

“I’m gonna kill them before she has the chance to find out,” I insisted, rummaging through my desk drawers for my gun.

“You don’t even know who sent these. It could be anyone,” Axel grabbed my arm and slung me around to face him.

He was right. I started thinking about William Platter, how obnoxious he’d been at the stockyard. He made comments about Evelyn, and he somehow knew she was my attorney. He had motive, but so did all of Jasper’s kids, and one of them had already been snooping around with a broker.

“How do we find out?” I asked, remembering that Axel was our lead tech guy. He could crack any code, break any password. There was no way he wouldn’t be able to find where this e-mail came from.

“Move,” he sighed, nudging me away from my desk.

I took a step back as I watched Axel slid into my computer chair and turn on my laptop. He didn’t even ask for my password to get in, he just typed in Queen and hit enter, and he was in. He turned to grin in my direction as I started to say something.

“Everyone knows how much you love that damn horse,” he chuckled.

It was good to hear something other than anger roll from his lips. I leaned over the chair, over Axel’s shoulder, and watched him work his magic.

The e-mail he received opened after he logged onto his account. My stomach grumbled at seeing the images again, this time clearer, not printed in black and white from Axel’s printer. He opened a few more boxes, copied an IP address, and then pasted it in a site he logged into from my browser window. Within a few minutes, several keystrokes, and probably an ulcer or two later, he had an address.

It wasn’t familiar, but the JJ in the address made me think of John, Jasper’s youngest son.

“Hold on,” I said quickly, moving to old man Jasper’s computer.

I turned it on, searched through his e-mail contacts, and there it was, John Jasper, the same e-mail address as the one on my laptop screen.

Axel already had his contact information by the time I announced my find, and of course, he had a nice grin to go along with it.

“I’m gonna kill that little twit,” I roared, again returning to my search for the gun.

Axel grabbed me again, this time his grip tightened around my wrists to hold me in place. He was strong, definitely keeping in shape as a firefighter since our SEAL days, but I knew I could break free if I wanted to.

“Let me handle this,” he insisted.

“I can handle the punk,” I growled.

Axel released his grip and walked away, stopping to stare out the front window towards the barn.

“You’ll ruin any chance you have at keeping this place if you do,” he said calmly as I entered the room behind him.

“I probably already did,” I sighed.

“No. You let me handle this mess,” Axel turned towards me, his eyes serious and bold.

“So, this with Evelyn, she just another conquest for you?” he asked, the hurt in his eyes obvious as he spoke.

I shook my head.

“You have feelings for her?” he questioned.

I stared at my friend, my brother. I knew I had a reputation as a ladies’ man, but most of that was just shop talk.

“I don’t know. There’s something about her, something special,” I admitted.

“Yes, there is,” Axel boasted with pride.

“I really do like her,” I smiled, getting the first sincere smile from Axel since he’d arrived.

“I’m sorry I jumped your shit,” Axel chuckled, and then rubbed his left hand over the reddened knuckled of his other hand.

“I’m sorry my face hurt your hand,” I snickered.

“You still have a hard fucking head,” Axel laughed.

“Yeah, and you still have one hellova’ punch,” I grinned.

“It really is beautiful out here. I’d forgotten how nice it was here,” Axel turned back towards the window.

“It needs a lot of work. Since you were here last, the place has been pretty neglected,” I sighed, looking out towards the work that still waited for me.

“I better let you get back to it,” Axel stated.

“Why don’t you hang around, maybe take a ride with me to check out the grounds,” I offered.

Axel shook his head.

“I’ve got a shift at the firehouse in a few hours. Besides, I need to start working on fixing this mess,” he winked and patted me on the back as he left.