Page 9 of Lie for a Million

Something snapped in Darrin. He rose partway out of his chair. “Leave me alone!” he snarled. “I don’t need you to tell me what to do. I can think for myself!”

“Fine. Then stop fiddling around and start thinking! I’m tired of—”

Simone’s words ended in a gasp as his hand came up and slapped the side of her face, hard enough to send her reeling backward.

With a cry, she righted herself and ran from the room.

* * *

Lila had seen the black Chevy SUV pull up to the guest bungalow on the far side of the house. That would be Agent Sam Rafferty, returning for a second try at solving Frank’s murder. Sooner or later he would want to talk with her. That would be the time to tell him about Crystal, her pregnancy, and her possible motive for killing Frank.

But it could wait until tomorrow. This evening, she was still overwrought from the meeting with Frank’s pregnant mistress. And she had yet to confront Roper about his promised decision.

A light had come on in the bungalow. Sam would be settling in. The well-stocked kitchenette had snacks and sodas as well as supplies for the coffeemaker. She would have Mariah send someone out with a meal for him.

Lila wasn’t happy to have the FBI back in her life. If only Madeleine had been found guilty, things would be settled by now and she could move on to fight other battles. But she’d had little choice but to let Sam come back to the ranch. And she still needed to know who’d murdered her husband. Maybe when she did, she’d finally be able to mourn.

At least Sam was soft-spoken and respectful, not like some lawmen Lila had known. But the man was not to be underestimated. His sharp instincts missed nothing. She would need to weigh every word she spoke to him.

After passing through the house, she walked out the back door. Cloaked in evening shadows, the patio was a peaceful refuge. A cool breeze stirred the potted palms and rippled the surface of the pool. Lila sank onto the chaise, leaned back, and released the breath that felt as if she’d been holding it in since morning. The day had been hellish, and it wasn’t over. She still had to deal with Roper.

The stable was dark except for the security lights, but Roper’s pickup truck was still in the parking lot. She would take a moment to rest her tired eyes before she went to look for him.

And then what? What if he wanted to leave? How would she manage without the man who had become her rock? And how would she deal with the truth—that he hadn’t cared enough to stay?

Crickets were chirping in the long grass beyond the fence. Eyes closed, Lila let the soothing sound flow through her. She took deep breaths, willing her tense body to relax. But her thoughts were still jumping like frenzied rabbits from worry to worry.Crystal . . . the lawsuit . . . the FBI . . . the horses . . . and Roper. Roper most of all.

“Boss?” His deep voice jolted her to awareness. She opened her eyes to find him standing over her. “Are you all right?” he asked.

Lila sat up, swung her legs off the chaise, and stood. “Are you saying that I’m still your boss?”

A corner of his mouth twitched in a half smile. “For now, at least. Walk with me.”

His hand brushed the small of her back, guiding her through the patio gate and down toward the pastures, their way lit by the rising moon. The stars were emerging from the dark blanket of the sky. Windmill blades creaked softly, pumping water for the sprinklers that kept the horse paddocks green even in this dry summer.

They walked in silence, Lila on edge, waiting for Roper to speak. From the game farm that bordered the ranch property came the sound of gunshots from a heavy caliber weapon. Their neighbor, Charlie Grishman, collected old, sick, and unwanted exotic animals and charged big money for clients to hunt them on his ranch. Some poor, helpless beast, most likely a former pet or show performer, was dying out there in the darkness.

Lila shuddered. The memory was still raw. The hyena that had killed Million Dollar Baby had also killed a young cowboy. The monster, now dead, had almost surely escaped from Charlie’s compound during a raid by an animal rights group. But Charlie had disavowed any responsibility.

“That evil little man! Every time I hear that gunfire, I feel sick,” she said. “I’d give anything to shut him down. I tried to get Frank to do it, but he didn’t care. As long as Charlie kept his menagerie off our property, Frank was fine with him as a neighbor.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m with you, Boss,” Roper said. “You could take him to court, but if he has a business license, what he does on his own land is perfectly legal.”

They were making polite conversation, putting off the things that needed to be said. Lila had had enough. She was tired of waiting.

At the fence, she turned to face him, her impatience boiling over. “You said you were with me, Roper. But are you really, or do you plan to leave? Stop dragging your feet and tell me what you’ve decided.”

She glared up at him, braced for bad news.

* * *

All day, Roper had been racked by conflict—wanting to be free, to make his own choices, to win if he could. But there were people who needed him—his parents, his sister, and Lila. If he were to leave, she’d be hard put to replace him with a man she could trust. But didn’t he owe something to himself? Didn’t he have the right to seize his dream, no matter who he had to leave behind?

He’d imagined telling her he was leaving. His mind had even rehearsed what he was going to say. But now, as her coppery eyes blazed into his, searing her brand on his soul, Roper faced the truth. A different man might walk away. But he wasn’t that man.

“Damn it, Roper.” Her voice quivered with impatience. “Talk to me—now!”

The dam Roper had built against his emotions trembled and burst, releasing a flood of forbidden yearnings.

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