Lingerie and Lariats (Rough & Ready#7) Read online

  Her heart was still pounding as she obeyed him. Her body remained tense as she lay on the hard floor and tucked the pillow under her head. Her belly felt queasy as she watched him riffle through her purse. He took out her ID, credit cards, cash, and cell phone. He held up a business card and she realized with a sinking feeling that it was the one Dan had given her. Jerry glared at her then shoved the card along with the other things into his pockets.

  He gave her one last look before he picked up both room keys then shut off the light as he opened the door to the room and headed out. He closed the door behind him and she heard the lock click shut.

  It was then that her entire body started to shake. Everything that had happened over the course of the past two days crashed in on her. She hadn’t felt so alone or so afraid since the time she was a little girl and her mother had abandoned her without a look back.

  Maybe she should call the Camerons or Dan—but Jerry had taken her phone and the card with Dan’s personal cell phone number. She thought about using the B & B’s phone, but then realized she didn’t want to involve the Camerons or Dan.

  No, she’d have to do this on her own. The problem was that she didn’t have the faintest idea of what she was going to do.

  Chapter 6

  “Get up.” Jerry’s shoe hit her backside as he kicked her awake.

  She blinked, confused. What was she doing on the floor? She looked up into Jerry’s face as he glared down at her and everything came rushing back.

  Worried that Jerry would kick her again, this time harder, she hurried to get up off the floor. She had a kink in her neck and her body that was already sore from the accident ached even more. She hadn’t slept well at all, and during the night had tried to think of what she should do about her situation. The trapped feeling was worse than ever.

  Jerry towered over her petite height and she felt more vulnerable than she ever had. “Put on your clothes and hurry and pack up your shit. I’ve got a meeting and we don’t have time for you to screw around putting on makeup.”

  Without answering, she went straight to the drawer and pulled out a pair of Levis along with panties, bra, socks, and a T-shirt. She hurried to put everything on, including her running shoes, and she pulled her hair back in a ponytail. When she was dressed, she shoved her clothing into her suitcase. Jerry watched her the entire time, his arms crossed over his chest and a mean look in his eyes.

  As soon as she finished gathering all of her things, he picked up his own duffel bag while she gripped the handle of her small suitcase.

  She grabbed her purse off of the bureau as she walked toward the door. She hated how small her voice sounded when she said, “Can I have my phone and other things back now?”

  He turned his gaze on her, his eyes narrowed. “Not until I’m ready to give them back to you.”

  Her heart sank. If she managed to make it to a bank, she needed her ID. Then she remembered her passport was in the outside pocket of her suitcase because she always kept her IDs in separate places in case she lost one of them. That would do. Her checkbook was in there too—she hadn’t felt the need to carry it since she’d had her cards and cash in her purse. She also usually kept extra cash in her suitcase, just in case. The only thing she wouldn’t have was her driver’s license as well as her credit cards.

  Grateful that she always planned ahead, she followed Jerry out of the room. He closed the door behind them and they headed down the stairs. When they reached the front desk, Jerry had on an amicable mask as he smiled at Angie and handed her the room keys.

  The moment Jerry turned to take care of the bill, Renee rushed to take her passport, checkbook, and cash out of her suitcase and stuff it all into the pockets of her jeans.

  She noticed Jerry had handed the woman one of Renee’s credit cards to pay for the room. She wondered if Jerry had been using her money all along to finance the trip. Who knew what else he’d been doing with her money or what he might have planned when it came to her inheritance.

  Jerry turned and faced her just as she finished putting everything into her pockets and a cold feeling sliced into her belly. Had he seen her?

  Relief replaced the cold when he said, “Let’s go,” and he strode out the B & B’s entrance.

  Angie smiled at Renee and she forced a smile in return. She had the urge to cry, “Help!” But it wasn’t like Jerry was kidnapping her. If she walked away right now, what could he do about it?

  He’d probably grab her and throw her in the rental car and take off. No, she would figure something out. She had her money to worry about, too. She’d be destitute if he emptied her accounts.

  Renee followed Jerry into the early morning sunshine and bit her lower lip. He grabbed her suitcase and threw it into the sedan’s trunk beside his duffel bag then slammed the trunk shut.

  She climbed into the passenger seat, holding her purse in her lap. A feeling of dread and fear settled over her as he drove away from the B & B and headed out of town.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Nogales.” He glanced at her as he drove. “I have a meeting.”

  “Why Nogales?” she asked.

  “I have a load of Mexican furniture and accessories I bought that another buyer defaulted on. I can turn around and make a profit on it right away.” He was looking at the road ahead and not at her. “Like I’ve told you before, I buy low and sell high. Doesn’t matter the commodity.”

  She didn’t know why, but she felt like Jerry had just lied to her. The fact that he’d volunteered information when he was angry with her made her feel like something was off.

  He didn’t say anything else. She too, remained quiet on the rest of the drive.

  She’d been to Nogales as a child, but it was so long ago that she barely remembered it. No doubt it had changed over time. The town felt alien to her.

  When they passed a branch of the bank where she kept her accounts, her heart leapt. If she could get away and get back here, she could fix everything. Now she just needed to remember where the bank was and how to get back.

  It wasn’t much farther before Jerry pulled into a café parking lot. “Get out,” he said when the car was parked. She grasped her purse as she started to obey, but Jerry grabbed it out of her hands and tossed it in the back seat. “You won’t be needing that.”

  Grateful she’d stuck her cash, passport, and checkbook into her pockets, she opened the passenger side door and climbed out. She still felt stiff and sore from her night on the floor and of course from the aches and pains from the accident. She followed him into the café and he scanned it with his gaze.

  He pointed toward a booth near the restroom sign. “Sit there while I have my meeting. Order yourself something to eat.”

  She nodded and went to the booth and slid onto on the red vinyl bench seat. The café had a retro 1950s look and had pictures of popular icons of the decade like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Audrey Hepburn, and James Dean.

  Menus were tucked between a napkin dispenser and a basket containing a pour bottle of sugar along with salt and pepper shakers. She wasn’t terribly hungry, but she selected one of the menus and opened it on the laminate tabletop.

  From the corner of her eye, she watched Jerry approach a table with two men. They looked to be of equal size but one had a goatee and the other’s head was shaved. The pair didn’t look like the friendliest of men. Jerry nodded to each of them then took a seat in one of the two empty chairs at the table, his back to her.

  She noticed two women chatting at a nearby table and they glanced in the direction of Jerry and the men he was with. The women were hard looking. The brunette with blonde streaks in her long dark hair talked a lot with her hands as she spoke while the other woman listened intently.

  A young woman with a ponytail and an order pad stopped in front of Renee, blocking her view. “What can I get you?” the waitress asked.

  Renee hadn’t glanced at the menu, but she figured that a basic breakfast would be universal. “An egg over ea
sy with a piece of whole wheat toast and a sausage link. Oh, and orange juice, too.” Maybe she was hungrier than she’d thought.

  “You’ve got it.” The waitress finished with a bit of a flourish and headed toward the long bar behind red vinyl-covered seats on chrome stools.

  Renee hadn’t had a chance to go to the restroom this morning because Jerry had rushed her in getting ready. She moved across the bench seat and out of the booth and headed into the nearby restroom. The heavy door creaked as she opened it and then let it slide back in place. She slipped into a stall. Thirty seconds later she heard the restroom door open.

  “Luis tells me everything,” came a woman’s voice. “According to what he told me, that Jerry guy is crazy.”

  Renee froze.

  “He looks nice enough, Mercedes,” came another woman’s voice as someone stepped into a stall and closed the door.

  The other woman made an unladylike snorting sound. “Don’t let looks fool you, Carla. Luis didn’t tell me exactly what that Jerry guy wants, but it’s some kind of revenge.”

  “Is Luis taking care of it?” Carla asked from her stall.

  “I don’t know.” Mercedes had a shrug in her voice. “He’s getting more information now. At least it will be a good payday if he does do it.”

  Chills rolled through Renee and she bit her lip to keep from making any sound of surprise. Jerry was planning to pay for one of the men to get even with someone?

  A toilet flushed followed by the sound of a stall door opening and closing. Water ran, as Mercedes said, “Not a word to Juan. I don’t want Luis thinking I talk about his business if it was to get back to him.”

  “You can trust me,” Carla said. “You’re lucky. Juan doesn’t tell me anything.”

  “Luis trusts me with everything,” Mercedes said. “He told me that there’s going to be a big buy through his contact from the east. Got to be that Jerry guy.”

  Renee continued to hold her breath until she heard the sound of the women’s voices fading and then vanishing as the restroom door slid shut behind them.

  Her skin prickled as she hurried to pull up her jeans and fasten them before flushing the toilet. What kind of revenge was Jerry paying for? Maybe he wanted to destroy someone financially. She’d heard him threaten that before. The thought sickened her, making her feel queasy.

  She left the stall and washed her hands before going out the restroom door. What kind of buy was he going to make, if it was in fact it was her Jerry that Mercedes had been talking about?

  When she reached her booth she saw that her breakfast had already been served. Jerry still had his back to her booth and she hesitated. She could slip out of the café’s front entrance now, head down to the bank, and take care of her accounts. Was there anything she could do about Jerry trying to ruin someone?

  She stood for a moment longer, trying to decide what to do, when Jerry pushed his chair back. Her heart pounded and she hurried to slide onto the bench seat. She pretended to be interested in her food as she picked up a fork and cut into the sausage link. From the corner of her eye she saw Jerry approach.

  He eased onto the bench seat across from her and she looked up. A fierce scowl was on his face and she wondered if somehow he knew what she’d overheard.

  But then he tossed something on the table between them and she saw that it was her phone. She reached for it but he said in a low, cold voice, “Don’t touch it.”

  She met his gaze and wanted to flinch away from him from the way he was looking at her.

  “You’ve had two text messages from your sheriff and a couple of calls,” Jerry said, his expression furious. “Send him a text that you want nothing to do with him and to leave you alone.”

  She swallowed and set her fork on her plate. She picked up the phone and opened it up to see that she had a recent text message that had been read.

  The message said,

  Renee, the Camerons gave me your number. I want to make sure you’re all right. Call me. Dan.

  She glanced up at Jerry whose eyes were narrowed, an angry glint in them. “Tell him to stop bothering you.”

  Her heart sank as she composed a message.

  Dan, please don’t call or text me again.

  Jerry took the phone from her. “Not good enough.”

  He revised her message and showed it to her with a smirk on his face.

  Don’t ever call or text me again. I don’t want anything to do with you, especially after the way you got in Jerry’s and my business last night. I don’t want you ruining things between Jerry and me.

  Renee’s throat felt dry. She didn’t want to send a message like this to Dan.

  “Press send.” Jerry’s smirk hadn’t changed.

  She pressed the “send” button and closed her eyes as the message went.

  “Eat your breakfast.” Jerry took her phone from her and pocketed it. “I’m almost finished with my business transaction which shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes. If you’re not done with eating when I return you’re just going to have to go hungry.”

  He got up and headed back to the table where the two men were still sitting.

  She stared at her plate. It wasn’t likely she could eat a bite. Instead she found herself sliding out of the booth and then she was walking toward the front entrance. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that the men had their heads down and they were wrapped up in whatever business dealings they had.

  Without looking back again, she pushed open the door to the café and ran.

  Chapter 7

  Renee hurried in the direction of the bank. She jogged down the sidewalk, dodging other pedestrians, glad she’d worn her running shoes. She had to get to the bank before Jerry noticed she was gone.

  The day was already growing hot and perspiration soon coated her skin. Her heart beat faster. It was taking too long. She glanced over her shoulder. The café was far enough back that she couldn’t see it now, but Jerry could always get into the sedan and drive by.

  She spotted a nice-looking man coming out of a corner pharmacy and hurried up to him. “Would you mind giving me a ride to the bank?” she asked as she came up to him.

  He looked at her in surprise then shrugged. “Sure.” He unlocked a truck parked next to the curb. “Climb in.”

  A jittery feeling made her tremble a little as she hurried to the passenger side and climbed in. She looked back and still didn’t see Jerry.

  The guy pulled the truck onto the street that had little traffic. It was only a couple of minutes before he reached the bank and pulled into the parking lot. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled at him and climbed out.

  “No problem.” He took off once she had closed the passenger door.

  Again she looked around her before darting through the entrance and into the cool interior of the bank. Jerry would never think to look for her here. The only problem would be if he decided to come to the bank to make transactions of his own. Although why would he do banking business when he would be looking for her? But just how long would he look for her?

  She signed in at the information desk to wait for a banker. The five minutes it took for someone to approach her seemed to drag on forever.

  The woman greeted Renee. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m Anita Gonzales. What can I do for you?”

  “I’m Renee Winfield. I have some accounts to close out and I’d like to open a new one.” Renee gave Anita a smile.

  Anita gestured toward the back cubicle, past other bank representatives who were talking with customers. When she reached the woman’s desk, Renee sat in front of it, on the edge of the armed chair. They were out of sight of the front door, so Jerry wouldn’t be able to see her if he did come in.

  She pulled out her passport and checkbook and explained to Anita that she wanted to roll all of her accounts into a new one.

  Anita looked at the passport and pulled up all of Renee’s accounts by entering the one on the checkbook. Renee tried to maintain a calm, relaxe
d appearance even though she felt even more jittery inside.

  The banker asked Renee a series of questions to confirm her identity and then they started the process of opening a new account in her name only. Since Jerry was only a signer on the open accounts, they wouldn’t need his signature for her to close them. Renee was the owner of both accounts.

  When Anita gave Renee the account balances, the concern she’d felt about her money was validated. Over seventy-five thousand dollars was missing from the nearly half million that she’d had in the accounts. She went over the transactions with the banker and noted the dates of the withdrawals and the amounts. Jerry had been embezzling from her.

  While she filled out the paperwork and the transactions were made, she wondered where Jerry was. Jerry would never know that her money was still with the bank because the bank wouldn’t give out that kind of information. The only thing he would know was that the accounts had been emptied.

  Renee didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until everything was completed.

  “Is there a phone I can use?” Renee asked.

  “Sure.” Anita gestured to her phone.

  “I need a directory,” Renee said. “I need to contact Zane Cameron.”

  Anita smiled. “Mr. Cameron is one of my clients.”

  Renee returned her smile. “Do you have his number?”

  “I can’t give out customer information,” Anita said. “But I can call him and ask if he’d like to speak with you.”

  “That would be great.” She relaxed as Anita looked up Zane’s number and dialed it from her desk phone. “Hi, Mr. Cameron,” Anita said. “This is Anita Gonzales. I have Renee Winfield here and she would like to speak with you. Is that all right?” A heartbeat later and Anita was handing the receiver to Renee.

  “Zane?” she said as Anita got up and walked away.

  “Hi, Renee,” he said. “It’s good to hear from you. If you don’t mind me asking, why are you calling from the bank?”