The Heir (Carrillo Ranch Book 2), page 23
“He’s not stupid.”
“Hey, I live with a doctor, who’s got something like a thousand IQ or something. He’s not stupid, but all people on earth love their egos stroked. Getting that and waited on? Palm of your hand, sweetie.”
Sel laughed at Binx, but did realize he’d been with his two guys a long time, so he didn’t mind learning from experience. Blaine was much the same with Dante, and Dante was so wrapped around Blaine’s finger, Blaine could shoot him and Dante would kiss his ass.
He took the coffee and food out to Indio, setting them in front of him, and Binx followed him with the cream and sugar. “Sel didn’t yet know how you took your coffee.”
“Black,” he said, staring around at the three of them. “You guys are being weird as fuck.”
“I can’t appreciate you after you saved my life? Not only that but finally took out the guy that was causing all the problems here?”
Indio definitely wasn’t stupid. He laughed and then grabbed his cup of coffee, sipping it as his eyes set firmly on Sel’s face.
Sel knew he was searching for bullshit, but when he thought about it, Sel knew he did want to do things for Indio. He’d give the man the world, if he’d ask.
The others left them alone and Indio whispered, “What are you guys up to? Planning our wedding?”
“I told you I’m not interested in getting married. I’m too young for that.”
“Sure. Okay, then what are you planning?”
Sel knew Indio wouldn’t stop asking. So, he gave him a short version of the truth. “They’re trying to teach me to…how to be…more…submissive.”
Spitting out his coffee, Indio started to choke, and Sel patted his back until he regained his breath. “You? Submissive? That’ll be the day!”
“Hey! I can! I want to…you know, do things for you, and…it’s sexy, and…”
“Oh fuck, you’re funny. The day you’re submissive is the day I wear a sparkling gown and high heels.”
Sel laughed and whispered, “You’d look hot in that, but you’d probably break your neck if you tried to walk in heels.”
Indio turned to face him. “Be serious. What are you talking about?”
“Well, you know what they’re building here, right?”
“A resort for gay dudes, yeah.”
“And a kink club. Most of the guys here, or that will live here, anyway, are into that…lifestyle. And, well, I’ve been interested in it for a while, and you’re already pretty dominant in bed, so…”
“Oh, I get it. You want me to tie your ass up and fuck you. All you had to do was ask.”
The man was so sexy as he smirked at Sel, Sel thought he’d lose it. Those crazy eyes of his were heavily lidded as he licked over his dark, full lips and Sel moved in to kiss them.
“There’s more involved than that, but if you’re interested, we can learn together and…try it.”
Indio pushed him away and turned back to his food. “We’ll talk about it. This morning I got a text. We gotta go talk to the feds, and I’m not looking forward to it. Go get showered and dressed.”
Already, he was telling Sel what to do, and Sel had to quash his initial reaction of telling him where to stick his order. Swallowing all the words he was ready to spit at him, Sel nodded and got up from the table, hurrying to their little bunkroom.
Sitting on the bed, he took a few deep breaths and thought of their sex. Yes, he was the submissive in bed…somewhat.
Overcoming every natural instinct he had would be difficult, but to get the guy he was falling for, he decided he’d try. And man, he’d have to try really hard. “This is going to suck.”
He showered and dressed and when he got back to the bunkroom, Indio was there, changing. “Aren’t you showering?”
“I did. I was in the other bathroom.”
His dark hair always looked wet, it shined so, and as Sel got closer to him, he smelled the soap. “Hold me.”
Indio wrapped his arms around Sel and kissed his head. “Nervous?”
“Yeah. I’m not afraid of the feds, but what if we say something wrong? They could think you did this on purpose.”
“I did. I shot him to save you. Believe me, Dante, Eight, all the guys giving me orders were pretty straight about wanting the fucker alive.”
“I know. They wanted to make sure the money went back to Harrison’s kids. The kids he claimed, anyway. Whether Harrison was a dick to his son or not, it wasn’t their fault.”
Indio whispered, “You’ll be fine. You’re smart like that. Those feds will be scared of you before you’re done with them.”
The confidence Indio had in him made him want to do the same for Indio. If being dominant made Indio happy, Sel would do it. He’d do anything for the guy. “Thanks.”
“Let’s get going. I’d actually like to get some more sleep.”
He was actually relieved. In the short time they’d been awake, he’d been dragging. “All the excitement, I guess.”
“We gotta rest up if I’m gonna find somewhere on this crowded ranch to tie you up and fuck you until you cry like a baby.”
Sel’s jaw dropped as Indio laughed.
“You’re evil.”
“You like that about me.”
They met up with Barry Monarco before heading to Redbud where the federal agents were stationed as they sorted out their serial killer mess.
He gave them the parameters of what the questions would likely be and what each should say. “Don’t give too many details, but don’t lie. Most of these guys have training to see through lies.”
“What if they ask me about my family?” Sel asked.
“I’ll be there with you. That is beyond the scope of questioning. Your family had nothing to do with this.” Sel relaxed, but Barry confided in them. “They were called when you were in that bunker, Sel. They know that story, and they’re also liable for trouble being they never came. You all got out of there before they so much as left Salt Lake City.”
Indio asked, “They could get in trouble for that?”
“Not if they don’t agree to come in the first place. See, law enforcement agencies ask for the help of the FBI, but they can’t take all the cases, but they’d already taken this case. Sure, they didn’t know if Brooks could be classified a serial killer, being we only know of two he actively killed. But, with the kidnappings, he was a kidnapper. Just not over state lines that they know of. It’s complicated, but for our part, if they can get us in trouble, we can’t come back on them for their misconduct.”
Sel straightened his back and lost all semblance of being tired and being shaken from nearly being killed. “They have no right!”
Barry’s smile came slowly, but was triumphant. “That’s the attitude we need. Sel, you are the man Brooks tried to kill, and Indio, you’re the one defending Sel. You two were there, you saw what happened and if you stick to that, to the truth, it will kill any case they can have against us.”
“Cases against us,” Sel said. It wasn’t a question. Two times in his life, he’d been witness to the federal agents storming his home and searching for something, anything, to tie his father to crimes.
“Sel, you know.”
“I know.”
The federal agents looked like federal agents. They were in bad suits and had short haircuts, even the two women that were questioning Marius and Dallas.
Sel was taken to an interview room in the back of the sheriff station by Vic Meyers. As soon as she got him inside, she told him, “Don’t say a thing if someone comes in to question you until your attorney is here. They’re trying so hard to pin these crimes on you all instead of that psycho that did this shit.”
“Thanks, Vic, I know the drill.”
Like a mother, she gazed warmly at him. “I’m sure you do, honey. Are you okay? You’re pale as a ghost.”
“Still a little…freaked. I would have never woken.”
“I am gonna bake that biker a cake the size of his Harley. Good guy, you have.”
“I…don’t know if I have him yet.”
“Oh, honey, he’s yours. Don’t worry about that.”
She patted his hand and left the room, and he stared at the blank wall that wasn’t anything more than cinder blocks painted white. Plain white walls, and he tried to blank his mind like the walls, push everything out of it so they’d be unable to read anything on his face. He’d watched Dante and his father do it a million times, with business associates, rivals and law enforcement.
When the woman came into the room, she had a disarming smile as she set down the folder and tablet she’d been carrying, closing the door gently. “Mr. Carrillo, how are you?”
“I’m alive, so that’s a big plus.”
Her smile never widened or faltered. “Of course. Very stressful for you, I’m sure.” After she took a seat on the metal chair across the narrow table from him, she held out her hand and said, “I’m agent Amanda Bennington, Special Agent in Charge.”
The boss. They brought the big guns right to him. Typical.
She took the tablet into her hands and tipped it toward her, hiding the screen from Sel. As she started to swipe, she said, “We’re waiting for your attorney, or was I mistaken?”
“We are. I’m sorry, but I won’t say a thing without him here.”
She was a pretty lady, in her late forties, blonde hair cut severely short. Her dark brow raised at his comment, but she didn’t say anything for a moment. When she did, she said, “You’re not being charged with anything, Mr. Carrillo.”
“And I don’t plan to be.”
The tablet was set on the table, and without looking directly at it, and he wouldn’t, he saw a picture of Alex Brooks on the floor with brain matter and blood splattered on the wall behind him. He had great peripheral vision. She wanted him to look at it to see his reaction.
“Why would you be charged, Mr. Carrillo? From what I understand, you were the victim.”
Sel smiled at her and said, “I’ll answer whatever you like, once Barry Monarco comes through the door.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Barry came through the door right on time. It had been planned for him to come in late. Sel wanted to gauge what the feds were thinking. As he introduced himself to the agent, he took his seat next to Sel. “Agent Bennington, sorry I’m a little late. I’m handling things for the entire ranch, so I’m sure you understand.”
“Isn’t that a conflict of interest?”
“How? My clients came from a ranch filled with terrorized people being hunted by a psychotic kidnapper and killer. I think the interests are pretty clear, Agent Bennington.”
“Special Agent,” she said, her eyes shining as she smiled her friendly smile.
“Sorry! Forgive me. Now, let’s get this going so Mr. Carrillo can go back to the ranch and get some rest. He’s been terribly shaken up by all this.”
“Oh, I’m sure. Now, Mr. Carrillo,” she said, dragging her eyes slowly from Barry’s. “You told the sheriff you were asleep and didn’t see the suspect in your room. So, how do you know what actually happened?”
Sel’s temper flared, but he didn’t allow it to show. “Let’s see, I was asleep, and I woke up to a gunshot and as my eyes came open, I saw Alex Brooks falling to the ground with half his head missing.”
“So, you didn’t see if he was actually threatening you?”
Barry laughed a little and folded his hands together on the table. “What would a known kidnapper and murderer be doing in the bedroom, in the middle of the night, if it wasn’t to hurt someone?”
“The thing is no one will ever know now.”
“If it was your partner, your child, your father, what would you do?” Sel asked her.
“So, he’s your partner? I know he’s not your parent.” She picked up the tablet again, swiped a few times and said, “No, your parents are Antonio and Selena Carrillo, of the Carrillo family.”
“Yes. They and my siblings are indeed my family.”
“Mr. Carrillo, I think you know that isn’t the family I’m speaking of.”
“I think this interview is over, Mr. Carrillo,” Barry said, pushing back his chair as if he were ready to stand, but she stopped him.
“Please, let’s finish this.”
“Any questions about his family aren’t relevant to this interview. One more, and I’ll end this and you can get a subpoena to move further.”
She sighed and seemed to resign herself to get on with it. “Mr. Carrillo, did you see the weapon?”
“No. Like I said, I woke, it was dark, I saw…I saw him falling, saw blood, but I was very frightened. To be awakened by a noise that loud, my ears rang for an hour.”
“I can imagine. And the man that shot the gun?”
“Indio Baca. He’s a friend of my uncles.”
Again, her dark, thin brow raised. “Of your uncles?”
“Of mine too. I met him through my uncles.”
“I see,” she said, typing something on her tablet. “And he’s a member of the motorcycle club, Aztecas Asesinos. Do you happen to know what that means in Spanish?”
“The Aztec Assassins. What about it?”
“Murderers, Mr. Carrillo. To assassinate someone is to murder them, and then, low and behold, he does.”
Barry said, “Unless all my schooling was terribly off the mark, Special Agent Bennington, what happened in that home was not murder by anyone’s classification. He was saving a life by taking one.”
“Of course. I just thought it ironic.”
Sel hated the bitch. She was trying so hard to make him slip up so she could arrest Indio for saving his life. “Are we finished?”
“I have a copy of the statement you gave the sheriff, who, by the way, moonlights as a cook at Carrillo Ranch. Interesting,” she said, ignoring Sel’s question.
“It’s all there, Special Agent,” Barry told her.
“Yes, I’ve read it. It’s rather short, but as you’ve said, Mr. Carrillo, you were asleep. I suppose that’s all for now. Are you staying in Montana with your uncles?”
“I haven’t decided how long, but for now, yes, I’ll be here.”
“Good. If we have any other questions, we’ll call on you.”
As she left the room, Sel’s eyes narrowed at her. When the door was closed and they were alone, he whispered, “If she goes after Indio, I’ll lose it.”
“He did nothing wrong, so let her try.”
Sel waited outside for Indio’s interview to be over, and paced the entire time. Dante sat, unfazed, while Sel wanted to scream each second that ticked by.
“Selestino, he’s got Barry with him. He’ll be fine.”
There were two benches near the double glass doors of the building, and Sel kept looking inside as he paced. “I know, but…”
“Sel, come sit. Please.”
He did, though he crossed his legs and bounced his foot while he stared into the doors. “Uncle, he saved my life. If something happens…”
“You’ll feel responsible. But, Sel, if he hadn’t done what he did, you’d be dead.”
“I know.”
“Sel, look at me.”
He did, though he didn’t want to. “What?”
Dante exhaled as he stared off at the mountains. “I can see it in your eyes. I can see it in his. You two probably didn’t count on it, and despite the attraction you had for each other, you might have thought you’d mess around some, then part ways to live your lives. Am I wrong?”
“Uh…no, I guess not.”
“I was a hard man, Sel, and I don’t mean simply hard when it comes to the business. It wasn’t easy for me to tell a man I loved him. There are as many reasons for that as there are stars. The point is, admitting I loved a man meant that I was vulnerable. No one like me…like Indio, likes to be vulnerable. Remember that if he’s distant a lot. It’s not you.”
“I…I know, Uncle. He’s had a bad past. His childhood was terrible. He was abused, and it’s made him keep people from getting too close.”
“Be patient. Blaine was patient with me, and how he was able to be, I’ll never know.”
“He loves you, Uncle Dante. I’ve always admired how the two of you are together. I know how we are, and we aren’t the most patient people. For Indio, I’m going to give it my best shot.”
Dante grabbed his hand and sniffed a little. “I can’t believe I’m giving you advice for your love life. I can’t get the picture of that little man, always perfectly clean and dressed, never getting into trouble, following your siblings around to try to keep them out of trouble. You’ve always given me pride that…that made my whole chest swell. You’re so like Antonio.”
“Thanks, Uncle.”
Just then, Dante nodded to the door and Sel’s head spun to see Indio and Barry coming from inside the building. He got up and rushed to him, barely keeping himself from jumping into Indio’s arms. “How did it go?”
“It went fine,” Barry answered for Indio. “They tried to trip him up, of course, but he stuck to the truth.”
Indio nodded to Dante, who was coming over to him. “Let’s get back to the ranch. You all need some rest, and I’m meeting with Roland. We can finalize the plans for the rest of the building and get this place finished at long last.”
Finished. The end. It felt like an end, and Sel couldn’t imagine it ending. And, really, nothing was ending, but he had a heaviness in his chest, like he was saying goodbye.
When he said goodbye to Dante and Bruno, Indio drove them away from the trailer and Sel sat beside him, looking anywhere but at him as the tears continued to well in his eyes.
“What’s got you quiet?”
“Nothing.”
“Fuck! Don’t do that. I can tell something’s wrong. Tell me.”
“I can’t even explain it, Indio. I feel like something’s…gone. Like it’s ending.”
“Are you leaving?”
His head spun so he could tell him, “No! I want to stay!”
“Then stay, Sel.”
At the bunkhouse, they slept. After Sel told his friends how it went, Indio pulled him into the room they’d shared the previous night and he pushed him on the bed. “Stop worrying. Get some sleep.”
“Easier said than done,” were the last words he said for ten full hours. Indio woke him by getting off the bed.
