He had to be moving drugs. Why else would he load up at night? Sure, it was hot, but I lived in Phoenix. That was hot.
I’d just expected more—a larger shipment, multiple trucks. Something obvious.
Maybe this was part of the genius of the operation—just one cow trailer at a time across the border to Canada. Nothing big enough to raise suspicion. I’d have to call my boss to have the plate checked at the border, to confirm that was the true destination. It wouldn’t be stopped. We needed to arrest the source, not the specific driver.
I’d have to come back every night to see how often this happened. Fortunately, I hadn’t had to kick Rob out of my bed to come here tonight. That would’ve been hard to explain away. He’d been pissed I’d gone out with Markle. I could only imagine what he’d do if he found out anything else.
I needed to figure this out. It was my job, and that was why I was here.
I wanted to get inside that barn and other outbuildings to search for drugs or evidence of drugs. But that was highly risky, and if Rob got a whiff of it, not only would he learn the truth, but he’d be pissed as hell. I sighed, realized I was thinking about the hot neighbor too much, worried about his reaction to my job and the case. My body heated at what I’d done earlier with him. I clenched my bottom, remembering how big he’d been, how he’d actually fit. That was why I was sore, even now hours later.
But I had to focus on my reason for being in Cooper Valley. I’d seen the cases, the animal hauler. I knew how they were leaving, but how were they arriving at Markle’s property? The same way? Were the cows grazing his pasture rotating cattle, brought in to hide the incoming drugs and shipped out to do the same?
I didn’t want to blow my cover by pushing things. I’d only had one date with Markle, and if I moved too fast, I’d end up in his bed or possibly dead. I wasn’t sure which was worse. I had to have patience until I had real evidence that could be used against Markle and Murrieta. To put them away for life.
I lay down in the long prairie grass to see if anything else happened, but it went dark and quiet. With my goggles, I watched a few of the guys head in the direction of the barn where I assumed there was some kind of bunk house. Markle headed to his fancy ranch house. I took off the goggles and watched lights go on and off in the house, following his path to bed. After an hour of waiting, the light in—I assumed—his bedroom went out. I gave up the watch and went back to report to Vaughn.
He’d appreciate the photos, but that wasn’t enough to bring in a team to make an arrest. I’d need more evidence than that to crack this case. When I did, I’d see Markle and Murrieta behind bars. I’d get that promotion and a new case, far from Cooper Valley, Montana. Two days ago, that was what I wanted. Now? I had no idea why I was questioning the plan.
Yeah, I did. It was a brawny cowboy with a big dick who’d proved he knew how to use it.
13
ROB
Growing up, having a wolf inside me had never been an issue. It was like having a weird friend always with you, whether it was to get you in trouble or to pull you from it. For me and Boyd and Colton, even Clint, too, it had been both. We’d also helped each other along with the good and the bad. Then we’d learned how to shift, to let our wolves out. To run.
Then our wolves had started to prod us toward finding our mate, letting it be known as a sadness, a frustration, a need. I knew how that felt. I probably had the crankiest wolf out of the four of us. Clint was now in second place. As for Boyd and Colton, they’d found their mates, and their wolves were calm. Happy. Settled. Hell, sated.
I tested the water in the shower, then stepped under the spray. I was sated. What guy wouldn’t be after what Natalie and I did the day before. I’d found my mate. My wolf had scented her and let it be known no one else would do. Then I’d gotten her beneath me. Naked. I’d gotten in her as she submitted. The only thing I hadn’t done was bite her.
After coming harder and more powerfully than I ever had in my life… and in her snug little ass no less, I should have been in bliss. Oh, I had the loose gait of a well fucked man. I also had the grin of a guy who’d dominated the hell out of a woman and satisfied her in a dark, feral way she didn’t even know she craved.