The keeper redemption ri.., p.20
The Keeper (Redemption Ridge Book Five), page 20
“None,” Johansen said.
The injured man groaned as if coming around. Seth shifted over and kneeled down to be in the man’s line of sight should he open his eyes. “Who are you?” The man’s eyelashes fluttered but didn’t open.
A flurry of activity happened all at once as the ambulance and their backup arrived simultaneously. Johansen photographed the assailant’s original condition before he authorized new accessories. Handcuffs and zip ties replaced Rueben’s crude bindings on his hands and feet. The latter went into evidence bags as the EMTs, luckily not his sister, wheeled the injured man out on a gurney with his police escort in tow. Seth shifted his gaze to Rueben as the short procession passed. The lips he loved so much curled into a snarl, and his man looked like he was about five seconds away from kicking that gurney over. Sensing Seth’s attention, Rueben looked at him and offered his most innocent smile.
“You’ve got your hands full there,” Johansen said. He didn’t know the half of it.
Seth gave the federal agent his full attention. “I know I have a lot of explaining to do, and—”
Johansen held up a hand to cut him off. “You do, but I’m not the one who needs to hear your confession. I worked by your side long enough during the joint task force to know you are a solid investigator and an even better man, and that’s what I will tell anyone who asks.” That was a completely different tone from their phone call earlier, but Seth wasn’t stupid enough to point it out. The agent cleared his throat as if he found the conversation awkward. “That aside, you cannot be involved in this investigation from now on.”
“I understand. I fully recuse myself.”
Johansen blew out a breath, and Seth braced himself for the next blow. “And I want to be clear. I don’t question your integrity or that of your deputies, but it would look highly suspect if anyone from your department is involved with this investigation going forward. It won’t be enough for just you to step aside, Seth. We’ll get help from neighboring law enforcement communities and the CBI.”
Seth wasn’t sure what stung the most—his pride or conscience. The ripple effect from his mistakes had already begun. The press and public would scrutinize the hardworking men and women from his department, and they would likely eviscerate Seth for the things he’d done. “You’re absolutely correct.”
“What about the investigators on my staff?” Tony asked. “They’re completely independent of the sheriff’s office.”
“How many of them are former deputies or are related to someone who works at the sheriff’s department?”
Tony and Seth shared a brief look. “None that I know of,” the prosecutor said.
“No one has left my employment since I took office,” Seth added, though that was likely to change.
Johansen’s brow furrowed as he thought about it. “Prosecuting felons isn’t my purview, so I’ll leave that decision to you. A higher power may determine otherwise.”
“God?” Tony asked.
Johansen snorted. “I was thinking about the state’s attorney general, but rumor has it the man thinks he’s on par with God.”
The color drained out of Tony’s face, and Seth expected the prosecutor to turn on him, but Lyndhurst had some surprises up his sleeve. “Look, Seth,” he said, “there will be some who call for your resignation, but they’ll be a small group.” Tony grimaced. “They’ll be vocal and loud, but I don’t want you to make knee-jerk decisions based on their initial discord. You are the best candidate for sheriff, and I’m confident the voters will agree.”
“You mean the lesser of two evils?” Seth asked.
Tony smirked briefly. “Not even close.” He extended his hand to Seth, who immediately shook it. “I know we’ve had some differences during our tenures, but I’m proud to support your reelection, and I plan to be just as vocal as the naysayers.”
Tony’s encouragement nearly bowled Seth over, but it probably wouldn’t take much at this point. He felt as if someone had run him through the wringer over the past several hours, but he only had to look at Rueben to feel revived, even with so much still unresolved. “Can you make sure someone boards up the door and the property is secure when you’re finished?” Seth asked Johansen.
“Of course.”
He wanted to ask them to keep him updated but knew they wouldn’t risk the already tarnished integrity of the investigation. He nodded goodbye to both men and stepped into the living room, where Rueben was giving his statement to a female deputy from a neighboring county. The young officer met Seth’s gaze and nodded politely.
“I think that’s all the questions I have for now, Mr. Sanchez,” she said. “I might have more for you later as the investigation develops.”
“That’s okay, Deputy Bryerson,” Rueben said. “I’m happy to answer anything.”
They discussed arrangements for Rueben to sign the official statement once Bryerson typed it up, and then his man stepped into Seth’s open arms.
“Let’s get out of here.” Seth’s voice sounded thick and gravelly.
Rueben peered up at him. “Where are we going?”
“To my house,” Seth said. “Everything here is evidence, but it shouldn’t take them long to process and release the scene.” He looked around the cabin for the two people he wanted to thank most. “Where’s Cash and Nick?”
“One of the deputies sent them home,” Rueben said. “At least I got to hug them before they left.”
“I wanted to thank them for coming to your rescue, even if you didn’t need it.”
Rueben took Seth’s hand and tugged him toward the open front door. “I was so relieved to see them. Thank you.” A hard shiver racked Rue’s body, and Seth stopped on the porch to pull him into a tight hug.
“I’m so fucking sorry, baby.”
“You’re not responsible for any of this, and no reasonable person will believe otherwise.”
Seth had several arguments he could make, but did he really want to spend the first few minutes in his newfound freedom to share them? Hell no. The drive to his home was short but fraught with heavy rains, and he only let go of Rueben’s hand when he parked his SUV in the attached garage and killed the engine. Seth gathered Rueben into his arms as soon as they stepped into the house. Their lips met, lingered, and then parted to make way for eager tongues. So many things remained unresolved, but not this, not them. Uncertainty could prowl outside his doors like a vicious beast, but the one thing—person—Seth was sure about was in his arms.
Rueben pulled back from the kiss and said, “Show me your house.”
Seth had kept the fishing cabin the same as his grandparents had left it, but his home was an oasis he’d built just for himself. And he was eager as hell to show it to Rueben, and one room held more draw than the others. He took Rueben’s hand and led him straight to the bedroom. When Seth switched on the light, he lowered the dimmer to the lowest setting before going to work on Rueben’s clothes. The urge to see him stretched out naked on the bed guided Seth’s hands to reveal each inch of precious skin. He gathered Rueben against him once more, even though he remained fully dressed.
“You’re here, and you’re safe,” Seth said.
Rueben nuzzled his nose into the open V of Seth’s shirt and pressed warm lips there. “You’re here and safe too.” After another kiss, Rueben eased back and looked at him. “And overdressed.”
Seth chuckled and removed his gun belt and set it on the nightstand. He would keep it close until Quinton Carson was located—dead or alive. Rueben took over from there, kissing and touching as he bared Seth to his satisfaction. Their lips met again as they maneuvered to the bed, and Seth positioned himself between Rueben’s thighs. He could’ve lost the man he loved, and nothing celebrated life like joining their bodies together. Seth aimed for tender as he worshiped Rueben’s body and worked him open with slick fingers, but the keeper wasn’t looking for gentle after his harrowing night. Seth gave Rueben what he wanted, what he begged for, surging inside him until he was balls deep on the first thrust. Seth buried his head in the curve of Rueben’s shoulder and neck, then used every fiber of his being to love Rueben, not stopping until they lay in a tangled, sweaty mess of limbs in the center of his bed.
The ceiling fan cooled his heated flesh and drew goose bumps to the surface, but Seth made no move to untangle himself until Rueben shivered. They cleaned up quickly, turned off the lights, and tucked themselves under the covers. Seth lay on his back with Rueben pressed against his side, using Seth’s shoulder as a pillow.
“Tour guide and real estate agent are off the tables if you decide to look for a different career,” Rueben teased in the dark. “The only thing I’ve gotten to see in your house is the bedroom ceiling.”
For a moment, Seth thought that was a commentary on his chances of reelection until he computed the totality of the statement. There’d be a lot of similar comments made in the coming days, weeks, and probably months, and they wouldn’t include “if you decide” in the phrasing. Seth needed to develop thicker skin and fast…but not with Rueben. He was done with any kind of barrier between them. “You think I’m just going to whisk every site-seeker or client into the nearest bedroom?”
Rueben laughed and placed a kiss on his chest. “I guess that was a silly thing to say. I think my brain is still addled from that incident with the guy at the cabin.”
“Why? Did he hit you with the skillet first?”
Reuben snorted, then laughed and kept on laughing until his voice went hoarse and the tears came. Seth cradled him safely against his body, whispering words of encouragement and love as Rueben cycled through his emotions.
“I think I know who that guy was,” Rueben finally said.
Seth stiffened. “Who? And how?”
Rueben told him about the incidents where Keegan thought he’d seen Brother Cain in town. And that would likely mean Brother Abel was Odell. “I should’ve said something sooner, but Keegan didn’t want me to make a fuss. He said he’d had similar reactions to guys with the same builds or hair color. I tried to follow the man after the town hall meeting, but he got away before I could snap a picture.” Rueben sighed. “I went and disfigured his face, making identification harder unless his prints or DNA are in the system. I’m really sorry.”
Seth tightened his arms around Rueben. “It’s not Keegan’s fault or yours. We’ll sort this out and move on. There’s so much living I want to do with you.” And loving.
That sweet sentiment followed him into sleep but couldn’t protect him from a montage of vivid dreams where his personal demons devoured everyone Seth loved and left him to face the aftermath alone. He finally gave up trying to sleep around five thirty. He scanned the internet for updates about Quinton Carson’s whereabouts as other civilians would do and forced himself to read the things written about him as his constituents would. So far, the opinions ranged from ineptitude to criminal negligence regarding Mick’s questionable death and Quinton’s escape, but Rueben’s name had thus far stayed out of the press. The reprieve wouldn’t last long, but they’d enjoy it while they could.
Seth had consumed nearly half a pot of coffee by the time Rueben staggered out of the bedroom, wearing nothing but Seth’s shirt. His morning wood jutted out in front of him like a North Star to guide him. Sleepy brown eyes scanned the room until they found Seth on the love seat in the great room at the back of the house. Rueben smiled, rubbed his eyes, then circled slowly to take in his surroundings. When their eyes met again, Rueben looked both impressed and possibly a little intimidated. Seth’s house wasn’t as big or as fancy as Cash’s, but it used the same combination of wood, iron, and stone to elevate his mountainside home from meh to hell yeah. Walls of windows on the rear of the house showed off million-dollar views, but the one in front of Seth was a value beyond estimation and certainly irreplaceable.
Rueben scratched behind his ear and worked his bottom lip between his teeth. “Do you have a side hustle I don’t know about? I don’t think civil servants get paid enough to afford a house like this.”
Seth slowly unfolded from the leather sofa and strolled across the room on bare feet. He cupped Rueben’s face, and curious brown eyes searched his gaze. “My mom is a Hart of the Hart’s Creek fame.”
“Ah, those Harts,” Rueben teased, though it was clear he didn’t know the history of the area or the significance of the name.
“My great-great-great…” Seth’s voice trailed off as he tried to count how many greats he needed to put in front of grandfather. His blood was moving south and his brain struggled to recall the family history lesson. Then he shook his head because it didn’t matter. “Edgar Hart was a founding father of this area and a pioneer in too many industries to name. He was an inventor and a gambler from Virginia, who won a piece of Colorado property in a poker game. He struck gold in the creek running through his land and used the money to fund his love of tinkering. Edgar invented several processes that revolutionized coal mining. People thought he was weird, but they also revered him because he had the Midas touch. His ancestors still benefit from his genius through a trust he established. I received this parcel of land and a down payment to build a homestead.”
Seth slid his hands inside the shirt Rueben borrowed from him and rested his hands on warm, taut cheeks. Interest sparked in those molten brown eyes. Would Rueben allow a slight detour from story time so he could sink his teeth into that delectable ass? Seth balanced the weight of those firm globes in his hand and watched the spark turn into flames of lust. He leaned forward and breathed Rueben’s scent deep into his nose. “I’ve wanted to see you in my home for so long, and now that I have you here, I need you to make your mark in every single room.” Their erections aligned, only separated by Seth’s lounge pants, but the connection wasn’t enough for him. “Starting here.”
His cell phone rang just as Rueben gripped his pajama bottoms. “Ignore it,” Rueben growled. He yanked the pants down to mid-thigh so they were flesh to flesh, and Seth drowned out the sound of the intrusion.
Seth’s grip on Rueben’s ass turned bruising as they thrust and moved together. Frotting on their feet was clumsy and frustrating, so Seth moved them to the couch as fast as the restrictive pants around his thighs permitted. He’d just sat his bare ass down on the cold leather sofa when his phone rang again.
Rueben frowned and glanced over his shoulder at the offensive phone on the coffee table. “It’s Agent Johansen,” he said.
“I better take it.” They wouldn’t call him unless the situation was dire, and Seth’s first thought went to Quinton Carson’s whereabouts. Maybe the marshals were wrong about hitting him with a bullet, and he was as much of a risk as he’d been twelve hours ago. Rueben handed Seth the phone, then curled onto the couch beside him, hissing a little when his ass kissed the leather surface. Despite everything, Seth couldn’t help but smile. He accepted the call and said, “Burke.”
“Does the name Reginald Ulrich ring a bell?” Johansen said in way of greeting.
The air whooshed from Seth’s lungs like someone sucker punched him. It took him a moment to gather himself before he could speak. “The last name Ulrich certainly does. Ryan Ulrich is the primary suspect in my cousin Natalie’s unsolved murder, but he’s been dead for a while now.” He searched his memories for information on Ryan’s family from Natalie’s case file. “Ryan had a little brother, but I can’t recall his name. He was about eight years old when Natalie died but didn’t factor into the case much. I was thirteen at the time, so I didn’t know him. Why?”
“We scoured the area looking for the vehicle Rueben’s assailant drove. We found it, along with Odell’s Nissan truck, parked at a vacant cabin two miles from yours. The property is abandoned, and nature has overpowered the gravel driveway, so we missed it last night. We sent drones up at daybreak and found it right away. There was a wallet inside the car with an ID for Reginald Ulrich. Blood was all over the passenger side of the car, confirming it’s likely the vehicle used in the ambush.” Johansen paused to take a breath, and Seth knew the guy had just gotten started. “When we got a warrant to search the cabin, we found Quinton Carson dead inside. He has two gunshot wounds—one in his abdomen, as the marshals reported, and a fatal one to the head.”
“Self-inflicted?” Seth asked.
“It appears so, but Reggie could’ve killed him and placed the gun in his hand. That’s one answer we hope to get from him, but we need your help first.”
“Me?” Seth asked.
“He’s awake and says he’ll only talk to you.”
He had to be Ryan’s brother. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Seth said.
“I agree, but he intends to give a full confession if he can speak to you first. Lyndhurst and I will be there along with federal prosecutor John Beckett.”
Seth couldn’t imagine what Reggie had to say to him. Well, he could, but he didn’t want to listen to the man defend Ryan. And what did his family have to do with the whole damn Salvation Anew mess? “What time do you want me there?”
Reggie Ulrich’s room wasn’t hard to find, with two CSPD officers standing on either side of the door and Johansen, Lyndhurst, and Beckett loitering in the hallway. The trio shook his hand and tried for somber tones, but they couldn’t keep the anticipation of an earth-shattering confession from showing in their eyes. They believed Reggie Ulrich was Brother Cain, the last surviving thread to Salvation Anew. A corroborated confession could put this entire nightmare behind them, but Seth expected Reggie wanted to scrape open his old wounds. After the phone call with Johansen, Rueben told Seth about the things Reggie had said the previous night before Rueben flung the hot oil in his face. Seth couldn’t believe Rueben had kept that information from him until he recalled that he’d led his man straight to the bedroom, where dirty talk became their only form of communication.
“Do you have a copy of Reggie’s driver’s license photo?” Seth asked.
