Holdin' On for a Hero (15 page)

Chance wasn’t used to that kind of life. Even though she no longer lived with Maurice, she still lived a completely different kind of life. Could those two lifestyles blend into one? He didn’t know.

Chance stirred and opened her eyes. Wyatt smiled at her as she kissed his chest. “I was afraid to open my eyes,” she whispered.

He raised his eyebrows in silent question and she looked up at him. “I was afraid I’d wake up and find out it was all just a dream.”

“It’s no dream.”

“But we can pretend it is,” she whispered against his skin.

“Huh?”

“Pretend.” She nipped her way down his body. “Pretend we’re in a dream. A dream where we can do anything we’ve ever fantasized of.”

Wyatt sucked in his breath as her tongue flicked at the head of his cock. “Baby, you might not want to be in my fantasies.”

“Don’t bet on it.” She took him in her mouth just long enough to have his balls tingle. “Tell me. No, better yet, show me.”

“And what if you can’t take it?” he asked, succumbing to the ministrations of her mouth on his dick.

“Won’t know ‘til we try, will we?” she challenged him.

“I guess not.” He took hold of the back of her hair and pulled her mouth from his dick. “You want my fantasy, baby? Then lay back.”

She couldn’t say how much time passed, caught up as she was in the overwhelming pleasure he gave, pleasure she’d never known she was capable of experiencing.  When he finally succumbed to climax, they both lay spent. Chance didn’t realize she had drifted off to sleep until Wyatt hugged her tight up against him. She wound her arms around him, reveling in the feel of his body pressed against hers. “Are you sorry?” she whispered, suddenly seized with insecurity.

“About what?”

“About us. Are you sorry it happened?”

“No,” he answered and hugged her closer. “Never.”

“Me either.” She smiled happily. “So, can I ask you a very personal question?”

“Sure.”

“What happens now?”

“I’m not sure I know what you’re asking,” he answered, even though he was pretty sure she was referring to them.

Chance sat up and looked at him. Wyatt looked at her, sitting in front of the fire with her hair tangled and the light playing off the golden strands like liquid fire. She made no move to cover her nakedness, seeming natural and uninhibited.

Wyatt’s eyes moved over her, and despite his resolve not to become excited again, his desire for her rose. Chance’s fingers played on his skin as she looked at him. “What happens to us?” she finally asked. “Is this it? Do you want me to go away now and leave you alone or what?”

“No, I definitely don’t want you to leave,” he replied, twining one long strand of her hair around his hand. “But I don’t know the answer to your question. I don’t know where we go from here. I do know that I can’t go back to the rich white man’s world. I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work for me. I belong where I am, in the SEALs. But you, you have to decide for yourself what’s right for you.”

Chance looked at him for a few moments before speaking. “I understand and I wouldn’t ask you to leave the service. I just want to know if you…well, if you want me to be in your life. Do you want me to stay with you?”

Wyatt’s hand stopped its motion in her hair. He wanted tell her that he wanted her to stay with him more than anything. But he wanted her to reach that decision because it was what she wanted, not because she wanted to please him.

“Do you want to stay?”

She smiled and ran her hand along the stubble of beard on his face. “More than anything.”

Wyatt felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. “What about your job?”

She stiffened slightly. “I forgot! Wyatt, I found out something!”

She jumped up to grab her backpack and pulled out the tape recorder. Returning to the fire, she sat down beside him again. “When I first got here I heard some talk about some trouble that’s been going on. I figured maybe it had something to do with the new casino that’s being built. It wouldn’t be the first time a community has gotten their knickers in a knot over something like this. Ever since the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was signed in 1988, one group or another has been bitching about it. When the Mashantucket Pequot opened their casino near Ledyard, Connecticut, in September 1993, the locals started making noises about it. Despite the fact that the tribe was going to provide hundreds of new jobs, becoming one of the state’s largest employers and adding somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred million dollars to the state coffers by the end of the year, the locals spent their time griping about their concerns that the Pequot would buy up more land to expand their operations.”

“That’s no surprise. Whites don’t want to give up anything they consider theirs. It’s always been that way. They take and take and take until the Indians have nothing. Then they’re happy.”

“You’re right. But this time the law’s on our side. And it’s proving to be a good thing. Why, by 1993, gambling had already become a major source of revenue. It allowed previously impoverished tribes to build schools and hospitals. The people could afford to build homes and provide their children with a good life. It virtually eliminates unemployment. In short, it gives back some of the power the government has stolen from them over the years. I mean, it doesn’t replace all their lands or anything like that, but it does give them something they haven’t had up until now—financial independence and power. We both know that money is power, and with power comes the ability to be heard. That’s what the casinos are doing for the Indians.”

“And power is something a lot of people don’t want the red man to have,” he said in a harsh tone.

“Only people who profit from keeping others oppressed and at their mercy,” she corrected him. “Wyatt, is that what’s going on here? Is there some local bigwig who’s in a lather over the casino?”

Wyatt looked at her for a few moments then shook his head and sighed. “Yeah, I guess that’s about the size of it. There’s a man in the area, a very rich man. I guess he’s responsible for providing jobs to a great many Indians. And he isn’t at all happy about the casino. In fact, he’s downright mad.”

“That’s what I thought. You do know that I work for CNN, don’t you?”

Wyatt shook his head. “I don’t know what you do, exactly.”

“I’m a producer. And like I said, after I overheard some people talking around here I started thinking something was going on. So I called my office and had my assistant and someone from research do some checking. Wyatt, someone is trying to make sure the casino never gets off the ground. There’ve been three major contractors so far that have signed contracts to do the work and all three have backed out—paying hefty fines I might add, for doing so. We don’t know why, but I suspect someone’s behind their change of mind. Someone with a lot of clout and a lot of money.”

Wyatt nodded and stared silently into the fire. Chance had managed to piece together a lot in the short time she’d been there. “So, what?”

“So I want to do a piece on it! If you can convince people to open up and talk to me, we can blow this thing wide open, expose the people who are causing the trouble. I’ll get a team down here and we’ll tape it. Wyatt, this’ll get national attention.”

Wyatt considered her suggestion. If it worked then it would certainly solve the problems the people had been having. And it would settle it without any killing. That part particularly appealed to him.

He smiled at her and nodded. “You’re right and I’ll help you all I can.”

“Thank you!” She threw herself on him, kissing him all over the face and hugging him.

Wyatt laughed and wrapped his arms around her. “I should be thanking you. After all these are my people.”

Chance pulled back and looked at him. “That reminds me, we never quite settled things. I said I wanted to stay with you but you didn’t tell me what you wanted. So?”

Wyatt smiled and pulled her back down on him. “I want you to stay forever.”

“With you?”

“Only me.”

Chance smiled brightly. “I love you, Wyatt. More than life.”

“And I love you,” he said softly. “With my life.”

Chance’s eyes filled with tears and he brushed them away. She sighed as he kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, chin and worked his way lower.

“You think we should get back?” she whispered as he rolled her over on her back and propped on one elbow beside her.

“Later,” he whispered huskily.

Chapter Five

Swain County
,
North Carolina

It was midmorning when Wyatt and Chance returned to where they had left his old Jeep parked. Wyatt laded the gear in the back then climbed in, started the engine and headed down the winding trail.

Chance was quiet. Her thoughts were split between the unbelievable night she had shared with Wyatt, and compiling a mental list of the things she needed to do to get her investigation underway. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she paid no attention to the passing scenery as they pulled off the path onto the gravel road. But her attention abruptly shifted as a man stumbled into the path of their Jeep.

Wyatt slammed on brakes. Dirt and gravel flew from the tires as the Jeep turned sideways in the road. Before Chance could do more than gasp, Wyatt was out of the Jeep, running toward the man who staggered toward him.

“Billy! What the hell happened?”

Billy Hawkes was dirty, scratched and bloody. “Holling,” he panted as Wyatt looped Billy’s arm over his shoulders and helped him to the Jeep.

Chance was waiting outside the Jeep. Wyatt helped Billy into the backseat while Chance fumbled around through their gear for a canteen.

“No time!” Billy’s voice was rough with dryness and fear. “Have to get out of here, now!”

Wyatt didn’t argue. “Get in!” he barked to Chance as he climbed in and started the engine.

Chance turned around in her seat and looked at Billy. “What happened to you?”

“Holling. They came into Ralph’s. Greg grabbed Jenny. He cut her face.”

Chance gasped and looked over at Wyatt. His face looked as hard as stone and his jaw was clenched tight as he looked up at Billy in the rearview mirror.  She scrambled  over the seat, grabbed her backpack and dug out her miniature tape recorder and the canteen.

After giving Billy the canteen, she pulled a clean but damp shirt from her bag and had him wet it. While he drank his fill, she tried to clean his face and hands. Once she finished, she climbed back across the seat. “Just lie back and try to rest,” she told Billy. “I’d like to ask you some questions. Would that be all right?”

He nodded and she held up the recorder. “Okay if I tape it?”

Again he nodded. She turned on the machine and held it midway between herself and Billy. “Your name is Billy Hawkes, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And Billy, you said you were at Ralph’s?”

“Yes.”

“That was last night?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me what happened while you were there?”

“Greg Holling and about a dozen of his men showed up.” His voice was soft but the bitterness and hate was still clear.

“Could you speak a little louder?”

“Sure. I was having a drink and Greg Holling showed up with his men. Holling said they could have their pick of which red bastard they were going to skin. Everyone got real quiet and a couple of guys started to stand up, but then Greg opened his coat and let everyone see he was packing. So no one did anything. We all just sat there.”

Billy paused to take another drink from the canteen. “Then Jenny, one of the waitresses, walked by Greg and he grabbed her. She screamed and he pulled a hunting knife from his coat and put the tip against her face, right below her eye. He started to cut her and I yelled at him to let her go. He mouthed off at me about being yellow and that’s when Ralph went for his old shotgun from beneath the bar. But Holling shot him before he even had it in his hands good. Ralph fell and everyone was talkin’ at once and Jenny was screaming. Then Holling shoved Jenny away from him and pulled his gun on me. He dared me to come at him.”

Billy ran his hands over his face and looked at Wyatt’s reflection in the mirror. “I wanted to, Wyatt, I swear to God, I wanted to. But I couldn’t, I just couldn’t. He was holding that gun pointed at my head and I just couldn’t.”

“You did the right thing,” Wyatt said in a tight voice. “Getting yourself killed isn’t going to solve anything.”

Billy nodded miserably. “Yeah, well, being a coward isn’t doing a whole lot either.”

Chance waited for a moment as Billy looked out the window in shame then spoke up. “Billy, can you tell us what happened next?”

“Holling kicked me and I fell back over a table. The next thing I knew he had this bottle of liquor with a burning rag in it. People were really getting scared and they were out of their seats and he said that he’d shoot the first one that made a move. Then his men backed out and as he left he threw the bottle against the back wall. It exploded and the fire fanned out over the curtains and pictures and stuff. There was like a stampede for the door. Hal Ross made it to the door but Holling and his men gunned him down. Man, it was like hell! Everyone was trying to find a way out, breaking windows and crawling all over each other. And the fire was getting bigger all the time. I got Ralph up and got him to the window. I shoved him out then climbed out behind him. Soon as I hit the ground Holling was there with a gun on me. His men threw me in the back of a truck. They met another truck loaded with dogs and told me I had a five-minute head start ‘fore they’d come after me.”

Chance’s mouth dropped open. “You mean they were hunting you? Like an animal?”

Billy turned to her with a look of resentment on his face. “You’re white—don’t you get it? They think we’re animals.”

Chance looked from him to Wyatt then turned off the recorder. She was silent for a few moments then turned once more to Billy. “Well, they’re wrong! And with your help, we’re going to put a stop to what they’re doing.”

He looked at her then tapped Wyatt on the shoulder. “Hey, I think I must’a missed something. You wanna tell me what’s going on? What’s she talking about?”

Wyatt looked up in the mirror. “She’s talking about stopping the Hollings, Billy—the legal way. No fighting, no killing. We’re going to let the law work for us this time.”

Billy threw back his head and laughed harshly, “Yeah, right—the law working for the Indians. It’ll be the first time in history.”

* * * * *

Winston Holling hung up the phone and went to the door of his study. “Manning!”

An elderly man in a dark suit appeared at the end of the hall. “Yes, Mr. Holling?”

“Has Greg come in?”

“He returned just a short time ago. He is upstairs.”

“Tell him to get his ass down here,” Winston ordered sharply. “Now!”

He slammed the door of his study and poured himself a stiff drink. His glass was half empty when Greg walked into the room.

“Sam just told me he saw that Hawkes boy with Wolfe,” Winston barked. “You have anything to say about that?”

Greg shrugged. “Indian was better at running than we thought. So?”

“So?” Winston threw his glass across the room at Greg, barely missing him but drenching him with alcohol. “So, I’m not happy, you stupid prick! Jesus Christ! I’m surrounded by incompetents. Give you a simple little job and what do you do? Fuck it up, that’s what!”

Greg swiped at the liquor that wet his face from the glass Winston had thrown. “I didn’t fuck anything up. Hal Ross is in the hospital with three slugs in his leg. He’ll probably never walk right again, Ralph’s is a smoldering pile of wood and Billy Hawkes is scared so shitless he won’t have the balls to show his face.”

Winston’s face was red with anger. “Let me say this one more time, just in case you didn’t hear me. Hawkes was seen with Wolfe.”

“So?” Greg asked smugly.

“So, Wolfe was last seen with some reporter,” Winston said. “The way I hear it some broad from CNN. Now, just what does that say to you, son?”

Greg grinned. “Says I should meet his reporter—straighten her out on all the lies she’s been hearing.”

Winston studied his son for a few moments. “Just what makes you think you’re gonna change her mind about anything?”

Greg’s smile widened. “Let’s just say I have a way with the ladies.”

Winston snorted and turned his back on Greg. “Then you better get to it, boy, ‘cause my associates are real pissed off about the way things worked out. More importantly, I’m pissed off.”

Greg walked over and put his hand on his father’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll take care of everything. You just leave that reporter to me.”

Winston turned to look at him. “Fine, but don’t put all your eggs in that basket. I want John Wolfe taken care of—and that old man, Eaglefoot. He’s the most dangerous. But don’t kill him. He has something I need.”

“Sure thing,” Greg replied arrogantly and gave Winston’s shoulder another thump. “But right now I have to get moving. Got a special lady waiting.”

“That fancy lawyer woman?” Winston asked.

Greg grinned. “One and the same.”

A smile took hold of Winston’s face. “Well, give her my regards. That tip she passed along last month really paid off.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Greg’s grin widened. “She’s incredible, Pop, and a real knockout.”

“So when am I going to meet this Venus?” Winston asked.

“Soon.” Greg started for the door. “She’s thinking about leaving Atlanta and settling somewhere in North Carolina. Listen, I’ve gotta go. Don’t wanna be late. Check you later.”

Winston watched his son leave the room then picked up the phone and dialed. “Hey, it’s Winston. We’re gonna take care of the reporter… Yes, I’ll have Eaglefoot soon… No, I’m not sure he has it, but he’ll know where it is… Yeah, Wolfe is as good as dead… No, John… Yeah, yeah, I know, you want to be there when Wyatt goes down. Don’t worry, I’ll save that for dessert… Sure, I’ll be in touch.”

He hung up the phone and smiled to himself. Soon he would have everything he wanted.

* * * * *

John Wolfe helped Billy inside as Wyatt pulled the Jeep around back out of sight. He and Chance unloaded their gear and went in the back door. John was pouring coffee into mugs and Billy was sitting at the kitchen table when they entered the house.

“Hungry?” John asked.

“Yeah,” Wyatt replied. “Billy tell you what happened?”

John nodded but didn’t speak. Chance walked over beside him and he turned to look down at her. “Mr. Wolfe, I want to help…if you’ll let me.”

“What you going to do?” he asked shortly.

“Anything I can,” she replied. “But to begin with, I’d like to tell you some things I found out.”

John nodded and handed her a cup. She smiled and gestured to the table. “Can we sit?”

He took a seat beside Billy. Chance looked up at Wyatt as he picked up a mug from the counter. He gave her a short nod and pulled his chair around close to her.

She saw the look of surprise on his father’s face. John turned at him and the two exchanged a look. Chance didn’t know what it signified, but after a moment John nodded and looked at her again. This time his expression was one of curiosity.

She quickly filled him in with what she had found out about someone trying to block construction of the casino. She told him what she did for a living and how she wanted to do a story about what was happening.

“What good will that do? Who’s gonna believe the Indians over a bunch of rich white men? Already the government’s trying to shut down our game rooms, make us stop the video games. This will only make things worse.”

“I disagree. I think it’ll help. If we can find out who’s behind this—and from what Billy said, I think we already have a good idea—then we can press charges. Not only that, we can file a civil suit to recoup the money the reservation is losing by construction being held up.”

“And how’re we supposed to pay for all this? We’re already in too much debt. If we don’t get the casino built and running, we’re gonna be broke. We can’t afford to spend money on some high-priced lawyer.”

“Well, I can.”

All three of the men looked at her at the same time. She turned to Wyatt and took his hand. “I inherited a lot of money from my mother. Maurice has never been able to touch it. I’d like to pay for the attorney and whatever else is needed.”

Wyatt shook his head. “Chance, we might be talking about a lot of money.”

She smiled and squeezed his hand. “As long as we don’t go over thirty million I can swing it.”

“Thirty million! You have—”

“Wyatt, it doesn’t mean anything to me,” she interrupted. “I’ve had access to it for some time and I’ve never touched it. I work for a living, just like everyone else. I don’t care about the money, but I do care about what’s happening here, and if that money can make a difference then I want to do it. I need to.”

He looked at her for a moment then smiled. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

Wyatt turned to his father and  regarded him silently for a second. “Dad, let’s do this her way. We can’t win by fighting and personally, I don’t think I can stomach any more killing. So let’s try it.”

John got up and walked to the window. For a long time he didn’t move or speak. Then he turned to Chance. “I appreciate what you offer, but I have to be honest. Having you involved may do more harm than good.”

She looked at him with a puzzled and hurt expression. “What do you mean? Because I’m white?”