Colorado Ch. 02

On March 22nd, 1312, the Knights Templar were abolished by the papal bull, Vox in excelso. King Denis of Portugal refused to pursue and persecute the former Templar Knights, as was done in most of Europe. In 1319, King Denis formed the Royal Military Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Pope John XXII issued the papal bull, Ad ea ex quibus, on March 14th, 1319. This gave the new order the right to inherit Templar assets and property.

---

In Mexico, the man that had received the cryptic phone call opened a wall safe in his office. He pulled a sealed envelope from the safe and sat down at his desk. He studied the seal on the envelope for a few moments before picking up an ornate letter opener from his desk. After breaking the seal, he found a sheet of paper with instructions. Cavaleiro Comandante Joaquim Rodriguez began to read.

---

The triple funeral had been a somber affair; the dreary weather matched the mood of the community. The clouds hung low, hiding the tops of the mountains. A light drizzle had started overnight and had continued all through the morning and into the afternoon. All three caskets were interred next to each other with Earl in the center, his wife on his right, and his sister on the left.

Luke and Reyna had booked the local VFW for the reception after the funeral and had the church ladies do the catering.

Deputy Brad Marshall approached Luke and Reyna. He extended his hand to Luke and shook it. "I just wanted to pay my respects."

Reyna gave the deputy a warm hug. "Thanks, Brad. We appreciate you coming and for all you've done."

"The sheriff asked me to tell you both that the department will not rest until they find who is responsible."

Luke nodded his head. "Tell him we appreciate what he's doing."

"Have you two decided what you're going to do now?" Brad asked.

Luke looked at Reyna, and she nodded to him. "We've decided to stay. I have my FFL, so I will be able to run Uncle Earl's business, and Reyna will manage the bed and breakfast."

Reyna added, "We're coming home."

"I'm glad to hear it; I just wish it were under better circumstances." Brad paused before leaving. "I would still like to bring my Sig out for you to look at."

"Any time, just give me a call to make sure I'm there. And by the way, the deal Uncle Earl had with your department still stands. You can tell your co-workers Earl's is open for business."

"Do you have money to pay for the hall and caterers?" Luke looked at Reyna with a worried expression. "I don't have my wallet."

Reyna looked to make sure no one was listening. Then in a soft whisper, "Yes, I brought some of the money from the safe."

"We need to talk to Mr. Rosenblatt tomorrow about getting access to the bank accounts." Luke looked around to see if their uncle's attorney was still present.

"And the envelopes," Reyna reminded him.

Luke nodded in agreement. "Yes, and those as well."

Mr. Singh approached with Rani at his side. "Miss Reyna and Mr. Luke, please be accepting of my condolences from myself and my entire family. I will miss all three of them dearly. They have been faithful and loyal customers since I first move here."

Luke took Mr. Singh's hand and shook it. "Thank you, it means a lot, and we appreciate your kind words." Luke paused for a moment and then asked, "Is your store open?"

Mr. Singh laughed, "Yes, yes, Mrs. Singh and Arun are on duty."

Rani touched Luke's arm and spoke in a quiet voice. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Luke nodded. "Sure."

They took a few steps back to where it was quieter. Rani looked to see if anyone was watching, and then she looked at Luke. "The detectives found something on the DVR. They found the vehicle that ran your mom, aunt, and uncle off the road. And I think they saw who it was. When I was watching them, they said not to say anything to anyone. But..." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "I thought you should know."

"Thanks, Rani, I appreciate you telling me."

"I heard you and Reyna are staying. Is this true?"

Luke nodded. "Yes, it is true."

Rani gave Luke a warm smile. "Good. Is it too forward of me to hope that I will get to see more of you?"

"I think I would like that." Luke returned her smile with a warm grin of his own.

After Rani and Mr. Singh left, Reyna teased. "So is she hot for you?"

Luke laughed. "Maybe. But she told me something; I'll tell you when we're on our way home."

---

It was about an hour later that they were able to leave the VFW after they had made their goodbyes and collected all of the cards and the guest books.

"I don't know about you, but I am exhausted." Luke closed the passenger door to Reyna's SUV.

"So am I." Reyna started the vehicle and pulled out of the parking lot.

There was silence for about a minute, then Reyna asked, "What did your little girly have to say?"

Luke shook his head. "Stop it." He thought for a moment. "She said the detectives found something on the DVR. They found the vehicle that ran Uncle Earl off the road. And she thinks they got a good look at whoever was in the vehicle. The detectives told her not to say anything to anyone."

"I apologize for my snarkiness. But what do we do now?"

"We do what they do on TV; we'll call Perry Mason." Luke chuckled at his own joke. "Seriously, we'll try to get in and see Mr. Rosenblatt in the morning."

"We still need to finish clearing out the closets," Reyna reminded Luke.

"I'm glad you said that," Luke responded. "I've been thinking. What if once we're done cleaning, doing some renovations, and having us make those our bedrooms?"

"Actually, I have a plan. I want you to have my parents' room, and I'll take your mom's room. Like you said, we can do some minor renovations, some redecorating; what do you think?"

"Yeah, I like that! We get to move to the grown-up rooms and out of the kids rooms." Luke laughed, put his arms around Reyna, and looked into her eyes. "Good thinking!"

"Are you going to let me come to bed with you again tonight?" She felt she knew what his answer was, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"Yeah." He loved how her eyes would change from hazel brown to hazel green. "I like having you in bed with me."

"Just for the sex?" Her eyes looked mischievous.

"You know it. Once we're done fuckin', then back to your own bed."

She held him as tight as she could; her head was buried into his shoulder. Reyna didn't want Luke to see her tears or feel sorry for her. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"That's not something you're going to have to worry about." Luke stroked her hair. I'm here, and I don't plan on leaving."

"Don't you think it's time to go to bed?" She reached down and rubbed his growing hardness. "It's oh-fuck-me-thirty somewhere."

"I could use a shower first," Luke responded.

"So could I." Reyna agreed.

"Okay." Luke grinned. "Your shower or mine?"

"You want to shower together?" She kept rubbing his erection through his pants.

"That's the general idea."

"Then come to my shower. I have too much crap to move. I'm a girly girl when it comes to showering. All you need to bring is your shampoo and..." She squeezed his erect cock. "This."

"Kinky girl." Luke felt his desire increasing.

"We'll be kinky cousins fucking in the shower." Reyna was turned on already.

She had always appreciated the size of the shower her parents had installed in her bathroom. It had rain heads coming down from the ceiling at each end as well as showerheads coming from the walls. Tonight she would have all of the showerheads turned on. She wanted the shower to feel like they were lovers in a storm.

Reyna giggled as Luke entered the shower; she pointed at his erection and asked, "Is that your compass?"

Luke closed the shower door and grinned. "Absolutely, I go wherever it points."

"Then point it my way, cowboy." Reyna motioned with her finger.

Luke liked her slender body. Her small breasts hadn't lost any of their firmness and still stood proudly on her chest. "You're beautiful, Reyna; I hope you know that."

"I think you're just horny." Reyna reached for his erection and pulled him close. "But I'm glad you think so."

Luke put his hands around her waist and gripped her firm buttocks. "It's like a rainstorm in here."

"That's the point; it is a storm, and it will wash our sins away." Reyna laughed at her little joke.

His fingers caressed her firm breasts and played with her erect nipples. She let out a quiet moan as he pulled and pinched them. Luke picked up a shower pouf from the bench and squirted some shower gel on it. It was a feminine aroma, and he found it attractive; it reminded him of flowers in the spring. "Should I scrub your back?"

"Yes, scrub my back, my front, my ass, my legs, and my feet. Scrub all of me, wash away the old me, I

want to be your new girl."

Luke washed her body from the tip of her nose down to her toes. He loved how her body felt to his touch. In his opinion, it was perfect; he certainly couldn't think of any improvements that he would make.

"Feel better?" He asked as he finished.

"Much better. I'm your new girl now." Reyna took the pouf from his hand. "My turn. Do you want to be my all-new and improved man?"

Luke laughed, "I'm not sure if we have that much time, or water for that matter, to be making that many improvements."

Reyna began lathering his body, washing his face, arms, shoulders, stomach, and back. When she reached his stiff cock, she stopped washing him. "I think you're clean enough; I want you to use this on me."

"I want you," Luke growled into her ear. "Right now, and right here in the shower."

"Then take me." She put her mouth up to his, and there was a hunger and desperation in her. Her hand continued pumping his stiff cock. It felt rock hard and warm in her hand; it pleased her to know she caused his arousal.

He reached down between her legs, and he found her pussy creamy, ready to accept his hard cock. He didn't want to make love to his cousin; he wanted to fuck her and make her feel owned.

"Turn around," he growled in her ear.

"Yes," she replied. Her knees felt weak as she complied with his wishes. Reyna turned around, bent over, and put her hands against the glass wall of the shower. She put her hand between her legs, and as he moved into position, she grasped his stiff erection and guided it to her entrance.

Luke loved feeling her hand guiding his hard cock to her velvety tunnel. It took almost no effort to sink his cock deep inside of her. She was tight, almost as tight as the grip of her hand when she masturbated him. He put his hands on her hips and began to pump in and out.

"You feel so good; I love your big cock filling my pussy." Reyna loved hearing his wet body slapping against her ass.

"Your pussy feels so fucking tight. I love fucking you, Reyna." Luke's voice sounded thick with lust.

His words only fueled Reyna's own lust. "Do you feel dirty, Luke? You're fucking your younger cousin."

She was younger by six weeks.

"I love fucking my young cousin." Luke moved his hands up from her hips to her small, firm breasts. He fondled her breasts with his hands as he played with her nipples using his thumbs and forefingers of each of his hands. They stiffened under his touch and felt like pencil erasers.

Reyna reached down between her legs with her right hand and began rubbing her clit as Luke's cock pumped in and out in quick, hard motions. "I love when you play with my titties; you make them feel so good."

She was telling the truth; Reyna felt that Luke appreciated her breasts, small as they were. She loved that about him; her ex had always made her feel inadequate due to her breasts being on the smaller side.

"I love how they fit in my hand," Luke responded. Her pussy felt tight and like warm, wet velvet on his cock. He could feel his tip touch her cervix on each thrust.

"Fuck me hard, Luke, I'm really close. Use my tight cunt; fuck me like the slut you want me to be." Reyna's fingers rubbed her erect clit in tight, fast motions.

Luke squeezed her tits as he drove his aching cock deep and hard into his cousin's sweet pussy. "You are my slut, Reyna; I own you. Cum for me, and then I'll cum for you."

"I want you to cum." Reyna was on the brink of her orgasm. "I don't care where -- in me, on me, in my mouth, on my tits, or on my face. I want your hot cum marking me as yours."

As her body began to shake, her words sent Luke over the brink. He didn't have time to decide where to cum as the first spurt shot deep in her pussy. As her body shook, her pussy contracted in tight spasms. It felt like her pussy was jerking his cock.

Luke let out a series of long moans, each timed with his cock depositing his semen deep inside. His sperm would be disappointed; Reyna was on the pill. He put his hands back on her hips; his knees were shaking from his orgasm, and he felt a bit unsteady.

They shut the water off and dried each other off before retreating into Luke's bed.

"Well, that felt great," Luke remarked as he held Reyna in his arms.

"Which? The shower or the sex?" Reyna giggled.

"Both!"

"Good answer." Reyna kissed him on the cheek.

As they lay in the dark, a howling could be heard in the distance. Reyna shivered and snuggled closer into Luke. "That didn't sound like coyotes."

"No." Luke shook his head. "They aren't; those are wolves."

"I didn't think there were any wolves left?" Reyna asked.

"There weren't; they were all killed off in the seventies. But about twenty years ago, Fish and Wildlife reintroduced the wolf to help balance out the deer population. Restore the natural order, I think is how they put it."

"It's eerie." She closed her eyes. "You're my protector."

Luke kissed her forehead. "I am. I'll keep the wolves away -- both the four-legged and two-legged variety.

---

Reyna looked at Luke and asked, "What's going on?"

Luke shook his head back and forth in a slow, deliberate motion. "I have no idea."

In front of the offices of Rosenblatt and Rosenblatt were multiple sheriff's vehicles and paramedics. All with their emergency lights flashing. Yellow police tape cordoned off the front of the business. A deputy that Luke didn't recognize stood at the entrance, controlling access to the building.

Luke pointed to an open parking space. "Pull in there and park. We'll try to find out what's happened here."

They parked and walked across the street and spotted Brad standing by his sheriff's vehicle. Luke walked up to Brad and asked him, "What's going on, Brad?"

Brad looked up and replied, "Hey, Luke, what are you doing here?"

"We're here to see Mr. Rosenblatt; we had an appointment."

"Which one, the younger or the older?"

"The older." Luke watched as the paramedics wheeled someone from the building on a gurney.

Brad pointed at the gurney. "That would be your man."

Reyna was dumbfounded. "Is he going to be alright? What happened?"

"I don't know how he is; I know he was shot once. As to what happened, I don't know. I was told there was an attempted robbery."

"Thanks, Brad, I guess there's not a lot we can do here." Luke watched as the paramedics loaded Sidney Rosenblatt, the elder, into the ambulance.

"Can I ask why you were coming to see Mr. Rosenblatt?" Brad asked the two of them.

"Are you asking as our friend or as a deputy?" Reyna asked.

Brad studied them for a moment. "Your friend."

Luke gave Reyna a questioning look, and when she gave a little nod, he turned his attention back to Brad. "Several things. We needed to ask him how we get access to the bank accounts and how we go about changing ownership of the property."

"Sounds pretty routine."

Luke nodded. "I hope we can trust you, Brad."

He gave Luke a questioning look and then looked at Reyna. "I'm your friend; we've known each other since you moved here with your mom."

"Okay." Luke lowered his voice. "There's one more thing. Mr. Rosenblatt was holding two packages for us from Earl. What they are, we have no idea. From what he told us, he didn't know what they were or what they contained."

"Would you recognize these packages?"

Both Luke and Reyna shook their heads, and Luke answered, "No, no idea at all."

"I don't know what's going on here." Brad made sure no one was paying attention to their conversation. "But, I think the two of you need to be very careful until we understand what's going on. This is both from your friend and the deputy in me."

"We are." Reyna answered.

"Listen, I have a few days off, and so does Tracy. Would you mind a couple of house guests for a few days over the weekend? We could stay in one of the cabins."

"I'd love to see Tracy." Reyna replied with excitement.

Luke agreed. "Bring the Sig out, and we'll get it tuned up. And we'll fire up the smoker."

After leaving Brad, they returned to the SUV and looked at each other. "What next?" Reyna asked her cousin.

Luke shrugged his shoulders and looked at his watch. "The bank should be open. Maybe we go there and see if there's anything we can do."

The bank manager was more than gracious when they arrived; Once it was realized who Luke and Reyna were, they were ushered into his office as if they were old and valued clients.

Harvey Wallace had been the manager of the National Bank of Colorado since his father had retired fifteen years ago. It was a small-town bank where the employees recognized all of their customers on sight. So, when Luke and Reyna walked in, heads were lifted from their work, and eyes followed them into Harvey Wallace's office.

Harvey followed them into the office, carrying a file folder. He shook Luke's hand and then Reyna's. "Please accept my condolences on your losses." He sat down and shook his head. "Terrible business. And now Sid Rosenblatt has been shot while in his office. What's the world coming to?

He opened the folder. "Sid was in to see me a few days ago. We have several accounts to transfer to the two of you. There's Earl's business account. The bed and breakfast account, and then two personal accounts. I just need the two of you to sign these papers."

Once the papers were signed and Mr. Wallace's assistant had left the office, he got up and locked the door.

"Now, what I am about to show you cannot be repeated to anyone. Sid Rosenblatt was supposed to be here, but..." His voice trailed off as he looked out the window. "So you will sign this agreement before we can proceed. Basically, it's your promise to not reveal what you may see today. Failure to do so could lead to financial penalties."

"What? This doesn't make any sense." Luke felt confused. He turned to look at Reyna only to be met by a look that looked as confused as he felt.

"I wish Sid were here to explain. I can't say; rather, I am prohibited from saying any more until you sign the agreement in front of you."

Luke took the pen and signed on the line with his name and passed the paper to Reyna. "Are you sure?" She asked Luke.

"Yes, I think we need to sign if we're going to have any hope of discovering what your dad has left for us." Luke directed his attention to the banker. "Am I correct?"

Harvey Wallace nodded in the affirmative. "Yes."

"Okay." Reyna signed her name to the document.

As Harvey Wallace placed the signed document in the folder, Luke asked, "Do we get a copy of that?"

"No." He unlocked the middle drawer on the right side of the desk. When he opened it, a small control panel could be seen. When the first button was depressed, the quiet hum of an electric motor could be heard along with the swishing sound of the curtains closing.

"Back in the early sixties my grandfather built this," he said as he pressed a second button. A whoosh as a section of wall opened, revealing stairs leading down. "This was a bomb/fallout shelter and secure storage during the Cold War."

"Follow me," Harvey Wallace stood up and gestured towards the stairs. They went down three flights of stairs before reaching the bottom.

As he unlocked the door, he explained, "My grandfather brought in a crew from southern Mexico to do all of the work, and once it was done, they returned to their homes. I don't know how many people in town were aware of what was going on when they were here working."

As the heavy door swung open, he continued, "I know I had no idea until I took over the bank from my father."

Luke was amazed at the story being told and the surroundings. It was hard to believe that this could have been built unnoticed.

"How many people could have stayed down here? Reyna asked.

"I think somewhere between twelve and eighteen." Harvey replied as he spun the dials on a bank vault door.

"These are yours." He pointed at two black boxes. The first was about the size of a loaf of bread; the second was the size of a small cooler. "They're both locked, and I don't have the key. I think Sid has it. Here are two envelopes that you're supposed to have."

Reyna took the envelopes from Harvey and held them in front of her.

"What about those?" Luke pointed at the black boxes. "What do we do with them?"

"For the present, I can put them in one of the safety deposit boxes in here. It takes two keys to open them, a bank key and the key that I will give you." Harvey pointed to the end of the vault.

After leaving the bank, the cousins set about the mundane tasks of transferring the power and propane into their names. They canceled the cell service on everything but the two business cell phones, which they added on to Luke's contract.

"Let's stop at the attorney's office before heading back home," Reyna suggested.

Luke nodded his agreement while staring out the passenger side window of the SUV. "Yeah, we need to see if there's any news on Mr. Rosenblatt."

Only the office manager was at the office when they arrived.

"Any word on how Mr. Rosenblatt is doing?" Luke asked almost as soon as he had closed the front door to the office.

"The only update I have is that he is in critical but stable condition." She looked up at the clock on the wall. "He should be leaving for Denver any minute. They called in an air ambulance. They were going to fly him out as soon as the hospital here got him stabilized."

"What about the younger Mr. Rosenblatt?" As soon as Luke had asked the question, he came to the realization that he had never met, let alone seen, the younger Rosenblatt.

"He was going on the flight with his father," replied Bernice, the manager.

"I don't want to be nosy, but was Mr. Rosenblatt senior married?" Reyna was curious.

"He's a widower; his wife passed away four years ago."

"We'll call back in a couple of days," Reyna said as she moved towards the door.

"I have your number; when I have an update, I will call you." Bernice jotted a reminder to herself on her notepad.

"Should we stop at Kwik-E Mart on the way out of town to fill up and get something to drink?" Luke asked as he buckled up his seat belt.

Reyna looked at her cousin and teased him, "You just want to see Rani, don't you?

Luke blushed. "Well..."

"I have an idea." Reyna started the SUV and pulled out. "Why don't I invite her out for the weekend? Brad and Tracy are coming out. We can fire up the smoker and do some ribs."

Luke looked at Reyna. "Are you fucking with me?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not going to stop you from meeting people -- women -- girls. I'm not your..." She stopped and looked out the window; she didn't want to start crying. Then she turned back to Luke. "Besides, I told you I like girls, too. And if I'm the one inviting her, her parents are less likely to object."

"Well, that makes sense." Luke was quiet until they pulled into the convenience store. "I just want you to know, Reyna, I'm not looking for anyone. You and I, we're still what we are."

After they stopped at the pump, Reyna leaned over and kissed Luke on the cheek. "Remember, we're kinky cousins. That's what we are. You pump, and I'll go talk to Rani."

He looked at the pump and remembered the video from the store. This was where his mother, aunt, and uncle had stopped on their way home before being run off the road. He felt a pang of sadness at the realization he would never see any of them again. The permanence of what happened was finally sinking in.

Luke had just finished pumping gas when Reyna returned from the store. "She'll come and stay the weekend."

"Thanks for doing that, Reyna."

"No thanks necessary; I like her, too." Reyna wore a mischievous grin as she climbed into the SUV.

Luke buckled up his seat belt and then turned his attention to his cousin. "When we get home, we need to check the freezer to make sure we have something to throw on the smoker for the weekend."

"I want ribs," Reyna commented as she pulled out from the gas pumps.

---

Cavaleiro Comandante Joaquim Rodriguez entered a small Catholic church on the outskirts of Mexico City. He knelt before the altar and crossed himself before moving towards the confessional.

The unseen priest greeted him in Spanish, "En el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén."

Rodriguez replied in Latin, "Nuntium habeo." I have a message.

"Nam quis?" From whom asked the priest.

"Milites Ordinis Sancti," Knights of the Holy Order, was the reply.

"Quid est nuntius?" The priest asked for the message.

"Veritas perdet," answered Rodgriguez. Truth will destroy.

"Will you give me your confession now, my son?"

Rodriguez began his confession. "I am a poor sinner, and it has been three days since my last confession."

After giving confession, Rodriguez followed the priest's instructions and waited in the back row of pews. He bowed his head in contemplation and prayed.

---

Luke set both envelopes on the kitchen table and helped Reyna clear away the dishes from dinner. They sat down, across from each other. Luke used a letter opener on the first envelope. "Do you want to read it first? This is from your dad."

She shook her head. "No, Luke, I want you to read it for us."

Luke nodded and removed the pages from the envelope. The top page was written in Earl's neat handwriting. Luke cleared his throat and looked at Reyna.

As he read the words, he could hear his uncle's voice. "Hello all. Since you're reading this, I have to assume my time has come to an end, and I have moved on. I have had a good life. I can't be sure who is reading this, but here are my thoughts.

Suzanne, I couldn't have asked for a better wife or partner. I love you more each day we are together.

Heather, you're the best little sis a brother could hope to have. I have loved you living with us all these years.

Reyna, you are the light of my life, my most treasured possession. I am so proud of you.

Luke, last does not mean least. I am proud of the man you have become. You are the son I never had, and I hope you will take over what I have started.

In the following pages, you will find all of the financial information for both personal and business accounts. In the floor safe in the bedroom, you will find titles to properties that I have acquired over the years.

Sid Rosenblatt Sr. can help you navigate all of this, and I would tell you to listen to his sage advice; he has never steered me wrong.

I love all of you, and thank you for making me the man I was.

Earl."

Tears were flowing down Reyna's face. "I wish I could have seen him one more time."

Luke nodded; his eyes stung with emotion. "I feel the same way."

They looked at the remaining papers listing bank account numbers for the National Bank of Colorado, and for a bank in Denver and another in Salt Lake. Each page listed a dollar amount at the bottom. Luke whistled as he totaled the numbers in his head. "I had no idea. There's well over a million dollars, probably closer to two million, listed in those accounts."

Reyna stared at Luke. "We never had that kind of money when we were growing up. Where did it come from?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me."

"I think the money is behind them getting killed." Reyna shivered at the thought.

Luke had an uneasy feeling as he processed what she had said. "I tend to agree with you."

"What about the second letter? Should we open it?" Reyna stared at the remaining envelope.

"Yes, I think we need to. This one was to be opened if he died under mysterious circumstances."

Luke used the thin knife to open the envelope. There was only one piece of paper inside. Luke removed it and looked at Reyna. "Ready?"

"Yes."

Luke began to read. "By now you've read my first letter. It disturbs me that you've had to open or even receive this letter. It means that you are probably in danger. Please do not take this warning lightly.

You can trust Sid Rosenblatt and his son. Harvey Wallace at the bank and Vern Schmidt, if he's still the sheriff. Be suspicious of anyone and everyone, especially strangers.

Two boxes should have accompanied these letters. Information as to what the contents in the boxes are is included in the boxes. I wish I could give you advice on what steps to take next, but since I'm not there you'll have to make your own decisions.

All of you can shoot. Over the years I have made sure of that. In the safe in my shop is a selection of handguns. You need to choose one you're comfortable with and keep it with you at all times. Practice with it; there's enough ammunition locked up in the storage cabinets in the shop to start a small war. Talk to Vern about getting your concealed carry permit. If Luke is with you, he can probably teach you the class and sign off on your shooting qualification.

My advice would be to keep the boxes at the bank under Harvey and Sid's watchful eyes. That's where they will be the safest."

Reyna looked at Luke with a stunned look on her face. "Luke, I'm scared."

He nodded at her. "Let's go sit on the couch."

She sat next to him, almost in his lap. "What are we going to do?"

.

"Tomorrow I'm going to go out to the shop and do some work. While I'm doing that, you can continue clearing out the closets. I am going to place a gun in each room of the house. Plus, like your dad said in the note, I want you to keep a gun either on you or in your purse."

That night, Reyna didn't sleep well; she heard the wolves and dreamed that they were coming for her. She felt they were an omen. Reyna felt safer when she moved close to Luke and he put his arm around her.

---

The priest sat in the pew in front of Joaquim Rodriguez. "Your message has been passed on. Your duty is complete. You are to return home and await further instructions."

Rodriquez nodded and stood up. "Pax vobiscum."

The priest shook his hand in farewell. "Et tecum, fili mi."

---

"You fucking fools!" The man talking was livid. He pointed at two empty ATA flight cases. "You shoot the fucking old lawyer, and you two fucks bring me back two empty fucking cases."

The two men the comments were directed at shifted back and forth on their feet, with sweat forming on their brows. Both looked uneasy, and both knew not to reply to his diatribe.

"What am I going to tell my boss? That my two brainless goons have fucked this up from the start. You kill the man with all the knowledge. And now you might have killed off the only living person that might know anything." He pounded on the desk. "And when you bailed out of the hotel, why the fuck didn't you grab the electronics?"

Ralph opened his mouth to answer, but Vince, his accomplice, gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs to keep him quiet.

"What the fuck am I going to do now? I certainly can't send you back there again; once okay, twice dicey, but three times, that's a mistake." He pointed his finger at himself. "Mrs. Fishbaum didn't raise no fucking fools. Mario Fishbaum don't make mistakes!"

He eyed his two hired thugs. "Get lost. Go back to the hotel. When I get this figured out, I'll call."

Vince shook his head at Ralph and then addressed Mario, "Can we get some cash? We need to pay for the room and some food."

Mario pulled a money clip from his pocket and peeled off ten Ben Franklins, one thousand dollars, and tossed them towards Vince.

"Now, get lost!"

---

Luke ended the call and looked at Reyna. "Well, Sid the elder is still alive. He's in critical condition; both surgeries have been successful. I guess if he makes it through the next twenty-four hours, chances will be pretty good for a recovery. She told me to call back tomorrow, or if she hears anything else, she'll call again."

Reyna set her coffee cup down. "Well, that's good news at least."

Luke agreed. "I didn't think he was going to survive the flight to Denver, to be quite honest." He got up from the table and put his dishes in the sink. "I'm going out to the shop; I've got some work to do out there. Call me when you want to stop for lunch, and we'll throw something together."

Reyna went into her mother's closet and surveyed what needed to be done. She was thankful that her mother was very neat and organized. She took most of the clothes out to the trailer Luke had set up for items to be taken in and donated. Reyna kept a couple of jackets, a winter parka, and a sweater.

She opened the top drawer of the dresser and began to laugh. She paused for a moment. "I wonder." Reyna went into her Aunt Heather's room and straight into the closet and began opening drawers until she found what she was looking for.

Luke answered his cell, "Hey, Reyna."

"You need to get in here." She could barely contain her laughter. "You need to see this."

She met Luke in the hallway. "Close your eyes."

"Close my eyes?" Luke questioned.

"Be a good boy," Reyna teased.

"Okay." He did as asked and allowed himself to be led by the hand into his mother's closet.

When Reyna had positioned him in front of the dresser, she said, "Open your eyes."

Luke opened his eyes and blinked. "Oh -- my -- God!"

She laughed at his reaction. "But wait..."

He groaned. "Don't tell me."

She nodded. "Yes, there's more; come along." Reyna took him into her mother's closet and pointed at the open drawer. "Behold!"

Luke shook his head in disbelief. He pointed at a long double-ended dildo. "You don't think they..."

Reyna nodded. "I do think so. Wouldn't you like to see Rani and me using that together?"

He shivered. "I think women and toys are sexy. What are you going to do with them?"

"I think I'll take the batteries out of them, put them in the dishwasher on the sanitize cycle, and then see what works and what doesn't." Reyna answered. "As long as I disinfect them, they're safe. And like you, I think women and toys are very sexy."

"Well, it looks like you inherited a hell of a collection!"

Luke went back out to the shop; he couldn't get the vision of Reyna and Rani using the double-ended sex toy out of his mind.

By lunchtime he had assembled a small arsenal of weapons to take into the house. By the time he was done, he had placed two automatic handguns in the living room, one in the kitchen, and one in each of the bedrooms, except his; he still had the Smith and Wesson Governor in his room. He also placed twenty-gauge shotguns by the front, garage, and patio doors.

He found Reyna finishing clearing out his mother's closet. He handed her a Smith and Wesson Ladysmith, a revolver meant for a woman's smaller hand. "Put this in your purse."

---

The next morning they took Earl's advice from the letter, and Luke gave Reyna the condensed CCW class for the state of Colorado. Once that was finished, they went behind the shop to the small gun range Earl had built.

He had Reyna shoot right- and left-handed at three feet, and then right-handed at both six and ten feet. He pulled down the targets and signed his name at the bottom.

"Okay, let's go into town and see the sheriff." Luke gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the lips. "You did well; I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, I feel better knowing that I can still shoot. I feel empowered, like I know I can stand up for myself." She felt good about herself. "I want to start shooting regularly, and not just this handgun."

"I like that idea." Luke had to agree with what Reyna had said; he felt that same confidence when he had shot earlier.

---

Vern Schmidt had been sheriff before Luke and Reyna were born. No one had bothered running against him in over fifteen years. He was popular throughout the county and ran a good department. He looked at Reyna's application and looked up at Luke and Reyna. "You have a CCW, Luke?"

"Yes, sir." Luke responded.

"Under normal circumstances I am supposed to wait for the background check to come back before issuing a CCW." He tapped his fingers on his desk and continued. "But these aren't normal circumstances. We still need to wait for the background check to come back. What I can do is issue you a provisional CCW that's good until we get the report back."

They walked out of the sheriff's office, and Luke asked Reyna, "Where to next?"

"Grocery store. We need to pick up some fresh fruit and veggies. We have enough meat to last us until Christmas."

When Luke laughed, she replied, "I'm not kidding; check out the freezers when we get home."

At the store, Luke pushed while Reyna selected their purchases. He quipped as she put a bag of fresh broccoli in the cart, "I'm feeling damned domesticated right now."

Reyna laughed, "Now, if you would only put the toilet seat down."

After loading the groceries in the back of the SUV, Reyna made a call from her cell phone. "Hey, it's, Reyna. You ready?" She nodded her head twice and replied, "Okay, see ya."

---

"Thank you for inviting me to stay with you," Rani thanked Reyna as she got into the SUV. "And thank you, Luke, for staying outside. If my mother had the slightest thought you were involved, she would have said no."

"I'm glad you accepted our invitation. I know Luke is excited as well." Reyna teased Luke with a grin.

Luke blushed. He was going to respond but decided it would be best to say nothing.

Rani giggled, "It's good to know he's excited to see me."

After dinner the three of them sat on the back patio and enjoyed the pleasant spring weather. Luke had started a fire in the fire pit.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Reyna asked Rani.

Rani rolled her eyes. "No, my parents won't let me date. They want me to find a nice Indian boy."

Luke wore a puzzled look. "But the only Indian boy around would be Arun, your brother."

"That's been my point. My parents have signed me up on Indian dating sites. I don't even get to see the responses. All they show me are these old, creepy guys." Rani gave a little shiver and then added, "With money, of course."

"What, if I may ask, do you like about this guy?" Reyna pointed at Luke.

Rani gave Luke a coy smile. "When I was younger, he would come into the store and treat me like an adult, even when I was only twelve or thirteen. He would talk to me for a few minutes. He was never crude or suggestive like a lot of other guys his age. Most importantly, he always showed my parents a lot of respect."

Reyna felt a little ashamed at her attempt to embarrass Luke. "Rani, I have to agree with you. I have never met a better man than Luke."

"I think I heard you're going to community college; do you have a major in mind?" Luke asked.

"No, not yet; that's another hot topic of discussion. They want me to be a doctor or a lawyer. I'm not interested in either. I haven't decided what I want to do. So for this year, I have just been taking core classes."

In the distance, the howling of the wolves were heard again tonight. The moon was close to being full and had risen. Luke looked at the outline of the mountains to the west. "They sound closer tonight; maybe it's because we're outside."

Rani shivered as she looked at Luke. "What are they?"

"Wolves." Luke continued watching, wondering where they were.

"Maybe we should head on in for the night." Reyna suggested.

"Yes, and it's getting late," Luke remarked. There were four-legged wolves in the mountains and two -legged wolves out there somewhere. How to protect from both varieties, that was Luke's concern.

Rani walked out of the spare bedroom in her pajamas. She was going to get a drink; Reyna was in her bathroom, so it was only her and Luke in the hallway. "I'm happy you wanted me here." She wrapped her arms around Luke and gave him a warm hug and a kiss on the lips. "Good night, Luke."

Luke felt the temperature in the room rise. "Good night, Rani."

Reyna slipped in bed beside Luke. "I hope you don't mind."

Luke kissed her and held her in his arms. "You're not going to lose me. I've told you."

"Then fuck me, Luke."

After the sex was over, Reyna lay in Luke's arms. A pair of tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Luke. I hate to admit this. I tried so hard not to like Rani. I am ashamed of myself. She is so sweet and nice. What she sees in you are exactly the same things I see."

Reyna kissed Luke. "I'm glad you wanted to invite her out for the weekend. I think I have found a good friend in her."

"I'm glad." Luke stopped for a moment and studied his cousin. "Reyna, you know I love you, right?"

"And I love you." Reyna felt all was right with the world at this moment.

---

Rani walked into Reyna's bedroom and then into the bathroom, where Reyna was applying her makeup. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Rani."

"Where's Luke?" she asked.

"He ran into town to get some hickory wood chips for the smoker from True Value."

"Can I ask you a question?" Rani hopped up onto the bathroom counter.

Reyna turned and looked at her. "Sure."

"Are you and Luke like boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Reyna was taken aback; it wasn't at all what she had been expecting to hear. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because I heard the two of you in his bedroom last night." She replied.

Reyna silently cursed herself. She had been a tiny bit jealous of Rani being here and wanted to make sure she kept Luke satisfied. "We can't be boyfriend and girlfriend; we're cousins."

"In India, cousins and siblings often have sex," Rani explained. "I have had fantasies of having sex with Arun, my brother."

"I don't know how to explain what Luke and I are. I will tell you, he likes you. It was his idea to invite you for the weekend."

"Are you mad at him for asking me here?" Rani asked.

Reyna shook her head. "No, Rani, I'm not mad. I like you."

Rani smiled. "Good, I like you, too."

"No, what I meant is I like you. I like being with girls as well as boys." Reyna hoped she hadn't said too much.

"Good." Rani replied. "Girls turn me on, too."

Reyna felt emboldened. "What if Luke and I want to have sex with you at the same time?"

"I was hoping for that." Rani gave her a shy grin.

Reyna set her mascara down and moved to where Rani was sitting on the counter. Her light brown skin was flawless and smooth. She had long, straight black hair that reached down to her waist. Her large dark eyes were like pools a person could lose themselves in. As she studied Rani's features, she remarked, "I can see why Luke was attracted to you. You're beautiful."

Rani reached out and touched Reyna's hair with her long, slender fingers. "I've always thought you were very pretty and Luke handsome." She looked down. "That's why I touched him in the store. I had hoped he would sense my interest in him."

"You certainly got his attention." Reyna leaned in and kissed Rani on the lips. Her mouth opened, and her tongue slipped into Rani's mouth.

The sound of a truck coming up the driveway and the honking of a horn interrupted the two girls.

"Damn!" Reyna exclaimed. "It must be Brad and Tracy."

"Brad from the sheriff's office and his wife?" Rani asked.

"Yes, do you know them?" Reyna asked.

Rani nodded and let out a soft laugh. "Of course, I know a lot of people from working in the store."

"Welcome," Reyna greeted the newcomers. "We haven't had a chance to get the cabins ready, so we're going to put you in Luke's mom's room. I hope that's okay."

Brad looked at Tracy, his wife, who shrugged her shoulders and answered. "That's perfectly fine with me."

"I think the two of you know Rani. She's staying for the weekend as well."

Brad nodded, "Yup, I see her smiling face every morning when I stop in for my cup of coffee and a doughnut."

Tracy patted her husband's stomach. "Now it's all making sense." She directed her attention to Rani. "It's nice seeing you. How are your parents?"

"The same as always, convinced I will never get married." Rani rolled her eyes.

"I think it'll be nice to have us all in the house." Reyna led Brad and Tracy into the house and showed them to their room. "Luke should be back anytime; he had to get wood chips for the smoker."

---

Rani teased Brad, "I don't want to get in trouble for underage drinking."

He laughed, "Just slip me a free doughnut in the morning, and I'll pretend like I didn't see a thing."

Luke and Brad left the girls on the back porch to chat and sip wine while they went into the shop to look at Brad's handgun.

Brad whistled after Luke had turned the lights on. "This is a nice setup. It doesn't look like there's much you can't do."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, that's what Earl's goal was, not to need to send anything out. We can even do barrels here."

"Pretty cool!" Brad set a black plastic gun case on the workbench. "Here's the Sig. I really appreciate you taking the time to look at this for me. Especially with everything that's been going on."

"Not a problem; it's nice to be able to get my mind off of everything that's been going on. I'd like to thank you and Tracy for taking the time and spending the weekend with us. And it's good for Reyna as well as me." Luke opened the case and pulled the Sig P226 from the case.

"Any idea what the hell is going on?" Brad asked.

"None." Luke shook his head. "Not a fucking clue. What about you? Have you heard of any theories from the sheriff?"

"Things were tense enough after your mom, aunt, and uncle were run off the road, but since Mr. Rosenblatt was shot, you can cut the tension with a knife." Brad paused for a moment. "Anything I say to you is just between us. I don't want to lose my job."

"I know," Luke replied. "And nothing you say goes any further than Reyna; she doesn't deserve to be left in the dark."

"Reyna is fine. Do you remember Stacy Arnold? She was a year or two younger than us?"

"Her brother was Hal?" Luke nodded his head.

"Well, she's Stacy Dembecki now; she married some guy from Longmont she met in college. Anyway, she's one of our crime scene analysts. She told me in the parking lot to be careful. They had a tentative ID on one of the bad actors, and he's not the run-of-the-mill petty criminal. He supposedly has ties to organized crime."

Brad watched Luke disassemble the Sig. "What do you think is wrong with it?"

"Probably the ejector or extractor." Luke answered.

"We won't have any ideas until Mr. Rosenblatt is back; right now he holds the key." Luke paused for a moment. "Both literally and figuratively."

"How's he doing? Have you heard anything?"

Luke nodded, "Yeah, his office manager called me this morning. He's made it through the night and seems to be getting stronger. She said the doctors are optimistic about him making a full recovery. She said it's going to take time."

"Well, that's good to know," Brad responded.

Luke returned his attention to the handgun. "The ejector looks worn; I'm pretty sure we have a replacement."

After replacing the worn part and reassembling the weapon, the two men went out the back door of the shop to the gun range. Luke hung up a target and ran it out to fifteen yards. "Okay, Brad, let's run a few mags through it and see how it shoots."

Four magazines and sixty rounds later, Brad declared the weapon repaired. "I wasn't able to shoot three or four rounds in a row. It's shooting good as new. How much do I owe you?"

"I'm glad you're happy, and you owe me nothing. Just spread the word that Earl's is back open for business."

"I appreciate that, Luke, and I'll certainly make sure everyone at work is aware that you're taking customers." Brad packed the handgun back into its case.

"Thanks," Luke replied. "Now, let's check on the girls and get the grill fired up. We've got some steaks waiting to be cooked. And some cold ones in the fridge."

"Lead on! I could certainly use an adult refreshment."

---

Mario Fishbaum's cell phone rang. It wasn't the normal ring; it was the opening bars to Chopin's Marche Funèbre. His face blanched; it was a call from Il Capo, the Boss. What his name was, or where he was, Mario had no idea and had the good sense not to ask.

He answered, "Oui, je suis Mario." Answering the phone in French alerted the caller that Mario was alone and secure. Answering in English would cause the caller to hang up.

Although Mario wasn't a religious man, the deep, heavily accented voice of Il Capo caused Mario to close his eyes and pray. "Fishbaum. You men have failed you -- again."

"How the fuck did he know already?" Mario wondered.

Il Capo continued. "And I haven't heard from you since you told me they were going back."

"I was in the process of writing an email with my report." This was the truth. Mario had been in the process of typing an email. Mario was not a proficient typist; he used the one-finger hunt-and-peck method of typing.

"Your men have made a real cock-up this time. Why did they shoot the attorney?"

"I have no answer to that. Neither of them could come up with a reason. I believe they panicked." Mario answered.

"You can't use them again. Chances are they have probably been identified. They are of no further use; it is time to terminate their services."

Mario shivered; he knew all too well what that meant in the service of Il Capo. One just didn't lose their job; they lost their life.

"You will send them to me," Il Capo ordered. "We can't risk them being found. My jet is on its way from Miami to Denver. They will return to Miami on the jet. You will only tell them that they are being reassigned. You know nothing else. Understood."

"Understood."

"I will text you the flight details after we disconnect. Have your people at the airport on time."

"Yes, sir."

He could hear Il Capo shuffling some papers. "You've been a good employee. And this is why you aren't joining them on the flight. I still have confidence in you, Fishbaum. You need to come up with a new plan, and you will have it ready for me to approve by noon tomorrow."

With that, the call ended. Mario immediately scrolled through his phone and called Vince.

"Oui, Vince ici."

"Pack your bags; I'm on my way to pick you up. You have been reassigned; you're going to fly to Miami." Mario made his voice flat and matter-of-fact.

"Do you have any details?" Vince sounded anxious.

"No. You know the routine. You will get more information on your next assignment when you're in the air."

Vince checked his watch. "What time should we expect you?"

"An hour and a half. Triple check your bags, and then check each other's bags for anything that can link you to the previous mission. It will be my responsibility to dispose of it after you've left."

Mario set his phone down and leaned back in his chair. This was one part of the job he didn't like, but he didn't have time to think about the fate of Vince and Ralph. He had his own problems to deal with.

---

Everyone had gone to bed, leaving Luke and Rani on the floor by the fireplace. The fire crackled in the fireplace, the orange flames licking at the log Luke had just added.

"I think Reyna has left us alone to allow us to get to know each other better." Rani moved a little closer to Luke.

"Do you think so?" Luke was surprised at her comment.

"I know so," Rani replied. "She told me she was going to give us time alone."

"Is that what you want?" Luke questioned her.

"No, it's not," she answered.

Luke was perplexed at her response, "Then, what do you want?"

"Luke, I want you to kiss me." Rani gave Luke a shy smile.

She felt small and fragile in his arms. Her eyes closed as his lips approached hers. They touched, and her lips immediately parted. Luke slipped his tongue into her mouth. Her tongue met his, and for what seemed to be an eternity, they kissed, not stopping, not coming up for air. He could feel her passion and desire in her kiss, and he hoped she could feel his need.

His cock had stiffened fully during the kiss, and he could feel his heart racing. He slid his hand under her top and found her small, firm breasts not hindered by a bra. He fondled her breast and teased her erect nipple as they kissed again.

Her small hand reached between his legs, and she began to rub his swollen erection through his jeans. She undid his belt and unzipped his jeans. "I want to see you and touch you."

Luke let out a soft moan as her small hand gripped his cock and began to pump up and down. He lifted her top up, exposing her eighteen-year-old body. Her breasts were firm and round, topped by puffy dark nipples.

"Do you like?" Rani's voice was soft and shy. "Am I too young for you?"

"Not at all.

"Good, I was worried that you might just see me as a young girl and not a woman." Her hand continued stroking his stiff cock up and down in slow and deliberate motions.

"You're a very attractive young woman." Luke continued fondling her small breasts.

"Am I too dark for you?" Rani nibbled on his neck.

"No, you are perfect. I love what I see. You're beautiful, Rani."

"Do you want me?" Her voice still shy.

"I do," Luke's voice had a husky sound that showed his lust and desire.

"Then take me." Rani kissed him more deeply than before. "Make me yours, claim me with your cock. Please be gentle. You will be my first."

Luke was surprised. This was the last thing he had been expected to hear.

"Do you want me to take you into my bedroom?" He asked, still trying to process what she had said.

She shook her head. "No, I want my first time to be with you here in front of the fire."

"What if someone comes out and sees us?" Luke said it out of concern for her modesty.

"Then they can be jealous of you." Her hand stroked his cock. "And your big cock"

"Stand up." Luke hoped his voice wouldn't quiver the way his hands felt. "I want to take off your clothes."

Rani smiled; Luke couldn't know it at the moment, but this is exactly what she wanted to happen.

He undid her jeans, unzipped them, then pulled them down and then off. Rani pulled her top over her head. She was naked except for her black lace boy shorts. Rani hooked her thumbs into her undewear and pulled them down.

Luke was surprised; her pussy was completely bald, not even the hint of fuzz. He pulled her close; he wanted her to feel his erect cock pressing against her. He wanted her to feel his desire for her, his hardness against her eighteen-year-old body.

"You are so big." Rani blushed. "I hope..."

"What do you hope for?" Luke asked as he tugged at her puffy, dark brown nipples with his thumb and forefinger.

"That your big cock will fit inside of me." Rani was embarrassed but at the same time, more aroused than she had felt in her young life. "And that I do not seem foolish."

Luke stroked her hair. "I will fit, and you will not seem foolish."

Just before he kissed her, he said, "Trust me. You are giving me something you cannot give another again."

Rani loved how his cock felt in her small, teen hand. She had seen pictures, but this was the first erect cock she had physically seen or touched.

"Are you on the pill?" Luck thought it was something he needed to ask.

"No. I'm not." Rani felt disappointment.

Luke sensed that emotion from her. "Don't worry, I won't cum inside of you. I'll pull out, and you can use your hand to help finish me off."

"I've never done that. I just want to please you."

"You are, and you will." Luke slipped his tongue into her mouth, and his hand drifted down between her legs. He slipped his finger into her virgin pussy and found her creamy and wet. As his fingertip touched her clit, she shivered and moaned softly.

"I like that, Luke; that feels so good."

Luke guided her down onto the rug in front of the fire. He continued fingering her pussy and rubbing her clit.

"You're going to make me cum if you keep doing that." Rani's hips were rising and falling; she was fucking his fingers with her pussy. "Put your cock in me, Luke, fuck me, please."

He moved between her legs; he put his cock at her entrance and gently began rocking back and forth, the tip of his cock up against her hymen. "Just relax."

"It feels good," she had her hands on his ass cheeks, pulling him into her. She gave a little yelp, and he was inside of her."

"Are you okay?" He waited for her to respond before continuing to fuck her. He could see the tracks of two tears on her face.

In the glow of the fire, he could see her nodding. "Yes, I am fine. Now I want you to fuck me, make me your girl. I want to be owned by you, Luke."

He began slow at first, then picked up speed. His cock moving deeper with each new thrust.

"

---

Tracy slipped into the bed beside Brad; she had gotten up to get a drink.

"Luke is fucking Rani in front of the fireplace," Tracy whispered to her husband.

Brad made a sound of approval. "Lucky guy. I'd fuck her."

Tracy reached down and began stroking her husband's stiffening cock. "You like that, fucking little eighteen-year-old girls."

"Mmm, you know I do.

"Do you want me to be your eighteen-year-old girl?" Tracy was getting turned on.

Brad began playing with his wife's tits; while not big, they were larger than both Reyna and Rani. "Yes, be my high school girl."

"Do you want your eighteen-year-old slut to suck on your big hard cock?"

"You know I do," Brad replied. "Be my little teen cocksucker."

---

Rani had forgotten about the momentary pain when Luke had broken through. Now she was meeting his thrusts with ones of her own.

"I'm going to cum, Luke, fuck me harder, make me cum." Rani was lost in the fog of lust."

"Do it, baby," Luke urged. "Cum for me; I'm very close."

Rani began to shake, and she moaned loudly. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Luke wasn't far behind, as he pulled his cock out of her pussy; he warned her. "I'm going to cum!"

Rani reached for his cock and began to jack him off as fast as she could. Her only thought was to satisfy Luke. Her first time doing so.

In a matter of moments, he began to spurt onto her breasts. "Oh, baby, that feels so good."

They lay in front of the fire, holding each other, basking in their post-orgasmic glow.

---

At the same time, Brad was fucking his pretty wife's mouth while she played with her clit. About the same time Luke was spurting on Rani's breasts, Brad was filling his wife's mouth with his cum.

---

Mario Fishbaum was feeling the pressure. He had just hours to come up with a new plan. He had read every over and over to the point the words were committed to memory.

He stood up and paced back and forth as he smoked. "Think, think." He had missed something; he knew he had. "What have I missed?"

Then it hit him. It was like an epiphany from God. He reached for his cell phone and took a deep breath before calling.

The deep growl of Il Capo answered, "Comment c'est vas, Fishbaum."

"Bien, bien."

"You have an answer for me?" Il Capo asked.

"I think so." Fishbaum took a deep breath. "Do we have two women we can use? Attractive women?"

"I think that can be arranged. Go on." Il Capo was interested.

After Mario had revealed the beginning of his plan, Il Capo was impressed. "You've done well, Fishbaum. I am pleased. Get started on your plan, and I'll make arrangements on this end. I will email you the details when we have made our selection."

Mario poured himself what he considered a well-deserved drink. He would live to see another day; he felt that he was back in the good graces of Il Capo.

---

"Reyna, what are you doing in here?" He had carried Rani in his arms into his bedroom only to find Reyna, naked, lying in his bed.

"I asked her to be here." Rani looked into Luke's eyes. "I am Reyna's gift to you."

Luke looked at Rani, and then at Reyna, and back to Rani. "I don't understand."

"Like Reyna, I am attracted to girls and to boys. I want the two of you to be my lovers."

Reyna looked at the teen girl still in Luke's arms. "Well, did he?"

"Yes." Rani nodded, her face beaming. "I am a woman now."

"Don't stand there with that goofy look on your face; put her down and get into bed." Reyna grinned at the stunned look on his face.

Reyna went to sleep happy. She had been concerned that she would be jealous of Rani. It was the opposite; both she and Rani had bonded almost immediately.

---

A private courier had delivered Joaquim Rodriguez a sealed envelope. Inside that envelope was another envelope that had been sealed with a wax stamp. He examined the envelope carefully before opening it.

There was a passport from the Vatican. An Italian driver's license. An R1, temporary religious worker visa for the US, a credit card, and a debit card. There was a bus ticket for travel between Mexico City and San Diego.

He read the instructions and began to pack. For the trip to San Diego, he would wear the robes of a Jesuit priest. He would receive further instructions once he arrived at his destination. He looked around his accommodations. He had lived here for the past eight years. It had been a comfortable place to live. He took one last look as he closed the door and locked it. It was likely he would never return to this place. He sighed and put the key under the mat.

A Jesuit priest wearing the traditional cassock waiting at the bus depot raised no interest except for the an old woman who asked for his blessing. He smiled, made a cross on her forehead with his finger and gave her the Aaronic Blessing in Latin. "Dominus benedicat tibi et custodiat te; Dominus faciem suam illuminare super te et sit tibi misericors; Dominus levet vultum suum super te et det tibi pacem."

Tears flowed down her face. It had been a long time since she had heard a priest speak the true language of the mother church. She would remember him.

---

Vince and Ralph had gotten their instructions once onboard the jet. They were being reassigned to the Bahamas. Further instructions would be provided once they were aboard the yacht. The flight to Miami had been upbeat; prior to the flight, they had been nervous that they may have been in danger of losing their jobs.

They were excited at the prospect of being around some dark-skinned women who didn't mind trading sex for a few dollars. It had been a while since they had enjoyed carnal relations with the opposite sex.

They had been impressed with the yacht that was to take them to the Bahamas. They placed their bags in their cabins and returned to the lounge, where they were each handed an envelope with their instructions.

An attractive young woman wearing a revealing bikini brought them the drinks they had ordered. After she left, Ralph toasted Vince. "I think I'm going to enjoy this trip."

Fifteen minutes later Ralph and Vince were being sewn into canvas bags with one hundred and fifty pounds of chain.

When the boat reached the Puerto Rico Trench, the water reached a depth of over twenty-two thousand feet. Two of the deckhands tossed the canvas bundles over the side. As they disappeared from sight, one of the deckhands remarked. "Nuotare con i pesci."

---

Luke and Brad were manning the smoker. An hour ago they had put the four racks of ribs that Luke had seasoned the previous day in the smoker. Luke loved the smell of the smoker. His mouth watered as he thought about what the finished product would taste like.

Brad took a sip of his Modelo and remarked to Luke, "You're a lucky guy, Luke."

"I don't know about being lucky; I just lost most of my family." Luke thought the comment odd.

"No," he gestured in the direction of three women sitting on the rear deck. "Tracy saw you and Rani in front of the fireplace. I have to admit to being very envious of you."

Luke's face turned red.

Brad chuckled at Luke's reaction. "I ought to thank you; because of that, I got an amazing blow job last night."

"Well, it sounds like we both had a happy evening."

The men lapsed into silence. Luke studied Brad for a few moments. He had known him since his first day at school here. That was almost twenty years ago. Brad had always been a stalwart friend.

"We found money, Brad." Luke's voice was quiet.

"Oh yeah, how much?" Brad lifted his beer to his lips.

"Just south of two million dollars. That's just the cash; it doesn't include the land. A lot more land than just here."

"Where did it come from?" Brad's curiosity was piqued.

Luke shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. Growing up, we certainly didn't have any money to speak of. Earl did some farming and, at the same time, got his gunsmith business going."

"They certainly didn't live like they had a lot of money from what I could see."

"I have something to show you, Brad. Come into the house." He led Brad into Reyna's parents' bedroom. "We're going to do some remodeling; this will be my room, and Mom's room will be Reyna's."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. Go ahead," Luke waited for the question.

"Are you and Reyna," Brad stopped for a moment. "Together?"

"Together as in?" Luke felt he knew where this was going.

"A couple."

"Brad, she's my cousin, for Christ's sake." Luke tried to sound indignant.

"A very attractive cousin. It's just something that Tracy noticed. You know how women pick up on. things like this."

"The short answer would be sort of. But, please, don't say anything to Tracy. If Reyna says something, then fine."

"Like I said, you lucky dog. Two women." Brad then laughed.

"Double the fun, double the trouble." Luke joked. "Wait here."

Luke went into the closet, opened the safe, and retrieved the pouch of gold coins. "Open your hands," he told Brad after returning from the closet. He poured the contents of the pouch into Brad's hands and said, "Well, what do you make of this?"

Brad's mouth dropped as he looked at the gold coins. "Sweet mother..." He stared at the coins and then at Luke. "Where did they come from?"

"No idea," Luke shook his head. "No idea at all."

Brad returned the coins to the pouch. "Do you remember old Marvin Westly?"

"Barely," Luke answered. "Is he still around?"

"No, he passed away a few years ago. Not long after I became a deputy, I had to arrest him for being drunk in public. I brought him into the jail to sober up. On the way to the jail, he kept going on about finding Spanish gold up in the mountains somewhere. I always put it down as the ramblings of a drunk." Pointing at the pouch of coins. "But now with what you've said and these coins, it would seem there may be a bit more to the story."

Reyna walked in on them. "Phone, Luke. It's Mr. Rosenblatt. The son."

---

Luke and Reyna sat in Harvey Wallace's office. They had been surprised to hear from Sidney Rosenblatt Jr. the previous afternoon.

"Meet me at the bank on Monday morning. I don't want to say anymore on the phone." His words had played over and over in Luke's mind since receiving the phone call.

"Sorry that I'm late; I had a call from the doctors." Sidney Jr. said as he walked into Harvey's office.

"How's your father?" Reyna asked.

He nodded his head. "Thanks be to God, he will live. He will be in the hospital for at least two more weeks and then in a recovery center for a period of time. He felt it important that I come back and take care of the two of you. He has provided me with everything he has regarding the cases in the vault."

"Please give him our best wishes, and I hope to see him back here sooner rather than later." Luke felt relief at the news.

"Well." Harvey Wallace gestured towards the door that revealed the stairway. "Shall we proceed?"

"I have heard rumors of the existence of this place, none from my father though, so this will be a new experience for me." Sidney Jr. remarked.

"You would have been included," Harvey addressed the younger Rosenblatt. "If anything had happened to your father, you would have been brought in."

The attorney looked around at what was the fallout shelter during the height of the Cold War. "A different time."

Harvey opened the vault, and the lights flickered for a moment and then came on. "Do you have your keys?" His question was addressed to Luke and Reyna.

"I do," replied Reyna as she dug in her purse. Once she had found the pair of keys, she held them up.

Harvey pointed to the first pair of locks, "Put your key in the right-hand lock." He inserted the bank key in the left lock. "Now turn."

The door opened, and Harvey retrieved the smaller of the two boxes. He and Reyna repeated the process for the second safety deposit box, and Harvey pulled out the larger of the two boxes.

"I have the keys for the boxes." Sidney produced another pair of keys from his pocket. "Father recommended that after using these keys today, we place them in another safety deposit box upstairs."

Harvey nodded in agreement. "I concur, and once we are done here, we will lock the keys for the boxes and the safety deposit keys upstairs in the main vault."

"Well. Should we see what awaits?" Sidney unlocked the larger box first and then the smaller box.

Luke gestured to Reyna. "This was your father's; it's only fitting that you be the one to open the boxes."

Reyna lifted the lid to the larger box. On top was a large manila envelope. She removed it and handed it to Luke. Below were several very old leather-bound books. She took the top one out and opened the cover. The ink was faded but legible. The handwriting was a flowing script from a bygone era.

"I can't read it." She looked at Sidney and Harvey.

Sidney looked at the book for a moment. "It's in Latin. I can't read it, but I recognize some of the words."

"Interesting." That's the only comment Luke could come up with.

Reyna opened the smaller box. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as she turned to Luke. "What is it?"

To be continued...