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“I did, but I’d like to get your take on them.” She softened her voice. “I know this is your family’s business, so if this line of discussion is off limits, I understand.”
His eyebrow shot up. “You’re something else, Jessie. Okay. I know as much as you do. Hell, maybe less.”
“Indulge me.”
He squeezed her thigh. “I know a better way to do that than talking about the mine, angel.”
His words and touch ignited her desires. “Please, Phoenix. Be serious.”
He lifted his hand from her leg, placing it back on the wheel. “You win.”
Instantly, she yearned for his touch to return. “You already know that I never lose, or have you forgotten about our game of pool at The Horseshoe Bar and Grill?” Her first night in Wilde, she and Jackson had played against Phoenix, Dallas, and Denver and had handily beaten them.
He grinned. “I won’t forget. Neither will my brothers.”
“So, tell me.”
“The first accident happened
to one of our top guys. He was working on some equipment that had been wired incorrectly. He got a shot of electricity that might’ve killed him if he hadn’t been flung across the room from the jolt.”
“I understand he’s still in rehab.”
The light shower ended, and Phoenix turned off the wipers. “Yep. He should get full use of his legs in a few months.”
She snorted. “And the mine paid all his medical bills and gave him a nice sum of money.”
He pounded the steering wheel, exposing his anger. She waited for him to yell at her, but he remained silent. His temper made her tremble. Sure, Phoenix could be gentle. He also could be very dangerous when pushed.
For what seemed an eternity, she waited for him to speak.
Clearly pissed, he finally lashed out, “You think my family was trying to buy him off? Silence him?”
“Of course not.” But she wasn’t really certain what to believe. Everything she’d read in the files so far made her pause. Something was off about the whole matter. “I’m sorry, Phoenix. I’m not implying anything, though I am trying to put the pieces together in order to get to the truth. You do understand that I have a job to do here, and I will do it.”
“Sure. Just don’t jump to conclusions before you get the whole story.” His hand came back to her thigh, showing his irritation had lessened. “Every day the guy has rehab, my mom watches his kids so that his wife can go with him. My family gave him the money because we feel awful about what happened.”
She could hear the painful sincerity in his voice. “That’s wonderful of your mother. She sounds like an amazing woman.”
“She is. The other two accidents that occurred before you came to town didn’t harm anyone. There was a fire in the chow hall. We still haven’t figured out how that happened. Austin has kept it closed. He’s got a crew inspecting every inch of the area, but they’ve not found anything so far.”
“Perhaps a grease fire?”
“No way. The chief cook is a freak about cleanliness. The mine’s kitchen has always been spotless. Its floor was more sanitary than most dining room tables before the fire.”
This was a difficult case, but she was determined to discover the causes. If they were connected due to negligence by the mine’s leadership, she’d report that up to the brass at MSHA. “What about the third incident?”
“We haven’t excavated at the old mine since the 40s. That really shouldn’t be counted against us.”
“Maybe not, but a teenager did break his leg there. It’s Wilde Mine’s property, and I need to know what happened.”
“Rich is eighteen. Not really a kid. He should’ve known better.”
“I plan on talking with him. I also want to visit the old mine.”
“Suit yourself, sweetheart.” He turned the truck left, and the road got really curvy. “I don’t need to tell you about the last accident since you were there.”
“Yes, I was.” She recalled her first day at the mine. If Jackson hadn’t pushed her out of the way of the vehicle, she might’ve been killed. She wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to shove the thought out of her mind. In its place came another memory. The one at Jackson’s house where he and Phoenix had introduced her to the pleasures that two men could give a woman. When Jackson and Phoenix had later brought in Dallas and Denver...Can’t I control my thoughts? It sure didn’t seem like she could.
