Riley tried to pull back but as he stumbled out into the fresh air he realized Austin and skinny guy were following as was a group of hangers-on who evidently wanted to watch.

"What happened, Riley?" Jack asked urgently.

"I hit him. He hit me," Riley answered and took a step toward Austin. Austin took a step back and Riley could see he was nursing a broken nose. Chalk that up as one for the office guy.

"He's an asshole," Jack said firmly. "We're leaving."

"That's right—take your pretty boy home before I stomp him in the dirt, Jacky boy," Austin threatened from the safety of the group of people around him.

Silence.

"What did he do, Austin? Hmmm? Did he dismiss you out of hand? Did he call you on your bullshit?" Jack was deceptively calm. Riley could see the temper in Jack's eyes and feel the ice that dripped in his voice. "He's a bit big to force yourself on though…"

Gradually as Jack spoke, one by one, the small group of watchers melted away until only the four men remained.

"Now Jack—"

"Austin, you're going to want to turn around and take yourself back into the bar," Riley said. He deliberately stood between Jack and Austin. "Else I think Jack'll hurt you."

The men stood in a face-off until with a loud "fuck" Austin turned and walked straight back into the Rusty Nail, skinny guy following.

Riley couldn't stop the huff of a laugh that left his mouth and when he turned to Jack he saw a familiar smile on his husband's face.

"You enjoyed that," Jack said.

"He deserved it," Riley replied.

"Wanna go home now, het-boy?"

Riley gripped Jack's hand and together they walked to the 4x4. They stopped at Jack's door. Gently Jack cradled Riley's face.

"You're bleeding," he said. He wiped at blood on the corner of Riley's mouth and then, with a soft press of his lips, he sealed the hurt with a kiss.

Riley melted. Right there in the parking lot of the Rusty Nail with someone's jealousy and anger marked into his face he fell in love with Jack all over again.

CHAPTER 15

When Ernst Christian turned up at his office without an appointment Riley knew something was wrong. This assumption was backed up by the way Ernst shut the door behind him. Not only that, but there was a very serious expression on his co-investor's face as Ernst carefully placed the sheaf of papers on Riley's desk. Ernst was another stalwart in the Texas oil industry and had never really seen eye to eye with Gerald Hayes, one of the reasons Riley approached him to be part of the first CH consulting project. When he agreed to place money behind Riley's first foray into ethical exploration he had shaken his hand and said he had faith in Riley.

Riley remembered those words to this day. He glanced down at the paperwork and recognized the CH logo. The papers were the bound copies of the research report backing up the potential ten percent increase on returns and the investment in local economies.

"Would you like coffee?"

"No."

"Something stronger?" Riley was asking out of politeness but Ernst waved it away. Evidently this was more important than the usual business hellos.

"Someone gave these papers to me today. I think you should look at them."

"The reports from CH?" Riley said. "The ones from the meeting?"

"The person who gave them to me claims that the calculations and assumptions you used were based on falsified results and that these new copies are of the originals you amended."

"Who gave them to you, Ernst?"

"Is it true?" Ernst looked pale. As well he would. Inaccurate figures at this stage could get them the contract with the inability to fund the work, which would incur huge fines and then cut severely into any small perceived profit. Riley was well aware Christex Oil was in some financial trouble. He tried not to take it personally.

"You are asking me if the paperwork I supplied you with to inform your decision on this investment was falsified in any way?" Riley refused to feel accused. "Then I say no. Whatever you received from me is the correct data. This version of the report is nothing more than lies."

"My analysts looked at it and they say what is in the new report, which looks to be from your office, makes for some very interesting reading. They say the differences are subtle enough so as not to make much difference to an untrained eye. But they can't be sure one way or another which is correct without going back to the very beginning of it all."

Riley held his frustration very close to him. They were literally days away from hearing if their bid had been accepted. Financially he probably could stand to lose one investor but to lose Ernst and maybe some of the others who had been fed the lies in an altered report? That would leave CH unable to take this bid forward. They were so close.

"Who gave you this new information and implied I had withheld something from the syndicate?"

"Josiah Harrold."

Riley sat back in his chair. What possible benefit could Josiah gain from stopping a deal at this late stage? He was as exposed as the next man in this small team of investors. He stood to make a huge profit despite only getting twenty percent when he had demanded thirty.

Ernst continued. What he said made everything absolutely clear.

"He's been working up an alternative consortium— says he already has four investors and wants us to move over to what he says. Our percentage would be lower, it's not an equal split, but he says he has an alternative in place. Going in at a much more reasonable level of bid, cutting back on some of the ethical concerns, maybe hiring outside of the county…" Ernst's voice trailed away. He looked confused.

If there was one person in the group Riley thought would have his back it was Ernst. He was a good man under incredible pressure in both his private life and financially since the Gulf spill. Riley respected him.

"The point of CH consulting is to assist companies like yours to create local jobs and to be a positive force in the economy while balancing the needs for fuel—"

"Josiah said we can't rely on your —"

"This was the reason why you came on board, Ernst. You said you wanted more for your inheritance than some old seventies oil company with no thought for anything past money."