Crude Intentions

Chapter 9: The Midnight Dash

Theo’s face went completely expressionless. It was the terrifying, icy mask he wore when he was ready to completely destroy a competitor. He stared at the glowing portal receipt on Charlie’s phone, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of the mahogany table.

"I'll call my legal team in New York," Theo said, his voice dropping into a lethal, quiet register. "I'll have an federal injunction slapped on Apex before the sun comes up. I will freeze their assets until Garrett Cole is crawling on his knees."

"A federal injunction takes days, Theo," Charlie said, slamming her laptop shut and sliding her legs out from under her. She stood up, crossing the room until she was standing directly in front of him. "By the time your high-priced attorneys brief a judge, Apex will have already moved a rogue rig onto the Henderson tract. Once they spud a well, it takes years of litigation to get them off. Your project will be dead, and the Hendersons' land will be tied up in legal hell."

Theo looked down at her, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched. "Then what do you suggest, Landman? I don't sit back and let a thief steal my multi-million-dollar basin."

"We fight like locals," Charlie said, her eyes flashing with a fierce, defiant spark. "The digital night-filing portal is automated, meaning Garrett’s fraudulent memorandum is sitting in a virtual holding queue. It doesn't officially become public record until the County Clerk logs in and approves the batch at eight AM."

Theo leaned in, his chest nearly brushing hers, his dark eyes locked onto hers. "And how does that help us if his file is first in line?"

"Because under Texas property law, a physical, manually delivered deed abstract that is hand-stamped by the County Clerk overrides a pending digital queue if it’s filed as an Emergency Title Correction," Charlie explained, a slow, triumphant smirk spreading across her lips. "But we have a problem. The signature page Ms. Mae and her brothers signed at the diner was just a contract proposal. It's legally binding, but it's not a recordable deed. We need the formal, notarized Ratification Waivers signed by all three heirs tonight."

Theo’s gaze narrowed, a thrilling, predatory look crossing his face. "We need a notary at two o'clock in the morning in rural Texas?"

Charlie reached into her leather work bag, pulled out an official steel embossing seal and a black logbook, and dropped them onto the table with a heavy clatter. "You're looking at one. Every independent landman worth their salt is a licensed notary."

Theo stared at the seal, then looked back at Charlie. A rich, dark laugh escaped his chest, the sound vibrating right through the small space between them. He reached out, his hand wrapping firmly around the back of her neck, his thumb caressing her jawline with a fierce, intoxicating warmth.

"You are an absolute menace, Charlie Schindler," Theo murmured, his face dropping so close she could feel the heat of his breath. "And you are the best investment I have ever made."

Charlie’s heart did a violent, chaotic flip against her ribs. She swallowed hard, her voice breathy. "Save the praise for when we win, Vance. Get Mark to print the formal deeds from your server right now. We're going back out to the county."

Twenty minutes later, the black Escalade was tearing down the pitch-black Goliad highway. The rain had completely stopped, leaving a thick, eerie ground fog that swirled in the beams of the high-performance headlights.

Mark was back at the inn, frantically prepping the corporate wire transfers for the heirs' bonuses. Theo was in the driver's seat, his clean gray t-shirt molding to his broad shoulders as he aggressively navigated the winding, mist-covered backroads. Charlie sat shotgun, the official, printed Vance Energy deeds clutched tightly in her lap.

The physical proximity in the dark cab was suffocating. Every time Theo shifted gears, his forearm brushed against her knee, sending a sharp, electric jolt straight to her stomach. The scent of his clean cedar cologne filled the quiet car, entirely too intimate for a midnight legal war.

"You're driving like a lunatic," Charlie muttered, gripping the door handle as the heavy SUV swung around a sharp bend.

"We have less than six hours before that courthouse opens, Charlie," Theo said, his eyes locked on the dark road ahead. "I don't intend to lose."

"Ms. Mae is going to shoot us if we wake her up at this hour," Charlie warned, though a thrill of excitement was buzzing in her veins. "She keeps a loaded twelve-gauge by the front door for coyotes."

"Then it's a good thing I'm charming," Theo murmured, flicking a glance toward her in the dark. The faint green glow of the dashboard caught the wicked, arrogant smirk on his face. "I've handled hostile boardrooms of activist investors. I think I can handle an angry Texan matriarch."

"Activists don't pack buckshot, Tycoon."

Theo slowed the vehicle down as they finally reached the dirt turnoff for the Henderson homestead. He turned the headlights off, relying only on the dim fog lights to navigate the long, winding driveway through the mesquite trees.

As the farmhouse finally loomed into view through the mist, Charlie’s smile completely vanished.

The lights in the Henderson house were completely dark. But parked directly in the gravel driveway, right outside the front porch, was a familiar vehicle.

It was Garrett Cole’s massive black dually truck. And sitting right beside it was a Goliad County Sheriff’s patrol car, its overhead red-and-blue lights silently cutting through the dark fog.

Theo slammed the Escalade into park, his entire body instantly going rigid as his corporate armor snapped back into place. His dark eyes flared with a sudden, violent rage.

"Looks like Cole brought reinforcements," Theo whispered, his voice dangerously low.

Before Charlie could respond, the front door of the farmhouse swung open. Garrett Cole stepped out onto the porch, flanked by a burly, uniformed deputy with his hand resting heavily on his holster. Garrett looked directly into the dark driveway, a cold, triumphant sneer spreading across his face as he spotted Theo's SUV.

"I told you, Charlie," Garrett shouted into the dark, foggy yard, his voice dripping with venom. "The big fish always eat the little fish. Turn the car around, Vance. You're trespassing on an active Apex Energy leasehold, and the law says you're going to jail if you step out of that truck."