by J. L. Drake
“Frank will love to hear that.” He studied the map for a few moments before he clicked his radio. “All right, men, plan B. Come back to camp.”
“Ten-four,” they both acknowledged.
Cole made a few calls while we waited for the guys to return. Keith ripped open a protein bar and looked at me as he chewed.
“What?” I chugged some water.
“The guys are coming to the house until we figure this out.”
“Okay.” I held the scope of the gun to my eye and scanned the bushes and begged someone to show their head. I was pent up and needed to do something. Catalina flashed in front of me, and I closed my eyes to push it away.
“I was thinking,” Keith cut through my thoughts, “maybe we could do a dinner at your parents’ place.”
“That’s fi—” I froze when I met a scope pointed at me.
“What?” Keith reached for his weapon.
“We have company.” I waited for a moment, factored in the wind speed, then squeezed the trigger. I saw him fall as another scope came into view, and then another.
“We need to get out of here!”
Keith changed our course, and we raced back toward our pickup place. My boots sank into the mud as I ran, and my feet slipped with every step. Mark shot out in front of me, and John followed. Bullets flew all around us, but somehow none hit us. Maybe someone was looking out for us. I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t about to question it either.
“Don’t land, just hover!” Cole shouted into his radio to the pilot.
We saw the clearing a few yards ahead. Our pace picked up, and bullets hit off the steel side of the chopper. Sparks bounced in all directions, just missing the fuel tank twice. They were on our heels and closing in fast. This wasn’t going to work for long; one of us was going to get hit.
Instantly, I slowed. John wavered in his step when he sensed my change, but I pushed his back so he’d gain an extra bump in speed.
“Go!” I yelled at Mark, and he grabbed John by the scruff of the neck when he jumped inside the chopper.
I got low to the ground and opened fire. I knocked three down and waited for the other four to show. The wind whipped wildly around me as Cole came into view to my left. A man came up with a knife, and I drilled a bullet between his eyes.
The chopper dipped when it took fire from the other side. I raced under the belly and opened fire on two men who were trying to load a rocket launcher as Cole leapt inside.
“Come on!” John leaned out of the chopper and hooked an arm around my shoulder. My feet left the ground, and I felt his grip slip with my weight. Quickly, I grabbed the bar, twisted, and pulled myself into the cabin, but not before I sprayed a layer of bullets just in case.
“Whoo!” Mark slapped my shoulder. “Damn, son! You took out enough to make a dent.”
“It’s the cartel,” Cole hissed. “There is no way to make a dent, but thanks for that. It got pretty close back there.”
Keith shook his head at me before he gave me a fist bump. “Thanks for having my back.”
“Always.”
“Mine too.” John nodded.
I closed my eyes and tried to stem my adrenaline.
***
“You’re off the clock,” Trigger poured me another whiskey, and I felt my blood warm from the alcohol.
I ran a frustrated hand through my hair and took the drink in two sips.
“How long are you here for?”
I rolled my wrist to see the time. “Another two days before I can report on their schedule.”
“Do you have a twenty on the vic?”
“No, but I did catch them bringing in someone who later left with a camera. Could have been another proof of life.”
“Logan seems hellbent on getting this girl out.”
“It’s his job,” I shot back, defending one of my brothers.
Trigger leaned in and studied my face before he lit his joint. I knew I should leave. I couldn’t risk the drug getting into my system. This was, after all, a huge moment to show my skills to Blackstone.
“This one is different.” Trigger could read me like a book. He always had, since we were in training together. He wasn’t wrong. Logan was consumed with this case. I couldn’t blame him, though. The mayor was making a mess of the media, and the girl certainly was in the center of it all. I sometimes wondered if he was just lost in this puzzle and wanted to find his way out. Logan loved a challenge; we all did. That was why we were here.
“It’s a big victim with a lot of press after her.”
Trigger checked his phone, and I wondered where Morgan and Brick were.
“Drugs just crossed the border. I’ll meet you outside for payment,” he muttered to someone on the other end of the phone. He stood and slid the whiskey bottle in front of me. “The Reaper has a plan for everyone, Irons. While you’re still breathing, have a drink.” He slapped my shoulder, and then he left. I spun the cap off and went to pour another but decided against it. Drinking wasn’t how I dealt with loneliness. Pulling my phone from my pocket and handing the bottle off to the guy next to me, I headed outside.
“Hey, Dad, what are you…” I trailed off when I heard a noise. “Shit, gotta go!” I raced toward a man who held Trigger in a headlock. That gave Trigger the advantage to kick another guy in the stomach. I knocked the guy who held Trigger out with one swing. We stood back to back, hands up, both puffing air in and out of our lungs. The other two pulled their guns, and we charged them. I slammed mine into the bricks of the bar wall and used all my strength to drive my fist into his intestines. I felt his ribs crack, and then I used my knee to make sure they turned to dust. I had no problem severely injuring or killing someone who deserved it.
After I was content he wasn’t moving, I jumped in and stopped another guy from stabbing Trigger while he was on the ground under two other men.
Pound! Pound! Pound! So many fists flew, and none of it registered to me. Though Trigger and I were raised very differently, we fought the same—to win.
Trigger spat blood on the ground and laughed when I rolled over and he saw I was fine. He offered a hand and helped me to my feet.
“Been awhile since we fought together.”
“Yeah.” I wiped the corner of my mouth free of blood. “You good?”
“Yeah.” He pulled his keys out and headed back to his bike. He stood it upright and pulled out his cap helmet. “Thanks for having my back.”
“You look different.” Charlotte pulled me from my memory, and I blinked to clear it. “You okay?”
“Just an intense week.”
She chewed the inside of her mouth and studied my face before she took a sip of her cocktail.
“What?”
“Just curious why Cole is here.” She looked over at him. “I mean, I’m not complaining.” She winked, but I could see she was concerned. “But you normally seem a little more stressed when the entire team is in town.”
She was observant; I’d give her that.
“Just a change in plans, that’s all.”
Her finger tapped on the side of her glass. “Have you spoken to Catalina?”
That drew my complete attention to her. “No. I tried calling her a few times, but she never called back.”
“She’s been jumpy at work and seems a million miles away, like you just were.” Charlotte wiggled her nose. “I’m a little worried about her.”
“Did you invite her today?”
“Yeah.” Charlotte pulled her phone from her purse. “She said she was going to try to make it.”
“Burgers are up,” Mark called. I shook my head at him. He was right next to Dad with a plate, nearly drooling over the dinner.
“Sometimes I wish I could trade places with Mark,” she said and sighed.
“Why? So you can eat whatever and not worry?” I chuckled.
“No.” She paused. “So I could know the other side of you.”
I turned to look at her and felt her disconnect with me. My heart sank whe
n I reached out for my sister’s hand.
“Dad knows, doesn’t he?” She dared me to lie.
“Why do you ask that?”
“Because whenever you leave, he won’t let his phone out of his sight. He also buries himself in the woods at the cabin and won’t act normal again until you call.”
“I didn’t know that.” I sometimes wondered if the job was worth all the pain it brought my family.
“Sometimes not knowing,” Cole took a seat across from us, “is better.”
“Does Savi agree with that?” she challenged. “Because something tells me she runs that house like a tight ship.”
“Yup,” Mark laughed and sat next to Cole, “we gave up our balls years ago.”
“Savi was thrown into my world without an option,” Cole explained. “It’s different.”
“Does it not bother you that your families never know if you’re ever going to come back?”
I shook my head at Charlotte. It wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have today. I felt like a wrung-out rag, just needing a day to comprehend what I was going to have to do.
“Sorry, Mike, but shit, sometimes it’s hard.” Charlotte closed her eyes to stop herself.
“It does.” Cole lowered his voice. “It restricts us from having a normal life but know that what we’re doing saves lives. Sometimes that outweighs the hard parts of life. It’s a sacrifice we make.”
Charlotte shrugged, not at all satisfied with Cole’s answer. Most weren’t.
Mark dropped his head after he finished his meal, like something bothered him. With Mark, you just needed to wait five seconds, because he didn’t keep shit inside for long anymore. Now he was like a woman going through menopause with no filter.
“This week sucked. I haven’t seen my girl in forever, my boys are missin’ me, and I need some fun. We don’t do the shit we do and shed it easily.” He looked at my dad, who was listening intently.
“I think I know something we can do,” he said, and my gaze followed my father as he headed inside. He returned a moment later with two guitars. “Come on, son.”
I grabbed my beer and headed to the gazebo. I would never say no to playin’ with my pops. Music was what helped us communicate when I couldn’t.
Easing into the chair next to him, he fixed a mic stand to point at me and did the same for himself.
“What will you play?” Lizzy called as I ran a hand through my hair then replaced my Hurricanes ball hat.
“Mom?” I looked to her, curious as to what she’d like to hear.
She smiled at me with such love that I knew what she wanted to hear. I looked at Dad and strummed the first two chords, so he knew what we were playing.
Dad’s foot tapped to get the beat moving. He came in with the guitar, and I joined him, strumming, until I leaned forward and started to sing Chicken Fried by The Zac Brown Band.
Catalina came up the stairs and took a seat next to my sister. She granted me a wave, but I could see she was weighed down by something. Charlotte took her hand and gave it a squeeze before she went back to watching us.
When I got to the line about seeing the love in my woman’s eye, I moved my gaze to hers and was gifted with a smile that made my insides squeeze so tight, I struggled to take another breath.
Dad came in on the chorus but mostly made me take lead. He just kept the beat, and I could feel his pride in me. My father was my rock, and moments like this made all the hard parts of the job mean nothing because I got to come home to this…and now her.
Once we were finished, I followed her back out to the yard where people were scattering.
“Hey,” I leaned down and brushed my lips to hers, “everything okay?”
Her teeth caught her bottom lip, and her eyes looked pained. She cleared her throat and shrugged. “It’s just been a long week.”
“I called you a few times.” I wanted her to know I was thinking about her.
“I know, and I’m sorry for not calling you. I just, um…” She paused, and that painful look she got between her eyes deepened. “Just dealing with some family stuff.”
“Your brother?”
“Him and others.”
Always so cryptic. “Is your brother okay?”
“No clue.” Her hands dropped away from my arms, and I felt the loss. “He’s not answering his phone again.”
“I’m sorry, Catalina. I know you were looking forward to seeing him.”
“I was,” she nodded, and her eyes drifted down, “but instead, I was just left with his belongings.”
“Oh.” That was strange. “Why did he do that?”
“I’m still trying to figure that part out.” Her tone told me there was more to it, but I could tell by the way her shoulders sagged forward now wasn’t the time to pry.
I pulled her into a hug, and she let me, resting her head on my chest with a sigh. “I missed this,” she whispered.
“Me too.” I kissed her head and caught my mother’s insanely happy smile from the porch. My father pulled her into the house to give us some privacy.
“It’s like no one can touch me when I’m in this hole,” she whispered.
“Is someone bothering you, Cat? Is it that asshole landlord?”
She quickly shook her head, not moving. “I just meant in general.” But I could hear the lie in her voice, and my protective side shot to the surface.
“You’re staying with me tonight.” It wasn’t an option, and she didn’t protest.
As much as I wanted to be at Dusk, I couldn’t bring her there, so like we were seventeen, we stayed at my parents’ house in my old room. At least it was in the basement of the house, away from others.
My parents had converted the basement into a place where I could have my own space. It was almost like an apartment. A king-sized bed was over in the corner next to a huge window that looked over the lake. Because of the way the house was built on a hill, the basement had big windows. The enormous TV hung in front of the couch, and a little kitchenette was built under the stairs. Mia and Savannah usually used this room when they were in town. They preferred it here rather than Dusk. Fewer men, and my parents loved the kids.
“Should I ask?” Catalina held up a small t-shirt that read “Future Green Beret” with a smirk.
“Aww, that’s where that went?” I pulled the little shirt away from her and carefully folded it and placed it on the table. “Cole’s daughter is always leaving her clothes everywhere.”
“Should I be jealous?” She laughed lightly. “Do I have competition?”
“Oh, yeah.” I smiled and pictured the girl’s brown eyes that had all of us men putty in her tiny hands. “You really do.”
She peeled off her jean jacket and rested it over the chair.
“I think I’m okay with that, but only her.”
“Deal.” I dragged my eyes down my girl’s body and admired the view.
“I have nothing to change into.” She rubbed her arms like she wasn’t sure what to do. As much as I wanted to tell her she didn’t need anything, I wanted her to feel comfortable here, so I pulled out a shirt and handed it to her.
She held it up and smirked. “Do you have more of those?” She pointed to Olivia’s shirt. I laughed and pushed off the dresser to smother her in my arms again.
“Come on, I need a moment to feel like I’m home again.”
In a pair of sweatpants, I sank into the enormous couch and kicked up my feet on the stone table. Much like my room at Dusk, my basement was styled with a rustic modern feel. I glanced down at my left arm and remembered how Trigger and I snuck out to get tattoos when we had met up in Florida a few years ago. We both got a chain, but for different reasons. His were for his demons that held him back, while mine represented the strength that moved me forward. That was the night I discovered I could do three hundred pushups in under five minutes. Regardless, we got comments from judgy people. I inked to remember, not to repel. I wasn’t hard, nor was I a rebel. I was me, and that meant I displayed myself t
hrough my art.
Catalina opened the door and stepped out in a pair of panties and a rolled-up t-shirt of mine from when I played rugby in high school.
Shamelessly, I gawked. But when didn’t I when she was around?
“Hey,” she leaned her hip into the doorway and smiled over at me, “I like this.” She nodded toward me.
“Me too.” I held out my arm for her to come over. She didn’t move. “Come here.” Again, she just stared at me. I studied her and tried to read her mind.
“I think I’ll get a glass of water.” She started to head over, and I twitched when I saw her devil red panties were actually a cheeky cut corset that ran straight up the middle. A sexy little black bow hung from the top.
Instantly, it hit me. She was waiting for me to crack. I played the game without the first kiss, and now she’d flipped the tables on me. Well, game on…
“There are bottles in the fridge.” I turned my attention to the TV and fudged watching Sons of Anarchy.
“Hey, there, good lookin’.”
“Ah!” she screamed but then started to laugh hard. “Mike, why is there a Furby in the fridge?”
“It’s Olivia’s. Her mother hated it, so it stays between here and another house. He’s well-traveled. Although, if you ask Brandon, he’ll tell you it’s his.” I shrugged unapologetically. We were a bunch of children sometimes, but we needed to have fun where we could. “It’s a Blackstone thing. Once the horror of seeing its face fades away, you’ll get used to him.”
“If you say so.” She shuddered dramatically and returned it to the fridge, and I used that moment to stare at the panties again. I shifted as I grew twice as hard as normal, and my sweatpants didn’t help hide it.
“Excuse me.” She appeared at my side and brushed her legs by mine before she sat next to me. “What are we watching?”
Damn you.
Her nipples pushed through the thin fabric, and she crossed her legs, so they stayed closed right up to her thighs. I went back to flipping the channels when she leaned over me. Her breasts stroked by my erection to grab her water she left conveniently on the table next to me.
“Oh, look,” she pointed, “Sons of Anarchy. Have you ever seen it?”