******
“Why don’t you ride to Dana’s with us? Have a beer and relax.” Eric suggested as Mitch climbed on his motorcycle. “No sense going back to an empty cabin.”
“I’ll pass.” Mitch settled his helmet on his head then glanced at Kade. “Let me know if you hear anything.” He gunned his engine and took off.
“Is he all right?” Kade asked as he pulled up next to Eric’s truck.
“Damned if I know.”
******
Swinger stood outside the rented house on Sunday morning, hands on hips, listening for the sound of motorcycles. Robbie called an hour before saying he and the others would be arriving and to be prepared to call church. They’d had no need for the regular club meetings since Swinger and Joker left for Arizona. Church today would be their first meeting in weeks.
A few minutes later he heard the unmistakable rumble of bikes, followed by a cloud of dust where the riders hit the dirt road. Several bikes pulled into the large front yard. Robbie cut his engine, removed his half-shell beanie, and walked toward Swinger, gripping his brother’s hand.
“Glad you’re here.” Swinger guided Robbie a few feet away, speaking in low tones. “The Devil’s Sons are fuckin’ around, ignoring orders, and pulling all kinds of shit.”
“What about Javé?” Everyone used the man’s shortened nickname, although the full name fit—Javelina—a short, ugly pig with a distinctive odor.
“Gone most of the time. It’s bad, Robbie. I say we kick their butts out of here and do it with the brothers we trust.”
Robbie nodded. He didn’t need this kind of stuff going down during something this important. They’d have one chance at this and they didn’t need screw-ups. “When’s church?”
“As soon as you’re ready.”
“Grab me a beer and we’ll do it now.” He followed Swinger into the house, shook hands with Joker and the other members of Satan’s Brethren, then positioned himself against a wall, looking at the six members of their support club. He took a long swallow of his beer then slammed the bottle on a nearby table, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Where’s Javé?” The hard edge to his voice left no doubt about his frustration. When no one answered, he asked again. “Someone had better tell me where Javé is or there’ll be hell to pay.”
“At Rosa’s.”
“Who are you?” Robbie asked, not recognizing him.
“Chef.” He indicated the name patch on his cut.
“Chef?”
The kid shrugged. “Yeah. I like to cook.”
Robbie cast a look at Swinger and grinned, maybe the first smile he’d allowed himself in weeks.
“Where’s this Rosa woman, Chef?”
“He’s got her at some motel up the highway. Told us to let him know when you got here.”
“All of you.” He pointed to the members of Devil’s Sons seated across the room. “Follow Chef to where Javé is located. Stay there. Tell him I’ll be in touch and not to leave until I give the word.”
“Javé said we should wait here for him.” A slender man with a stringy beard and big gut continued to sit, ignoring Robbie’s order. Robbie took several long strides before reaching down and grabbing the man by the shirt, jerking him up.
“I won’t ask nicely again, shithead. Get the hell out of here,” he thundered. “I’ll be in touch.” Robbie shoved the man against a wall. “And I don’t want to see any of you assholes around here unless I give the okay. You hear me?”
Swinger handed Robbie another beer as they waited for the gang to leave.
“They out of it?” Swinger asked.
“Unless there’s no chance we can grab Taylor without them. I’ll deal with Javé and his disrespect later.” Robbie chugged down half his beer then took a seat at a nearby table. He pounded three times, ready to get their meeting started. “Church is in session.”
******
“I’m going over a couple of current projects with Brooke, then I’ll be ready to take you to the auto shop. How about I call you as soon as we’re finished. Okay…sounds good.” Amber hung up and checked her watch. Eleven o’clock on Monday morning.
The weekend had come and gone without additional sightings of the motorcycle gang Mitch had seen Thursday night. Eric, Amber, and Dana had driven to town once for groceries, returning with enough food for everyone at the ranch.
The previous night, she and Eric invited Dana and Mitch over for dinner. At first Mitch declined, then changed his mind when Eric mentioned there’d be steak and his favorite pie. Another night of his own cooking didn’t hold much appeal compared to Amber’s. The evening had gone as expected.
Dana asked Mitch a lot of questions about his motorcycle, where he rode, and tried to convince him to let her take it out for a ride—which he refused, even though Amber vouched for her friend’s riding skills. Mitch tolerated her for the sake of peace and a large slice of berry pie. Neither Eric nor Amber understood what caused the tension between the two, guessing Dana’s strong personality and sense of humor plus Mitch’s churlish attitude meshed like oil and water.
Even though the last few days had been quiet, Heath insisted everyone stay put on Monday, and every day afterwards until the situation had been resolved. Today, Eric, Kade, Mitch, Heath, and Jace were working at the main house while Amber went over some marketing ideas with Brooke at Eric’s cabin.
“Why don’t I go with you? J.D. mentioned going in groups of three, and we could grab something to eat.” Brooke had stared at the same walls for four days except for the three walks she took with Kade and a quick trip to the ranch house to make sure Heath and Jace were okay. “When we get back, maybe I can talk Heath into letting us take the horses out for a ride.”
“Great idea. Let’s finish this and pick up Dana.”
******
An hour later, the three climbed into Brooke’s red SUV and took the main drive past the ranch house and onto the highway. They’d been so caught up in conversation that none of them had thought to notify the men until they were a few miles from the ranch.
“Did you let Eric know we were leaving?” Brooke asked, turning toward the restaurant where they decided to have lunch. They’d pick up Dana’s car afterward, making a short side trip to drop off some clothes at their favorite charity.
“I thought you called Kade. Guess I’d better let them know.” She grabbed her phone just as it started to ring. “Hello.”
“Where are you?” Eric’s voice sounded strained and none too friendly.
“Brooke, Dana, and I are going to lunch then picking up Dana’s car.”
“What the hell were you thinking taking off without letting us know?” She could hear the anger in his voice and knew how worried he was, even though they’d been gone less than twenty minutes.
“You’re right. We shouldn’t have left without calling, but now we’re here and have seen nothing. The road’s been clear, no motorcycles, and no one’s tailing us.”
“And you know that how?”
“Well…I’ve seen how they do it on television. You know, checking behind us while Brooke drives. We’re fine, Eric. How about I call you when we leave the restaurant to get Dana’s Jeep?”
“I want to hear from you in an hour, no longer than that.”
“All right. An hour. You’ll let Kade know what’s going on?” She glanced through the windshield. “Oh, we’re here. I’ll call you in a little bit.” She hung up before Eric could respond. “He’s not pleased, and that’s being generous. He’ll let Kade and the others know what’s happening.”
Amber called Eric back an hour later as they walked to Brooke’s car. She could tell their trip had caused a lot of tension at the house, but there wasn’t anything they could do about it now. They dropped off the clothes, then Brooke pulled onto the street, looking at Dana in the rearview mirror.
“Where is this place?” Brooke asked.
“Do you know the burger shop Mitch likes?”
“Yes.”
&
nbsp; “It’s about a mile past that on the right. I’ll show you when we get close.” Dana checked her messages, seeing she’d missed a call from the advertising firm where she interviewed the previous week. She called back and left a message when no one picked up. “Up there on the right.”
Brooke pulled to a stop in a gravel lot. Dana jumped out with Amber and Brooke following behind.
“Is Gus here?” she asked a young man in the office. He looked up, his eyes darting around as he licked his lips in a nervous gesture.
“Uh…no. He had to leave for a while. Can I help you?”
“I talked to him this morning. He said my Jeep’s ready.”
“The yellow one with a hard top?” He shifted papers around, not meeting her gaze.
“That’s the one. Where is it?”
“Out back, but I need you to sign off on this. Gus can call you for a credit card.” He shoved the repair order at her.
“You’re sure it’s okay with Gus that I take the car? Most places want payment first.”
“Yeah, it’s fine. Here,” he said, handing her the keys. “Like I said, it’s in the back.”
She took them and stepped outside. “Now that was weird.” She looked at Brooke and Amber. “No sense in you staying. I’ll grab the car and be right behind you.”
“No, I think we’d better go with you. Something doesn’t seem right.” Brooke glanced around, finding it odd that no other mechanics were in sight.
They walked to the back, not seeing the car, but spotting another building. The three made their way along the building, and turned at the end to see garage doors open on the back side.
“Is it just me, or is this pretty strange?” Dana asked as she looked into the opening to see her car inside. “There it is.”
She walked toward it, her eyes adjusting to the lack of light with Brooke and Amber right behind her. They made it to the Jeep when they heard the sound of the door closing behind them.
“Well, guess we got a couple more than planned.”
They turned to see a group of men, all in dark gear, standing near the door, blocking any exit. Dana couldn’t think as her mind tried to process what was happening.
“Who are you and what do you want?” Dana asked, taking a few steps forward.
“We want Taylor’s old lady, right there.” Swinger pointed at Brooke, who gasped and took a step backward. “I guess we’ll take all three of you.” He nodded at the men around him. None were small, all were muscled, and not a one looked to have the least amount of compassion in their hard expressions.
“Now, here’s how it’s going to be. Two of the boys will drive your cars. You three will ride on the back with us.”
“On your bikes?” Amber asked, feeling nauseous and wishing she’d listened to Eric.
“That’s the idea. There’ll be bikes all around us, so don’t even think about jumping off or yelling for help. You do as I say and no one will get hurt.”
“No.” Brooke found her courage and stepped forward. “You’re after my husband. Well, you won’t get him through me.” She crossed her arms and jutted her chin out.
Swinger moved to within inches of her, his menacing stare taking in her defiant stance. “It’s good to have grit, but I guarantee you it won’t save your old man.” He grabbed her arm, pulling her toward him. “Kade sure knew how to attract the ladies. Maybe you and I can get together once he’s out of the picture.”
She tried to yank away, which caused him to grip her more tightly. “Never. Not ever, no matter what happens.”
He laughed and shoved her toward the bikes lined against one wall before taking the car keys and tossing their purses inside the Jeep. “Mount up. Joker, you take the redhead, Tank, you get that one.” Swinger pointed toward Amber. Their hands were tied in front of them before being lifted onto the bikes.
The bikers took off in the opposite direction from town, riding for a long time before turning onto a road almost hidden by overgrown trees and bushes. It seemed a miracle none of the three women fell off. They continued down the rutted road another ten minutes before pulling to a stop behind an old metal industrial building.
“Get off.” Swinger jerked Brooke off the bike and pushed her forward toward a somewhat smaller building made of gray blocks. He shoved her through a metal door and held her upright as they stepped down a steep stairwell. Tank followed with Amber, and Joker with Dana. They walked down a narrow hallway before Swinger kicked open another metal door. The three were shoved inside before the door was slammed shut and locked, leaving them in darkness.
“Hey!” Dana yelled after them, anger and fear taking over as she looked around, trying to let her eyes adjust to the total darkness.
“Okay. Each of us move toward the door until we find each other.” Amber’s shaky, yet calm voice broke through the silence. “We can let our eyes adjust then decide if there’s anything we can do.”
“They took our phones…everything.” Brooke wanted to scream, knowing it would do no good this far away from anyone.
Once they lowered themselves in front of the door, Amber worked at loosening the zip ties around her wrists without success.
“Eric and Kade will know something’s wrong if we aren’t back at the house by three,” Amber said.
“It’s after that now.” Brooke also tried to loosen the ties before giving up.
“That means they’re already in touch with Sheriff Andrews and Chief Towers. Plus J.D. and Clive. They’ll find us.” Amber’s determination came from her complete faith in Eric’s family—soon to be her family. They’d tear the town apart searching for them. “Kade just can’t give himself over to them.”
“They’ll kill all of us whether he gives up or not. It’s the way of it,” Dana said, taking a deep breath. “One of the guys at work has a brother who’s a one percent member. He has little to do with him, but he knows how they operate. None of it bodes well for us.”
“You giving up?” Amber asked Dana.
“Hell no. I’ll never give in to these bastards.” Dana clenched her fists, trying to figure out what her father or brothers would do. Her father and mother retired from careers in the Army and her brothers were still in Special Forces. She’d inherited their toughness, their propensity to swear, as well as their never-give-up attitude.
“We need to find a way to get these ties off.” Amber twisted her wrists, testing the strength once more.
“Can you reach in my back pocket?” Dana asked as she scooted with her back toward Amber.
“I think so.” She reached a hand inside, feeling something hard touch her fingertips. “What is it?”
“A knife. I always carry a small pocket knife. Have since high school.”
Amber pushed her hand further into the pocket, trying to get her fingers around it. She’d just gotten a grip with her thumb and forefinger when a lock clicked and the door began to push open, stopping when it hit their bodies.
“Get away from the door,” Swinger growled.
They scooted away, moving toward one corner as the door opened and light illuminated the room from overhead. Swinger walked in, followed by Joker and Tank, who carried three bottles of water. He tossed them toward the women then stepped aside as Swinger lifted his phone and took several photos.
A moment later, a metal bed and mattress were brought in and shoved against a wall.
“Sit down. It won’t be long before our boss is here to talk to you.” Swinger started to turn.
“Robbie Morgan,” Brooke said.
Swinger looked back at her. “Yes. And believe me, you will want to do everything he says.” He shut the door, leaving the lone ceiling light on.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“I should’ve gone after them.” Eric dragged his hands through his hair as Kade paced back and forth in the great room, listening to the conversations between the others. As soon as they had a location, he’d be on his bike and gone.
“Sheriff Andrews got a call from a business near the auto shop. He
says three women walked into a back storage building then rode out with a group of bikers, followed by a yellow Jeep and red SUV.” Clive knew there would be no holding Kade back once he learned where the women were being held—assuming they could figure it out. “Tip is there now, questioning someone who works at the auto shop, but he’s too scared to talk. Sounds like the gang threatened him—”
“Or his family,” Kade ground out. “Which way did they go?”
“Away from town. Tip has his deputies canvassing the area and Chief Towers added his officers to the hunt. J.D. and I are heading out that way now.” Clive looked at Kade. “You aren’t coming with us.”
“The hell I’m not. They want me, and I won’t sit around while they have our women. We’ll figure it all out when we find them, but I’m not staying behind.”
“I’m going.” Eric grabbed his jacket.
“We’re all going. Jace will ride with me.” Heath pulled out his phone and sent a text before slipping it back in his pocket.
“I’m on my own.” Kade walked outside without another word and climbed into his truck.
“No way he’s out there alone,” Mitch growled.
“Agreed,” Eric answered as he and Mitch ran outside, hopping into Kade’s truck, ignoring the anger on their brother’s face.
“What the hell—”
“Deal with it, because we’re not getting out.” Eric buckled his seat belt and looked up to see J.D. and Clive pull out. “They’re moving.”
Kade let fly with a few choice oaths, then followed the agents off the ranch with Heath and Jace on their tail. The three vehicles parked next to a large van at the auto shop, which had been converted to a make-shift staging area. Tip Andrews and Buck Towers walked toward Clive and J.D., providing an update and glancing up when Heath, Jace, Eric, Kade, and Mitch joined them.
Always Love You (MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary series Book 5) Page 17