Coming up to Main Street, Brody stopped at the stop sign and looked around. The town was quiet, although he could see Shooters still had patrons. The door opened and he saw Deputy Thornton step outside. He was dressed in uniform, so Brody figured he had been there due to a disturbance. It was probably the Mayer brothers, as they were always causing trouble.
Driving through the intersection, Brody continued on his way until he saw the B&B up the street on the left-hand side. Turning his blinker on, he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Cyn’s car parked out front. He pulled into the lot and pulled in right next to her. Shutting off the engine, Brody opened his truck door and stepped out. Pocketing his keys, he shut the door and went around the front to make sure the damage he saw wasn’t worse in the lighting that was coming from the B&B. His headlight was cracked, but other than that, his grill had done a damn good job of protecting the metal. His original observation had been accurate.
Headlights from another car pulling in drifted over Brody, but instead of the vehicle finding a parking space, it came to a stop right behind Brody’s truck. Seeing that it was Deputy Thornton, Brody walked between his truck and Cyn’s car. Luke had already opened his door before Brody reached him.
“Hey, Luke,” Brody said, nodding his head in a quick hello. “I swear I stopped at the sign.”
Luke was already shaking his head, indicating that wasn’t what he had stopped for. “I know that, Brody. But Elise just called the station. She said that she had been on the phone with Cyn when she swears she heard Cyn scream. I—”
Brody didn’t give Luke time to finish his sentence. He ran hard and heavy on the pavement, making his way to the sidewalk leading to the front door of the B&B. Seeing something in his path, Brody stopped. Fuck! It was Cyn’s cell phone and it looked like someone had destroyed it. He quickly glanced around him, hoping to catch sight of a car or anything that would give him an indication of what had happened.
“Brody, don’t touch anything! Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
Luke didn’t have to worry about Brody contaminating his scene, because Brody had already taken off and was running in the door to the B&B. No one was at the front desk. Heading to where the stairs were, Brody took two at a time until he reached the top. Knowing Cyn’s room was the first on the left, Brody immediately tried the door. Finding it locked, he banged on the wood, hoping she would answer.
“If you know something, now is the time to tell me,” Luke said, a little out of breath from having kept up with him. Brody didn’t have time to deal with him and kept using his fist, calling out Cyn’s name. “Brody, she’s obviously not here. But the faster you tell me what is going on, the faster I will be able to find her.”
“Luke, you need to contact Agent Monroe with the ATF. Tell him that Cyn is missing.” Brody headed back down the stairs, but before reaching the bottom, he turned around. “Whatever you do, don’t put this out on the radio. We need to keep this quiet. Don’t let the town know that anything has happened. Agent Monroe will explain everything.”
“What is all the banging about?”
Brody turned to see Kathy, the B&B owner, come out of the back room where her apartment was located. The B&B had been converted from an old Western saloon, and the check-in counter was what used to be the bar. The wood had been restored to its once deep, rich color, along with that of the entire building.
“Nothing, Kathy. Cooper and I got into a fight with Cyn, and I thought she was here. Turns out she is over at Elise’s,” Brody lied, not wanting to panic the older woman. “Luke was just helping me out.”
Kathy obviously didn’t believe him, if the way her eyes were shifting between the two of them was anything to go by. Luke had made his way down the stairs as well, and was now standing behind Brody. Not wanting to seem too panicked, Brody gave her what he was sure was a strained smile.
“Well, then go make a ruckus over there, will ya? I have four other rooms with guests in them and I don’t want them roused out of bed.” Brody nodded and turned to leave, but Kathy kept talking. “They are all women who’ve come to town because of that dating site that Cyn and her friends started up. It’s good for business. You tell them I said that.”
Knowing that he would be there for hours if he let Kathy keep talking, Brody gave another smile and turned to look at Luke. Seeing the warning in his friend’s eye, Brody felt a little guilty for what he was about to do. “Luke was just saying that he wanted to try his hand at that site. You should see if one of the women is into uniforms.”
Brody tried to act nonchalant as he walked to the door, trying his best not to run. Right before the door closed behind him, he heard Kathy tell Luke that she hadn’t heard that he was into ménages. Knowing that would keep Luke busy for a brief moment, Brody used his time wisely.
Keeping his eyes open for any sign of Cyn or someone who might be watching, Brody reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Cooper’s cell and waited for his brother to answer. They had really screwed this up, letting Sonny Jones get to Cyn. That was the only explanation of what could have happened.
“Yeah, Brody, what’s up?” Cooper asked, not bothering to say hello. “I just got off the phone with Monroe. He will have an agent guarding Cyn within a couple of hours. Just hang tight there until he shows, unless you can get her to come back here.”
“We’re too late.”
Cooper didn’t reply right away, and Brody knew he was letting that information sink in. “What do you mean too late? There is no way in hell Sonny even knew who she was, and trust me, no one was around the house when I pulled up earlier.”
“Either Jones has had someone who is really good at their job keeping tabs on us and knew who she was before tonight, or we just didn’t see a tail this evening, because he’s got her,” Brody said, walking to his truck. “She isn’t here, her phone is smashed to the ground, and she was talking with Elise a little bit ago, when Elise heard her scream. Elise called the police station and Luke showed up. I told him to keep this under wraps and to call Monroe. We need that meeting to take place tomorrow.”
“The meeting?” Cooper’s voice rang out from the earpiece. “If you are right and they have her, we aren’t having the meeting, Brody. He obviously knows who we are. We need to find her now.”
Brody had just reached his truck when he saw headlights pulling into the lot. Squinting against the light, he recognized Dakota’s truck. Knowing he needed to finish up this conversation fast, Brody said, “We can’t assume the case is blown. He might have taken her to make sure we don’t back out of the deal. He was nervous, even you could see that. We wait for the call. Contact Monroe and tell him what has happened and to expect the deputy from Triple to contact him. I’ve got to deal with Dakota and Chad.”
Hanging up, even though Cooper was still talking, Brody made his way over to Dakota’s vehicle. Placing a hand on the door, preventing Dakota from opening it, Brody indicated he should roll down the window. Elise was sitting between the two men, a worried frown marring her face. Knowing he didn’t have a choice but to tell them the truth, Brody leaned in the window.
* * * *
“Anything?”
Cooper looked up from the map he had laid out on the kitchen table. He and Monroe had been going over the terrain located five miles outside of town, trying to figure out the best placement for his men. Cooper knew where to park, how to situate the truck, and where to stand. He would go over this with Brody to make sure everything went as planned, but things going smoothly was unlikely to happen. Jones taking Cyn had changed the mission.
“Nothing,” Cooper answered. “I just finished speaking with Monroe. Luke already called in and Monroe briefed him on what was happening. We went over things for the meeting tomorrow night, but right now, our main goal will be to get Cyn back.”
“He has no idea where they might be holding her?” Brody asked, looking over the map. “I was thinking that maybe we shouldn’t wait. Maybe we should go in and get her n
ow.”
“And risk them killing her?” Cooper knew he didn’t need to remind Brody of the type of men they were dealing with. “Her best chance to come out of this unharmed is for us to carry out the drop as planned. I think you are right and they are using her as leverage. They will release her the moment they have their guns and we have our payment.”
“What if I’m wrong? What if he doesn’t call?”
“Don’t start second-guessing this now,” Cooper warned. “The only way we are going to get through this is if we handle this as we would any mission. We need to take the emotions out of it. You know this is the best way to do this.”
Brody pulled a kitchen chair out and sat down. Leaning his elbows on his knees, Brody placed his hands on his head. Cooper sat down as well, knowing that his brother needed time to release some of his pent-up emotions. Brody had been going on adrenaline all evening, having been the one to find out Cyn was missing. Cooper didn’t have to wait long for Brody to let loose, and seeing the pain in Brody’s eyes hit home. He was feeling the same way.
“I love her,” Brody said, confessing his true feelings. Cooper nodded, but didn’t say anything. He felt his throat constrict. “Do you know that when we first came back, the slightest noise would set me off? The dropping of a pan, the slamming of a door, or the simple ringing of a telephone would be like a jolt of lightning shooting through my body. That first week, when we saw Cyn in town walking in those black stiletto heels, I swear I saw my salvation.”
Cooper leaned back against his chair, letting his brother finally get these words out. They had never really spoken about what it had taken to adjust to society again. He had experienced the same thing, but knew that Brody’s last tour had been a hard one. He still didn’t speak of the men that weren’t lucky enough to return with him. Brody had travelled with their caskets, attending every funeral and extending his condolences to the families. If he remembered correctly, Brody had just driven three hours back into their home state of Indiana and was meeting Cooper for lunch. Walking together to the restaurant, they saw Cyn and her aunt walking toward them. She was as beautiful as the day they had met her, years before. Her body had matured into that of a woman, giving her curves that would make any man salivate.
“The way the sun hit her hair, the way she carried herself with confidence, the sway of her walk—it all seemed as if she were placed there for me to reach out and take. How long was it before we followed her here to Triple? A couple months? More than that?” Brody asked, although Cooper knew he didn’t expect an answer. “We tried everything to get her to have dinner with us, to just spend five minutes in her company, but she was unbending like steel. And you know what? I needed that.”
Cooper raised an eyebrow at that. Brody had complained from day one that Cyn was playing too hard to get. He always maintained that he didn’t like games, saying they were pointless when he knew what the end result was going to be anyway. Now he was changing his tune?
“She didn’t know it at the time, but I needed to feel alive again. I craved the challenge and the chase, as it kept my mind off of the things I couldn’t change. I couldn’t bring back the men I’d lost overseas. I couldn’t change the reasons we had to be there in the first place. I couldn’t bring back the man I used to be. But I could become the man she needed.”
“Brody—”
“Don’t,” Brody commanded, shaking his head. “Don’t say we were good enough for her when you know we weren’t. But we are now. She showed us what our decision to leave did to her, and she didn’t have to tell us what we would need to do to get her back. We just need to love her, Cooper. And I do, with all that I am.”
“We’ll get her back,” Cooper promised.
“If we don’t,” Brody said, “I don’t think I’d be able to survive.”
Chapter Eleven
“Everyone is in place,” Monroe said, his voice coming from the tiny earpiece in Brody’s ear. “Take the truck in nice and slow. Situate it exactly as we planned.”
“Any sign of her?” Cooper asked, doing as Monroe asked and slowing the vehicle down as they turned onto a gravel road.
“Not yet,” Monroe said. “But the minute we do, we’ll signal you.”
Brody looked out the passenger-side window of the large truck they had been given possession of, feeling every muscle in his body straining against his skin. Neither he nor Cooper had slept last night. The only thing keeping them going was adrenaline and the need for vengeance. He could only imagine what was going through Cyn’s mind, being held against her will.
The phone call they had expected from Jones had come late last night. He had started the conversation by stressing that a woman should be more careful with her purse, knowing better than to leave it exposed. Brody remembered that she had left it outside the office door last night. Jones must have gotten a hold of her ID, or his lackey, because he also mentioned that the name of Sherwood-Hightower had grabbed his attention. Just like they thought, Jones was using her as a security blanket to keep them from backing out. He would release her when the deal was complete and if they backed out, Jones was sure he would get compensation from Cyn. She was worth a hell of a lot more than one shipment of illegal guns.
“We stick to the plan,” Cooper said, pulling Brody’s attention back to the present. “If he doesn’t have her here as prearranged, they don’t get the weapons.”
“Agreed.” Brody caught sight of headlights in a field that was semiopen, with the right side obstructed by trees. “If I find out they’ve laid a hand on her, Jones is mine.”
“Brody—”
“Jackson—”
“Showtime,” Brody said, cutting off whatever Cooper was about to say, effectively doing the same to Monroe. He had forgotten that Monroe was listening in, but mentally shrugged it off. He’d still do what he wanted, regardless of the law. “Two cars and one large supply truck. Once they bring Cyn out and the money changes hands, I’m giving you five seconds to move in, Monroe. After that, they’re open season.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, Jackson,” Monroe warned through the earpiece.
“You should have thought of that when you didn’t keep the woman we loved safe,” Brody said, his words biting. He would have said more, if given the chance, but Cooper had brought the truck to a stop ten feet from where Jones and his associates were.
“Let’s get this over and done with,” Cooper said, “and bring our woman home safe.”
* * * *
Cyn was seated in the backseat of a town car with tinted windows. She knew that Cooper and Brody couldn’t see her, but she hoped they knew she was here and got her out of here quick. Sonny Jones was as bad as a man could get, only out for himself and whatever profit he could turn. His knowledge of her wealth was not to her advantage, and only put her in more danger. She pulled the lapels of her robe as close together as she could, wishing for the thousandth time she’d been wearing regular clothes. Maybe if she had had on her stilettos, she could have jammed it through Jones’s foot. The image of him screaming in pain kept her going.
“Well, let’s see if your men deliver, shall we?”
Cyn looked over to see Jones watching Cooper and Brody’s truck pull to a stop. He was wearing another one of his cheap suits, probably having not noticed that a button was missing from one of the cuffs. He evidently wanted to present a certain image to the world, but regrettably for him, he just came across as a wannabe. Cyn smartly kept her mouth shut, realizing early on that anything she said made Jones angry. And the way he and his men kept eyeing her and the satin robe she was wearing, Cyn figured it best to remain silent.
Sonny Jones got out of the vehicle. Cyn scooted closer to his side of the door, scrunching her nose up when the odor of his cologne lingered. Cooper and Brody had each opened their doors, unfolding their long frames. Their boots touched the ground, revealing their denim-clad legs. It was so good to see them, it took every ounce of mental strength to not go for the door handle and run to them, seeking their pr
otection.
She watched as they exchanged a few words, then saw all three turn toward the other car. A door opened and out stepped a woman with short black hair, cut at a severe angle toward her chin. She wore a black trench coat, with black gloves and high-heeled black boots. Her only other accessory was a black suitcase. Cyn couldn’t prevent herself from appreciating the way the woman was dressed. She certainly had style.
With little regard to the terrain, the woman gracefully glided across the rough ground until she was close enough to shake hands with Cooper and Brody. Both declined her offer, which probably wasn’t the wisest decision, based on the woman’s expression. After a brief discussion, Cooper and Brody led her around the truck. Cyn lost sight of them.
Getting antsy, waiting for them to present themselves again, horrible images started to pop in Cyn’s mind. She knew this was her creativeness showing through, but right now, she could have done without it. Had the woman been armed? Was she now holding them at gunpoint? What if she had a silencer? Cyn had written about a man who used a silencer once, committing murder in front of her heroine. Cyn’s breathing started to get a bit erratic, with all the possible scenarios running through her mind.
“Excuse me, but can I get out now?” Cyn asked the driver, who was the same man who had followed Jones into Cooper and Brody’s shop last night. “It looks like they are finishing up,” Cyn lied, wanting to just get out of the car and make sure that Cooper and Brody were safe.
“No.”
Well, that was to the point. Cyn looked back out the window. There was no movement. Biting her lip, Cyn reached back to make sure her clip was still holding her hair in place. Damn, she forgot the thing had fallen out. Taking both of her hands, she pulled her hair together at the base of her neck and tied a loose knot in it—one of the benefits of having such long hair. Slipping off her slippers, Cyn noiselessly placed her hand on the silver door handle. If she had them on, they would have only slowed her down. Her goal was to get to Cooper and Brody as fast as she could, without getting caught. Counting to three, Cyn yanked on the handle and practically fell from the car. She had taken three steps from the vehicle when all hell broke loose.
Opulent Match [Ménage.com 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 10