Out of the Shadows (Renegades)

by Ana Stone

  “Were?”

  “Rafferty was killed when Zeke was 15.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too, honey. Raff was a good man.”

  “But Zeke’s mother is still alive?”

  Stella blew a raspberry. “Oh hell yeah, she’s still alive and kicking. She married Reese – that’s Raff’s and Eli’s other brother, three months after Raff was killed. She’s … well let’s just say she’s a piece of work.”

  “I take it there’s no love lost between the two of you.”

  “You got that. We’re … well, we just have different values, I guess.”

  “Zeke is lucky to have you, Stella.” Roxy said softly. “When you’re over there, family is all that keeps a lot of the soldiers going. Thinking about the people they love back home, counting the days until they step on home soil again and put their arms around their loved ones. Knowing you have someone waiting at home who loves you makes all the difference in the world. Even for those bad ass Delta boys.”

  Stella nodded and used her napkin to swipe at her eyes. “Damn girl, you got me all misty.”

  “Sorry, ma’am.”

  “No, no, don’t apologize. It does my heart good to know that I was some kind of comfort to that boy. But what about you? You got family?”

  Roxy shook her head. “No, ma’am. My mother died when I was five and my father … well, he’s dead now too.”

  “What about your husband’s family? You close to them?”

  “No ma’am. I never even met them. But I did make sure that most of the money the Army paid for his death went to them.”

  “I thought that legally went to his wife and kids?”

  “It does. But I only knew him for a short time and I can’t even remember it. They had a lifetime with him. He was their child and their loss … well I can’t even imagine it. When you live the life we did you know there’s always the chance you’ll get that call or knock on the door. It goes with the territory. His family … well, like I said, they lost a big chunk of their lives. Besides, they are getting on in age and the money will help them. I can work and I don’t need or want to be rewarded for his life.”

  “That’s mighty sweet of you, Roxy.”

  “Just the right thing to do, ma’am.”

  “Doing the right thing is real important to you, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Stella sighed and gripped her tea glass in both hands, looking down at it as she spoke. “Zeke’s that way.”

  “You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

  Stella looked up at her. “Sometimes honor can get a man killed, honey.”

  “You think that might happen to Zeke?”

  Stella’s shoulders rose and fell but she did not answer. Roxy got the feeling that maybe Stella felt she had said too much. Roxy wasn’t an idiot; she knew that no club wore the one percent patch if blood had not been spilled.

  Their food arrived and once the waitress left, Stella turned the conversation to other things, where to get the best price on house ware items like dishes and towels, and who had the best selection of meats and produce.

  Roxy listened and commented where it was required, but her mind was still on the comment Stella had made. What were the Renegades involved in and what did that mean for her if she was joining the police department? If she had reason to suspect they were breaking the law, then she was obligated to investigate.

  That was the right thing to do. So why did it make her feel so sick to her stomach to even contemplate the idea that Zeke might be a criminal?

  Chapter Seven

  The big panel truck she’d seen at Renegades was parked in the driveway of the house when Roxy pulled up. She backed out of the drive and parked on the side of the road.

  Two men who looked to be in their mid-twenties, wearing Prospect patches on their vests were carrying the sofa down the ramp of the truck. She waited for them to wrangle it through the door of the house then followed them inside.

  “Where you want this?” One of them asked.

  “Ma’am.” A deep voice came from the direction of the hall.

  “Sorry, ma’am. Where do you want this?” The young man asked again, cutting his eyes at Zeke who was moving through the kitchen in the direction of the grand room.

  “Oh, I—“ Roxy looked around the room. Everything was pretty much in place except for the sofa. “Right there, along that wall in front of that sofa table.”

  She was a little surprised at how well the furniture was arranged. Exactly the way she would have done it herself.

  The prospects put the sofa in place then hurried out. Roxy turned to look at Zeke.

  Mistake.

  Their eyes melt and the world tilted. In the blink of an eye she was reaching for purchase. He hurried to her and put an arm around her to give her support.

  Bigger mistake.

  Something sizzled through her. Literally. It was like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket. It was hot and electric, frightening and overwhelming compelling. Shocked at the sensation, her eyes sought his.

  Off the charts mistake.

  A wave of longing followed and it wasn’t just lust, although that was a strong component. But it was more. All she could equate it to was the yearning she’d felt as a child ever time she’d see another kid being hugged by a parent. It was a need so strong that it took all her strength not to press more firmly against him or wrap her arms around him.

  His eyes held hers for a long moment, a moment in which she was caught up in the experience of him. The feel of his arm across her back, his hand firmly gripping her waist, his smell, his heat. Roxy had never felt anything like the desperate ache of need that possessed her.

  I’ve searched so long.

  The voice in her mind shocked her. What was more surprising than hearing the thought was the way his body stiffened at the same moment. His eyes searched hers and his hand tightened on her.

  “Oh sorry.” One of the prospects stopped just inside the room.

  “No, no, please,” Roxy broke away from Zeke, tearing her eyes from his. “Sorry, I – never mind. Oh that lamp can go in here. Thanks.”

  She kept her back to Zeke, trying to regain her composure. What the hell was that? She’d never felt anything like it. It was an emotional wallop that she didn’t understand. And right now didn’t have time to try and figure it out.

  She busied herself helping unload the rest of the truck. When the last item was in place she walked through the house, looking at the rooms. The prospects took a seat at the bar in the kitchen. When she returned to the kitchen they were still there.

  “Everything where you want it—ma’am?” One of them asked.

  “Yes, thank you. I appreciate all you did.” She picked up her bag from the countertop, fished out her billfold and extracted two fifty dollar bills. “I know it’s not much, but maybe it will cover dinner and a couple of beers.

  They looked at one another and then the money in her hand. “Uh, you sure?”

  “Absolutely. Please, it’s the least I can do.”

  “Hey, thanks,” one of them said and plucked a bill from her hand.

  “Yeah, thanks,” the other one followed suit.

  “My pleasure.”

  “Well, I guess we should hit the road.”

  “Okay, thanks again,” she said as they got up and headed for the door.

  Just as they reached it Zeke walked in. “All set?” He asked.

  “She gave us fifty bucks – each.” One of the prospects said.

  “That’s okay, right, Zeke?” The other prospect asked.

  Zeke smiled and stepped aside. “If it’s okay with the lady it’s fine with me. Close up the truck and head on back.”

  “You not coming?” One of the prospects asked.

  “I’ll head on home.”

  “Okay, see ya. And thanks again Miss…?”

  “Quinn.” Roxy said. “Thank you.”

  “Sure. See ya.”

  The tw
o men left and Zeke turned to Roxy. She met his eyes but immediately looked away. Not quite fast enough. What was it about her look that was like a punch to the gut?

  Zeke wasn’t quite sure what had happened earlier. After the moment he’d busied himself moving in the furniture and avoiding being in the same room with her. Whatever had happened had left him feeling disconcerted. That was the only way he could describe it.

  Even now he asked himself if he could possibly have really heard that voice in his head. I’ve searched so long. What the hell did that mean? And why did that thought ring in his mind?

  Zeke was a practical man and not given to flights of fancy, but there was something about Roxy Quinn that was definitely out of the ordinary. He was attracted to her in a major way, but was equally as curious about the strong emotions being around her evoked, the feelings of protectiveness, possessiveness and devotion that swelled inside him when he looked in her eyes.

  “Anything else I can help you with, Miss Quinn?”

  “Roxy,” she corrected. “And no, sir. Thanks. I’m in your debt. I’d offer you a beer but I haven’t been to the store so…”

  “No problem.” Zeke took a few steps and looked into the grand room. “It looks pretty good.”

  “Yes, it really does.”

  “So,” he turned to her. “Stella seems to have taken a shine to you.”

  “She’s great.” Roxy’s face lit in an unguarded smile. “I like her. A lot.”

  “She’s a good person.”

  “She says the same about you.”

  “She has a big heart.”

  “It seems that way.” Roxy walked around the center island and took a seat on one of the stools. “She said you were a Delta operator.”

  Zeke was surprised by the statement. Not that Roxy knew he was Delta. Stella pretty much told everyone about that. But few people outside of the military referred to a Delta as an operator. “Retired,” he replied. “You seem to know something about Delta.”

  “My husband was an operator.”

  Zeke hated the instant gut reaction he got from that statement. Jealousy was not an emotion he was too familiar with and definitely not one he wanted to be on intimate terms with. The only thing that saved him was one word in that statement. Was.

  “Was?”

  “Killed in Afghanistan.”

  “Who was he?”

  “David Quinn. Digger.”

  That damn near staggered him. Digger was killed during the same mission that had put Zeke in the hospital. It was Digger that Zeke was trying to save when he took a bullet in the back.

  “You were Digger’s wife? But I thought she was Army?”

  “Was.” Roxy replied. “Lt. Colonel.”

  “Damn,” Zeke walked over and claimed the stool beside her. “Why’d you leave?”

  “Long story,” she said and looked down.

  “I’m sorry about Digger.”

  “Me, too.” She replied and looked back up.

  “You two weren’t married long.”

  “No. Not long.”

  “Still …”

  “Yeah,” she got up off the stool and wandered into the grand room. “You know, even as Army, I was never told what really happened. I know it wouldn’t change anything but—“ She turned to face him. “It beats wondering, you know?”

  Zeke nodded, considering things. After a moment he stood and walked to her. “I’ll tell you if you want to know.”

  “You…? Oh my god, you were there, weren’t you?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Then tell me.”

  “I think I might need that beer first.”

  “I can go to the store.”

  “No. I’ve got some at the house. I’ll walk over and grab a six-pack.” He turned to head for the door but she followed.

  “Zeke, wait. I can’t let you do that. I’ll just go to the store.”

  “It won’t take—“

  “No, I’m not letting you walk all the way home and back to—“

  “It’s just next door, Roxy.”

  Her mouth opened then closed and her face went a little pale. “You – you live next door?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Which side?”

  “Right there.” He pointed in the direction of the kitchen door.

  “Oh, I didn’t know.”

  “Stella didn’t tell you?”

  “No.”

  “Bet she didn’t tell you that you’re renting my house, either.”

  “Your house?”

  “Yeah, I bought it a couple of years ago.”

  She was silent for a few moments with a look on her face that registered in his mind as panic. She finally seemed to shake it off, although her voice was not quite steady when she quipped, “So, are you one of those picky landlords that inspects the grass and checks to see if I’ve killed any of the plants or am keeping the pool clean.”

  “Oh, absolutely,” he replied and reached for the door. “Let me grab the beer. Back in five.”

  “Wait!”

  He stopped to look at her. “I really need to go to the hotel and get cleaned up. How about I stop at the Wagon Wheel and grab some food on my way back and meet you here in an hour?”

  Zeke shrugged. “Works for me. And if you’re headed for town you could drop me at Renegades. I left my bike there.”

  “Sure.” Roxy snatched up her bag and her keys.

  They walked outside together. When they reached the front of her car, Zeke stopped. “Any chance you’d let me drive this bad girl?”

  Roxy smiled. “I might be persuaded.”

  “Oh?” Zeke took advantage of what he perceived as a flirtatious tone and backed her up against the hood of the car. “And just what kind of persuasion would it take?” He put his hands on her upper arms and felt a tremor run through her.

  She looked up at him and reality shifted. Suddenly he was standing in an open meadow filled with tall grass that waved gently in the breeze. A woman stood before him, leaning back against the thick trunk of a tree.

  His woman. The woman who owned his heart and soul.

  He could not look at her without being overwhelmed with love. Her blue eyes met his and he saw love shining in them. No amount of time could dim what they shared. The love and passion was as hot and deep as the day they met.

  She wore a simple dress, a scattering of small roses on a creamy background. Fitted to the waist and belted, it flared out over her hips and thighs, covering her to mid shin. Her feet were bare, her shoes lying at the base of the tree.

  Today her hair was loose, wafting like strands of silk in the breeze.

  Her smile faded and he knew what she was thinking. He would leave when morning came.

  To fight and possibly die.

  “I don’t want you to go.” She said softly.

  “I know. But I have to.”

  “Then take me with you.”

  “You know I can’t. I have to do this one alone.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “If you go, you won’t return.”

  “You can’t know that.” He tried to pull her against him, to hold and comfort her but she put her hands against his chest to stop him.

  “I need to be there. Just in case.”

  “It’ll be okay. I promise. I’ll come back.”

  She searched his eyes for a long time then sighed and went into his arms. “I love you.”

  “And I love you.”

  She went into his arms and for a few minutes they just stood there holding one another. Then she pulled back. “Just know this. Should the unthinkable happen, or should you get lost. No matter how long it takes, I will find you. I will always find you.”

  Equally as sudden Zeke was once more back in reality, holding onto Roxy and hearing her say. “I will always find you.”

  They looked at each other, for a few moments both silent and searching the other’s eyes. Finally he broke the silence. “Did you …?”

  “Just go somewhere else?”

/>   “Yeah.”

  “What the hell is going on?” She asked in an unsteady voice.

  “I wish I knew.” He replied. “Nothing like this ever happened to me until I met you.”

  “Say what?”

  Zeke blew out his breath and stepped back. “Later. Let’s go take care of what we need to do and then we’ll talk.”

  “Okay.” She agreed then held out her keys. “You want to drive?”

  “You bet I do,” he said with a smile, relieved that she had not pressed for details. He wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened just yet, wasn’t ready to admit that it had shaken him in a way he had never experienced and had no clue how to deal with.

  She climbed into the passenger’s seat as he got in behind the wheel, adjusted the seat back and started the engine.

  “Sweet,” he looked over at her and grinned as the engine came to life. “I bet she’s a beast on the road.”

  “Zero to sixty before we hit the end of the road.”

  Zeke put the car in gear and revved the engine. “Seeing is believing.”

  “Then punch it big boy.”

  That’s exactly what he did. Roxy never said a word when he wound it out. They were both laughing and talking about the car and what it could do the entire way. Zeke felt ten years younger, a fast car, a gorgeous woman and for the moment no cares.

  All that ended when they pulled up at Renegade and saw the line of bikes in the lot. Zeke muttered a curse under his breath as he parked. Rice walked out of the clubhouse at that moment and spotted the car. “Yo, Zeke! Everyone’s at the table, bro. Reese’s been trying to call you.”

  Roxy looked over at him and he shrugged. “Had my phone off. Guess I might be a little longer than I thought on getting that beer.”

  She stared at him for a long time then nodded. “I should probably just go back to the hotel. I don’t have sheets or towels or any of that for the house yet.”

  Zeke almost argued that he would loan her what she needed, but thought better of it. He shouldn’t push and who knew how long he’d be tied up with the Club.

  “Rain check?” He asked.

  “Sure. As soon as I get moved in.”

  “It’s a date,” he said with a smile. “Thanks for the ride.”