by Lynn Burke
She laughed lightly and pinched my arm wound tight around her, but I wasn’t having it.
“Stay here.”
“I’m a sticky, cum-filled mess.”
“Good.” I nuzzled my face in her hair. “I like knowing my cum is inside you.”
She huffed a sigh, but didn’t move, and I grinned.
“I can’t have kids,” she stated quietly.
“Did you want more?”
“No,” she didn’t hesitate to reply.
“I never wanted one of my own, anyway.” We lay quietly for a time, and my nosiness got the best of me. “Is it his fault?”
She nodded, and I cursed internally, rolling her to face me. No tears laced her eyes, but pain enough lingered to send that damn ache across my chest.
“I’ll never hurt you.”
Her soft smile and the way she cupped my cheek had me wanting to nuzzle against her like her touch alone could sustain me. “I know, but I expect I might shy away without meaning too if you move too quickly around me.”
I kissed her lips softly, that ache spreading, and I realized what it was—love. Didn’t fucking doubt it, but wasn’t about to toss that shit into the air and give Mila something else to concern herself with.
Nope. I’d just show the wildcat how I felt about her. She’d come around to accepting eventually, because no way in hell was I letting her go.
****
For two days, we fished in Moose Head Lake, sat around the campfire, and shot the shit. We ate pretty fucking good, too, since Hammer and Crow hadn’t skimped, and Mila knew how to cook. I had that king of the castle feeling every damn night when she called us all to the table and set out a spread to feast upon.
Goddamn, what a woman. While I expected Greed the womanizer to ooze on the charm, even Sin, the quietest of my brothers, tossed out over a dozen compliments.
Guess she made an impact in my life because Stone and the others ribbed me for smiling more than usual—even considering our predicament and my missing brother. Couldn’t fucking help it, though. Mila and Devon made me happy as shit. Guess I’d compartmentalized the shit in my head over Ricky in some way since his absence didn’t hurt as much as it had in the beginning.
I hoped the best for him wherever he’d gone off to, and trusted fate to see him back home someday.
The third night, I lay sated by the love of my goddamn life, and my cell rang—Stone’s ringtone I’d set for emergency only since he kept an eye on the cameras along with Devil.
I grabbed my phone off the bed stand, all trace of languid bliss shot to shit. “What’s up?”
“Got two trucks just pulled in the driveway and are creeping up the lane—not ours.”
“Fuck.” I jumped out of bed, knowing we had all of three minutes before whoever approached on the winding, dirt road to the heart of the property pulled up out front. “Send Devon over here now and get everyone else in position. Call Ryker and get shit rolling.”
We’d set plans in place in the event the security cameras at the property’s entrance picked up anyone interested in knocking. Stone and my brothers knew what to do—and so did I, even though it was going to hurt like hell.
“Vigil?” Mila whispered, sitting with the blankets pulled up to her chest.
“We got company. Three minutes. Get dressed.”
She hopped up like I’d lit a fire under her ass, her face pale and lips in a grim line.
I yanked on my clothes I’d torn off less than an hour earlier and shoved my feet into my boots. In the event shit went down, I’d set out a black sweatshirt and had my guns and other necessities atop the chest of drawers.
“Mom?” Devon called from down the hallway.
“Get to the bathroom,” I barked, turning to find Mila dressed and holding out a hand.
“Give me a gun.” Her face set in stone although her eyes betrayed her fear.
“Know how to use one?”
“Yes.”
I handed over a Glock, and the sound of her checking the hammer steadied my pulse a bit. Fucking wildcat … could she be any hotter?
The other Glock shoved in my waist band, a rifle slung over my shoulder, and nighttime goggles strapped to my head, compliments of Stone.
I led her into the bathroom and yanked open the closet door. At the back wall beneath the last shelf lay a hidden door. I dropped to my knees, pulled out the small laundry basket in front of it, and unhooked the hidden latch.
“Cool,” Devon murmured as I backed away and stood.
“Gotta crawl through, but it opens up beyond the opening. There’s flashlights hanging on the wall to the right and a set of stairs leading to a hidden basement.”
“How long should we stay if things go bad?” Mila asked, her voice steady as Devon dropped and started crawling.
“I’d stay in the basement as long as you can. There’s bottled water and some food, enough for three days at least, but don’t come out this way. There’s another door leading out of the basement—takes you out deep into the woods, a good hundred yards away from the house.” I pulled her against me with a quick, hard hug, squeezing my eyes shut and giving myself three seconds of heaven—just in case. “You’ve got Ryker’s number.”
“Yeah.”
“If I’m not back here to get you in a few hours, call him. He’ll be on his way already, the rest of the Vipers in tow.” And almost four fucking hours away.
“Okay.”
I pulled back, jaw clenched, and she dropped to her knees without a word, following Devon into the darkness beyond. A light flickered on inside as I bent to shut them in.
“Come back for us,” Mila whispered.
“Only the devil himself would keep me from you.”
Tears glistened in her eyes, and I shut the door, leaving my emotions, my humanity inside with her.
If those trucks carried anyone but friends, the night wouldn’t end pretty.
I slipped outside into the night, a quick glance down the lane showing it dark as midnight. A quick call through to Stone gave me the answers I needed.
The trucks had stopped at the halfway point and six guys approached on foot.
I shot off a text to Ryker.
Bring up the cleaners. We’re about to make a mess.
I turned off my ringer and made myself comfortable beside the firewood stack where I had a clear view of the driveway and open area in the middle of the bunk houses.
Stone was best with hand to hand combat as a black belt, so he, too, stayed on the ground and close by.
Hammer and Crow had both been in the military—one sharpshooter and the other a spotter. They would have gotten set atop their bunk house, but I couldn’t see jack shit in the darkness.
Our campfire had burned to glowing embers in the meadow’s center, but it gave off little light. The towering trees kept whatever moon tried to peek from the clouds from sight, but Stone had come prepared.
I pulled the goggles over my eyes, and the place lit up in a green eerie light. Sin and Greed hid closest to where the driveway met the parking area, but Hammer had us all covered. Not that I expected the fuckers to come walking up the drive for a friendly neighborhood chat.
I shoved the ear piece Stone had provided into my ear, my head swiveling side to side, watching for any hint of movement. A quick flick of the button put me live.
“Devil,” I whispered, knowing Stone would have already gotten him patched through and ready to be our eyes in the darkness. “Give me something—I don’t want to just start shooting if it’s some kids looking for a place to party.”
“It’s him. Harlon,” Devil’s voice came through loud and clear.
“You’re sure?”
“The swastika on his left cheek is kinda hard to mistake.”
Fuck. How the fuck had he found us?
“How far out?”
“Two hundred yards.”
&n
bsp; Knowing all my brothers on site were listening in, I slowed my breathing, thankful as fuck for my IT geek brother.
“Two splitting off to the west,” Devil murmured in my ear.
I caught sight of Stone slipping through the shadows, heading their way.
“Two heading east.”
I couldn’t see a flash of movement, but trusted Greed to do as planned if any fuckers thought to surround us.
“The final two—Harlon on the left—just inside the woods but approaching along the driveway.”
Radio silence fell.
A near silent pop sounded a few minutes later, followed by a grunt, and I strained my ears, my breathing too fucking loud, my muscles tensed to explode.
“Harlon’s mine,” I whispered what I’d already told my brothers a few times.
The fucker thought he could show up and exact revenge on the best thing he’d ever had? Cocksucking prick had another think coming.
I set aside the rifle and pulled out my Glock. If it came to shots, then so be it, but I hoped to hell to get my fists on the fucker before he went down.
“He’s mine,” I whispered again, hoping like fuck Hammer would let the fucker through.
Chapter Thirty
Mila
We sat hunkered together in stifling silence, Devon pressed tight against my side, my arm around him, and his head on my shoulder. He smelled like a pubescent boy in need of a shower coated by campfire smoke, but I drank his warmth and the scent of my son in, knowing it could very well be our last minutes together.
My heart fractured at being separated from Vigil, but I didn’t question the need for us to be shut away. With us out of sight, in relative safety, he would be able to focus. Do what needed done.
I wondered what that might be, even though deep inside my gut I already knew. If Harlan and his men approached, blood would be shed.
Eyes closed, I told myself it was necessary, that the law had failed as it often did to protect those in need.
“He’ll keep us safe, Mom.”
“I know,” I said on automatic, not really giving my words much thought.
“No. Really.” His tone held a finality beyond mere hope.
I opened my eyes and pulled back so Devon lifted his head off my shoulder. “Are you privy to something I’m not?”
He studied me for a few seconds, lips pursed, before drawing a breath deep into his lungs. “Vigil and his brothers know how to protect their loved ones.”
“You’re talking like you’ve seen it.”
“He told me.” Devon glanced at the secret door against the far wall.
“Told you what?”
“You can’t hate him, Mom.”
My insides stilled. “What did he do, Dev?”
Devon studied his hands and licked his lips. “Their father beat up their mom all the time. Cops didn’t do jack shit.”
I let the curse slide.
“He killed her.” Devon looked up at me, and I kept my face neutral, all-too familiar with how easy it was to end a life with fists. I’d lost my and Harlon’s baby—and almost my own.
“Go on,” I whispered.
“Vigil and Ricky took the law into their own hands.”
“They killed their father.”
Devon stared me down for a full minute before nodding.
I let his words sift through my head. My heart. Vigil had trusted my son with a dark secret, and I had no question as to why. He’d proved to Devon he would go to the ends of the earth to protect his own—that was why Devon trusted him without question.
But Vigil had to know that sort of violence went against everything I wanted for my son. He had to have known I would turn my back on his offer of friendship if I found out his secret.
My son’s trust was more important than his fear of losing both of us.
Tears clogged my throat, and I tugged Devon close again.
“He’s a good man, Mom.”
I smiled as a tear slid down my cheek. “I know.”
“Will you let him make you his old lady?”
The thought thrilled me as much as it scared me.
“You got a second chance at love,” Devon continued, his voice insistent. “You better take it.”
“If we get out of here alive...” My throat swelled and I kissed the top of his head. “If he gets out of this alive, I will.”
We sat in silence, my stomach churning, shoulders tight, and chest aching. I wanted to crawl out of that damn hole and find out what the hell was going on, but I was no stupid girl like in a suspense story. I knew how to do as told and stay put.
A muffled gun shot rang out, and my breath caught, ears ringing.
“Gunshot,” Devon whispered, and I nodded.
Every minute seemed like an hour, but no other sounds reached us. Enough time lapsed, I swallowed against rising nausea, knowing Vigil should have gotten back to us if he’d been able to.
“What should we do, Mom?” My son sounded like a little boy, and I hugged him tighter, offering him assurance I didn’t feel.
“Stay put, Dev. We gotta stay put.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Vigil
The lone fucker approached like a wraith in the night, black on black, slinking from shadow to shadow as an owl hooted through the stillness. Whoever had snuck along with him didn’t show. Not that I’d expected to, knowing how Hammer could shoot.
An unmuffled shot sounded to my left—Greed or Sin—and the thumps of fists hitting flesh followed. One shout. Two more gun shots.
I watched Harlon pause behind my truck and waited for my ear piece to crackle to life.
“Both east men down,” Sin whispered, and I knew they would circle around the back toward where Stone was set to clash with two of his own.
No sound rose from the west, but Stone didn’t bother keeping his voice down when he said, “These two fuckers are already down.”
“The fucker in my sites is on his own,” Hammer whispered.
“He’s mine.” I stood and walked into the open, gun held out at the ready, my focus on Harlon. He held a gun at his side and hadn’t yet seen me. “Flanders!”
He jerked sideways a good two feet—and I knew he saw me through the darkness by the way his head steadied in my direction.
“Bring your ass out here in the open,” I called out, wanting to pop one in his forehead but wanting to smash in his face even more. “All five of your men are down—for fucking good. Payback for eight years ago you mother fucking cunt!”
He let out a roar and charged, gun tossed to the side, and I grinned.
Bring it.
I dropped my gun, tore off the goggles and met him halfway, a grunt ripping from me as we collided by the fire pit.
“Where’s my wife?” he growled as we both landed punches.
“Ex, you fucker.” I smashed my fist against his jaw, and he went down—with me on top of him.
He got in a couple hits, but he was no match for the cold focus I held onto. Every crunch against his face earned me one less punch to my side. Every splatter of his blood against my front and beard one less buck of his hips beneath me trying to break free.
The camp’s flood lights kicked on, but I didn’t let up until he stilled beneath me, wheezing for breath through his busted mouth and what was left of his nose. I wanted to drag out the fight for another couple of hours, peeling the skin from his body in slow agony for every minute he’d hurt Mila.
But my woman and Devon had been in that basement long enough as it was. Time to get answers and put an end to shit.
“How’d you know where to find us?” I hissed, inches from his face.
“Fuck. You.” He spit in my face, and I sat back, smashing him in the cheek, the bones already fucking shattered. He groaned, and I asked again.
Of course, he didn’t answer.
Another fist to the face, a
nother groan. I’d already given thought to how he could have found out, and I knew for fact not a single Viper brother would have revealed where we’d gone.
“Was it Pritt?” I asked, leaning down again, needing to see the one eye I hadn’t yet swelled shut.