Darke Heat

by Ellyson, Nese

  “Cause I hate shopping, bro.”

  “But we can’t both be gone at the same time,” Dane argued.

  “Why not? Bill and his crew are here.”

  “Maybe so, but they can’t protect our sis the way we can.”

  “She also has the dogs,” Colt added.

  “Okay, but I hope she has a list.”

  “Earth to Dane...who is it that you think we’re talkin’ about, bro?” Colt said with a punch to the arm for emphasis. “Sis always has a list for everything.”

  Dane hit him back.

  “You hit like a girl,” Colt said.

  “You lie, and you know it. I’ve got to get going, but later I’m giving you an ass whooping.”

  “Sure, at checkers, maybe.” Colt’s cell rang and he walked away to take it after looking at the number. “Colt Conner.”

  “Van DeMere is putting together an arms deal,” the caller said.

  “I’ve got to resolve a situation here on the home front. I won’t be able to assist for a week at least.”

  “Keep me posted on your availability.”

  “I will.”

  After hanging up, he walked back to the house, rubbing his torso where the bullet had pierced his chest. He and Van DeMere had unfinished business to attend to. And it was coming soon…very soon.

  Bryce’s stitches were itching, his butt felt numb, his leg ached, and he was miserable. He couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital. He’d already harassed the doctor into giving him an early release on good behavior. He couldn’t wait to get settled into Paige’s place and start pestering her. The thought brought a genuine smile to his face. Everything would be perfect if it weren’t for a few flies in the chardonnay. Mostly the gangs, but then he’d also have her brothers witnessing his pursuit of their sister. Well, tough. He’d trench in and she’d be unable to get him to leave. Now, if he could just reach back and scratch the itch between his shoulders.

  “Hey, Big Hoss, I’m here to rescue you from the nurses,” Colt said while walking into Bryce’s room.

  “What took you so long?” Bryce grumbled.

  “Testy, Hoss. You need to be on your best behavior or I’ll leave you here.” Colt gave him a diabolical grin.

  “I’ll be an altar boy of good behavior, as soon as I get out of here.” Bryce lifted himself slowly from the bed, went over to the shallow cupboard, and pulled out his clothes. Someone had thoughtfully brought him some shorts and a tee shirt. He thought it might have been Emma. He’d have to remember to thank her for her thoughtfulness. He went ahead and changed, without even closing the door, modesty not being a big concern. Colt went out to the nurses’ station and grabbed a wheelchair for the ride down to the truck.

  “Hey, Hoss, how about I do some wheelies in this thing as we go past the front desk?” Colt asked as he did a sample coming back into the room.

  “Nah, with your driving technique, we’d crash and I’d be laid up in here for another couple of days.”

  “Your chariot awaits, Cinders,” Colt said with a grand bow.

  “Don’t give me no lip, Colt. I’ll toss your ass,” Bryce threatened.

  “Really? I can hardly wait.”

  “Colt, get me out of here,” he pleaded.

  “Okay, man. Let’s go.”

  Colt wheeled him down to his truck after Dr. Beth Carrington gave him a list of instructions.

  “Damn, Hoss, that is the finest M.D. I’ve ever seen. When I was in the VA hospital, I had Dr. Creepy. Next time I’m coming here.”

  “You so sure you’re going to get a next time.”

  “Yep, I got nine lives.” Then Colt turned to Bryce and was all business.

  “When we get back to the house, you, Blake, Jackson, Dane, and I are having a meeting. Blake is bringing the info he’s gathered, along with what Dane and I picked up from checking out the property.”

  “You’ve met Blake?”

  “Yeah, Dane and him have some history.”

  “You mean he works for the Fed’s? Damn, I should’ve known. What decent cop would want to work here without a really good reason?”

  “I’ll let him explain his part in all this. We’ll let you settle in first. Paige’s making dinner tonight, so we invited Blake and Jackson to join us, then we can come up with a plan after dessert.” He spoke with boyish excitement.

  “The last meal of Paige’s I ate was years ago – catfish from the lake.” Bryce looked forward to her home-cooked meal.

  “She’s even better at it now than when she was a wee teenager,” Colt added.

  Colt drove the truck up to the front porch. Paige came out just as Colt stopped the vehicle. She looked at Bryce and felt her heart turn over. He looked good, but tired. The stitches had to hurt. She wanted to grab him and wrap him in her arms and not let anything else bad happen to him. As angry as he made her, she loved what a good man he was. To see him hurt made her ache for him. Jeez, she had it bad. Get some perspective girl. He is not for you. Eventually he’ll find out all your dirty, little secrets, and hate you for not telling him to spare him pain.

  “Hey, Bryce. We’ve got a room all set up for you on the first floor. Dinner will be in about thirty minutes. You’ve time for a quick shower and some down time,” she called out in a cheerful voice so at odds with the gut wrenching emotions she was feeling.

  “Thanks, Paige. I appreciate you taking me in like this. How are you feeling?”

  “Glad you’re here and thankful to be out of the hospital.” She held the door open in invitation. She could smell Bryce’s scent, which was uniquely his own. Her fingers itched to touch him. Instead, she let the screen door slam, and headed back into the kitchen to check on dinner.

  Paige set the place settings around the table and remembered to include one each for Sheriff Markham and Deputy Blake. This would be the first family dinner in her first real home since the night her father was arrested. There’d been other dinners, but the home hadn’t been hers. This one was, and it made it worth remembering. She pulled the steaks out to be grilled and finished with the potato salad, green beans, and bakery rolls she’d had Colt pick up, since it was too hot to make them from scratch. There was also a pecan pie and vanilla ice cream to top it off.

  She finished setting the table with paper and plastic, since she’d never gotten around to buying more than a couple of mismatched plates, cups, and bowls. Now she was putting down roots, she’d pick out a china pattern. Even though it sounded like the thing couples did, she wasn’t waiting to set her home in order. She’d get what she liked and any man in her life would just have to deal with it. Her mind immediately went to Bryce and she wanted to smack herself for the foolish fantasy.

  “Hey, sis, you ready for me to grill those sides of beef?” Dane asked from the kitchen door.

  “Yes, they’re done marinating. Ask and see how everyone would like theirs. Do not assume we all want it mooing,” she said in her best command voice.

  “Yes, ma’am!”

  “Don’t you dare start calling me ma’am. I’m younger than you!” she shouted at his retreating back.

  She heard a vehicle drive up and looked out the window in time to see Deputy Blake get out of his car, then Sheriff Markham in his police cruiser. Even out of uniform, they looked serious. She put finishing touches on the table settings and went upstairs to clean up for supper. Thankfully, her window air conditioners were working to cool down the house. It was comfortable on the upper level, but she wasn’t sure how Bryce’s room was going to be. The ceiling fan in the room should keep it cool enough.

  She hurried as she heard the men talking and laughing outside by the grill. Looking out her bedroom window, she noticed her brothers and the deputy all had beers, but Bryce hadn’t joined them yet. While she watched, he made his way out toward the grill. She saw that his hair was wet from his recent shower, the sun shining on it made it look a luscious blue-black. She’d love to run her hands through it. It looked so thick and silky. He was wearing khaki shorts and a white t
ee shirt, which stretched across his muscled chest, outlining every muscle and bringing them into sharp focus when he moved. She tore her gaze away and hurriedly finished changing her clothes to go down and take care of her guests.

  “So, Blake, is there something you wanted to tell the Sheriff and me?” Bryce said, to cut right to the heart of the matter.

  “Well, yeah, you see, I’m here on assignment from my home office.”

  “You’re a Fed. Right?” asked Bryce.

  “Yep.”

  “Which branch?”

  “A special branch of the FBI.”

  “So you’re FBI, Dane is FBI, Colt is NSA, and Bryce is DEA. What is this? Fed’s do Darke County week? Is there any department of Home Land Security that isn’t represented here?” Jack Markham asked in amusement.

  “Yeah, it sure looks that way, Sheriff, but we didn’t plan on getting in on any action. We’re here on R and R, only they threatened our sister,” Dane said.

  “Damn it, Jack, they kidnapped Paige. They brought on a world of hurt when they went after her,” said Colt.

  “I’m here in an official capacity. The FBI wants these scumbags. They are not only dealing and distributing, but they are working the school system, and that has brought on a lot of attention from some government officials. They want a big bust to send a message. If we get close enough, I’m to call in the big guns, and it will not be pretty,” Blake added.

  “So whose jurisdiction is taking over the case?” the sheriff asked.

  “Well, now it’s yours, Sheriff. We’ll just be here to assist,” answered Blake.

  Dane flipped the steaks and looked over at Blake.

  “I think we should set a trap,” Colt said.

  “Nothing too elaborate, but something to draw them out where we can see all the players,” Bryce added.

  “Oh, that’s the spirit, Hoss. Now you’re thinking like a Fed,” replied Colt.

  The back door opened, and Paige looked down at the men gathered around the grill.

  “Hello, Deputy Blake, Sheriff Markham. I’m glad to see you could make it. As soon as the steaks are done, I’ve everything set up in the dining room. It’s too hot to eat on the patio.”

  “Thanks for having Colt invite me ma...”

  “Don’t say it! Don’t you dare call me ma’am or I’ll rescind the offer. My name is Paige. Use it,” she said as she walked off in a huff.

  Blake looked at her, baffled. Dane and Colt started snickering.

  “What did I say?” Blake asked Bryce.

  “She’s a little sensitive about being called ma’am. Seems to think it means she’s old or something,” Bryce said as a way of explaining her behavior.

  They all chuckled.

  “I’ve got the rare ones on top, the mediums on the side, and the well-dones in the bottom center, so let’s eat,” Dane said, pulling the steaks off the grill.

  They all trudged inside and sat around the table. The air conditioning unit in the window was a soothing balm to the summer heat.

  Not ones to stand on ceremony, Colt and Dane grabbed their steaks, just before Paige slapped her palm down on the table.

  “Gentlemen, and I’m using the term loosely here, Dane and Colt, let’s have some table manners.”

  “What?” Colt implored.

  “You want me to say grace or something?” Dane asked incredulously.

  “It would be a nice touch,” Paige replied.

  “Then you do it,” he countered.

  She shook her head in annoyance and proceeded to say grace.

  “Definitely nesting, bro,” Colt said, and the look from Dane seemed to agree with the comment.

  The meal continued without any more incidents.

  “Paige, we’re going to set up in the living room, if that’s okay with you?” Blake asked.

  “Sure, you’re company, Jack and Blake, but the rest of you can help clean up and load the dishwasher. Since Bryce is injured, that leaves you two, my dear brothers. Cook never has to clean up the kitchen, house rules.”

  “I cooked the steak,” Dane said.

  “Doesn’t count, since it didn’t need to be cleaned. I’ll just help Blake and Bryce set up the command center, while you two finish up in here.” She used her don’t argue with me voice, and left the room.

  “Bro, we just got served!” Colt explained as if talking with a dim wit.

  “Yeah, steaks and all! She’s a bossy woman. Wonder where she gets that from?” he asked with a perplexed look, then spoiled it by busting out laughing, which made Colt laugh right along with him.

  Blake pulled out his laptop computer and inserted a flash drive and an internet link-up device.

  “I stored all the dates and evidence from the events prior to Paige moving back to town, including the incident at the house in Detroit. There’s a lot of angst and a lot of firepower behind the crimes that are happening.”

  Blake brought them all up to speed with ballistics. Several different guns were being used in both the murders and the break-ins.

  “We got the three guys who kidnapped Paige,” Sheriff Markham said.

  Her brothers and Bryce looked like they were ready to get up and go after them.

  “They’re in body bags. We found the truck in a ditch at the edge of the woods off the interstate and the bodies outside the vehicle. All three had shots to the head, execution style,” Blake added. “We got a rush on the ballistics, and the bullets match the one we took from Levi Hershey.”

  “One other thing, they all had tattoos of a knife with a snake wrapped around it. We checked it out. It’s the official tat for the Blades gang out of Chicago.” Markham said.

  “I know that gang. They’re pretty much into meth and ecstasy. For them to be this far out of their territory is odd. This has been known as part of the Dragons’ turf for a long time. They traffic meth and weed, as well as heroine. They run from Canada, across the Detroit River, and down through Kentucky. I’d say one of their members took out the competition. Which means there is a turf war going on in Darke,” Bryce said.

  “It all comes back to Paige, her property, and Bryce,” Dane added.

  “What do they want with Darke County?” Paige asked.

  “The Locke and lake waterways. With a jet ski, they could get from Kentucky all the way up into Canada without anyone ever spotting them. There are all those open fields for them to have airdrops and then load up and take the drugs to market. It would be an ideal way to move the drugs and the money,” Colt said.

  “So what does the dog fighting have to do with the drugs?” Paige asked.

  “That’s one we’d like to know,” the sheriff said this time.

  “I think you might have missed something. It seems insignificant in comparison to the other crimes, but what about the dog farm where I found Sheba? Has anyone gone over to the old place to see if someone is staying there?” Paige asked.

  “With all the other things we’ve been following up on, no one from the department has made it over there since the dogs were put down. It’s just outside of Darke County, and technically, out of our jurisdiction. The police department who answered Paige’s call, might have more info though,” said Jack. “I’ll check into it.” He made a note in the little black book he held.

  “So an old barn was abandoned, but was being used to house dog fighting kennels?” asked Dane.

  “We don’t know. The dogs were found on the old Marton farm, but there was no sign of a pit, so I assumed the fights were taking place elsewhere,” Bryce answered.

  “I think I’ll just have me a little peek at the property; might be a good time to go hunting. Don’t you think so, Colt?” Dane asked in feigned innocence.

  “Why, I do believe there’s some nocturnal animals that we could maybe trap,” Colt answered.

  Both men had a hard glint in their eyes. Paige looked from one to the other. She knew she couldn’t stop them, but that didn’t stop her from being afraid for them.

  “Blake, what you said about
a lot of angst is an interesting point. What could Paige, who is newly back in town, have done to draw so much of it? I know the more recent attack was toward me, but she’s been the one targeted. Or is she?” Bryce posed the question.

  With all the attacks, Paige really hadn’t looked for a deeper motive other than drugs making people do crazy things.

  “You’re right, Bryce. This seems very calculated,” agreed Dane.

  “So let’s spread our motive possibilities. Bryce, you’ve stepped on a lot of local toes by coming here and taking charge. The good ol’ boys wouldn’t have liked that,” Blake conjectured.

  “Yeah, but that’s not strong enough for the attacks on Paige, and she was the initial intended victim,” Bryce added.

  “So what’s our time line for recent events? Paige, when did you decide to buy the Slater place?”

  “Four and a half months ago. Right after Colt got shot, I started thinking of finding us a home where we could all decompress when needed.”

  “Yes, but what made you decide to move back here?”

  “Oh, Mr. Slater said he’d heard I might be looking for a place. I said I was and he offered me the property. He said it was time for him to move on.”

  “Ooh, does anyone else not like the level of coincidence?” Dane asked.

  “Yeah, this is starting to sound like a set up. But who and why?” Colt wondered out loud.

  “I don’t have any idea, but all of us, except Blake, should compile a list of people who have an ax to grind with us. Maybe it’ll shake out some possibilities. The other thing is, that old man Slater and my dad used to run a still out in the woods. He cut dad out and that’s when they fought and dad stayed drunk permanently,” Colt added.

  “Anyway, I thought Mr. Slater offering me this place was kind of like a peace offering,” Paige said.

  “Is the still up and running?” Blake asked.

  “Not that I know of,” she answered.

  “What? Bombs, kidnappings, dog fights, and drug running not enough criminal activity for you, Blake?” Dane teased.

  “Just trying to get the scope of the operation: multiple gangs with so many victims,” he replied.