Tyler

by Jennifer Ashley

  “You won’t,” she said. “You won’t go through it again, I promise.”

  Tyler gathered her close and kissed her hair. He knew he wouldn’t go through it again, because he would not let Elijah or Cade anywhere near Jess. He’d make sure they were locked away, no matter what he had to do.

  He caressed Jess’s chin and drew her up for another kiss, this one less fervent but just as heartfelt. Standing here kissing her was the best thing that had happened to him all day … apart from waking up with her and having sex with her. Okay, so that had been better.

  The table that dug into his hip had a wide, sturdy surface. Tyler began to ease Jess down to it, his fingers sliding under the hem of her shirt, finding her warmth …

  The door behind them banged open. “Is this true, Jessica?” Mrs. Alvarez asked in her stentorian tones. “You’re marrying him? I certainly hope so. Take your hand out of her shirt, Mr. Campbell. Dominic is right behind me.”

  Tyler jumped away from Jess. Mrs. Alvarez’s friends piled in, shielding the world from indecorousness until Jess and Tyler were upright and standing side by side.

  Tyler slid his arm around Jess’s waist, loving her warmth so close to him. “Yep, it’s true. All right with you, Dominic, if I marry your mom?”

  Dominic stormed in past the ladies and barreled into Tyler’s legs, hugging him hard, then he looked up at them both, his face flushed.

  “Well, yeah,” he said, as though the question hadn’t been necessary. “This is awesome. Faith got a new brother today, but I get a new dad.”

  * * *

  Tyler knew he and Jess wouldn’t have any privacy back at Circle C with the massive celebration going on, so he resigned himself to sleeping alone. He walked Jess and Dominic to his apartment after the large after-hours feast and champagne to toast the arrival of Zach and the engagement of Tyler and Jess.

  Tyler checked to make sure the apartment was safe, then kissed Jess good night at the bottom of the steps, regretting his decision to sleep apart from her as soon as their lips touched. He brought his hand up to cup her breast, the darkness shielding them from Dominic, who had already scampered up the stairs.

  But no, Jess needed to rest, Tyler needed to calm the hell down, and besides, he had plans to put in motion.

  “Night,” he said as the kiss eased to its end.

  Jess gave him a hungry look that almost crumpled his resolve. Then she nodded, as though as determined as he that they keep calm until things were settled.

  Once Tyler knew Jess would be safe forever, he would take her to bed and make love to her until they were both unconscious and too weak to move.

  Tyler cleared his throat. “Night,” he said again.

  “Night,” Jess whispered back.

  Tyler touched her cheek. “Night,” he murmured.

  Jess pulled him close and gave him one hell of a kiss.

  When she released Tyler, he staggered back a step, his lips raw. Damn, when they let loose, it was going to be monumental.

  He finally made himself leave her, watching her hips sway every step up to the apartment. His body hated him the moment she closed the door, shutting him out, but he forced himself to turn around and walk away.

  Tyler took the rest of the night to make a ton of phone calls. Once Adam and Grant and families went home, it was quiet. Carter, Faith, and Tyler’s mom had remained at the clinic with Grace and the new baby. Mrs. Alvarez and her friends had turned down the Campbell hospitality—they’d have had to squeeze into two rooms if they did—and were staying at a cozy B&B near the river.

  That left Tyler alone to make calls and plan.

  His thoughts strayed often to Jess, who would be stretched out in his bed in the apartment, sleep-warm and sexy. He imagined her curves outlined by the sheets, her lips parted as she slept.

  Tyler’s imaginings made him go hard, and then he experienced again the sensation of free falling when she’d said, So, yes, I’ll marry you, Tyler Campbell … Because I love you.

  That had to be one of the best moments of his life. He’d say the best, but being inside Jess was even better. Now, if he could get her to say it while they made love …

  Tyler beat back his straying thoughts and made his plans. Tyler loved her, and he’d marry her. Now to keep her safe.

  In the morning, before the sun rose, he went to the ranch’s office and met Carter’s friends and Jack Hillman, a local tough who was a friend of the Malorys as well as Carter.

  “All right?” Tyler said at the end of his instructions.

  “I heard all about Elijah,” Noah, the man Tyler had sent up to Dallas to watch over Jess at the bar, said. His brother, Hayden, stood next to him, the two a solid wall of tatt-covered muscle. “Even before I saw him. He’s one bad asshole. Sure you want to tangle with him?”

  “Not sure at all. The idea is not to. I just want him to screw up enough that he’ll get himself arrested, with enough shit to stick to get him convicted. So much that any plea bargain he makes will still get him a long stretch.”

  “He’ll be armed,” Jack warned. “So will his friends.”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass.” Tyler said calmly. “I’m not stopping until he’s done.”

  He’d learned a long time ago that the best way to deal with bullies was to take them down. No bargaining, no hoping they’d go away; he’d learned to stand up and punch them in the mouth. Tyler knew plenty about fighting—he’d fought Carter when Carter had first arrived at the ranch, had learned a lot from him. Mostly that, in Carter’s world and Elijah’s, you fought for keeps. You didn’t tangle with someone if you weren’t prepared to fight dirty.

  Carter, in fact, would be the best brother to back him up, but Tyler didn’t want to pull him away from his family. He remembered the quietude in Carter’s eyes when he’d looked up from baby Zach, and Tyler wanted that tranquility to remain with his brother always.

  “First thing we need to do,” Tyler said to his crew. “Is find them.”

  Jack shrugged. “Easy. Go back to where you found Elijah before. The biker bar.”

  “I was thinking somewhere less crowded,” Tyler said. “Where he won’t have twenty guys at his beck and call. Plus, I want to do this fast. Today. Before he starts a serious hunt for Jess.”

  “He runs a motorcycle parts business,” Noah said. “Not far from the bar, but I don’t know where. Heard guys talking about it.” He shrugged. “Sorry I didn’t find out more.”

  Tyler only nodded. Noah had been in place to run interference for Jess, watching over her when Tyler couldn’t, and Tyler would be forever grateful to him for that.

  “Call him.” Jack spoke with conviction. “That will draw him out.”

  “Don’t know his number,” Tyler said. “But if I can find out where he lives or where this parts store is, we can corner him when he’s not expecting it.”

  The other three nodded. “How?” Jack asked. “Since we’re meeting at the butt-crack of dawn, I’m guessing you don’t want your girlfriend to know we’re doing this.”

  Tyler knew exactly how he’d discover where Elijah spent his days. “Saddle up, boys,” he said. “Figuratively. A warning—where I’m taking you right now, don’t say a word. You’d regret it. Look tough, but like you’re soft on the inside. Can you do that?”

  Jack chuckled, though Noah and Hayden looked puzzled. Tyler didn’t explain as they piled into his pickup and he drove off to Riverbend’s most popular B&B.

  * * *

  Jess woke in the morning, her fuzzy thoughts a mixture of elation and fear. At first she couldn’t remember why she felt either one, and then memories poured at her.

  Elation because she’d taken a leap of faith and told Tyler she’d marry him. She let herself swim in that thought for a few minutes, her pure happiness telling her she’d made the right choice.

  Then the fear eked its way in. Cade was out of prison and he and Elijah might even now have figured out where Jess had gone, in spite of Mrs. Alvarez’s assurances that she’d
lost them. If so, they’d be on their way.

  Next came nervousness, because Tyler’s face when he’d talked about going after Cade and Elijah told her he hadn’t been idly speculating. Tyler wanted to deal with the problem for once and for all, and she didn’t think he’d wait for the police to act.

  Her concern on this point made Jess hurry through a shower, throw on clothes, and rush to the main house, where Dominic had already gone. She found her son eating his way through a mountain of pancakes, Olivia Campbell, home from the clinic, taking over kitchen duty from Grace.

  “Where’s Tyler?” Jess asked breathlessly. She’d not seen him out in the rings with horses or anywhere in the house.

  “Not here,” Olivia answered. “He left early, or so Carrie—she’s one of the ranch hands—told me.”

  “To go where?”

  Olivia gave Jess a look of surprise. “Carrie didn’t know. There’s a lot to do on a ranch, Jess. Feed to buy and haul, constant repairs, negotiating with horse owners, dealing with farriers, vets, you name it. Everything happens early in the morning. I’m afraid you’ll have to get used to that.”

  Olivia must not know what Tyler and Ross had planned. Jess closed her mouth over her babbling—having Olivia worried about her two youngest sons wouldn’t solve anything. She didn’t want Dominic worrying either. He was listening closely as he licked every drop of syrup from his fork.

  The next minute, Dominic dropped the fork onto his empty plate and jumped from his chair, running to the door. “It’s Mrs. Alvarez!” he sang out, and dashed onto the porch.

  Mrs. Alvarez and her friends—Connie, Maria, and Virginia—had arrived in Mrs. Alvarez’s big truck with its enclosed bed. They descended, arguing about something, but Mrs. Alvarez broke off when she saw Jess.

  “Honey, I’m so happy for you.” She enfolded Jess into her warm embrace. “Plus, I have a surprise for you,” she said when she released her. “Didn’t get a chance to give it to you with all the craziness last night.”

  She took Jess by the hand and led her around the back of the pickup, opening the door of the bed. Inside was Jess’s motorcycle, her small Harley, gleaming black and chrome.

  Jess’s heart swelled with joy. She reached for the motorcycle, closing her hands around its handlebars as though she embraced an old friend, while Dominic punched the air. “Sweet!” he yelled.

  “Thank you.” Jess turned to Mrs. Alvarez. “I hated leaving it behind. I was so afraid Elijah would take it.”

  “I went and got it as soon as I could, so it would be gone when he came to pick you up. I’m just so sorry, honey, that I let him catch me at the pharmacy. I tried to have them deliver your meds to my address temporarily, but they wouldn’t.”

  “We’ll take care of that.” Jess started to lift down the bike, and was joined at once by the other four ladies. Between the five of them, they had it on the ground without mishap. “I’ll be starting a new job soon—I need to go see Karen, the woman who will be hiring me today. That is, once I figure out where Tyler went and make sure he’s all right.”

  The guilty look Mrs. Alvarez flashed made Jess go still. Mrs. Alvarez tried to hide her face by bending to examine the bike, as though she’d never seen a speedometer before, but Jess knew she hadn’t mistaken the expression.

  Her voice hardened. “Do you know where he is?”

  Mrs. Alvarez wouldn’t look at her, and Virginia, Connie, and Maria turned uneasily, pretending to admire the landscape.

  “Mrs. Alvarez,” Jess said firmly. “Carmina.” Jess never called Mrs. Alvarez by her first name, respecting the woman’s wishes, but this was a special circumstance.

  Mrs. Alvarez at last raised her head, defiance in her dark eyes. “I’m sorry, Jessica. I think he’s right. Such men will never stop unless we stop them.” She lifted her chin. “Tyler asked me where Elijah lived and where he worked. I told him. Tyler had three tough men with him who looked like they could take care of themselves. And take care of Elijah.”

  Fear smacked Jess. She’d suspected when she didn’t see Tyler around that he’d gone to confront Elijah. Tyler was decisive and didn’t wait long between thought and action. Damn it.

  Jess balled her fists. “Dominic, go back inside and stay with Mrs. Campbell.” She moved to the motorcycle as Dominic reluctantly retreated to the porch, and swung her leg over the seat, a much more familiar action than climbing on a horse. She’d worried when she was diagnosed that she’d have to give up riding, but she’d not had as much problem as she’d feared. Like many people, she’d had the disease for years before she’d realized it, and she’d been riding so long that her body had learned to adjust when she went out on the bike. She’d never be the best rider in the world, but she could still do it.

  She thought of how Tyler’s hands had steadied her when he’d hoisted her into the saddle, how gentle he’d been with her, knowing she was afraid. She’d do anything to feel his hands around her again, hear his voice comforting her.

  Mrs. Alvarez grabbed onto the bike as Jess put her key in the ignition. “You aren’t going after them,” she said in agitation. “Alone? Do not be foolish.”

  “Not alone,” Jess answered, and let the bike roar to life. The feel of it vibrating beneath her once more gave her confidence. “Tyler has a large family, lots of big, strong brothers who will be happy to help me drag him back home. Stay here and watch over Dominic. Please.”

  Mrs. Alvarez looked stubborn but finally let go of the handlebar she clung to and stepped back, relenting. “You be careful. Go get Tyler if you have to, but you stay out of the way and let the men fight.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” Jess said. “I’m good at taking care of myself, and Adam and Grant will be terrific bodyguards. I’ll call you when Tyler’s safe.”

  Mrs. Alvarez nodded, resigned if not happy. “God go with you, honey,” she said.

  Jess plucked her helmet from its place on the back of the bike and slid it onto her head, another familiar action that calmed her further. She was glad that Grace had showed her all over town, because she knew exactly where to go to find help.

  “Counting on it,” she said. Then she gunned the motorcycle, lifted her feet, and glided away.

  * * *

  Tyler was already inside and waiting when Elijah arrived to open his auto parts shop at ten in the morning. Tyler and his backup had decided to confront Elijah there, where he wouldn’t have neighbors who might defend him, or who might even call the cops. Tyler wanted Elijah going down, not himself and Carter’s friends.

  The shop was on a back Dallas street, surrounded by similar places, older buildings with small businesses in them—a pawn shop, a tattoo parlor, and one that advertised massage, which Tyler was pretty sure didn’t mean a spa with massage therapy. Elijah’s auto parts shop seemed to contain mostly used bits from junkyards or broken-down motorcycles, though he had new products in stock as well. A small bay in the back of the store stood ready to fit parts on bikes right there.

  Elijah worked this shop alone, so Ross had found out, hiring temporary assistance from time to time. He came and went as he pleased, and was late this morning, but then, there weren’t hordes of customers beating down the door. He probably used the shop as a front for drug dealing or maybe stolen motorcycles and parts, though Tyler couldn’t see anything in the shop that pointed specifically to illegal activities.

  Elijah wasn’t alone. He walked in with another man who looked nothing like what Tyler thought he would. While Elijah was unmistakable as a lifetime biker, the second man could have put on a suit and gone to work in a downtown high rise. He had dark hair cut short, a slim but muscular build, and was not much more than five and a half feet, five-six at most. On the other hand, he had the sun-bronzed face of a man who took his exercise once a day under glaring southwestern Texas skies, and the hard coldness of a criminal who had no remorse.

  Jess had been married to this man. Tyler clenched his fists as he, Jack, and the other two rose from where they’d been relaxing
behind the counter. He supposed Cade had a handsomeness coupled with an air of danger, something women seemed to respond to. He’d noticed that especially in women who had gone after Carter. Grace, bless her heart, had liked him because he was Carter.

  Tyler reminded himself that Jess must have been very young when she’d met the guy. As young and stupid as he’d been at the end of high school, when he’d thought he held the world in his hands.

  Elijah halted in surprise when he saw the four men, his hand going to the holster at his side. “Who the fuck? Oh, yeah, I remember you.” Elijah relaxed as he looked Tyler over, but his hand remained on the butt of his gun. “The cowboy dumb-ass enough to come into my bar. I bet you want your revenge. You really are a dumb-ass.”

  “No, just came to talk.” Tyler leaned his arms on the counter as though Elijah’s gun didn’t worry him. He kept his eye on Elijah’s hand though. If that gun came out, Tyler would be on the floor in a flash.

  He knew Jack had armed himself, and probably Noah and Hayden had too. Texas was an open carry state, which was why Elijah could walk around with what looked like a Sig in his holster. Jack and his friends chose to conceal, legal if they had a permit. Tyler hadn’t bothered to ask to see those permits—Ross would know, and that was good enough for him.

  Cade, on the other hand, didn’t have a weapon in sight, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have one on him. He’d be barred from carrying at all, which meant he’d have to do it stealthily. He wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near weapons, and probably nowhere near guys like Elijah, but Tyler didn’t think Cade really gave a shit, as long as he wasn’t caught.

  “Talk about what?” Elijah asked easily. “How I kicked your ass? Did you want me to apologize? I told you about him, right?” he asked Cade. “Your wife was there that night, trying to get my boys to leave the poor cowboy alone. It was fucking funny.”

  Cade gave a nod, not looking very interested. Tyler realized with a start that these guys had no idea Tyler and Jess had left together that night, no idea Jess had gone to Riverbend to find him. That knowledge made Tyler relax a fraction.