Forever Notorious

by Kathleen Brooks

  “I thought she liked my brother, so I guess we’re all way off base,” Greer said as she looked back to her brother, Jackson.

  “I like my women with a little less chance of death attached to them,” Jackson joked as he took a seat. Poppy was immediately over to help move a couple tables together to fit them all and, as Abby watched, to say hello to Lucas. In return, Lucas blushed.

  “You were never up for adventure,” Dylan teased his cousin. “But all the good ones are worth a little risk.”

  “I’m looking at the risk, and he’s not little,” Jackson deadpanned.

  Dylan held out a chair for Abby. When they all sat down, he rested his hand on her knee under the table. Abby fought the urge to hide their relationship like she’d had to hide everything else in her life.

  Everyone at the table talked excitedly, but it rang fake as the underlying worry never truly disappeared. They kept casting glances at her father as if they expected him to leap across the table and strangle Dylan. Well, she guessed that was in the realm of possibility since Riley and Reagan’s dad, Cy, did something similar to Carter when he and Riley went public with their relationship.

  Soon the café was filled to bursting with all the Davies crew and most of the town. The Rose sisters and their husbands held court at their table as bets flew about Abby and Dylan. That was, until Aniyah burst into the café.

  “Lord help me,” she said as she exhaled loudly. “My Sugarbear just nixed my idea of an ancient Roman wedding. I have to start all over now! All I wanted was a chariot to carry me down the aisle.”

  “Come join us and tell us all about it,” Riley said to her. Aniyah worked with Riley and basically ran her office in the state legislature. Riley had been elected, and after meeting Aniyah, knew she was best woman for the job. Riley had told Abby a couple times that the governor had tried to steal Aniyah away, but that she was loyal to Riley. They weren’t just co-workers but friends. Everyone in town was her friend now. Everyone loved Aniyah and in return, she loved them all, too.

  “Well, he saw the quote for all of the marble decorations and freaked out. And then he found out about the chariot . . . and that he was to wear a leather gladiator tux.” Aniyah sat down heavily on the chair and let out a long sigh. “Now what am I going to do?”

  “We’ll help in any way we can,” Piper said to her as everyone nodded their agreement.

  “Really?”

  “Really,” the women all answered.

  Aniyah lit up as she looked around. “Let’s do a PJ planning party tonight!”

  “Umm,” Abby said, interrupting, “what’s a PJ planning party?”

  “Come to my house tonight in your PJs and we’ll drink and plan.”

  Duh. It was exactly what it sounded like.

  “I don’t know if this is wise,” Dylan whispered in her ear.

  “Oh, honey dumplin’, don’t you worry your fine ass about a thing. I got Thor right here to protect little Abby.” Aniyah pulled out her embarrassingly large gun and everyone except Dylan hit the floor.

  “I’d feel better about it if you’d let me give you some lessons on how to actually shoot your target.”

  Aniyah huffed as she stroked Thor. “I do shoot my target. I just happen to always hit them in the foot. But I’ll happily take the lessons. It helps me blow off steam. Then maybe I won’t shoot my Sugarbear for not letting me have a working Trevi Fountain next to the wedding cake at the reception.”

  “Well, you can do this shooting practice after work today,” Riley said, standing up. “But now it’s time for us to get to work.”

  “Lordy, I’ll need it then for sure. I’ll see you at six, dumplin’.” Aniyah winked.

  “Meet me at the security building on the farm. After shooting, I’ll drive you and Abby to the PJ party.”

  Aniyah smiled down at him. “I think it’s a lovely idea for you to join us at the party for a male point of view. After all, anyone who can survive my tiger over there can help plan a little ole wedding.” Aniyah winked at Ahmed, and Abby would have sworn her father blushed.

  “Sounds good,” Abby said as they waved goodbye to Riley and Aniyah. Abby couldn’t stop laughing.

  “What?” Dylan asked.

  “You’re so in trouble tonight.” Then all the women at the table looked at each other and broke into fits of laughter.

  “It’s just some planning. How hard could it be?”

  17

  Dylan was going to lose. Ahmed would never give his approval for him to be with Abby. Aniyah was simply the worst shot he’d ever seen. The more he tried to teach her, the worse she got.

  True, he could probably get Abby to agree to a future between them, but he knew she’d be upset if her father wasn’t supportive. And ultimately, everyone would be unhappy instead of celebrating their love. And yes, it was love. Dylan had buried it down deep, but he’d loved her since high school. Even when she sat laughing her ass off at his inability to teach Aniyah to shoot. And now he was in for a completely different kind of torture.

  He stood against the back wall of Aniyah’s living room where Abby and the rest of his female cousins sat in their pajamas ready to help plan a wedding.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t see who it was,” Aniyah said with a pout as she picked up a bag and turned to the group of women, and Dylan, gathered in her living room.

  “None of us saw anything out of the normal,” Layne said with a shrug as they all stared at the panties that had been found in the bathroom at the Blossom Café.

  “I vow, someday I’ll find them out,” Aniyah swore. “Here, dumplin’, this is for you. It is a pajama party.” Dylan took the pink bag with black tissue paper as if it contained an explosive device. “Go on, open it.”

  Dylan didn’t want to open it. He really didn’t. But he found himself pulling the tissue paper from the bag and gulped. Oh. Hell. No.

  “What is it?” Abby asked as he shook his head and Aniyah grinned.

  “Come on, show everyone. It’s for tonight,” Aniyah said as his cousins-turned-traitors demanded to see what it was.

  Dylan pulled the small scrap of tiger print thong from the bag. The front pouch had little ears sewn onto each side and instead of a vicious tiger face on the pouch, it was of a cute cub.

  “Since Ahmed’s my tiger and you’re trying to be his son-in-law, I thought you’d be adorable as a tiger kitty.”

  Dylan couldn’t make eye contact with anyone in the room that was now filled with laughter. And not the polite kind, but the gut-splitting kind. “Meow,” Dylan said as he put them back in the bag.

  “Oh no, I think you should put them on,” Abby called out.

  “No, please no,” Piper cried out as she held her stomach tightly, her face red with laughter. “That’s not a sight I want to see. He is my brother, after all.”

  Dylan looked to Abby. Her hands were covering her face. Her shoulders were shaking, and she was leaning against Layne as if she couldn’t sit up on her own. When she finally dropped her hands, he could see tears of laughter streaming down her face, and it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  “Well, if it’s really that important,” Dylan said, pulling his shirt up and over his head. When he went for his pants, his sister screamed, “Stop!” But Abby wasn’t laughing anymore. Now she was staring. Maybe he’d put the tiger kitty thong on anyway for her when they were alone, because seeing her smile while her eyes turned dark with desire made the embarrassment completely worth it.

  “Fine, I’ll save them for later,” Dylan said to the relief of most of the women.

  “Well, darn,” Aniyah grumbled as she took out a large binder overflowing with materials and magazine clippings. “I guess we’ll get to work then.”

  Poppy and her sister, Zinnia, turned up the music in the Blossom Café as soon as the last patrons left. They danced and sang as their much older cousins and owners of the café, Lily, Daisy, and Violet talked about a new menu item they wanted Zinnia to add. Their husbands had left
after dinner for their poker night while the sweet old women continued to gossip with the patrons.

  Zinnia tied off the garbage bag and hefted it from the trashcan. Using her bottom, she pushed open the back door and felt the sharp tip of the knife press against her neck. Oh God. They’d found her and her sister after all these years. They’d thought they were in the clear. They had thought no one from home would look for them. But she was wrong. It was time to pay for what she and Poppy had done.

  “Inside, now,” the feminine voice ordered as she wrapped an arm around Zinnia’s chest and gripped her opposite shoulder tightly. Zinnia’s back was pressed against the woman as they slowly marched inside.

  Her younger sister was dancing with her back to her as she wiped down tables. Everything Zinnia had done was to protect Poppy, but now it was too late. She didn’t know how to protect her anymore.

  “Poppy, run!” Zinnia yelled before she felt the point of the knife dig into her neck followed by the warmth of her blood.

  “No one move, and turn off that damn music,” the intruder demanded above the cries from the Rose sisters. Poppy froze as she turned around slowly, her face going white at the sight of Zinnia held hostage.

  Run, Zinnia mouthed, but Poppy shook her head. She’d never been able to leave Zinnia before. She should have that night their lives changed forever. Zinnia had told her to run then, too, but she hadn’t. And now it was too late.

  Cousin Lily stood up on wobbly legs and slowly made her way to the radio, turning it off. “What is going on?” she asked the woman, her voice heavy in its censure. Zinnia sent up a silent prayer to protect the Rose sisters. They didn’t know who they were taking into their homes and hearts all those years ago when Poppy and Zinnia fled in the dead of the night. They were innocent in all of this and Zinnia wouldn’t be able to live with another death.

  “I want Abigail Mueez here in ten minutes or I’m slicing this woman’s throat.”

  Zinnia froze. Wait, what? “Abby?”

  She saw Daisy was already sending out a text.

  “Yes, I know you know her. I watched you all talking to her today. I can’t get to her, but I can get to you. Tell her if she’s not here, I’ll start with this one,” she said poking the knife into Zinnia’s throat. “Then I’ll finish the rest of you with either the knife or the gun.”

  “Okay, missy,” Daisy said calmly. “I’m sending her the text now.”

  Zinnia watched as Violet reached deep into her purse, but the woman holding her had only eyes for Zinnia and Poppy. She didn’t see three old ladies as a threat. She should have. Poppy and Zinnia were the only two unarmed people in the room. Ever since that night in Alabama when their whole lives changed, neither of them had picked up a weapon again.

  Abby had gone cross-eyed. She’d never planned a wedding and had no idea there were so many things to consider. Since DeAndre said no to the ancient Roman theme, and inspired by the tiger print thong, they had settled on an animal print motif.

  She tried to ignore Dylan standing against the back wall where he had a line of sight on every door. And she tried to forget that Jackson, Talon, and Lucas were patrolling outside. But then Dylan’s phone went off. Despite his casual glance, she noticed his jaw tighten. Something was wrong.

  The front door flew open as Jackson burst in. “What do you want to do?” he asked Dylan, ignoring all his cousins asking what was going on.

  “We can’t leave Abby and she can’t go either,” Dylan said, already moving toward her. He wrapped his hand around her shoulder and practically picked her up.

  “Talon and Lucas already left. I couldn’t ask them to stay,” Jackson told Dylan.

  “I understand.” He was propelling her out the door, ignoring her demand to know what was going on as their cousins and Aniyah all followed them outside into the cold. “We’re going to stash her in Paige’s apartment above the store on Main Street. Call in Walker and Aiden.”

  “Already did,” Jackson said, looking down at his phone. “The uncles and Ahmed are ready to move as well.”

  Dylan shook his head. “I want a small group. Direct the uncles and Ahmed to Paige’s. They can guard Abby.”

  Abby spun from Dylan’s grip as he tried to propel her from the house. “What is going on?” she demanded to know.

  “There’s a hostage situation at the café.”

  Oh no. Abby felt her stomach drop. “Who?”

  “The Rose sisters, Zinnia, and Poppy.” Dylan showed her the text from Daisy with the picture attached.

  “That’s one of Chet’s girls,” Abby said, feeling the anger flare to life through her body as she took in the image of the blood trickling down Zinnia’s neck. “I’m going.”

  “No, you’re not,” Dylan and Jackson said at the same time.

  Dylan pushed her into his SUV and got behind the wheel as Jackson shoved her head down and kept her body covered with his.

  “I want to go with you,” Abby yelled up from where Jackson had a hand on her head, keeping it down.

  “Listen, Abby, I know you do this for a living, but so do I. I can’t operate with you there. I’d be distracted,” Dylan told her as he sped the short distance to Main Street.

  “I know, but this is my fault.”

  “Do you trust me, Abby?” Dylan asked.

  “With my life,” she answered immediately.

  “Then let me do this my way, please.”

  Abby was quiet for a moment. She wanted to fight with him about this, but she knew better. She knew it could be a setup. “Okay. I’ll do what you say.”

  * * *

  Dylan knew how hard it was for Abby to agree, but he was instantly swamped with relief. “Jackson, have Talon and Lucas park up by the bed and breakfast, then make their way down to the courthouse. Call Cody at the sheriff’s station and have him meet them at the backdoor. Who’s the better sniper?”

  “Talon is,” Jackson answered. “Roof?”

  “Yes,” Dylan said. “And send Lucas around to the back of the café. Have Aiden work with Lucas and have Walker clear the roof on top of the bank. It’s the other location with a line of sight into the café.”

  “Got it,” Jackson said as he removed his hand from Abby’s head and got to work sending the messages.

  “What will you be doing?” Abby asked Dylan.

  “I’ll be going through the front door.”

  18

  “There you are!” Ahmed grabbed his daughter and hugged her tight. From the outside, Paige’s hat shop looked completely empty, but after going up the fire escape stairs in the back to the second-floor apartment, they found it full of heavily armed people. Ahmed had brought Nash and Nabi while calling in all of the Davies brothers as well as a smattering of Davies cousins.

  “What’s the plan?” Uncle Miles asked, easily slipping into his Delta Force past.

  “Walker and Talon will have sniper positions on the roofs of the courthouse and bank while Lucas and Aiden will be out back ready to move in. I’ll go in through the front door while Jackson has my back.”

  “Let me go with Lucas and Aiden,” Bridget said, holding one of her military trained Belgian Malinois. The lithe tan dog had a black face and its ears stood at the ready. One command and the dog would head straight into danger.

  “Good idea,” Dylan said, and he nodded at the dog.

  “How come she gets to go?” Abby asked as if she were pouting. Her father had the same look on his face.

  “Because I need you here and protected. There’s no one better to protect you here than your father.”

  The backdoor opened as Ryan and Matt rushed inside. “What the hell? You don’t call us? Cody just called me to tell me what was going on,” Matt said angrily. “This is still my town, don’t forget that. Now, I’m coming with you.”

  “If he’s coming, too—”

  “Abby, please,” Dylan begged. This was already becoming too big of an operation. The more people who were visible, the more cars seen, the greater the chance of somethi
ng going very wrong.

  “With all due respect,” Jackson started to say. “We’re trained in hostage rescue. We know what we’re doing. If you want to help, stay hidden but at the ready. Keep a lookout through the top-floor windows, but stay in the shadows. You can report if you see anyone fleeing or, more importantly, anyone trying to sneak up on us.”

  “Ryan and Matt, if you want to help, get to the top of two buildings. One in the middle of Main Street and one heading out of town,” Dylan told them. They didn’t like it. He understood that. He was pulling rank when he actually had very little authority except when protecting Abby. And he didn’t care who got pissed off if it kept her safe.

  “I agree with Dylan; I think it’s the best way to keep Abby safe while rescuing the hostages.” Dylan’s eyes met Ahmed’s and the two passed a silent nod to each other. Dylan might not have Ahmed on board when it came to dating his daughter, but he did have his trust to do his job, which was to save lives.

  “Then, let’s go. Matt, Ryan, I’ll give you five minutes and then we’re moving in. Report as soon as you’re in position and let us know if we’re clear.”

  Dylan waited for Matt and Ryan to leave as he looked around the room. He moved to the sash on the curtain and yanked it free before pulling off his shirt. “Miles, can you tie this to my upper back?” he asked handing him the sash and his gun. “I need to be able to reach it if I put my hands behind my head.”

  Miles wrapped the thin sash around Dylan’s upper chest, directly under his shoulders, and tied it so tight that the gun was pressed securely against his back. Dylan tested the reach and when it worked, he turned to the rest of his team. “Let’s get into position. No one move until I say.”

  “Here,” Nash said, taking off his jacket and tossing it to Dylan. “This is one of Piper’s bulletproof and stab-proof jackets. “We’ve all got your back. Just let us know if you need us.”

  “Thank you.” Dylan was ready to leave, but Abby pushed past her father and wrapped her arms around him before tilting her head up and kissing him quickly on the lips.