“This isn’t a good place for you to be,” Andrews said, knowing his plea would fall on deaf ears, yet hoping the men would go back home.
“We’re here with three vehicles. What can we do?” Heath asked.
“Follow me.” Andrews showed them a large map of the area, colorized with the names of those canvassing each section. “This is where we have the least coverage. There are hundreds of old roads, driveways, and abandoned buildings. It could take days or weeks to check all locations. My guess is they’re hiding the women somewhere in here.”
“We own land in this area.” Jace pointed to a spot within the area the sheriff suggested they cover. He looked at Heath. “An old warehouse and block building our father built in the late 1950s.” Jace glanced at Tip and Buck. “You know, when everyone was building fallout shelters. I haven’t been by there for a couple of years.”
“It would be just like Robbie to find property owned by the MacLarens and hide the hostages there. He’d find it ironic.” Kade stared at the location. “It’s as good a place as any to start.”
******
Swinger opened the door and looked inside. The women sat together on the cot and fell silent as he stepped inside. He grabbed Brooke, hauling her in front of him.
“Do you have any idea what your old man had to do to earn the patches he wore?” He let out a cruel laugh. “I can see you don’t. Well, let me tell you.” He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, loud enough for Amber and Dana to hear. Brooke’s eyes grew wide before tears began to form and she tried to jerk away. He shoved her back on the bed. “And you know what else, the brothers watched.” He walked to the door. “Now you three behave. There’s someone coming to talk with you and I don’t want you giving him any of your lip.” He slammed the door behind him, the sound of the lock sliding into place ringing in their ears.
Amber scooted over next to her, pain flowing through her at what Swinger had told Brooke. “It’s going to be all right. We’ll figure a way out of this, and when we do, we’ll put it all behind us. What we learned here will stay in these walls—forever.” She looked at Dana who nodded.
“After I kill as many of them as I can.” Brooke’s words were barely discernable, but Amber had no doubt if Brooke had a weapon, she’d do all she could to make good on her vow.
Swinger ascended the stairs just as Robbie and three others stopped their bikes and got off.
“They downstairs?”
“Right where you want them, Robbie. Downstairs at the far back corner.” Swinger answered as they walked toward the cement block building. “Taylor’s old lady and two others. All three live on the ranch, so the other two must be connected to the MacLarens.”
Robbie looked around at the hidden location, wondering how long it would take Taylor to figure out they were hiding right in the middle of MacLaren property. They’d always told each other the best hiding places were those no one would figure to look because they were just too obvious. Robbie had no doubt Taylor would figure it out, even if no one else did—and he’d come for his old lady.
“All right. Let’s go.” Robbie descended the stairs, trudged down the hallway to the last door, and stopped.
Most of the brothers had no problem using women as hostages. He did. It became a last resort for him, except in this case, he looked forward to the look on Kade’s face when he got a glimpse of his old lady in captivity. It wouldn’t be pretty. Robbie knew his ex-brother would make the exchange right there. They’d already planned to leave the three women, taking just the man they came for, who would disappear on their way north.
Robbie turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping into a room that smelled stale from the musty, damp air. Three women huddled together on a small bed.
“Which one?”
Swinger pointed to Brooke. “The blonde.”
Robbie stopped in front of her to look into hostile eyes full of intelligence—and fear.
“Boys tell me your name is Brooke. Looks like you’re the key to getting Taylor to come to us.” He reached out, grasping strands of her hair, and letting them slide through his fingers. “I never knew him to be attracted to regular citizens. His tastes ran tough and hard, toward women who could deal with his demands. That you, sugar? A woman who can deal with a man like him?”
Brooke tried to turn away, but his grip tightened enough to cause her to wince in pain.
“Back off. What do you expect her to say with you looming over her?” Dana glared at Robbie, defiance flashing in her eyes.
He looked over at her, a grim smile on his face. “What’s your name, sugar?”
Amber’s eyes widened at the endearment he’d used twice, and looked at Dana. “You don’t need to tell him. Let him figure it out.”
Robbie let go of Brooke to grab Amber’s chin, tilting her face toward him. She refused to meet his gaze, shaking her head violently. His grip tightened, forcing her to look up at him.
“I don’t know who you two are and I don’t fuckin’ care. You can stay in this room and rot, ‘cause no one’s likely to ever find you once we leave. You play nice and we just might let someone know about you. You get me?”
Amber nodded, then glanced at the floor when he let go of her chin.
“Here’s how it will be. There’s no doubt in my mind Taylor will show up. We’ll trade his old lady for him and leave you two here as security until we get away. In the meantime, nothing will happen to you—if you behave.”
Amber stared at him, the cadence of his voice washing over her.
“What the hell do you expect us to do? Run?” Dana tried to stand, but Robbie pushed her back on the bed.
Robbie looked over his shoulder at Swinger, a feral gleam in his eyes. “Maybe I’ll change my mind and we’ll take this one with us. What do you think?”
Swinger leaned against the wall, cracking his knuckles, looking bored. “She’s a fireball, that’s for sure. She might make a good club whore.” His chuckle caused the hairs on Dana’s neck to bristle. She’d heard the term—a woman made available to all club members—and knew she’d rather be dead than forced to live like that.
“Never,” she ground out, eyes flashing.
Amber continued to stare at him, fear and confusion mixing in her mind.
Robbie let his eyes wander over each of the women once more, then settled his gaze on Dana. “You know what, sugar? You just might like it.” He turned toward the door and took a couple of steps.
“Daddy…” a voice behind him breathed out, so low he almost missed it. He stopped, going completely still at the sound and pitch of the strained voice. He turned around to look at the three.
“Who said that?” He moved closer, taking another hard look at each.
“I…did.”
His gaze shot to the one in the middle with mahogany colored hair and jade green eyes with gold flecks. His breath hitched as he stared into those eyes.
“What’s your name, sugar?” His voice sounded odd and shaky.
“Amber.”
His features froze as his heartbeat seemed to stop. He dropped to one knee, cupping her face in his hands, noting every feature, wanting to make certain. He grabbed the hem of her blouse and yanked it up, ignoring the shouts of the other two women, and searched for something. His eyes landed on a small birthmark, a star, just to the right of her belly button. He dropped her blouse and grabbed her by her bound wrists, pulling her up, leading her from the room.
“What the hell, Robbie?” Swinger asked, afraid he already knew the answer.
Robbie looked over his shoulder. “You and Joker watch those two. No one else comes down here except us three. You got me?”
“Yeah, I got you.” Swinger didn’t like it one bit, but he’d do anything for Robbie, even give his life for the man. Which he might have to do before this was done.
Robbie opened the door to a room at the base of the stairs and pulled Amber inside. He turned her toward him, pulled out a knife, and cut the zip tie. She rubbed her wrists, n
ot taking her eyes from the man she knew to be her birth father. The man who’d walked away from her when she was seven and never returned.
He paced a few feet away, dragging a hand through his hair, then placing fisted hands on his hips. He spun toward her.
“What the hell am I going to do with you?”
“Is that all you have to say to me after all these years?”
The sadness in her voice almost brought him to his knees. She wanted answers. He had none, at least nothing he could use to justify his actions years before. He’d been vulnerable when his father, Sonny, forced him to give up the only person in his life who’d ever mattered—Amber.
“I saw you playing softball at school once. You were about thirteen. I knew you’d turn into a beauty, and you have.”
“You saw me? Why didn’t you say anything?” She took a step toward him then stopped, clasping her hands in front of her.
“I wasn’t supposed to know where you were living or who adopted you. My friend in social services in Wyoming told me, but made me promise I’d never approach you without going through her. She died the next year.” His voice held the sadness of a man who’d bottled up the loss of his daughter for over twenty years, telling himself he’d had no other choice. “Your adopted family moved shortly afterwards. I was never able to find you again and decided it was for the best. You were happy, with a good family, you didn’t need someone like me messing in your life.” He leaned his back against a wall and slid to the floor, resting his elbows on his knees.
She sat down next to him and took his hand in hers. “You were a good father. I missed you.” Her voice broke as she remembered the man who played dress up with her, took her for ice cream, and let her watch scary movies. She leaned toward him, resting her head on his shoulder.
Robbie wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, and placed a kiss on the top of her head. Amber being here changed everything.
“What do the other two women mean to you?”
“I’ve known Kade’s wife, Brooke, since high school. I dated her younger brother, Eric Sinclair. He’s my fiancé.” She held up her left hand so Robbie could see the ring. “Dana is my closest friend. She’s like a sister to me. They’re all like family to me.” She took a shaky breath as she drew away from him. “What are you going to do?”
Robbie knew his life would be worthless if he didn’t eliminate Kade. His father would order him hunted down and killed, maybe by those closest to him—Swinger and Joker. The appearance of his daughter after all this time messed with what had been an easy plan. He’d been a club member his entire adult life, knew the consequences of betraying his brothers, and had sacrificed much to attain the presidency. Now, none of it seemed important. Amber, sitting alongside him, finally back in his life, meant more to him than any vendetta or order from a man sitting in a prison cell. He squeezed her one more time and placed a kiss on her forehead, then stood, reaching out a hand to help her up.
“I don’t know.” He looked at her again, his heart breaking at what a beautiful woman she’d become. “You won’t like it, but you need to stay in here until I’ve sorted it all out.” Robbie opened the door and walked out.
“Wait—” Amber called as the door closed, the lock clicking in place. She shut her eyes tight, praying he’d give up his revenge and send them home. She slid back down to the floor, leaned against the wall, and rested her head back, hoping she’d know something soon.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Pack up. We’re getting out of here before Taylor and the others show up.”
Robbie stood next to his brothers as the sun began to set over the nearby mountains. The temperature would drop rapidly once the sun disappeared.
“What the hell? We can’t ignore a direct order from Sonny, or let a brother live who’s betrayed the club. You know the rules and the consequences better than any of us.” Swinger stood a foot from Robbie, as close as he dared get without setting off a direct confrontation with his president.
“Things have changed.” Robbie moved toward his bike, slipping a heavy jacket over his cut.
“Bullshit. We’re committed to this.” Swinger stood behind him, angry and confused.
Robbie turned to see a .38 pointed at him. “You want to shoot me, Swinger? Then do it. My order as the national president is to get our asses out of here. Leave them for the law to find.” He took a step forward, crowding Swinger. “That’s my daughter in there, the MacLarens and Sinclairs are her family. You’ll have to kill me if you intend to go after any of them.”
“And Sonny?”
“He’s in jail. We’re clean. We can ride out, continue our businesses, and forget the past. The way Joker’s got the numbers figured, we’ll all be multi-millionaires within the year. If we kill Kade, we’ll be nothing but fugitives, always trying to stay ahead of those who’ll hunt us.” He looked around at the other brothers then glared at the man in front of him. “I’m going to say goodbye to my daughter, then I’m gone.” He shoved past Swinger and dashed down the stairs.
Amber looked up as the door opened and Robbie walked in. She pushed up from the floor and waited, swallowing the lump in her throat.
“We’re leaving. The cars are outside with your purses and phones.” He pursed his lips and started to leave.
“Daddy…wait.” She dashed up to him, threw her arms around his neck, and held on. “Don’t leave me. Not again.”
Robbie could hear the desperation in her voice, her heart breaking the same as his. He wrapped his arms around her, wishing his decision to leave could be different.
“I have to go, sugar. You and I both know that.” He kissed her on the forehead and dropped his arms. “Tell Kade it’s over.”
“When will I see you again?” She swiped at tears, still not believing he’d walk away from her again.
“Oh, I’ll be around, sugar. I’ll always be close by if you need me.” He offered her a hesitant smile then took off up the stairs, swung onto his bike, noting the others were already mounted and ready to leave. “Let’s go.” He pulled out, not looking back, knowing she stood outside watching him go.
“No…” she whispered, knowing he wouldn’t stop. Amber watched as they took a different road out, heading north, away from Fire Mountain. She wrapped her arms around her waist, taking a few hesitant steps, then stopped, realizing any effort to stop him would be futile.
Amber stood until the rumbling sounds of the bikes disappeared. To her left she saw clouds of dust coming up the same road where they rode in hours before.
“There, up ahead. It looks like Amber.” Eric jumped from the truck before Kade could stop, ran to her and wrapped her in his arms.
Kade and Mitch hurried up to them “Where’s Brooke and Dana?” Kade demanded.
She pointed toward the open door. “Down the stairs. They’re in a room at the end of the hall.” She glanced up at Eric, tightening her arms around him, and began to cry. Gulping sobs that wracked her body.
“It’s all right, baby. They’re gone.” Eric tried to soothe her, believing it was relief causing the strong reaction.
“He’s gone,” she sobbed into his chest.
“I know, baby.”
She shook her head. “My father’s gone, Eric. He did it for me.”
Eric began to speak when Kade walked outside with Brooke, followed by Dana and Mitch. Amber broke away and ran toward them.
“My God. He’s your father?” Dana asked, wrapping her arms around Amber.
The men shot startled looks at each other as the sheriff and police chief pulled up.
“Yes. My biological father.” She swiped at more tears, wiping the moisture on her jeans. “I haven’t seen him since he gave me up when I was seven.”
Eric clasped her shoulder, turning Amber toward him. “Robbie Morgan is your father?”
She nodded. “And now he’s gone. Again.”
“I’ll be damned,” Kade mumbled, pulling Brooke close to his side.
Mitch watched Dana shiv
er, her lips turning blue. He slipped off his jacket and held it out to her. “Here, put this on. You’re turning to ice.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Eric suggested. “You can explain what happened to everyone at one time.”
******
“That’s the final decision, Kade?” Clive asked.
Kade nodded, looking around at the members of his family for confirmation.
“And you’re okay with it?” J.D. asked him, uneasy that no one would step forward and press charges.
“Yes. The way I understand it, Robbie came to town to visit his daughter, Amber, then took off before the weather turned. Done deal.” He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned at his ex-colleagues.
“And you don’t know how to reach him, is that correct, Amber?” Sheriff Andrews asked.
“He didn’t give me an address or phone number, if that’s what you’re asking.” She stood in front of Eric, his arms wrapped around her waist. “However, I’m certain Agents Montalban and Nelson can find some way to contact him, if needed.”
Andrews shook his head and chuckled. “Yes, I’m sure they can find a way. Guess there’s not much more we can do. According to the women, no crime seems to have occurred. Now, about the costs?” Tip set down his pen and looked at Heath.
“I’m certain we can work something out, Sheriff.” Heath shook his hand, then Chief Tower’s before turning toward his family. “I think it’s time we all headed home.”
Epilogue
Three months later…
“Here’s to your one month anniversary. Hope you have many, many more.” Kade raised his glass to Eric and Amber, hearing the cheers of those standing around the reception tent outside the ranch house.
Eric pulled his wife into a hug then lowered his mouth to hers in a searing kiss, which prompted more cheers and applause. They’d had a quiet ceremony a month after Robbie rode out of town. Amber’s parents arrived from their home in Florida to attend the nuptials, her father pushing her mother in her wheelchair—at least they’d made it. They’d flown back for the reception, this time with her brothers, Ryan and Jake.
Always Love You (MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary series Book 5) Page 18
