Hearing this caused Megan to blink back tears from her eyes but when she looked at Dakota, he gave her a small smile and then she knew he was just telling Caporale that to get him to the ranch. Her heart lightened considerably considering the circumstances.
“Then why are we even discussing this? If you don’t care about her, why do this?” Caporale asked.
“If it’s the only way to get them both out of my life, I’m all for it. Now, are you coming here or not? If not, tell me and I’ll drive Megan to the airport.”
“Son of a bitch. All right. I’ll get a room at the hotel in town...what the hell is the name of the town?” They heard him ask someone in the room, followed by a low murmur. “Oh never mind...I’m telling you this, Walker, if I don’t return to the hotel my men will be all over you.”
“Fine. Get him here tomorrow afternoon. I’ll go to the bank and get the money today.” Dakota hit END on the phone then sat back, and blew out a breath.
Micah stood. “Good job. Mont, I want you here in the house with me. I can’t be outside anywhere, in case Caporale sees me. He knows me. Five other agents will be here first thing tomorrow and hidden around the property. Get your other friends here too, Dakota. The more, the better. I want that son of a bitch.”
“I hope you get him, Micah,” Dakota said.
“One way or another, I will. Nathan, you can pose as a ranch hand too.” Micah turned to face Dakota. “I’ll see you all in the morning. I’ve got to call this in.” After nodding at them, he strode out the door.
“What do I do?” Megan asked.
“Not a damn thing. It’s all planned out, you’ll be at my house with Shelly,” Nathan told her.
“But won’t Caporale want to see me?”
“Why? He knows he’s getting the money from me. If he asks, that’s exactly what I’ll tell him.” Dakota reached out and covered her hand with his.
“I don’t want you to do this, Dakota.”
“I don’t have a choice,” he practically yelled then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. We just have to do it this way. I’m calling the others now.”
“I’m going to head to the office. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Mont put his fingers to his hat and walked out.
“I want you at the house first thing tomorrow morning, Megan,” Nathan told her.
“All right.” She glanced at Dakota. “Are you going to the bank now?”
She saw him glance at Nathan then he answered her. “I’m not going to the bank.”
“You have the money here?”
“We’re not paying him, Megan,” Nathan said in a low voice as if he didn’t want to speak the words.
“What?”
“There is no way that bastard is getting any money from me. We need to get him here so Micah can get him, so the idea of the money is the bait.”
“That’s just great. You all decided this without my say so?”
“You don’t have a say in this, Megan,” Dakota growled.
She spun around to face him. “The hell I don’t! That is my brother.”
“And my fucking money!” Dakota blew out a breath and tried to take her hand, but she pulled away from him. “Look, sweetheart, we can’t give him that money and take a chance that he’ll get away. He’ll think he’s getting the money. We’re going to give him a bag with a few thousand in it. He won’t take the time to count it. He’ll think he has it and then he’ll try to go. Micah will take him down here or at the hotel, but he won’t get out of this town. Not alive anyway.”
“I’m just so scared.” Megan sobbed.
“Trust us on this, Megan,” Nathan said. “We know what to do.”
Megan nodded. “All right, Nathan.”
Nathan picked up his hat and headed toward the door. “I’ll tell the men about not coming in tomorrow, Dakota. You two relax tonight. It’s going to be a rough day tomorrow so try to get some sleep.” He closed the door behind him as he left.
Megan put her hands over her face and felt Dakota’s arms go around her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him as the tears fell. When he pulled her tightly against him, she cried harder. He kissed her forehead.
“I don’t want Aiden to die.” Her voice sounded muffled against his shirt.
“I know, sweetheart. I know. We’re going to do our best to make sure that doesn’t happen. You couldn’t have a better bunch than the ones who will be here to protect him. All the guys will be here. Besides Micah and the other agents, we’ve got Mont, who being former FBI, knows exactly what he’s doing. He helped Lucas bring Emily home and he protected Isabella when he was undercover. So did Micah. Barkley would have killed her without those two watching over her. You have to trust us.”
She pulled back and gazed up into his beautiful face. “I do.” She cupped his cheek in her hand. “I trust you completely. I love you, Dakota.”
He kissed her forehead again. “I love you too, baby. We’ll have a long talk about us, once this is all over.”
“I want to come home to you.”
“I want you to, but I want to be sure it’s really what you want.”
“It is––” She stopped when he placed his finger over her lips.
“Once this is over, we’ll talk. Now is not the time. I want you to go take a bath and relax. I have some work to finish up in the barn.”
“You can’t take a bath with me?”
Dakota blew out a laugh. “I have too much to do...although the thought of you in the tub certainly is very tempting. I’ll be in later. Just try to relax. Please.”
“I will. I’ll see you later then, cowboy.” She walked away from him and heard the back door close behind him.
****
Dakota walked out the back door and headed toward the barn. Snow swirled around him and he hoped it didn’t amount to anything. The roads were finally clear. If it snowed more, Caporale wouldn’t make it in and that would just prolong the process. Hell! He wanted this over. He wanted Megan to come home where she belonged but as long as this thing with Aiden and his involvement with Caporale continued, it wouldn’t happen. Dakota just hoped Megan realized Aiden was going to prison for the embezzlement charges regardless of his helping to take down Caporale. He knew that if Caporale hadn’t found him, Aiden would have disappeared off to wherever with the money. The FBI had evidence against him and the bank was pressing charges. He could possibly get a lighter sentence if he testified against Caporale, but he was still going to prison.
Dakota entered the barn and took a deep breath. The sweet smell of hay, horses, and leather filled his lungs. He saw Gary walking toward him with a determined expression.
“I’m going to be here tomorrow,” Gary said, stopping in front of him, his arms folded across his chest.
“The hell you are.”
“Dakota, this is my home and no one is going to come here and try to hurt the people I care about...not on my watch.”
“No. You’re not going to be here tomorrow. That’s final. If you give me any shit about it, you won’t be working here at all.”
Gary stared at him and then burst out laughing. “Yeah, right.”
Dakota did his best not to smile but he couldn’t help himself. “Okay, so I won’t fire you, but I don’t want you in the line of fire...if it comes to that, and that’s my final say. Got it? Take your wife out for the day. I’m sure Maxine would love it.”
Gary blew out a breath. “All right. I don’t like it, but I’ll do it. And only because you’re the boss.”
“I’ll call you when you can come back. The men won’t come in until the next day but since you live on the ranch, I’ll give you a call when it’s safe. Do not come back until I call you though. Understand?”
Gary saluted. “Yes, sir.”
Dakota moved around him. “Smartass. Come on, let’s get some work done.”
They walked down the aisle of the barn and started cleaning the stalls. Dakota loved working in Dry River as the district attorney, but he loved nothing mor
e than working the ranch. He’d worked this morning on cases from home and now he just wanted to get outside to clear his head. As he carried a new bale of hay into the stall, he thought of Megan and last night. His damn dick couldn’t think of anything else but being buried deep inside her. Fuck! Now he was getting hard and making his jeans damn uncomfortable. He adjusted himself and went back to work. After clipping the wire on the bale, he spread it with a pitchfork. He had to keep his mind on work or he’d head back inside to take her fast and hard. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Dakota jabbed at the hay with the pitchfork and picked up the hay then tossed it a little harder than he should have and some of it flew out of the stall and landed on a pair of cowboy boots. Dakota raised his head to see Storm standing there, grinning at him.
“What the hell are you doing here, Bateman?”
“I’m heading to town to get some feed. I just wanted to see if you needed any. You know, just being neighborly.”
Dakota tossed the pitchfork down. “You? Neighborly? Since when?”
Storm folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the doorjamb. “Come on, Dakota. I’ve stopped by many times to see if you needed anything. Have I not?”
Dakota felt like an ass. “Yes. I’m sorry. I’m just worried about all this shit going on.”
“And Megan.”
“Yes,” Dakota growled. “And Megan.”
“You still love her.” It wasn’t a question.
“I’m not denying it, but I’m not ready to do anything about it until this is all over. You’ll be here tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
Dakota pulled his gloves off, and began to shake his head. “I don’t know, Storm. On second thought, maybe you shouldn’t be here...”
“Why the fuck not?” Storm straightened up and glared at him.
“You have Mandy to think of.”
“Stop right there. Mont and Lucas have kids too, not to mention wives who care about them. We’re brothers, Dakota. It’s what family does. I’ll be here. Now, do you need any feed or not?”
“No.” Dakota watched as Storm turned and walked away from him. He stepped outside the stall to see him striding out of the barn. “Hey, Storm.”
Storm spun around and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Thank you,” Dakota said with a nod.
Storm nodded in turn. “You’re welcome, asshole.”
Dakota chuckled as he watched Storm leave the barn. He heard his truck start up and pull away. Damn, his friends were the best. He just hated putting them in danger but he also knew no matter how badly he didn’t want them here, they would be whether he liked it or not. They’d always supported each other growing up. Brothers, even if not by blood. He loved them almost as much as he loved Nathan, his real brother. Yeah, they’d all be here and be ready to take on whatever needed to be done.
****
Vincent Caporale didn’t like it. He didn’t want to go to the ranch and deal with Dakota Walker. Vincent knew all about the man. He’d been a high-class attorney in Denver. One of the best and he’d heard he didn’t hesitate to work with the DA to put his share of criminals away. Not him though. No one would take him down. Not without a fight. Damn it! He had to see it through or he’d never see his money. Money, he really didn’t need but it was the damn principle of the thing. Aiden took money from him and thought he’d get away without paying it back. Vincent didn’t work that way. He was very generous in lending money out, but he expected full payment within an assigned timeline. If not paid back in time, he’d make them wish they’d never been born. He charged a high interest rate. Aiden had fucked up by not paying him back. Now, he owed him twenty-five thousand more.
What a child Aiden was, always depending on his sister to get him out of things. Vincent wondered what would have happened if Megan hadn’t had the means to get the money. He chuckled. In all likelihood, Aiden would be dead. Hell, he might be anyway after all of this goes down. Vincent hadn’t made up his mind yet about him. The moron actually thought he could just skip across the border and Vincent wouldn’t go after him. Not true. Vincent would have hunted him down no matter how long it took.
He sat behind his desk, staring at the wall. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the phone and called his pilot to have the jet readied. Then he called Hulk and Bubba to the office.
“Hey, boss,” Hulk said, as he entered the room.
“We’re going to Dry River, Wyoming tomorrow. I’ll have my secretary get us rooms since I’m not sure how long we have to be there.”
“Are you getting your money back?” Bubba asked him.
“I’d damn well better. I’m to show up at the ranch by myself, but I want you two to go with me and stay out of sight. Just make sure you’re somewhere you can see me. Get Baldy and Huck too. All of you ready with high-powered rifles, and make sure you’ve got one aimed at Walker and the other on Aiden. The other two can take out anyone else they see fit to. If anything goes wrong, take them all out.”
“You got it boss. I’d like to take Carson out anyway,” Bubba said.
“I just might let you. Once I get my money, I’m out of there. If anyone tries to follow me, kill them. We’re leaving first thing in the morning. One of you bring Aiden to me. Now.”
The men nodded and left the room. Vincent stared out the window. Something didn’t feel right, but there was no way around it. He had to go because he knew even if he demanded Walker bring the money to him, he wouldn’t do it. He didn’t care one way or another about Aiden Carson, even if he was his woman’s brother.
Aiden entered the room and stood in front of the desk. Vincent waved his hand for him to sit in the wingback chair across from him.
“We’re leaving first thing in the morning for Wyoming.” Vincent placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. “If anything goes wrong, you’re the first to die. Understand?” He watched as Aiden’s face paled.
“Nothing will go wrong. Dakota will have the money for you.”
“You seem awfully sure of a man who doesn’t like you.” Vincent sneered.
“He’ll do it for Megan.”
“Of that, you’d better be sure. I will kill you, Aiden...without a second thought.
Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir. And you’ll let me and my sister alone after this?”
“Of course, I told you I would, didn’t I? Did you think I lied?”
“No. I just want to make sure.”
“Well, here is something else you can be sure of. You will have a rifle pointed at your head the entire time. Try anything and you’re a dead man.”
Aiden swallowed hard. “I get it.”
“Good. Now go back to your room. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Vincent watched as Aiden walked from the room. He sat back and steepled his fingers together. Nothing had better go wrong because if it did, he wouldn’t go down without taking a few people with him.
Chapter Eleven
Megan leaned her head back in the tub and closed her eyes. She was so scared for Aiden and Dakota. She didn’t know much about Vincent Caporale, but what she did know terrified her. She shivered in the hot water. It could go so wrong tomorrow, and she might lose the two people she loved most in this world. A tear rolled down her face. She jerked so hard when a knock sounded on the door that water sloshed over the side.
“Yes?”
The door opened and Dakota stuck his head in. “You all right, Nutmeg?”
She started to nod her head but instead a sob emerged, and she buried her face in her hands then she felt his hand touch her hair.
“It will be all right. I won’t let anything happen to Aiden.”
Megan dropped her hands and stared into his gorgeous face through blurring tears. “What about you? Who’s going to make sure nothing happens to you, Kota?”
He smiled at her. “I’ll be fine.”
“Do you seriously think that man’s going to come here alone?”
“No. That’s why th
e guys will be out there. Nathan is one hell of a shot.”
“I’m scared and not just for Aiden. I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
“None of this is your fault—”
“Oh, but it is. If I had just let Aiden grow up and not babied him so, none of this would have happened.”
“You were scared he was going to leave you like your parents did, so you kept him close.”
Megan laughed. “Too close. Now, he’s in so much trouble and he could die. All of you could die.”
Dakota cupped her chin in his hand. “We’ll be fine.” He leaned over and kissed her.
Megan moaned against his lips then wrinkled her nose. “You need a bath.”
“I need you,” he whispered against her lips.
“Hand me a towel.”
Dakota stood and reached for a towel then held it out for her. “Come on.”
Megan rose from the water, stood still as he wrapped the towel around her, and lifted her out. After placing her feet on the floor, he began to dry her off. She bit her lip to keep from moaning at the feel of him rubbing her skin with the towel. He leaned forward and licked a drop of water rolling down from her shoulder from her hair. He moved his lips up her neck to her ear and then to her jaw.
“You are the most beautiful woman I will ever know. You’ve captured my heart, and hold it in the palm of your hand. How can I even think of going on without you?”
“You don’t have to,” she whispered. “I love you, Dakota.”
He raised his head and gazed into her eyes. “And I love you. I always will...whether we’re together or apart.”
“I don’t want to be apart—”
He placed his finger over her lips halting her words. “Let’s get through tomorrow first.”
Megan nodded. “All right. Let’s go to bed.”
“I am tired.” He smirked.
She laughed. “Well, you’d better wake up then.” Naked, she moved away from him and walked toward the bedroom then glanced over her shoulder at him. “You coming?”
“Eventually.”
She burst out laughing. “You are so bad.”
Then she squealed when he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
Dakota Bad Boys of Dry River, WY Book 5 Page 14
