His bare chest rose and fell with each breath and his pulse beat steadily in his neck. She'd seen him sleeping before on the sofa, but this was different. He wasn't burning with fever or grimacing in pain now. Instead, he was dead to the world, completely relaxed. Molly smiled and longed to run her fingers over his chest and explore him as he'd done her. She'd been too shy to indulge her desires and she wondered if there would be a second opportunity. His wounds had healed enough for him to ride his bike and she knew he'd be leaving tomorrow. Now might be her only chance.
She hesitated when he moved, but as he settled again, she traced her fingers over his ribs. Like silk over steel. The sheet covered him to his hips, and she admired the way his torso tapered and felt her face heat as she contemplated reaching beneath the sheet, but she couldn't do it. She wasn't bold enough. Not yet. She let her hand rest just above his belly button and scooted closer. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and felt herself drifting, instinctively seeking his warmth as she edged towards sleep.
CHAPTER FOUR
Pounding on the door startled Sam out of a deep sleep. Disoriented, he shot from the bed, blinking in the darkness. Where the hell was he? It took a moment to get his bearings, and Molly's gasp from the bed helped him become oriented. Her eyes, wide with terror, reflected the dim moonlight filtering in the window. She jumped out of bed dressed in an oversized white t-shirt. Any other time he might have admired how it draped over her curves but now wasn't the time. He felt around for his clothes. “You expecting anyone?”
He cursed his carelessness and swore as he found his jeans and boxers. Months of working a desk job and he was getting soft. Losing his edge.
Molly scrambled off the bed and flew to the dresser. “I don't normally get middle of the night visitors, if that's what you're implying.” She yanked some clothes out of the drawer, tossing a sweatshirt on over the t-shirt and pulled on a pair of jeans.
Sam paused as he zipped his jeans. He'd said something wrong, but he had no time to figure out what it was.
He trailed her to the kitchen. Where was his gun? He'd been too sick earlier to think about it, but later he should have checked it—kept it by his side. He recalled seeing Molly stick it on top of the fridge and felt for it. When his hand met the leather holster, he let out a breath of relief. What kind of ATF agent was he to lose track of his weapon? He didn't like to wear the holster over bare skin, but it wouldn't be the first time. He shrugged into it, ignoring the burn as it settled over his wound.
He covered Molly's hand as she went to flick on the kitchen light. “No. See who it is first,” he whispered.
Nodding, she pulled the curtain aside and her shoulders relaxed. “It's just Johnny.”
He caught her arm before she could unlock the door. “Is he alone?”
Her eyes flashed and she shrugged. “I didn't see anyone else.”
He stood beside the door, his back to the wall, gun in hand. “Ask him.”
Before she could, Johnny pounded on the door again. “Molly, let me in! Quick!”
Molly shrugged off Sam's restraining hand. “He's my brother.” She yanked the door open, and Johnny barreled in, turned and shut the door with a slam.
“Johnny! What in the world are you thinking? You're going to wake up Kelsie.”
“Sorry, Molls, I need some money. I gotta get out of town.” His words tumbled over one another and he peered out the window as he spoke.
“What? Why?” She turned the light on and Sam saw the pure panic on Johnny's face as he backed from the door.
“I don't have time to explain, I just need, I don't know, maybe a thousand dollars.”
Molly's eyes widened. “I don't have a thousand dollars just laying around.”
“Sit down.” Sam stepped forward, grabbed Johnny by the scruff of his neck and pushed him onto a kitchen chair. “Now, spill it.”
Johnny shrugged off Sam's hand with an annoyed glare, but he didn't hesitate to lay out the problem. “Those guys who shot at me the other night showed up at my apartment and said they'd kill me unless I came up with either a million dollars or the drugs. They said the other night was just a warning.”
“What are you talking about? Why did they come to you?”
Johnny's eyes shifted as he squirmed in the chair. “Last winter, I was in a different biker club, and I was supposed to arrange transport of a shipment of coke, but I messed it up and the mule was caught at the border.” His voice cracked as he continued, “How was I supposed to know that one of the balloons would pop?”
Molly sat, her face stunned. “You had someone swallow balloons filled with cocaine? A million dollars worth?”
Johnny leaned towards his sister. “I didn't want to, Molls, I didn't, but someone was going to do it, so I figured I might as well get the credit, right?” He reached for her hand, but she shook him off.
“How could you, Johnny? I knew you were no angel, but I was a blind idiot to what you'd been doing. Get out of my house!” She stood and pointed at the door. “Now!”
“I didn’t have much choice, Molly. When the Enforcer tells you to do something like that, you can’t say no. I just wanted to ride with the club —I didn’t want to deal drugs.”
“Wait.” Sam braced his arms on the table and leaned into Johnny's face. “Why did you look out the window when you came in? Were you expecting company?”
Johnny head bobbed as his eyes slid away from Sam's. “Yeah. They might have followed me. I'm not sure though.”
“Oh my god. Kelsie.” Molly's eyes shot to Sam's. He shouldn't have told her about his son. He could see her thinking it through, making the connections, wondering if they'd do to Kelsie what was done to Sean.
Anger shot through him. “And you led them right to your sister's house. A house where your six-year old niece lives.” Sam shoved away from the table and raked a hand through his hair before he turned back to Johnny. “What were you thinking?” He was half-tempted to shoot the kid where he sat. The damn fool.
“I don't know. I guess I wasn't.”
“No, you're just an idiot who's trying to feel important, and when you screw up, you run back to your big sis.” Sam took a deep breath. He had to think—he could kick the kid's ass later. “Okay, here's what we have to do. We have to get Molly and Kelsie somewhere safe.”
“Where?” Molly paced the kitchen, her arms crossed as though trying to keep warm. She trembled and he knew it was fear, but guessed it wasn’t for herself.
“I know somewhere. Go pack enough clothes for at least a week. Just toss it all in a suitcase, we don't have much time.”
Molly nodded and hurried down the hall.
“What about me?” Johnny jumped up and peeked out the windows. “Any minute, they could show up and kill me.” Sweat beaded his brow
“Listen, you worm, they're not going to kill you until they have a chance of getting their demands met, so I give you a few days at least. After that?” Sam shrugged. Something about Johnny's story didn't ring true, but there wasn't time to unravel the mystery right now. “It's up to your sister if you go with us. I'm all for leaving your sorry ass here to face the music.”
Sam went to the living room and removed the holster just long enough to put on a t-shirt. He donned socks then worked his feet into his boots. He regretted that he'd have to leave his bike here. Wait, maybe he could have Johnny follow them on Sam's bike. It was different from Johnny's, if Sam's hazy memory of that night was accurate. No biker would mistake the two. Not only that, it might buy them some time if they thought Johnny was still here because his bike was parked in plain view.
He wished he had a jacket to cover up his gun, but he could get one later. There was nothing of his to pack, just the clothes he wore and the small bag of new clothes. He grabbed that and put it on the kitchen table and made sure his wallet was in his jeans.
Molly's voice carried from Kelsie's room. Sam strode down the hall, stopping in the doorway. The little girl sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes and blinking. Molly w
as trying her best to soothe her and still pack at the same time.
Sam took the pink duffle bag from Molly. “I'll finish this if you want to get her dressed.”
Molly started to protest, but Sam interrupted. “I know what kids need. Don't worry.”
She nodded and took a stack of clothes off the dresser as she ushered Kelsie across the hall to the bathroom.
Sam stuffed the bag, making sure to get a mix so he didn't end up with all jeans and no shirts or the other way around. He looked in the closet, found some extra shoes and a jacket to add to the bag, then turned around. Kelsie would want some favorite toys, but he wasn't sure which ones those were. The stuffed dog on the bed was a sure bet, along with a well-worn blanket. The nightstand had some books that looked like they'd been read many times, so he took those too.
Molly came out of the bathroom with a cosmetic bag in one hand, and the other clutching the hand of a sleepy, cranky Kelsie. “Come on, hon, you can go back to sleep in the car.”
“Where are we going?”
Sam zipped up the bag and met them in the hall. He winked at Kelsie. “We're going where the wild things are.”
His attempt at humor backfired when Kelsie turned and pressed her face against Molly's side. “I don't wanna go, Mommy.”
“Kels, it's okay. We're just going on a little trip. That's all.” With a hand on Kelsie's back, she herded her towards the kitchen.
Sam snatched up the overnight bag that Molly had left outside her door and followed behind them, plans hatching in his mind.
Kelsie stopped suddenly and Sam almost crashed into them. With a suspicious look cast towards him, she tugged on Molly's arm. “Is Mr. Sam kitten-napping us?”
It felt like a bull rammed Sam's chest.
Molly darted a horrified glance over her shoulder at Sam, and turned back, smoothing Kelsie’s hair off her forehead. “Oh no, hon. Nothing like that. An emergency came up and we have to leave. Uncle Johnny is here too. He's out in the kitchen.”
As Kelsie rushed into Johnny's arms, Molly turned and whispered, “Sorry, Sam. I don't know where she learned about kidnapping.”
Sam shook his head. “No need to apologize. You have a very smart little girl. She knows something isn't right and I’m a stranger—she's drawing pretty good conclusions based on the information she has.”
Molly gave his arm a squeeze and offered an apologetic smile. “Still…”
He bit his lip and nodded. Maybe it was her job training, but he loved how she touched him to emphasize her words. Just a pat here, or a squeeze there, but the contact was something he hadn't had in a long time. He wished he could take her in his arms, tell her how much tonight had meant to him.
Johnny held Kelsie on one arm and the little girl rested her head on his shoulder. Sam felt envy creep over him. Johnny didn't deserve her devotion, but Sam wasn't cruel enough to crush Kelsie's obvious hero worship of her uncle. It gave him another idea though.
The guys who were after Johnny could be waiting at the end of the drive. They needed a distraction.
Molly rummaged through some kitchen drawers, pulling out envelopes, papers and an address book. At Sam's questioning look, she explained, “My important papers, just in case something happens to the house.”
Sam nodded. She hadn’t said it, but he was sure she was thinking of his mother’s house and how it had been set afire.
After tucking the papers into her purse, she asked, “Do you know how long we're going to be gone?”
“No, I'm sorry. It could be a few days, it could be longer.” Sam’s goal had been to find the enforcer to avenge the deaths of his son and mother, but he hadn’t expected the gang to literally come to him. He could use this to his advantage, but he hated that Molly and Kelsie could be in danger. His first order of business was to get them safely to his cabin in the woods. Then come back and finish his business.
Taking the man off the streets would break the gang, at least for a while. The rest of the gang members would scatter like roaches under lights. Only then would Molly and Kelsie be safe.
She sighed. “Then I'm going to take everything I can.”
Sam figured that was a wise decision and just nodded. He turned back to Johnny. “Give me your bike key.”
The younger man shifted Kelsie to rest on this other arm as he fished in his pocket. He didn't hand it over immediately, instead, his eyes narrowed. “What for? I thought we were taking Molly's car.”
“You and the ladies are, but your friends are going to be watching for a motorcycle to leave, so I'm going to give them that.” At this point, they would only be keeping tabs on Johnny, not necessarily intend to kill him yet. They’d had the chance to kill him already and had let him go. No. A dead Johnny did them no good. Sam had a feeling that not all the cocaine had been inside the mule. Johnny might have kept a little aside for his own profit and the Ravens had figured it out and wanted to get it back.
Sam prayed they hadn’t targeted Molly and Kelsie yet, but he knew if they weren’t stopped, it was only a matter of time. He knew that firsthand.
“You're going to pretend to be me?”
Was that hope in Johnny's voice. Sam hid the disgust he felt. “Yeah. I want to try and draw them away before they ever see Molly and Kelsie.” It was risky. If it didn't work, he'd have to double back and make sure they didn't follow Molly's car. “How many were there?”
“Two of them that I saw.” Johnny hiked Kelsie higher and rubbed her back when the little girl woke up and protested the movement. “Shhhh, hon. It's okay.” She relaxed and Johnny kissed the top of her head.
Sam grudgingly admitted that Johnny's affection for his niece seemed genuine. For her sake, and Molly’s, Sam would do his best to keep Johnny in one piece, and keep him out of prison at the same time. It wasn’t going to be an easy task. The kid might be safer in a cell than on the streets.
Sam spotted a pen on the counter. “Molly, do you have some paper? I'll write out directions to where we can meet up.”
She opened her purse and took a small note pad out. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Sam jotted down the information. “I'll try and get there first, but if I'm not there, go ahead and go into the cabin. There's a key under the third flowerpot in the window box.”
Sam took out his wallet. He didn't want to do this in front of Johnny but there was no way around it. He counted out five hundred dollars, keeping a few hundred for himself. Long ago, he'd learned to carry cash for emergencies. It was untraceable and with enough of it, people could vanish without a paper trail. “Molly, take this, in case we get separated. Follow the directions carefully as the road has a lot of twists and turns. When you reach the lake, take a left. The road parallels the lake, but at one point, it angles back towards the woods. When it does, look for a brown A-frame. It's hard to see at night, but there's a red mailbox on a post by the road.” Sam drew a sketch of the house and an approximation of the twists and turns to get to it.
“The cabin might not look like much, but it's solid, and it's hard to find if you don't know the area.” Sam was about to hand her the note, but then pulled it back. “Damn. I forgot all the utilities will be shut off. It’s just a matter of flipping some switches in the fuse box and turning the water valve. Normally it’s easy to do because I usually arrive in the middle of the day. At night, it’s trickier because the box is on the wall in the laundry room, which will be pitch-black when you arrive.”
“I have a flashlight in the car.”
“Perfect.” He handed her the directions. “Just flip the main circuit breaker—it’s labeled.”
Molly nodded, but raised her gaze from the paper to latch onto Sam's face, her brow furrowed in concern. “You make it sound like you won't be there?”
Sam didn't want to frighten her, but if the Ravens thought they were making a break for it, he'd have to make sure the bikers didn't follow them and he damn well wasn't going to let them follow a mother and child, no matter what happened to him. “Listen, Mol
ly. Those guys out there, they aren't playing games. However, I know their tactics. I was one of them for a year.”
“What? When?” Johnny stepped up to the counter.
Sam barely spared him a glance as he tapped the paper with the address. “The cabin belonged to my grandfather on my mother's side. When my mother…was killed…I inherited it, but I haven't yet had to pay real estate taxes, so it won't show up anywhere under my name. I keep it stocked with non-perishables as a safeguard. Everything you need for up to a month is right there.”
Molly’s eyes widened in alarm. “Sam, I have a job. Kelsie has school. We have a life right here. What am I supposed to do? Just leave it all?”
“I know how hard this is. Believe me, and I'm only looking at the worst case scenario. In all likelihood, this won't take more than a few days.”
Molly looked from Johnny to Sam, her eyes flashing. “This is crazy.”
Sam hated that they'd been dragged into this mess. The last thing he ever wanted to do was put more innocents in harm's way and even though Johnny was at fault this time, he couldn’t help thinking that if he had brought down the Ravens a year ago, none of this would be happening. He stepped close and drew her against him. “I know it’s crazy. I'm sorry.”
Molly returned the hug, but only for a moment before she stepped out of his embrace. “Okay. Fine. Let's get this over with—the sooner the better. I guess Kelsie can miss the last few days of school.”
Johnny pushed in front of Sam, his mouth twisted into a sneer. “You and Molly got a thing going on? Is that why there’s the rush to get her to your conveniently stocked house in the woods?”
The guy had balls, Sam had to give him credit for that. Too bad God hadn't given him more than two brain cells to go along with them. He moved alongside Johnny, the side opposite from Kelsie, and kept his voice low as he said in Johnny's ear, “Listen, you little turd, it's none of your damn business what goes on between me and your sister. Now, get the hell out there and drive them to safety.”
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