“We’ll make it work. Don’t worry about it.”
“Congratulations, bro.” Kade held out his hand, Cam and Mitch right next to him. The four formed a circle, Mitch handing him a beer. A few feet away, Amber found herself in a similar circle of MacLaren and Sinclair women.
The celebratory mood lasted through dinner until Heath stood, cleared his throat, and looked at Kade. His somber expression moved from one person to another until the room fell silent.
“We’ve gotten some wonderful news from Eric and Amber today, and I hate to dampen the festivities, but the situation we’re all aware of has escalated. Kade is the best person to explain what’s happening and provide some answers.”
Kade didn’t stand, preferring to lean forward and place his arms on the table.
“All indications point to Satan’s Brethren being in the area. From what we know, a group of them rode from San Diego through Yuma, passing through the valley and stopping for gasoline about ten miles east of here. Sheriff Andrews and Chief Towers have their people actively looking for where the bikers are staying. So far, nothing.” He cast a look at Brooke before proceeding, noting the concern on her face. “You’ve all been given packets with photos of what their colors look like and the faces of those I believe will be looking for me. I’ve provided as much training in self-protection as I can at this point and I want there to be no doubt it is to be used for nothing except defending yourself.”
He pushed from the table and walked to the bar, which separated the kitchen from the eating area, and leaned against it. “What I’m asking is for everyone in this room to be on alert, watch for anyone wearing the colors, asking questions, or acting suspicious. Do not confront them under any circumstances.”
“What about the DEA? Aren’t they sending anyone to help?” Mitch had a hard time believing the agency would let the bikers get this close to a key witness in the prosecution of Sonny Morgan.
“Not yet, but I expect to have at least agents Nelson and Montalban in Fire Mountain soon—within days if my guess is right. Sheriff Andrews and Chief Towers have their people on high alert. If they spot anything, they’ve agreed to contact the DEA, Heath, and me right away.”
“What about putting you in some kind of protective custody?” Rafe stood, pacing toward a window and peering outside. Kade’s father had remained silent until now, although he’d been made aware of the danger during his last trip to Fire Mountain.
“They offered. I refused.”
“Why?” Rafe asked, his voice hard and intense.
Kade drew in a deep breath, knowing his decision would anger some of the family.
“I’ve lived in the club. Satan’s Brethren are as bad as it gets in the one-percent biker world.”
“And you fit in the group for a long time without them knowing.” Mitch still had a hard time reconciling what he knew of the vicious biker gang to the fact his brother had become a full patch member of the club.
Kade narrowed his eyes on his half-brother. “Yes, I did. I’m proud of what came from my assignment, not what I had to do to make it happen.” He shifted his stance, once more glancing at Brooke then back at the others. “As far as protective custody and the club, no one is safe. If I’m in the wind, they’ll set their sights on a family member, kidnap them, and use them as leverage. I won’t let that happen.”
“In the wind?” Cam asked.
“Disappear, such as in WITSEC, the Witness Protection program. The women would be their target of choice, Brooke first, then the others if I disappear. If I stay, they’ll be focused on me, not my family.” He looked around the room, making eye contact with each person, people he’d come to love and trust.
“What exactly are you telling us?” Rafe asked, certain he already knew.
“I plan to make myself visible. Ride alone, make it easy for them to spot me.”
“The hell you will.” Rafe’s voice thundered through the room. “I’ll not have my son setting himself up to be taken by murderers. Not a chance.”
Silence enveloped the room at the apparent standoff between father and son. Rafe glared at Kade, daring him to defend his decision.
“Look, there’s got to be a way to work through this.” Mitch stood and walked toward his father. Rafe ignored him, continuing to focus his attention on Kade.
Kade pushed away from the counter. “When I said alone, what I should have included was that Nelson and Montalban will have my back, as will local sheriff’s deputies and police. My trips will be orchestrated.” He stepped toward his father. “I’ll be covered.”
“I still don’t like it,” Rafe ground out, crossing his arms over his chest. “They had your back last summer and you almost died.”
“That was different. I didn’t know they were following me. This time I will and we’ll be in communication.”
Eric squeezed Amber’s hand and pushed from the table. “I’m riding with you.”
“Me too,” Mitch added. “Not that I don’t trust the law, but no one will have your back the way family will. And don’t argue with us on this.”
Kade’s throat closed up and he pursed his lips, not sure how to respond. “Look, I appreciate you wanting to look after me, but it won’t work. I need to be an easy target for them. The two of you will just complicate things.”
“So, we confront complications all the time,” Eric responded. “The deal is, we ride together or we tie you up and leave you someplace until this is over. Your choice.”
“You’re not law enforcement,” Kade countered.
“Neither are you,” Eric reminded him. Kade had left the DEA months before. He was as much of a civilian as any of them.
Kade cursed under his breath, although he was pretty sure everyone heard.
“Guess I’d better get a bike so I can ride along.” Cam drained his beer and set the empty bottle on the table.
“Not a chance. You’re in charge of getting the women settled in our condos in the valley.” Heath’s comment set off a chain of female objections even he wasn’t prepared to handle.
Brooke, Cassie, Amber, and Lainey jumped from their seats, protesting any suggestion they leave the area. Brooke walked toward Kade, telling him point blank she wouldn’t be leaving. Annie lifted her brows at Heath, telling him without words what she thought of his idea.
“This isn’t open for discussion. We need the women where we know they’ll be safe.” Eric’s eyes were hard, yet pleading with Amber to understand.
“Perhaps we’re not making ourselves clear,” Amber responded, fisted hands on her hips. “Unless you’re prepared to physically restrain us, we won’t be going anywhere.” She glared up at him. “Do we understand each other now?”
“Shit,” Eric murmured and scrubbed a hand over his face.
Heath cleared his throat, accepting the men had lost this round in the battle. He wasn’t yet ready to concede the war. He wanted Annie and the other women safe, no matter the anger that would flow in the aftermath.
Chapter Seventeen
Silence fell between Eric and Amber as they drove toward her apartment. She’d agreed to pack some clothes, her computer and work files, then spend the night at his place. The original monthly rental contract she’d reluctantly agreed to sign now worked to her advantage.
Eric reached over and grabbed her hand, settling it on his thigh. “You okay?”
She snorted. “Of course. Nothing like a death threat hanging over Kade to cap off our engagement announcement.” She watched as Eric lifted her hand, kissing it and the ring.
“What can I say? Life with the MacLaren and Sinclair families is always filled with surprises.”
“And I don’t want to miss a one.” She shot him a smile then rested her head on the seat back and closed her eyes.
“Hey, is that your phone?” Eric asked.
Amber realized she must have drifted off as she fumbled for the phone in her purse. “Hello.”
“Hi. It’s Dana. Is this a good time to talk?”
“Of course. What’s up?”
“I have a surprise for you. I’m on the interstate about forty miles from Fire Mountain. Can I crash at your place?”
Amber’s jaw dropped at the announcement. “Uh…yes…of course, you can stay at my place. Do you know how to get here?”
“I’ve got my GPS locked and loaded. My guess is I’ll arrive in less than an hour.”
Amber laughed. “Okay. We’ll wait for you at my place.”
“We?”
Amber glanced at Eric, who lifted his brows at her and grinned. “I’ll explain when you get here.” She slipped the phone in her purse as Eric pulled into the complex, parked, and turned toward her.
“And that was…”
“Dana. My best friend. She lost her job in Denver and decided to surprise me by driving out for a visit. She’s less than an hour away. Sorry.”
“No worries. She can stay at your place and we’ll sleep at the cabin.” He smiled, trailing the back of his hand down her cheek. “Come on. We’ll get your stuff packed before she arrives.”
“Eric…”
He turned back toward her. “I’m not sleeping without you when you’ve just agreed to marry me.”
“It wouldn’t be right walking out on Dana her first night in town. I’d feel horrible.”
“Tell you what. We’ll ask her.” He winked and walked around the truck to open her door.
It took less than thirty minutes to pack what Amber needed. She still wasn’t sure she’d leave and wouldn’t make a decision until Dana arrived. It had been a couple of months since they’d seen each other and she didn’t want to waste a moment of their time. She didn’t want to sleep without Eric in her bed either.
She grabbed her phone on the second ring.
“I’m outside. Okay to come up?” Dana asked.
“I’ll be right out.” Amber headed toward the parking lot, Eric right behind. “Hey!” She ran up to Dana and wrapped her arms around her. “What a surprise.”
“I had the time and thought, why not? It took about ten minutes to pack and twelve hours to make the drive.” Dana looked up, spotting Eric for the first time, and stepped back. “And who is this?” Her unapologetic gaze wandered up and down Eric. She nodded in approval.
“Eric Sinclair.” He reached out his hand to Dana. “Amber’s fiancé.”
She shot a look at Amber. “No shit?”
“Yes.” Amber held up her hand and wiggled her fingers, showing off the stunning ring.
“Oh my God. I can’t believe it!” She wrapped Amber in another hug. “I think I’ll need a glass of wine while you explain all that’s happened.” She looked at Eric. “Medicinal purposes only, of course.”
Eric chuckled, grabbed her bag, and followed them into the apartment.
An hour later Dana began to fade. One yawn led to another, then another until her eyes were drifting shut. “I guess I’d better get to bed. Where should I sleep?”
“Well, my room is down the hall and the bath is next to it. Um…Eric and I thought, perhaps…”
Dana pushed up from the sofa, hugged Amber, then grabbed her bag. “Get out of here. I’m too tired to care where you sleep.” She winked at Eric then turned back to Amber. “Call me tomorrow when you get a break.”
“How about lunch tomorrow?” Amber asked.
“Perfect. Just let me know where.”
******
“I like her, except her timing couldn’t be worse.”
“I know, but what could I do? She’d already made the drive. At least she can have the apartment to herself.” Amber tried to hide a yawn and failed. “Sorry. It’s been a couple of long, sleep-deprived nights. What do you suggest I tell her about what’s going on with the family?”
He liked the way she included herself in the family.
“I’d like to leave her out of it altogether, but we should discuss it with Kade, Heath, and Jace. They might tell you to send her back to Denver. No sense having someone else in danger.” He kept glancing in his mirrors and taking particular care as they approached each intersection. There’d been a couple of riders. None displaying colors or acting as if his truck was anything special. Still, he had a sense of foreboding he couldn’t seem to shake. “I wish you and the other women would leave for the valley. I know you don’t want to, but I’d rather we focus on the threat against Kade, and not have to worry about you and the other women.”
Amber clasped her hands in her lap. She understood Eric’s concern and his logic seemed sound, however, she felt the same as Brooke and the others. They’d never be able to stay away knowing Kade, Eric, or any of the men were in danger. She reached over and grabbed his hand.
“I know you’re worried and want us safe. Try to understand we’re in the same position. Would you be able to sit around and wait for word if the situation was reversed?”
Eric shook his head, knowing she was right. He’d be climbing the walls. More than that, he would refuse to leave in the first place, same as the women.
“I’ll back off for now, but fair warning. If the threats materialize, I’ll be the first to pack you up and get you out of town. And that’s a promise, Amber.” He parked next to his cabin and grabbed her bags from the back.
They walked inside, Eric watching as Amber set her computer on the table then turned toward him. A smile crossed her face before she took a couple of steps and stopped before him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to fuse her mouth with his. The bags fell from his grip, his hands moving to her hips, grasping her tight as he deepened the kiss.
His hands massaged their way up and down her back, eliciting a soft moan. “Perhaps we should finish this in bed,” he said against her lips. “Did I ever mention how good I am at giving massages?”
She opened her eyes. “Do I want to know who you practiced on?” Her voice sounded thick with need.
He shook his head. “Trust me, you’ll enjoy it. Come on.” He claimed her mouth again before resting an arm around her shoulders. “You sure we have to wait until August?”
She looked up at him and smiled. “Perhaps we should put that up for negotiation. Can we discuss it more in the morning?”
“Whenever you want, babe.”
******
“We’re set for Thursday afternoon, Keith. I have a lunch meeting but our marketing director will meet you and your associate.” Eric grabbed a pen and jotted down some information. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”
He hung up and sent a meeting notice to those attending the meeting with Keith regarding possible properties. He shot a quick email to Amber, confirming she’d be taking Keith and his associate to lunch then escorting them to the meeting.
They’d crawled out of bed about seven that morning—later than normal for both on a Monday. No matter how he vowed to keep his hands off her and let her sleep, he found himself stroking her arms, her back, her stomach until she woke and let him make love to her again. If they didn’t get some sleep tonight, they’d be worthless. He looked up at a soft knock and saw his door opening.
“Hey.” Amber walked in, carrying a stack of folders “I never had a chance to show you the updated layout for the brochures. I can leave them if this isn’t a good time.”
He walked over and shut the door then drew her into his arms. “Now is great.” His mouth settled on hers. Heat built quickly until Amber broke the kiss, pushed his shoulders, and shot him a warning grin.
“You know, anyone could walk in.”
“And?”
“You’re incorrigible,” she laughed and set the files on his desk, pointing to his chair. “We have about thirty minutes before your meeting with Jillian.”
Amber walked him through the recommended changes, pointing out the reasons for each one. If the design worked, she planned to convert existing brochures for the other companies to a similar scheme.
“You can see that the colors change for each property, and of course, the logo for the particular development will differ
. The MacLaren Enterprises logo won’t change from one project to the next.”
Eric studied all the layouts, impressed more than he’d expected to be with her work. They’d reviewed drafts in previous meetings and the final layouts showed she’d taken his comments seriously. He pulled a sample forward, then another, finding nothing he wanted to change.
He pushed the files toward her. “These are exceptional. Much better than the other material I’ve seen from competing developments. Have you shown these to anyone else?”
“Other than Jillian, you’re the first to see them.” Amber had been a ball of nerves all morning, concerned how Eric would take the updated designs. He’d been the one to develop the previous package. And although he’d done quite well with them, selling out their properties at a faster rate than other similar developments, she felt certain they could be better.
He opened one folder. “Something else is different, yet I can’t put my finger on it. There’s a different feel to the graphics. You did work with the design firm used by the company, right?”
“Well…not exactly.”
“You didn’t use the firm Heath put in place a few years ago?”
“No. I used someone else. I’ve worked with her before and always had great results. Imaginative, professional, within budget…” her voice trailed off.
“Dana?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “How’d you know?”
Eric shook his head as a smile broke across his face. He picked up an old brochure, placing it next to the new design, then started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“This is going to come as quite a surprise to Heath, but mom is going to love it.”
“Are you going to let me in on it or let me be blindsided when I show these to Heath?”
“Oh, trust me, I’ll be there when you show these to him. The designer we’ve been using is an old girlfriend of his—or as close to a girlfriend as Heath had before he met mom. He’s kept her on, even though few of us thought she worked at the level needed.”
“Did you tell him your thoughts earlier?”
“Oh, yeah. Guess he couldn’t cut her loose. He’s a pretty loyal guy, which is good and bad. Anyway, this may be just what we need to push her out and open the door for someone else.” His eyes lit up at the thought. “And mom is going to love it.”
Always Love You Page 13
