Blood Vows

by Cara Carnes

  Weakness gets you killed, girl. Pain keeps you moving.

  She was a bit surprised Dallas or one of his brothers wasn’t lurking around the hospital room. She peeked out into the empty corridor and noted the double doors at the end of the hall. It was almost too simple. Then again, Rachelle was their priority. She’d shown up—uninvited—in the middle of the night and exploded a vehicle outside their facility. Oh, and she’d committed multiple homicides.

  Her stomach churned.

  She definitely needed to handle the Marville Dog problem immediately. It wouldn’t be pretty, but she’d survive. Probably.

  She went back into the hospital room and shoved her ruined clothing into her dirty backpack. With it in her left hand, she headed out into the hall and slowly navigated her way to the exit. Hopefully it wasn’t one of those electronically triggered ones or something equally fancy.

  Cripes, they’d had drones.

  Real, honest-to-goodness drones. How freaking slick was that? Wow.

  Rachelle probably loved it out here. Kamren took a deep breath near the door, relishing the fresh scents of lemon and pine.

  Clean.

  Her gaze cloudy with dread and regret, she pushed through the doors. The crisp breeze offered an unwelcome companionship. She was running low on time. Hunting season started in the next few weeks, which meant she would be busy handling her dad’s contracts with the local ranchers. Her father had been an assistant of sorts for the rich farmers who had hunting leases on several of the sprawling ranches around Marville and Resino.

  He schlepped gear, helped spot the best locales for hunts, hauled carcasses, and cleaned and dressed them. He did anything the hunters needed so all they had to do was get drunk off their asses and kill deer, doves, or whatever the hell else they had licenses for. Deer hunting was the most common around Marville. A couple of the really rich ranchers toward Eagle Pass offered pricey hunting leases for specialized game. Her dad had loved those the most, especially since he’d stopped taking work up north so much.

  She swallowed the lump in her throat and froze. Damn. She was twenty miles away from Marville, and she’d blown up her truck. Someone had her rifle.

  Her only weapon.

  Returning without it seemed stupid, but it was likely evidence. Okay, new plan. She’d track down one of the Masons and see if she could pay for a ride back home. She had twenty bucks. Ten bucks would get her enough grub to last a week, a week and a half if she stretched meals. She’d lost her sleeping place with the truck gone, but nights didn’t get very cold this far south in Texas. She’d deal.

  That was what campfires were for.

  Going home wasn’t an option, not until she got the Marville Dogs appeased.

  “Going somewhere?” The redhead shoved off the building’s side that she’d been leaning against and offered a smile. “I’m Addy.”

  “Kamren.” Stating the obvious seemed the only polite response, not that Kamren gave much of a damn about being polite.

  “Figured you’d bolt,” she replied. “The guys had something to handle. They’re likely also discussing how to proceed with your situation.”

  “There’s a situation?”

  “Seeing how someone tried to kill you outside our compound, we’re thinking so.” Addy smirked and crossed her arms.

  “It’s a misunderstanding. I’ll sort it out.”

  “I’m afraid Sheriff Patterson has your rifle. He said he’d return it to us as soon as possible, but it’ll be a while.”

  “I figured as much.”

  “They hauled off your truck. The contents were destroyed.” Addy’s voice lowered. “It was pretty full.”

  “I’d been gone a few weeks; hadn’t been back home yet,” she lied. “Is there a ranch hand or someone I could give a few bucks to to get me back home?”

  “You going home, or are you going to sort out the misunderstanding?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Afraid you can’t go anywhere, not yet. The guys will be back soon enough. There’s always work to be done around here. Heal up some, then you can pick up where you left off. I’ll even help.”

  “Why?” She eyed the redhead skeptically. “Why would you offer to help?”

  “Curiosity. You’re stirring up trouble, and that’s my middle name.”

  Kamren didn’t doubt it. The woman had a gun holstered on one side of her and a massive knife on the other. She eyed the latter. Military grade? She’d seen a couple when she was younger.

  “Guess you’re feeling a bit naked without your rifle right about now.” She uncrossed her arms. “Come on, I’ll show you around and see what I can do about the gear.”

  “I’m thinking you missed a few of the discussion points earlier, but Dallas isn’t a fan. He doesn’t want my trouble around here, made that quite clear a few weeks ago.” Then he’d offered help a couple hours before.

  Kamren swallowed. Addy crossed her arms and offered no response for a few moments. Her lips curved into a grin. “I’m thinking his stance on a lot of things has changed. Finding out about a kid you didn’t know about does that to a man, I suppose. Whatever he said to you a couple weeks ago, let it go. He’d… Well, things back then were intense. They still are.”

  “A kid?”

  Dallas Mason had a child?

  Wow.

  How the heck had the tri-county rumor mill missed that one? Questions listed in her mind, but she didn’t verbalize any of them. Dallas wasn’t her business. Nothing in Resino was her business.

  No. That wasn’t right. Rachelle was most certainly her business. More like responsibility. Was Cliff handling her? He shifted between helpful and detrimental in spurts, depending on his mood or whatever new video game released. Kamren grunted her frustration and looked at the main house. She couldn’t imagine Rachelle being anywhere but there. She’d been worming her way into the Mason family’s good graces for almost two decades now.

  At least one of them had moved on from the shit they’d survived. Somehow Kamren would ensure Rachelle got her shot at the happily ever after they’d both dreamed about growing up.

  “You okay?” Addy asked.

  “Yeah, just thinking.”

  “Whatever shit you’re handling, there’s no one better to deal with it than Dallas and the crew out here. Give them a chance. My girls are top notch, the best in the business, and I know they’ll help.”

  “Your girls?”

  The redhead smiled. “They’re brilliant, fiercely courageous and need a wrangler. After what we’ve been through lately, I’m feeling a bit protective of them, so yeah. My girls.”

  More questions listed in Kamren’s mind, but she let them go. Not her business. “My troubles aren’t theirs. Besides, I can’t afford them.”

  “No one ever mentioned money. Trust me, my girls fund operations easily enough without us charging a ton to those who can’t afford it. Besides, Riley’s been getting word out that she and Jud are available for investigative work. She’s not charging either.”

  Although Riley had been a great friend to Rachelle through the years, Kamren’d had very little interaction with the woman. “She’s Rachelle’s friend, not mine.”

  “Funny. I’m usually a good judge of character, but based on Brant’s reaction to you and the fact that Riley called you an ice-cold bitch, I’m apparently wrong about you. Not sure that’s ever happened.” Addy shrugged her shoulders. “Weird.”

  Indeed. Kamren didn’t bother defending herself. The redhead wanted a reaction, one she wouldn’t get. The only person Kamren could rely on was herself. Sure, in a moment of weakness she’d considered accepting Dallas’s offer of help, but that was before she found out he’d just discovered he had a child. Clearly the Masons had busy itineraries.

  “Give this a chance. If you change your mind and don’t want to be here, I’ll take you wherever you want to go. I’m your best shot at getting off Arsenal property, though I’ll admit there are a few here I’d have trouble taking down alone. Then again,
I very much doubt my girls would stand aside and not help. With that crew at our backs, we could do anything we wanted.”

  Right. Checking out where Rachelle was staying and getting a better idea of the people she was around was a good opportunity, one Kamren couldn’t pass up. Even if she should.

  She didn’t want more trouble knocking on the Masons’ doorstep.

  The sooner she got back to Marville, the better. “Fine, but I need a phone.”

  “Afraid phone calls for you are out of the question. They want you below radar for a while, long enough for the situation to cool down.” Addy motioned toward the sidewalk. “Come on. Let’s get this tour over with, then you can get some rest. You look like you need it.”

  Kamren ignored the constant shadow she’d had the past sixteen hours. Though the who changed, the why hadn’t. The Masons wanted her contained at the compound until things in Marville cooled down.

  She’d managed to rest a few hours before the restlessness overrode her pain and general discomfort. She wasn’t a sedentary person, and sleeping in a strange room surrounded by strangers wasn’t happening.

  She sat cross-legged on the ground facing the high fence along the road. They’d done a damn good job on security, a fact she’d realized this morning after walking the entirety of the compound three times. A growly dude named Gage Sanderson had kept her from straying past the barns and into the grazing lands where she really wanted to investigate.

  Security was awesome along the highway, but bad guys would skulk through the back. Surely fancy-ass former military knew that. She supposed so but remained a bit unimpressed by the lack of high ground.

  Why hadn’t they added towers or something?

  With the thought in mind, she’d commandeered a pad of paper and a couple pens and pencils from her shadow a bit ago. He hadn’t been very pleased about her turning him into the local Staples, but at least they weren’t moving anymore, right?

  She kept the KBAR knife Addy had given her near her right thigh, just in case. She’d almost asked for a second, but figured she’d pressed her luck enough. Marshall nixed a gun, which she’d pretty much expected.

  She stared up at the sun and figured she’d have enough time to hunt up a rabbit or two after she sketched out the towers. They kept appearing in her mind like things did at times. Though she hated sitting in one place for long, sometimes her restless energy ceded to the need to purge her brain of ideas.

  “What are you doing?” Dallas sat beside her. “How are the ears?”

  “Better. I can hear but have to focus past the ringing. It’s not as bad, though. They’ll heal.”

  She scrawled the makings of a tower and willed him to go away. Were the lines she drew straight? Heck, were they even lines? Ugh. Why had he shown up when she was trying to focus? Drawing her thoughts was hard enough without someone watching. And that someone being Dallas was…

  Kamren shoved the stray thought aside. She had no business thinking about anyone with the last name Mason like that. The Masons were Rachelle’s, not hers. Little sis would have a conniption fit if something happened with Kamren and a Mason. She’d claimed anyone with that particular last name to be hers a long time ago.

  Even though her shadow’s identity changed, Dallas had a tendency to show up a lot. Addy had showed her the cafeteria earlier and made sure she got some grub. Kamren hadn’t even had to pay, which was a bit strange, but it was probably because she was with the redhead and they figured she worked there.

  She would’ve gotten more than scrambled eggs and two pieces of bacon had she known that. Oh well, she’d go hunting later.

  We don’t take handouts, girl. You eat what you earn with a clean kill.

  “Is that our fence line?” Dallas asked. Hot breath fell on her neck as he looked over her shoulder.

  His hand settled near hers where she held the pad. Adrenaline spiked as she held her breath. No one had ever cared to see what she sketched.

  “Are those blinds, like hunting blinds?”

  “Kind of.” She shrugged. “I know that design best, but figured I’d see what it’d look like. I was wondering why you don’t have high ground for your guards. They’re walking the grounds, but can’t see as far as if…”

  Idiot.

  He’s former military—knows way more about security coverage than you.

  “They need higher ground to see farther,” he finished. He motioned toward the tower she’d built. “We thought about something like this, but the compound looked more like a prison.”

  Kamren laughed. “You’ve got to admit it kind of is. Come on, you call it a compound. The rooms are windowless cells with freaking twin beds and a two-drawer dresser. I know because I crashed in one for a few hours.”

  “It’s a work in progress. Most of the guys are better in those small quarters for now; reminds them of the service.”

  “It’s a great thing you’re starting, the Warrior’s Path. Addy mentioned it.” She continued her sketches, adding a walkway along the top. Embrace the fortress. “I’m sure it’s tough to transition. Was it hard for you?”

  “Everyone’s situation is different. I came out of a…” His jaw twitched. His gaze grew distant, withdrawn. “My situation was complicated.”

  Right. There was a kid somehow created as a result of his departure. Kamren definitely didn’t need details. She had enough trouble not imaging Dallas all hot, sweaty, and sexy as he…

  Ugh.

  Focus.

  “Well, at least you’re out.” She switched the subject. “I’m surprised you all still run cattle. That’s a lot of work.”

  “There’s a lot of us out here. Ranch work soothes some of the soldiers, gets them focused on stuff other than the battles they survived. We’re making it work for now, merging our dream with Dad’s.” He paused, then added, “We’re cutting back on the ranching, though, over the next few months. Riley has a plan we’re initiating.”

  “Dad wanted to lease our land out, set up a few hunting cabins. We never quite got it figured out,” she whispered. “Our land wasn’t nearly big enough, I suppose.”

  “Gage said you were trying to move past the compound grounds, into the pastures.”

  “Gage is a tattletale.” She forced a smile as she looked at Dallas.

  Damn. He was gorgeous, a golden Adonis, Thor with dark hair. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement as he waited for more of a response.

  “I unwind by tracking, hunting.”

  “We’ve got a new doctor here; she’ll be working with the soldiers. She’s a psychiatrist for PTSD, that sort of thing. You should talk to her.”

  “I’m not crazy,” she spat angrily.

  Every one of you is gonna have a splash of crazy in you. Don’t let anyone see it. They’ll scrape you off like roadkill.

  Dad hadn’t been wrong. Kamren had an even bigger reason to go as unnoticed as possible given the fact that she was what she was. Uneducated.

  Dyslexia.

  The diagnosis hadn’t come until she was seventeen, long after it was too late. The jumbling in her brain made reading almost impossible, which was why her parents had deemed her too stupid for schooling when she was in the third grade.

  No. She was plenty educated, just not in the typical sense. Cliff had taught her what he could, and she’d picked up loads more from her parents when they weren’t yelling and screaming and punching and kicking. Dani had even picked up on the fact that Kamren had troubles and done what she could to help bridge the gap so folks wouldn’t notice.

  She was an awesome BFF.

  Assuming she forgives you for killing people in her crew. The thought soured Kamren’s insides. She really needed a phone.

  “No one out here’s going to say that. Most everyone here’s made the split-second call you did last night, Kamren. Doctor Sinclair’s good at listening.”

  Right. She’d almost forgotten about the fact that she’d killed people. Her gaze wandered in the general vicinity of where it’d happened. Though she couldn
’t see the exact spot because The Arsenal compound was massive, her gut clenched anyway. Her heart thudded wildly, her mouth dried, and the buzzing in her ears got louder as the fiery inferno ignited in her mind. Flames licked her face as if the explosion had just happened.

  “I didn’t think, you know.” Heat rose in her cheeks at the admission. “Sorry, not sure why I said that.”

  “Because it’s on your mind. You can walk the grounds and sketch all day, and it’s not going to stop streaming in the back of your head.”

  “You’re right, it’s not.” She constructed a third tower, then added smaller towers in between on a whim.

  “What are those?”

  “Drone towers. They need homes too, you know.” She smiled at the whimsical notion.

  “Addy’s convinced us it’s time you go to Marville to make sure the air is clear with the Marville Dogs.”

  “Dani hasn’t called. She would’ve called if there was trouble.” The lie slipped out easily enough. She didn’t need the Masons going with her, and the edge in Dallas’s voice warned her that was where his mind was wandering. The sooner she snipped his helpful cord in that matter, the better. “I’ll handle the Marville Dogs, and you can stay here and keep Rachelle safe. Then we can chat about what problem I may have stumbled into.”

  “And that problem isn’t tied to the Marville Dogs?” Dallas asked, his disbelief clear in his tone and narrowed gaze.

  “I doubt it. They don’t appreciate snoops, though.” She shrugged. “And I’ve snooped more than was smart.”

  “We’re not letting you go alone.”

  “You can’t go with me, Dallas.” A Mason in Marville was tantamount to a hurricane-grade disaster. The last thing she needed was to show up with one in tow. “It’s bad enough I’m out here for as long as I’ve been. Rumors are already hitting Marville hard, I’m sure.”

  “Yeah, they are, which is why I’m out here. Whatever you’re mixed up in, tying yourself to us will insulate you with some folks. It’ll help.”

  Her gut clenched. “I didn’t come out here for that. I don’t use people. I wanted your opinion only.”