A sardonic grin slid across Wrath’s face. “You’ve got that right. But you know as well as anyone that if anything happens to me, the Brethren won’t miss a beat. They’ll have you, Rock, and the rest of the Posse. There aren’t better men anywhere.”
“I still can’t quite grasp what happened. It seems surreal after all he did to me.” Tessa absently stirred her lemonade with a straw.
“Did he ever mention a life insurance policy to you?” Cara had been as stunned as Tessa at the outcome of their meeting at the courthouse. The judge shocked her, informing Tessa she was the beneficiary as well as the sole recipient of everything in his estate.
“Not that I recall. He wasn’t a very good businessman and had no family, so it’s a mystery he even considered taking out a policy. I’m the one who suggested he prepare a will, but he never mentioned doing it.” Tessa rested her head against the back of the booth.
“Apparently he took your advice seriously.”
Staring at the stained ceiling in the rundown diner, Tessa snorted, shaking her head. “If so, it’s the only time he listened to me.”
“The entire situation is so ironic.” Cara sipped her soda, rolling the glass between her hands. “He cheats on you with your best friend, ends your engagement, marries her, then drives his car into a semi, leaving you half a million dollars in life insurance and all his property. That’s karma if I’ve ever seen it.”
“Half a million dollars.” The words left Tessa’s lips in a low whisper. “I don’t know what I’ll do with the house he bought a few years ago and his personal belongings. For now, those decisions can wait.”
Cara sat up, her eyes sparkling. “You have the means to do so much. What are you going to do first? Travel? Buy a new car?” She snapped her fingers. “I know. Fix up the baby’s room and add on to the clinic.”
Picking up her lemonade, Tessa took a few sips, her features melancholy. “It still hurts, Cara. I know it shouldn’t, but it does.”
“Of course it does. You loved him, are carrying his baby. He’ll always be a part of your life.”
Shaking her head, Tessa lifted a shoulder. “You’re right. He will be. The money will be a big help with the expenses of a child and paying for college.”
Cara reached across the table, setting her hand on Tessa’s. “You’ve got plenty of time to make decisions. For now, focus on the baby and your clinic. The answers will come when you’re ready.”
Wrath stared over Glory’s shoulder at the screen, tracking his men as they approached the Nevada border. So far, the run had gone as planned. Ghost’s team escorted the merchandise while Rock’s team kept watch from their position close to the drop point.
“Estimated drop is five minutes, Wrath.” Glory didn’t look up at him, hardly acknowledged him at all.
Forgetting their past had been a difficult adjustment for her. She’d come to Liberty Lake believing there’d be a chance for them to start over. He’d set her straight. The day she’d walked out on him sealed any future they might’ve had.
“Fuck.” Glory adjusted the screen, taking another look. “We’ve got hostiles coming up behind Rock’s group.”
Wrath leaned over her shoulder, studying the image. “How many?”
“At least six. They’re beginning to spread out, Wrath. I estimate they’ll be on top of them within three minutes.”
He grabbed the radio. “Wrath to Rock.”
Rock responded immediately. “Go ahead, Wrath.”
“Estimate six visitors at your back. Repeat. Six visitors at your back.”
“Roger. Six visitors.”
He looked back at the screen. “What about Ghost?”
“All clear, Wrath. Wait. Company approaching from behind Ghost. Looks like eight, no, nine hostiles.”
“Motorcycles?”
“I can’t be certain, but they’re approaching fast.”
“Wrath to Ghost.”
“Go ahead, Wrath.”
“Estimate nine visitors approaching on your six. Repeat. Estimate nine visitors.”
“Hostiles have increased their speed, Wrath,” Glory said. “They’ll be on top Ghost in less than a minute.”
He fingered the radio. “Let the transport go, Ghost. Repeat, abort and get the hell out of there.”
“Rock to Wrath. We’ve a man down. Repeat, eagle down.”
“Do you need transport?” Wrath asked.
“Affirmative. Medical help requested.”
“Glory’s on it, Rock. Are you secure?”
“Affirmative. Clear and secure. What about Ghost?” Wrath could hear the worry in Rock’s voice.
“Waiting for word. Mission aborted, Rock. I’m—” Wrath heard the secure door at the top of the stairs slam open. Looking up, he spotted Wrangler.
“We’re under attack.”
Wrath looked at Glory. “Stay here. Get medical for Rock and monitor both teams. No matter what you hear, do not leave this room.” Bounding up the stairs, he secured the door behind him.
Wrangler handed him a rifle. “They tossed grenades over the fence, then rammed the gate but didn’t breach it. As best as I can tell, they’ve got men up on the hills in front of the clubhouse. They’re using assault rifles. AK-47s and M16s by the sound of them.”
“Casualties?” Wrath ran back through the clubhouse, hearing bullets hitting the sides of the building.
“None. All the men made it back inside. I called Ethan. He’s sending men.”
Wrath whirled around. “What the hell? He’ll be driving into a firestorm.”
“He’d already heard reports of gunfire, Caid. Ethan would’ve been out here whether we called him or not.” Wrangler glanced around the large room, seeing men posted at the windows.
“Fucking hell. How did I not see this coming?”
Wrangler studied his brother. “What are you talking about?”
“Whoever is out there must be with the same group who attacked Ghost and Rock tonight.”
An explosion of expletives blew through Wrangler’s lips.
Wrath tensed at the sound of bullets ricocheting off the building. “The assaults were coordinated, meant to keep us pinned down here while they attacked our men moving the merchandise. I need to get back to the dungeon with Glory.” He stilled, realizing the gunfire had ceased. “Are you all right up here?”
“Go ahead. We’re good.”
Running back through his office, Wrath headed into the dungeon. “Status, Glory?”
“Our man is stable. Medical transport arrived and is taking him back to San Diego. Grayson sent additional transport for the downed hostiles. They’ll be taken to a secure location. Those who are able will be interrogated. Rock confirmed the assailants are Night Devils. Ghost reports no casualties, the men following them scattered when the mission was aborted. None of his team could identify them. The two groups are on their way back, using four separate routes.”
Wrath let out a relieved breath, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Good work, Glory.”
Wrangler’s voice came from the top of the stairs. “Ethan’s here.”
“I’ll be right up.” He looked at the screen, then back down at Glory. “Notify me of any changes. I want regular status updates on the positions of our returning groups.”
“Roger that.” She paused a moment, looking up at him. “Are we good?”
He didn’t have to ask what she meant. “Yeah, Glory. We’re good.”
“What the fuck are we going to do about the Devils? We can’t let them keep chipping away at us, Wrath.” Tracker voiced what the other members of the Posse were thinking. It was four in the morning, but adrenaline and mutual disgust kept them wide awake.
Standing at the head of the table, Wrath looked at each of his men, deciding it was time to drop the hammer on the Devils.
“I’ve spoken with Grayson. We have a tentative go-ahead to plan an operation against the Night Devils. We need to neutralize them if we’re going to be able to complete our mission against Demons
Blood. The admiral will have final approval. The FBI has no intention of dropping the existing operation. They need us to identify the suppliers and final buyers working with the Blood. The intervention by the Devils has severely impacted our progress. We have to turn that around.”
Rock rested his arms on the table. “You’re right, Wrath. The Devils know the details of each of our runs for the Blood far enough ahead of time to be ready for us.”
Ghost nodded. “There has to be a traitor in the Bloods. Have you spoken to Drago?”
“I have. He blames us for tonight. I told him if he doesn’t identify the traitor, there will be no more runs by the Brethren.”
“How did this mission get so fucked up?” Fargo stood, pacing away to lean against a wall. “It was supposed to be a simple operation. Associate with Demons Blood to help transport their illegal goods. Identify the suppliers at one end and the Nevada buyers at the other. Send the intel we gather to Grayson, who’ll pass it to his FBI contact. What the hell happened, Wrath?”
“You know what happened, Fargo. No one anticipated the Night Devils. They came out of nowhere, looking to take over Drago’s businesses and close the Demons Blood down. When they learned about us, we became another target. Their interference took everyone, including the FBI, by surprise. The government saw the Devils as inconsequential.”
Ghost strummed his fingers on the table. “Well, they aren’t inconsequential now.”
“So, where do we go from here?”
“An excellent question, Rock.” Wrath took out a stack of papers, passing them around. “I’m considering a two-pronged approach to neutralize the Devils. First, Drago hasn’t been able to identify the traitor, so we’re going to have to find a way to do it. We’ll focus on those who’ve transferred or been patched-in during the last year. It should be no more than three or four men. Raider, we need eyes on those men—the bars they frequent, where they live. You’ll work with Glory to make this happen.” He looked at his men. “It’s only a matter of time before the traitor slips up, allowing us to identify him.”
Opening a second file, he passed out another stack of papers. A wicked grin tilted the corners of his mouth. “Second, we pay the Devils back for interfering in our missions. And we are going to do it our way, gentlemen.”
Chapter Twenty
Cara sat on the sofa, legs tucked under her as she absently punched buttons on the television’s controller. Midnight, and nothing caught her attention.
She should surrender and go to bed. It was the first night back in her apartment. Exhaustion wrapped around her, but Cara knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
Two days and nights had passed since Wrath left the cabin. She’d heard nothing from him during that time, and doubt began to ripple through her.
Cara picked up the burner phone he’d provided, fingering the face, struggling with her desire to hear his voice. Pride stopped her. She’d been hurt and humiliated enough and didn’t intend to allow either to happen again.
No matter what Wrath had said about his relationship with Glory being over years ago, a part of Cara still couldn’t find it in herself to completely trust him. She knew her experience with Greg still messed with her mind, would no doubt impact her for a long time. Maybe it was for the best.
She’d been much too naïve and trusting in her previous life. From what she’d learned after his death, her late husband had been cheating on her for years and Cara had been oblivious to his deception. Whatever the future held, she would never again allow herself to be deceived in such a way.
Slipping the phone into a pocket, Cara gave up her fight to stay awake, trying not to hope Wrath would call. It wasn’t going to happen tonight.
Switching off the lights, she’d made it to her bed when persistent knocking had her turning back. Looking through the peephole, she frowned, seeing no one. When the pounding started again, she took another quick peek, frustrated when she saw nothing again.
“Who is it?” Cara called through the door. A sliver of fear flashed through her when no one answered.
Slipping a hand inside her pocket, her fingers wrapped around the phone. Pulling it out, she stared at the face, hesitating to bother Wrath. He’d encouraged her to call if she needed him. Did she truly need him now?
Making a quick decision, she opened the door, leaning outside. She saw no one. Kids, she thought, letting out a relieved breath. It had only been some of the kids who lived in the complex, nothing more.
Thankful she hadn’t made a fool of herself by calling Wrath, Cara closed the door, returning to her bedroom. Sliding between the sheets, a tired grin slid up the corners of her mouth.
Tomorrow was Friday and she felt certain Wrath would contact her. Looking forward to the coming weekend, time alone with him, Cara drifted off to sleep.
By Sunday evening, Cara had given up on hearing from Wrath. Five days without a word. Confusion settled over her. She’d been so certain he still wanted to give their relationship a chance. And maybe he did. If so, he did a lousy job showing it. Or she’d expected too much given the challenges they faced.
The adult part of her urged Cara to ignore her misgivings, wait for Wrath to contact her and explain his disappearance. The recurring insecurities warned her to put emotional distance between them, protect her heart as she hadn’t done in the past.
Opening the refrigerator, she grabbed a beer from the pack purchased for Wrath. Twisting off the top, Cara took a long swallow before setting the bottle on the table strewn with papers.
She’d spent the weekend working on contracts for her new client, Demons Blood. This was the third set of documents she’d completed, and so far, they’d been pleased with her work.
Still, Cara felt a surge of unease at accepting Drago’s request to handle their work. She shouldn’t. Everything she did for them was legal. Cara just wasn’t certain how Wrath would react when he learned of her association with the outlaw motorcycle gang.
The work they requested would be the same as what she’d done in San Diego for the other motorcycle club. Contract work only, preparing agreements to purchase and sell property and businesses, lease agreements, and reviewing other documents for the Blood.
Cara had been clear with Drago and Pacho. She didn’t want to know anything about their activities or how they made money from their various business ventures. Her work for them would be limited to contract law only, nothing more.
Loud knocking on her door startled Cara, the same as it had the last three nights. Each time, she’d checked the peephole and looked outside, finding no sign of anyone.
This time, she’d put a stop to it. Rushing to the door, she pulled it open, ignoring the voice urging caution.
Wrath scrubbed a hand down his face, features drawn even as a sense of deep satisfaction flooded him. Their second mission against the Devils in four days had been completed. Although successful, the actions of the Brethren wouldn’t be made public, those targeted never found. Their only praise came as a terse thank you from Grayson.
He and his men hadn’t slept more than fifteen hours during the last five days. Adrenaline pumped through them as the first one, then the second mission finalized with not a scratch on any of the Brethren.
“I’ve established rotating shifts to guard the clubhouse against retaliation, Wrath. But I have to say, if I were Poison, I’d think long and hard about coming after us again. Especially since his numbers have been significantly impacted.” Ghost pulled cigars from his pocket, tossing one across the desk.
Wrath stared at it before sliding it into a pocket for later.
“Some of the men not on the first shift have decided to bunk down here, others have gone home.” Ghost lifted a brow. “Wrangler dashed out of here as if his ass was on fire. Yelled something about a hot date he’d put off too long. Told me to let you know he’d be back in sixteen hours for his shift.”
Hot date was all that registered with Wrath. He’d thought of Cara more times than he could remember since leaving the cabin. W
ith two critical missions to plan and execute, he hadn’t been able to spare even five minutes to call, text, or… His thoughts drifted off, wincing at the guilt.
“I’m thinking you’d better get a hold of your lady before she changes the locks on her place and yours.” Ghost chuckled at his own joke, pushing out of the chair. “Rock is staying here, but I’m heading home. Unless you have something more for me.”
Wrath forced his weary features into a smile. “Get out of here, and don’t come back until you hear from me.” Of all the men, Ghost, Rock, and Wrangler had put in the most hours and gotten the least sleep.
Ghost stopped at the door. “What about you?”
Wrath tilted his head. “What about me?”
Shaking his head as if his friend had asked the most idiotic question he’d heard in ages, Ghost laughed. “You need to get the hell out of here. Go to Cara’s and let the woman know you’re still among the living.” Leaving, he closed the office door behind him.
Checking the time, Wrath grabbed his keys, deciding to take Ghost’s suggestion. With luck, Cara wouldn’t already be in bed at ten o’clock, and if she was, he had no problem waking her.
During a lull between missions, Raider had alerted him that Cara had checked out of the motel and returned home. Wrath was glad, although he wished she’d gone to his home, not hers.
After notifying Rock and Raider he’d be at Cara’s, Wrath headed to his motorcycle. A wave of excitement hit him, the same as always when he spotted his new Harley. The brisk air would wake and fortify him during the short ride to her place.
Firing up the bike, he signaled for his men to open the gate. Thirty seconds later, he cruised toward town, anticipation at seeing Cara rushing through him. She was exactly the type of rest and recuperation he needed.
The moment he pulled into her drive, a deep sense of dread balled in his gut. The door to her apartment stood wide open, the lights inside blazing.
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