Devil's Marker (Sons of Sanctuary MC, Austin, Texas Book 4)

by Victoria Danann

  He leaned down so that his mouth was close to her ear. “Yeah. It’s me.” He was so intent on keeping her out of the net they were casting that he completely missed the way her body had gone pliant and melted against his, as if her cells collectively gathered into a happy sigh. “I’m here on club business. Somethin’s goin’ down. First choice, you wouldn’t be here. Second choice, we have to park you somewhere safe. I can’t do my job and worry about you.”

  “Why would you be…?”

  “No time for questions. You’re gonna have to trust me enough to do what I ask.”

  Without further explanation, he led her to his end of the bar and waved for the bartender, who came right over. “Shawn. This is Arcy. She’s gonna sit her beautiful butt on this stool until I leave and not move a muscle. There’s an extra nice end to your night waitin’ if you can make sure that nobody bothers her. She can drink if she wants.”

  Shawn looked back and forth between Win and R.C. “Okay. Sure.”

  Just to be sure, he picked R.C. up and put her on the stool. “Now where’s Robin?”

  “Robin?”

  “Yes,” he said slowly. “Your friend? Robin?”

  “Oh.” R.C licked her lips, looking around. Win noticed that she seemed uncharacteristically unsettled. Maybe even a little fearful. Then he remembered that her number one goal in life was safety. Safety and security.

  “Listen, baby.” He cupped his hand around the side of her face. “This is gonna be okay. You stay right here, you’ll be fine. Promise. I’ve got you.”

  She blinked at him. “She went home with somebody. A while ago.”

  Win remembered seeing her getting friendly with a guy in a hat. “Okay.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “Good.”

  He turned and walked away hoping to hell that she did what was asked of her for once in her bloody hell-raising life.

  Catcher met Win as he’d just finished making another skirting of the perimeter.

  “Unless they’re in the john, they’re not here,” Win said.

  Catcher looked around. “I’ll check.”

  Win stayed where he was. It was just before one o’clock and the crowd was definitely thinning out.

  Catcher was walking back shaking his head. “I don’t know how they got past us, but unless there’s a way out that’s not front or back, we’ll figure it out.”

  “How?”

  Catcher’s mouth broadened into a big grin. “Roar’s got the box with the camera feed. I’ll go over it when we get back tonight.”

  “You are one smart bastard.” Win caught himself just before saying, “We need somebody just like you in our club.” He was getting relaxed around these people. And that was the most dangerous thing he could do. “Might as well call it a night.”

  Catcher slid his eyes to the bar. “Whachu gonna do about her?”

  Win took in a big breath. “Put her in her car. Follow her home. Meet you at the clubhouse. Then I’m gonna make a tall stiff coffee and look at that feed with you.”

  “It’s a plan.”

  “Who’s calling Boss?” Catcher shrugged. “You want him to know R.C. was here?”

  That was the sixty-four million dollar question. “I’m not gonna tell him. Roar and the other guys don’t know she’s here. If you don’t tell him…”

  Catcher got that rare look of seriousness on his face. The one that revealed a potential stone-cold killer might be lurking somewhere inside. “That how you want to play it?”

  That question brought Win up short. He’d planned to sneak into the Marauders Hill County Chapter, learn what he could to pay off the SSMC debt, and go. One week maybe. One month tops. He hadn’t considered the extremely unlikely chance that he might fall in love with the prez’s daughter. Or make a friend who’d be willing to jeopardize his standing in the club on his behalf.

  “No. I don’t want her to take flack, but it’s not worth puttin’ you in that position. Yeah. I’ll tell him when I get back. From what I’ve seen, she can hold her own with Boss better than you and me put together.”

  Catcher laughed, good humor firmly back in place. “If you’re sure. I’d give you that though. Heard what Boss said about you speakin’ for me.”

  “Whoa. Hold on. Don’t make too much of that. Boss had already decided to patch you in before I said a word.”

  “Yeah?” Catcher said. “Still, none of those other fuckers… you know, the ones who’ve been givin’ me shit for two years? None of them spoke up on my behalf.”

  Win wasn’t sure what to say. “Well. Then they’re even dumber than I thought.”

  Win put some bills on the bar that made Shawn’s eyes go wide. “Sweeeeeeet,” he said. “Hope ta see ya next week.”

  Win smiled. “We’ll see. Maybe.”

  He took R.C.’s elbow and walked with her to the door. “You valet park?”

  “I didn’t park at all. We were in Robin’s car. I told her I’d Uber home.”

  “All right then. You got yourself a ride.”

  As they started walking she said, “Are you gonna tell me what’s goin’ on?”

  “I shouldn’t. And I could get skinned alive for it ‘cause you gotta know families don’t share in club business. And there’s a reason for that. Buncha reasons actually. But through no fault of your own, so far as I can see, you’re caught up in this now. Maybe if your father knew you were gonna be spendin’ so much time here, he’d have told you. I don’t know.”

  He waited to see if she would volunteer why she was in town. Again. She didn’t.

  “You’re not gonna tell me why you were back here this weekend?”

  She raised her chin. “Is that your business?”

  He stopped on the sidewalk, turned toward her, crossed his arms over his chest and made it clear he was waiting for an answer. “Before the hour is over, I’m gonna walk into the clubhouse and tell your daddy three things he’s not gonna be happy about hearin’. You’re in town and didn’t let him know. You unwittingly put yourself in the middle of this cluster. Again, because he didn’t know. And because of the first two things, I’m tellin’ you more than he would want you to know. Which very well might mean my face bein’ mauled again before it’s even completely healed.”

  She looked up at him with big green liquid eyes that shone in the combination street and neon lights. “Your face looks, um, good. I didn’t know you’re actually, you know…”

  “No. I don’t’ know. Actually what?”

  “Hot.”

  His lips twitched. “If you think that will get you outta tellin’ me what you are doin’ here, you’re dead wrong, beautiful. Now, when this crisis is over, you and I are gonna have a talk about you bein’ out trollin’ bars. But right now I’m waitin’ for an answer about you being seen in Waco when you’re supposed to be in Austin.”

  “I was just dancing!”

  “R.C.” He said her name as two distinct initials, which she took to mean that he was more serious than usual. Much more.

  “All right. All right. Keep your jockeys on.” She sounded exasperated, but then she added. “This is a good look on you. You could almost pass for somebody who…” She didn’t finish that sentence. “Nice boots.”

  “Thanks. Do I need to start counting?” When there was no response, he said, “One.”

  She looked down at the sidewalk like there was something fascinating there. “I worked all week. Woke up. It was Saturday morning and there was no place else I’d rather be.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Do not ask me that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want to say.”

  “Tabled for now. Go on.”

  “It was an impulse. I went out to get groceries and saw a sign. This way to I-35. And I thought to myself, I could jump up on the highway and be there in a little more than an hour. Wouldn’t even have to pack a bag because I keep stuff here. Not the way I usually do things.”

  “You usually think things through?”

&nb
sp; “Yes. But today I didn’t.”

  “Why’s that?”’

  “Would you stop asking me that?”

  “Sure. Soon as you tell me.”

  “I guess I miss my dad.” Win laughed out loud. “Okay. It’s true, but that’s not it.”

  “Come on. While we’re still young.”

  “I just had this crazy, crazy, crazy idea about seein’ you again. Maybe one more time. But then when I got here, I realized how crazy that really was. So I decided to just spend some time with Robin tonight. Go back tomorrow. And leave things alone.”

  “You mean things between you and me?” he asked quietly.

  “Yeah,” she whispered.

  He reached out and pulled her toward him gently, causing her to take a step forward into his arms as his lips descended on hers. She gave herself over to that kiss as it became more insistent.

  Win pulled back when he remembered things weren’t headed that direction. He had a date with a big powerful guy who was going to be an irate father.

  “You still think it’d be crazy to see me again?”

  “Yes,” she said and he felt a pang of disappointment lance through his chest. “But maybe crazy isn’t the worst thing.”

  He smiled. “I’m takin’ this as a bona fide offer to see me again. When this is over.”

  “It’s bad.” It was a statement, but he heard the question underneath.

  He took in a big breath and let it out as they started walking again. “Rival club come to town from outta state. They’re the worst kinda no good. The kind that involves young women at the value they have at the peak of attraction.”

  She stopped dead still. “Do you mean what I think you mean?”

  “Probably.”

  “What happened to Flak’s niece?”

  “You knew about that?”

  “Yeah. It’d be hard not to.”

  “That was out in California.”

  “I know it’s comforting to think it’s not everywhere. But it is.”

  She waved behind her. “And that club?”

  “We got a tip that girls who’ve turned up missin’ might have been goin’ to Night Flight.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “That redheaded guy? The one in the white jeans?”

  She scrunched up her nose. “Yeah?”

  “He’s their prez.”

  “Oh my God!” Her eyes were huge as she contemplated the near brush she had with an irredeemable end to the good life she had going on. She grabbed hold of Win’s arm. “You were watching me.”

  “”Course, Arcy. Nothin’s ever gonna happen to you if I’m around.”

  She let those words penetrate, particularly the word ever. It warmed and softened as it began to seep through skin and flesh, into her very bones. And she knew. Millions of dollars wouldn’t give her a feeling of security. But Win Garrett.

  When a man like Win Garrett used the word ‘ever’, he meant it. She didn’t know how she knew that. She just did.

  “You okay?” he said.

  “Yes. But I don’t want to go to the condo. I’m gonna sleep at the clubhouse tonight.”

  For one thing Win didn’t think it was his place to tell R.C. Greer where to sleep. For another thing, he was disturbed by the fact that some lucky but unaware young lady had experienced a near miss and that, with a slight change of fate, it could have been R.C. With a war brewing with another club, particularly in light of the fact that they’d taken one of the S&B, he wasn’t sure the clubhouse was safer. But he was sure he’d feel better if she was close by.

  When he walked into the clubhouse, the members, gathered by news of what had transpired, gaped at R.C. in a way that said they would have been less surprised if he’d brought an elephant back at two in the morning.

  He turned her way. “Guess I’d better go face the music.”

  She reached out and stopped him. “No. This is on me. You didn’t drive the car from Austin to Waco. You didn’t make the decision to go dancing tonight. He’ll yell and carry on, but it’s nothin’ I haven’t seen before.”

  “Don’t feel good about this. Feels like I’m puttin’ it on you.”

  “My doing. My mess. I’m the cleanup crew.” She smiled. “But stay away from the door. Just in case.”

  Win watched her walk in the direction of Boss’s office. When she turned the corner, he looked around the room. There were at least a dozen pairs of curious eyes fixed on him.

  “Where’d Roar put that fucker?” Win said.

  “He’s across the way,” Cue said. “Boss wants to find out what Catch gets from the video before we give the asshole an opportunity to provide us with the information we want. Boss says we’ll get further faster if the questions are precise and focused.”

  Win nodded. “He’s probably right about that.”

  Win had only ever witnessed one bloody interrogation when he was with the Huns. It was something he was not eager to experience again.

  After changing clothes, Win headed to security, which was next to Boss’s office. The door was open, but it was quiet. No yelling. No screaming.

  He intended to keep moving until he reached the security room, but couldn’t keep from turning his head to look as he went by.

  Boss spotted him. “Stop tryin’ to sneak past me, recruit. Get your ass in here.” He backed up two steps. R.C. was sitting in the chair in front of the desk with her back to the door. He couldn’t see her face when he stepped inside. “My little girl says you took care of her. Says she put you in an awful position, where you had to look after her while you were tryin’ to take care of business. So I guess I’m in your debt.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say…”

  “My security expert says you’re gonna go through the feed with him. Y’all let me know as soon as you know what you know.” He looked at R.C. “Now you go on to bed, sugar. You can sleep good. There’re a lotta guys here tonight who’d give their lives to keep you safe.”

  “Okay,” she said. When she got up and turned around, Win could see she was tired. “See ya, Garrett.”

  “See ya, Arcy.”

  Catcher had also changed. He was wearing a white short-sleeved tee and jeans, leaning back in his desk chair with his hands behind his head, watching people come and go at the front entrance of Night Flight.

  “Hey,” he said when Win walked in and pulled up a chair.

  “Hey.” Win set down the large coffee he’d promised himself. He’d stopped in the kitchen and brewed it before being delayed by Boss. “What you got?”

  “Well, nothin’ so far really. I skipped ahead to eleven o’clock because we know that all three of them were still there then. We know they were gone before one. So that just leaves two hours to review. I’ve already been through the first forty-five minutes.”

  “Hold on. Is that Robin?”

  Win was looking at Robin laughing with the guy in the hat and leaning against him suggestively.

  “Sure is.”

  They watched the valet parker pull a black Mercedes up the curved driveway and bring it to a stop right in front of Robin and her catch. The building that housed Night Flight had once been a small hotel with a pull-in drive for check-in and taxis. The guy opened the passenger door.

  “Wait a minute,” Win said. “Arcy told me Robin drove. That her car?”

  Robin clearly hesitated and that was followed by a discussion about who was going to drive. After a minute or so of talk with her hand on her hip, she apparently gave in and got in on the passenger side.

  Catcher’s arms came away from behind his head as his eyes slid to Win. “Not sure. Why? That important?”

  “I don’t know. Can you run this back?”

  “You know I can.”

  Catcher reversed the video to where Robin and her cowboy came through the door. Robin handed the valet the claim check.

  “Yep. Her car,” Catcher said. “What’s wrong?”

  “I got that feelin’. Let’s go back to them comin’ out of the club and slow
it down.”

  Going frame by frame they began looking for something even though they didn’t know what. Until Catcher stood up so fast his office chair careened across the tile floor and crashed into the counter on the opposite wall.

  “SHIT!”

  “What?” Win asked, starting to feel the cold and unpleasant chill of adrenaline.

  “Shit!” Catcher repeated. “Look at this.”

  He grabbed the chair, sat down quickly and backed the video up to the frame where Robin had handed her claim check to the valet parker. At that same moment the cowboy had tipped his face up toward the camera.

  Catcher isolated the face, zoomed in and then split the screen on his monitor. With lightning fast speed, he clicked through the photos of the S&B members he’d believed were candidates for possibly being hunters and stopped on one.

  The guy on the right side of the screen had a three-inch beard and scruffy hair over his ears. The cowboy on the left was clean shaven with short hair. But it was him. It was definitely him.

  “We missed him,” Win almost whispered.

  “YES! SHIT!” Catcher repeated. “Zip…”

  “I know. I’m gonna go next door and talk to Boss.”

  Win didn’t wait for a response, he walked the few feet down the hallway that separated the two rooms. Boss’s door was still open.

  “Boss?”

  “Yeah?” The big man answered, looking more his age every hour.

  “Got bad news.”

  Boss stopped what he was doing and leveled a stare at Win. “Bring it. Close the door.”

  “They have Robin.”

  Boss visibly paled before Win’s eyes. He knew Boss and Zipper had been friends, brothers of a sort, for a long time. Their daughters had grown up together and were still close. Obviously.

  Win couldn’t tell if Boss was imagining how he’d feel if it was R.C., or if he was trying to figure out how he was going to tell Zipper, or both.

  “How long ago?”

  “We can get the exact time off the feed, but it was around eleven thirty.”