Clive nodded. “I’ll be right with you.”
Nesto’s face relaxed for the first time in hours. He looked at Heath. “If this is all right with you, Rafe, and Jace, I’d suggest Kade, J.D., Clive, and I get together early tomorrow to sort out what to present to Johnson. We’ll run it by you before we go forward, but we need to get on this right away.”
Heath stood and walked over to Nesto, clasping him on the shoulder. “Whatever you need to do to get Javé and his gang of thugs away from our family, we’re behind you. Any resources you need, just ask.”
The sun had set by the time Kade parked out front of the ranch house where Brooke and Paige waited for him and Nesto to take them to their cabins. Even the added security Nesto had set up didn’t calm their apprehension concerning Javé.
Kade turned toward Nesto. “I think what we talked about tonight has a good chance to sway Johnson. He’s not as hard-nosed as J.D. and Clive said, but he is cautious and requires a mountain of intel before making changes.”
Nesto glanced at the front door, not ready to get out of the truck and face Paige. Learning she hadn’t trusted him for months before she left San Diego weighed on him in a way he couldn’t reconcile. She should’ve come to him, opened up about her concerns. Maybe she didn’t because Paige knew he’d be honest. But she also should’ve known he’d never go behind her back, having an affair while they were a couple. It just wasn’t something he could stomach. It was why he felt so much disgust at what her father had done to Irene.
“Hey, bro. Are you okay?”
Shaking his head, Nesto nodded. “I’m good, man. Just got a lot on my mind. We do need Satan’s Brethren to go after Devil’s Sons. You know Robbie better than anyone. Do you really believe he’ll care enough to start a war if he learns Amber might be in danger?”
“Hard to tell. He never mentioned having a daughter the entire time I knew him—and we became pretty close.”
Nesto shook his head. “What man doesn’t want to protect his own daughter?”
“Well, now, that’s the thing about the outlaw life. The club comes first in all things, even family. With her mother out of the picture, Robbie put Amber up for adoption a few years after her birth, when he accepted the outlaw life wouldn’t allow him to be the parent she deserved. A man who didn’t care wouldn’t form a bond with his daughter, build a relationship, then walk away unless he had a damn good reason. Plus, he rode off again when they found each other after all those years. It about killed Amber, but she moved on and married Eric. Something about the way it all came down makes me think he’ll bring the wrath of the entire Satan’s Brethren organization down on Javé if he learns Amber is one of his targets.”
“I hope you’re right because we’re betting a lot on it.” Gripping the door handle, he took one more look at the house, as ready as he’d ever be to see Paige. “Guess we’d better go in and get our girls.”
Climbing out of the truck, Nesto did his best to clear his head, rein in the reservations tormenting him after Paige’s confession. He had no doubt she loved him. Too bad love alone wasn’t enough.
“If you want, I can sleep in the guest room.” Paige fiddled with the bottom edge of the t-shirt she wore at night, wishing Nesto would say something about their talk outside the café. Neither of them had spoken during the ride from the ranch house to his cabin, and he’d said little since closing the door.
Removing his pistol from its holster, setting it on the table next to the bed, he looked at her. “Is that what you want?”
“No.”
“Good. Neither do I.” He finished emptying his pockets, pulled his shirt over his head, and tossed it in a basket by the door. “I need some time to process what you said today.” Walking to her, he rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’ve got to know you believe in me, Paige. Neither of us can have doubts about the other. Love isn’t enough. We’ll never make it unless there’s trust between us.” He didn’t lean down to kiss her, stroke her hair, or do any of the things he did when being affectionate. Instead, he dropped his hands and left the room.
Following him into the kitchen, she leaned against the counter, watching his efficient movements as he prepared coffee for the following morning. She loved everything about him. His blatant sexuality, along with his confident nature without being a jerk, had been what drew her to him at first sight. It hadn’t taken long to learn he had many layers. Paige found she enjoyed peeling away each one, discovering more reasons to love him each time.
“My uncertainties weren’t your fault, Nesto. I’ve had a lot of time over the last two years to think about it, and it’s all on me. I should’ve said something to you, forced you to tell me about the woman.”
Crossing his arms, he settled a hip against the counter and snorted. “As if you could’ve forced me to do anything. My mistake was thinking I could ignore your questions about her. If it had been me, I would’ve been all kinds of crazy, wondering what was going on.”
A slow grin appeared on her face. “You wouldn’t have let it rest, and you know it. Me? I buried it all inside, afraid I’d lose you if I pushed.”
Moving to stand in front of her, he ran his hands down her arms, then moved them up to grip the back of her head, spearing his fingers through her hair. Angling her head to the side, he captured her mouth with his in a slow, deep kiss. Pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers.
“We’ve got to work this out, babe.”
“You sure you still want this, Nesto?”
He nodded, not loosening his hold on her. “It’s what I’ve wanted since the day I met you.”
Nesto woke before dawn, unable to get his mind off the meeting with Javé and the threats he’d made. Though not overt, they’d been threats all the same.
Jace told Javé a decision about buying Double Ace hadn’t been made, which was a lie. If Javé suspected otherwise, he didn’t let it show.
An informal agreement had been reached between Ivan Santiago, Gage Templeton, and the MacLarens—a purchase price established and an acquisition date identified. It was expected to move quickly, finalizing in thirty days if the attorneys acted fast. Javé didn’t need to know this.
Shifting onto his side, he leaned down, brushing aside a strand of Paige’s hair before kissing her cheek. He hoped last night could be a turning point for them.
Careful not to wake her, he slid from the bed, grabbed some clothes, and walked into the bathroom. He needed a shower to clear his head before meeting with the others to finalize their thoughts on approaching Special Agent in Charge Dennis Johnson.
Kade would be by any minute to pick him up and drop off Mitch, who’d drive Paige and Brooke to the office. Although Nesto didn’t expect any trouble from Javé before the Friday deadline, he refused to leave the women unprotected.
Emerging from the bathroom, dressed, his hair still damp, he sat on the edge of the bed. Her face looked so serene, so beautiful, it made his heart ache. Stroking a hand down her arm, he waited as her eyes fluttered open. A slow smile spread across her face.
“Hey.” She raised a hand, cupping his face.
Leaning down, he kissed her. “Kade will be here soon with Brooke and Mitch. He’ll drive you to the office. How about meeting for lunch? I’ll come by your office.”
“Sounds good.”
Standing, he looked down at her. “Don’t go back to sleep, sweetheart. I’d hate for Mitch to see you in your pajamas.”
She tossed off the covers, showcasing the fact she hadn’t worn pajamas to bed. “Guess I shouldn’t give him a shock.” Standing, she rose on her toes, kissed him, then rushed to the bathroom, closing the door.
“Are we all agreed?” Kade looked at Nesto, Clive, and J.D. They’d been sequestered behind closed doors for hours, hammering out the final details of what the agents would present to their boss via conference call that afternoon.
Clive finished scribbling a few notes before looking up. “Only Johnson and his superiors know everything the agency has on Sata
n’s Brethren. I’ve been told it’s solid and could put some members away for years, including Robbie. We’re asking them to take a chance on their case by alerting the Brethren of Javé’s activities and threats. There’s no telling what Robbie will do when he learns Amber is on the list of targets. Johnson may not be willing to take the risk.”
“Even if it means protecting the MacLarens from Javé?” Nesto knew how it all worked, but he’d never liked how a lot of decisions were made in a bureaucracy as thick as a spider’s web.
J.D. shrugged. “We won’t know until we have our call this afternoon.”
“What’s your gut tell you?” Nesto scrubbed a hand down his face, needing some read on how the meeting would go.
Clive shook his head. “We have it all laid out for him. I think we have a good shot at getting him to pull some resources, make this happen. But don’t quote me on that.”
“Mother, Annie, and Reyna are looking at a few more houses today. If the one house hasn’t sold, I’m pretty sure she’ll make an offer on it.” Paige took another bite of her sandwich, chewed, then swallowed before continuing. “She feels good about moving here. Who would’ve thought a Philadelphia socialite would ever want to make her home in Fire Mountain?”
Nesto watched Paige’s animated face, loving the excitement in her voice. “Yeah. Who knew?”
“It’s a great house. You’re going to love it.” Grabbing her drink, she took a sip, glancing at his plate. “Aren’t you hungry?” Setting her cup down, she tilted her head, gaze narrowing when he didn’t answer. “Nesto?”
He shook his head, picked up his sandwich, and took a bite. Swallowing, he grabbed his drink. “Let’s get out of here when this stuff with Javé is over.”
“Out of here?”
“A few days, a week, just the two of us. I don’t care where we go—San Diego, the mountains, Santa Fe. You pick the place. We need some time alone without the hassle of work.”
Her body relaxed. For an instant, her heart had seized, thinking he’d say something else. “If Brooke will give me the time off. I’ve only been here a couple weeks.”
Reaching across the table, he covered her hand with his. “I’m pretty sure that won’t be a problem.”
Once they finished eating, he stood. “Ready?”
“I am.”
Walking outside, they both froze at the sound of motorcycles, then hurried to Nesto’s truck as a group of six bikes pulled into the parking lot. Devil’s Sons patches were clearly visible on their jackets.
“We need to get out of here.” Nesto settled her in the passenger seat, mumbling a curse when the bikes parked behind the truck, blocking his exit. “No matter what happens, stay inside.” Slamming the door, he reached behind him, feeling his Sig Sauer in the small of his back. Walking around the truck, he stepped up to Javé still astride his bike.
“Salgado. Are you having a good day with your woman?”
Crossing his arms, Nesto fixed him with a hard stare. “What do you want? If it’s intimidation, you’ve picked the wrong person.”
Chuckling, Javé shook his head. “I have heard that about you, U.S. Marshal Salgado.”
“Then you must’ve already heard I retired months ago. Now, I’ll ask again. Why are you blocking my truck?”
“Am I?”
Pulling out his phone, Nesto punched in the number for the police, then held it out so Javé could read the screen. “Your choice.”
A hearty laugh burst from Javé’s throat. “A misunderstanding, ex-Marshal Salgado.” Raising his chin, signaling his men, he straightened his bike. Giving a mock salute, he revved the Harley’s engine. “Have a good day.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Are you sure you’re all right, Paige?” Nesto walked beside her, his hand on the small of her back. Even though she’d sworn she was fine, he’d seen how hard she worked to control the shakes on the drive back to the office.
“Yeah.”
“I can take you to the ranch house. There’s plenty of security there.”
Stopping, she turned to look at him, placing a hand on his arm. “I know you’re worried about me, but honestly, I’m fine. I was more worried about you.” She shook her head, glancing away for a moment before retuning her gaze to his. “If anything happened to you, I…” Her voice trailed off.
Cupping her elbow, he led Paige around the corner of the building, wrapping his arms around her. Tightening his hold, he leaned down next to her ear. “Nothing is going to happen to me, sweetheart. You’ve got to trust me on that.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she placed kisses along his jaw and chin, then looked up at him. “I do trust you, Nesto. It’s Javé and his men I don’t trust.”
Taking a deep breath, he rested his chin on the top of her head. “I know what kind of men we’re dealing with, babe. So does everyone else. The Sons thrive on intimidation and threats, enjoying the way they can make people squirm. I’m telling you, sweetheart, no one is squirming this time.”
A grin spread across her face. “You were pretty cool out there.”
He returned her smile. “Yeah?”
“If I hadn’t been so worried, it might have turned me on.”
“Is that right?” He took her mouth, holding her close. Her soft moan had him deepening the kiss, his hands gripping her hips, aligning her body with his. Another moan, louder this time, broke through his lust-filled brain. “Damn, Paige.”
She covered her mouth to stop a giggle.
Laughing, Nesto turned her around, swatting her butt. “Get inside before we do something that’ll embarrass the hell out of both of us.”
Clive and J.D. stared at the computer screen, waiting for Dennis Johnson to start another round of questions. They’d been on the video conference call for over an hour, going over every detail several times. At least the Senior Agent in Charge hadn’t said no. They watched the screen, seeing him rub his brows as he scanned the documents again, making notes.
“You realize if I go ahead with this on a formal basis, the two of you will be the lead agents?”
Clive looked at J.D., answering for both of them. “We want to be involved either way, sir.”
“How do you propose feeding Robbie the information about Javé’s threats without exposing our agent inside Satan’s Brethren?”
“Can you get word to him, give the agent a heads-up about what’s happening?” Clive asked.
Johnson thought a moment, not looking at the screen, then nodded. “It’ll take about twenty-four hours to make it happen.”
J.D. leaned forward. “Once he knows, Kade will get in touch with Robbie and request a meeting.”
Johnson snorted, shaking his head. “Kade always did have balls of steel. That’s one reason it was such a big loss when he left the agency. There’s a real possibility he won’t walk away from that meeting alive.”
J.D. glanced at Clive, then spoke. “He knows this, sir. Ernesto Salgado has volunteered to go with him.”
“He’s the retired U.S. Marshal and was a U.S. Special Forces operative with Kade, correct?”
Clive nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“If anything happens during that meeting, either or both men don’t return, we can’t have this blow back on the agency.” Johnson stared at the screen, his gaze resolute. “It’s important those men understand we’ll disavow all knowledge of their meeting.”
“There is no misunderstanding on that, sir.” J.D. checked his notes, looking up. “This has to happen before Friday, the deadline Javé gave Jace MacLaren and Salgado.”
Leaning back in his chair, Dennis Johnson steepled his fingers under his chin, then nodded. “Let me get on this. I’ll be in touch.”
The two agents let out a collective breath as Johnson’s image disappeared.
Standing, Clive looked at J.D. “We need to let the boys know.”
Picking up their folders, they walked into the hall, seeing Nesto and Kade standing a few feet away.
“Well?” Nesto asked.
<
br /> A slow smile tipped up the corners of J.D.’s mouth. “We’re a go.”
Nesto blew out a relieved breath, smiling, as Kade slapped both agents on their backs.
Clive held up a hand. “But we’re on hold until Johnson gets word to the agent he has inside Satan’s Brethren.”
“How long?” Kade asked. “It could take a couple days to set up a meeting with Robbie.”
“If he agrees to meet us at all,” Nesto added.
“Oh, he’ll agree. Whether to exact some twisted sort of revenge on me or to hear what we know involving Amber, he’ll meet.”
Paige sat next to Sean, studying the last of the data on Serenity Resorts, trying to make sense of the financials.
Dragging a hand through his hair, Sean crossed his arms. “I’m not an accountant, but it seems to me they should have a better bottom line with the amount they charge for their services. Look at what a couple pays for one week at the Idaho location.” He pointed to a line on the summary of services the president of Serenity had provided. “Then look at the expenses. They seem way out of line.” He glanced at Paige. “I think there’s room for lowering expenses in Idaho and Wyoming.”
“What about the one in Colorado?”
“I’m not enthusiastic about that one. The operation is small, hasn’t done well for a while. Local and state taxes, plus some anti-business regulations, would make it more difficult to recoup our investment anytime soon.”
Paige nodded, moving down the list to the hotels. “What are your thoughts on the two Serenity hotels?”
“I know Pops and my uncles want to move in that direction. The problem is this would be our first time in hotel operations. We’d need someone to guide us through it, maybe become the general manager.”
Paige used a yellow highlighter to emphasize two names. “Why not keep the managers they already have at each location?”
“It’s possible, but the customer reviews I’ve read aren’t good. The properties are upscale with historic designations. The problem seems to be the staff. I’m planning to visit each location next week. I’ve already been to the dude ranches in Wyoming and Idaho. They’re solid. The hotels, not so much.” Seeing Nesto standing outside the office, Sean grinned, resting his arm on the back of Paige’s chair. “How about you come with me? We could have a great time.”
Foolish Heart (MacLarens 0f Fire Mountain Contemporary Book 9) Page 16
