“I love you.”
He smiled. “Love you, too, Paige.”
Kade watched as Robbie read the agreement Johnson sent. Nesto and Thad stood behind the chair where the Brethren’s VP, Joshua Beltran, had been secured with zip ties. The club’s sergeant-at-arms stood a few feet away, looking as if he’d much prefer gutting the man instead of turning him over. As it was, Beltran had two bruised and swollen eyes, a split lip, and what appeared to be a broken arm. Kade guessed he’d find more injuries under Josh’s clothes.
Robbie looked up. “It’s all here. I can’t guarantee the part about Javé. You know how it is, Kade.”
“Yeah, I do. The rest stays, even if you can’t give us Javé.”
Robbie looked at Josh, eyes narrowed. “If I ever see him again, he’s fair game.”
“Understood.”
Robbie scribbled his signature on the document, handing it to Kade. “Take Beltran and get out of here before I change my mind and slit his throat…and yours. I have a war to plan.”
Nesto had borrowed Heath’s large SUV, knowing there’d be six of them coming back. What he hadn’t expected was Beltran’s condition. They folded down the third seat, allowing Thad and J.D. to help him position himself so his back didn’t touch anything. With that completed, they jumped into the SUV, heading for town.
Once they got a mile away, J.D. told Nesto to stop. Getting out, he dashed to the back and opened the doors.
“Turn around, Beltran. We need to get that jacket off you.”
Josh cursed as the jacket, then his shirt came off, revealing fresh injuries to his back.
“What the hell did they use on you?” Thad asked.
“The cat,” Josh answered through gritted teeth.
Clive’s brows lifted. “A cat o’ nine tails?”
“One of the brothers is from Trinidad. He has several stashed away. I’ve never known him to use any of them before this morning.” Josh winced when J.D. dampened a cloth, trying to clean out the dirt.
Thad looked at Nesto. “We need to get him to the hospital.”
“No. You can’t take me there.”
J.D. capped the bottle of water, setting down the cloth. “You’re in bad shape, man. These will get infected if they’re not treated. Plus, it looks like your arm is broken.”
Shaking his head, Josh adjusted himself so he could ride with as little discomfort as possible. “You all know the drill. Call Johnson. Have him send men to pick me up. They’ll know what to do.”
“It’s your funeral, man.” J.D. closed the door, returning to his seat before Nesto rolled out.
Passing a strip mall not far from the ranch, a black SUV pulled out behind them, keeping pace all the way to the entrance of the ranch.
“We’re being followed.” Kade adjusted his outside mirror, keeping the vehicle in sight. “I think your guys are already here, Beltran.”
Grimacing, Josh looked out the back window. “Yeah. That’s them.”
The car followed them until Nesto stopped about a quarter mile up the ranch driveway. “Looks like this is where you get off, Beltran.”
Few words passed between them as they helped Josh out, then turned to face two agents walking toward them. A few feet away, the men showed their badges, introducing themselves, eyes focused on Josh. One pulled out his phone, talking in a low voice as he walked away.
When the other one walked up to support Josh under an arm, Clive stopped him.
“One arm’s probably broken, maybe some ribs, too. Where are you taking him?”
He nodded toward the man on the phone. “We’re getting that set up now. He’ll get treated within the hour.” Returning his attention to Josh, he shook his head. “Dammit, Josh. We told you to get the hell out of there months ago. Now look at you.”
One corner of Josh’s mouth turned up into a grim smile. “As long as the shit on my face heals, I’ll be fine.”
“Always thinking of the ladies.” The agent shook his head. “Come on, man. Let’s get you in the car.”
Josh held up a hand. “Hold on.” Turning, he looked at Kade. “Sorry I couldn’t let you in on what was going on. We were into dangerous shit, and you know how Sonny and Robbie are. I was too high up to make any mistakes. No hard feelings.” He extended his hand to Kade, who took it.
“No hard feelings.”
“So you know, I never worked for Javé. It was all an elaborate ruse Johnson concocted. Maybe one of us will share the story with you sometime.”
“Take a leave when they cut you some time. Come stay at the ranch for a while.”
Josh nodded. “I just might do that.”
After the agents disappeared with Josh, Nesto turned the SUV around, driving to the office. It was noon by the time he parked the car in the lot and they all climbed out, heading inside.
An hour later, they emerged from a meeting with Heath, Rafe, and Jace. All they could do now was wait and hope Robbie didn’t renege on the deal.
“I’m going to find Brooke. Meet us for dinner tonight. You pick the place.”
“Sure thing.”
Nesto didn’t let his guard down as he walked down the long hallway toward the meeting room where Paige and Sean worked. He’d seen too many deals crash and burn while working as a U.S. Marshal. He didn’t expect anything to happen this time, but he didn’t want to tempt fate. Pushing open the door, he relaxed when his gaze settled on Paige. Glancing up, she stood, letting out a deep breath as she walked up to him.
She wound her arms around his neck, looking up. “How did it go?”
He looked at Sean, then back at Paige. “The deal is in place. Now we wait for word on how Robbie is going to handle Devil’s Sons. I doubt it will take long. We brought a man back with us. An undercover agent inside Satan’s Brethren. He told us Robbie called in two other chapters. My guess is no less than forty Brethren will meet tonight to plan Javé’s fate.” He wanted to lift her into his arms, take her home and to bed. Instead, he leaned down to kiss her, then stepped away, looking at Sean. “How are you doing with Serenity?”
“I think we may have a good plan for acquiring most of their business. What do you think, Paige?”
“Sean’s right. He’s the one who came up with the proposal.”
Nesto shook his head. “Please don’t tell me he’s the brains in this room.”
“Hey.” Sean smiled in protest.
“Actually, yes. We’re meeting with the brothers in a couple hours. Here.” Paige handed him the draft. “Read through this. Let us know if you see any holes. I’m heading to the ladies’ room.”
Groaning, Nesto took the papers from her and sat down, his gaze meeting Sean’s. “Is it a good deal?”
“Once I found a few, uh…discrepancies in their data, it became a great deal. Pops and my uncles are going to love it.”
The rest of the day passed in a blur as Nesto got back up to speed on his regular duties. Admitting he didn’t know much about the financial aspects of the deal, he’d seen little to object to in the proposal to purchase Serenity. The brothers agreed, giving Sean the okay to continue. The one remaining acquisition, Champion Horse Breeding, needed Kade’s review.
After dinner with Kade and Brooke, Nesto and Paige drove to his cabin, heading straight to bed. It had been too long since they spent time exploring each other, taking their time, reveling in the comfort of each other’s body. At midnight, Paige drifted off to sleep, her head tucked under his chin, a hand on his chest. He couldn’t remember a time he’d felt so complete.
When the sun came up, he kissed her forehead, then slipped out of bed. Over the course of the last week, their relationship had shifted. He felt it and believed Paige did, as well.
Grabbing his phone, he sent a short text to Heath, getting a swift reply. Grinning, he returned to the bedroom.
“Hey.” Paige reached out to him. “Where’d you go?”
Kissing her, he leaned back. “Making plans for today. Let’s go for a ride.”
She sat up, bru
shing the hair off her face. “But work…”
“Already cleared it with Heath. We’ve got the morning off.” Holding out his hand, he led her to the shower.
He’d ridden the ranch enough to know exactly where he wanted to end up. While they saddled their horses, Annie had been kind enough to prepare them a snack, giving each a kiss on the cheek before they mounted.
“You picked a perfect day, Nesto.”
“Yeah. Wish I could dial it up like this every morning.” Reining Ghost next to Daisy, a chestnut mare Paige liked, he held out his hand. For a few minutes, they rode in silence, enjoying the day and the feel of their intertwined fingers.
“Do you have a place in mind?”
Chuckling, he nodded. “I do. If the creek is running, the water comes down in a short waterfall about a mile up ahead.”
“Sounds beautiful.”
A few minutes later, Nesto reined Ghost to a stop, dismounted, then helped Paige down. “We’ll leave the horses here.” Reaching into his saddlebags, he removed the food, handing it to Paige, then untied the blanket. “This way.” He grabbed her hand, willing his racing heart to slow down as they got closer to the spot he had in mind. Rounding a corner, he heard Paige’s intake of breath.
“It’s beautiful.” She walked to the edge of the creek, peering over a drop-off where the water tumbled into a lagoon twenty feet below. “Have you ever gone swimming in there?”
“Nope. We’ll have to do it when we have more time. I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
Spreading out the blanket, Nesto handed her a sandwich, waiting as she unwrapped it.
“It’s been a tough few weeks. I know it wasn’t what you expected when you moved from Philadelphia.” Twisting off the cap of a water bottle, he held it out to her, then opened one for himself.
“No. It’s better.”
His brows furrowed, his head tilting to one side. “What do you mean?”
Setting the sandwich and the bottle in her lap, she reached out to cup his face. “You and me. I never dared hope we’d have a second chance. I was so foolish, Nesto.”
Placing his hand over hers, he nodded. “A foolish heart, huh?”
“In the worst way.”
“I think we can make it better.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the small box he’d packed away two years before. He never thought he’d have a chance to offer it to Paige, but he could never quite let it go. Opening it, he held it out to Paige.
“Marry me. Have my children. Build the life we always dreamed of, Paige.”
Her eyes were wide, a hand covering her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. She couldn’t speak, the lump in her throat too thick to form words.
His gaze narrowed. “Paige?”
Nodding, she threw herself across the blanket and into his arms. “Yes. Always yes.”
They took longer than the four hours Nesto had requested. By the time they reached the office late Friday afternoon, the place had quieted, some employees already gone for the weekend.
Holding her hand, Nesto led her up the stairs to Kade’s office. “You sure you want Kade and Brooke to know before your mother and Paul?”
“Absolutely. Without them, we never would’ve met.”
Knocking, Nesto opened the door at the sound of Kade’s voice. They were in luck. Brooke sat on his lap, both looking at something on the computer screen.
Brooke looked up. “Where have you two been?”
Paige glanced at Nesto. “We, um…”
Nesto grabbed her left hand, holding it up.
“You’re engaged?” Brooke got off Kade’s lap, wrapping Paige in a hug.
Standing, Kade slapped Nesto on the back. “Congratulations, bro. It’s a good move.”
“Thanks. It’s definitely time.” Glancing over Kade’s shoulder, Nesto stared at the image on the screen.
“Have you heard the news?” Kade turned the laptop so they could see the screen. “An explosion leveled an old warehouse about thirty miles from here. More than twenty casualties, and they expect more. So far, all they’re saying is a gas leak is suspected of causing the explosion.”
Paige leaned forward for a better look as Nesto’s gaze locked on Kade.
“A gas leak, huh?” Nesto’s face gave nothing away.
Kade nodded, tugging Brooke a little closer. “That’s what the reporter is saying. It’s so far out in the boonies, no one was close enough to see it. Probably took whoever was inside by complete surprise.”
“What a shame.”
Again, Kade nodded. “Yeah. A real shame.”
Epilogue
Three weeks later…
Nesto held Paige’s hand, wishing he could haul her back to the cabin, disappearing behind closed doors for the rest of the day. It wouldn’t happen. Gage and Skye had just exchanged their vows, and after all the work Annie, Reyna, and Caroline had put in, no one would be leaving the reception anytime soon.
“It’s a shame Gage’s parents and brother couldn’t be here.”
Nesto brushed a strand of hair from her face, kissing her cheek. “According to Skye, there’s something going on within the family. Gage hasn’t seen his brother in a few years. Doesn’t even acknowledge him. I feel bad for the guy.”
“It’s hard when there are problems within the family.” Paige watched her mother circulate through the crowd, a sight she’d witnessed many times growing up. Irene was the consummate hostess, making certain everyone had drinks and food, even hustling others onto the dance floor the men had set up early that morning.
“Irene looks happy.” Nesto squeezed her hand, then lifted it to his lips, kissing her wrist.
Paige knew she’d never get tired of her affectionate man. “She does. I think having her own place far away from Philadelphia and Father’s antics is what Mother needed.”
Nesto looked at her. “Antics? A strange way to talk about his cheating. Has he contacted her since being served the divorce papers?”
“Not a word. From what Mother heard, he hasn’t contacted his attorney, either. He did return from his trip to Europe a little early—without the girlfriend.”
“How’d you find that out?” Nesto nodded to Kade and Brooke standing a few feet away, talking with Mitch and Dana.
A wry grin spread across Paige’s face. “His secretary and I go way back.”
“Ah.” Nesto rocked on his heels. “Maybe your parents will end up working things out.”
Shaking her head, she sighed. “Mother says there’s no chance of a reconciliation. He cheated and that’s it for her.” She looked up at Nesto. “Her words, not mine.”
“I’d feel the same in her situation.” He smiled at Kade and Brooke as they walked toward them.
Nesto clasped Kade on the shoulder. “Quite a turnout. I thought Gage might change his mind at the last minute and put Skye on a plane for Vegas.”
“From what I heard, it was a close decision.” Kade grinned as he draped an arm over Brooke’s shoulders.
“Did you hear anything more from Clive or J.D. about Josh Beltran?” Nesto kept his gaze moving across the crowd, a habit he didn’t intend to break anytime soon. Javé Cruz, a little beaten and bloodied from the explosion at the Devil’s Sons’ clubhouse, was being held under tight security. Several of the members were on a run at the time, and if the rumor mill was accurate, they had plans to retaliate. Nesto hoped their revenge didn’t include the MacLarens.
“Clive called last night. Josh is doing fine. Whatever happened with him in the Brethren, Johnson backed up his story. The guy’s got a boatload of data on the entire club. I told Clive to remind Beltran of the offer to vacation in Fire Mountain. He grew up on his parents’ ranch in Texas. Might get him out here for our annual cattle drive.”
“I’m going,” Brooke said, resting a hand on her extended belly.
Kissing her cheek, Kade shook his head. “I don’t think so, darlin’ Too close to your due date.”
“I’ll go.” Paige looked at Nesto, daring
him to say no.
“Sounds good to me, sweetheart.”
Paige looked across the crowd. “Who are Sean and Thad talking to?”
Nesto followed her gaze. “The slim one with the long auburn hair is Nicole MacLaren. She’s Sean’s cousin. The last I knew, she had moved back to her parents’ ranch near Austin. I’ve never seen the other woman. Let’s go meet her and I’ll introduce you to Nikki.”
“We’re going over to talk with Pops and Mom. Catch up with you later, bro.” Kade tugged on Brooke’s hand, laughing when he saw her glaring at him. “Sorry, babe, but no riding until after the baby comes.”
“I hear congratulations are in order.” Nikki walked up to Nesto, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, Nikki. This is my fiancée, Paige Wallace. Paige, this is Nicole MacLaren.”
“Please, call me Nikki.” She held out her hand.
Paige grasped it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I didn’t know there were any MacLarens in Texas.”
“Quite a number of us, I’m afraid. This is Ellie Russell.”
Paige shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Nikki looked at her friend. “Ellie has an interview with Heath this week, so she decided to come a couple days early to meet a few people.”
Sean lifted a brow. “An interview, huh? I didn’t know we had any openings. What do you do?”
Ellie looked at Sean, her bright smile causing his heart to accelerate. “My degree is in hospitality management. I’ve worked in hotels since high school. It seemed natural to continue with it in college.”
Sean stared at her, his jaw tightening, but he didn’t interrupt. His body noticed Ellie the moment Nikki introduced them. Long dark hair falling over her shoulders, bright green eyes with a hint of amusement in them. He guessed her to be about five-foot-four. Too short for him, but who cared. Sean’s idea had been to convince her a night with him before she flew home would be a great way to spend her time. The idea evaporated in a split second when he learned Ellie’s reason for coming to Fire Mountain.
“I’m with a large corporate chain now and hate it. I’m looking for something smaller with more intimate contact with the clientele.”
Foolish Heart (MacLarens 0f Fire Mountain Contemporary Book 9) Page 19
