He didn’t seem to accept her excuse. “One dance. What’s it going to hurt?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to leave my friends.” She turned away, focusing on an ongoing conversation between Val and Tessa.
Raider saw the man’s hand clamp harder on Ali’s shoulder, noticed her stiffen. He stood, stepping between the man and Ali. “Look, buddy. The lady said no twice. I think it’s pretty clear she’s made up her mind. Try someone else.”
At well over six feet, Raider was quite a bit taller than the poor soul by several inches. Leaning close, he motioned with his thumb to another table of women.
“Ask one of the ladies over there. I’m certain you’ll have better luck.”
Crossing his arms, the man shook his head, shoving out his chest, alcohol clouding his actions. “It’s none of your business. I’m asking the lady right here.” He tapped Ali’s shoulder.
Before he knew what was happening, she jumped up, drawing an arm back. If not for Raider’s restraining hand, she would’ve slugged him on the jaw.
“Let go of me!”
“Not a chance, sweetheart.” Gripping her shoulders, Raider led her away from the table while Gunner blocked the man from following them.
Raider frog-marched Ali outside. Albeit more gently than normal, his manhandling still angered her. “What are you doing? Let me go, Raider.”
“Not until you promise to stay outside until you’ve cooled off.”
“Someone needs to teach him a lesson,” she hissed.
“It’ll happen. Just not by you.” Stopping, he turned her to face him, grabbing her arm when she tried to head back inside. “Not yet, beautiful.”
The compliment had her momentarily stalling before she drew back her foot, meaning to kick his shin. Sensing the move, he swung her around, turning Ali away from him before clamping his arms around her from behind.
“That’s enough, Ali. All he did was ask for a dance.”
“Three times. What man in his right mind does that?”
“I know this may not be the smartest thing to say, but don’t you think you’re overreacting?”
The anger began to drain from her, the heat of shame crawling up her face. Raider was right, although she loathed admitting it. Ali didn’t have to ponder her response to know what triggered it. Who, to be more accurate.
Raider. He was the catalyst for so many emotions she didn’t want to feel. The most selfish, arrogant, pigheaded man she’d ever had the misfortune to know. He was also smart, honest, with a robust laugh and warm smile. When he wasn’t grousing about something, which was eighty percent of the time.
Raider also had an almost childlike enjoyment of simple pleasures, which contrasted with the hardened warrior she knew him to be. Ali had figured most of it out while nursing him back to health after the explosion at WETC. Both in the hospital and at his home in Liberty Lake.
His recovery had been a fight of wills, sparring every minute to get him back in shape for active duty. He’d once let the phrase slip while still sluggish from pain meds.
Afterward, he’d refused to take a single pill or answer questions about Eternal Brethren. She’d continued trying to confirm her suspicions about the mysterious MC, finally asking Dani. Although her best friend had confirmed nothing, it was what she didn’t say that brought Ali the most answers.
Raider squeezed her shoulders. “Ali?”
She blinked a couple times, giving a crisp shake of her head. “You’re right, Jace. I don’t know what happened in there. I’m just tired of men treating me like…” She bit her bottom lip, realizing what she was about to say.
“Treating you like what, Ali?” His voice had gone from forceful, in control, to soft and concerned.
Waving her hand in the air, she pursed her lips. Ali had almost slipped, exposing private parts about herself she had no intention of sharing with anyone. Not Dani, and definitely not the arrogant man before her.
“It’s nothing.” She squared her shoulders, lifting her chin so her eyes met his. “I’d like to go back inside now.” Calm had returned to her voice, a placid expression on her face.
Knowing he couldn’t keep her outside against her will, he motioned for her to proceed him to Robbie’s entrance. Before they got five feet inside, Raider touched her arm.
She flashed him a wary look, lifting her brow.
“You’re sure everything’s all right?”
The concern in his voice confused her. Raider had never shown the least bit of concern about her. His entire focus had always been on himself and the club he lived for.
“I’m great. Maybe you could grab Gunner and take off, let the women have some time to talk shit about the Brethren.”
He stared at her a moment, noticing her lips twitch before throwing his head back and laughing.
Chapter Two
“The doctor will be here soon, Timmy. You were so brave to come here by yourself.”
Ali’s gaze moved once more over the bruises and scrapes on the little boy’s arms and chest. Crisscross scars on his back indicated he’d been brutalized with a belt. She suspected he had a couple cracked ribs and a broken wrist. Rarely did injuries make her sick at heart. Timmy’s did.
“Miss Kasey.”
Ali forced a small smile before acknowledging Dr. James Hatcher. Not Jim or Jimmy. James. Of course, no one called him that, either. It was always Doctor Hatcher, whether at the hospital or dinner with friends. At least that was what Ali had heard. The staff considered him the most eligible bachelor in Liberty Lake. Ali saw him as a tall, handsome, arrogant testament to what happened when ego overcame humility.
“Doctor. This is Timmy. He came into the hospital by himself.” She lifted a brow, giving him a meaningful look. He returned the briefest of nods.
“Good afternoon, Timmy. I’m Dr. Hatcher.” He held out a hand, which his young patient ignored. “How old are you?”
Timmy stared down at his legs hanging over the side of the exam table.
“Can you tell me your last name?”
Again, he ignored the question.
“Well, I suppose it’s not necessary. Is it all right if I take a look at your chest and back?”
Timmy glanced at Ali, who smiled, nodding for him to go ahead. “Okay.”
The exam didn’t take long. To the doctor and Ali, the cause of the injuries was obvious, but it would be almost impossible to prove unless Timmy decided to talk about what happened.
“Can you tell me how you got these injuries?”
Timmy shuddered, not meeting the doctor’s gaze, and shook his head.
“Did someone do this to you?”
This time, he gave a slow nod.
“Can you give me a name?”
The response was quick, although his voice was so low they almost missed it. “He’ll hurt me again.”
“Timmy, I need to speak with Nurse Kasey a moment. Please stay right here.”
Hatcher motioned for Ali to follow him outside the exam room, moving several feet down the hall so Timmy couldn’t hear.
“Do we have any information on the boy?”
“Only his first name. Registration was going to turn him away, but I was walking past and saw him. One look told me we had to help him.”
“You know we aren’t a charity hospital.”
Stiffening, her jaw tightened. “Of course I know. What would you have done?”
“Sent him to the free community clinic.”
“It’s across town. Timmy walked here. No money, no identification. The clinic wouldn’t have taken him.”
“Then you should’ve called Child Protective Services. Next time, that’s what I expect you to do.”
He began to turn away, stopping when she grabbed his arm. “What about Timmy?”
“Send him to the free clinic. He needs an X-ray of his wrist and treatment for numerous lesions.”
“I can do those, doctor.”
“You could, but you won’t. He has no insurance, and we have other
patients to treat. People who can pay.”
Ali tapped down the anger about to erupt. She needed this job, couldn’t afford to piss off a doctor who had a great deal of power, little compassion, and no patience.
Shoving aside the bitter taste in her mouth, she headed back to the exam room, sliding the curtain open. The exam table was empty. Timmy’s clothes, laid out on a nearby chair, were gone, as were his well-worn tennis shoes and grimy socks. Rushing out, she stopped the first person she saw.
“Did you see a little boy leave that exam room?” Ali pointed behind her.
“Nope. Check with the nurse up front or registration.”
Registration would be a waste of time, but she did try the nurse. Nothing. Her heart squeezed in pain for the little boy. Ali couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen a child so lost, afraid, with no one to help.
Checking the time, seeing the majority of emergency exam areas were empty, she hurried to the shift desk. “I’m going to take my lunch break before we get buried in new patients.”
Removing her purse from a locker, she headed outside, watching for Timmy as she walked to her Jeep. She was tempted to call his name, but changed her mind. It would probably scare him more. Instead, Ali decided to drive around to look for him.
“How far could he go?” Ali mumbled, pulling onto the street, making a decision to drive south and work her way north, crisscrossing as she went.
She knew from her work as an emergency room nurse that abusers came in all colors and economic backgrounds. Studying Timmy’s clothes, she guessed they were used before they ever reached him. The soles of the tennis shoes were almost worn through, the plaid shirt threadbare in several areas. The fact he wore a long-sleeved, flannel shirt during the summer told her how much he wanted to hide his injuries. Again, her heart tugged for him. She guessed Timmy to be no more than seven. Whoever had beaten him deserved to be locked away for the rest of their miserable life.
Fifty minutes passed with no sign of him. Disappointment gripped Ali. She had to return to work, shove her concern for the battered young boy into a mental box while she tended other patients.
She thought of the pictures she’d taken when he first entered the exam room, a grim smile curving her lips. Tonight, she’d make copies of the pictures and focus more on trying to find the disconsolate young boy.
Raider, Fuse, and Gunner lay prone on the hill overlooking a wide valley about sixty miles from Liberty Lake. Down the center, a two-lane highway cut through the low brush and rocks heading south. Their intel told the Brethren it was a main thoroughfare for human trafficking.
The upcoming mission would be designed to shut it down. Not just one shipment, but all transports organized by the Night Devils. They suspected the Devils of working with at least one of the associated clubs.
Over the years, they’d intercepted several shipments of children, never able to arrest those in charge. Like the Brethren, none of the captured Devils would talk, choosing to accept prison sentences instead of turning on their leaders.
Within months of being shut down, the operations began again. Different trucks, routes, and transfer points on the Mexico side of the border, and instead of trafficking women, their focus was on children sixteen years old and younger.
Neither Grayson’s staff nor the Brethren’s own information specialist, Petty Officer Penny Lane, had confirmed the youngest, but suspected them to be around five.
“Five fucking years old,” Raider growled as he watched the highway through his night vision binoculars. It was close to midnight, the traffic as light as they’d expected.
Fuse turned to look at him. “What’s that?”
“They believe the youngest children are about five. What kind of sick bastard steals children for profit?”
“More than we want to believe,” Gunner said.
“The world is full of chickenshits like the Night Devils and their partners,” Fuse added.
For a brief moment, Raider’s mind filled with memories of his childhood. If he hadn’t run off at twelve, taken pictures to prove his mother’s actions, he might’ve become a statistic the same as the children targeted by the traffickers.
“One o’clock. White truck, red letters, gold emblem.” Gunner shifted, adjusting his bins. This was one of the trucks Grayson’s team had identified as coming out of Nevada. “If the intel is accurate, it should be followed in three minutes by the second truck.”
They continued to watch. Exactly three minutes later, another truck with the same markings followed.
Raider touched his earpiece. “Team A to Big Bird.”
“Roger, A. Let me get Big Bird.” A moment later, Wrath came on the comm.
“What do you have for me, Raider?”
“Two transports with the correct markings have passed. The intel appears to be accurate.”
“How are they riding?”
“Heavy, Wrath. They’re loaded with product,” Raider answered. “Orders, sir?”
“Stand down. We are not prepared to intercept.”
“Are you certain? We could follow until another backs us up.”
“Stand down, Raider. We all want to get the children who are inside, but we have to do it right. Confirm my order.”
“Affirmative, Wrath. We’ll keep eyes on them until they’re out of sight, then return.”
“Roger that. Good job, men.”
Tearing off his earpiece, Raider tossed it to the ground. “If it was such a good job, why does it feel like a failed mission?”
The other two continued to watch the trucks through the binoculars, tracking them until out of sight. Setting down his bins, Gunner slid back from the peak of the hill and stood.
“Wrath said nothing about not following the trucks to see where they end up.”
Fuse stood to face Gunner. “That may not be one of your better ideas.”
Raider scrubbed a hand down his face. “They’ll be heading to the border. Their next run won’t end up at the same place.”
“At least we’d have one of their transfer points.”
“You’re right, Gunner, but we’ll also be on Wrath’s shit list.” Fuse removed his comm unit and packed it away.
“Fine. Two against one. I know when I’m beat.” Gunner packed his gear and headed to their rides.
They’d brought their bikes, hoping they’d be given the chance to follow the trucks. Speed and maneuverability were assets when tailing a suspected tango, and they wanted to be ready. If only they’d gotten the chance.
Replacing his earpiece, Raider swung his leg over the bike, blowing out a frustrated breath. They knew the two trucks were headed to the border with children hidden in the back. Firing up the engine, he sat for a moment, trying to get his head on straight. It didn’t work.
“Fuck it. I’m following them.” Raider removed his vest, or cut, as the MC called them. Rolling it up, he grabbed a plain jacket from a saddlebag.
“Ah, hell.” Fuse did the same with his cut before mounting his bike, ready to follow.
Gunner didn’t say a word as he climbed aboard, ready to go. “We are certainly going to lose a rank on this, but I’m all in.”
A few minutes later, they’d wound their way down the mountain road to the highway, then roared to full throttle, catching up to the trucks.
Chapter Three
Eternal Brethren Clubhouse
“Sonofabitch of a bitch.” Wrath slammed a fist on his desk. “Those fucking idiots ignored a direct order and followed those trucks.”
Ghost and Rock sat across the desk, not responding. They’d known Wrath a long time, knew how he thought, what would be coming next.
“At least Grayson is off the comm and doesn’t know what they did.” He shot up from his desk, pacing around it to the back window. “What the hell were they thinking?” Wrath pinned Ghost with a lethal glare.
“You know what they were thinking. The same as any of us would’ve. The trucks are full of young, scared kids who are going to be sold and s
ent to some bastard overseas. We all know if they aren’t rescued, they’ll never be seen again.”
“Grayson gave explicit orders to observe and report. Nothing more.” Wrath ran a hand through his dark hair. “Shit.”
Returning to his desk, he looked at his two closest friends, making a decision that could end his career. “I want two teams of volunteers ready to head out in fifteen minutes. This is not a mandatory order. Use the vans and new armored truck. No cuts. I don’t want anyone to be able to ID us. If you agree, each of you will lead a team. I’ll do my best to protect anyone who goes, but there’s a good chance our careers will take a huge hit.”
“I’m in,” Ghost said.
Rock stood. “Hell, we could use a little shaking up. Who do you want with us?”
“I trust you guys to choose. Make certain everyone knows this is strictly volunteer and there could be dire consequences.”
Ghost walked to the door, resting his hand on the knob. “The Posse, plus Wrangler and Banner. I’d trust my life with any of them.”
Rock joined him at the door. “Agreed. We’ll be ready when you are, Prez.”
Wrath stared after them, his hand resting on the phone. He had two choices, neither were the best for what had been an outstanding career.
Contact Grayson and be ordered to stand down. Or suit up with his men and do what he knew to be right. He chose the latter.
Adrenaline began pumping through his veins. Wrath hadn’t been on a run for longer than he could remember. Too damn long, he told himself before pushing an internal comm button.
“Petty Officer Lane?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Two teams are pulling out to support Raider, Fuse, and Gunner. Ghost and Rock will lead the teams. You are going to be their eyes and ears. For this run, we are not patched in to Grayson. Repeat, Grayson will be in the dark. I’ll protect you as best I can, but it’s up to you, Lane. In or out?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I’m a hundred percent in, sir.”
“One more thing. I’ll be going with them.”
Exposed (Eternal Brethren Military Romantic Suspense Book 7) Page 2
