Page 76
Story: Conceal (Eagle Tactical 3)
His house had been demolished with the off-gridders during the attack about six weeks ago. The land had been abandoned, and I hadn’t heard of anyone living up there again.
He was out there somewhere, getting into who the hell knows what trouble.
The road was dry, which made for plenty of traction as I hurried to the bar. I slammed on the brakes, shut off the engine, and jumped out of the truck, rushing inside.
My feet thudded against the floor, ready for a fight. Jayden barely so much as paid me any attention on my entrance.
“I’m just saying, I know how to move merchandise,” Ben said as he sat at the bar, nursing a beer, speaking to Jayden.
I’d recognize that scumbag anywhere.
What the hell was Ben still doing in Breckenridge? Were the authorities out looking for him? Although at the moment, they were all tied up at Jaxson’s house dealing with Harper’s disappearance. Had he known that?
“Benjamin Ryan,” I said with a gruffness as I headed straight for the two most wanted men of Breckenridge and not for their charm or charisma.
Ben dug out a wad of cash and dropped it on the counter. He shot one look at me, eyes wide, and darted out the back door.
Fuck.
Do I chase him down or deal with Jayden?
I couldn’t be in two places at once, and the rest of the Eagle Tactical team was busy. Grabbing my phone, I texted Jaxson to give him a heads up.
If he wanted to come down and string up Ben by the balls, then, by all means, I wanted him to have the opportunity.
Sighing, my choice had already been made up. Maybe I should have gone after Ben, he was still a threat to Ariella, but I needed to find Harper. She was the one in danger right this moment.
“We need to talk.” I thundered around behind the bar, closing in on Jayden’s personal space.
He wasn’t the least bit smaller or less intimidating than me, but he knew I’d kick his ass. We’d served together as brothers overseas.
Over the last few years we’d become estranged. He’d been tied up in some dirty shit with the off-gridders that hadn’t ended well for him.
“I don’t have anything to say,” Jayden quipped.
Maybe it was time for him to clean up and shape up.
“Are you sure about that?” I stared him down. “You were seen having lunch with a gentleman by the name of Enzo.”
Jayden shrugged, not denying the truth. “So I was, since when is having a meal a crime?”
“Did you consort with Enzo and his goons in a plan to kidnap Harper Madison?” I grabbed Jayden by his shirt lapels, demanding an answer.
“What? No. I don’t know anything about that,” Jayden said, shrugging me off him.
I let go, only because I believed him. “Did you happen to know that Harper was allegedly married to Enzo?”
He stepped back, putting distance between us. “Is that supposed to mean something to me? I don’t care who he marries or what he does with the women he desires,” Jayden said.
“You ought to care because she’s been abducted and forced to do God knows what against her will.”
Jayden grabbed a rag from the bar and began shining the wood surface. “Maybe it wasn’t against her will. Perhaps she liked it, or maybe, better yet, she wanted to go with him.”
I launched forward and pummeled him with my fist. “You bastard!” With my fist, I gripped him by the back of the head and slammed his face against the edge of the bar.
“Okay! Okay!” Jayden shouted, his nose bloody.
I let go, not intending to kill him, just force him to tell me the truth. He owed me that much after all I did for him when we served together.
He was out there somewhere, getting into who the hell knows what trouble.
The road was dry, which made for plenty of traction as I hurried to the bar. I slammed on the brakes, shut off the engine, and jumped out of the truck, rushing inside.
My feet thudded against the floor, ready for a fight. Jayden barely so much as paid me any attention on my entrance.
“I’m just saying, I know how to move merchandise,” Ben said as he sat at the bar, nursing a beer, speaking to Jayden.
I’d recognize that scumbag anywhere.
What the hell was Ben still doing in Breckenridge? Were the authorities out looking for him? Although at the moment, they were all tied up at Jaxson’s house dealing with Harper’s disappearance. Had he known that?
“Benjamin Ryan,” I said with a gruffness as I headed straight for the two most wanted men of Breckenridge and not for their charm or charisma.
Ben dug out a wad of cash and dropped it on the counter. He shot one look at me, eyes wide, and darted out the back door.
Fuck.
Do I chase him down or deal with Jayden?
I couldn’t be in two places at once, and the rest of the Eagle Tactical team was busy. Grabbing my phone, I texted Jaxson to give him a heads up.
If he wanted to come down and string up Ben by the balls, then, by all means, I wanted him to have the opportunity.
Sighing, my choice had already been made up. Maybe I should have gone after Ben, he was still a threat to Ariella, but I needed to find Harper. She was the one in danger right this moment.
“We need to talk.” I thundered around behind the bar, closing in on Jayden’s personal space.
He wasn’t the least bit smaller or less intimidating than me, but he knew I’d kick his ass. We’d served together as brothers overseas.
Over the last few years we’d become estranged. He’d been tied up in some dirty shit with the off-gridders that hadn’t ended well for him.
“I don’t have anything to say,” Jayden quipped.
Maybe it was time for him to clean up and shape up.
“Are you sure about that?” I stared him down. “You were seen having lunch with a gentleman by the name of Enzo.”
Jayden shrugged, not denying the truth. “So I was, since when is having a meal a crime?”
“Did you consort with Enzo and his goons in a plan to kidnap Harper Madison?” I grabbed Jayden by his shirt lapels, demanding an answer.
“What? No. I don’t know anything about that,” Jayden said, shrugging me off him.
I let go, only because I believed him. “Did you happen to know that Harper was allegedly married to Enzo?”
He stepped back, putting distance between us. “Is that supposed to mean something to me? I don’t care who he marries or what he does with the women he desires,” Jayden said.
“You ought to care because she’s been abducted and forced to do God knows what against her will.”
Jayden grabbed a rag from the bar and began shining the wood surface. “Maybe it wasn’t against her will. Perhaps she liked it, or maybe, better yet, she wanted to go with him.”
I launched forward and pummeled him with my fist. “You bastard!” With my fist, I gripped him by the back of the head and slammed his face against the edge of the bar.
“Okay! Okay!” Jayden shouted, his nose bloody.
I let go, not intending to kill him, just force him to tell me the truth. He owed me that much after all I did for him when we served together.
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