Page 80

“Keep an eye out in case Richardson brings in another group of enforcers to dole out some payback while we’re in route to the compound.”
“Copy that. Later.” Noah ended the call.
Despite Seth’s concern about an ambush during the drive, the group arrived safely at The Brotherhood’s compound four hours later. He drove through the open gate and followed Richardson and Peters until another man dressed in the enforcer’s uniform of black camo pants, black t-shirt, and tactical boots directed him to a parking area away from the leaders of the militia.
Seth turned off the engine and glanced at Teagan. “Please remember I’m playing a role. I don’t want to lose you, Teagan.”
She leaned over and kissed him. “You won’t because the same is true for me.” Teagan smiled. “Here’s to role playing, Seth. Welcome to the dark side.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
AS SOON ASTeagan’s feet touched the ground, she glanced around the compound. Her skin itched like mad, a sure sign they were being watched.
She snorted. Of course they were being observed. With a small community like The Brotherhood, the members would be curious about the newcomers being escorted into camp by the militia’s leaders.
The enforcer who drove Peters and Richardson to the compound walked toward Seth.
“Bogey at two o’clock,” Teagan murmured.
Seth squeezed her hip and stepped partly in front of her.
She wanted to roll her eyes. After proving she could take care of herself, Seth still insisted on treating her like a princess on a pedestal. With her background, Teagan could be classified as a peasant. She appreciated the sentiment, though. It was strange but sweet.
Noah walked up to stand with his partner while Violet stayed beside Teagan.
“And so it begins,” Violet whispered.
“The enforcer doesn’t look happy.”
“We didn’t make friends by showing up his teammates. Their egos took a hit.”
The enforcer stopped in front of Seth, his eyes icy. “Grab your gear. I’ll show you to your quarters, then give you a tour of the compound.”
Without taking his gaze from the enforcer, Seth signaled the others to grab their bags. Teagan got her gear along with Seth’s from the cargo area and set it by her feet. When the others gathered with bags in hand, the enforcer set off without a word of introduction.
Nice. He’d have to be dubbed Thing 1 until they learned the rude jerk’s name.
Seth grabbed his heavy bag and slipped one of Teagan’s over his shoulder before pressing his hand against her lower back. The group followed the taciturn enforcer to the back of the compound to a house.
The enforcer unlocked the door and motioned for them to enter the building ahead of him. “Peters said you preferred to stay in one place since you served in the military together. If you don’t like the arrangement, we’ll find other places in the racks for your team.”
“This is perfect,” Seth said and held out his hand, palm up.
The enforcer frowned.
When the man didn’t move, Seth said, “Key.”
A deeper frown. “No one locks their doors in The Brotherhood compound. We’re a family and we trust one another.”
Seth stared him down until the enforcer dug into his pocket and shoved the key into Seth’s hand.
“Mr. Peters and Mr. Richardson won’t be pleased.”
“Tough. We’re not only military, we’re also former law enforcement. We don’t trust anyone without a long history between us.”
Thing 1’s jaw tightened. “You aren’t military or law enforcement any more. You’re one of us, so you’d best get that idea through your heads before you cause dissension in the camp.” He stepped closer, his ugly mug too close to Seth. Teagan shifted to better defend Seth if Thing 1 was stupid enough to takehim on. “I don’t care how special your unit is or what kind of training you’ve had, Dixon. You put your pants on the same way I do. And by the way, I don’t appreciate you embarrassing my friends today. You might have gotten by with it once, but trust me, you won’t get by with it a second time. We work together here. No grand standing allowed in the ranks. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a group of hired thugs brought in to do a job we could have handled if given half a chance. We’ll be watching. If you misstep, we’ll scoop you up for punishment.”
Ice water flowed through Teagan’s veins, although she made sure her facial expression gave nothing away. Punishment? Richardson and Peters hadn’t said the word punishment in all the persuasive speeches given to Seth and Noah. Consequences, yes, but not punishment.