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I felt terrible as we drove over to Gabe and Gemma’s house for dinner. I didn’t know why I’d turned into such a bitch during the meeting. I was ashamed and embarrassed. After I gave them the list of Dad’s friends and the information I knew about them, we left Patriot headquarters. Beau took me for another drive. It was in the car that he asked me what was wrong.

“Baby, tell me, what’s eating you? You got pretty harsh back there with the bosses. They’re only trying to help and keep us, as well as civilians, safe.”

I hung my head, and I closed my eyes. “I know they are. Honestly, I don’t know what got into me. Suddenly, I was filled with anger about them slapping down my suggestion. It was like they didn’t think my idea was worth considering and that my friends wouldn’t come close to being useful as if they weren’t good enough.

“I realize that they’re not big, badass operatives who work for the Dark Patriots. They’re everyday people who don’t conform much to society’s acceptable norms. But they’re wonderful, caring, and resourceful people. You’d be amazed at what they know and can do. If we need people who can be inconspicuous, they can.”

“And if it turns out we go with them, I swear no one will mistreat them. If they can help me keep you safe, then I’ll sing their praises. The bosses just want to make sure they do things right.”

The way he said it clued me in that there were different reasons they had to be concerned about. I’d asked, but he said it should wait until dinner. We’d gone back to the house to kill time and change before going there. I swear, I felt Constance’s eyes on me when we went into the house and when we left. I asked Beau what kind of work she did.

“Oh, she does some kind of online selling and writes a blog for consumers. She gets sent a ton of merchandise from people, and she talks about them online. I guess she rates them or something. Anyway, she gets paid to do it, which means she can work from home.”

“I’ve heard that’s becoming something more people are trying to do. I can’t believe they can make a living and cover their bills by doing that, but more power to them if they can.”

I let the topic lie after that. For the past ten minutes, we talked about Montana and going back soon. Beau fell silent as we entered a nice-looking neighborhood. I bet it was gorgeous in the summer and in the daylight, plus a great place to raise a family.

“This seems to be a charming neighborhood,” I said.

“Gabe and Gemma seem to love it, and there are a number of families with small children in this area.”

By the time he said that, we were slowing down and pulling into the driveway of a two-story brick house. It had an inviting feel to it. Since this was last minute, I hadn’t had a lot of time to make something, but unlike the last time I went to one of the Patriots’ homes, I had an offering. I hoped they liked what I brought them for dessert. It was a toasted marshmallow butterscotch pie.

I’d used some of the time after we got home and before leaving to come here to make it. It had been my dad’s favorite, and every time I made it, people back home raved about it. I made two of them. I hoped this bunch was the same. Beau praised it when he saw what I created, and I had to slap his hands a few times to keep his fingers out of it.

He opened my door and helped me out. We each carried a pie he took from the backseat. It was still winter, but so far, I hadn’t seen snow here in Virginia, so no worries about slipping on snow or ice. Back home, we were still dealing with it, although this winter was much warmer than usual. His brisk knock was answered by a smiling Sean, who had Noah hanging off him. We greeted them and hurried inside. We were directed to the kitchen, where everyone was congregated at the moment. Seeing what we carried, my pies got attention.

“Oh my God, those look so delicious, Keeley. But you needn’t bring anything. Are those homemade?” Cassidy asked.

“I don’t feel right coming empty-handed. And yes, they are. Those are my dad’s favorite pie.”

“I think just by the look of them, they’ll become a fave of mine,” Sloan said as she rubbed her belly and licked her lips.

“Slo, babe, stop licking your lips like that, or I’ll have to drag you off somewhere more private,” Undertaker threatened before he leaned down, bit her lip, and growled.

When he let go of her, she replied to his comment. “If you can get this child to vacate my uterus using sex, I’ll let you have your wild, commanding sex morning, noon, and night.”

“I don’t need to hear or picture my brother and you having sex, Sloan. Stop it,” Cassidy ordered. This had the rest of us chuckling at their antics. They were a fun group to be with.

For the first half hour, we chatted about nothing work-related or intense. By then, the food was delivered. We all pitched in to get plates and other things out and to open the containers. It was from one of their favorite Mexican places. There were chicken street tacos, Mexican street corn, chips, guacamole, enchiladas, refried beans, and more. It was all delicious, and I ate way too much. I understood why they loved it so much. When it came time for dessert, in addition to my pie, they had caramel flan and sopapillas. Talk about a dilemma when it comes to trying to decide.

All three desserts had servings taken from them, but my pies were devoured. Compliments were flying everywhere, and there were demands to have the recipe. By the time we stopped eating, I was very content. While the guys cleaned the mess, the women got the kids ready to lie down. I went to help them. You could tell the babies were fussy. I ended up in a rocking chair holding Nash and giving him a final bottle before bedtime. Cassidy told me that he’d sleep for several hours before getting up once to eat again and be changed. He was such a sweetheart. I hated to put him down when he was done. Holding him made me yearn for a baby. It was dangerous to be anywhere near the Dark Patriots and their children.

After we all finished our assignments and had a drink of our choice in hand, we gathered in the living room without the kids. Gabe started the conversation. He didn’t bring up what I thought he would.

“Tell us what’s changed between you and Constance, Beau. She’s always been sweet and helpful. When did she start showing an interest?”

“Damn it, why are you asking me about her? I don’t know what’s gotten into the woman. It seems that when she saw Keeley and found out she was staying with me, it triggered her. Her comments have a double-meaning undertone when she says things. She waylaid me the other day to help move boxes. Keeley went with me, which Constance hated. It was three boxes, and she could’ve done it by herself, but she asked me. I don’t know. It’s more of a feeling I get off her than anything,” he confessed.

Gabe glanced over at me. “Keeley, do you have anything to say about Constance?”

“You mean other than if she keeps it up, I’m gonna punch her in the face and throw her out of his house?” I paused while they all chuckled. “I believe that she thought that if she waited long enough, Beau would see how helpful and great she was, and they’d get together. He never brought women to his house. That told her no one was special or serious. It was a shock to see me, find out I was staying with him, and I wasn’t a relative. It shook her. She wants me gone and him to be back in Virginia for good. She was waiting to sink her claws into him as soon as his assignment was over. She knows we’re sleeping together, but she’s hoping it’s a fling and ends once the job does.”

After what I said earlier, I knew they were aware of our relationship. I hadn’t asked Beau if they knew before that. A part of me wondered if they’d say it broke any work policy, but they didn’t appear upset over it.

“Well, the girls and I always thought she had the hots for Beau. She was sneaky about it, but I knew,” Cassidy said.

“What made you think that?” Griffin asked.

“She was standoffish and kept watching me when she met me for the first time. It wasn’t until she found out I was Sean’s wife and just Beau’s friend that she became nice and friendly. She did the same to Hadley, Sloan, and Gemma.”

“And you never told me,” Beau grumbled. They all grinned and shrugged.

“It has to be driving her crazy to see you with a woman in your house. I’ve gotta ask. Is this just a fling you two are having until we find your sister, and then it’s over? Or could this be more?” Gabe asked.

Gemma hissed at him. “You can’t ask them that. Not in such a rude way. Here. Let me show you.” Gemma gave him a smirk, wiggled herself around to face us, and put a sweet smile on her face before she launched into her lesson.

“Beau and Keeley, as your friends, we’d like to know if you’re planning to see if this is going to be a long-term relationship. We want you both to be happy. We think you’re perfect for each other, by the way. It would be a shame if you don’t.” She smiled at us and batted her lashes. We laughed.

“Oh, that’s so much better,” Gabe said sarcastically.

Before they could argue about it, Beau decided to confess. “Gemma, Gabe, everyone, Keeley and I are definitely more than what you are used to from me. We’re dating, and we hope to maintain this as a long-term relationship. In fact, I’ve made the vow that I’ll make it happen no matter what I have to do. Keeley is the woman for me. She’s been gracious and loving enough to say yes to giving me this chance to work us into a permanent thing, so there’s no need for me to kidnap her at the moment. We’ll have to see what the future brings,” he whispered at the end.

All of them cheered and gave us thumbs-up before they pseudo-whispered to him that they were available for kidnapping duty. We were congratulated, and while the guys fist-bumped or man-hugged him, the women hugged me. Eventually, we settled down. They were sorta nuts, but I loved it.

“Okay, now that we’ve settled that. Are you ready to talk more about your safety and how we can work to ensure it while the two of you are in Montana?” Sean asked solemnly.

“We are. I’d like to apologize for how I reacted today. I don’t know why I was being so bitchy with all of you. I hope you can forgive me. I’m more than grateful you’re helping and want to do everything safely,” I told them. I wanted that out of the way.

He waved his hand. “It was no big deal. We understand how stressful this is. We’re talking about your sister. You’re worried about her. We want to remove that worry for not only you but also others. We want whoever took her to be punished severely for it.”

“We know you were upset with us for not being enthusiastic about your survivalist friends helping out. We’re putting them in the option category along with the MCs and possibly rearranging current assignments for some individuals who work for us,” Sean added.

“We have to cover our asses, hence checking them out. Has Beau told you what to expect when we find these individuals responsible for her disappearance? What did he tell you about what’ll happen to them?” Undertaker asked gruffly.

I took my time before answering. Beau had talked about a lot of things, but he hadn’t gone into detail on what their exact punishment would be. I thought I’d read between the lines, though.

“He didn’t tell me in detail how justice would be served. He assured me they wouldn’t be able to do it again. They and their associates would be shut down and made to pay for what they did. However, I felt there was more I was picking up on when reading between the lines. I might be totally off base, but I don’t think arrests and jail time are their fates.” I paused and waited to see what was said. I didn’t wait long. It was Gabe who answered.

“We sometimes have to work outside the lines. The police and other government officials have a bunch of strings and other things that complicate their jobs. And certain individuals commit what we feel are heinous crimes. Those types of individuals deserve more than jail time. However, what does that leave us? The truth is that we do whatever is necessary. We can be the judge, jury, and executioner when it’s called for. But we can’t have that be common knowledge, or our asses will be the ones in jail, and we’ll never see sunlight again. We have to protect the Patriots and their families. It’s possible your friends might end up seeing something they disagree with. If it led to them telling the cops, it would be bad for us all.”

“I understand your need to protect yourselves. We shared with you what my father and one of his close friends did to the guy who raped me when I was sixteen,” I reminded them.

The women drew in their breaths, and I saw compassion on their faces. The men were stoic. That told me the men hadn’t told the ladies. Interesting. “I can see that your wives don’t know. I’m not sure why they weren’t told, but it’s not important right now. What is vitally important is the fact that when they found him, he was tortured and then murdered. I participated in both. In fact, I was the one to end his life. My friends are big on not just survival. They have an eye-for-an-eye mentality and believe that ensuring justice can get you dirty. I can promise you. They won’t cry about it, run to the cops, or act like a snowflake.”

“We can only hope so, which is why we’re doing backgrounds on them. In fact, when we heard of how your rape was handled, we knew you could cope with whatever came along. We’d love it if you didn’t have to, but we’re always making sure there are contingency plans for us in case things go tits up,” Gabe told me.

“I don’t know if there is anything else I can say or promise to reassure you that my friends and I can handle it. Whatever you decide, we’ll follow. I know it’s only been a few hours, but have your minds started to be eased yet?”

“It’s not a matter of not trusting you, Keeley. Beau has vouched for you. We need to form our own opinions of them. And no, we haven’t heard anything yet,” Undertaker rounded it off.

“Keeley, I hope you know how much we like you. We’re so thrilled that you and Beau have found each other. We’re terribly sorry that you went through something like that. If you ever need to talk about it, we’re here for you,” Hadley said softly.

“Thank you,” I said as I worked to hold back tears. They had to get up and come hug me, which shot that all to hell. We ended up with five crying women and five men doing their best to comfort us. It was kind of great, to be honest.

???

I spent two days wondering if the Patriots would decide to have bikers watch over us, find some of their people, or take a chance on my group. In the meantime, while we waited, I arranged a video chat and spoke to Reed. I hadn’t done it after I found out Beau wasn’t Reed’s tracker friend. I think it was because I didn’t want Reed to think badly of him. Reed had checked in each week, but it had been mainly in the form of emails. This time, I had to hear his voice.

“Hello, beautiful sunlight. How’re you holding up?” was how he greeted me. It was his standard one since I was little. He called Kensington his moonlight.

“Hello, Mr. Sun. I’m doing alright, I think. How about you?”

“Oh, you know me. I’m too stubborn to complain and too ornery to die. Truthfully, other than being stiff when I wake up in the morning and I have to get up to piss at night, I’m good. Was there a reason you called rather than sent an email or text? You know that my friend hasn’t turned up anything, I’m afraid.” He sounded despondent.

“I understand, and yes, there is a reason I called. I have someone on my end that I’d like to introduce. Is that alright?” Some of the preppers were leery of having anyone see their faces. Reed barely hesitated before he answered me.

“Sure, if you want to do that. Go ahead. I would’ve spruced myself up if you’d warned me.”

I waved for Beau to enter. He’d been across the room at the door to his home office slash guest room. He sauntered over and sat in the chair next to mine. He studied Reed for a few seconds before he nodded to him. I jumped in to make the introduction.

“Reed, I’d like you to meet Beau Powers. Beau, this is Reed Dallia. He was a close friend of my dad’s, and he’s a great one to me and Kensy.”

“Mr. Dallia, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Keeley talks about you all the time,” Beau informed him.

Reed took his time replying because he was studying Beau. I was almost sweating by the time he did. “Well, that’s good to know. Keeley is a wonderful girl. Would you mind telling me what your relationship is with my sunlight? How long have you known her?”

“I’ve only known her for a very short time, but I can say that it took me no time at all to fall for her. She’s wonderful and smart. At our age, it seems silly to call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, but that’s what we are. She’s allowed me into her heart, and I thank God every day.”

Beau had taken my hand when he sat next to me. After saying what he did, Beau leaned over and placed a brief but lovely kiss on my lips. When he moved away, I saw Reed slightly frowning.

“What’s wrong, Reed? You’re frowning,” I pointed out.

“You know your dad made me promise to always look out for you and your sister. And even if I did a shitty job when it came to her, I’m not letting some smooth-talking, lady’s man come into your life and end up hurting you, and God knows what else he could do. How did you meet?”

“Reed, it’s not your fault what happened to Kensy. It was outside both of our control, as much as it pains me to say it. As for how Beau and I met, well, it was due to him coming to offer me assistance with the search for Kensy. He works for an organization that does that kind of thing. They’ve taken the ball and are running with it, just like you and the gang are,” I said with an even bigger smile.

Before he could say more, Beau interjected again. “Sir, I understand you being skeptical of me. But I can promise you, we all want the same thing. For Keeley to get her sister back, and for those responsible for this reprehensible business to be stopped and never able to do this again.”

“Do you think the law can really do anything that you just promised if those bastards are caught? I don’t. They’ll be out on the street in no time. I had a more permanent solution to the situation,” Reed snarled.

“The beauty of my organization is we know things are seldom black or white, so we work in the gray. Our specialty is security, infiltration, and take-downs. My bosses and almost everyone who works for us are prior military. We know that certain circumstances require special treatment.”

“You keep talking about your organization, but I haven’t heard a name. Are you afraid to tell me?” Reed asked gruffly, with a hint of aggression in his voice.

“Not at all. I work for the Dark Patriots. Their headquarters is in Hampton, Virginia. The owners are Sean Walterson, Mark O’Rourke, Gabriel Pagett, and Griffin Voss. They can vouch for me. In fact, we’re in Virginia right now. We’ve been with them for the last two days at our headquarters,” Beau quickly told him. He didn’t seem upset with how Reed spoke to him.

Reed’s face had morphed from disgruntled to shocked, then to happy. His frown was gone. “You work for the Dark Patriots! Well, hot damn, I can’t believe it. They’re top-notch, honey. Having them working to find Kensy is wonderful. I’ve heard nothing but great things about your company, Beau. They don’t fool around. You said most are military. I assume you meant you were. Mind if I ask what branch you served in?” His whole tone had changed to friendly.

“I was in the Marines. You?” Beau asked.

“I was in the Army Green Berets a long time ago. Very different than it was for you in your time, I don’t doubt. What was your MOS?”

“I was part of Force RECON,” Beau told him softly.

The silence hung there as if Reed were thinking. I didn’t know if I should interrupt, but Reed saved me from doing so.

“I’m willing to give you a chance since you’re a former Marine, and you work for the Dark Patriots. But if you hurt Keeley or cause her harm in any way, you’ll wish you were dead. Don’t let my age fool you. I know you RECON boys are hotshots, but I’ve come a long way since the Berets.”

I watched a grin spread across Beau’s face as he replied in return, “I intend to marry her and make her my wife, so fucking up isn’t in my plans. But your threat has been noted, sir.”

“Good. Just remember, she’s got friends. And stop calling me sir. It makes me itch. Call me Reed or Dallia, whichever. So, has that worthless detective on Kensy’s case found anything new, or is he still sitting on his ass eating donuts all day,” he muttered in disgust.

“Reed, that’s stereotyping. Shame on you. However, no, he hasn’t found anything,” I told him.

Beau and I talked before the call and decided to keep our suspicions about Chase and Beau’s impersonation as Reed’s friend between us. There was no need to muddy the waters right now. Eventually, we’d tell him both.

“Goddamn worthless, he is. Can’t they assign someone else?” Reed grumbled harsher.

“At this point, we think it’s not worth bothering with. Beau and his bosses have some really great resources. We’re putting our efforts into those, which is another reason for this call. We wanted to ask. Would you and a few of the gang be available if we need you?” I asked.

He perked up. He sat straighter, his eyebrows went up, and his eyes sparked. “We can do that. What do you need us to do? Go rough some thugs up? Sneak into someone’s house? You name it, we’ll get it done.”

I had to choke back a giggle. “Nothing like that, wild man. It seems we might have attracted some unwelcome attention.” I paused to let Beau tell him the rest.

“Electronic bugs were planted in Kensy’s apartment. We left them there, but if our snooping has been noted, whoever took her might come after Keeley and me. We need a few people who can blend into the background, keep their mouths shut, and keep their eyes and ears open. And if they suspect something, they warn us. On the off chance Keeley is in danger, and I’m not with her, then intercede to prevent her being harmed or taken,” Beau added.

“Anyone lays a hand on her, and they’re dead. We’ll do worse than bury their asses six feet under. We have ways of making things disappear. You can count on us. How many do you want? Do you know who you want?” Reed directed that latter part to me.

“Beau and his bosses did some background checking. Before you get mad, they did the same to me. They have to. Anyway, I told them a few names. And no, that doesn’t put you on any lists. It’s not like you aren’t on a shitload anyway. However, we’ve picked you, Arnie Wise, and Dickie Nero. Do you want to ask them, or should I?”

“I’ll do it. How soon should we be there?”

“If you can get here by Monday at the latest, that would be perfect, but we’ll deal with it if you can’t. I’ll send you the coordinates of where to meet. We can’t have you seen coming to her place or talking to us publicly. We’re flying back from Virginia tomorrow. I’ll arrange a house rental that’s out of the way. The tab for it is on the Dark Patriots. A car and your airline tickets as well will be taken care of once you tell me when you can all leave,” Beau told him.

Reed shook his head. “We’ll be driving, so there’s no need for plane tickets or a car rental, but the house or whatever is good. We don’t need fancy. We can’t bring our equipment on a plane with us. I can promise we’ll be there by Monday.”

They haggled back and forth, but I chose to zone them out. They hashed out the details between themselves. By the time we said goodbye, it had been an hour-long call. After we hung up, we settled back at Beau’s house for the rest of the day. For us, almost everything had been packed for our flight back. We’d said goodbye last night to the rest of the Patriots. He and I planned to clean out the fridge, so it would be good to go upon his return. In addition, I filled out the online form to have his mail held at the post office. There would be no reason for Constance to touch his stuff. He’d sent off a text earlier asking her to put his spare key in his mailbox on the porch. He and I discussed it and decided he needed to stop anything that might send her mixed signals.

I was about to ask him what he wanted to do when I saw him coming toward me. Just from his burning eyes and the way he was checking out my body, the passion he exuded had my body temperature shooting up, and I wanted to tear off my clothes. My body tingled all over. I smiled at him as I began to inch up my top. He was almost to me, and my top was off when the doorbell rang.

He groaned quietly. “I don’t give a fuck who it is. They can go away.”

I giggled softly and went to pull down my yoga pants. There was another ring and then a hard, rapid rapping of knuckles. As if that weren’t enough, we heard a voice we recognized calling out his name frantically.

“Don’t put that shirt back on. Stay here. I’ll get rid of her.” He huffed.

“Oh no, you don’t. You’re not going to be alone with her. It won’t take but a second to put this on. When she leaves, I’ll peel it off twice as fast. She better not waste too much of our time. I’m hot for you,” I told him as an incentive to get rid of her fast.

“Not as hot as I am for you. Look.” He pointed to his zipper.

I glanced down to find his cock was pushing against his zipper, and it was noticeable. I rushed over and pulled his shirt tail out of his jeans so it would hang down and disguise it. He gave me a wink, and then we went and answered the door together.

Constance’s frantic expression changed to a sour one when she saw me. Her eyes narrowed at me, then changed to puppy eyes when she looked at my man.

“Beau, I need to talk to you. It’s important,” she said, slightly breathless and in a low, babyish-sounding way. It put my teeth on edge.

“Constance, if it’s about me asking for my key back, there’s nothing more to say about it. It needs to be returned since I no longer need you to get my mail or prep the house for my return. I explained that in the message I sent you.”

Beau was much nicer than I would’ve been. Constance darted her gaze to me, then back. “You did, but there’s something I believe you should know before you do this. Also, I need to know what I did wrong.”

“I can’t think of a single thing you could have to say that would affect my decision. You did nothing wrong. Our agreement is an old one. My travel will be changing, and I’ll have this place covered when I’m gone. I appreciate how much you’ve helped me over the past couple of years. And don’t worry. If you travel over the next two months, we’ll make sure your place is handled. That’ll give you enough time to find a replacement.” He squeezed me when he said the word “we.” At the same time, he smiled and glanced over at me.

Constance’s whole demeanor changed. She glared at me like she hated me, pointed her finger in my direction, and spewed out her hate for me.

“Why are you letting her change you and your life, Beau? You don’t expect me to believe she’s what you want long term. There’s nothing to make her stand out from those other sluts you’ve taken out and slept with. I’ve been patiently waiting for you to notice that I’m nothing like them. I’m what you need. Don’t do this. Tell her to get out of your life. Have your work send someone else to help her with her problem and let her sink her claws into them. She’ll ruin you. Don’t let her. I know I can make you happy in and out of bed.”

She ended her rant and tried to latch onto him as she gave him a sexy look. He brushed her hand away and stepped back from her. This set her off worse.

“This is all your fault, you manipulative whore! Beau is mine, mine. Do you hear me!?” she screamed.

“The whole damn block hears you, Connie. Try to keep a tiny bit of dignity,” I said with a roll of my eyes.

I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help it. Constance let out a screech and flew at me. Beau tried to get between us, but I sidestepped around him and faced her. She had her perfectly manicured, wickedly long nails raised. I couldn’t see how she did anything with those things. Due to my job, mine were short, which allowed me to form a tight fist. I warned her.

“Stop, or I’ll have no choice but to defend myself.”

She kept coming, so I met her charge with a fist thrown hard. It took her in the side of the jaw, snapping her head to the side. I followed up with another one to her stomach. She doubled over and cried while gasping for air. I eased away from her.

“Constance, go home. There’s nothing between us. If you refuse to leave my key, I’ll change the locks. I suggest you don’t test Keeley. She knows how to fight. You obviously don’t,” he told her.

She kept sobbing and trying to talk. Shaking his head, we moved further away from her and then into the house. We closed and locked the door. If she didn’t leave and kept up a racket, we’d call the cops.

“Where were we?” he asked.

“Shouldn’t we wait until she leaves?” I asked.

His no made me forget about the wailing woman on the porch. My body was back to reacting to his. I was ready. I lifted my top again and tossed it on the couch.