Page 11

H aving two of my guys with me has been both a blessing and a curse. Tucking away my emotions in order to keep a clear mind is a necessity, but being with Trip and Squire makes that almost impossible. How am I supposed to fight the evil on our doorstep if I can’t keep a firm grasp on the evil within myself?

A body drops heavily into the bench seat across the booth from me, drawing me out of my thoughts. The Melinda stench had barely been washed off when Jay’s urgent message came in. His curt tone told me this wasn’t something that could be put off for later, so we put a pin in her disposal, got ready, and hauled ass to meet Rogue’s friend.

I’ve only met the man once, but I’m astute enough to recognize exhaustion when I see it—the messy hair peeking out from underneath his ball cap, the dark smudges beneath his eyes, and the stubble on his previously clean-shaven face. The man deserves a vacation after this.

“Jay. You said it was urgent.”

“Remington, you’re in deep shit.”

My elbows hit the worn wooden surface, my glass of orange juice forgotten as I take a quick look around the quiet diner. No one is paying us any attention.

“I’m pretty sure we already established that.”

He shakes his head as his hand runs over his mouth. “No. This is deeper shit than I could’ve anticipated. Half of it doesn’t make a damn bit of sense, but I suppose not much about this does when you look at the full picture.” He takes a second to look out the window, no doubt seeing Squire on his bike in the lot. “I’m glad to see you got two of them out. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“Jay, you need to tell me what’s going on.”

Tired eyes meet mine, a heavy sigh slipping from his lips. “Your brother is not who he appears to be.”

He pulls out a large manila envelope from inside his jacket and slides it across the table.

“Again, we’re already fully aware?—”

His hand comes down, covering mine as I reach for the envelope. The urge to rear back is strong, but the sincere concern that flashes across his stern features has me halting my instinctive reaction.

“He’s an FBI agent, Remington.”

Silence.

My mind has gone quiet, struggling to put this newest piece into a puzzle that was only just barely starting to take shape. Carefully, I undo the prongs and pull out page after page of proof supporting the bombshell Jay just dropped.

“He’s got connections and intel that outmatch the reach of the Sinners. It’s how he’s managed to outsmart you at every turn. If I were you, I’d get those boys of yours and leave?—”

“We’re not going anywhere.”

The muscles in his jaw clench as he pulls back. “Had a feeling that would be your reaction. Can’t say I wasn’t hoping you’d be smarter than that though.”

My eyes narrow. “What would you have me do? Pick up and leave my life behind? Leave my men, including your friend , to rot in jail for crimes they damn well didn’t commit? Leave my unconscious sister in our demented brother’s care ? I’m not a fucking coward.”

“I know you’re not, Remington, but this is a losing battle. It’s the fucking FBI.”

Slumping back into the bench, I glance out the window. Squire is sitting astride his bike, periodically checking his surroundings. When he glances my way, our eyes lock across the distance. I don’t even need to see them behind his glasses to know he’s studying me in that way of his, the one that means he sees too damn much.

“I’ll figure this out. He thinks he’s got the upper hand, but he has no idea what I’m capable of.”

Picking up the documents, more pieces fall into place. Now, I get what he meant by earning his place in the family. He worked his way through the New Mexico PD then somehow maneuvered himself into a position within the FBI, probably thinking that Rock would see the benefits of having an inside man on the right side of the law. Little did he know, Daddy already had that in place without any help from his son .

“You’re a smart woman, I’ll give you that, but this is going to take a whole fucking army if you want to even have a chance at taking him down.”

Glancing up, I drop the mask I’m always so careful to have in place with people I don’t know. He needs to understand just how serious I am. “I don’t need an army. I just need to remember who the hell I am and everything Rock taught me. We may be blood, but I’ve got something Colt never had—years spent under my father’s thumb. There’s no one more conniving than Rock Steele. I learned from the best.”

Jay studies me in that silent way I’m coming to expect from him. After a few tense seconds, he says, “This is probably a death sentence, but I’m in. Ain’t like I have anything worth losing. What can I do to help?”

“Jay, I appreciate all you’ve done, but I can’t drag you into my war. Rogue would never forgive me.”

“We don’t know each other well, so in case it’s not clear, I don’t get dragged anywhere I don’t want to be. Trust me when I say, if you want to beat him, you’re gonna need my help.”

One killer to another, we stare each other down, assessing the other’s mettle. I don’t know what this man has on his hands, but I recognize the shadows within his eyes.

“I’m curious, Jay. Just how did you obtain all of this intel?”

A dimple appears in the stubble on his cheek. “You trusted me with your secret, so I’ll trust you with mine. I work within a black ops division of the CIA. Officially, we don’t exist. Our lines are…well…let’s just say a little less black and white than the FBI, so I have a more leeway when it comes to the jobs I choose to take on.”

Well, hell. Maybe he’s right. I could definitely use someone with his kind of connections and moral turpitude.

“Fine. You let me worry about Colt. What I need you to do is figure out where the hell he’s holding my sister and her men. If we can free her, that’s one less worry I’ve got on my shoulders.”

“You got it. Give me forty-eight hours.”

“Oh, and any information you can get me on Agent Kinney of the FBI.”

He nods.

“I owe you for this, Jay.”

“Maybe one day I’ll cash in on that. For now, you just focus on getting Hart and the others out of jail. You’re going to need them for what lies ahead.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already got a plan.”

“I’m sure you do.” He slides out of the booth and stands. “Good luck, Remington.”

“Same to you, Jay.”

I stare at his back, my thoughts a flurry with our next steps. Through the window, the hulking shape of Rogue’s friend appears, heading straight for Squire. Straightening in the booth, I slowly get to my feet with my eyes locked on the two men. They shake hands and exchange a few words, then Jay walks toward his car, gets in, and drives away.

Dropping a couple of bills on the table to cover my orange juice, I head outside and straight toward the man who’s practically my shadow, more so now than ever before.

“What was all of that about?”

The corner of his lips quirks up. “Jealous?”

See? This is exactly what I mean. How can I keep the evil mask in place when this man is over here acting a fool?

“Totally. He’s hot. Might steal you away.”

His arm snakes around my waist, drawing me into his chest. His long blond hair is tied up in a knot, the scruff on his face longer than it’s ever been. He looks rugged and handsome, with a confidence that’s impossibly attractive.

“You think he’s hot?” he growls in my ear. My attempt at stifling the laughter bubbling up inside fails, and I lose it in his arms. “God, I love that sound. I don’t hear it nearly enough.”

His words calm the amusement still rushing through me, and I pull back until I’m staring up into a face I know by heart.

“You’ve seen all the different facets of who I am, Grant. The good, the bad, and the fucking horrifying, yet you stayed right by my side through it all. I don’t deserve you.”

“No, you deserve someone better. Someone who would whisk you away from the hell this town has become in order to keep you safe. Someone who would do anything, even leave the only life he’s ever known, if it meant you and our baby wouldn’t have to face another monster. Someone who would risk your hatred just to make sure you get to live another day. Yet here I am, driving you to clandestine meetings, setting up projects that could see you sent to prison if we’re ever caught…” Big hands slide up my sides and along my neck until his calloused fingers are cradling my face. “Remington, you deserve the world, and I just wish I was strong enough to give it to you.”

The worry flashing in his eyes takes my breath away. I’ve always known what my crusade could cost us. What I failed to calculate is the weight it’s placed on my best friend’s shoulders, but even now, I can’t find it in me to want to change a thing. Maybe that makes me selfish, but this is us. Together, we weather the storms, only growing stronger because of our commitment to one another. Now, we’re getting ready to bring a baby into this crazy life we live, and at one time I might’ve panicked about that. Hell, I did panic. But then I remember I’ve got four other men who have pledged their lives to me. Four loyal, powerful men who will stop at nothing to guarantee we all make it out of this alive. No. I don’t need to be anywhere but right where I am. Let the shit storm come—and there’s no doubt that’s exactly what it will be. We’ll be ready.

“I don’t need the world, Grant. I just need you.”

We kiss under the dying light of an Arizona sunset, like two teenagers who never got the chance. One of the promises I make is to ensure we get more of these moments, no matter what I have to do to make them happen.