I need a copy of Weddings for Dummies. Dax and I are sitting at the club's bar drinking beer and trying to stay out of the way. Every woman connected with the Desert Crows has flooded the upstairs. That entire section of the house is off limits. When the children get in the way, they're herded down here for the men to handle. The wedding ceremony will take place at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon and the plan is to slide straight into the reception from there. We men are to make ourselves scarce tomorrow until the ceremony and that includes down here.What the hell did I agree to? It sure as hell wasn't sleeping on the old bed down the hallway. "I may not be up on outlaw motorcycle club rule shit but if everything I've heard is true, you need to take control of your old lady and teach her who's boss," I tell Dax.The guys, including Dax, burst out laughing. "Yeah, like that's gonna happen. My woman has a mean left hook and I don't want to be on the receiving end. She wrote new rules whe
Moon's dark eyes drill into mine. He's in one of his impeccable dark suits, unaffected by the hot temperature, and, like always, in complete control. He lifts his arms and then drops them back to his side. "My hands are tied, my friend," he says without a single crack in his cold expression.One plus one equals two. Maddison or Celina, possibly both, are in danger. It's the only way this scenario could happen. It's the one thing that would tie Moon's hands and make him give up Beth and Carson. It leaves me with no leverage.Two men step from the shadows. I've worked with them for years. Cal moves in close and takes my right arm. I trained him and the move is stupid on his part. I explode before Marcus grabs my other arm. If Angelo gets his hands on Beth and Carson, my life doesn't matter.I slam my elbow into Cal's head and my knee takes Marcus in the groin. Cal strikes back with a side kick, but I grab his leg, turn, and push him into Marcus. An explosion followed by a sudden jolt of
Shortly after Rack left, Dr. Santos came to the Crows' clubhouse and explained that Moon's organization, along with the Laterza crime family, were making a play against the Gimonde organization. If all went as planned, I would never need to worry about Angelo again.My wedding day.The doctor said Moon was holding Rack and trading the three of us-me, the baby, and Rack-for two people Moon wanted. The doctor assured me the trade would never go down and once Laterza took out Gimonde senior, Moon would do the same to Angelo and his men. The doctor was talking about killing. That stopped me for a minute. As long as Angelo and his father were alive, Carson and I would never be safe. That was the cold hard truth.I said nothing about the wedding to Dr. Santos. He could make what he wanted out of the preparations. I left Carson with Sofia knowing she would protect him and never allow Angelo or his father to get their hands on him. Sofia wanted me to wait for Dax to return, but I refused. Rack
For two days I'm as weak as a newborn. The first twenty-four hours are a fog. After that, the pain and my inability to do the most basic of tasks made me beyond grumpy. Beth brought Carson in to see me often. The ache in my heart is worse than the ache in my chest cavity where the doctor inserted the tube after removing the one that Gomez put in.I'm not sure how I feel about what Moon did. It ultimately makes little sense and I've lost my trust in him and his organization. I will never forgive Moon or Gomez for bringing Beth in to see what Gomez did to me. The fury running through my veins stays bottled inside.For now.I told Gomez to empty my offshore account and set the money up in Beth's name. I want her and my son cared for. I don't need the money even though I have no idea what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. I will no longer be part of Moon's organization. I will return the money Gomez put in my bank account while Beth and I were on the run."I can tell by the look on
The wedding took place the next day. We're headed back to the cabin we stayed in almost a week ago. The only thing missing is the motorcycle. Rack didn't want me out of my wedding dress even when I told him I could put it back on in the room once we arrived."No way. I'm taking this dress off." He kissed my fingers over the ring that will never be absent again. The wedding took place earlier than our originally scheduled time and it's still daylight.He picks me up and carries me over the threshold into the shadowed room. "Your ribs," I laugh."My ribs will survive, Mrs. Street."He draws in a sharp breath and I know it hurts. Damn man. He puts me down and wraps his arms around me. My laughter disappears. His lips move over mine and he licks the inside of my mouth. For an unknown amount of time all he does is kiss me. I've never known a man who gets so much enjoyment out of kissing. Of course, I've never known a man like Rack. He's better than my brother's letters ever described."I lo
I grip the side of the casket tight enough that my fingers turn blue while peering down at the man I thought of as father. There's a twist in my gut, a feeling that many would call caring. It surprises even me. Victor chose me for my lack of emotion and turned me into his perfect killing machine. He cared in his own way but was never affectionate, which I didn't want or need anyway. I was his problem-solver whenever the problem required a permanent solution. I was also his boogeyman to show off and put fear into his friends and enemies alike. If I had a conscience, our arrangement never would have worked. Victor rescued me from a juvenile facility when I was twelve. To this day I have no idea how he managed my release into his custody. It's one of the great unsolved mysteries that died with him. When I first arrived at his home, I thought he was a dirty old man. My plan was to kill him when he touched me. At twelve, I was already aware of the dangers men presented. Victor picked me up
Her lack of tears surprises me, but I have no problem adding it to the list of things she'll pay for. She's shaky as she stands; she uses the wall for support. Her breathing is harsh and her hesitation makes me think I'll be removing her clothes after all. When I'm almost ready to assist her, she finally moves. Her hands tremble as she unzips her shorts and pushes them down her thighs. "Please," she tries again."Everything off." I say it casually this time. I've won and we both know it.She picks up the scissors and cuts the material so she can remove her shorts. Her shirt follows and she's left in her bra and panties. She hesitates and I almost backhand her for taking so long. She must read something in my expression. With a delightful whimper, she unclips her bra from the back and lets it fall. She slices the panties and they float to the floor. A deep breath escapes her lungs before she lifts her head and stands in front of me nude. The scissors fall from her fingers and she kicks
I'm freezing and too cold to sleep. About ten minutes ago, I heard a car drive away and I think he's left the house. Or at least I think he has me in a house; it appears to be a basement from the short glimpses of cement block walls I've managed to see. He isn't concerned with me yelling, so I'm guessing the house isn't close to others. He's so damn calm and unyielding. It's seriously driving me insane.From what I could see in the dark with his small flashlight, he's at least six feet tall, with just the right amount of muscle on a lean frame. His short-sleeved shirt hugged a sculpted chest and his jeans looked painted on. His short, light brown hair accentuated a prominent jaw with the perfect amount of scruff on his chin. He's gorgeous in an underwear model sort of way. At least until you reach his eyes. When the light reflected off them, I almost stepped back. They're pale green, almost startling if you don't look into their cold, lifeless depths. Pools of darkness lurked in the ro
I stayed with Mr. Loche for two hours. When I came back to the cabin, Father Andrews and Madison were cooking dinner together in the kitchen. She was laughing and he was telling her that anyone can learn to cook, it just takes practice. I don't add my two cents that the meal Mrs. Loche prepared would have been safer. I word it a little more carefully, "Please don't encourage her. Gabriella will throw a fit if Madison moves in on her territory." They stop what they're doing and I receive my first genuine smile from Madison that I've seen in weeks."It's a simple lasagna. Mak can make it when you're here at the cabin. Even I wouldn't do anything to piss off Gabriella." He cringes with great exaggeration and Madison laughs.She looks at him with a huge smile. "You didn't tell me you know Gabriella.""I know her daughter. I've heard all the stories from her and I'm terrified of her mother."I walk to my wife and wrap my arms around her from behind. She leans into me and places her hands on
It's three more days before our guest arrives. I'm actually tongue-tide when Moon introduces me to Father Andrews. He's American but lives in Mexico and drove all this way to return a favor he owed my husband. He's younger than a priest has a right to be and he's too damn good looking for his job. I place him in his early thirties. It's strange because he looks oddly familiar even though I'm sure I've never met him.The three of us walk into the living room where Mrs. Loche put out cucumber sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies. Father Andrews's eyes light up. "I haven't eaten since breakfast and these look delicious," he says while filling a plate.Moon doesn't sit with us. "Mr. Loche and I are working on a new garden and clearing some land. I'll be next door if you need me." He leans down and places his lips on mine for a short kiss. It actually embarrasses me because Father Andrews is watching. Moon taps me under the chin in understanding because of the heat traveling up my neck and
With revenge motivating me, dealing with what happened was easier. The need for blood became a driving force that allowed me to put my thoughts and feelings on hold. Now my feelings, doubt, and shame overshadow everything. My mind is a dark hole with a smoky mist that Moon stands in to beckon me out. His hand is there. I can almost touch it, but my fingers slide away, a millimeter short, and the darkness covers me once more.Sleep is the worst. Nightmares make me toss and turn throughout the night. Most center around blood on my hands. They drip the red, congealed mess onto everything I touch and when I open my eyes it's still there. Or so the dream goes.I find it strange that I don't dream about what Fernandez did to me. It's his laughter, though, that wakes me night after night. Moon is always there to comfort me during those horrible hours. He pulls me close to his body when I give the slightest gasp. I breathe in his scent and fill my lungs with his strength. Until I fall asleep a
Part of my heart-stopping fury recedes when I pull Madison back into my arms. Her entire body is shaking and she's still clutching the knife I handed her. Alex takes it from her hand after I scoop her into my arms and cradle her against my chest. I breathe in the scent of her hair and try to gain more control.This woman is everything. She's the reason I wake up in the morning. Everything I hold dear is wrapped up in her. Cori meets my eyes and she tips her head in acknowledgement. When she turns away, Duke is standing behind her. He pulls her into his arms and walks her toward the front room. He stops when Goose is dragged closer by one of Dax's men and places himself between Cori and Duke. Duke casually pulls his gun and fires, striking him between the eyes. Goose blankly stares at the ceiling by the time the sound of the gunshot fades from the room. Cori spits on Goose's body before Duke leads her forward. Alex gives orders to clean up the bloody mess."Please take me home," Madison
She steps forward and Fernandez spins and tries throwing a punch at my head but misses. He moves quickly even with a bullet through the foot and gets between Cori and Sofia's rifle. Melina takes the opportunity to bring her gun down on the back of his head. He stumbles and I kick the tibial pressure point in his good leg. He drops and I kick Celina's gun away from him. She grabs it and aims it at him as he wiggles around like a flopping fish. I hand Melina my gun and slam down into his back with my cuffs primed. I practically pull his arms from their sockets in order to secure his hands behind his back while he's stunned."Help me get him up on the kitchen island and I'll cut off his fucking clothes." We drag him back to the kitchen minus Celina who stays at her post, which is the front door. He struggles but it's not enough for four women on a mission.The sick feeling in my stomach stays and I turn slightly and rub tears from my eyes. Not a minute has gone by that I haven't thought a
We park a half mile from the home. Melina and I run up the street, carrying the post driver between us because it's so damn heavy, and check out the property. Like the house he kept me and Cori in, this one is away from other homes and on a nice sized piece of property. The desert foliage on the north side of the area gives us a good vantage point to see the back door. I call Celina."Send Cori north to our location. The front door is on the south side of the house and you'll have about twenty-five yards from the truck to the door. Sofia will be your driver and leave as soon as you're inside. She'll park and meet us. We'll come through the back five minutes after you enter." We covered all of this in the car, but it helps me to go over the plan out loud again. "Give Cori ten minutes to get in place before Sofia drops you off.""Cori just took off. We're set," Celina says before ending the call.After Cori meets us, we stay low and wait for Sofia to text me that Celina is in the house.
Alex brings the car to the front. Austin jumps into the back and I take the passenger seat. I told the men to put Gabriella in our safe room until everything settles. She can cuss them out in Spanish, I don't have time. Sirens can be heard in the distance and we need to be completely clear of the house before they hit the street that leads to my private road.I've also notified additional men to meet us at the warehouse. As soon as we have Fernandez's location, we'll be moving out quickly. It suddenly occurs to me that Dax is totally out of the loop, so I dial his cell."You're fucking kidding me," he practically yells when I tell him his wife ran over a man and picked up the women. "I'm on my way." Another call comes in and I look at the display. It's Caleb."Start heading here with reinforcements," I tell Dax quickly. "I'll call as soon as we have a location. It won't be long."The man in the trunk is moaning loudly. There are metal plates over the taillights and nothing he can do to
Madison is up to something. The strange feeling persisted while she dressed and then at breakfast. Sending her off to the service without me was nearly impossible. The fact is, I need to get my head out of my ass and take care of Fernandez once and for all. The thought of him taking Madison again is eating me alive.While she's at EE, I can focus on what it takes to keep everyone safe. The Frontera Cartel is out of the picture and now we can focus on one man. I have everyone but our outside security in the conference room. Austin joins us too."How do we bring him out in the open without risking one of our women as bait?" I ask the men. It didn't matter how much Madison complained, there was no way I would give into her plan.I've never reached my current level of frustration as we debate the best scenarios. Alex hasn't said a word since entering the meeting, which surprises me. When I look at him, his eyes are on the door leading to the hallway."What has you worried?" I ask him when
The women with Celina give whoops and atta-girl shouts. I can't help smiling. "We'll be another thirty minutes. There's a building supply store not far from you and I need you to pick up two metal fence post drivers." I never worked Cave Creek as a cop, but one of the officers lived there and loved having barbeques, so I'm familiar with the area."We're on it. Meet us in the parking lot."I disconnect the call and decide to join Cori in the front. I wiggle between the seats and then lean back and exhale after I attach my seatbelt. "I'm worried Moon could beat us there."Cori puts her foot on the gas and shoots forward on the freeway. The 51 is one of the lighter trafficked freeways if you're not driving it during rush hour and we're pushing the witching hour. It's the most direct route from central Phoenix to the north valley and we're in luck because it's wide open. If that luck continues, highway patrol won't have units in the vicinity.We make it to the building supply store in twen