Jake (Demented Souls #16)

41

H e didn’t like it, but it was just a gut feeling, he had nothing he could articulate better than that. No reason not to tell her to go, enjoy herself. “Go ahead. I’ll see you soon.” He dropped a gentle kiss against her forehead, then watched as she walked away before turning back to the truck to gather up the trash and dispose of it.

Lynnie had been gone maybe ten minutes when Jake ran into Lurch as he was overseeing getting Tuck and London’s things loaded, at least the things they wouldn’t need before they left the next day.

“Hey, I was getting ready to send you a message. Where’s Iceman?”

“Making sure he’s got all his stuff gathered and loaded. He’s planning to head back to Dickenson sometime this afternoon, why?”

“Because Watt just called and told me we’ve got two Kings headed in from the highway. There was a hole in the fence not far from the gate that he noticed while he was checking cattle, so he was mending it and saw them come through the gate. I figured they must be here to see Iceman,” Lurch said with a shrug then turned to accept a box from one of the men who was carrying things out. He fit it into place with the rest of the things he was loading into the trailer, stacking and arranging things like a game of Tetris to get as much in the space as he could.

“That’s odd, he didn’t say anything about expecting anyone.” Jake turned away thinking, he didn’t think Iceman had anyone coming here. If he had, surely he would have said something to someone, wouldn’t he? Especially when Lynnie said she was going for a walk along the road. Maybe he didn’t know they were coming. He’d better go check to be sure.

It didn’t take him long to locate the visitor, standing in the bed of his pickup, shoving his sleeping bag into the bag it came in.

“Hey, you know why a couple of Kings would be on their way in from the highway?” Jake asked as he stepped up beside the truck and propped both arms on the edge of the bed.

Iceman stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Jake.

“No. Who is it?”

“I don’t know. I was just told a couple of Kings. Give me a sec.” He pulled out his phone and dialed Watt. Better to go straight to the source for this.

“Hey, those two Kings you saw coming onto the ranch, who were they?”

“The two who were camped out outside the gate last year. The ones who scared London and Kerry by following them.”

The hair on the back of Jake’s neck stood, telling him something wasn’t right. He lifted his gaze to Iceman.

“The men who were here last year following London and Kerry, are they still Kings?”

“No. They were stripped of their colors because of that shit. Well, that and other shit they pulled but no.” His eyes went wide. “Are they the ones here?”

“They’re not Kings, not anymore. Lock the gate, Watt, and if you can stop them from leaving, do it.” He disconnected the call and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

“Go get some of the others.” Jake jerked a thumb back toward the bunkhouse, indicating it and the clearing on the other side where several of the brothers had been gathered when he came through a few minutes ago. “I’ll go after Lynnie.”

“Take the truck. Keys are in it,” Iceman said as he vaulted over the side of the truck and took off at a run around the building shouting.

Jake felt like there was band around his chest keeping him from being able to take a breath as he scrambled for the door, climbed in, and started it. As he backed out and turned onto the road a weight settled in his chest that seemed to grow heavier with every foot he travelled.

By the time he’d made the first quarter mile, he knew something was wrong. She hadn’t been gone that long. He should have caught up to her, or at least be able to see her, by now. Where was she?

His stomach churned as he pushed the unfamiliar pickup as fast as he dared on the dirt road. Maybe he should have taken the time to grab a vehicle, even one of the dirt bikes, that he was more familiar with, that he knew how it would react when he pushed it.

It took another half a mile for him to catch sight of the pickup in front of him. It was headed the same direction he was, but not moving quite as fast.

He hoped Watt had closed the gate like he’d been told. How far behind him were his brothers?

He wanted to stomp on the gas and just ram them off the road, but there were so many reasons he couldn’t. Number one being he didn’t know where Lynnie was, or if she’d been secured. The impact might hurt her, and he couldn’t stomach the idea. All he could do, at least for now, was to try to catch up with them, and hope Watt could stop them before they got off the ranch.

Checking the rearview again, he hoped to see someone, anyone or more of his brothers coming to help, but so far, nothing. It looked like it was going to be two against two, and they had a hostage.

He didn’t know how this would work out, but all he could do was try. He had to get her away from them, to make sure she was safe, then he’d put an end to the threat, for once and for all.

How, though, was still a question. Would a combination of a message sent through these assholes, and another delivered by Hex and his club be enough? Maybe the easiest way would be to pay off the debt her fucker ex has given her to the club to pay them off. But if they were willing to pay that much in reward, how much must the debt be? Jake had built up a bit of a nest egg from both his time in the Army, and since, but he was certain he didn’t have the kind of money that would take.

As he continued to close the distance between his borrowed truck and the one he had no doubt Lynnie was inside, he let his mind run freely on things he’d like to do to these two. No matter how much he’d like to make certain they never came back on the ranch, never caused trouble for another member of the Souls or their women, he knew he couldn’t. Not in the way he wanted.

Instead, he would have to find a way to make sure they didn’t want to come back, but that would have to wait until he made sure Lynnie was safe.

The truck started to slow in front of him, he was catching up faster. He looked past it and saw the gate was closed, and Watt had pulled the ATV he’d been using to fix the fence across the road, adding one more obstacle in case they decided the fence wasn’t going to stop them.

If Jake was desperate to get away, neither the gate, nor the ATV would stop him, but from the way they were already slowing, it didn’t appear the assholes who had Lynnie we’re as crazy as he was. For that he could only be thankful.

Another glance in the rearview showed him a pickup, but it was too far away to do him much good, at least in the moment.