Chapter Thirteen #2
Nate sighed and studied him for a moment while Max extolled
the virtues of his children and Gemma the same about cold hard cash. “I’m
sorry. I have a suspicious mind. It goes with the territory. So you think they
were going to off you and Bay because of something you saw for a couple of
seconds?”
“I don’t know.” He was as confused as everyone else, and he
was finding it hard to believe that Max Harper, of all people, seemed to
believe him when his own brother didn’t. “I only know it’s the weirdest thing
that’s happened in years.”
Gemma put a hand out to stop Max’s arguing. “You left five
months ago. Why wait until now?”
“They didn’t know where we went,” Shane offered. “And for
the first couple of months Trev and Jamie paid in cash because we didn’t know
if we would stay on.”
“So Trev finally did your paperwork,” Nate mused.
“It wouldn’t be hard for a PI to run a trace, probably
several over the last couple of months.” Gemma leaned against Nate’s desk. “I
assume Kingman had your information.”
Shane shook his head. “Nah. He paid in cash and under the
table. Said he didn’t bother getting to know a cowpoke until they’d been on his
team and tested. I wasn’t sure what the test was, but he hadn’t given it to us
yet.”
“If he’s running guns, then I suspect the test would have
been helping with the delivery or something else that would have been a major
criminal offense. It’s often how they bring people in. They would be more open
about it when it comes to the MCs. You would have been in a probationary period
until you proved yourself, but this feels sneakier,” Nate admitted.
“But none of this explains why we have a sudden rash of
vandalism,” Gemma pointed out. “If they want to make sure Shane keeps his mouth
shut, why would they blow the tires on his car? Why wouldn’t they simply go
right to him and let the threats begin? Or kill him and hide his body so they
know he can’t talk. There are a lot of places to hide a body here in the West.
Hell, Kingman Ranch is huge. If they buried you out there, I can’t imagine
anyone finding you. It’s what I would do. I mean if I was a hardened criminal
and stuff.”
“You are a scary person, Gemma,” Max said with a frown. “But
I do get your point. The vandalism feels petty.”
“Or someone’s looking for something.” Shane couldn’t come up
with anything else. “I get the truck. They might be looking to make us more
vulnerable. Being without a way to move around could do it.”
Nate sighed, fingers drumming along his desk. “All right,
that’s a possibility. They could be trying to herd you into a place you can’t
get out of, but I don’t buy it. It would be way too easy to pick you up. You
usually work with Bay, right? Trev and Jamie send their guys out in pairs
mostly.”
Shane nodded. “Unless it’s a real easy job, yes, but the G
is still big. Unless they have someone on the inside, they won’t know where we
are, and Trev’s got wildlife cams all over the place. They’re not monitored all
the time, but he likes to keep eyes on everything.”
“And it doesn’t explain why they trashed my sister’s lovely
house that is far too small for large men, and I’m going to have to add on to,”
Max complained. “At least I’ve now got two young, strong backs to work the
land. You and Bay need to understand that marrying Brooke means you work at
Harper Stables.”
“You have to pay them, Max,” Gemma began.
“I’m paying them with my sister,” Max insisted.
Gemma’s shoulders squared. “You know this isn’t the
seventeenth century, right?”
“He’s fucking with you.” He was starting to understand Max.
“When he gets worried he gets even more obnoxious than usual. He’s worried
because while we put together the truck getting vandalized and even the theft
of the safe out at the G, it’s hard to…” Shit. He figured it out. “Right after
we made things official with Brooke, a woman hit on me at The Trading Post.”
“We all know that.” Max waved him off. “Teeny said you
looked like a deer in the headlights, and if Nell hadn’t come along, she would
have sent Marie in to save you. You had zero interest in that tourist.”
Max was missing the point. “What if she wasn’t a tourist?”
Nate picked up his phone. “How long does Teeny keep those
tapes? We might be able to ID her on facial rec. I’m going to assume she asked
some very specific questions.”
“Oh.” Max seemed to catch on. “You think she was sent in by
Kingman to figure out where you would be. Well, that makes way more sense. I
was sitting around trying to figure out how all these beautiful women decided
to hit on you and Bay. I do not get it.”
Nate seemed immune to Max’s sarcasm. “She asked where you
worked?”
“She asked a lot of questions, but she specifically wanted
to know where we were staying. I’m going to admit I didn’t want to start a
relationship with the woman of my dreams by having to explain why I was
flirting, but I was also trying to not be rude. I was surprised she still
wanted to talk to me after I told her I had a girlfriend.”
“Because she didn’t care about that. She wanted to know
where to look,” Gemma surmised. “And then you weren’t there and you were at the
G. I wonder…” Gemma pulled out her phone, and her thumbs worked the small
keyboard. She nodded as she stared at the screen. “Kingman was in DC last week.
There’s talk about him running for Senate. He’s planning to primary the sitting
senator. I mean it’s a great time to clear up all those loose ends.”
“Then maybe we should think about stashing all three of
them.” Max seemed to focus, going serious. “I’ll talk to Stef about hiring a
bodyguard. Maybe we should think about sending them down to Dallas.”
“Whoa. I don’t think I need to be sent anywhere. Brooke
can’t leave. She’s got the play.” It was moving fast for him. “We aren’t even
sure the incidents are related.”
“They all involve the three of you, and while I’m confused
about how he’s going about it, I think he’s either looking for a way to make it
seem like an accident or waiting for the right time. I would rather be safe
than sorry.” Nate stood. “Do we have any idea where Brooke and Bay are?”
Shane stood, too. “I have to get back to the G. We’ve got a
bunch of stuff planned with Nell and Henry this afternoon. Trev expects me back
to help. I think Lucy’s coming out, too. Noah’s teaching them about cattle
today.”
He didn’t want to leave Bliss. He didn’t want Brooke to have
to leave. She was just settling in.
Would Bay even believe him, or would he think this was
another way to get out of town?
Damn it. He wasn’t like that. Bay was the one who felt the
deep need to roam around. Shane wanted a home, wanted roots. He didn’t mind
travel, but he wanted a place that was his. Someplace where no one could toss
him out like trash or forbid him entry.
“Hey, Shane.” Max sounded more than serious now. He stood
and put a hand on Shane’s shoulder. “This is going to be okay. You and Bay are
going to be fine, and we’ll figure out how to protect you. Well, Nate and
likely Stef will. Maybe we could bring a couple of guards out here. We’ll tell
that Taggart fellow to send some cute ones since I know the new waitress they
hired down at Trio is looking.”
“Also, Del at the school. Sabrina promised her she could get
two men as her signing bonus,” Gemma quipped. “And I wouldn’t worry about Shane
going back to the G this afternoon if Henry’s going to be there. How about we
call Stef and see about a couple of bodyguards? Until then we can take turns
watching them. At night they can hole up at Stef’s or stay with Seth. Both have
excellent security, and that way Brooke can finish her work.”
Max snorted and started to say something.
Shane pointed a finger his way. “Don’t you dare make less of
Brooke’s work.”
Max sighed. “Sorry. Force of habit. I wish she’d become
something I can understand.”
He wasn’t going to argue with his future brother-in-law. “I
need a ride back to the G. I should talk to them before they come into town.
Brooke’s going to be at the theater soon if I don’t catch her.”
There was the squawking sound of the radio and Gemma hustled
to pick it up. “Go ahead, Tate.”
“Hey, Gemma. We’re bringing in two men suspected of assault
and battery at Stella’s. The alleged victim is being looked at by Doc, but I’m
not so sure I trust him to actually fix what those cowboys broke. Apparently he
was flirting with one of their girlfriends. I would say both because of where
we are, but one of them is already married, so I don’t think she belongs to
both of them. It would be a weird trio since one of them is old.”
“I am not old, asshole,” a familiar voice said.
“Rye?” Max had the biggest grin on his face. “Hey, Nate, is
your new twelve-year-old deputy hauling my brother in?”
“He is not twelve but apparently yes,” Nate growled. “Tate,
what happened? Did you say Rye Harper got caught fighting? Tell me he didn’t
beat the crap out of Bay Kent.”
Shane’s gut went tight. “Is Bay all right?”
“He did not beat the crap out of me,” Bay complained over
the line. “Though I did have to protect him from a guy who practically crapped
his pants.”
“Hey, he got a couple of good hits in,” Rye replied.
The deputy was back. “Uh, no, Sheriff. Apparently they
fought the guy from New York City together. We’re about three minutes out.
Could someone get a cell ready for me?”
Well, at least they were getting along.
* * * *
Bay didn’t like handcuffs or getting his ass hauled
away via police vehicle no matter how comfy said vehicle was. It sucked.
But nothing sucked more than the look Brooke had given him.
Like she was disgusted.
“Stop it, Bailey Kent. You stop it right now,” she’d yelled.
He hadn’t listened. He’d seen red when he’d caught that man
with his hands on her. The fucker had her backed up against the window, and
there had been nowhere for her to go. He had no idea who the asshole was, and
he didn’t care. No one laid hands on her. No one.