Thirty-Five
Than
The moment Bane turned the truck toward the east entrance, I tensed. Why hadn’t he told me this was where we were going? I would have taken Montana to Linc’s house. She didn’t need to see or overhear us. I didn’t want her being scared. Thankfully, Bane had remained silent. The less she knew about it, the better. The only thing she ever needed to be told was that the fucker was gone. No longer around to bother her.
He slowed just right off the property line and came to a stop. “Get out,” he said gruffly before swinging his door open and exiting the truck.
I turned to glance back at Montana in the backseat, looking wary. “I won’t be long. You good back there?”
She nodded, then glanced out the window. Something was wrong.
I reached over and squeezed her knee. “Hey. Look at me. What is it?”
She took a deep breath, then licked her lips nervously. “Is it…is this about him? The one leaving me notes?”
Dammit. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I also wanted her to feel safe. Because she was safe.
“Yes, but he didn’t get far when he tried. He did get away though. We have a lead, it seems, or Bane wouldn’t have brought me to see whatever it is out there.”
There was the flash of panic in her green eyes I didn’t want.
“Trust me?”
She paused, then nodded.
“Good. Now relax. No one is getting to you. I swear.”
“Okay,” she said softly.
I didn’t want to leave her, but I also wanted to find the fucker. If Bane had some clue or lead, then I was ready to hunt the bastard down now. Well, once I had Montana safely tucked away at Linc’s.
With one more squeeze to her knee, I let it go, then opened the truck door and got out. Bane looked impatient, but I didn’t give a fuck. He’d get over it.
“There,” he said, pointing at something near the tree line.
I walked closer, trying to figure out what the hell he was showing me. To the side of one of the trees, there was an empty bottle of whiskey.
“The whiskey bottle?” I asked, glancing back at him.
He nodded his head in its direction. “Not just any bottle.”
I walked over and squatted down. Liquid Hale. Motherfucker.
My head snapped back around to Bane. “This wasn’t left by one of us?” I demanded.
He shook his head. “No. Ransom is on his way now to determine the batch it came from and trace who would have had it.”
Liquid Hale was one of the whiskeys made at our distillery. But it wasn’t just any whiskey. It was a high-proof one, made from my great-grandfather’s moonshine recipe, which was still illegal. We couldn’t sell it, and we didn’t market it. We only gave it or sold it to those who were family. Sometimes, those close to the family. It was impossible to get unless it was given or sold to you by a Carver.
“Who the fuck would have had this bottle? And why were they stalking Montana before she ever got here?” My mind was racing as I stood back up.
“They shut down the distillery’s security cameras, and they somehow made it past Forge and knew their way to the cabin and that Montana was in it. They didn’t bank on you being in her bed with her though. My guess is, whoever it was got a glimpse of your shadow in the window when you got up and left. And they had a bottle of Liquid Hale. It’s starting to look like it’s someone in the family.”
My brows snapped together. “What?” I asked incredulously.
He shrugged. “Linc agreed with me. It’s not easy to get past us, and he’s done it twice. Then this…” He pointed at the bottle. “It’s almost as if we are being taunted now. Maybe he’s pissed we have her or that you are with her.”
“Who the hell would it be?” I asked, shaking my head. “None of us knew her before. And none of us are that fucking twisted. Wouldn’t we have noticed someone acting different?”
I couldn’t peg this on any of the guys. How could Bane? And Linc?
Bane rubbed his jaw. “I never said Mississippi family. I just said family.”
I stared at him, running that through again. “You mean…another branch of the family?”
He nodded.
“Fucking who?” I demanded as if he had the answers.
“I’d guess we start with the Louisiana branch, although it’s based in New Orleans, and that’s a four-hour drive from Monroe. We’re closer to Monroe. There isn’t another family branch closer than New Orleans, except for us.”
My eyes shot to the truck. What if it was family? I wouldn’t be allowed to kill family. He’d not hurt her, so they wouldn’t hold that against him. But he had been fucking with us. Surely, that would get some kind of punishment.
“Has Linc said anything to Blaise?” I asked.
“Talking to him now. That’s why we’re meeting at his office at ten.”
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling like I’d just been caged. I’d been set on torturing the son of a bitch. But this turn wasn’t one I had seen coming.
“Who do you know from the Louisiana branch other than the Davidsons? I don’t even know Thaddeus that well. Just Wayon.”
Thaddeus was the leader of that branch, and Wayon was his son. We’d done some jobs together due to our close proximity, but that was it.
“A few. Mostly just had interaction at one of the races. No one stands out though as a psycho. Not like Gage Presley or Thatcher Shephard.”
Gage was Blaise Hughes’s best friend and had gotten away with some fucked-up shit. Thatcher was a Shephard, and that was almost as good as being a Hughes. Almost. They were brought in to handle the most dangerous jobs.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see Ransom’s name on the screen.
I swiped to answer.
“You almost here?” I asked him.
“Don’t have to. The picture that Bane sent was clear enough. I was able to pull the batch number and run it.” He paused.
“Well, who the hell did we give it to?” I demanded.
He sighed heavily. “You. The bottle was taken out and signed for by you.”
I heard the phone crack in my hand just as the fury exploded in my chest. The pieces shattered as I slammed it against the tree. I stood there unable to harness the storm ripping through me. Another phone rang but I continued to seethe not moving or speaking.
“He smashed his phone,” I heard Bane say as I heaved, glaring down at the bottle.
Someone had gotten it from me. Someone I knew or someone who had been close enough to me had taken it right from under my nose.
“February 8,” Bane said. “Yeah, I remember that. Okay. I’ll tell him when he stops acting like he’s about to morph into The Incredible Hulk.”
I swung my head toward him and waited. He had more information. I’d been unable to wait for it before snapping.
Bane ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket. “You calming down, Bruce Banner?” he asked.
I wasn’t in the mood for his comments.
“What else did he say?”
“That you signed it out on February 8 of this year. But it was a gift for Linc to take to Thaddeus Davidson’s christening of his new stables.”
I shook my head. “That makes no sense. The leader of the Louisiana branch isn’t stalking Montana. He’s old and married and too fucking busy. Besides, he can’t hide in the shadows, watching her. He doesn’t have time.”
Bane had his phone back out, looking down at it. “It’s not Thaddeus, and I’m having a hard time picturing Wayon doing something like this. We just need to find out who could have taken Thaddeus’s bottle of Liquid Hale.” He glanced up at me. “Or now that we know we are working with family, we set him up. We’ll be prepared for him next time.”
“We need to get to Linc’s,” I said, stalking back to the truck.
“About that. Linc wants Montana at the cabin. He’s sending Luther out to stand guard.”
I stopped and turned back to him. “Why at the cabin?”
“Because he said so.”