Chapter Three
Rafael stood at the window with his glass as Casen opened the door and let the man in with a large cart. He instantly stiffened. Something was off about the guy, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He glanced at Rowan and saw the same look of suspicion in his expression.
Rafael acted relaxed as he walked to the cart and started lifting the lids. “For God’s sake, man, why did you order so much?”
Casen grinned as he signed the ticket. “I haven’t eaten all day, and I’m starved.”
Rowan snorted, playing along with the game. “You’re going to share with us, aren’t you?”
Casen shrugged and handed the guy the ticket.
Rafael watched the guy’s gaze flint around the room, trying to find evidence of the women being there. Every nerve in his body was on high alert as Casen showed him out the door and locked it.
Rowan waved them over to him by the sofa. He indicated the space under the door where a shadow was barely moving, and they knew the guy who had just been there was trying to listen to them.
Rafael nodded and started removing lids and loading a plate with food. He and Casen joked back and forth while Rowan checked on the girls and told them about the situation. They were to stay in the room until one of them came and got them. They would have food for them, but now they had to pretend to be eating all of it.
Rafael watched as the shadow finally moved on, but he kept his attention on the door to make sure he didn’t come back.
The three guys came together in another bedroom.
“I think the shit is about ready to hit the fan. I’m not sure how they found us, but we need to move the weddings up,” Casen suggested.
“I agree. The quicker we get it done and them into our homes, the better I’ll feel.”
Rafael agreed. “I’ll call the number Franklin gave us while you two go pretend to eat more. I can guarantee they are going to keep checking.”
Rafael pulled out his phone when the other two left. He waited for the person to answer and was about ready to hang up because it rang so long.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Franklin asked us to call you.”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“We feel it would be safer if we got married sooner. As soon as we can.”
The other man paused. “Is there a problem?” he asked again.
“We suspect they know we’re here.”
“Dammit. I’ve got all the paperwork ready. I’m headed there now. I’ll get another room down the hallway you guys can stay in after I leave, as a precaution.”
“May I ask who you are?”
The man cleared his throat. “I’m an old friend of Franklin’s from a long time ago. I used to be a judge, so I am able to marry you all.”
Rafael exhaled. The guy sounded legit. Rafael gave him the room number and hung up. He walked in to see the men talking normally and watching the door.
“The guy is coming now to marry us.”
“Holy shit,” Casen said. “I don’t think the girls will be happy. Harmony is nervous as hell.”
“They all are,” Rowan said. “But we need to protect them.”
“You guys keep watching while I go tell the girls. Give me a plate they can eat off and a few forks. I think they should stay in the bedroom for now.”
Casen and Rowan agreed.
Rafael tapped on the door before he opened it to see all three women sitting nervously on the bed.
“I don’t want you girls to worry,” he whispered. “We’ve got things under control. I brought you food because we need you to stay in here for a bit longer.” He set everything down on the bed and then stood again. “We’ve made a decision,” he said and hesitated when they all nervously looked at him. “We’re getting married tonight, ladies.”
“Why?” Faith whispered.
“Because they know where we are. They’re not sure yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”
The sisters glanced at each other with fear in their eyes before they nodded at him.
Rafael nodded. “Good. It will be okay.”
He walked out, grabbed a plate, and pretended with the other two. He caught a shadow stop in front of their door a few times but then moved on.
“I wanted you guys to be aware that I’m carrying, so if things get bad, I will shoot to protect the girls,” Rafael said.
Casen nodded at Rafael and pulled his jacket away from his back to show he also had a gun. They looked at Rowan and saw him pull the legs of his pants up to show them a holster. Rafael nodded, relieved. They were much better off and ready to protect the women than he first thought.
The men continued to talk, checking on the women a few times to make sure they were okay.
The men stiffened when another knock came at the door. Casen looked through the peephole and turned back to the guys. “It’s an older man,” he mouthed to them.
Rafael took his gun out and held it by his side. “Open it.”
The man hustled in the second the door opened. “Close it.”
Casen closed it and locked it again.
The older man put a finger up to his mouth to indicate they had not said anything. A minute after the man had come in, the shadow was back.
Rafael started talking about the football game he’d watched the night before until the shadow moved on.
“My name is Russel Bowman. Let’s get this going. I have a bad feeling things are going to happen fast. I want to get you all to the room I have under a different name now, but I grabbed a universal key so we can get into any room, and we can have the marriage there. It’s across the hallway, so we can watch and see who’s checking on us. Turn the TV on in here, so there is sound.”
The men nodded.
Rafael got the girls and had them grab their bags. The judge and Rowan checked the hallway and then rushed everyone into the other room. They kept the lights off and didn’t dare say anything for several minutes.
Rowan was standing at the door and waved them over. He pointed out the peephole. Rafael and Casen peeked out to see the man who had delivered the food standing there with his ear to the door. Russell waved them over as far from the door as they could get.
“All of you stand with your women. We’re going to do this quickly and then sign the license. I’ve got two to sign, so if one gets taken, we have the other.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” Rafael said.
“Frankin and I tried to think of everything that could go wrong.”
Russel pulled a paper out of his pocket and had them recite their vows in very low tones together, so it went faster. He then had them all sign the papers. He kept one copy and gave the guys the other.
“You guys stay in this room tonight. I’m going to head to the room I got. That way, they’ll hear me in there. I’ll leave separately, but later tonight.”
The guys shook his hand and thanked him. They waited until the guy came back and then left again before Russel slipped out.
The guys pulled their wives aside to make plans.
Rafael gripped Faith’s cold, shaky fingers. “Hey, Baby, we’re going to be fine.”
“I’m just so scared.”
“I know, but I’ll protect you. I’m going to call in a few of my security team to have a car ready for us, and they’ll get us home safe. When we’re in our home, I’ll increase the security. I’m planning on bringing in a few guys from one of my buildings. I know and trust them, and no one will be able to come in.”
She nodded.
“Go ahead and sit down while I talk to the guys.”
She plopped down on the mattress and wrapped her arms around her waist. She grabbed ahold of the other sisters’ hands when they came and sat down beside her.
Rafael pointed to the bathroom and then mostly closed the door to dilute the sound. “I’ve got an idea. I say we each have cars waiting, and the next time the guys comes, we knock him out and tie him up. We can always call later for someone to let him go, but it will give us a head start. I also think we need to go out different doors.”
Rowan and Casen agreed with the plan. Each of them called in their own security. Once they got confirmation that their teams were there, they waited for the guy.
Casen got the girls in the bathroom and then grabbed the cords from everywhere he could.
Rowan put his finger up and then counted down with them. Rafael quietly opened the door as the man concentrated on listening for them. Rowan hit him on the head with the butt of his gun, and quickly pulled him into the room while Rafael stood watch. Casen hog-tied the man’s arms and legs together so he couldn’t move.
“I wish we could get some answers from him,” Rowan said.
Rafael went through the guy’s pants and grabbed everything he had. “I’m checking his pockets. Maybe there’s something in them that will be useful.”
Casen gagged the guy just in case he woke up. They didn’t want him found until they’d gotten the women home.
The guys watched the hallway for another five minutes before they decided to go.
Rafael took a breath, grabbed Faith’s hand, and they all headed for the different exits.