Chapter 26
Worley
My phone vibrating on the nightstand might as well be an alarm clock.
I forgot to turn the ringer back on before I fell asleep.
With one eye half open, I glance at the clock.
No green numbers shine in the dark. A flash of lightning lights up the room.
Great. Another thunderstorm and the power’s out again.
That’s twice this week. At least the first one was during the afternoon.
I slide up with my back against the headboard and reach for my phone. It’s four in the morning. I have missed calls from Coty, Ross, and Mack. Not a good combination in the middle of the night, or ever. I have several text messages, too.
The wind and rain get louder, drawing my attention back to the window. Lightning flashes again. Thunder rumbles in the distance. The storm is getting closer, but not on top of us yet. I open Mack's text first.
Mack: Tornado warning. Power’s out again.
Mack: Coty and Ross have the Den.
Mack: Worley, you alive over there?
I better reply before he’s pounding on my door.
Me: All good here.
I check the others.
Ross: Power’s out. Gate’s shut. If anyone needs in or out, we’ll have to push it open.
Well, that’s not a problem. No one is going out in weather like this, especially with a tornado warning involved.
In fact, a new weather alert pops up. The worst of the storm is still about an hour away.
A second line is coming around eight. At least we’ll have daylight for that one.
I hate severe storms at night. I like to see what’s coming.
Coty: Power’s out.
Me: Yeah. I know.
Coty: Backup generators are running the coolers, a few appliances in each building, and most of the important systems.
Me: What do you mean by most?
Coty: The security fence and cameras are glitching. A couple are out.
That’s not good. With the Mavericks pulling their childish pranks again, the last thing we need is to be unprotected.
Soda cans have been showing up in the club’s driveway and around town.
I would have believed it was kids messing around if the cans hadn’t shown up here.
We still don’t know what they mean. I send a club SOS text, followed by one explaining the security system outage, and tell our brothers to stay alert to everything around them.
As much as I don’t want to leave the warmth and comfort of my bed, I have a job to do.
I have to protect what’s mine at all costs.
I slowly slide out of bed and put on a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt.
For a long moment, I stand by the bed, watching my heart under the covers.
Lightning flashes brighter. The crack of thunder is seconds behind.
Nina bolts upright in bed. I’m there, gathering her in my arms.
“It’s okay. Just another storm.”
“Darin.” Her breathing comes hard and fast.
“You’re safe, love.”
She nuzzles her face into my neck. “Mack calls Nanny love.”
Ever since I brought her into my house on her birthday, I’ve been struggling to hold the word back.
“He does, and you go right ahead and read everything into it.”
She leans back just enough to look up at me. “You don’t think it’s too soon?”
I knew that was coming. I should light a candle so I can see everything in her eyes.
I gently rub my thumb across her bottom lip. “Well, as you and your wonderful nephew keep reminding me, I’m old. I don’t want to waste time when I know something to be true.”
“Are you sure you want this to work?” She kisses my thumb.
“Without a doubt.” I hold her chin with my thumb and index finger and press my lips to hers. “Unless you don’t want this to work. If that’s so, then we need to end it now.”
It’s too late for me. She can walk away if she wants, but my heart will never let her go.
“I want this,” she whispers.
Well, that settles it, and soon, I’ll make it official.
“Then you’re mine.” I give her a quick kiss and stand. “Now, I need to move you to the living room so I can start a fire and make sure everyone’s safe.”
She eases out of bed and slides her feet into a pair of fuzzy slippers. I wrap the blanket around her. Lightning flashes and thunder booms again. She slams her body into mine. Instantly, my arms circle her and hold her tightly to my chest.
“You wanna talk about it?” She shakes her head. “Okay, love. When you’re ready to tell me why storms scare you, I’m here.”
“It’s just the thunder,” she says softly.
Thunder? It’s the loud noise that scares her. I can read a lot of things into that, but I won’t assume anything. I’ll wait for her to explain when she’s ready. We’ve been trained not to force angels to share their stories. I’ll wait for her to come to me.
“Okay, let’s get some heat going, and I’ll make sure everyone is okay.” I guide her down the stairs and to the couch.
While I start the fire, she sits wrapped in the blanket with her knees pulled up to her chest, texting her sister. Jay has a fire going and is guarding their house. Mack and Jack have the main house covered. Coty, Ross, and the prospects have the Den.
Once the fire is going, I pull a couple of guns from the gun cabinet and inspect the doors and windows. All locked.
“Why do you need guns?” She asks when I walk back into the living room.
“The power outage has some of the security fence and cameras out.” I lay the guns on the coffee table. “Do you know how to use one?” She nods. “Which do you prefer?”
“None of them.”
A lot of women don’t like guns. I won’t force her to use one. I grab a couple of bottles of water from the kitchen and join her on the couch. Another weather alert flashes. The storm is twenty minutes away now.
“Darin, can I ask you something?” She blinks several times before casting her eyes downward.
“Yes, ma’am, you can.”
“The soda cans everyone’s talking about.”
Every nerve in my body tightens. “What about them?”
“Are they all like the one on Jay’s truck?”
“What? Empty?”
She shakes her head. “Are they all the same kind of soda or a mix?”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and a cold chill runs down my spine.
“They’ll all the same.” We’ve been trying to figure out what message the Mountain Dew cans were sending, but couldn’t come up with anything.
She bites her thumb and uses her feet to push back into the corner of the couch.
I’m quickly in front of her, pulling her thumb from her teeth and cupping her face in my hands. “Christina, talk to me. What do the Mountain Dew cans mean?”
“I’m not positive.” Her breathing quickens.
“It’s okay if you’re wrong, but if you’re right, even the tiniest detail will help us.”
She’s not wrong. I can feel it. She grabs my wrists and squeezes.
“It was the only soda Sean used to drink.” She releases a shaky breath. “When he was mad, he’d throw them at me. Sometimes they were empty.” She drops her eyes, refusing to meet mine. I already know what she’s about to say. “Sometimes they were full.”
Now my breathing is erratic. I’m going to kill him. I haven’t forgotten how battered and broken he left her. We’ve been searching for Sean Gilbert for twelve years. He never should have come back here. I need to call Mack, but first, I need my woman calm and safe.
I lift her face until our eyes meet. “Chrissy, you’re safe. I promise you are. He won’t hurt you again. I’ll die before I let it happen.” And I will.
“You think it’s really him?” She’s asking for hope. It guts me that I can’t give it to her.
“I hope not, but we’re not taking any chances where you’re concerned. Not with you, love. You sit right here.” I place one of the guns in her hand. “I’m going to check the locks again and call Mack.” I point to the gun. “Don’t shoot unless someone breaks into the house.”
She nods. I hate leaving her, but I have no choice. I quickly check the doors and windows again. They’re still locked. I stand in the kitchen where I can see her on the couch. I can’t leave her by herself for too long. I pull up Mack’s name and hit the call button.
“You okay, man?”
“No.” I try to keep my voice low so she can’t hear me.
“What happened?”
“It's the Mountain Dew cans, Mack. He’s here. Sean Gilbert is in Willow Creek.”
Mack doesn’t hesitate. “What do you need, Worley?”
“Throw the SOS and send as many men as you can to my house. He’s not touching my woman.”
“Consider it done, brother.” Mack ends the call. The SOS dings on my phone seconds later.
Thunder booms again. Nina jumps. I hurry to her, take the gun from her, and pull her into my arms. Something tells me her fear of loud noises has something to do with her ex, too. I’ll figure it out later. For now, my brothers and I will do what we have to keep her safe.