“You got something for us?” Grizzly didn’t offer him a chair as he sat back down.
“I heard we might be going after a woman the Brethren are holding.”
The prez lifted a brow. “Where’d you hear that?”
Crunch crossed his arms, spreading his feet so they were shoulder width apart. “Last night in a bar north of town. Some guys who’d just made bail were at a table, drinking and talking louder than they should’ve been. I got close, listened. They mentioned the Devils and the Brethren and a woman. That’s when I sat down at their table and told them to lower their damn voices. I thought they were going to jump me, but then they saw my cut.”
“The men who followed the bitch from Phoenix,” Hammer said.
“Yeah. They think she’s with a guy named Fuse from the Brethren and a bodyguard with some security company.”
“Do they know where Fuse is keeping her?” Slider asked.
“No. They lost sight of their truck when the sheriff pulled them over. Dumb shits got arrested.”
Grizzly looked at Hammer. “Do you know Fuse?”
“Know of him. Definitely with the Brethren. If I remember right, he’s been with them since the MC came to Liberty Lake. We’ll find out where he lives and watch the place. The same with their clubhouse. If she’s at his house, we’ll be able to get to her. The clubhouse will be a lot tougher.”
“It’s a fortress, Prez,” Slider said, cutting off Grizzly’s question. “It would take bombs to break through their defenses.”
Grizzly pounded a fist on the desk. “Doesn’t matter where they’re holding the bitch. Our job is to find her and get her ass to the people who hired us. Am I clear?”
Hammer nodded. “Yeah. I’ll get with Grinch. He has a network around town. The man can find out anything.”
Grizzly reached behind him, grabbing a bottle of Jack. “Get on it. I want to know where she’s at by tomorrow morning. Now get the fuck out of here.”
He waited until they left before screwing off Jack’s lid and taking a long swig of whiskey. Swiping an arm across his mouth, Grizzly thought of the crew he’d left behind, comparing them to the Devils he’d met in Liberty Lake.
“Fucking pussies,” he muttered, taking another swallow of whiskey.
Finishing a quarter of the bottle, he grabbed the phone. “I need Trick and Piston if you can do without both for a few weeks.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “As soon as they can be here, Vulture. Great, man. I owe you.”
Fuse monitored the cameras scattered around the property and inside the house, seeing the same as he had the last four days. Nothing. If the information Ethan gave Wrath was right, and Fuse knew it was, the Devils had a contract to locate and snatch her.
Rubbing palms against his eyes, he groaned, stretching both arms over his head. Fuse checked the time. Seven in the morning. Gunner would be spelling him soon, then he could get a few hours sleep before meeting with Mitch.
If today was identical to the previous two, Brittany would avoid him, preferring to interact with any of the other men, primarily Mitch. It rankled him how close the two had become. She trusted him.
Fuse couldn’t find it in himself to blame her. The entire fault fell on him. He’d handled everything wrong when it came to their past.
“I’m a real fuck up.”
“I could’ve told you that.” Gunner came up behind him, grabbing a chair. “But if you want to explain, I’ll listen.”
“Have you seen Brit this morning?”
“Saw her in the kitchen a few minutes ago getting coffee. Why?”
“Curious is all. We haven’t crossed paths in a couple days.”
Gunner sipped the coffee he’d brought with him, setting his cup next to the keyboard. “She works a few hours first thing in the morning, then grabs Mitch to take a walk. She walks again in the afternoon.”
“With Mitch again?”
Gunner shot him a curious look. “She’s comfortable with him, Fuse. You gonna tell me what’s going on?”
Twisting his mouth into a grimace, he ran a hand through his hair. Gunner was his closest friend, a man he could count on to have his back. Fuse knew about Gunner’s break up with Lieutenant Commander Sage Montero, which had been hard for his friend to put behind him. During that time, Fuse had made sure Gunner didn’t spend too much time alone, wallowing in misery.
A few months ago, he’d met Katrina Snowden, who’d taken a job at one of the local nurseries. Gunner had slowly pulled out of his blue mood, even as he insisted they weren’t a couple.
“You know about our past.”
Gunner picked up his cup, nodding. “She broke up with you the night you planned to propose. Hard not to remember a shit storm like that.”
“I made a proposal to her a few nights ago. It didn’t go over so well. She’s been ignoring me ever since.”
Setting the cup down, Gunner leaned back in the chair, lacing his fingers behind his head. “A proposal, huh?”
“A damn stupid one.”
“Casual sex until the threat is over, then you go your separate ways. Am I close?”
Fuse rubbed his forehead, wincing. “She turned me down flat.”
A broad smile lit Gunner’s face. “As she should’ve. The woman’s classy and hot. I mean, sizzling. She doesn’t need to give it away to a man who doesn’t give a damn about her.”
Jumping up, Fuse loomed over him. “What the fuck? You know what she did to me.”
“I also know you still have feelings for her. It was a bullshit proposal, man.” Gunner turned his attention back to the screens, punched a few keys before leaning closer. “Shit.”
“What?” Fuse looked over Gunner’s shoulder.
“Right there.”
Fuse looked to where Gunner pointed. “Two men on the other side of the fence line behind the barn.”
Picking up his phone, Fuse called Mitch. “Gunner spotted two tangos.” He finished describing their location. “Yeah, they’re still there. Copy that.” Sliding the phone into his pocket, he grabbed his Sig 9mm, checking the Ka-bar knife in the scabbard at his ankle. “Gunner, you’re on Brit.”
“Roger.”
Fuse opened the door as he slipped on his comm unit, stepping outside to the pop…pop…pop of gunfire.
Chapter Fifteen
Adjusting his earpiece, Fuse bent at the waist, running toward the location where they’d spotted the intruders. They’d counted two, though he expected more.
“Mitch. Position?”
“At the fence. They aren’t here. Bas, what’s your position?”
“Outside the fence. Tire tracks on an old farm road, but no sign of intruders.”
Gunfire sounded again, closer to the house. “Shit.” Fuse’s voice blasted through the comm unit as he broke into a run. “Gunner.”
“On it, Fuse.” Meaning he had Brit with him and was moving her to the safe room.
“I’m with them, Fuse.”
“Roger that, Fargo.”
A new round of rat-tat-tat from semi-automatic gunfire drew their attention to the other side of the barn. “Dammit! I’ve been hit,” Banner bit out over the comms.