“Why didn’t you tell us?” Theo asks.
I drag my lower lip between my teeth, trying to find the right words to explain it. “The cabin was something Dad and I did together. Our secret, or so we thought. After he died, it became my retreat from the world when things threatened to become too much. I planned to take you there, but we’ve only recently cleared up our differences, and with everything going on, there hasn’t been time.”
Saint peers into my eyes, and I let him see the truth. He nods, brushing his thumb against my lower lip, and a relieved sigh escapes my mouth.
“How far away is it?” Theo asks.
“It’s about a two-hour drive from here.”
Saint lifts me off his lap, placing my feet on the ground as he stands behind me. “So, what are we waiting for? Let’s make a move.”
CHAPTER 6
WE DEAL WITH Taylor first, adding a few more cuts and bruises to her pretty face, and I enjoy her anguished screams as I hack off her long blonde hair with my knife, leaving her with short, jagged ends that will take some time to grow back. I want that bitch to look in the mirror every day and be reminded of me and the danger she’s placed her family in by coming after us.
After her little makeover, we dump her on her father’s doorstep. We make it clear to him that we’re letting her live on the understanding they drop their vendetta. Taylor’s father is a member of The Bulls, so he understands we’ve shown leniency, and he’s clearly no fool, because he gives us his word that this ends now. Still, we’re taking no chances, and Saint makes the call to Marwan, the new Bull’s prez, ensuring he’s aware of what’s gone down.
“What do we do about Sinner?” I ask when we’re on the highway, heading toward the cabin.
“We can’t tell him the truth because he’ll start an all-out war with The Bulls,” Theo says.
“Not if we present it as an opportunity to ensure they are kept firmly under his thumb,” Saint muses while he drives. “I’ll call him from the cabin. Explain how we handled it and why.”
“He’ll kill her old man,” Galen pipes up from the back seat. “His daughter tried to take us out. He’ll never let that slide.”
“That can’t happen,” I say. “Taylor will come after us with all guns blazing if her dad dies.”
“We need to give Sinner something else to worry about,” Caz proposes.
“Maybe we give Darrow something,” I say, mulling it over in my head, before it comes to me. I glance over at Saint. “The location of the supplies warehouse.”
Deathly silence greets my suggestion.
“It’s too risky,” Galen says after a few tense beats. “That secret has been kept for generations. Sinner would go postal, and he won’t stop until he discovers who leaked that intel. We can’t take that chance.”
“What if we do this in reverse,” Saint suggests, and all eyes dart to him.
“Explain,” Theo says.
“We get the location of The Arrows supply warehouse and feed that to Sinner. Give him a project to occupy his mind.”
“How?” Caz asks. “That’s as well guarded as our warehouse, and if Bryant knew anything, he’d have already told Sinner.”
“Valid point,” Galen admits. “We need a quick win.”
“Has anyone heard from Bry recently? Has he planted the hidden camera in Archer Quinn’s office yet?” I ask.
“He’s due to update us,” Saint says. “I’ll call him and see if it’s done.”
“That could be our best shot. If he can get details of the next Arrows shipment, we could feed that to Sinner and let him have at it.”
“I’ll make it happen,” Saint says. “And I’ll call Marwan and tell him to sit tight on the Tamlins so Sinner doesn’t hear about it before we’re ready to tell him.”
“I love it when a plan comes together,” Caz says, rubbing his hands in glee. “And I love going on a mini vacay with our sexy princess even more.” He pokes his head through the gap in the front seats, pinning me with a shit-eating grin. “Are we nearly there yet?”
_______________
WE PULL UP to the cabin, late in the afternoon, after making a pitstop to grab some groceries and beer. Saint jumps out, inputting the code I gave him, and the gates open to grant us entry.
“Wowzers,” Caz says as we drive along the road leading to the house. “You own all this land?” His nose is pressed to the glass, and his eyes are out on stilts.
“Yep. It’s mine now.” Dad left the property to me in his will, although it was only disclosed to me after the main will had been revealed. He thought of everything, and he was still protecting Mom from the grave.
“I noticed the barbed wire and security cameras at the gate,” Theo says, looking left and right as we drive past the dense forest that surrounds the land on both sides. “It seems private and secure.”
“It is. Dad gave every consideration to my safety. The entire twenty-acre site is enclosed with high walls and barbed wire, and there are numerous cameras everywhere linking to screens in my dad’s study. I’ve spent a lot of time here alone since he died, and I’ve never felt scared, because if anyone managed to breach the security systems, I would know about it before they made it to the house. He also has a secure panic room in the basement that is impenetrable.”
“I vote we hole ourselves up here forever and let Sinner seal his own fate,” Caz quips.
“I wish it were that easy.” I rest my head against the window, peering across the empty fields into the forest as we draw closer to the cabin.
A few minutes later, Saint pulls the Land Rover to a stop in front of the familiar two-story wooden structure.
Caz whistles under his breath as we climb out of the car. “Nice, babe. Very nice.”
I rest my head on his shoulder as Saint and Theo grab our bags from the back. “I love it here. It’s so peaceful. When I need to clear my head, I come here.”
“I can see why.” Galen comes up on my other side.
He’s hunched over, in obvious pain, and I press my hand to his brow, frowning at the heat radiating from his flesh. “You need to take more medication and grab some sleep.”
He takes my hand, bringing it to his mouth, kissing the back of my knuckles. “If you want to play nurse, you won’t hear me complaining.”
Caz snorts. “I can guess why.”
Galen flips him the bird, smirking. “Jealous, much?”
“Nah.” Caz carefully tucks me under his arm. “I’ll be the one taking care of our girl tonight.”
I was planning on sleeping with Theo so I can ask him what’s up, but I won’t deny Caz—if he wants me in his bed tonight, he’s got it.
“Asshole,” Galen mutters as I step up to the cabin and unlock the door.
I walk inside, moving to deactivate the alarm while the others stream through the door. Theo dumps our bags on the floor in the hall while Saint deposits the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter, and Caz and Galen set off exploring. I let the guys wander around by themselves while I unpack the groceries, fire up the Keurig, and make some sandwiches.