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  She couldn’t bring herself to smile, not with Jamie missing and finally having the explanation she’d waited so long to hear. “I was pretty brutal on you, Quinn.”

  “Not hard enough. I deserved a helluva lot more than what you dished out.” Making the last turn to his house, he reached out, threading his fingers through hers. “I swear, Bec, not once did I stop loving you.” Bringing her hand to his mouth, he kissed her knuckles. “When we get Jamie back, and we will get our son back, I’m praying you’ll give me the rest of our lives to make it up to you.”

  Jamie had never been so scared. The men who took him had removed the bindings on his wrists and ankles, believing the room a couple stories above ground level would prove its own deterrent. No balcony, only a few windows with views to the cracked parking lot below. He saw no lights in the direction he faced, only miles of barren desert.

  The bright moon helped visibility. The landscape didn’t resemble anything he’d seen around Liberty Lake. Stark with a few cactus plants and brush. It reminded him a little of the area close to Tucson. He remembered stopping for gas, feeling as if they’d hit the end of the world.

  Little furniture remained inside the room. A bed without sheets, two blankets, and a chair. He hadn’t expected a television or game console, but he had hoped for a bottle of water.

  Sagging onto the bed, he fell back, wishing he was big, tall, and fierce like his dad. For a brief moment, the beginning of a smile formed. He liked his dad. A lot. Jamie didn’t know how he’d gone from hating to loving him in only a few days, but he had. He wondered what his dad would think now, knowing he hadn’t hesitated to leave school with a man he’d never seen.

  Wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and leather cut similar to his dad’s, Jamie had believed what the man said. “Your mother’s been taken. Wrangler asked me to pick you up.”

  Jamie had made one cursory glance over his shoulder before tossing the backpack to the man and climbing over the low chain-link fence. They’d run to a van where he’d been shoved inside and held in place as they secured his wrists and ankles. When he’d screamed, a vile cloth had been shoved into his mouth.

  Staring at the ceiling, a single tear rolled down Jamie’s face. By now, his parents had to know he was missing. Maybe they thought he’d run away. Either way, his mom would be scared, his dad angry. He knew nothing about the men at the clubhouse, except one was his uncle and the others were good friends. Maybe his dad would get them all together to find him.

  His stomach clenched at the idea. If Jamie didn’t know where he was, how would they?

  Miles from the school, they’d removed the gag. The man in the cut had told him to be quiet before they stopped at a fast food place over an hour after they’d taken him. They’d been angry the drive-thru lane was jammed, taking longer than they wanted.

  One of the men had yelled at the other, accusing him of getting them into this position in the first place. Jamie didn’t know what they meant or who they were, but the gun each had encouraged him to keep all thoughts to himself.

  After eating, the one wearing the cut jabbed a needle into his arm. Jamie didn’t remember anything after that until he’d woken up on the mattress. They’d taken his cell phone, his one connection to the outside.

  Jamie had always wanted to learn to tell time by the position of the moon, stars, and sun, but never did. He preferred video games and soccer. If he had his phone…

  “Stupid, stupid, stupid…” Jamie chanted to himself.

  How many times had his mom told him to never go anywhere with someone she hadn’t introduced him to? When his mom was attacked, his dad had repeated the same. The instant he’d been told his mom had been taken, all the warnings vanished, just as the men had hoped.

  Jamie swiped at another tear, anger rumbling from deep inside. He might be only nine, small, and with few muscles, but he was smart. There had to be a way to get out. Or help his dad find him.

  Jumping off the bed, he took one slow turn, using moonlight to look for anything that could help him. Nothing. Not even his backpack.

  Spotting the bathroom, he ran inside and flipped the light switch. To his surprise, a lone bulb flashed to life.

  He made quick work of opening drawers and checking the shower. Again, he saw nothing useful. Turning to leave, his gaze landed on a long, narrow cupboard. Located behind the door and built into the wall, it had been painted the same color as everything else.

  Opening the door, his heart sank. The shelves were empty. Then his gaze latched onto the very bottom shelf. Well, not really a shelf, but an inconspicuous space behind the baseboard.

  Getting on his hands and knees, Jamie bent down. A paint can, brush resting on top, sat at the back.

  Reaching inside, he pulled them out, spotting the color of the drips on the outside of the can. Red. The color confused him. He wondered why a can of red paint would be hidden in the bathroom. Then he remembered the red wood trim several feet from the floor in the bedroom.

  Grabbing them, he rushed back into the bedroom, dragging one of the blankets off the bed. Spreading it out on the floor in front of the windows, he opened the can. The brush was stiff from lack of cleaning, but an idea had already formed in his mind.

  Using moonlight to guide him, Jamie dipped the brush into the can. Catching his lower lip between his teeth, he shot a quick glance at the door, hoping the men didn’t check on him until morning.

  After the paint had dried and he’d finished the second part of his plan.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Liberty Lake

  Ethan sat around the table with Wrath, Wrangler, and several others, sipping the coffee Cara placed in front of him. “Thanks, darlin’.” He sent her a broad smile, ignoring the glare from his older brother, then told them what they’d found at the school.

  “No trace at all. Our one break came from a student in Jamie’s class. He saw him talking to a man wearing a cut. Kid said Jamie tossed his backpack to the man, then climbed over the fence. They ran to a van, got inside, and took off. White without windows on the sides. No markings that he could see. He couldn’t read the license plate from so far away.”

  “Why didn’t he come forward right away?” Wrangler bit out, frustration growing.

  “Scared. He knows you’re a member of Eternal Brethren. Seems his father has warned him away from Jamie and all bikers. It isn’t unusual. No amount of charity or people you help out is going to obscure the fact you’re an outlaw MC.”

  Wrangler shot a glance at Becca, who continued to stare at the notepad in front of her. She’d been writing since a few minutes after they’d returned from the clubhouse, determined to recall anything she could about the three men. Victor in particular.

  “I’ve put out an AMBER Alert. There are thousands of white vans in Arizona.”

  “Without markings of any kind, Ethan?” Tracker asked.

  “No, which will narrow it down, but it won’t be enough. In reality, if it’s not a family member taking a child, the odds are the kidnapping is something more sinister. I expect Becca will soon be getting a message asking for the file in exchange for Jamie.”

  Lifting her head, Becca spoke for the first time since Ethan arrived. “Shouldn’t we contact the FBI?”

  “Not yet,” Wrath said, giving Wrangler a cautionary glance. “There’s someone we need to talk to before making that call.”

  Tossing down her pen, Becca stared between the three brothers. “Then make the call. It should’ve been done hours ago.”

  “It’s been done. We’re waiting for his response. It’s complicated.”

  “Complicated, Wrath?” Becca asked. “Our son’s been taken and you’re talking about complications?”

  “He’s right, Becca.” Wrangler rested a hand over hers, sending her a meaningful look. “The person Wrath is waiting for has resources we need.” He continued to watch her, hoping she understood his meaning.

  “Whoever took Jamie had a specific reason. They aren’t going to hurt him until they�
�ve gotten what they want from you.”

  She nodded at Ethan at the same time Wrangler squeezed her hand. “You’ve got to trust us, Bec.”

  Wrath’s phone rang, drawing his attention. “It’s him.” Standing, he left the room, heading to the back of the house.

  “Who is he, Quinn?”

  Cara looked at Becca, understanding, yet unable to say anything. It wasn’t easy committing to one of the Brethren, which her friend would understand if she and Wrangler worked out their differences. She knew that would only come if they found Jamie.

  “He isn’t someone I can discuss with you, Bec.”

  “Why not? He seems to be preventing us from finding Jamie.”

  Standing, he gripped the back of her chair, taking her arm to help her up. “We’ll be right back.”

  Moving his hand to the small of her back, Wrangler guided her down the hall and into his bedroom, closing the door behind them. She didn’t wait for him to talk first. Rounding on him, she poked a finger in his chest, getting no reaction.

  “I’m Jamie’s mother, Quinn. I deserve to know what’s being done to find him. If you can’t be truthful, I’ll call the FBI myself.”

  “Even if you still had your phone, I wouldn’t let you do that, Bec.”

  She’d forgotten he’d taken her phone, removing the SIM card and disabling the tracker. A tracker that hadn’t come with the phone.

  “Why the hell not?” She wanted to scream, pound his chest, and insist on answers. Instead, all the fear she’d tried to conceal in a gallant effort to appear strong began to crumble. “I need Jamie back.” Voice breaking on the last, she covered her face with both hands.

  Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around her, tugging her against his chest. Stroking her hair, he rested his chin on her head. “We’ll find Jamie, sweetheart. I swear he’ll be back with us soon.”

  “It’s all my fault.”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  “If I hadn’t learned what Victor was involved in and taken the file, Jamie would be here now.”

  “We don’t know that, Bec.” Pulling back, he placed a finger under her chin, lifting her head. “No one blames you. Everyone out front blames Ellison and his men. You took the file for leverage in case Victor ever came after you.” He used his thumb to brush a tear from her cheek.

  “It was a stupid move. I panicked, afraid he’d figure out I’d learned of his activities. It would’ve been better to leave it behind.”

  “You did what you thought best, a move any mother would make to protect her son.” Taking her hand, he led her to the bed, sitting down and tugging her onto his lap. “I can’t tell you about the man, Bec. If possible, I would, but it’s out of my hands. Wrath may decide otherwise after speaking with the, well…our source.”

  “You report to Wrath, and he reports to who? The man he’s talking to now?”

  “Something like that.” Cupping her face, his mouth touched hers. “We’ve accomplished a great deal over the last few years. Not once have we come out on the losing end.”

  “Do Cara, Tessa, and Dani know about Eternal Brethren and what you do?”

  Brushing one more kiss over her lips, he stroked a finger down her cheek. “Some of it. They know enough to understand we aren’t the bad guys, but not so much as to put them or their families in danger.”

  “Was it the same as when you were with a SEAL team?”

  “Similar. It’s a little different now.”

  “Because what you do now is considered black ops?”

  Letting out a soft chuckle, he shook his head. “Ah, Becca. You were always too damn smart for me.”

  A loud knock had her jumping from his lap. The door opened. Ethan stood in the hall, motioning them to follow.

  “Wrath got the okay.”

  “Has Raider been able to decipher the files?” Wrangler asked.

  Before Ethan could answer, the front door burst open, Raider striding inside. Opening a file, he pulled out several pieces of paper, handing them to Wrath. “These are the decoded pages. Ellison is either seriously brilliant or blatantly stupid. Nobody writes this stuff down expecting it will never be deciphered.”

  Scanning the pages quickly, Wrath handed them to Ethan, who read and passed them on to Wrangler. By the time Rock, Ghost, Tracker, and Fargo read them, the stunned silence had turned to decisive courses of action.

  “There’s more.” Grabbing an empty chair, Raider spread a map on the table, pointing to a location a few miles outside of Nogales, Arizona. “Jamie’s right here, Wrangler. At least the backpack is.”

  “Fucking hell. How could I have forgotten the tracking device?”

  “The same way I did, Wrangler, and I installed the damn thing in Jamie’s backpack,” Raider said.

  Ethan shifted toward Wrath. “I have a good friend who’s a DEA agent. He works out of the Rio Rico office.”

  “Call him. He’s a lot closer and can confirm if the backpack is where we show it. Ask if he can keep it private, at least for now.”

  Nodding, Ethan waited until Raider wrote down the coordinates. Pulling out his phone, he walked several feet away while the others began strategizing.

  Cara took Becca’s arm, leading her to Wrangler’s study. “They’re going to want us out of the room so they can talk freely.”

  “But I want to hear what they have to say.” She tried and failed to pull from Cara’s grasp.

  “Believe me, you want them to do their job without worrying about what we hear, Becca. They’ll let us know when they make a decision.”

  “But…” She looked over her shoulder, trying to catch Wrangler’s attention.

  Pulling Becca into the den, Cara faced her. “I’ve been through this several times. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, accepting Wrath can’t include me in his work. Tessa and Dani don’t know any more than we do. If you and Wrangler are going to make it, you’ll have to learn to accept it.”

  “And if I can’t?”

  “Then walk away.”

  Outside of Nogales, Arizona

  “We’ve got the boy secured in an abandoned building. No way to escape and nothing to see but miles of cactus. No way can he determine where we’re holding him.” Dorn paced the uncompleted kitchen on the first floor of the unfinished commercial building. Whatever it was hadn’t seen any activity in a long time. “Where are you?”

  “One of the better hotels in Liberty Lake. You’re certain the boy is secure and can’t get away?” Victor tightened his hold on the phone. “You followed my orders and didn’t hurt him?”

  “Other than binding his wrists and ankles on the drive south, he’s been treated like a prince. He’s sleeping now. It’s doubtful he’ll wake until the building starts heating up after sunrise. Have you found Rebecca?”

  “No. I should’ve hired more men, people capable of following vehicles without being made and left in the dust.” Walking out on his balcony, Victor scanned the late night sky. He already knew it would be another night of little or no sleep.

  “Call Burn. I’ll bet he knows the location of every home and living quarters of all the Eternal Brethren.”

  “Burn is the last man I want to bring in on this. Having them go through office files was one thing. In a way, I’m glad they didn’t locate it. Who knows what they would’ve discovered?”

  “The contents are coded, Victor. They’d never be able to make out the meaning.”

  “Don’t underestimate the Night Devils. Their local president is Burn, who we know can be a sonofabitch. The real power is held by Vulture, the national president. He’s someone I’d never turn my back on. Vile, ruthless, and arrogant enough to broker deals with two cartels. The man is a time bomb ready to be lit.”

  “Bet you wish we could be the ones to light the fuse.” Dorn chuckled, getting nothing but silence in response. “If you’ve decided not to use the Devils, how do you plan to deliver the message to Rebecca?”

  “The other club in the region might be interested.”
/>   “Are you fuckin’ crazy? Drago won’t do anything that could lead to war with the Brethren. Hell, Cara McCord is his attorney.”

  Rubbing his forehead, Victor wished he’d never embarked on this mission to get the file back. Knowing Rebecca, she would’ve squirrelled it away, save it in case he tried to reenter her life. Something he never planned to do. A simple desire to locate a stolen file had placed him in an untenable position, with death a distinct possibility if Burn or their other partner ever learned what he’d done.

  “I’d stick with the men you hired. They’re almost worthless, but at least they have no allegiance to the Devils or our Mexican friend.” Victor could almost hear Dorn thinking on the other end of the line. “Call your legal assistant.”

  “Now you’re talking shit, Dorn.”

  “Hear me out. Have her search for property owned by Cara McCord. It’s a start, and by the time you get the information in the morning, I will have identified another source we can use to find her.”

  “All right, but just remember, we can’t bring in anyone with ties to our Mexican partner or the Devils. No ties at all. Do you understand, Dorn?”

  “Perfectly.”

  He hung up, Victor’s warning still ringing in his ears. A warning he intended to ignore.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Monterrey

  Nuevo León, Mexico

  “We need to talk, Father.” Diego Quintero strolled into his father’s study, giving the men around him an order without saying the words. A moment later, he and the patriarch of the Quintero family and president of Grupo Quintero were alone.

  Meeting his oldest son’s gaze across the wide expanse of his hand carved oak desk, Armando set down his pen and leaned back. “Is it that woman again? No, I will not give you my consent for a divorce so you can marry your mistress.”

  Diego had no intention of bringing up the beautiful woman he’d loved since childhood. Carmen, the woman his father had forbidden him from marrying.

  Instead, Armando had forged an alliance, selecting someone Diego had never met in order to align two powerful families. The alliance had dissolved, yet he found himself still tied to a woman he neither loved nor respected. They would have the discussion again, just not today.