Untamed (Eternal Brethren Military Romantic Suspense Book 4) Read online

  Pulling out their ka-bar knives, Wrangler and Rock moved between the boys, removing the bindings. When Moses arrived, he removed his medical kit, pulling out disinfectant and a tube of salve.

  “I can’t get them all with what I have.”

  “Start with the youngest, Moses. The helo will have a kit you can use for the others.” Rock checked the injuries on each child, wincing at the bleeding wounds.

  Wrangler slipped his ka-bar under the bindings of a trembling young boy. “You’re going to be fine, son. We’ll get you out of here and back to your family.”

  A tear trailed down the boy’s face, features crumbling. “I don’t have any family.”

  “Most of us don’t, mister.” A somewhat older boy, fighting to keep fear at bay, moved next to Wrangler. “That’s why they took us. We had no place to go.”

  The four hardened combat veterans shared a look. They’d seen this too many times to count. Orphans, runaways, and abandoned children without a home or food. Traffickers targeted vulnerable boys and girls, especially those without families. No one to report them missing. No one who cared.

  “I’ll get in touch with Becca once we return to the clubhouse.”

  Wrangler’s head snapped to Rock. “Becca?”

  Grimacing, Rock nodded. “Sorry, man. I should’ve kept that to myself.”

  “To hell with that. Why call her?” Wrangler still hadn’t gotten over the reappearance in Liberty Lake of the woman he left behind ten years ago.

  He’d volunteered for mission after mission over the last few weeks, doing all he could to keep his thoughts from straying to her. Seeing Becca at Robbie’s Bar with Wrath’s wife, Cara, had been a devastating kick to his gut.

  “She’s got a network of families willing take in kids such as these.” Rock nodded at the seven wide-eyed boys. “Started forming it years ago when she worked in Phoenix.”

  “And you know this how?”

  “Cara handles legal stuff for Tess, including me adopting Travis. Since Becca is her paralegal, she prepares the majority of the docs.” Rock shrugged. “Becca and Tess have become friends.”

  After Moses finished with the children, Wrangler huddled them together while Rock, Gunner, and Moses directed the helo. The minute it landed, he herded the boys to the door, helping his teammates load them inside.

  When they stepped away, several of the boys scooted toward the door, one of the oldest shouting to them.

  “Where are you going?” The quiver in his voice hit every man in the gut.

  Wrangler waved. “We’ll catch up with you soon. For now, do whatever the men on the helo tell you. All right?”

  Sad, confused faces stared at the ground as the bird lifted into the air and sped away.

  Chapter Two

  Becca North finished the Articles of Organization for one of Cara’s new clients, sliding the documents into a file for the meeting tomorrow morning. A quick glance at the clock indicated she still had thirty minutes before leaving to pick up Jamie from his afterschool program.

  “Do you have time to prepare one more set of articles before you leave?” Cara McCord walked from her office, eyes scanning the document in her hand.

  “Sure.”

  “Another new client.”

  Sitting, Cara handed the paper to Becca, her gaze moving to the framed picture on the desk. “It’s been weeks since you saw Wrangler at Robbie’s. Have you spoken to him since?”

  Feeling her face heat, she gave a terse shake of her head. “No. After what I said, it’s doubtful he has any desire to speak with me again.”

  “What about you, Becca?” Reaching across the desk, Cara picked up the picture of nine-year-old Jamie, the son Wrangler had no idea existed. “So handsome.”

  Swallowing the knot of dread which always occurred when she thought of telling Wrangler about his son, she clasped her hands together on the desk.

  “He’s Quinn’s son.” Becca couldn’t get used to his Eternal Brethren nickname. Nor could she reconcile the boy she grew up with belonging to an outlaw motorcycle club.

  “I know.” Setting the picture down, Cara didn’t press. It broke her heart to see how much Becca still loved Wrangler, the pain he’d caused, and the secret she kept locked away.

  “You must think me an awful person for keeping something so important from him.”

  “I believe you did what you thought best for you and Jamie.”

  “We were a couple for three years. My senior year in high school until he graduated from college and joined the Navy at the end of my sophomore year. We’d talked a lot about getting married between the time I graduated and started law school. I never doubted his love.” Her strained voice spoke to the pain Becca still carried.

  “Our last night together was awful. We shared a tiny apartment near the college.” She glanced at Cara. “Our parents didn’t know. His thought he lived with another male student, and mine believed I was in a dorm. Both of us had jobs, shared the chores, and helped each other with assignments. I’d never been so happy. Then he graduated and everything changed.”

  “At Robbie’s, you said he never contacted you once he left for boot camp.”

  Staring at her clasped hands, Becca shook her head. She couldn’t believe after ten years, she had spotted Wrangler at Robbie’s.

  When accepting the job in Liberty Lake, she knew there might be the possibility of running into her ex. From what her mother knew, he was still in the Navy. The knowledge gave Becca a false sense of security.

  The encounter at Robbie’s hadn’t gone well. All the anger and hurt she’d carried with her since his departure spewed forth while her new friends and members of Eternal Brethren stood nearby. They’d heard all of it. How Wrangler had walked away, never contacting her as he’d promised. Becca counted it a small miracle she hadn’t mentioned Jamie. Except for Cara, his existence remained a secret.

  “Not a word. Not long after he left, I began getting sick. Mornings, afternoons, evenings. The time of day didn’t matter. The fact I hadn’t had a period in a while didn’t register. I went to the free clinic to see if I could get something to feel better. That’s when I learned I was pregnant.” Twisting her hands together, her lips drew into a thin line. “I so wanted to tell Quinn, but there was no way to reach him. After two attempts to go through the public affairs office on base, I accepted they’d provide no information. He didn’t list me as someone important.” She choked on the last before jutting her chin out in a defiant pose. “I realized it was going to be just me and my baby.”

  “What about his parents?” Cara asked. “You must’ve met Stuart and Belinda.”

  “Many times. I picked up the phone on several occasions, but never made the call. I was nineteen, pregnant, and the father of my child wanted nothing to do with me. Quinn had moved on, leaving me behind.”

  Becca shifted in the chair. “You have to understand. Quinn was cocky, proud, and selfish in a lot of ways. His leaving crushed me, Cara. The humiliation was hard enough to handle without calling his parents and begging for their help.”

  Cara did understand. The McCord brothers were wonderful men who would do anything for those they loved. She could understand how Becca believed Wrangler’s refusal to contact her indicated he’d severed all ties. A slow ache built in her chest for the wonderful woman he’d left behind.

  “What about your parents?”

  Biting her lower lip, Becca swiped an errant strand of hair from her face. “My mother knew, but we made the decision not to tell my father. Jamie was three before he and my older brother found out. Both threatened to go to the McCord ranch, force Quinn to marry me.”

  A grim smile turned up the corners of Cara’s mouth. “The reason you didn’t tell them in the beginning.”

  “Yes. Besides, Quinn was off somewhere doing his job, serving the country. My parents lived on little income. There was never much left over for my brother or me. By the time Dad learned about Jamie, I’d gotten my degree as a paralegal and had a good job with m
edical benefits.”

  Pulling out a drawer, she withdrew a picture from her purse. “This was our apartment at the time.”

  Taking it, Cara studied the image. The walls were a dirty tan, the furniture old and torn, carpet not much more than a few threads of fabric. But the toddler sitting in the middle of the stark room smiled with joy, hands raised at the camera, unaware of his surroundings.

  “I keep the picture to remind me how far we’ve come since Quinn left.” Slipping it back into her purse, she turned toward Cara. “It was never my intention to keep Jamie away from him. After all those years without a word, we became our own family, his part in creating it fading. My plan was to get settled here, then reach out to Stuart and Belinda. If nothing else, they deserve to get to know their grandson. They’re wonderful people and were always good to me.”

  “They are, and you know they’ll offer any help you need. The bigger question is, what do you intend to do about Wrangler?”

  Becca let out a mirthless chuckle. “I’m building up the courage to tell him. It’s just…I don’t want anything from him. Jamie and I are doing fine.”

  “You do understand he’ll insist on shared custody.”

  Swallowing, she ignored the stab of pain at knowing he’d want to spend time with his son but not her. “Yes. I assume you’ll handle the documents for us.”

  A grin appeared on Cara’s face. “Pro bono, of course.”

  “But—”

  “Family and friends discount. And there’ll be no arguing about it.”

  Standing, Cara straightened her skirt, staring down at a woman who’d become a friend. “Let me know what I can do to help you, Becca. Wrangler may be my brother-in-law, but I’ll still do anything I can for you.”

  “Slow down, man. You’re going to be drunk before we have dinner.” Rock walked around the pool table at Robbie’s, his attention on a sulking Wrangler.

  “Stow it. I know how to hold my liquor.”

  “Yeah. As long as it’s in a glass.” Rock took a shot, just missing the pocket.

  A few feet away, Ghost snickered, taking a sip of beer before taking his own shot. Dropping the ball, he took a couple more shots before missing.

  “When are you going to get over yourself and find a way to talk to Becca?”

  Ghost’s question caused Wrangler to choke on his beer. “What the hell?”

  “You’ve been doing two things since you and Becca blew up in the parking lot. Risking yourself on missions and drinking yourself into oblivion.” Ghost leaned on his pool cue. “You do both very well, by the way.”

  Wrangler wanted to knock the grin off his friend’s face. It would’ve been easy if his words weren’t so true. He’d been an ass to everyone since seeing Becca for the first time in ten years. Wrangler still hadn’t recovered from the sharp punch to his gut. If possible, she was more beautiful than when they’d been together.

  “You’re an idiot, Ghost.”

  Throwing back his head, letting out a deep laugh, Rock grinned at him. “That’s what he’s talking about, man. Your kickback attitude has taken a nosedive since seeing her. How many women have you been with since that night?”

  “Screw off,” Wrangler groused, tipping up the bottle for another sip.

  This caused both Ghost and Rock to laugh. Walking up to him, Ghost settled a hand on his shoulder. “Do you need me to be your wingman, buddy? Find you a willing woman to take the edge off?”

  Shrugging off Ghost’s hand, he slammed the bottle onto a table, creating a volcanic reaction. “Damn.” Wrangler wiped beer from his face and shirt. His friends didn’t even try to hide their broad grins. “I’m out of here.”

  Sobering, Rock grabbed Wrangler’s shoulder before he got two feet away. “You aren’t going anywhere except into the dining room for some food. Afterward, I’ll drive your sorry ass home.”

  “The hell you will.” The belligerent tone, so unlike the jokester they knew, told them just how far gone Wrangler was.

  Crossing his arms, Rock’s gaze bored into him. “You’ve got two choices. Have dinner with Ghost and me, then let one of us drive you home. Or be left off the mission list for a month.”

  “No fucking way you’re doing that to me.” Reaching out a hand to steady himself, Wrangler tried to mask the slur in his voice. “Wrath won’t allow it.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” Pulling out his phone, Rock’s finger hovered over Wrath’s number. “You want to find out?”

  Scrubbing both hands over his face before shredding fingers through his hair, Wrangler glared at him. “No.” Grabbing his jacket, he tried to slip into it, unable to find the armholes after three attempts. “Shit.”

  Taking the jacket from him, Rock turned him toward the dining room. “Come on. Fill yourself up with steak, a baked potato, and coffee. In a couple hours, you’ll be back to your usual pain in our asses self.”

  Picking up the bottles, nodding at Mike, the bar manager, Ghost followed them into the dining room. It had been a good decision to build two outside entrances. One entering the bar and one into the dining room, with an inside opening between the two. Both rooms were full most Wednesdays through Saturdays. If the Eternal Brethren didn’t own the place, they’d find themselves on a waiting list most nights.

  Taking a seat at their usual table in the corner, Rock ordered coffee, water, steaks, and potatoes all around. “We did good getting those kids away from the traffickers.”

  A slow, somewhat goofy smile appeared on Wrangler’s face. “They were good boys.”

  Sipping his coffee, Rock’s gaze passed over the room, taking in each diner. “With luck, they’ll get placed in good homes real soon.”

  “Why don’t you and Tessa adopt one of them, Rock?” Ghost knew the couple wanted a houseful of children. “Doesn’t mean you can’t have a couple more of your own.”

  Looking down, studying his coffee, Rock shrugged. “We talked about it. Tess isn’t certain she wants to adopt just yet. Travis turned two not long ago. She’d like him to be closer to three before we add another.”

  Leaning forward, Ghost pinned him with a look. “I was kidding.”

  “Tess and I aren’t. We’ve talked about having a couple more of our own and adopting another two. If Becca can’t find a home for one of the boys, I’ll talk to Tess again.”

  “It’s a good plan. Dani and I want kids, but not for a few more years.”

  Ghost and Dani had married a few weeks earlier at Freedom Meadow, the McCord ranch near Claraden. For now, she still worked at WETC, the military and law enforcement training center a few hours away in eastern Arizona. They saw each other whenever they could, which wasn’t enough for either of them. It was a situation they hoped to resolve soon.

  Wrangler drank his coffee, trying to concentrate on the conversation. Wrath, Rock, and Ghost were the only married members of Eternal Brethren. They’d been lucky to find women who understood the odd circumstances of their work and didn’t balk at not being told more than what they were cleared to know. Most of the time, it wasn’t much.

  Wrangler had once had a woman like them. Someone who loved and supported him no matter the challenges. He’d been too young, selfish, and stupid to realize the treasure in his life. If only…

  “Hey, Wrangler. Did you hear me?” Rock snapped fingers in front of his face.

  “Thought you were talking domestic shit.” At least his slur had evened out.

  “I asked when you were going to show some balls and contact Becca.”

  Shoving aside his irritation, Wrangler fisted his hands on his thighs. “I haven’t figured it out yet.”

  “Saturday at our place.”

  Brow lifting, he shot a confused look at Rock.

  “Tess is planning a barbecue and you’re invited, as are Wrath, Cara, Ghost, Dani, and several others, including Becca. It will give you a chance to talk with her. Take a walk around the lake, maybe clear the air a little.”

  Barking out an incredulous laugh, Wrangler clasped h
is hands behind his head. “Clear the air? Hell, the woman wants nothing to do with me. Forget about us walking around the lake. She’d rather I drown in it.”

  Although Rock and Ghost laughed, both saw the flash of pain on their friend’s face.

  “It’s up to you, man. No matter what comes out of it, we’d like you there. Nobody makes better salsa and guacamole than you, Wrangler.”

  Sitting up, he scratched his chin. “As long as I bring the ingredients. Gotta do it right or not at all.” Holding up his cup of coffee, he saluted them, already beginning to regret his decision.

  Chapter Three

  Eternal Brethren Clubhouse

  “How old is the information?” Ghost leaned over Wrath’s shoulder to read the latest intel from Admiral Grayson.

  “No more than a few hours.”

  “A lot can change in an hour when we’re talking about human smuggling.” Walking around the table, Ghost sat down, strumming fingers on it. “Twelve more kids.”

  “According to this, it includes boys and girls this time.” Wrath thought of Cara and the child she carried.

  He’d been both excited and scared when she’d told him about the pregnancy a couple weeks before Ghost and Dani’s wedding. And it wasn’t the fear of being a new father.

  The threat of child trafficking became more real when considering his own little boy could someday be at risk. Most of those taken were orphans with no place to go, not children in a secure home with parents who loved them. Still, the danger remained. Given the right circumstances, all children were vulnerable.

  “Why do they want us involved in this one, Wrath? With all the intel, it seems the Feds are better equipped to rescue the kids.”

  “They are. Except for one dirty detail. It’s believed at least one agent, possibly more, is involved with the traffickers.”

  Ghost’s eyes widened. “Damn…”

  “Yeah. Since the recovery last week, the FBI Director has requested us until they discover the traitor in their ranks.”

  Scrubbing a hand down his face, Ghost gave a terse shake of his head. “That could take years. You know how slow they can be about tracking down inside activity. No one wants to learn it’s one of their own on the take. I mean, it’s all about money in the trafficking world. Following the money trail can take a long time.”