Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 123155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
When my phone finally rang, I wasn’t even surprised. What did surprise me was the unknown number that scrolled across the screen. Normally, I wouldn’t have answered it, telemarketers irritated the hell out of me, but there was no way I was going to miss that call.
“Eastwood,” I answered, tucking the phone between my shoulder and face so I could wipe off my hands.
“Woody,” the caller replied. It had been a long fucking time since I’d heard that familiar rasp.
I hadn’t left Oregon on good terms with Casper’s family, especially his older daughter Cecilia, but we’d crossed paths a few times when I’d been out to visit. It was impossible to avoid each other at the clubhouse, and while I’d left that life behind, I hadn’t lost the respect I had for the men who’d stepped in and helped raise me after my father died. Whenever I was in Oregon, I tried to stop by and say hello. They deserved that much. I hadn’t actually spoken to Casper in years, though, and as soon as I heard his voice, I knew there was only one reason he’d be calling.
“Is she okay?” I asked, getting up from the bench. Ignoring the frame I’d been working on, I went straight to the house, locking the garage behind me as he started to speak.
“Won’t ask how you know I’m calling about Cecilia,” he replied drolly. “She called me a couple hours ago, said she’s hidin’ in a house that just got shot up. Doesn’t know how many men are there, doesn’t know if they’ve left, doesn’t know shit, just that she’s in a fuckin’ closet scared outta her mind.”
“She told you she was scared?” I asked as nausea burned in my stomach.
“Hell, no,” he said grimly. “But I know my kid. We’re on our way down—”
“Everyone?” I asked as I jogged down the hallway to my bedroom, where I kept the gun safe.
“Just me, Farrah and Cam,” Casper replied. “CeeCee didn’t want everyone knowin’, so we’ve kept it between us. We need the boys, I’ll let them know. Far as I can tell, any of the heavy liftin’ will have to be done by someone else because we won’t get there until tomorrow.” He didn’t sound happy about that fact, and I couldn’t blame him. Urgency thrummed under my skin and she wasn’t my kid.
“That’s where I come in,” I said as I started pulling gear out of the safe.
“That’s where you come in,” he confirmed. “You in town?”
“Just got in two days ago,” I replied. “Good timing.”
“Yeah, no shit,” he said with a huff. “And thank fuck for that. I tried my other contacts—one’s in the wind and the other is vacationing in fuckin’ Tahoe.”
“I got this,” I muttered. “Where’s she at?”
“She dropped a fuckin’ dot on her phone. You know what that means?”
“A pin?” I asked, surprised that I could feel amused and fucking frantic at the same time.
“Yeah. That. Sent it to Cam’s phone. He’ll send it to you.”
“That works,” I said as I stripped out of my jeans and flannel.
“You got back up?” he asked. “If you don’t, I can probably scramble some boys—just none that I’d be willing to lead the pack, if you know what I mean.”
I knew exactly what he meant, and I had no interest in having shitbird dumbfucks at my back.
“I’ve got a team,” I replied.
“Figures.”
“Anything else I should know?”
“She’s gonna be trigger-happy and ridin’ the edge,” he warned. “I let her know someone’s on the way, but you better fuckin’ announce yourself so she doesn’t shoot you.” He paused before muttering, “No promises that she doesn’t shoot anyway.”
“I’ll take my chances,” I replied, silently acknowledging the truth in his words. “I’ll let you know when we’re headed that way. Should take less than an hour.”
“Hurry, but don’t hurry so much that you’re stupid,” he said.
“You forget what I do for a living?” I asked, pausing in annoyance with my pants half-buttoned.
“Didn’t forget, that’s why I called you,” he replied. “But I also know how different shit is when it’s someone you care about.”
“I’m good,” I lied. “I’ll text you when it’s done. Send that pin.”
“It’s already sent,” he said before hanging up.
I checked my messages and found the pin that Cam sent, cursing when I realized it would take forty minutes to get there. San Diego County was fucking huge and the traffic sucked.
Scrolling through my contacts, I found the number I was looking for and pressed send.
“Just cause you don’t sleep, doesn’t mean I don’t,” Forrest answered groggily.
“Need your help,” I replied grimly.
His voice was immediately alert when he spoke again. “Talk to me.”
* * *
Ten minutes later, I’d reached out to each member of my team and Forrest was knocking on my front door.
“Josiah and Ephraim just pulled up behind me,” he said as he strode in the front door.