Page 16 of Deacon

Cowboy scowled but did as he asked. After a couple minutes the other man shook his head and disconnected the call. “Went to voicemail. Want to tell me what’s going on? And why you know about it, and I don’t?”

Deacon took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. It was time to come clean, not just that he was seeing Lisa but about all of it.

“Earlier this week when you said you thought something was off with Lisa you were right. I went over and talked her into telling me what was going on.” Deacon looked toward the lake as he told Cowboy what Lisa didn’t want him to know.

“You have known about this for days and didn’t see fit to tell me. But you’re worried about it now. He could have shown up any time. She lives alone and there’s no one to stop him from going in and overpowering her at any time, what makes you think something is wrong now?”

This part of his confession was going to be harder than the other part. “She hasn’t been alone for more than an hour, two max, until this morning.” He turned to face his best friend. “I’ve been spending my nights with Lisa.”

“You’ve been sleeping on her couch to make sure this guy doesn’t show up? It would have been a hell of a lot easier to just tell me what was up. I would have arranged for security for her.”

“Not exactly. I’ve been there, bro, but I’m not sleeping on her couch.” Deacon didn’t miss the way Cowboy’s jaw bulged as he clenched his teeth or the way his hand flexed into a fist.

“Are you telling me you’re fucking around with my sister?”

“No. I’m seeing her.”

“And you didn’t have the balls to tell me. You’ve been running around behind my back for how long?”

Deacon took a deep breath and braced himself in case Cowboy decided to hit him. “I wasn’t running around behind your back. I was going to tell you. It just hadn’t come up. It hasn’t been long, less than a week. I didn’t plan it. It just happened.”

“What you slipped and fell, and your dick fell into my sister?”

Deacon winced. “No. I didn’t say it was an accident. I said I didn’t plan it. If at any point in the last week you’d asked what I’d been doing or who I’d been with, I would have told you. Lisa isn’t hiding it either. If you’d gone by her house any evening this week you would have seen my bike parked out front. We talked about how you’d take it. I told her it wouldn’t be well. But back to what’s got me worried. Before I left this morning, she told me she was going to spend the day at the house. She should have answered the text I sent more than two hours ago. She should have answered at least one of our calls.” He pulled his phone out and dialed her again. Again, it went to voice mail. He shook his head and looked up at Cowboy again. “Anyone not on the ride today? Anyone still in Dickenson we can send over to check on her.”

“No. All the brothers are here. We could send Ava, but—”

Deacon cut him off before he could finish, “No, I won’t put your woman into danger to get Lisa out. I’ve got to get back.”

“I’ll go with you. She’s my sister.” Cowboy turned to where several brothers were gathered near the trailer. “Miles. You’re in charge. Something’s come up and we’ve got to get back. You and Tiny make sure everyone gets home safe. I’ll check in with you later.”

They hurried for the bikes.

“Tell me more about this stalker,” Cowboy said.

“Not much to tell. They went on a couple dates, she kissed him once, then broke it off. He couldn’t take no for an answer and started stalking her. Freaked her out enough she moved home to get away from him.”

“Any sign he’s followed her up here?”

“Nothing so far.”

“What’s his name?”

“All I know is his first name and he lived in Springfield like she did. She never gave me his last name. I’m not even sure she knows it.”

“Son of a bitch.”

“At the very least.”

They reached their bikes. Deacon couldn’t help but be grateful they’d gassed up as soon as they’d hit the town on the shore, then come out to the campground. He threw one leg over and put on his helmet.

“Try to keep up. I’ll stop for gas at the same place we did coming up, but if I lose you, I’m not waiting for you. I need to be sure she’s okay.” He didn’t wait for an answer, but cranked the engine and took off.

Deacon pulled his bike up in front of Lisa’s house a few seconds before Cowboy. They’d made the normally four-hour trip in just under three. Cowboy had stayed right beside him for nearly the entire trip, only dropping a few feet behind as they’d made their way through the city streets. By the time Cowboy pulled his bike to a stop and killed the engine, Deacon was halfway across the yard. He raced up the steps and through the unlocked door.

“Lisa? Lisa! Are you here?” He went from one room to the next looking for any sign of her. His heart thundered in his ears, and a sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Her purse was on the table beside the door where she’d started keeping it, but he couldn’t find her anywhere in the house. He stepped out into the backyard and called again. “LISA!” When he got no response, he stepped back inside. One of the dining room chairs lay on its side and there were a couple of kitchen drawers open. That seemed to be all that was out of place.

“Is she here?” Cowboy asked as he stepped from the kitchen back into the living room.

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