Page 39 of Jake

“Tell me what you know.”

Tension built in Jake as he listened to Hex outline what he’d found out about the Sons’ search for Heather. His horse, sensing his disquiet, pranced and sidestepped. Jake forced himself to relax, and turned the horse back toward the barn. Unease sat heavy in his stomach.

“What it all boils down to is, they’re not out looking for her, but they want her.”

“How bad?”

“Bad enough to put a reward for her return.”

“A reward?” Jake couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “How much and what are the conditions?”

“It’s not good, man.”

“Stop trying to ease me into it and just spit it out.” The gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach got worse.

“The reward is a hundred thousand. And the condition is no permanent injuries.” Hex’s voice told him that he hated having to relay the information. “I’m sorry to be the one to have to tell you. Is there anything we can do on this end?”

“Just keep an ear out. If anything changes, let me know. I’ve got to get back to the ranch and make sure she’s still there.”

He rang off and pocketed his phone, then urged the horse faster. The knowledge that someone had just arrived, and he didn’t know who, was like a brick in his stomach.

Heather was in danger. And he didn’t know where she was. Or who was in that strange pick-up.

Jake didn’t know how long it took him to get back to the barn, but it was way too long. He rode into the barn yard, spotted Talon, and tossed him the reins even before he’d dismounted.

“Take care of him, I’ve got to check on Heather. Did you see who was in that truck?”

“What truck?” Talon asked with a frown.

Jake bit back the urge to snarl and yell. It wasn’t the kid’s fault. He didn’t know what Jake had just found out, he couldn’t understand Jake’s desperation to make sure she was safe.

As soon as he was off the horse, he hurried toward the bunkhouse, and her trailer behind it. He’d cleared the barn where the motorcycles and other machinery were kept when he spotted the pickup parked near several other vehicles, empty.

He didn’t see anything amiss, no one seemed disturbed by the new arrival, but they didn’t know what he’d just found out. Jake scanned the area where people tended to gather in front of the bunk house, but he didn’t see Heather there, so he angled himself toward the trailer. He needed to see her first, to make sure she was there and not hurt, then he’d find out who was in the truck and why they were there.

When he reached the trailer, he didn’t bother knocking, but opened the door as he climbed the stairs, already calling for her.

“Heather!” He stepped inside, looked around and stopped. His shoulders sagged with relief. She sat on one end of the sofa, her legs folded beneath her as she sat sideways, facing someone. “There you are.”

“I haven’t gone anywhere, Aaron,” she said with a frown, “Did you see who came to see me?” She motioned to the person on the other side of the couch. That’s when Jake looked at them. He stared for a moment, as it took a moment for it to register, not because he didn’t know him but because it was one of the last people Jake expected to see.

“Iceman.” He stepped forward, holding out one hand. “It’s good to see you man.” This must be who had been in the red pickup. “That your classic pickup I saw out there?” He asked, just to be sure. The last thing he needed was to assume it was, be wrong, and have it belong to someone here to take Heather.

“It is.”

“It’s a nice truck. Restored?”

“No, just taken care of. It was my dad’s, but it spent more time in the garage than on the road, as he had a commuter car he drove more often, still does in fact. It took me a long time to talk him out of that thing, but I’m glad I did. I love it.”

“Looks like you’re taking good care of it.”

“What’s up? I though you were out in the pasture?” Heather drew his attention back to her. He bent and kissed the top of her head.

“I was, but I got a call. It wasn’t a good one, then I saw someone headed onto the ranch and I needed to make sure you were safe.” He grabbed a chair from the dining table and set it close enough he could keep one hand on her, then sat. “What brings you down?” he asked to the other man.

Iceman lifted one brow, his eyes going back and forth between Jake and Heather in a pointed way, then he glanced toward the door before scowling at Jake, as if remembering that he’d come in without knocking first. Jake only met his gaze. He’d already been through this with the other man and wasn’t going to rehash things. Especially not now.

“The Kings got a call,” Iceman said, his gaze going back to Heather. “It seems the Sons, that’s the club Mitch is mixed up with apparently, has put out a reward for your return.”

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