Page 198 of Colt

The blinding Wyoming sunshine blasted me with its heat as I ran down the steps of the FBI’s private jet that had just landed in the private airfield on the outskirts of Hambleton. Sweat trickled down my back in anticipation of being back at Hambleton after months, and also because of the shit show I’d just walked into.

“Progress report?” I barked down the phone, tone raw with impatience.

“Slow down, hotshot,” Shep replied, his voice calm and reassuring. “He’s filling me in now, but her cover’s definitely blown. Henderson told our agent to take Duchess to the container with the other women. He was gonna traffic her, though God only knows where she’ll end up. She’s beautiful, but older than the average victim. After everything she’s done, I can’t let him go through with it—not that he would anyway—so we’re risking his cover getting blown too.”

I clenched my jaw, trying to suppress the anger threatening to bubble over.

This case had consumed me since I joined the Feds. I’d been helping the Wyoming chapter behind the scenes with their trafficking problem, as well as being the go-between for the agency and my boys. This morning I’d logged on remotely to the cameras I’d planted months ago in the mayor’s mansion and saw enough bullshit to make me hop straight onto an agency’s private jet.

“I’ve got everythin’ on camera,” I relayed, walking hurriedly toward the SUV parked on the tarmac. “He caught her in his safe and beat the snot out of her. She’s in a bad way, Shep.” Red hot fury rose through my chest, and I whacked my hand hard against the hot metal of the car. “Surely that’s enough to bring him in along with all the other evidence we’ve gathered.”

“We need the shipping manifest,” Shep confirmed. “If we had that document, we could lock him up forever. Henderson wouldn’t last three months in high security.”

I rolled my eyes. “I dunno why we can’t just shoot him and Bear Rawlins in the head?”

“’Cause we’re the FBI,” Shep reminded me. “We’re the good guys who do things by the book, remember?” he sighed.

“Of course we do,” I said sarcastically. “We never color outside the lines.”

“I’m not saying that,” Shep replied. “But we don’t assassinate people. We’re not the CIA.” He paused briefly. “We’ve got eyes on Henderson. He’s not goin’ anywhere.” Another pause. “Got an update. Our guy just got her outta there. We need to think up a plan. How can we get Duchess somewhere safe without blowing our guy’s cover? If he doesn’t take her to the container, Henderson will know something’s not right. We need to intercept them without raising suspicion.”

A slow smile spread across my face. “Got an idea, but it means getting the Speed Demons involved. I may have to tell ‘em what we’ve been doing and bring ‘em in on it.”

Shep heaved out a frustrated breath. “We’re out of options. We’ve got to get Duchess safe. She’s our key witness. Without her, we’ve got nothing.” He paused briefly before ordering, “We don’t have a choice. Do it.”

“Call you back,” I said thickly, ending the call before clicking on a different name. The phone rang twice before it clicked in and a voice barked, “Yo! Please fuckin’ tell me why a dirty-assed Fed’s callin’ my cell phone?”

I almost grinned at the memories of the brother I’d strangely missed the most, flicking through my mind. “Need your help. There’s a transfer bein’ carried out as we speak. Can you intercept a black SUV that’s heading out of town on the road toward Mapletree in about five minutes? There’s cargo I need taken back to the compound and kept safe until I get there. I’m about thirty minutes out. Don’t do anythin’ stupid until I get there.”

“Prez know your ass is payin’ us a visit?” he demanded, his voice deep and rasping.

I started the engine, turning the SUV toward the exit gate. “Nope.”

The distinctive pop, pop, popping sound only a Harley could produce filled the line before Atlas yelled, “Breaker! Cash! Arrow! We gotta ride out. Now!” Another loud click sounded through the line as Atlas turned his helmet’s Bluetooth on. “We’re on our way.”

“See ya in thirty, Atlas,” I murmured, voice thick with emotion at being back at the place where everything started for me. “Ride steady, brother.”

Sunlight glinted off the corrugated iron roof of the clubhouse as I looked at the massive old warehouse that used to be my home. The sun’s gleam reflected off the whitewashed brick walls so brightly that I was thankful I had my Ray-Bans to protect my eyes. Although I’d only been gone six months, it felt like a lifetime ago that this place was my sanctuary.

Memories of the motorcycle-filled parking lot filled my head, along with the deep rumble of engines and the sound of laughter. My heart ached for those simpler times when brotherhood was all that mattered, before I took the girl who belonged to me, no fucks given.

As much as I missed my time in Wyoming, I wouldn’t change my life now for the world. I was happier than I’d ever been, more content and challenged in a way I’d never dreamed of—not only by my work, but also my woman.

As I drove through the gates, a sense of foreboding washed over me. This place held a lot of ghosts and memories of the way everything went down.

I still wasn’t completely over it. I’d always feel a thread of resentment toward the man who gave me so much with one hand and took it all away with the other. And after the way he fought me on my last day here, it would probably never go away.

Winding my window down, I shook off the heaviness of the past weighing down my shoulders and sent Billy a chin lift. “Any trouble?”

“None so far,” the prospect replied, his eyes turning to scan the perimeter of the gates with natural vigilance. “But we’re ready if anything happens.” He nodded toward the clubhouse. “Sophie’s seein’ to the woman, and the boys are down the Cell with the prisoner.”

My chest constricted, like an unseen fist had slammed into my sternum. “They’ve taken him down already? I told Atlas to wait for me.”

“We don’t take orders from you,” Billy retorted with a smirk. “Last time I looked we weren’t on Virginia turf.”

Cursing under my breath, I drove into a parking space and jumped out of the SUV.

I knew the Speed Demons enough to understand exactly what they’d be up to. Taking a man down to the Cell meant trouble, especially when they had an undercover FBI agent down there.

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