Page 53 of Ranch's Resolve

When we arrive at the parking garage, Simon types in the code to gain access. Rather than a guardrail, there is a solid metal gate. Simon pulls into a parking spot just before Deion opens the back door. Deion’s eyes search for Selena. He smiles when he sees her, and I feel Selena relax next to me. Knowing she trusts thrills me. I knew Deion was a wonderful man behindhis terrifying exterior. Not everyone could see it. But it appears Selena has.

“Hey, Tiny, how are you doing, my little angel?” Deion asks as he unbuckles Santina’s car seat. When she’s free, she leaps into Deion’s arms and hugs him tight. “Hey, now, what’s this? You’re okay, sweetheart.” Deion leans back and runs his thumb across the little girl’s cheek. He glances at me in alarm. “Did he hurt her?”

“No, he just scared her and her brother. He locked them in the closet. Her brother’s name is Santiago. Santiago, this is my cousin Deion. He’s going to be taking care of you, your mother, and your sister. He’s one of the best men I know.”

Santiago watches Deion as Deion unbuckles Santiago’s car seat. He fumbles a bit because he’s doing it one-handed. Santina seems reluctant to leave his arms. I unbuckle Americo from his car seat so Angelica can lift her son. I introduce Deion to Angelica and her son.

Selena picks up Santiago and moves into Deion’s outstretched arm. I study the little group and can’t help but wonder if Selena has already found her new beginning.

When I glance around the parking garage, I spot six identical white SUVs parked nearby. Inside each is a man wearing shades. They look like extras from a spy movie. I help Deion remove the car seats and place them in the center of the SUV. Deion lifts each kid and places them inside, buckling them in. Simon and Cole have transferred all of Selena’s belongings.

“Each vehicle will exit at different times. Stay inside the garage until they are all gone. Then you can take off,” Deion tells Simon. “We have someone upstairs watching the road and several vehicles along the route to make sure no one follows us. Selena, Angelica, and the kids will be perfectly safe.”

“Thank you for doing this,” I tell Deion, hugging him.

“You’re welcome, but I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for them.” Deion glances at the SUV with Selena and her kids inside.

After everyone leaves, we wait for a few minutes before Simon drives out of the garage. On the way to my home, Deion sends me a text letting me know they made it safely. I have a feeling I’ll be seeing Selena and the kids again.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: RANCH

I follow Dante outside and listen to his one-sided conversation. By the time he ends the call, most of my brothers have surrounded us.

“We need to get back to the clubhouse and have Church,” Dante says. “I saw you talking with Athena. What’s going on with Selena?”

“She called Deion. He’s taking Selena, Angelica, and the kids to a safe house,” I tell him. “Simon and Cole will drive them in the SUV.”

“Then call Izzy and Axel to get them here,” Dante orders. “I don’t want to leave Crossroads without protection. Shield, can you handle the dead guard?”

“Already on it,” Shield says. “I called it in and told them the truth—no sense lying about it. They’ll be on the lookout for Carlos, but since we know Carlos has already absconded across the border, they won’t likely find him before we do. It gives us a bonus in that Carlos is unable to sneak back across the border. They’ll stop him at the crossing if he tries to return.”

Dante considers Shield’s statement before nodding in agreement. “Good. Okay, we need to get back to the clubhouse. I’m calling Church. We have some information that everyoneneeds to hear, and then we’ll need to arm ourselves. A war is coming; we need to prepare.”

As we file out of Crossroads, I take out my phone to call Axel and Izzy. They confirm that they are already on their way to Crossroads. They also remind me that no one is watching Fenhua—something else we’ll need to discuss in Church. Maybe we need more prospects.

When we file into Church, I’m surprised to see Ghost and Reaper already inside.

“Is anyone guarding the Blanchard Ranch?” I ask before Dante can call Church to order.

“The girls, including Adele, all went to your place. Paul Hoffman arrived with several of his friends and offered to stand guard. I called Max and let him know. He said he’ll free up a couple of ranch hands to send over, too.”

“Let’s get started,” Dante calls out. “This is an emergency meeting. We won’t be reviewing the minutes from the last meeting. I think we all know what happened today, but I’m going to summarize.” Dante proceeds to summarize Athena’s kidnapping by Carlos and what we learned from Selena. “Carlos’s last name is not Ruiz. It is Roma. Carlos and his father, Chule, are seeking revenge against Angela. They believe Angela murdered Chule’s father and brother. Carlos has another brother, Cruz. He may or may not be involved. According to Cruz’s woman, Angelica, Cruz sent her to this country to warn Angela. I’m not sure why he thought sending a pregnant woman to deliver the message was a good idea, but for now, we’re withholding judgment on him.”

“Where is Angela?” Feral asks.

“At her ranch. I tried to get her to leave, but she’s pissed off that others have gotten hurt because of something she did in the past. She and Maia are conducting research and will call whenthey have something to report. While we wait for them, do we know where Carlos is now?”

“Maestro is tracking their vehicle. After crossing the border, they remained near Tijuana. He’s monitoring them and attempting to get eyes on them since we can’t tell if they’re still in the vehicle. They could have abandoned it.”

“I could call some of the MCs we’ve done business with down there and ask about Carlos and Cruz. According to Selena, these guys run a cartel in Santa Ana. We could also call Salvador Gutierrez to see if he has any information.”

“Angela is calling him and other contacts. She’ll get more information faster than we could. When she calls, I’ll suggest she get eyes on Carlos if she hasn’t already done so.” Dante’s phone rings. He takes it out of his kutte and accepts the call, placing the phone on the table.

“Angela, everyone is here. What do you have?”

“I verified that Carlos and Cruz Romo are the grandsons of Pablo Romo. Their father is Pablo’s youngest son, Chale. Chale was born to Pablo’s mistress. I don’t know why his sons are seeking revenge. None of my contacts stated that Chale was particularly close to his father and half-brother. However, Chale fought hard to take over Pablo’s interests. He battled his way to the top of the Roma cartel. Carlos and Cruz are his highest lieutenants and are in a position to take over if he dies or retires. Chale is a better leader than Pablo was. He’s gained territory by taking over other cartels. Carlos and Cruz have had key roles in the acquisitions.”

“Do you think they’re after you for revenge or to take over your interests?” Dante asks.

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