Darke Heat (18 page)

She went into the kitchen and started to open cupboards to see if she had anything to feed her brothers for supper. There was nothing but stale crackers, sour milk, and a can of tomatoes. Shopping was on her to-do list.

“Paige, where did you want us to put the furniture from the barn?” Bill asked from the screen door.

“Put it in the dining room, Bill. When is the A/C getting installed?”

“As soon as the guys run the ductwork. This house is all baseboard heat, so they have to install ductwork to get the air handler to move it.”

“Okay, but can you make it a priority?” she asked.

“Yep, we’re on it.”

She yelled at her brother as he passed by the kitchen on his way to wherever. “Dane, Bryce is going to be released tomorrow or the next day. Can you set up a hide-away bed in the study for him?”

“Sure, Paige. I’ll take care of it after I finish in the attic.”

What was he doing in the attic? Better not ask.
She wanted her brothers to feel like this was their home as well. She’d give them free range to do whatever they wanted to make it fit their needs.

She made a list of things she needed from the grocery store and went in search of Colt. She found him in the kennel stringing wires for a camera. At least she thought it was a camera. Only it was so small.

“Colt, could you run into town and pick up some groceries for me, and whatever else you think you and Dane might want?”

“Sure, sis, as soon as I’m done here.”

“Thanks.”

She walked back to the kitchen and looked in the study. Dane had pulled out the hide-a-bed, but she needed to put linens and towels for the bathroom in there. She also moved the reading lamp closer to the head of the bed for Bryce to be able to read by.

“Sis, we really like our rooms, Colt and I. So I’m thinking maybe not inviting Bryce to stay. He tends to rearrange houses lately. Something like early war zone. Decorating with explosives just doesn’t have the homey feel like what you’ve got here,” Dane said.

“Yeah, I noticed,” she said in humorous agreement. She took one more look around the room to see if there was anything else Bryce would need to make him comfortable.

Quit it,
she snapped at herself. He is only staying until he recovers enough to find his own accommodations. Some local woman may have already made him a better offer. That thought hurt more than she liked. She left the room. The heat and activity of the day seemed to zap her, so she went up to take a cooling shower and lie down.

“So how has the operation been going? How come I haven’t had any reports of the woman’s capture? How hard is it to get one woman?”

“She’s proving to have a lot of friends, boss.”

“I don’t care. I need
her
to make Colt Conner suffer. If you want the drug trade, you need to deliver the woman. You’ve got twenty-four hours to bring her to the location or the deal is off and your rivals will have a clean playing field.”

The voice on the phone was barely a whisper, yet it conveyed a level of threat that caused the listener to shiver. This man was very deadly, in a painful way, and Willy wasn’t going to be stupid enough to piss him off.

“She’ll be there, boss.”

“Make sure she is. No more mistakes.”

Willy wondered how he was going to get Paige away from Bryce, and now her brothers. This deal was getting way too complicated. He should have stuck with the dog fighting. The drug money was good, but the Conner brothers and Agent Bryce would be a real problem. He walked back to his car and drove out to the old grain elevator. The fight tonight could prove to be more profitable than the last drug run. Too many people wanted in on the drug trade. But how to get the boss off his back and still get the money, without getting dead from a couple of pissed off brothers, and an Agent who’s looking to make their sister his main squeeze? The whole thing stunk. So who could he trust to pull it off without anything coming back on him?

He could use what the boss had taught him to his advantage. Don’t get close enough for anyone to trace it back to you. Then, when he was sitting tight with cash and babes, he’d get a new grill for the messed up teeth he’d gotten from drugs before he’d gotten smart. He did his whiskey now, but no more product. That was his cash cow, and it sucked the brains out, so he only supplied. Still, he’d almost gotten rid of all his competition.

He’d moved in with his money from the dogs and what the boss had given him, and set up a sweet deal. He was about ready to cut the middlemen and deal directly with the Blades’ contact in Chicago. It would set him up. He’d start a couple of clean operations so he’d be untouchable. Then maybe he’d take down the boss. The man was creepy in a big way and Willy didn’t want to have to be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life. But first, he had to get Paige away from all the firepower hanging around her.

The Blades messed up when they tried to blow up Bryce and her. They pissed the boss off big time. He had plans for Paige, and having her blown up was not part of the man’s plan. He’d sent in some major muscle to clean house. All good for Willy: it just pushed him farther up the chain of command, which meant he still needed a plan and a crew to grab Paige. Someone from out of town that wouldn’t be able to ID him. He’d make some calls to his buddies up at the State Pen. Yeah, that should get the ball rolling. With a plan of action, Willy smiled to himself and made the calls. He had his man for the job, and a team to roll with it. Having finished his business, he started to really look forward to the fight tonight.

Victor Van DeMere was sitting in his Chicago office wanting to punch something. Willy was proving to be very unreliable and incompetent. He didn’t like that. They’d had Paige once, and she’d gotten away. Then the fools tried to blow her up, and that wasn’t part of his plan at all.

He wanted to see his enemy’s face when he stuck the knife in that bastard’s sister. He wanted the man to know who it was, and why. He wanted to bring Colt Conner to his knees; wanted him to suffer the agonies of hell, as he watched the life bleed out of his only sister.

His own sister, Rochelle, had been one of the best, and Colt had killed her and walked away. He’d infiltrated their group to collect information, and when he found out that Rochelle was involved, he’d turned on her. Not this time. This time it would be Colt watching as the spark of life left his sister’s eyes. He’d watch Colt suffer, knowing that he was the cause. And then, when his pain was at its most, he’d put a bullet in Colt’s head.

Maybe he’d let that country boy, Willy, feed them both to his dogs—a fitting end for the dog trainer and her murderous brother.

Pulling his mind back from his musings, he looked down at the latest information on one of the operations his company was negotiating in Pakistan. It was tricky, very tricky, dealing with terrorists. He had to be at the top of his game, something else Colt had taken from him. Revenge was all he thought about lately. If he wasn’t careful, he’d be the one six feet under.

“Colt, will you pick up Bryce from the hospital? He doesn’t have anywhere else to stay since his house blew up,” Paige said, then abruptly stopped. She was rambling.

“Paige, you ain’t getting sweet on the Big Hoss now are you? ‘Cause then we’d have to give him a good ribbing, and we can’t do that with him all stitched.”

“Just go pick him up and leave the poor man alone.”

She didn’t want to answer any questions regarding Bryce staying at her house. It was just something she had to do. She needed to keep him safe until he was on his feet again. She would have a house with three wounded warriors to protect, while they were all trying to protect her. Life was going to get very interesting. She wondered how many fights she’d have to break up while Bryce was under her roof. But where else could he stay? If he stayed at the Rose, someone would have to go check on him.

She needed to figure out what she was going to do about the nights they spent together. Enough of leaving it up to him. She needed to be the one to say, ‘I’m not interested in a physical relationship with out some kind of commitment.’ She’d been kidnapped and blown up. They both could have died. Life was too short to be waiting for a man to figure out you’re the right one for him. With all that had happened, she wasn’t sure he
was
the right man for her.

She’d carried the fantasy, and then the crush from her childhood, into adulthood. Their nights together were spectacular, but did she want to base a relationship on sex and a history of romantic dreams? She wanted a home and a family, not a guy who wanted to drop in for great sex with no strings attached. Not to mention how his profession seemed to bring out the creepiest low-lifes.

Now that she had her dogs back home, she’d get the training operation up and running smoothly again. The one thing that did make sense was her dogs. Them she could understand and relate to.

“Dane, Big Hoss is going to be staying with us. Ain’t that great?” Colt said, as he came up to his brother standing at the side of barn.

“We’ll have us a regular slumber party,” Dane said with sarcasm.

“I say we get together with him, the Sheriff, and the deputy, and have a little powwow.”

“Good plan. The home office is real interested in what we turn up.”

“I bet they are. I’m going to be picking him up later today. I guess he gave them such a hard time, they decided to get him out of their hair.” Colt chuckled at the image his mind conjured up.

“Yeah, I can see him being that guy.” They both laughed at the picture of Bryce, laid up in bed, while all the action was going on in his turf.

“Paige wants you to run into town for groceries,” Colt said.

“Why can’t you leave early and pick them up before you get Bryce?” Dane asked.

“Cause I hate shopping, bro.”

“But we can’t both be gone at the same time,” Dane argued.

“Why not? Bill and his crew are here.”

“Maybe so, but they can’t protect our sis the way we can.”

“She also has the dogs,” Colt added.

“Okay, but I hope she has a list.”

“Earth to Dane...who is it that you think we’re talkin’ about, bro?” Colt said with a punch to the arm for emphasis. “Sis always has a list for everything.”

Dane hit him back.

“You hit like a girl,” Colt said.

“You lie, and you know it. I’ve got to get going, but later I’m giving you an ass whooping.”

“Sure, at checkers, maybe.” Colt’s cell rang and he walked away to take it after looking at the number. “Colt Conner.”

“Van DeMere is putting together an arms deal,” the caller said.

“I’ve got to resolve a situation here on the home front. I won’t be able to assist for a week at least.”

“Keep me posted on your availability.”

“I will.”

After hanging up, he walked back to the house, rubbing his torso where the bullet had pierced his chest. He and Van DeMere had unfinished business to attend to. And it was coming soon…very soon.

Bryce’s stitches were itching, his butt felt numb, his leg ached, and he was miserable. He couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital. He’d already harassed the doctor into giving him an early release on good behavior. He couldn’t wait to get settled into Paige’s place and start pestering her. The thought brought a genuine smile to his face. Everything would be perfect if it weren’t for a few flies in the chardonnay. Mostly the gangs, but then he’d also have her brothers witnessing his pursuit of their sister. Well, tough. He’d trench in and she’d be unable to get him to leave. Now, if he could just reach back and scratch the itch between his shoulders.

“Hey, Big Hoss, I’m here to rescue you from the nurses,” Colt said while walking into Bryce’s room.

“What took you so long?” Bryce grumbled.

“Testy, Hoss. You need to be on your best behavior or I’ll leave you here.” Colt gave him a diabolical grin.

“I’ll be an altar boy of good behavior, as soon as I get out of here.” Bryce lifted himself slowly from the bed, went over to the shallow cupboard, and pulled out his clothes. Someone had thoughtfully brought him some shorts and a tee shirt. He thought it might have been Emma. He’d have to remember to thank her for her thoughtfulness. He went ahead and changed, without even closing the door, modesty not being a big concern. Colt went out to the nurses’ station and grabbed a wheelchair for the ride down to the truck.

“Hey, Hoss, how about I do some wheelies in this thing as we go past the front desk?” Colt asked as he did a sample coming back into the room.

“Nah, with your driving technique, we’d crash and I’d be laid up in here for another couple of days.”

“Your chariot awaits, Cinders,” Colt said with a grand bow.

“Don’t give me no lip, Colt. I’ll toss your ass,” Bryce threatened.

“Really? I can hardly wait.”

“Colt, get me out of here,” he pleaded.

“Okay, man. Let’s go.”

Colt wheeled him down to his truck after Dr. Beth Carrington gave him a list of instructions.