Betrayed: Military MC Romance (Hell's Fire Riders Book 2) (15 page)

“Good.” Stone looked relieved. “I can’t wait to breathe fresh air again.”

“I hear that.” Boomer chuckled.

Chapter Twelve

L
ater that night, Trudy was sitting alone in the corner when McKenna came to sit with her.

“I had hoped to be out of here by this time,” McKenna complained.

“Yeah me too.” Trudy sighed.

“Stone says Boomer’s boys are almost here. They should be clearing up the problem for us.”

“I hope so,” Trudy whined. “I need some fresh air.”

McKenna smiled. “Yeah, that would be nice.” She brought her hand to her belly and absently began rubbing it.

Trudy watched her for a moment then smiled. “When are you due?”

McKenna blushed. “In about seven months but I haven’t told Stone yet.”

“Why not?”

“I always thought I would get married before I had a baby.” She looked down at her belly. Soon her baby would grow big enough to tell the whole world he or she was coming. “My parents were very much in love when they got married. I want what they had. I think I found it with Stone. I love that old man, but I don’t know if he wants kids at this stage of his life.”

“If you love him, tell him,” Trudy urged.

“I don’t know how,” McKenna whispered.

Trudy chuckled. “Can I then?”

McKenna frowned. She was about to say something when Trudy yelled to Stone. “Hey, old man!”

“Are you talking to me or one of these other old men?” Stone asked with a gritty edge to his voice.

“I’m talking to you.”

“What do you need?” he asked.

“Your woman needs ice cream and pickles.” Trudy laughed out loud. “With lots of chocolate sprinkles.”

Stone frowned and stared at McKenna for a moment. Then he got a funny look on his face and he dropped his gaze to her belly. “Are you shitting me?”

Everyone burst out laughing at the expression on his face.

McKenna blushed deep red and she turned to Trudy. “I could hate you right now.”

“No, you don’t,” Trudy whispered back. Then she scooted over.

Stone was heading toward them at a fast clip. He reached for McKenna and hauled her to her feet. His lips found hers and they kissed under a deluge of laughter and whistles from the men around the room.  Stone broke the kiss and looking into her eyes he asked, “Are you really going to have my baby?”

McKenna nodded. “Are you okay with that?”

Stone smiled. “I’m more than okay with that. I love you woman.”

“Oh Stone, I love you too!” McKenna groaned.

Stone swung her into his arms and took her down the hall to their bedroom. When he slammed the door shut, the men were still laughing. Everyone’s mood seemed to brighten with this unexpected news.

Dewey came over to sit with Trudy. “That’s good news.”

“Yup, it is. I think he took it well, don’t you?”

Dewey chuckled. “Yeah, he did. For an old man, he’s not half bad.” He paused then asked, “What about you? Do you want kids some day?”

Trudy nodded. “Yeah, someday. Someday, when no one is chasing me.”

Dewey wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. “Would you want to have my child?”

Trudy snuggled into his embrace. “I would love to have your child.”

“Good,” he stated. “Because I want to watch you grow with my baby in your belly.”

“Can we get out of here first?” she asked.

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.” Dewey agreed with a grin. “Stone called Shay about your discovery. Shay is very excited and promised to get here as fast as he could to collect it.”

“Oh, shit!” Boomer swore loudly. He’d been watching the outside cameras when he noticed someone was shooting. “Shit’s happening. Better get Stone out here.”

The bedroom door opened and Stone came running down the hall. “I’m here. What’s going on?”

“The boys are back and they’re raising hell with our unwelcome guests,” Boomer told him.

Trudy went to her computer and began typing. Soon all the outside cameras were channeling the same pictures. They all watched in silence as Boomer’s men took out the cartel’s gunmen. All too soon, the three cartel men were lying on the ground.

They watched as Sniper started calling for Boomer.

Boomer turned to Stone. “Do you think it’s safe to go up top now?”

Stone nodded. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.” He walked over to the keypad that would open the tunnel leading to the outside. Everyone was busy packing up their things to leave.

Trudy began packing up her computers and then she went to the bedroom she’d been sharing with Dewey. Throwing everything together, she left the room. Pausing, she look toward the room Ronnie and Amanda were in. Then she turned and made her way back to the main room.

Dewey was waiting for her and when she got there, he led her out of the tunnel. “A couple of the guys are bringing your sister and brother up to the main house. They will be well cared for until we can turn Ronnie over to the cops.”

“And Amanda?” she asked.

“Amanda is free to do whatever the hell she wants,” Dewey grumbled. “Except talk to you.”

“I’m sorry. She was just scared.”

“Don’t you be sorry and don’t apologize for her. She’s a big girl.” He groused. “She had no cause to say what she said. She should have had a little faith in you like we all did.”

“No one has ever believed in me like you guys have,” Trudy admitted. “It felt very good.”

Dewey hugged her close. “It will feel a whole lot better when it’s all over.”

“Yes, it will.”

“Shay should be here tomorrow and shortly after that, this will finally be over,” he promised.

“I hope so, I really hope so.”

The next morning, three military vehicles drove into the compound. Only one man stepped out and came toward Stone and Dewey in the courtyard. It was Shay Montross. Holding out his hand, Stone shook it first then he offered it to Dewey and they shook. Looking back at Stone, Shay grinned. “You boys have been busy I hear.”

Stone grinned. “You could say that.”

“I have no fuckin clue how you pulled it off but boy, you busted one of the biggest cartels in history.”

“I wasn’t aware they were on American soil,” Stone grumbled.

“Yeah, that was a kick in the head wasn’t it?” Shay agreed. He watched Stone for a moment then asked, “You said something about more evidence?”

Stone handed him the flash drive and the key. “Look in the file regarding retirement.’

Shay took the evidence and nodded.

“Do me one thing though,” Stone asked. “Nail those bastards and take everything away from them. Leave them with nothing in their pockets and no way to rebuild their empire.”

Shay grinned. “I heard from a little birdy that someone took over two hundred billion already. Plus, what ATF and FBI got, that’s close to four hundred billion right there. Somebody is rich.”

Stone shook his head. “That’s blood money. No one I know is going to touch it.” Then he thought about something. “I need a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

“Got a young man that needs a place to recover. He’s going through withdrawal and he needs a safe house for a bit. He’s a pawn in the war against the cartel but he’s also the son of a high brass military man.”

“Ronnie Chassen is here?” Shay looked stunned. The military had been looking for the Chassen kids for days. “Is Amanda here too? Their dad has been worried about them. He asked us to find them and hold them until he can get back from the sandbox.”

“And his other daughter?” Dewey demanded. “What about her?”

Shay took a step back from the other man’s apparent rage. “I wasn’t aware he had another daughter. He only mentioned Ronnie and Amanda.”

Dewey seethed. “That sounds about right. Well, Amanda has a twin sister. Her name is Tremaine but you don’t have to worry about her. I’ll keep her safe.” He turned and stomped back into the clubhouse.

Stone looked at Shay for a moment then shook his head. “Old man Chassen royally fucked up with Tremaine. When he does get back to the states, you be sure and tell him it was Ronnie’s fault. Ronnie was the one with the drug habit and Ronnie was the one in trouble with the cartel. Then do me a favor and smash your fist into his mouth, will you?’

“Is that necessary?” Shay frowned. “You’re talkin’ about a damn general here.”

“He booted his fourteen year old daughter out the door into the streets and hasn’t spoken to her in ten years,” Stone informed him. “Is it necessary? No it isn’t, but he deserves that and so much more.”

“She was only fourteen?” Shay questioned.

“Fourteen,” Stone confirmed. “He smacked her around then threw her down seven steps and locked the door behind her. She had to leave with little more than the clothes on her back.”

Shay felt and shared Stone’s rage against another man. What Chassen did was criminal not to mention just plain wrong. “I’ll look into it and if that’s what happened, I’ll call him on it.”

“Not sure it would do any good at this point.” Stone shook his head. “But you be sure and tell the bastard this was all his son’s doing and not his daughter’s. She was just cleaning up her brothers’ mess.”

They both watched as Ronnie was brought out of the clubhouse on a stretcher and loaded into one of the vehicles. Amanda walked along beside him and before she got in, she looked back at the clubhouse. There was no sign of Trudy and Amanda had tears running down her cheeks when she closed the door.

Stone watched Shay walk toward the car Amanda had gotten into and then all three vehicles turn around and leave. The trail of dust slowly faded into nothing long after they were gone. He finally turned and went back inside.

Four days later, Stone got a phone call from Shay. “Your intel was spot on old man. We seized everything in the safety deposit boxes. Man, there was a lot of stuff there. Gold bullion, bonds and so much cash it’s taken them forever to count it all. We busted several high ranking people and they are all under indictment for everything from racketeering to bribery and murder charges. The State department is getting warrants for the Mexicans as well. They will face charges here, instead of Mexico. We broke the back of one of the biggest cartels ever.”

“That sounds good,” Stone replied. “What about Ronnie Chassen? What’s going to happen to him?”

“He’s cooperating fully but the boy is going to do some time. Amanda told us what happened that night and when the old man got home, he had to answer some embarrassing questions. The military didn’t take too kindly to what he did and he’s facing some charges as well. Maybe enough to get him court marshalled.”

Stone snorted. “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. I met the man once. He’s a real bastard.”

“Yeah, he’s a piece of work all right. Ronnie isn’t speaking to him and neither is Amanda.”

“Well that’s something,” Stone admitted. “Too little, too late though.”

“What about Tremaine? Is she going to be okay?”

Stone had to grin even though Shay couldn’t see it. “Yeah, I think that little girl will be just fine. Hey, there’s more news.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

“I’m gonna be a daddy.”

There was a moment of silence on the phone. “For real?” Shay asked.

“For real.”