The Promise of Surrender (8 page)

“Ballsy to draw such attention to themselves,” Lane said.

“No one is ever on this stretch of road after midnight.”

Zeke walked off toward the road and she could tell he was trying to get a better feel for how many there were, which direction they’d entered from, and hopefully, which direction they’d exited.

“They’d know Surrender would be the closest responding department,” Mia said.

“And that we only have one on-duty officer working the night shift,” Cooper finished for her, his look grim. “Proof of the liabilities of being a small town and working with a limited budget.”

“This isn’t your fault.” She wanted to make sure he knew that. “It’s location and timing. I’m pretty far outside of town. By design. And even though I’m technically part of Surrender, you and I both know that if I were on the other side of that hill with the other businesses, this never would’ve happened. But I’m not and there’s no easy way for emergency personnel to get here. They knew they had at least twenty minutes to get the job done.”

Zeke walked back to their group and said, “They split off in each direction. Pretty typical behavior. We can assume this is the work of The Vaqueros since this is their territory. And they’re known to converge on a location, wreak havoc, and then separate so they can lay low for a while. They’re well organized and they run an intelligent operation. I’ve watched the way they work from the inside. It’s why they’ve been so successful running drugs these past years. They’re like ghosts.”

“We can try and pull identities from the security cameras,” she said, “but knowing who they are won’t help us on how to find them. Identifying them and plastering their faces on the news is like a badge of honor.”

“Which brings us back to the question,” Riley said. “Why here and why you?”

Cooper looked at her and said, “Have you had any run-ins with The Vaqueros?”

“I threatened to shoot one yesterday,” she said. “I suppose he could’ve taken it personally.”

All four men stared at her with varying degrees of surprise on their faces. “What? You know I’m always armed and I don’t put up with bullshit in my place.”

“Or maybe you could’ve mentioned it?” Zeke said.

“When would’ve been a good time? When you popped up in my shop asking for the same item the biker was, or maybe when you showed up at my apartment to get me into bed? You’re right, Zeke. I should’ve confessed the second you showed up. My bad.”

Riley coughed to cover a laugh and Cooper looked down at his boots, but she could see his smile. Lane never showed much expression at all, but she knew him well enough to see that he wanted to smile.

Zeke’s jaw was clenched hard and all he said was, “Mia,” in that tone of voice that didn’t bode well.

She arched a brow and narrowed her eyes. Now wasn’t the time for him to try any macho bullshit.

“Might as well check out the inside,” Cooper said. “You can see if anything is missing.”

They stepped through the gaping hole where her front door had once been, and Mia had to stifle a gasp. Her heart thudded in her chest and a red haze clouded her vision. Everything was destroyed. The shelves were knocked down, the floor littered with broken glass. They’d not gotten the more expensive pieces locked behind the counter, though she could see the scratches on the bulletproof glass.

“What was the biker looking for?” Cooper asked.

Mia stepped over glass and an electric guitar that was broken in half. “He asked for a music box. Was very specific about what kind he wanted. He said that he’d been told someone had come in and sold it to me. He offered to double my money.” She could hear the hollowness of her own voice.

“I told him he was mistaken and that I didn’t have a piece like that. He got close and told me I’d better rethink my answer, so I cocked the sawed off I’ve got stashed under the counter. He decided to leave after that.”

“He make any threats?”

She sighed. “Yeah, he said he’d come back for a visit with his brothers.”

“Jesus, Mia,” Zeke said. “Why wouldn’t you report something like that?”

“Because I can take care of myself,” she said, whirling on Zeke. “I was a cop, remember? How would reporting it have changed anything? There’s not enough manpower to put out a protection detail.”

“And now you’ve got a target on your back.”

“They did what they came to do,” she said. “They destroyed and still didn’t find what they were looking for. There’s no reason for them to come back here. But they might target other pawnshops in the area if their intel tells them that’s where the music box ended up.”

“We’ll put an alert out to all the surrounding areas,” Cooper said. “We’ll get in and out of here quickly so you can get the insurance company in and start going through your inventory.”

“What’s left of it,” she said, looking around at the shambles of a room.

“I’ll grab Thomas and Dane and we’ll come back and put in a makeshift door with a sturdy deadbolt,” Riley said, speaking of his other two brothers. “At least it’ll deter anyone wanting to snoop or help themselves to what’s available.”

“I’d appreciate it. This is definitely going to put a dent in my new parking lot fund.”

“I can call in a couple of favors,” Zeke said. “I’ve got men at the DEA office that are twiddling their thumbs, waiting for a big case to drop. They can set up a patrol in the area and keep an eye out to make sure you don’t get another visit.”

“We’ll coordinate with the surrounding departments and set up checkpoints and hot spots. The problem with The Vaqueros is their clubhouses are in the mountains. We might not see them for weeks. Or until they need supplies. And if we get a snowfall during that time it could be even longer.”

“Lovely,” Mia said. “Well, there’s no use wasting time when there’s work to be done. How soon do you think I can call insurance and we can start cleanup?”

“Should be ready for insurance this evening if he’s available. You can probably start cleanup tomorrow.”

She nodded and glanced at Zeke. He was staring at a painting that had fallen off the wall like it held the secret of life. It was a contemporary oil with bright colors, and she’d briefly thought about taking it home and hanging it in her dining room.

She thought about the music box tucked safely in her bag. She needed to get rid of Zeke so she could go through it in private. He’d been too secretive since his arrival the day before, and no matter what he said about still loving her, seven years was a long time. And people changed. Especially people who’d lived that underground life and spent their days and nights lying to people. She wasn’t about to get caught in the middle of something that might ruin the life she’d built for herself.

As if reading her mind, Zeke turned his head and looked at her intently. “I’m bunking with you,” he said. “And don’t even think about arguing. I’ll sleep on the couch if I have to, but it’s too dangerous. You need someone to watch your back.”

Or he needed to be right in the thick of things and she was the easiest access point, she thought.

Chapter Six

A week later, the first frost glittered across the top of the ground like tiny diamonds. And to Mia’s surprise and supreme gratitude, her shop was cleaned up, the door repaired, and she’d managed to restock some of her inventory.

She’d never expected the outpouring of support from the community, and she never would’ve thought to ask for it. But almost as soon as she’d gotten back into town people were stopping her on the street, asking what they could do to help. And then the next morning, a group of people showed up at her shop unannounced with brooms and vacuums and cleaning supplies, and they all got to work.

She still didn’t know how to respond. A thank you seemed inadequate. In her line of work she’d never expected the best from people, so their generosity astounded her. People donated items they were getting rid of, so by the end of the week everything looked almost as it had before, though the shelves were still a little bare.

Zeke had been true to his word and had stayed at her place. She hated to admit it, but having him there did ease her mind a bit. She’d been annoyed at his high-handedness and had given him an extra pillow and a blanket for the couch that first night after the break-in. He’d taken it with a smirk and a wicked glint in his eyes.

And then she’d been woken up sometime in the middle of the night, her shirt pushed up around her waist and his head between her thighs. She’d been dreaming of him, and then she’d woken to find her dream a reality. He hadn’t slept on the couch since, and her muscles were sore in all the right places. Zeke had always been a thorough and athletic lover.

They also hadn’t spoken of the past or his work. He still hadn’t told her why he’d really come. But he’d continued to say he was retiring from undercover work, to the point that she wanted to believe him. He had to give the mayor an answer about the chief’s job in Carson by the end of the month, and she’d be lying if it hadn’t sneaked into her mind that Carson wasn’t all that far of a commute from Surrender.

She’d forgotten how comfortable they’d always been with each other—the easy conversations, the things they had in common, the sports teams they argued over. Remembering the arguments had been the easiest thing to do. But there’d been more good times than bad.

They’d fallen into an easy rhythm. He’d leave sometime after midnight and go into work, or he’d disappear for an hour or so at random times throughout the day. Then he’d show up randomly at her shop, pitch in to help, and leave again. She remembered how it was. The erratic schedules. The missed sleep, anniversaries, holidays, and birthdays. The only difference was he no longer talked to her about work. It was the albatross in the room.

“You ready to call it a night?” he asked as she looked over the shop one final time to make sure everything was in place. She’d be back open for business on Monday.

“More than ready. I need a hot bath and pizza. Maybe a pizza while sitting in the hot bath.”

“How about a trip to Duffey’s instead? We can play a game of pool, eat hot wings, and drink half-price beer.”

“Well, hell, that sounds way better than soaking my aching feet.”

He grinned and tossed an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. “I’ll spot you a couple of balls since you’re so tired.”

“The hell you will,” she said, her spine straightening.

He chuckled and they headed to Duffey’s. It was the after-work crowd for the most part, but a lot of them had already thinned out to head home for dinner. The live music didn’t start until ten o’clock, so they still had time to play and be able to hear themselves.

Duffey’s didn’t cater to the tourist crowd. It was a local bar with sawdust on the floors, scarred tables, and draft beer and a small selection of wine. There were no mixed drinks or cocktails. Trophy antlers hung on all the walls and she was pretty sure they’d never seen a dust rag.

Zeke went to the bar to order drinks and chatted with Duffey while he was waiting. She’d learned over the last several years that Duffey never smiled. He’d owned the bar for close to fifty years, and from the pictures hanging on the wall, he hadn’t changed a bit in those fifty years. He always wore a white undershirt and trousers with a larger white butcher apron tied several times around his scrawny waist. The tuft of gray hair circling the bald patch on the top of his hair was coarse and wiry, and round, wire-framed glasses sat perched at the end of his nose. His lips were thin and he always looked like he’d just swallowed something sour.

Mia had learned early on that the best course of action was to stay off his radar, so she headed toward the back room where the pool tables were located. She passed Jana Metcalfe along the way. Jana had been a waitress at Duffey’s since long before Mia had moved there. She was pleasantly plump and somewhere in her mid to late thirties, and she always had a wide and infectious smile.

“Is the pool table taken?” Mia asked her.

“A group just cleared out. It’s all yours.” She gathered empties from a table, balancing the tray and making it look effortless. “It’s good to see Zeke back in town,” she said, conversationally. “Almost didn’t recognize him. He looks a lot different than he did at nineteen.” She winked and chuckled. “He spent a lot of summers here. Lord, he and those MacKenzies got into some trouble. I’m surprised Duffey even lets any of them in the door.”

“He must not be too mad,” Mia said. “They’re talking to each other.”

“That’s because Duffey is still trying to get Zeke to pay for some damages. Duffey just likes to complain. He’ll overcharge Zeke for the beers and then he’ll feel like he’s gotten away with something. Let me give you a tip. When you’re ready to order anything else, come find me. I’ll make sure your ticket is right.”

Mia shook her head and smiled. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“Hey, you guys have had a rough week. Duffey should be giving you the beer.” Jana stretched her neck out to the side to look around the corner toward Duffey. “Don’t tell him I said that. That man’s never given away a thing in his life.”

“Why do you work for him?”

“I’m his granddaughter.” Jana winked and smiled again, and then hefted the tray onto her shoulder and headed toward the kitchen.

Mia already felt the tension draining from her shoulders. Zeke had been right. It was nice to get out. They’d been cooped up at the shop or her apartment all week. It had been nothing but work and worry.

She headed to the far back of the restaurant and took the little hallway to the left. It was a private room they sometimes used for bachelor parties, but it was the only area big enough for the pool table. She tossed her leather jacket over a chair and went to check the cues. And then she racked the balls and waited for Zeke to arrive.
Spot her a couple balls her ass.

* * * *

Zeke came in with a pitcher of beer and two frosted mugs, and it was a damned good thing he’d had a good grip on them. Mia was his every fantasy, and the sight of her leaning on her cue stick in worn jeans and a stretchy white top made his cock hard enough to drive nails. She’d let the natural curl in her hair reign free and it flowed down her back, tempting him.