JARED (Lane Brothers Book 4) (7 page)

“Jared.”

“What the hell happened to Sugar Bear?”

That makes me giggle and some of the tension leaves me at the thought of him wanting me to use the old nickname I stopped calling him weeks before trying to run.

“Sugar, I don’t want to talk about that.”

“I need to know, Cupcake.”

“Why? It’s over. I don’t care. I—”

“I care!
I
fucking care that they did that to you. I care that they took something from you that belonged to me!” he yells, and that possessive statement makes my lips twist in a smile that makes him scowl.

“Yours, huh?”

“You better believe it, baby. That was all mine and I looked forward to it on our wedding night.”

I sit up with a frown and shake my head.

“Wedding night?”

Jared draws himself up and narrows his eyes.

“Don’t. I’m still riding the edge here, baby. Do not joke about something important to me,” he warns.

“I’m not. I’m just confused is all. Just this morning you made your mom take back that ring and you seemed so freaking upset that she would even think to give it to me that I assumed you were horrified at the thought of marrying me. I mean I love you and all, Jared, but that was pretty darn hurtful, you know. And maybe I understand and agree because I know you’re out of my league, but—”

I get a hand clamped over my mouth for my efforts and a glare hot enough to dry my clothes when I try to argue.

“For your information, I am not too thrilled at the thought of my woman wearing a ring my mother gave her. You’ll wear my ring and say yes to me, Cupcake. Besides, that ring was too small,” he says and my eyes stretch wide.

“That thing was ten carats, at least, and flawless! How can you go bigger?”

He smirks devilishly and I laugh. Then he gives me a kiss and pulls my face into his neck as he holds me.

“We need to talk, Cupcake,” he says minutes later when I’m on the verge of a nap.

“I know. Later. Let me be happy for a little longer,” I plead and I feel him sigh before his lips come down on my cheek.

“Sleep. I’ve got you.”

And I pray that he keeps me after he knows everything.

“I love you,” I whisper so softly, it’s nothing but a breath of air against his skin.

His arms wrap around me tighter and I feel him quake and shudder beneath me.

“I love you, too, Cupcake,” he breathes. “I love you, too.”

Jared

I wait until Cupcake is fast asleep and snoring softly against my neck before gently lowering her to the bed and slipping out from beneath her. She looks so peaceful and Goddamned beautiful in her contentment that I want nothing more than to crawl back into bed beside her and hold her all night just to assure myself that she’s here with me and whole and everything is okay.

First I need to get that shit off the Net and find out who that animal was. I have an idea, a suspicion, but right now that’s just wishful thinking on my part, so instead of going after him like I’m dying to, I force myself to go back into my command center and clean up before replacing the trashed monitor with another one.

It’s just as I finish hooking it up and powering up again that Miah, Jace, and Wyatt all walk in, looking so savage I feel my mouth spread into a deadly grin.

“You find out who it was?” Wyatt says and I force down the urge to hit him when the thought of him going after my prey tries to undo me.

I’m a little nuts right now, but no man should have to see that being done to his woman. Even after closing my eyes, I will never forget it or the terrified screams and pain-filled pleas she gave.

I will find the person or persons responsible for it, and when I do they’ll hurt unlike they have ever hurt before. Miah and Jace may be big shots in the unit, but I am the vengeful fuck they come to when they want death to reign and we all know that I’m taking this shit where it needs to go.

“I’ll know whether I find out or she tells me. I’ll know. And when I do…”

I say nothing more because they understand. They all nod before Jace moves forward and grabs me into his arms, pulling me so close that I feel my lungs wheeze in protest.

“I’m so sorry, bro,” he breathes and it takes me a while to figure out that he’s crying again, letting out harsh breaths that I feel all the way to my soul.

Miah eventually shoves him away and pulls me into his arms for a brotherly hug that should feel pansy but doesn’t. I love them all for this and appreciate it, but it’s only when my big brother takes his turn, going so far as to kiss my head and wrap me up strongly that I feel the tension drain away.

“They hurt her, Wyatt. So bad. And I’m so angry,” I whisper, blinking at the tears, not willing to let myself fall apart again.

“I know and I swear to you we will find them all and make them pay,” he whispers back. “Case is here and so is Bronx. We should get to work.” He pushes me away and takes a step back as his mask falls back into place.

“Yeah, uh,” I clear my throat and indicate my monitor, “I just need to take care of a few things first.”

They all nod and flop down onto the sofa against the wall. I sit and get to work, doing what I do best.

I track the site and feel my hackles rise when I see the tab for that video again, only just restraining myself from ruining another ten-grand screen. The info that pours in makes my anger rise, but I keep going till I hit on the IP and start tracking the shit all the way to the source.

When I get there I feel an evil smile spread across my face because I know who it was that hurt my baby, and now I have a direct link to a Webcam I know is going to yield results.

When I patch in and start streaming a live feed, the men behind me start yelling and fist pumping.

“I gotchu you, motherfucker,” I hiss, narrowing my eyes when that piece of shit Clyde Rydell sits down and starts typing what looks to be an itinerary.

“That what I think it is, bro?” Miah crows and I feel myself smile so wide, my heart starts beating hard and fast.

“Yup.”

Miah is almost vibrating when I transfer over to my other terminal to erase the video and start shutting down the skin-flick perversion some of these sickos are into.

It takes me almost an hour, but by the time I’m done I watch from live feeds as the cops start arresting people who I narced for everything from underage porn to snuff films that I will be investigating when all this shit is over.

It’s only when the sun is rising and I hear Ma and Pop come in that I finally push the last button to shut this travesty down and sit back with a sigh.

Ma doesn’t say a word, just comes over and takes me in her arms with Pop not far behind, and I feel my world right itself again.

“All will be well, my darling. I swear it to you. Pop is taking care of all the Lanes and Conrads once and for all, and I’ll kill Lynn myself if it comes to that, but I swear we will make this all go away,” she croons.

Pop clears his throat and kisses me once before turning and nodding to my brothers.

“Jared has a woman to care for right now and I have a few things that need doing. You boys up for some covert shit?”

The positive response he gets from them all is resounding, and I chuckle along with Mom when they start arguing about who’s riding shotgun as Pop rolls his eyes.

“Love you, son.”

“Love you, too, Pop. Be careful, yeah?”

“Always. Can’t leave this sexy filly running around unsupervised. God knows what the world would come to if she didn’t have me at her side to protect them from her.” He chuckles, kissing his wife so passionately, I hear Wyatt groan and hotfoot it out the door.

“Thanks. Now get the hell out, the lot of you. My girl’s going to wake up soon and I have some shit to talk to her about.”

Ma huffs and walks out with the promise of breakfast and a shopping spree that will have Paulie outfitted for the next ten years. Or month, as Ma keeps saying, since the woman shops more than she cooks, and she cooks a lot.

I rise ten minutes later with a loud stretch and make my way to the bedroom, feeling my heart pump and my dick stand up when I see that my baby has kicked off the sheets and her T-shirt has ridden up and exposed her panty-covered sex to my gaze.

If I were a better man I’d walk straight to the bathroom and rub one out to get my dick in hand, no pun intended. But I’m not. I hit the bed, slide directly between her legs, and open my mouth, groaning at the scent and taste of her morning heat.

She smells musky and sweet and her sex is so warm, it feels like a furnace against my face when I bury myself there and start rubbing myself all over her, wanting her scent all over me before I get into anything more intense.

I’m so wrapped up in my need that I’m about to shred her underwear and expose her to my mouth and gaze when my phone beeps. The curse I let off is vile and I roll to my feet, looking longingly at my utopia before answering with a snarl.

“What, asshole?”

“Dude, catch the news, man. Dobson was found in his house this morning. He’s dead, man,” Miah tells me and I freeze, closing my eyes.

“How?”

“You know how.”

My heart plunges and I sit down heavily, wincing when the bed rocks and Paulie lets off a groan before turning onto her side and stealing my prize right out from under my nose.

The news is not a shock. I rub at my face when fatigue hits me. This is just so predictable that I’d laugh if not for the fallout that will be coming.

I know how Dobson died. I can see it without ever looking at the scene. One shot to the heart and a smile around his neck that is the signature of only one man I know.

Roman.

Years ago, before he left the service, that was his calling card when he posed as a Russian assassin. The fact that it’s showed up now is telling, and I can draw one of two conclusions from this.

It was either a message to us, letting us know that he’s alive, or he’s going after those who are turning against the Patriots. Either message is bad news, because if the wrong people should hear about this, Roman will be dead in the water without backup.

He hasn’t come after family, and until then he’s still one of us, and we never leave a man behind. Not even if he’s dead.

“Call Case and tell him I need to see him.”

“He’s already on his way. Bronx is with us today, so it’s just you and the big man looking after the hens.”

That makes me smile and I can very well imagine Clari’s face if she ever learns that he refers to the women as hens.

“I got it.”

So much for sleep and a little AM delight, I think, rising to my feet with a regretful look at Paulie before hitting the shower. I guess there really is no rest for the wicked.

By the time I’m showered and dressed, Case is waiting downstairs and pacing like a caged tiger.

“Hey, man,” I call, giving him a one-armed hug and shoulder slap as he sits and starts piling his plate with food while Ma bustles around getting things ready for when the women come down for breakfast.

“What you got?”

“Those people are nuts, man. I’ve never seen so much yelling and fighting in my life, and I went to Iraq, dude. That mother is a straight-up asshole, and the father…what I wouldn’t like to do to that animal,” he snarls, pushing his plate away and groaning when Ma enters with cookies and milk.

“You want some dessert, son?” she asks, ruffling Case’s hair and giving him a head peck before leaving again.

Ma loves the bastard, and he’d just about hang the moon for her if she asked him to, but then I ain’t surprised since Ma loves to collect her ducklings and Case’s own family members are all assholes, to be honest.

“Thanks, Ma!”

“You’re welcome, honey!”

I roll my eyes at his look of adoration and shake my head.

“If George catches you looking at Ma, he’ll cut you deeper than a man should ever be cut, son,” I warn.

Case blushes and throws me the bird.

“She’s my ma too, asshole, so chill out. Now like I was saying. I’ve been watching the parents and I even took a look into her sister. The chick is married to a guy from an arranged marriage her parents cashed in on big time, but from what I can see, those two actually love each other to bits. They got a kid, a two-year-old little boy named Paul.”

That has my brows rising and I close my eyes, knowing what they used against Paulie before she even has to tell me.

“They used her sister and the kid.”

Case nods and eats his cookies even though the guy looks green at this point from too much food. I shake my head when he takes another plate and Ma bustles out again.

“Eat these, man. I beg you.”

I take the plate with a huff and eat while he starts talking about the Hayeses and their weird lifestyle.

“They go to Dewey’s every Monday and Thursday and eat dinner with a man named Clyde Rydell, a friend of Andrew Huley’s.

“I’ll kill them.”

“Wait, there’s more. This Andrew guy has a brother, a cop, and it seems to me that he has something on them, because the last time they met I swear I saw old man Hayes piss his pants clear through his socks.”

“Yeah? You get any audio?”

“Nah. They met at the Hayeses’ house and I haven’t gotten in there yet to lay some ears but I will. Bronx is also following that Ronny chick, but from what I can see she’s been staying close to home. Bronx is all sorts of worked up because she seems scared or something, he says.”

That surprises me and I make a note to send Bronx in once he’s done with Pop and the boys.

“Rydell.”

That perks Case up and I smile at the excitement I see there. The man has had too much downtime lately and looks almost depressed at not being out in the field, so I reckon giving him a job might be a real favor at this point.

“Yeah?”

My smile increases and I feel my heartbeat pick up when I look over to see Paulie standing in the doorway watching us.

“Leave Clyde Rydell alone, Jared Lane. I need him alive for what I have planned, baby,” she says, marching over to sit in my lap. “Oh hi! I’m Paulie.”

Case grins and takes her hand at the sweet greeting, almost losing his life when he bends to kiss her hand and throws her a wink.

“Please tell me you’re single, gorgeous.” That gets a giggle and I growl, shoving him away with a scowl.

“She’s taken, idiot. Get your own girl.”

Case just grins and I look down at her with a frown.

“You got no plans for Rydell, Cupcake.”

Her nose scrunches up and she looks at me darkly.

“I beg to differ. See, I haven’t been syphoning off information for months only to lose my in when this all goes pear shaped on me.”

“Explain.”

Paulie smiles and accepts a glass of juice from Ma before looking up at me with a smile.

“You ready to hear it now, tough guy?”

“Paulette.”

“Fine, no jokes. Let’s see,” she says, tapping her chin contemplatively. “I got caught and had the hell beat out of me because I’ve been trying to collect evidence. I asked the wrong questions at the wrong time, it seems, and Cleo got suspicious. Cue me and this little concoction my brother-in-law made for me.”

Her smile is so smug, I feel my heart stop at the implications.

“
You
poisoned Cleo?”

She huffs and purses her lips.

“Not
poisoned
, just gave her a little vacation is all. I thought that if I could just get her out of the picture before she could bust me, I may have a chance, but it turns out she called Clyde before I got to her and my cover was blown,” she gripes, rolling her eyes.