Their Ex's Redrock Dawn (Texas Alpha Biker) (21 page)

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ppetizers ended up being at the Senta River Hotel’s Steakhouse bar, where they christened a new shot as their threesome favorite.

“Another round of Moscow Mules!” Rusty exclaimed.

Luckily the bartender could handle three smoking hot ladies, being as they were they only smoking hot ladies in his bar. In fact, Rusty’s idea to strut their outfits was not working because the hotel bar on a weeknight in a smaller town was empty.

“Add a glass of ice water to that, Rob,” Tess called after the fifty-something bartender, who told the most awesome jokes and turned them onto the best appetizer the place made that was a little-known secret: onion rings.

Carly picked up another onion ring, swinging on her barstool, while Rusty plucked up a tequila shrimp and Tess nabbed a chicken wing. They had to fortify for more Moscow Mules and gossip.

“So Zeb texted saying things were going smooth?” Tess asked.

“About ten minutes ago when you two were at the jukebox. No details, though.” Carly frowned and chewed her onion ring. “I feel guilty; this is
my
mess.”

She’d told Tess and Rusty most of what was happening, and they’d been fiercely loyal to her. “They’ll take care of it,” Tess said, patting her knee. “There aren’t any better men than Vincent, Cabe, Justice, and Zeb to deal with this, yeah.”

“Yeah.” Rusty nodded. “They’ll get him and we’ll stay outta their way.”

“So you think that’s good?” Carly asked. “Me staying out of Zeb’s way for this?”

“Absolutely,” Rusty said. “Babe, we gotta let our men take care of us.” She tilted her head toward Tess. “I learned that from my bestie, and so far it’s working out pretty good for me.”

Carly couldn’t help but smile, and then their shots came and they slammed them, then Rusty and Tess commenced to keeping her mind off what was happening by gabbing, which really helped but of course couldn’t take her mind fully off of it.

“I’m only going in, like, once a week to the flower shop, now that WTSF girls are running it,” Tess said, sipping her water.

“Now that you don’t want to unglue from Vincent’s side, babe,” Rusty said with a wink.

Tess grinned over the rim of her glass. “What Cabe and Vincent do is really interesting, and now we are working on bettering the orphanage were they grew up at.”

“We got a young man from there in our first program,” Carly said. “Nice place, good people, but it’s run-down and they are overworked, with not enough staff.”

Tess set her glass on the bar top. “I haven’t told Vincent yet, but I think part of our help at reviving it needs to be a really big push on placement of these kids, instead of just holding them there in limbo.”

“Definitely,” Rusty agreed, while Carly nodded too. “Cabe mentioned it, but I’m not sure he knows what to do about it.”

“I’ve got a few ideas,” Tess said.

“Well, once we finally find a house, I’ll kick in more time too, babe,” Rusty said.

“Are you looking for a house?” Carly asked.

“Yeah, mine’s too small. We’re going to make it either a safe house or rent it. Not sure the safe house will work in town.”

“You should look on the lake, Rusty—there’s one for sale next to mine that’s really nice,” Carly said.

“Oh ... my ... God,” Rusty mouthed. “That’s such a great idea!” Then Rusty added, “Then I can ask my man to marry me.”

“What!” Tess exclaimed, grabbing Rusty’s shoulders to hold her facing her. “You’re not kidding us?”

Rusty slowly shook her head, then she whispered, “You think I should wait for him to ask?”

“I think,” Tess said. “Absolutely anything you do about it will be perfect.”

Rusty looked to Carly, and Carly said, “What you feel deep will work out. He’ll love it.”

“Okay!” Rusty expelled, breaking out of Tess’ hold to slap the bar. “Time for group dancing!”

***

Z
eb looked at the text from Carly again. The last bit of it said, “love you.” He pushed the thing that would save it as he sat straddling his bike outside of Big Mama’s. He was on the side of the building in the shadows, with his big bike turned off as he leaned forward to put his cell in his back pocket. Vincent was outside on the right side of the bar, and Cabe was outside on the left, while Justice was out front in a black van that had the audio equipment in it that was going to pick up the wire Zeb was wearing. Tag was inside, because Shaw had never seen him.

Zeb was fucking covered, and he wasn’t nervous about anything except getting Shaw to say the shit he needed him to say out loud so the wire could get it and Zeb could send the prick to jail. Anybody ever even thinking about hurting something as sweet as Carly deserved far worse than just jail.

But because Zeb intended to drink up that sweetness, he had to stay free to do it. So he’d be smart, keep his temper, and he’d keep his temper by remembering Carly like she was laid out for him that morning, naked, beautiful, soft, and all his. Every sweet inch of her as she climaxed, calling his name.

“Yeah,” Zeb uttered, and it rolled like thunder. “Sweetest fucking pussy, and it’s all mine.”

Maybe he’d thank the bastard for throwing him and Carly together.

“He’s pulling up,” Vincent’s voice growled in the earbud Zeb had in his left ear. The side he was going to keep away from Shaw seeing, but the low-slung green bandana tied around his head should help.

“I’ll give him ten, to settle in,” Zeb advised his crew.

Everyone acknowledged his plan, and then Zeb figured the chatter that started was either to help him keep calm or just plain gossip.

“So you’re fucking buying it without her knowing, Cabe?” Vincent asked in the tinny sound of the earbud.

Zeb had heard a little about this earlier; it was about a house Cabe was buying for him and his lady to live in.

“Brother, I know she’ll love it, and that way I can surprise her and pop the question in it.”

“What the fuck,” Vincent uttered, and Zeb thought it sounded like the deep, rumbling engines of his hog. Zeb would say the dude was surprised.

“I’ve got to fucking outdo you, brother,” Cabe said, obviously to Vincent. “So it’s a new house, candles, a marriage proposal ... it’ll work.”

“That’ll outdo me,” Vincent said with his deep voice, sounding amused. “Maybe just show it to her online and get her read on it.”

“I’ve been getting her read, and this place ticks all the boxes,” Cabe said.

Then Justice’s voice entered the conversation. “You put down a down payment, get the keys, and do your thing; take her pulse on what she thinks of the house—”

Tag’s voice interrupted with bar sounds behind it. “Yeah, then unravel the deal if she doesn’t dig it.”

There were a lot of “yeahs” going on in his ear as Zeb smiled ... he might like these guys. They reminded him of buddies from his unit. Feeling easier, he decided it was time.

“Going in,” he uttered, and the chatter quieted.

“You don’t need to part the sea all in one night, Zeb,” Justice advised him.

But Zeb remembered Caval’s words the most. “This creep is a civvy, ranger, he don’t know shit. You take control, you lead the talk.” That was what Zeb took with him to confront the man that was trying to destroy the woman Zeb was set to protect with his life.

Zeb thought he had better fucking odds.

Zeb had never seen the shit Shaw up close, but the dude looked like a nervous school teacher, with a button-up shirt and slacks. The creep was so out of place, he might as well of hung a neon sign on his chest saying, “All you hardass bikers pay attention to me.”

Because the eyes roaming Shaw’s way were numerous, some wondering what they hell he was doing in the place and others speculating on bad things, like could they jump him in the bathroom or when he left and get his cash, cards, or his ride to turn into quick money in their pockets.

Zeb drew down the meanest look he had, sweeping it across the busy bar as he prowled toward Shaw. It mostly worked ... eyes turned and the few that stayed were the ones thinking on the worse things. After Zeb was through with Shaw, he did not give one damn if that went down.

Shaw had ordered a pitcher with two glasses, and his eyes finally caught Zeb’s approach. Shaw’s eyes whipped over Zeb, then he paled, and then he looked down at the table and took a deep breath.

“He’s fucking rattled,” Zeb muttered under his breath.

“Good,” Justice said in the earbud.

Zeb kept his glower going as he stomped his motorcycle boots up to the table and he shoved Shaw. “Move back further, you’re like a sign in here, idiot.”

“Um, yeah, yeah,” Shaw sputtered, looking around, then staying further back in the corner of the booth, where Zeb knew he could get better audio on the prick. Then Zeb did something he knew Shaw was not expecting: he shoved in and sat on the same side as Shaw, and he grabbed the pitcher and poured a beer, lifted it, and gulped.

Shaw was still sputtering, not really words, as if he wanted to say them but couldn’t get them out, while looking at Zeb wide-eyed from the side. Zeb didn’t give a damn what Shaw thought; he’d get better audio this way.

“Thanks for the beer,” Zeb said, mildly.

That seemed to deflate Shaw about halfway from pinging like a rocket out of the booth. “W-we talked on the phone?”

“We did,” Zeb agreed, looking sideways at Shaw’s dark eyes. The dude was handsome, and he worked out some, but Zeb was pleased to see the bastard’s hairline was receding. “My name doesn’t matter, Shaw, I’m just your fairy godfather from Merc Inc.”

“Okay,” Shaw expelled, then he took a long breath. “Um, so you do this often?”

“Yeah,” Zeb said, then because he wanted Shaw to chat, he laid down some rope. “I had an ex-wife. She tried to fuck with me, as in dump me, put another man in my house, and then she tried to fucking take my house from me. Last straw. That fucking house was mine. Her just giving me her pussy did not earn her that roof.”

“Oh man,” Shaw said, then he leaned forward, elbows to the scratched tabletop. “Some p-pussy never learns.”

Zeb lifted an evil grin; he knew Shaw was trying to toughen up—it was all a badly played act, but Zeb, of course, played along, not letting the bastard know he sucked at it.

“Yeah,” Zeb agreed. “Now I got two women on my dick. Both know about each other and one gets kicked to the curb if they open their lips to complain.”

“Wow,” Shaw said, grabbing his glass of beer. “How you doing that? That’s very cool.”

Zeb scratched his jaw while glancing on and off at Shaw as he talked. “I don’t know ... takes money, I guess. I got the cash now to throw at them, keep them happy.”

“See,” Shaw exclaimed, “
that’s
what I’m going to do. I got the hottest piece of ass—she’s a freaking beauty queen. I just need a little more cash. But man, sex the both times with her was the fucking hottest shit.”

Zeb heard a snorted chuckle in his earbud and he clamped down hard on his features, not betraying his inner feelings about what a stupid dick this guy was. Two times. Tula had his fucking balls.

“Yeah, my new motto is no need to marry them, unless they’re rich.”

Shaw looked at him, calculating; Zeb kept his gaze steady, letting him, then Shaw finally said, “You get rid of her, then?” He paused, looked around, then whispered, “Your ex-wife. Is she dead?” Zeb did not answer verbally, he just slowly nodded. “Man,” Shaw whispered in awe. “Man.”

Zeb shrugged. “It is what it is, and I got my fucking house.”

Shaw shook his head, saying, “Yeah.” Then Shaw leaned toward him. “I might not tell you this, but with you being reputable and all from the mercenary place and with your ex-wife and all, but my wife
is
rich ... I mean
rich
, and she
never
told me.”

“No shit,” Zeb offered, trying to keep his features neutral.

“What kind of fucking woman doesn’t tell the man she’s married to she’s got millions hidden from him?” Shaw asked, with his eyes getting bright and mean. “She wants the damn marriage vows. She thinks I’m worth that, but not her money.”

“That is ...” Zeb said, pausing for effect. “Really screwed, dude.”

“Yeah,” Shaw said, nodding. “Isn’t it?” Then Shaw slapped the table. “
This
is why I need you. To get me what those vows promised and, buddy, you get that for me and I’ll give you a raise like you’ve
never
seen.”

“Oh yeah,” Justice said in the earbud.

Then Vincent uttered, “Easy now.”

Zeb was already leaned back in the booth, with his hand up to Shaw in a stopping motion. “Hold that shit,” Zeb ordered. “You put the five thou in an envelope right here, first.” Zeb pointed to the table.

Shaw scrambled around immediately. “This was hard to get until you do her, but I got it by signing her name at another bank she thought I didn’t know about, where she tries to hide her money.” The packet came out in Shaw’s hand, and he set it on the table. “
There
... exactly what you said, five thousand.”

Zeb took a breath, looking at Shaw, who was breathing heavy in excitement, and he said, “You’re giving me five thousand as a down payment for what? You want me to kill your wife and if I do I get a bonus?”

“
Yes,
” Shaw stated, grabbing the packet, then lifting it to plant it on Zeb’s chest. “A big bonus, man. But it has to look like an accident for the insurance. You did that kind of thing, right? With your wife.”

Zeb grabbed the packet so Shaw would lower his hand as his other fist clenched and he gritted his teeth to keep his cover. In his ear there were several exclamations of the kind expressing they had just got the fucker.

“I did,” Zeb uttered to Shaw’s question, and to buy him the seconds it was taking him to inwardly talk himself out of punching Shaw bloody now that they had him. Then that thing that made him a good sniper kicked in. It was a thing that slowed everything in his mind in tense situations, where he could see it all, and he knew he wanted to make sure, so he leaned toward Shaw.

“What have you tried already? To make it look like an accident? We need to make this look good,” Zeb said.

Shaw looked eager, with no clue what was about to go down, because in Zeb’s ear he heard that Justice was walking in, and that helped satisfy some of Zeb’s rage. “Her car, the brakes, but I must not have cut the brake line enough. Then I let loose a bull in a pen she was in at the rodeo, but some rodeo hand saved her, before the bull could gut her.”