Chapter 26

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

Wilson McCray

3 months later Coeur d’Alene hotel bar

I threw back the rest of my whisky and looked across the low round table to the two men across from me. I waited for the Japanese blend to work it’s magic.

No such luck.

The burn was still present.

“Have you spoken to Jack?” I asked Saint “Pete” Young.

“Respect Wilson, you know I wouldn’t do that shit.”

He wouldn’t. That’s why he was taking time having this meet when he should’ve been visiting with his sister Mia the night before her wedding.

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t poach one of my men.

“We have a situation in Honduras,” Pete paused to look over at former DEA Agent Beckett Yates. Now clean-shaven, fresh haircut, and in a suit. Beckett looked nothing like Butch though he hadn’t yet lost the wariness. After years undercover, I figured that would take a while. “Beck will be joining us in San Diego, but I need Jack. He knows the Eastern Caribbean Lowlands better than anyone I know.”

This was true. Jack had spent a lot of his military career in Central America.

I didn’t want to lose Jack.

But I was going to lose him all the same.

Fuck.

“My team won’t be happy,” I noted.

Pete set his empty glass on the table, and leaned forward. His eyes glinted with unleashed anger.

“Your team will give their blessing when we lay out the mission,” he countered. “Every thirty-six hours a woman dies in La Lima. Femicide isn’t on the rise, it’s at the peak. The time to step up was years ago when the gangs took over. Now it’s way past time and I’m making it my mission to end the terror. Women are no longer safe to be alone in their own homes. They can’t walk to the store, they can’t work, they can’t be out with friends without the risk of dying. This has to end.”

The man wasn’t wrong—it was time to put an end to femicide and Jack would be all over this operation and he’d have my team’s blessing.

“Whatever you need from Takeback,” I conceded.

Pete sat back and relaxed.

“Right now all I need is Jack but in the future we might need backup.”

“Then you’ll have it.”

“Appreciated. Hate to cut this short but I need to get back to Mia and find Cole so I can threaten to kick his ass again if he fucks over my sister.”

There was no chance Cole would fuck over Mia, he’d waited decades to have her again. However it was a brother’s duty to threaten the man who was marrying his baby sister.

“And Beck needs to get back to San Diego before someone sees him. Though not many Horsemen are still around after the takedown and I’m not sure the ones who aren’t behind bars are observant enough to recognize him now that he’s lost the dirty biker look.”

Dirty biker look was an understatement. By the end of Butch’s time undercover he’d looked beat down and disheveled. As for the Horsemen, I wasn’t giving any of those assholes any more of my time. Zeus dying put an end to the DEA’s investigation. The members who Brasco and DEA had evidence on were locked up, the rest—and there were only a handful not caught up in the sweep—scrambled.

The Horsemen were no more.

Thank fuck.

“How’s sunny CA treating you?” I asked Beck.

“Breathing clean.”

Two words that said it all.

“Pleased for you.” I turned back to Pete. “Don’t get into a bust-up with Cole. It’d suck if you had a fat lip and a black eye in your sister’s wedding pictures.”

Saint “Pete” Young smiled. It was the kind of smile a man had when he knew his sister had found a good man who would make it his mission to make her happy.

“Yeah, that’d suck. See you tomorrow.”

I sat back in the plush chair in the corner of the bar and watched the men make their exit.

Fuck, I was losing Jack.

Now that the Horsemen were down and Brasco and River weren’t on edge it was time for Takeback to get back to work.

I shot off a text to my contact at Homeland to let him know we were available.

Before I could pocket my phone it buzzed in my hand.

Good timing. Two weeks. Las Vegas.

Las Vegas had earned it’s nickname honestly, there was no shortage of sin.

I sent a return text confirming we were in and stood to leave when a beautiful woman at the bar caught my attention.

Brunette, pretty face, full lips, curvy in all the right places, long legs, and alone.

Just my type.

I made a detour to the bar, left a stool between us, and sat down.

The bartender made his approach just as the woman turned to look at me.

Now that I was close I could see her big brown eyes were better than those long legs. And I was a sucker for tall women. My wife had been blonde, blue-eyed, and short. In the years she’d been gone I hadn’t touched a blonde or a woman who didn’t have some height.

“Another Hibiki?” the bartender asked.

“That and whatever she’s having.”

“Boulevardier. Makers,” the woman smoothly put in. “And thank you.”

The bartender made his leave and I went back to the woman.

“I’m Wilson.”

“Atlee.”

Unusual name.

“Fitting.”

“What is?”

“Your name.”

Those brown eyes lit with humor.

“Is this where you give me some cheesy pick-up line?”

Her smile was alluring, but her wit was what had me ensnared.

“I don’t do cheesy pick-up lines.”

“Are there non-cheesy pick-up lines?”

Oh, yeah, I was enthralled.

“Not that I know of.”

Our drinks were placed in front of us, I picked up mine, motioned for her to do the same, and offered a toast.

“To a night full of orgasms.”

She smiled wider and asked, “Would those be yours or mine?”

“Depends on what your plans are for tonight.”

Our glasses were still close but untouched when Atlee volleyed, “I hope we’re not toasting to a night of self-love. That would be disappointing.”

Totally dug this woman.

“Finish your drink Atlee.”

I clinked mine against hers.

She took a healthy swallow.

I was losing Jack.

But that was a tomorrow problem.

Tonight, I had Atlee.

Takeback continues with Dangerous Affair…

Wilson and Atlee’s story.

I wonder what Mrs. S is going to think about Wilson and her granddaughter… ;)