TACK

I drop by the farm to pack up clean clothes. Not many people are around. Before riding out, I soak in the farm's serenity. This place was able to heal me before I could turn rotten inside. If I hadn't come here, I never would have been in the position to claim Hunter.

Before leaving the farm, I text Zoot, Noble, Aunt Fred, and Elvis to let them know I'm on my way to Harken and Sons Trucking Company where Zoot O'Malley keeps an office. My president stopped sending me threatening messages around eight a.m., so I'm unsure what I'll find when we come face to face. A subdued Zoot doesn't mean he's worn himself out as much as he's changing tactics.

Forty minutes later, I arrive at the boxy building, where several motorcycles and Aunt Fred's truck are parked. Inside, Zoot sits on the desk next to a sweaty Carys and an overly subdued Noble.

"Mom and Dad are speaking privately about private business," Carys announces and offers me an exaggerated wink. "I think I might be in labor. Keep the screaming down, okay?"

The last part of her comment is directed toward her uncles.

"No," Zoot replies and stomps back to his office.

Looking casual in jeans and a plain white T-shirt, Noble smiles at his oldest niece and says softly, "You can't keep using the fake labor bullshit to get what you want. Haven't you heard about the boy who cried wolf?"

"Yes, the boy ended up telling the truth at one point, but no one believed him. If you don't believe me when I'm telling the truth, I'm perfectly capable of contacting Aunt Dot to meet me at my home so she can catch Ripley flying out."

Smirking at her bullshit, Noble loses his amusement when his dark gaze finds me still waiting. His current expression reminds me how he's only the good cop because he's compared to Zoot.

"You saved Hunter," Carys whispers after Noble heads to the back office. "She's lucky to have such a sexy, devoted stalker."

"She agreed to a date," I reply in a hushed voice. "And she gave me a kiss this morning."

"I'm so happy for you, but you've got to survive my uncles before you can reach that date, babe. Good luck."

Leaving a smiling Carys, I walk toward the back office. Zoot can't even wait until the door is shut before he starts raging.

"What the fuck?" he demands and throws a stapler against the wall. "What the absolute fuck, Tack?"

Noble rests his ass on the desk and lets his older brother work out his frustrations.

"You went silent like a bitch!" Zoot hollers and his voice echoes in the closed room. "You are fucking with bigger shit than your crush!"

I let him call me a dozen variations of moron. There's no reason to speak up until he works his rage out of his system. Once he loses track of his insults, his dark eyes focus hard on my face as if ready to kill me with his mind.

"Hunter Knutsen is more than a rich bitch," I explain calmly while Zoot prepares to call me names again. "She's the woman I want to keep."

"Fair enough," Noble says before Zoot interrupts him.

"Don't baby him. He knows better."

"We all get lost in our emotions from time to time," Noble says and hands Zoot the banged-up stapler.

Sneering at his brother, Zoot warns, "I'm going to ram this thing up your ass."

"Doubtful," Noble says and focuses on me. "You had to make split-second decisions last night. We get that. But then, once things settled down, you were reluctant to share info. Your behavior felt like a kid scared of getting in trouble. You can't act like a child and then expect us to respect you like a man."

"But I am a man," I reply. "Like, even if I shit my pants and play with toys, I'm never going to be a kid. So, don't talk down to me."

Noble grins at my anger while Zoot eyeballs the stapler bouncing in his hand.

"The pigs were all over us last night," Noble explains. "You bailed on the scene, and Knutsen security wouldn't say anything more than to call the family's lawyers. But the pigs are still expecting to talk to Hunter and you. They want the weapon you used to off the assholes."

"What the fuck for?"

Noble frowns at my question. "You know exactly what's happening between the club and the cops. They've smelled blood in the water ever since the Kovak family was attacked. So, they're applying pressure on the club to see how we react."

"And your solution is to bow to them?"

"No, dickhead," Zoot growls. "We've got nothing to hide here, so we're playing ball. That way, when we do have something to hide, we'll have created some goodwill."

Assuming he got that idea from his more rational sister-in-law Aunt Fred, I ask, "Goodwill with the pigs?"

"Life must be so easy for you," Zoot snarls while still bouncing the stapler in his hand. "Do you think we can pick and choose our allies? This city has a million moving parts, but you just see what you want and ignore the rest."

"Yeah, because I'm not running the club."

"And do you want it to stay that way?" Noble asks as he rubs his dark beard and judges me. "Zoot, Elvis, and I aren't young men."

"We're fine," Zoot sneers at his brother.

Ignoring Zoot's interruption, Noble continues, "If we're out of the picture, who do you see running the club?"

"The same person who runs it now," I reply.

"Funny," Noble says, though his smile doesn't reach his eyes. "Do you think you can keep Aunt Fred safe if we're gone? Or will you be too busy playing lover boy to stop our enemies from ending her?"

Exhaling deeply, I know Aunt Fred's death would kill me. She's always treated me right, even when I acted like a fool. I wouldn't be the man I am now if it wasn't for her patience. No way would I have a shot with Hunter, either.

"Fine. I'll behave. Talk to the cops. Give you whatever details you want. Hand over my weapon. You know how I'd normally put the club first, but last night was different."

Settling down slightly, Zoot rests the stapler on his desk and drops into his seat.

"Hunter is the woman I want," I continue just to fill the silence. "That's been obvious for a while."

"It's true," Noble tells Zoot. "We were just talking the other day about how Tack is a lovesick dummy."

Zoot smirks at his brother's comment. "Yeah, but he's fucking with the club by putting this chick first."

Irritated by their dismissive tone, I point out, "If Natasha was in danger, would Bear have to stand down for the club's sake? No. Pork Chop wouldn't sit on his hands if Carys needed protecting. Why am I the one who has to kneel?"

"Because those fuckers know what their women's pussies feel like," Zoot sneers at me. "You've got a fucking crush. It's not the same."

"I love Hunter."

The mood in the room shifts. Zoot stands up and joins Noble. The brothers face me as if I'm a threat. Before I can ask what the fuck their problem is, Noble glances down at my hands.

"Chill, Tack."

Only then do I realize I've balled my hands into fists. My temper is known to break loose from its leash from time to time. Zoot and Noble aren't crazy to worry.

"They were going to take Hunter last night," I mutter and force my hands to relax. "I don't know who wants her or why, but I nearly lost her. So, spare me the ‘lovesick loser' bullshit, okay?"

"Love makes a man weak," Noble says in a relaxed voice.

Zoot only shrugs at his brother's comment and returns to his seat. Noble gets how love can break a man. His girlfriend was killed in a drive-by shooting back when he was barely a man. I've seen him charm women around the clubhouse. His bed is rarely empty, yet there are moments when I notice him nursing those old wounds.

I sometimes worry that'll be me. If I can't get Hunter to give us a real shot, will I end up as a forty-year-old man swimming in regrets?

"Hunter plans to hide out in Hong Kong until this thing is dealt with," I explain, hating to say the words. "I want to escort her to the airport. I'd like to take a few guys with me."

"No," Zoot mutters and rolls his eyes.

To counter his brother's dismissive bullshit, Noble tries logic on me. "Hunter has the money to double her security detail. She doesn't need our guys in the mix."

"I still want to escort her."

"If someone is gunning for her and they know you saved her ass last night," Zoot explains slowly as if I'm a dumbass, "they're going to kill you first. Why the fuck should we let you put your life on the line? Naw, fuck that. Let her security team get killed to keep her alive."

Narrowing my eyes at Zoot, I meet his aggression with my own. "Feel free to keep the guys from coming with me, but you won't stop me from escorting her."

"You aren't your own man," Noble reminds me.

"If it was your heart, you'd blow off Zoot and do what you want."

Noble glances at his brother and then back at me. "No, I wouldn't. That's not a hypothetical, either. I could have walked away from Zoot, Elvis, and the club back when I had Xana. She'd be alive. I'd have fewer scars, but I made a choice back then. I'd make the same one now."

"Well, I'm not willing to sacrifice Hunter for the club. Every man has a limit, and this is mine. If you asked me to go to a certain death for the Backcountry Kings, I'd do that shit in a heartbeat. But I can't let Hunter die or get snatched away. It'd kill me, and I'd hate you for making me choose."

"Look at the little shit threatening us," Zoot mutters, even as the heat of his rage fades.

"For now, let's set aside your childish behavior last night," Noble says, clearly pissed at how I blew him off at the garage. "From the club's standpoint, protecting Hunter makes sense. Having someone within our social circle get abducted would make the club look weak. Meaning Hunter's safety is our problem."

"Fuck that," Zoot growls, as his temper roars back to life. "Suzanne has the money to hire a fucking army to follow Hunter around."

"She'll need to do more, for sure," Noble replies in a calm voice. "But Hunter is seen in public with Siobhan and Carys all the fucking time. She's known to be tight with Natasha Kovak, too. If she's taken, the club will take the heat. Let's just accept this is our problem and move on."

"Fuck you. I'm not turning our club into a security detail for every rich fuck in Banta City," Zoot snarls, getting in his brother's face. "Suzanne called us to help her older girl. Now, we're saving Hunter. How soon will it be until this city looks at the Backcountry Kings as expendable bodyguards for the wealthy assholes?"

"That's a valid point," Aunt Fred says from behind me.

Having never heard the door open, I have no idea how long she's been listening. Aunt Fred's thick, curly brown hair is tied up on her head and she wears a white T-shirt and faded blue jeans. Her outfit mimics the brothers' clothes, yet they look rough while she seems soft.

"Don't take his side," Zoot demands of his sister-in-law. "Tack fucked up. He's too emotional. No one should listen to him."

She smiles at his bullshit before patting my cheek. "How is Hunter?"

"Banged up but okay. That's what she says, anyway."

"You kept her safe yesterday, but you shouldn't hide from your club. This isn't an either-or situation. Hunter is our problem, too."

"Is she, though?" Zoot asks and drops into his chair like a giant pissed baby.

Noble glares at his brother. "I knew you weren't listening when I was talking earlier."

Aunt Fred ignores them and studies me. "Who do we think is behind these attacks?"

"Someone's trying to grab her. A weirdo, maybe. Or a kidnap and ransom situation."

Aunt Fred looks at Noble. "Did you dig up any useless information about the dead guys?"

"They'd have been more useful if they weren't dead," Zoot grumbles in my direction.

Ignoring Zoot, Noble explains, "They were ex-military. Rangers or some shit. They were likely guns for hire."

Aunt Fred focuses on me. "Hunter lives very publicly. She'd be an ideal target for a for-profit kidnapping. Suzanne has kidnap and ransom insurance for her daughters and is less likely to contact the police for help. Someone might think taking Hunter would be an easy payday."

"The mugger was a local thug," Noble says. "He did time for minor assault, petty theft, dick-flashing pervert shit. Nothing too serious, but he'd definitely take a job to grab her for easy cash."

Zoot stops glaring at me and explains, "Our guys hit up the hotel rooms belonging to last night's assholes before the pigs could. There was nothing to tie the abductors to a bigger boss. They drove to town in a rental car. They visited once before, hit up the casinos, and partied. We've got them on cameras all over town. Nothing suspicious then or now about their movements."

Noble adds, "We have out-of-state people tracking down info. Whoever hired them is likely local, so we need to figure out how the Banta City asshole found these two guys."

"So, we have a local fucker who hires the mugger first," Zoot says while Aunt Fred settles in a chair near me. "They figure grabbing Hunter will be easy. She runs around town without security. But she ends up kicking the first guy's ass. So, the head asshole hires these two pros from out of town to snatch her up. But he isn't aware of her connection to the club or how Tack has Hunter followed. Another failed plan. Does he give up?"

"Depends on what he wants from her," Aunt Fred answers softly. "Kidnap and ransom targets aren't usually heavily protected. If they want easy money, they'll give up now rather than risk more losses."

Noble says, "When Suzanne's other daughter was attacked in Banta City, the motive wasn't even related to anything here. Maybe this shit is about fucking with Suzanne. Or Hunter's west coast dad pissed off someone. Or it's even about Austen again. We might be making assumptions. Hell, look at who attacked the Kovak convoy. The town thinks it was a rival when we know the motive was something personal. So, maybe we step back and consider all possible suspects."

Feeling invisible as they make plans about my woman, I state, "When Hunter is in Banta City, I'm taking charge of her security."

Aunt Fred stands up and pats my cheek. "If you and Hunter work out, you can't be the help, Tack. Let a professional worry about her security, while you enjoy Hunter's company."

Despite my heart disagreeing, Aunt Fred's words make sense. I don't want Hunter to view me as her employee. I'm looking to be the man she comes home to every night, not the security chief she checks in with at the end of the day.

"Okay, but I'm still escorting her to the airport. I want to take a few guys to keep an eye out."

Aunt Fred glances back at Noble who offers a shrug. Zoot shakes his head until she unleashes the massive power of her winning smile. Finally, he gives a dramatic eye roll and agrees.

"Fine, you can take your usual crew," Zoot mutters. "Not Pork Chop, though. After he gets done with his paternity leave bullshit, I'm moving him over to a new crew filled with recently patched guys. The plan was for Bear to take them under his wing, but he's gotten all stupid because of his wife and kids. I can't trust him to keep his head on straight, so Pork Chop will have to do. You can take Indigo and Golden."

"What about Claw?"

"His balls were injured in a fight with the missus," Noble replies, fighting a smirk. "Can't ride for a while. Indigo and Golden should be enough."

"What if I can get Bear to come along?"

"It's a ride to the fucking airport," Zoot snarls before going still. "I smell bacon."

On the security feed, we see two patrol cars and a sedan pull into the lot.

"Your sense of smell will never cease to amaze me," Noble says to Zoot while standing up and heading for the office door. "Tack, let's do this thing with the cops quickly and send you on your way."

In the front office, Carys stands near her desk and pretends to hula-dance while Elvis shakes his ass around the room to "Hound Dog." They don't stop when we appear from the back or when the pigs enter from the front.

"How's that labor going?" Noble asks his niece. "Will I need to get towels and hot water?"

"Nobody likes a smartass," she replies. "Not even one as handsome as you."

Grinning as she pats his cheek, Noble glances at his still-dancing brother. Elvis doesn't give a shit about the cops. He's never had a head for planning. Elvis is the fun O'Malley brother. That's how it was when they were kids, and he isn't changing in his sixties.

I assume having a wife like Aunt Fred and two fun daughters has helped keep him chill over the years. Loneliness can fuck with a man. It's turned me into a colder person. I was more easygoing before I fell for and lost Hunter. Now, I feel deprived every damn day.

After last night, I've lost my patience. I want to bulldoze through these cops and get back to Hunter. She'll be gone soon, and I have no fucking idea when she's coming back. Tonight might be my final chance to win her heart.