Chapter Nineteen

The place Logan sent to meet was on the outskirts of Oklahoma City and the chopper set them down in a field not far from the location.

They got into the waiting black SUV and the driver drove them to a rundown apartment building in a seedier part of town. It took a while because of the amount of construction going on. Finally parked, they got out and approached the front entrance.

Two US Marshals stood in front of the doorway and Jaxon pulled out his Cobalt Security badge. Logan had equipped each of his bodyguards with them and they helped in situations like this.

“Go on up, they’re expecting you. Fourth floor,” one of the marshals said and stepped aside.

Inside was a touch better than the rundown outside. The carpet looked like it had been a recent upgrade and the elevator appeared in working order.

He still felt uncomfortable leaving Hayden, even with both Brick and Felix there. It just didn’t sit right. Did Hayden have his phone yet? He checked his own for messages, but there was nothing. And before he could think twice, he sent Hayden a funny meme. Of course, if he got too antsy, he would call Felix and talk to Hayden on the bodyguard’s phone. Which, he would do if he needed really n—

“I wonder who they are,” Ryder murmured.

“What?” He blinked, gazing blankly at his friend.

“The marshal said they are expecting us.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Jaxon…I bet this is a fucking safe house,” Ryder said.

“Yeah.”

Jaxon’s gut tightened.

“Who do you think’s here? Someone connected to the Moss family?”

Fuck, his friend was quick. Of course, he was. Logan only hired the best.

“I don’t know.” But he had his suspicions, so that answer felt like a lie.

“I know your tells, bro.” Ryder squinted at him.

Jaxon ignored the man and pulled out the tie holding his hair at the back of his head and caught all the strands up again before retying the mass. Of course, several pieces escaped in the front and fell out, but the band kept most of it out of his way.

“Wouldn’t it be better to cut it off?” Ryder asked, changing the subject because he knew the look on his best friend’s face. Jaxon couldn’t be forced. “Or find a clip somewhere?”

Jaxon smirked and pulled his Glock from his shoulder holster beneath his black leather jacket. “Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have this sexy biker look.”

Ryder cackled. “You’re full of shit.”

Jaxon smirked. Hayden loved that his hair was long so he planned on keeping it that way.

Ryder snorted and rolled his eyes. “Why’d you pull your weapon?”

“Because I don’t trust anything right now,” he said and aimed the gun at the elevator doors when it pinged. Ryder slipped out his piece and did the same. When the elevator doors opened on the fourth floor, the hallway beyond was empty. Jaxon placed the toe of his boot to keep the doors open and then took a look out one way and then the other.

“Clear,” he said softly, but kept his gun up and ready.

Easing out into the hallway, he spotted another marshal standing in front of an open door. The guy pulled his piece and pointed it at them.

“Stand down.” Logan appeared behind the marshal and moved the man out of the way. Everyone put their weapons away.

Logan jerked his head to the apartment and they both followed their boss inside.

“Whose place is this?” Ryder asked.

“Well, that’s classified.” The reply came cockily from US Marshal Whiplash Tauber.

“Yeah, we could tell you, but then we’d have to, you know… kill you,” US Marshal Axel Bains added and the big man’s voice was teasing.

“Asshats,” Jaxon said with a grin and Whip stepped forward. Instead of the traditional handshake, Whip tugged Jaxon into a hug which he returned tightly, and then the same with Axel.

“What the hell are you two doing here?” Ryder chuckled, returning the same tight hugs with both men.

Whip and Axel exchanged a look between them before ushering both Ryder and Jaxon into the apartment’s small living room.

“Spill.” Jaxon gave a scowl and then jerked his eyes to Logan, who quietly shut the apartment door, leaving the five of them sequestered inside.

“This was the safe house for Wyatt Thorne,” Logan said, watching him closely.

Jaxon felt the blood leave his face and he planted his feet apart to keep from jerking from the blow. He glanced around, but Wyatt was nowhere in sight. What was clear was that Hayden’s brother wasn’t in this house safe and sound waiting to testify.

The Moss Crime family was ruthless, and they’d found Wyatt alive. The attempted murder of Hayden was connected. If they got Hayden, Wyatt would turn himself over. He knew that much having known the brothers for years. This was fucked up beyond all recognition.

“Where is Wyatt?” Jaxon croaked.

“We don’t know. We suspect that Andrew Moss hit this house, and we suspect he’s the one who tried to kill Hayden,” Axel interjected.

“Why’s that? Wouldn’t it be better served to have Hayden alive?” Ryder asked, almost reading his mind. Jaxon couldn’t speak, though, and he stood trying to swallow past the dryness in his throat.

“If they killed Hayden, Wyatt would be forced out of hiding to attend the funeral,” Whip murmured when Axel seemed reluctant to continue.

“It had to be Baron Turner,” Jaxon said flatly, he didn’t need to guess who wanted Wyatt dead.

Wyatt had worked for Baron Turner who was, and had in fact been, Andrew Moss’ second-in-command for years. In order to stay out of prison on racketeering charges, Wyatt had turned state’s evidence.

“That son of a bitch,” Jaxon snapped. He wasn’t talking about Turner, he was talking about Wyatt. “I knew one way or another, Wyatt was going to get Hayden killed.”

“Jaxon…” Whip murmured.

“No. Someone needs to put that motherfucker down,” Jaxon said. “Fuck turning state’s evidence. I say we call in Pegasus or Phoenix or fuck, even Erebus, and kill Turner and put a fucking bullet in Wyatt’s head.”

“Jaxon,” Whip said sharply.

Axel threw Whip a dark look.

“What?” Jaxon snarled.

Whip looked away from Axel and sent a hand thrusting through his long hair.

“What are you not telling me?” he asked through clenched teeth, sending a rage-filled look at Whip and Axel before turning on Logan, who stood gazing calmly back.

“Wyatt is not a criminal. He was placed in Andrew Moss’ organization,” Whip said.

“Placed? Like an undercover cop?” The words sounded thick on his tongue, it had to be shock. It was the last fucking thing in the world he expected, and the lies he’d been told all this time pissed him off even further. He’d known all along that Wyatt was in WITSEC, but what he hadn’t known was that Wyatt was undercover. Which meant Wyatt was innocent.

Thinking that Hayden’s brother was a criminal was the main reason Jaxon never felt much guilt about lying to Hayden.

“Yeah, Wyatt is a Federal agent,” Whip murmured.

The room closed in and then zoomed out. Every dirty thought he’d had about Wyatt came back. All the lies through the years to Hayden flittered through his head. All the fucking untruths time after time came slamming back into him, crushing his chest.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

“Because we needed Andrew Moss to think that Wyatt was dead. Only until the trial, then we were going to bring Wyatt in and he wanted to be the one to tell you and Hayden,” Whip said.

“But somehow, Wyatt’s whereabouts got out,” Logan interrupted.

“And Andrew Moss had his men hit this safe house,” Whip released with a heavy sigh.

“Is Wyatt dead?” Jaxon asked over the tightness in his throat. Hoping the fuck not was a pipe dream because he knew how the Moss crime family worked.

How the hell was he going to break the news to Hayden? And the thought of admitting his lie by telling him Wyatt was dead, plus not a criminal, suddenly turned his skin clammy.

“We don’t know if he’s dead or alive. We followed his exit path,” Axel rasped and stalked over to pull the door open.

With halting steps, Jaxon followed the big marshal out the door, along the hallway, and climbed out the fire escape after the man. When Axel climbed upward, Jaxon was right on the marshal’s ass with Ryder behind. They walked across the roof and Axel looked over the side to the metal shed-like building.

“I think he dropped down here and made it to the building next door. Instead of jumping, Axel went down the fire escape on this side of the building and up the ladder of the other building. Jaxon easily kept pace and soon they were standing at the far edge of the building next door and looking at a construction site.

“No way he could make that jump,” Axel pointed to the scaffolding about ten to fifteen feet from them.

Jaxon’s heart sank.

The jump did look impossible, and it took a few hours for them to search the area. They came up with no body, so they couldn’t be sure if Wyatt was dead or alive.

What they did find was blood.

Lots of blood.