AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jack glanced at the display of his mobile phone, recognized Lucas’s number, and activated the call with a frown.
“Thought you had a meeting,” he remarked, keeping his voice low, aware that Caine Crossfield was standing close enough to hear his side of the conversation.
The other man had approached him moments ago, seemingly just to say hello.
“Rescheduled.” Lucas’s tone was hard and layered with ice as Jack stepped farther away from Caine. “We have a problem.”
“Go on,” Jack directed him when Lucas paused.
“I was heading to the meeting when I passed the grocery store and glimpsed a stranger standing at the back of Poppy’s SUV just as she jumped into the path of an oncoming truck in the parking lot. I pulled over just to watch, make sure she was okay. Driver must have known her. He hurried her into her vehicle and got her out of there. I don’t know what was said, but she looked scared, boss. I followed her back to the house; I’m watching her place from your house now. I’m almost positive the fucker standing at the back of her car was Rollins’s man Van Nyes. And I think I glimpsed his cousin, Alberts, in a car that pulled out behind me and followed us back to her street before moving on.”
Fuck. He knew he should have found that bastard and his men the night before and taken care of them.
“I’m on my way.” Jack disconnected the call and turned and strode quickly away from the conversation he’d been having with Caine Crossfield.
He pushed through the door as he slid on his sunglasses, his gaze raking over the area, searching for any of Rollins’s men as he mounted the bike and hit the ignition before pulling out of the parking spot and accelerating away from the bar.
Ian had contacted him with the group’s location earlier and the information that they were currently away from the small, unoccupied farmhouse several miles out of town. A secluded little place owned by Crossfield-Dawson.
Not that the information on the owner proved anything. The company owned many unoccupied homes, and he knew Poppy put a lot of effort into filling them. The acquisitions manager, Sasha Crossfield, put just as much effort into finding and acquiring even more commercial and residential properties.
From all appearances, Rollins and his men had simply taken advantage of the deserted house and its secluded location to crash.
They’d die there too, Jack decided. If he didn’t get the chance to take them out before that.
He wasn’t a stupid man. Rollins’s men had every intention of grabbing Poppy.
The subtle beep of a text message came through. Lucas. He’d called Hayes and Hank back to the house. Something Jack would have done as soon as he pulled into his driveway.
Lucas was a hell of a second. He had no desire to lead, even while in the SEALs. But he was damned good operating as second in lead, as Jack was learning.
It didn’t take long to get back to the house. Backing his bike in next to his truck, he sat silently, watching Poppy’s kitchen window, saw her moving past it, then turning back to whatever she was doing.
Narrowing his eyes, he watched a few more minutes, catching sight of her every few seconds. Everything seemed okay, quiet. She didn’t seem stressed or moving in agitated motions that might indicate she had unwanted company.
Confident she was safe for the moment, he strode quickly to the house.
Just inside the door, Lucas sat with one of the high-powered rifles he’d brought to the house earlier in the week, his closed, set expression unemotional, his dark gray eyes flat and hard.
“Alberts made a pass in the car earlier,” Lucas said quietly as Jack stood silent, still, in front of the door. “That little security camera you connected to your system at the front of her house”—he nodded his salt-and-pepper head toward the display monitor—“showed the car making two more passes after that, Van Nyes and Alberts both inside. They haven’t returned in the past few minutes, though.”
“Where are Hayes and Hank?” Jack asked, keeping his voice low.
“They’re holding in a little restaurant in Huntington awaiting further direction. They’re on the bikes, but Hank has an SUV parked close if needed. Prepared little fucker, ain’t he?”
Jack remained still.
From the moment he’d learned Poppy had been approached, ice had begun filling him. He hadn’t experienced it since catching sight of her again. The cold had slowly eased, leaving him not exactly friendly and warm, but more… content maybe.
He wasn’t content now.
“Go to the basement and pack the gear you need from the supply room, along with any ammo you need. Contact Hank and Hayes. If they don’t have what they need in that SUV, then pack for them. We’ll meet them in Huntington. I’ll get ahold of Ian and have him apprise us on when all four men are back at the farm. We’ll go in as soon as they return.”
He already had his gear packed. Mission clothes, boots, weapons, and ammo. Not that he expected the mini-war he’d be able to engage in with everything he’d stored beneath the seats of the truck, but he was prepared.
“I have what I need in the bike’s saddlebags,” Lucas stated, the information not surprising Jack. “The others do as well.”
“I’ll contact Ian. We’ll stay here and watch her until we know they’re in place, then leave.”
