AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The old hunting cabin where the murder had taken place was gone now; someone had burned it to the ground after Zeke and his mother left town. Zeke often wondered if his father had destroyed it. If he’d ever regretted that night and fought to get rid of the memories as well.
Zeke still had nightmares. He still remembered his father’s pride, how he had lifted the slain man’s head in one hand and smiled back at the camera James Maynard had wielded, as though the death were a triumph.
Zeke had become ill. He’d thrown up for days. For weeks he’d been unable to sleep, until he finally told his mother what had happened. It was then that she had packed their bags and escaped with him to Los Angeles, along with many of the pictures she knew his father had.
Her insurance, she had called it. And Thad Mayes had sent her more insurance over the years. He’d been confident she wouldn’t talk; she knew the price of talking. Everyone who talked died. Proof didn’t matter, but she’d had enough to keep her safe.
Now Zeke was breaking that unwritten law of keeping silent. He had talked. Years ago he had talked to Timothy Cranston when the plans to trap the homeland terrorist group were first being hatched.
He hadn’t known the Mackays would be brought in on it. He hadn’t known he would be pushed out of the investigation once it started. He hadn’t known about the pictures his mother had amassed. But he knew now. DHS knew now. They knew everything, even his own crime.
He’d stayed as far away from her as possible until it wasn’t possible any longer, he told himself. But he hadn’t used her to the extent she believed. Taking her to his bed had been something he’d been unable to fight. But still, it had played into the job he had set for himself. That of trapping the last members of the League.
He needed Gene’s attention focused on him while Cranston and the Mackay cousins worked their magic to finish the investigation they’d started years before.
It would come to a head tonight. They had the Walkers’ killers; they had the information on the last of the members of the League in this area as well as others. They had pictures; they had his mother’s journals, all of which would be turned over to Cranston the second they met up. And tonight Gene would be at the bar with the last members of the homeland terrorist organization that would finally be rooted from his county forever.
It was almost over. More than twenty years of hell, and Zeke would see the end of it tonight. When the sun broke in the morning, the weight of a lifetime of guilt would be lifted from his shoulders, and he would have the satisfaction of knowing he had finished it.
And tonight, Zeke had broken Rogue’s heart. He’d seen it in her eyes and he’d been helpless to stop it, just as he’d been helpless to stay away from her. He’d grasped at the excuse to forget his own principles and take her to his bed. He’d known what he was doing even as he’d done it, and he’d prayed they’d both survive it.
He had known he was going to hurt her, but he hadn’t expected to feel that pain as though it were a part of him as well. He hadn’t expected to hurt with her for everything he knew they may not have.
Not that Zeke was willing to let her go yet. He knew to the bot
tom of his soul if he survived this night, he’d do his best to heal her heart and claim it again. But if he didn’t return, if he couldn’t come back to her for whatever reason, then he’d know she wouldn’t wait. The pain would ease with the anger, and her hatred would protect him from her loyalty.
Turning onto the back road that led to Rogue’s bar, Zeke tightened his hands on the wheel of the Tahoe and felt the muscles in his jaw flex at the thought of claiming her, free and clear, knowing there might be a real future, rather than just the here and now, or the hope of a future.
This had been hanging over his head for too long. The risk of discovery before the remaining members of the League were identified. The risk that the men he was searching for would realize just how deep he was into this rather than watching from the sidelines as it had appeared.
At this point, nothing mattered but finishing this and getting back to Rogue to explain, to beg for forgiveness. To touch her. To know he had the right to touch her as he needed to. God help him, as he needed to.
The need to touch her, to taste her one last time had been nearly overwhelming. If he had though, he’d have not made it out of the house without possessing her, without telling her the truth. Without loving her.
“I’ll be back, Rogue,” he whispered, and he wished he had said it before he left.
He made the final turn toward the bar when the world exploded around him.
Zeke slammed on the brakes as a ball of fire erupted into the night where Rogue’s bar had been. Debris and flames tore through the darkness as vehicles were racing out of the parking lot.
It rained fire. The ground shook with a secondary explosion, spurring Zeke to slam his foot on the gas as he flipped the sirens on.
The Mackay cousins and Rogue’s brother were in that bar. They were waiting in the office, watching through the security cameras as Gene met with the other members of the League that were still free at the bar. He’d been meeting them right beneath Zeke’s nose. So confident. Damn him. He’d taken Zeke’s trust for granted, had taken his loyalty for granted.
All these years he had trusted Gene with the truth. He’d discussed each move he’d made with the other man; he’d let him in on every step he’d taken. And he’d been betrayed. He’d hoped he was wrong. Prayed he was wrong. He had never imagined the depths of Gene’s guilt though.
That betrayal was like acid on his tongue as the Tahoe screamed into the bar’s parking lot. The vehicle slid to a stop, rocking from the force applied to the brakes as Zeke caught sight of Dawg dragging Natches and John across the parking lot.
He jumped from the vehicle, racing toward them.
“Cranston and Rowdy. Where are they?” he screamed as he gripped Dawg’s shoulders, holding him in place.
Dawg’s face was pale, blood streaked, his green eyes wild. “Inside. Goddammit, they’re inside. ”
Everything inside Zeke began to congeal in complete rage. Turning on his heel, he ran for the bar. Pushing through the hysterical guests pouring from the main entrance to stagger into the smoky haze inside as he searched for the other two men.
“Cranston!” he screamed out the agent’s name.
