“Yes, I will marry you, and yes, tomorrow works for me.” He smiled up at her, and Sunny couldn’t believe that this was all happening. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world, and tomorrow she would become Aaron’s wife, and she couldn’t wait.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Aaron woke to the choking smell of smoke, and he immediately jumped from the bed. He and Sunny spent the rest of their romantic evening together making love and planning out their future. They decided to leave Sadie with Piper and Tag, not wanting to wake everyone in the middle of the night. He shook Sunny, and she woke up groggy.
“Baby, I need you to wake up. I think the cabin is on fire.” Sunny sat straight up and tried to look around. The smoke was thick, and Aaron was worried that they were trapped in the bedroom. He got up, pulled on his clothes, and secured his gun in the waistband of his jeans. Norma Jeane insisted on his carrying a weapon, given the threat to him and his family. It just might come in handy now, especially if whoever started the fire was waiting for them once they got safely outside.
“Get dressed, Sunny. We need to go out through there.” He nodded to the window behind the bed. Aaron felt the doorknob, and it burned his hand. The window would be their only escape. They were only a few feet off the ground, so it wouldn’t be too far to jump. He helped Sunny find her shoes, rushed her to the open window, and popped the screen from the frame.
“I need you to jump, honey.” The fear in Sunny’s eyes almost undid him. He felt it too, but he couldn’t panic. He was trained for situations like these. He was usually on the other side of events, though, and not a victim.
“I know that you’re scared, baby, but Sadie needs us both to get out of here alive. I’ll lower you down and you’ll just about be ground level, all right?” Sunny let a sob escape at the mention of their daughter, but then she pulled herself together and nodded.
“All right,” she agreed. “You’ll be right behind me?” He nodded and smiled, trying to reassure her. “I’m not going to stick around here if that’s what you mean. I’ll be right behind that cute little ass of yours, honey. Then, we can run down to Norma Jeane’s to make sure the others are okay.” Sunny sat in the window frame and turned to grab Aaron’s hands. He lowered her down until her feet almost touched the ground. She fell back into the dirt but shouted up that she was all right. Aaron took one last look around their room and worked his way through the window. It was a tight fit, but he just made it through, jumping down to the ground next to Sunny.
“Let’s go, honey.” They started for the main house, both turning to look at the small cabin that they shared. It was completely engulfed in flames. They stopped at Clint’s cabin, and Aaron banged on the door. After he just about knocked it in, Clint opened his door. Once he saw the blazing cabin across the road, he seemed to wake up. He called in his entire security team and the local fire company to put out the fire before it had time to spread. The last thing they needed was an uncontrolled fire so close to the main house.
“I’ll go find the others and make sure Sadie is safe.” Sunny nodded to the main house, and Aaron reluctantly let her go. Guards were swarming the house, making sure that everyone inside was all right. Still, he didn’t want to let her out of his sight.
“Go directly to the house. I’ll be right behind you,” Aaron ordered. He watched as she disappeared into the house, and his cell phone chimed in his pocket. He pulled it out to find a text from Reid.Me again, but you probably guessed that. I see that you and your girl had a hot night in more than one way. We need to meet Aaron, just you and me. I’ll be waiting for you on the northern mountain where you were surveying today with your friend. I’ve taken precautions. Come alone, or I will make sure you never see your girl or baby again.
“Fuck,” Aaron swore. He re-read the text and had a pretty good idea what Reid meant by precautions—he wasn’t working alone. But who on Norma Jeane’s ranch would betray them? Hell, maybe it was someone from town, he just didn’t know. The only clear thing was that he wanted this entire fucking nightmare to be over. He couldn’t leave Sunny and Sadie unprotected, but he knew exactly who to call to help with that. He didn’t hesitate to dial Tag’s number. His friend answered on the first ring.
“Man, tell me this isn’t fucking happening,” Tag growled into the phone.
“I wish I could. Is Sunny safe?” Aaron needed to make sure that she was okay, but he didn’t want her to find out about his plan to meet up with Reid. She wouldn’t let him just go off without her. “Yeah,” Tag sighed into the line. “She’s feeding the baby, and everyone else is awake and on high alert. You need me to come out there, man?” Aaron knew that Tag was the only person he could trust with his family. He needed him to make sure that Sunny and his daughter were kept safe, no matter what happened to him.
“No, listen, man, I need a favor.” Tag grunted into the phone as if knowing what Aaron was about to ask. “Reid texted me again. He wants to meet up where you and I set the last markertoday, up on the mountain.” Aaron started for the trail that would lead him to where he was supposed to meet Reid.
“No fucking way, Aaron. You don’t fucking meet with him alone,” Tag barked.
“He’s not working alone, Tag. If I had to guess, he’s got someone on the inside, watching us. That’s how he knew which cabin Sunny and I were in. That’s how he’s stayed one step ahead of us this whole time. Someone let him into the main house to get to Norma Jeane and Sadie. I’m thinking it’s someone on the security team, but I don’t know that for sure,” Aaron said.
“Fuck,” Tag swore again. “This whole thing is turning sideways fast. I’ve got your girls covered, man. But you need to take some backup; you can’t face that crazy asshole alone.” Aaron was already halfway to the meeting place. He knew that his best friend was going to try to stop him from going alone, and he couldn’t risk showing up with backup when Reid told him to come alone. “I’ve got this, Tag. You just keep my family safe for me. If I don’t make it back, I need you to promise me that you’ll help Sunny take care of my daughter.” Tag growled into the phone, and Aaron smiled. His best friend wasn’t used to people not following his orders. Tag was always the one in the group that everyone turned to for help or advice. It must have rubbed him the wrong way that Aaron wasn’t following his commands.
“You better fucking come back, Aaron. But you know that I’ll always have your back. You’re my brother, and Sadie and Sunny are my family too. You have my word.” Tag promised into the phone. Aaron smiled, knowing that his friend meant every word. He hung up and slipped his cell into his jacket. He didn’t want any distractions when he faced Reid. Knowing that Tag would keep his girls safe gave him the peace of mind to face his past. He just hoped like hell that he’d walk away again this time. He had too much to lose if he didn’t.
Tag walked into the bedroom that he and Piper were staying in as Sunny finished up feeding Sadie. Aaron still didn’t come in, and she was starting to worry that he had gone back to the cabin to help put the fire out. She knew that he was good at his job and that he would be as safe as possible. But she also knew how dangerous his work was—something she would have to get used to if she was going to be his wife.
“Who was that on your cell?” Piper eyed Tag suspiciously, and Sunny didn’t miss the unspoken message that passed between the two. Piper even changed the subject, asking if Sunny was cold or needed anything to drink.
“What the hell is going on, Tag?” Sunny stood and put Sadie back into the crib that Norma Jeane set up for her. “Was that Aaron on the phone?” She turned to face Tag, and from the guilty expression on his face, she knew that she had guessed right. “What’s happened to Aaron? Why didn’t he follow me in? He said that he would be right behind me.” She tried to leave the room, but Tag’s big body blocked the doorway. Panic welled inside of her chest, and she knew that Aaron did something dangerous or worse, Reid got to him. “No!” Sunny tried to push her way through Tag, but that was like trying to move a mountain. He gently pulled her into his arms, letting her cry.
“I’m sorry, Sunny. He wouldn’t even let me go with him. He’s afraid that Reid has someone working on the inside, watching us. He made me promise to stay with you and Sadie.” Tag’s arms tightened around her as sobs escaped her body.
“He went after that madman?” Sunny sobbed. “How could you let him go, Tag?” She smacked at his chest, causing no real damage. Tag let her take out her anger and frustration onhim until she pushed him away and slumped to the floor. Piper dropped to her knees and pulled Sunny into her arms.
“He’ll be fine, Sunny. He’s smart and he knows how to handle himself,” Piper offered. Sunny had no fight left in her. She knew that Piper’s words were just empty promises. Sawyer and Lorna were standing in the hallway outside the room, watching the whole scene. Tag let them both in, and Lorna rushed to help comfort Sunny. She wished they would just leave her alone. Hell, she wished they would let her go out after Aaron. What if he needed her? What if he was on the side of the mountain, hurt, or worse? Another sob racked her body as she thought about raising Sadie on her own. God, she was going to marry him, and now that might never happen. He just had to be safe—she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Tag filled Sawyer in on everything that Aaron told him, even showing him the text from Reid that Aaron forwarded to his phone. Sawyer called the new information to the FBI agents who showed up when they heard about the fire at the ranch. Poor Norma Jeane had her hands full with directing everyone where to go. Sunny could hear the older woman down in the main hall barking orders to everyone. She secretly wished that she could be that strong, but right now, all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and wish this whole nightmare over.
“Shit, we need to figure out who else is in on this nightmare. Does Aaron have any guesses as to who would be working with Reid?” Sawyer asked, and Tag shook his head. “Well, I’m going to head out to find Aaron. Tell me where I need to look. Where were you two marking this afternoon? I’ll take a few men with me.” Sawyer looked over to Lorna and nodded as if silently telling her that he’d be safe and not take any chances. Sunny wished Aaron had confided in her or at least told her his plans. But he took off on his own to save them all without consideringher feelings. Sunny stood up to pace while Lorna and Piper sat on the edge of the bed as if not knowing what to do for her.
“It would have to be someone on the security team,” she whispered to herself. Tag and Sawyer watched her. “I’m right, aren’t I? It’s a member of Norma Jeane’s security team.” Sunny strode past Tag, not letting him stop her this time. “Stay with Sadie, Pipe. I’ve got a rat to find and then I’m going to find my future husband and kick his ass.” Sunny made her way down the staircase, Sawyer and Tag hot on her heels.
“You can’t do anything to help Aaron,” Tag barked. “He would want you to stay with Sadie and be safe.” He grabbed for her arm, but she shook off his hand, turning to face him, feeling full of fury.
“Well, I don’t give a fuck what Aaron would want. I wanted Aaron to fill me in on his plan to meet with that crazy asshole. He’s already killed Aaron’s friends and their families. But my fiancé disregarded my feelings and went off to save the world. So, I’m going to do what I can to help, whether he likes it or not. We are a team now, and he’ll do well to remember that.” Tag and Sawyer stood dumbstruck, watching her as if they didn’t know what to do next.
“I don’t know why you are still here,” she said to Sawyer. “You need to go and get your team together to go out to find Aaron.” Sawyer still watched her like a deer frozen in the headlights of an oncoming car. “Go!” she barked, and Sawyer jumped. He turned to leave, and she faced Tag, who was smiling at her like a goon. “What in the hell are you smiling at, Taggart Harrison?” She put her hands on her hips and tried to look taller than her 4 feet 11 inches.
