“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Putting us to bed.”
“I can walk from the bathroom to the bed.”
“This is more fun.”
She laughed and twined her arms around his neck. “Then be my guest.”
He laid her on the bed, turned out the lights, then slid in beside her, drawing her next to him. She sighed and snuggled closer, wiggling her butt against his crotch.
“Keep that up and we’ll never get any sleep.”
“Sleeping’s overrated,” she said with a loud yawn.
Within a few minutes, she was sound asleep.
And he was really damned content having her in his arms.
There were a million reasons why that was a bad thing, but he was too tired to think about them. All he cared about was having Jess in his arms and needing at least a few hours sleep.
He could brood tomorrow.
THANKFULLY, CRUSH HADN’T WANTED TO TAKE OFF UNTIL NOON. Jessie felt like there were lead weights pressing on her eyes. Lead weights coated with sand.
They’d managed a few hours of sleep before having to get up, eat, check out, and find Spence, then head over to meet Crush and the others.
She craved a nap like nobody’s business. She’d bet it was going to be a really long day. Once they met up with the Skulls, Crush informed them they were going to ride east toward the Buffalo River, then stay at a lodge for a few days and ride the trails.
Jessie loved roughing it—typically. But right now she could use a day in her room with the covers over her head. The past couple of days had been monumental, to say the least. She needed some time to absorb it all.
Unfortunately there was no time to think about her and Diaz, about sex, about anything but the mission. They were too busy. She was pretty impressed by Crush’s gang. She’d thought it was just bikers, but it wasn’t. When they met on the outskirts of town, there were the typical bikes, but also a few RVs and trucks towing enclosed trailers, too.
“It appears the Skulls have an entourage,” Jessie said to Crush.
Crush shrugged. “Some of our people like to travel in comfort, some don’t care for hotels so they use the campsites. Then we have a few folks who come in from far enough away that they trailer their bikes and drive in. Plus we pack tools, parts, and equipment in the trucks and trailers.”
“But not you,” Diaz said.
Crush patted his side saddlebags. “Everything I need is on my bike.”
After Crush took off to head the motorcade, Diaz exchanged looks with Spence and Jessie. “I didn’t know about the RVs and trailers.”
“You think they could be housing weapons?” Spence asked.
“It’s a possibility. I’d like to get inside and see.”
“We’ll have to figure out who’s driving them,” Jessie said. “Maybe we’ll get a chance to sneak in, or if we’re friendly enough, get an invite into the RVs.”
“Don’t need an invite.” Spence looked at Diaz and raised his brows, his meaning clear.
They were, after all, thieves.
“Damn straight. It’s all about opportunity. We’ll have to keep close watch on those RVs and trailers, see where they go.”
Jessie nodded. “If we’re all going to the same place, that should be easy enough.”
“Let’s hope that’s the case,” Diaz said.
Crush fired up his bike, signaling all of them it was time to go. The bikers led the way, the RVs and trucks bringing up the rear.
They rode for several hours and for a while Jessie forgot all about the mission because the day was gorgeous—a hint of fall in the crisp, biting air, the wind swirling around them as they took the narrow, curving, two-lane roads heading east. On one stop Crush explained the RVs and trucks would have to take the highway because the narrow switchbacks and steep hills were too tough for them to navigate. In other words—bikes only. The others would meet them at the river in a few hours.
The ride was an absolute blast. Over fifty bikers lined up in single file maneuvering over one hell of a fun road—and the view was incredible. The higher the elevation became, the closer they got to the national forest and river, the denser the trees became. Even the smells became more prominent. Earthier, more woodsy and primitive—cleaner. Jessie could feel herself growing closer to nature up here. Maybe it was the utter quiet; despite the roar of all the bike engines, she still felt at peace here. And there were no houses, no businesses, just sky, trees, and birds flying along with them as they soared through the hills.
DIAZ HAD TOLD HER THAT’S WHY THE EXTREME SURVIVALISTS liked it up here. They wanted to isolate themselves from government interference, from anyone who didn’t meet their religious, political, and racial standards.
She disagreed with everything these types of radical groups stood for. Anarchy. Violence. White supremacy. None of it agreed with her belief system. Stockpiling illegal weapons for their deluded plans was a frightening prospect. With any luck, she, Diaz, and Spence would be able to stop them. She wanted to protect innocent people and prevent unnecessary bloodshed.
They finally veered off the main road and headed south, entering a small town. It didn’t have much, just a tiny independent grocery store and a few other shops that seemed to cater to seasonal campers. They stopped for a quick refuel, then followed Crush into the campgrounds. The roads were well paved, which helped a lot. Maneuvering a bike across a gravel road could be treacherous. Crush pulled into what looked like a country resort, with a main lodge that had a connected restaurant and several group and individual cabins.
They stopped at the lodge to check in and get cabin assignments. Diaz opted for one of the remote cabins for the two of them.
“It’ll give us some privacy, allow us to sneak out if we need to and to keep an eye on the others,” he said to her.
She nodded.
Spence was going to bunk at the main lodge with Stephanie, because that’s where Crush would stay, as well as Rex and some of the other top Skulls. In this way, they had the front and back end of the group covered. It was perfect.
Rural didn’t begin to describe the place. Set back a mile or so from the road, it was nestled among thick, towering trees, on a hill overlooking miles of sloping green valley and flowing river. It was breathtaking. The cabin she and Diaz would be staying in was cute. A single room containing one bed, it had wood floors and knotty pine walls, a trestle table and small kitchenette and even a tattered sofa. No television. Jessie supposed the entertainment was outside, not inside. That’s why the room had all those windows, with little apple- and pear-decorated curtains. Very homey and adorable.
“Great, isn’t it?” Jessie asked Diaz as he tossed their bags on the bed.
He moved behind her as she stood in front of the picture window. The view was of the slope leading down to the river.
“It’ll work. No one can exit this way. The incline is too steep. Can’t transport arms in this direction. There’s nothing down that way but the river. There’d be no way to set up an encampment or even a meeting point.”
“I meant the view.”
“Yeah. It’s nice.” He turned away from her and unzipped his bag to unpack.
Jessie shook her head, realizing the beauty of the scenery was lost on him. Clearly he was singularly focused on the mission now. With a sigh, she unpacked, too, and while Diaz was on the phone with Grange, she wandered around the kitchen, imagining this was her and Diaz’s place. An apartment, maybe, since they’d be on the go a lot. They wouldn’t need much space. A couple of bedrooms—one could be used as an office. Maybe they’d get a cat. Did Diaz like cats? They’d need a king-sized bed because he was so big. She’d enjoy rolling around in a huge bed with him.
She fell forward across the bed and watched as he paced the confines of their small domain, thinking what it would be like to share a place with him. She could cook, they’d watch sports together—they both liked football and auto racing. They really did have a lot in common. Did he already have a place of his own? She’d never even asked him that. She lived at Wild Riders’ headquarters, but he only came in when there was an assignment or if he wanted to use the gym. Though lately he’d been there a lot, staying for weeks at a time. All of the guys were welcome to live there—Grange didn’t care. It was up to the guys.
He hung up the phone. “Okay, report given to Grange.”
“Where do you live?” she asked.
He tilted his head and frowned. “Huh?”
“When you’re not at headquarters. Where do you live?”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “Right now, nowhere. I bunked with AJ for a while, but his lease was up and he wanted to do a little traveling, so I’ve been moving around and staying with friends or at Wild Riders.”
“I see.” So, maybe he was looking for a new place.
Foolish dreams, of course, but she could play house if she wanted to. At least in her mind. Diaz would never even consider it. He’d already made it abundantly clear there was no future for the two of them.
“Why did you ask?”
She looked down at the quilt on the bed, picking at the loose pieces of thread. “No reason. Just curious where you hang out during your off time.” When she glanced up at him again, he was staring at her with a curious expression. He probably thought she was nosy as hell, which she was. Time for a topic change.
“So now what?” she asked.
He looked at his cell phone. “Time to find Spence, meet up with the others, have something to eat, and see if the RVs and trucks have arrived. I want to know where they’ve parked so we can establish their location and figure out a strategy to see what’s in them.”
“Okay.” She swung around off the bed, determined to keep her mind on the mission.
They decided to take a walk to the lodge, since it would give them a chance to figure out who was situated where. In addition to the cabins there were also tents erected in a cleared area just off from the main lodge up ahead. It was a fairly steep climb up the hill, and since their cabin was at the bottom it took a while to get there. They made a slow stroll of it, stopping along the way to visit with other Skulls. Diaz either held her hand or wrapped his arm around her waist while they hung out visiting. It might be for show, but she still enjoyed it and leaned into him, liking the way he smelled and the warmth of his body. With the sun beginning to set and the higher elevation, it was cooler. In fact, by the time they had made their way to the lodge, she was shivering.
“Are you cold?” Diaz asked as he opened the door for her to step inside.
She rubbed her hands together. “Yes. Temps are cooler up here.”
“I guess I’ll have to find a way to keep you warm tonight.”
He’d even said it with a straight face. She smiled up at him. “I guess you will.” Now she had something delicious to look forward to besides dinner. She knew he wasn’t implying that he would toss extra blankets on their bed.
Long wood tables were set up in the dining hall. Crush said one of his friends owned this lodge, which was why he selected it. Plus it was remote, gave them plenty of privacy, and they didn’t have to cook over an open campfire.
“Sure beats beans and weenies, doesn’t it?” Diaz asked as they sat at the table.
“Hey, I like roughing it as much as the rest of you. But John and Beth make the best damn meatloaf I’ve ever tasted,” Crush said.
Jessie couldn’t argue with home cooking and eating indoors, warmed by the fire in the stone hearth. The place was homey, with polished dark wood floors, floor to ceiling windows offering views of the nightscape and rising moon, and plenty of food to go around. Crush was right. John, Beth, and their staff were friendly and great cooks. The food was wonderful. After dinner, Diaz and Jessie found a minute alone with Spence, who’d signaled them over as soon as he managed to break free of clingy Stephanie.