“Good enough,” he replied gently. “How about getting some rest, and we’ll have a go at this tomorrow.”

  She added, “There may not be a tomorrow, you know? I don’t like it either, but we don’t have time to wait.”

  “Understood,” he agreed. “I need to meet up with either Saul or Dezi.”

  “Or not,” she said, shuddering from the cold or her fear, Tomas wasn’t sure. “I’m not kidding. These guys are watching, and you meeting with Saul or Dezi right under their noses is sure to land you in trouble.”

  “Did anything happen earlier today?” he asked. “You seem to be really spooked.”

  “I am, and I don’t know why,” she replied. “I feel like I’m watching my Ps and Qs, yet, every time I turn around, somebody there has their gaze on me.”

  “They probably are watching you closely.” He nodded. “Particularly once you start talking about leaving, then everybody else just seems to know that you’re doing shady stuff on the side.”

  “That’s how it feels—like they know I’m up to something,” she murmured. “And it’s really unnerving me.”

  “Then first things first,” he stated. “I will make contact with my guys and set up what we need to do tonight, and, if there really is no time, then we go out tonight and take care of business.”

  “But if you get caught?” she asked, hating the shiver that racked her body.

  “Then so do you.” He stopped, looked at her with a frown, and then nodded. “That we can’t have.”

  “I really would appreciate not getting in any more trouble than I am already in,” she noted. “Only so much any of us can handle of that.”

  “You’re already at the end of your rope,” he noted, smiling at her gently. “I get it. So let me discuss it with the guys, and we’ll have an idea of what we can do.”

  “I don’t think we’ll even have that option,” she muttered, “but go. Go talk to Dezi. At least he’s somebody they have more or less cleared here.”

  Just then came another knock on the door. She immediately sat back and stared at the door, like it was a viper. He looked at her, smiled, then added, “Take it easy.”

  “What was that weird knock?”

  “That is Dezi.” Tomas walked over to the door and let in his friend.

  Chapter 4

  Amber smiled as Dezi slipped inside. “Hey,” she greeted him, pushing her tousled hair off her face. “Any news?”

  “Not yet,” he replied, “but I am hearing some rumblings from other members.”

  She nodded. “There is a tension. I’m not sure what it’s all about.”

  “Agreed,” he murmured. “Saul is out there, keeping an eye on everything, noting some activity in the back forty.”

  “I’m not surprised,” she murmured, “but I have no clue what they’re doing.”

  “And you’re not close enough to the group to find out?” Dezi asked her.

  She shook her head. “No, not at all. They’re very close-knit when it comes to that type of thing. I’m not sure that even three-quarters of the men have any idea just what is going on here.”

  Dezi nodded. “Which is an interesting conundrum for most of them. They’re equally involved, but it’s almost like they have given up any right or reason to argue or to even be in the need-to-know category.”

  “Agreed,” she murmured. She looked around, feeling a shiver as if someone had just walked over her grave. She shuddered. “I think we need to get out of here as soon as possible,” she stated. “I just don’t know how to make it happen.”

  “Neither do I at the moment,” Dezi noted, “but we’re talking. I’ve already communicated with Saul, without anybody catching us. However, somebody followed me here.”

  “I’m sure they are following you,” she confirmed, with a smile. “All the time, as in all the damn time.”

  He nodded. “That’s what it felt like. Not a lot of trust around here, is there?”

  “None,” she stated, “and, considering that potentially murderers are involved, I think it’s even worse.”

  “Which makes sense,” he agreed. Then he looked over at Tomas. “Feel like taking a walk?”

  “Absolutely,” Tomas replied. “Where are we going?’”

  “Let’s get out in the bright lights and see what’s happening,” he suggested.

  “Are you sure that is safe?” she asked in horror.

  “Probably not,” Dezi said cheerfully. “But they’ll have to stand up and stop us in order to tell us that we can’t go somewhere, and that will require some explanation.”

  “That’s … true,” she hesitantly agreed.

  “Stepping out boldly is probably our best bet at this moment,” Tomas noted.

  “Sounds like a suicide mission,” she murmured. “What the hell am I supposed to do, if you guys get shot and buried out back?”

  “You run,” Dezi stated, staring at her intently. “And I mean that. You travel light, packing only essentials, and you slip out in the middle of the night.”

  “Have you seen the fence and the gates?” she asked, staring at him.

  He nodded. “Don’t worry. Saul will be there to help you.”

  “Unless he’s taken too.”

  Dezi smiled. “If Levi doesn’t hear from us at regular intervals, that will bring down a wave of people here, who will take care of it. These guys have no idea what they’re up against.”

  “No,” she replied quietly, “but I think a shooting event like that is something that many of them are anxiously looking forward to.”

  “I get that impression too,” Dezi agreed calmly, “but we’re not newbies at this.”

  She shivered again, then wrapped her arms around her chest. “And I get that. I just wish it was already over.”

  “Is there any way for you to visit Peaches?”

  She shook her head. “No way. Even though we share the same house, me in the basement and her on the ground floor, we’re not to talk in private. We’re asked to stay inside after dark, and it’s a very unforgiving rule here.”

  “Interesting. I wonder what they are trying to keep you from seeing.”

  “Everything, I imagine,” she guessed. “I don’t know if they’re running guns, running drugs, booze, whatever. Or maybe they’re just trying to be little boys with their own secret clubs. I really don’t know.”

  “Good enough,” Dezi replied, then he looked over at Tomas. “You ready?”

  “Absolutely.”

  When the two men stepped out into the night, she sat inside for the longest time, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do with her time because that’s not exactly how she had hoped her evening would go. Then again, she didn’t have any plans, and the guys needed to do some recon. So, what could she have expected?

  Still, it would be nice if she had answers. They hadn’t told her to stay inside, and they hadn’t told her to keep the doors locked, but she did both regardless. She didn’t want anything connected to her, if there was any way to avoid it. Not that she was just looking after herself. As much as she just wanted to stay clear of any supposed rules, it was probably stupid to even consider it because, with Tomas here as her fiancé, the connection between them would be seen as far too strong for anybody else to ignore.

  When a knock came on the door about an hour later, she frowned, not sure what she should do. When it came again, she checked her watch and realized it was only 8:30 p.m., so she hardly had any reason not to answer it. So, brushing her hair back, she walked over to the door and opened it up. It was Mary. Amber smiled. “Hey, what’s up?” she asked.

  Mary frowned at her. “I was hoping to talk to Tomas.”

  “He’s gone for a walk,” she said, with a random wave of her hand. “He and Dezi had some stuff to talk over,” she added, with an eye roll.

  Mary just smiled. “Oh, that’s unfortunate. Any idea where they went?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Nowhere in particular, as far as I know,” she said cheerfully.

  Mary took a step back, then looked around the basement curiously, as if not quite sure that she should believe Amber, then nodded. “When he comes back, tell him that Baxter wants to see him.”

  “Wow,” she said, “of course. I’m sure he will be thrilled. He was talking about it earlier.”

  “Both he and Dezi need to be there, so let them know.”

  “That’s pretty special then?” she asked cheerfully, “I’m sure the guys will be happy to come meet him.”

  Mary gave her a nod and then cast a searching glance around. “As soon as they’re back.”

  She nodded and went to close the door, when Mary reached out a hand and asked, “You’re not mixed up in anything stupid, are you?”

  She stared at Mary, her jaw dropping. “Mixed up in what?” she asked in surprise. And she realized she was lucky because the question did surprise her.

  Mary nodded, as if satisfied with that answer, and added, “Just a thought.” She turned and then quickly disappeared around the corner of the house.

  It was dark, and Amber stood in the doorway, watching as Mary left, walking toward the house she shared with Baxter.

  Amber wasn’t sure what was going on right now, but something was, and it was enough to make her reconsider her plans. The sooner they got out of here, the better. But she also had to find out what had happened to Annette.

  That investigation was getting to be a goal that was becoming harder and harder to achieve. She needed time and resources to do it right. Frowning, she closed the door and stepped back ever-so-slightly. Almost immediately her phone buzzed.

  She checked it to see the text message. Tomas was checking up on her, so she quickly responded with a text about Mary coming for a strange visit and that Baxter wanted to see him and Dezi.

  He sent an acknowledgment. We’ll be back soon.

  She frowned at that. You may want to go to Baxter’s first.

  When no response came to that, she sat back and wondered just what she was supposed to do here. Was there any way to get control of the situation? She couldn’t see how they could manage to wriggle out of this one and get her and Peaches out safely too. Or at least have the guys put her on alert that there would be an attempt to escape here soon enough. It could be just a strong-arm move on their part that would get her out of here because of the sheer possession-crazy rule the group worked off of when it came to Peaches and Amber. It could also mean that Tomas would be challenged for her.

  That scared the crap out of her.

  What if he lost?

  If it were Saul and if maybe it were a fair fight, she’d worry less. But she didn’t know this Tomas guy at all. And that was a little bit concerning—to put all her trust in the one and then find out that she might have backed the wrong horse. Of course she felt bad even thinking about it that way, but, with so much at stake, she and Peaches didn’t have a whole lot of options.

  But Amber was still hesitant to be spooked too early. If chaos happened, it would be a case of grab her and run. And she could only help them when Peaches was willing to come. Still, nagging in the back of her mind, Amber was worried that when crunch time came, Peaches might back out. Not that it would be a surprise, given everything Peaches had gone through already, but it would be difficult to come back and get her later.

  Once they left—without Peaches—her life would be even harder. And maybe the gang wouldn’t care. … Maybe if Peaches chose nobody to replace her husband, … maybe they wouldn’t force it, and they would just let her go on, without giving a rat’s ass. Maybe they would let her be.

  In a mess of maybes, Amber was not so sure. She doubted that would happen. Enough men were around who wanted Peaches. Plus, she was afraid of something happening, and it was inevitable. It would happen with or without her consent, and she didn’t have a choice in the matter.

  Not something Amber wanted to think about, but something hard to ignore. These men had more of that thought process instilled in them than anybody she’d ever seen before.

  They were all of the opinion that this was their clan, their group, and it would be hard for anybody else to come in, and, when they were allowed to come in, they would be part of the same chaos.

  Maybe Tomas would do just fine.

  He was certainly someone Saul trusted, and Tomas seemed to know how to blend in. But, at the same time, it was unnerving watching it all happen and not knowing what her role in this was. If there was a role in this for her.

  There had to be some way for her to move forward. But was she prepared to forget about what happened to Annette?

  Well, that she didn’t know. And, for that matter, also what happened to Peaches’s husband. Peaches wasn’t exactly talking, and that was a disturbing thought too. Amber didn’t want to think badly of her new friend, but it was hard when evidence pointed to something nefarious going on, yet Peaches not saying anything. Amber understood that her friend was terrified to talk here. Peaches had no way of knowing where any words she spoke would go.

  It would be nice to know for sure on which side Peaches would fall.

  Amber could only hope Peaches chose the side of right, no matter how scared she might be. However, Amber also knew that, when things broke, they often broke to the left. With that thought in mind, she tried to settle down to wait. The men should be here soon. They texted they were coming straight back but maybe not.

  When they didn’t return in an hour, Amber started to worry. When they didn’t return in two hours, she was pacing rapidly, and her feet were starting to hurt. By the time it was well past her bedtime, she had about decided to head out. She knew she would do something to find out what was going on. She was just getting ready to step outside, when she got a text saying they were on their way.

  As soon as they got close to the door, she heard them. She waited to make sure that it was just them, figuring Tomas could pick a lock, and, as soon as the door opened, and Tomas stepped in, with a smile on his face, she burst into a run, and he opened his arms to enclose her securely, shutting the door firmly with his foot.

  He whispered against her hair, “We’re fine.”

  “You’re fine?” she repeated. “What took you so long? Couldn’t you have told me?”

  “No. Not in this instance.”

  “Why not?” She frowned at him. Now that the worry was over, she wanted to rail at Tomas and to scream for making her worry like that. But, at the same time, she wasn’t even sure what he was supposed to have done differently. She took a deep breath, stepped back, and stated, “You need to explain.”

  He smiled, locking the door again, while she looked out a window into the dark night, then asked, “Is Dezi okay?”

  “Yes, he left me at the door. He’s heading off to his place now.”

  “Fine.” She rubbed her forehead. “Did you guys meet up with Baxter?”

  He nodded. “We did,” he replied, his tone hard. “He had a few choice questions for us.”

  She frowned. “What was the problem?”

  “He had some suspicions,” Tomas replied.

  She nodded. “That’s not a huge surprise,” she murmured. “He’s been running this place for a very long time.”

  “Turns out you were right. He’s also not in the best of health, although he did his best to hide it.”

  She looked at him in surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “Something’s going on with him physically,” Tomas noted, “and I think he’s trying to hang on to his position by not letting anybody know.”

  “And yet,” she added, “everybody here is supposed to be helping each other out.”

  “I suspect, at this point, it won’t work out that way.”

  “It’s not like a true gang scenario.”

  “No, but it’s very much like a cult,” he reminded her. “And everybody who is here, Baxter wants to keep here. He doesn’t want to expand the group because he’ll have trouble trying to keep everybody under his control.”

  “That makes a weird kind of sense,” she said, slowly nodding. “So what about you guys?”

  “We’re allowed to visit, not to stay,” he stated simply.

  “Oh, well. I guess that makes sense too, particularly if he’s struggling to hang on to whatever’s going on here.”

  “Yes, and he didn’t talk about anything other than the fact that the area was closed to future members for the time being, but, when they decide to open it, he’s promised …” Tomas stated, with a wry smile, “that they’ll let us know.”

  “If you’re still around and if you’re still interested?” she noted, with a nod.

  “Exactly. I think, in the meantime, they’ll do a thorough check on us, at least as much as they can. I don’t know how computer savvy they are or what investigative skills they have,” he added calmly, “but they’ll do their best.”

  “Of course they will.” She shook her head, wrapped her arms around her chest, and paced again. “I want out,” she stated abruptly. “It feels really ugly right now.”

  “Anytime you want,” he said. “I’m not sure if you’re classified as being part of the group or not. Yet you’re still here, so there’s a good chance that you are. Also, and I hate to say it out loud, but you’re female, so I don’t think Baxter or Brutus or any other male here would consider you much of a challenge.”

  She snorted at that. “They all look at women that way,” she stated, “so I don’t know that it’s anything different when speaking about me.”

  “Probably not,” Tomas agreed, with a gentle smile. “But since you’re the one who raised the alarm with us, Baxter is doing himself a disservice by discounting the women who are here.”

  “In a big way.” She nodded. “At the same time, I also know for sure now that Mary is keeping tabs on everybody. When she came tonight, I was not at all sure what was going on.”

  “Just a friendly visit,” he noted cheerfully. And then he stopped, looked at her, and added, with a dark overtone, “Nothing to worry about.”

  “Right!” she said, clearly worried. “Did you guys figure out what was going on outside tonight?”

  “No, but Saul is on it,” he stated, with a smile. “So we give him a chance to do his work too.”