"It's the last night of working from dawn to dark." He held her close to his side and walked back to the van. "The load goes out in the morning. If you stay, we'll be partying for the next week."

  She laughed softly. "As fun as that sounds, my mind is made up."

  "Then, go home, get your sleep, love on your mom because she's going to miss you, and I'll see you in the morning before you leave."

  "Won't you be up and out of the cabin early?"

  "No, no one can come or go until the shipment goes out, including you. They should be gone by ten o'clock, so you'll still get an early start." Her dad kissed her head. "Go after your dreams, baby."

  "Thanks, Dad." She weaved her way through the men, found the path back to the cabin, and hugged her middle as she walked.

  Her dad was right. It was getting late. If she was going to get an early start, she needed to sleep.

  Chapter 28

  Priest

  THE CLEARING, TWO MILES down a dirt road, showed no other access. Priest pivoted in a circle, scanning across two hundred feet. The directions he'd received in town had told him to follow the gravel road and continue on the dirt road.

  The guy at the supermarket hadn't mentioned a dead end.

  "Did we miss a turnoff?" he said.

  Roddy leaned over his Harley, studying the map spread over his bike. "This doesn't help a fucking bit. There's a line for the gravel road, and then nothing."

  "Maybe we have to hike in." Chrischris unzipped his jeans and pissed in the dirt. "That would fucking suck."

  "I'm not leaving my bike out here without anyone watching over it. You guys stay here." Rio walked toward the woods. "I'll take a deeper look in the forest and see if I can find a fucking road."

  "I'll go with you." Shifter jogged to catch up.

  Priest gritted his teeth. The old gentleman at the store had chuckled when he'd mentioned the commune. But when he asked for directions, the man had narrowed his eyes and clammed up. It'd taken a hundred-dollar bill slipped into the man's chest pocket of his flannel shirt for him to divulge the information.

  The dirt road was supposed to take them straight to the commune. From the old guy's claim, eighteen or so cabins littered the woods.

  Priest looked up, trying to see any smoke coming from a campfire or chimney. The large canopy of Douglas Fir trees blocked the sky.

  He slapped his arm. The damn mosquitos were thick.

  North lit a cigarette and passed the pack to him. Priest took a smoke and lit the end, shaking his hand, he tossed the extinguish match to the ground.

  The more time passed, the more frustrated he grew. He had a motorcycle club to run and couldn't spend any more time searching for Nicole, not knowing if she wanted to be found.

  He'd reached the point yesterday that Nicole's options, when he found her, were off the table. Now all he wanted to do was haul her ass back to Montana and the hell with giving her a choice to come with him.

  "Hey!"

  Priest turned in the direction of the yell.

  "Prez?"

  He walked forward, unable to see Rio through the underbrush. "Yeah?"

  "You're not going to believe this shit." Rio burst through the bushes. "I found the road."

  "Where?"

  Rio grinned, turned, and dragged a bush out of the way. Shifter broke through the limbs, dragging a fallen tree as if it was made of air.

  "What the hell?" mumbled Priest, walking forward.

  There's a hidden road, about twenty feet back, camouflaged by moveable undergrowth. It's fake fucking trees.

  "We didn't walk more than a hundred feet on the dirt road to see if it would peter out, and it keeps going." Rio brushed his hand off on the thigh of his jeans. "Never would've spotted it, but I pushed a branch away from slapping my face, and the whole damn bush moved."

  Shifter stepped out of the way. "We don't have to clear the whole area. The bikes will make it through. The dirt road is dry and wide enough for a nice size truck."

  The fact that the commune was on state land, far removed from the government's radar while taking up space in the Pacific Coastal Mountain Range, made him think Nicole's community had something to hide, beyond seeking privacy.

  "Let's ride." He removed his pistol from his pocket. "Keep your weapons out and available. Be aware of your duffle in case we need to leave the motorcycles."

  "Damnit it to hell," mumbled Rio. "I don't like this. I don't leave my Harley for anyone."

  He looked at each of the men. "Ready?"

  Receiving everyone's nod, he went to his motorcycle. He waited until everyone signaled, and as one, they started their engines.

  He hated taking the Harley off the asphalt. The bike's street tires were made for asphalt, not gravel and dirt.

  He lifted his chin and led the men forward. It was slow going. He kept his eyes on the surroundings, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

  There were tracks on the dirt road. Some areas burdened with deep ruts that kept him paying attention.

  A squirrel ran across his path. He brought his gaze up and caught movement ahead at a bend in the road. The form took shape, and he recognized a rifle in the hands of a man.

  He braked hard, fisting his hand down at his side to warn the others. Without making any fast movements, he toed his kickstand, hoping the dirt would hold the weight of the bike, and then put his hand in the V of his thighs.

  Wrapping his fingers around the pistol, Priest kept it hidden as the man approached. Peace lovin' hippies were supposed to be non-violent. Wasn't that what they protested during Vietnam?

  "Turn around and leave." The man stopped thirty feet from Priest and kept the shotgun in front of him. "This area is off-limits."

  At least he wasn't staring down the end of the barrel.

  "I'm looking for a woman." He paused, and when the man made no movement, he continued. "Her name's Nicole Bennett."

  "Move on out, the same way you came. There's nobody here."

  He raised both of his hands, showing the guy he wanted to talk. "I brought her here about five weeks ago. If you could let her know I'd like to talk with her, I'd appreciate it."

  Not one who waited for other people to make decisions for him, he'd give the guy two minutes to decide before he forced him by gunpoint to lead him to Nicole.

  The man raised his rifle. Priest grabbed his pistol and had it aimed at the man a split second later.

  "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Priest slowly moved off his motorcycle without lowering his weapon. "There are six other guns aimed at you, and we've had a hard ride. We're tired. I'd hate to lose my patience with you, son."

  The guy never put his rifle down and yelled, "Come on out."

  More men filled the road. Every one of them armed. They were outnumbered.

  "Fuck," said Roddy behind Priest.

  The others had the advantage, carrying rifles. The accuracy of the pistols carried by Tarkio members went down at the distance they were standing. The others also had the benefit of knowing their surroundings. One step into the woods and everyone with him would be lost.

  "Hold your weapons down." Priest lowered his arm to his side. "We won't shoot."

  The others remained on guard. His skin crawled. He'd had many face-offs with other motorcycle clubs. Usually on his turf and he knew what to expect.

  The men in front of him were strangers. They sure weren't hippies out picking mushrooms.

  "All I want is Nicole Bennett." He kept his finger on the trigger in case he needed to raise his arm. "Then, I'll take my men, and we'll be on our way."

  "You need to turn those motorcycles around and leave. You're free to park in the clearing." The man lifted his chin. "We'll escort you out."

  "They're not going to disappear," whispered Roddy. "We'll go back to the clearing and figure out our next move."

  "I'm not leaving without Nicole," said Priest, loud enough the others heard.

  "Prez," muttered Rio. "What if she's not here?"

  "We could be wrong," said North.

  "I'm not wrong." He raised his arm, aimed the pistol at the leader, and stepped away from the Tarkio members. "My men will go, but you're going to take me to her."

  "Jesus Christ," said Roddy on a hiss. "You've lost your fucking mind. Don't do it."

  He ignored his MC brother and walked forward. There were at least a dozen men with rifles trained on him. They could've shot him five minutes ago. He was going to gamble that they weren't in the mood to murder someone today.

  He wanted his men safe, and he wanted his woman.

  "Give me five minutes with her, and then I'll leave. You won't ever see me again," he said.

  Behind the leader, a loud squelch filled the air. Priest never took his eyes off the man in front. He had nothing to bargain with because he had no idea what the other men needed. There was a reason for the security out in the middle of the forest, the artificial barrier hiding the road, the armed guards.

  "Jeb, we're supposed to bring the man to the common area," said the man in the back of the group holding a walkie-talkie.

  The leader motioned with his rifle. "You'll walk, and your men will go back to the clearing."

  "What about my motorcycle?" he asked.

  "Leave it." The leader waited for him to start walking.

  "Do what he said." He lowered his gun, knowing that his MC brothers wouldn't leave until they had no other choice. They'd all taken an oath to protect their president.

  He walked, giving his men permission to leave his side.

  Only two of the armed men followed him deeper into the woods on the road. The others stayed back to make sure the Tarkio members wouldn't follow.

  He took their willingness to take him deeper into the forest as a positive step toward finding Nicole.

  A rock caught under his boot. He looked down and stepped left, staying between the ruts. "How far am I walking?"

  "Just keep going."

  If he wanted to walk, he wouldn't have a motorcycle. Aware of the men behind him, he focused on what was in front of him. Trees. Bushes. Nothing.

  Hell, there were probably armed security all along the fucking road with guns aimed at him, and he couldn't see a damn thing.

  Five minutes later and too many damn steps in heavy, black boots, he heard voices ahead of him. He tilted his head, not missing a step. He was too far away. The dense landscape muffled the noise, and he couldn't hear what they were saying.

  He lifted his hand to his vest, needing his pistol.

  "Keep your hands out of your pockets, or we'll take you back out."

  He gritted his teeth and kept walking. They better produce Nicole, or he was going to go postal.

  Rounding the bend, he spotted movement ahead. In the distance, there were log cabins spattered around as far as he could see. There were at least a dozen people outside and numerous vehicles parked in the area.

  He slowed, trying to make a plan. Whatever happened, he'd need to outsmart them. He couldn't rely on his pistol. There were too many of them.

  At what appeared to be the beginning of the settlement area—that's all he could call it. It wasn't a small town or a subdivision. It looked more like a campground with small cabins in a circular layout, taking up about five acres, and included a large garden and an outdoor kitchen in the middle of the area.

  "Wait here." The guard, who seemed to run things around here, passed him, heading toward a group of men.

  Staying aware, he scanned the people, looking for Nicole. She could be anywhere. It'd been over a month since he'd seen her. Enough time, she could clear across the United States.

  The guard headed toward a man and woman standing with their backs toward Priest. He looked away, but sudden movement had him studying the couple.

  An arm poked out from behind them. Blocked by the couple, he couldn't see who was on the other side of them.

  The guard stopped. Priest swallowed. He would recognize that slim wrist anywhere. He'd had his fingers wrapped around her wrists and held her prisoner many times.

  He stepped forward at the same time Nicole moved around the couple, craning her neck and searching the area.

  His chest pounded. She was here.

  She stepped closer and turned her head, sending her curls floating around her shoulders. Her gaze connected with his, and she pressed a hand to her chest, staring at him.

  The pounding in his head eased as his gut tightened. He wasn't going to spend another day away from her.

  Nicole came up on her toes and took off running toward him. Wild, free, and damn sexy.

  She floated toward him, never slowing. He braced, catching her when she leaped.

  Nicole wrapped her arms and legs around him, capturing his mouth. He kissed her hard, taking it deeper than he should with armed men ready to blow his head off.

  He tasted Nicole's excitement and knew he squeezed her too tight, but she couldn't be close enough to please him. He needed her naked. He needed to be in her body. He needed her home.

  Chapter 29

  Nicole

  PRIEST SQUEEZED THE breath out of her. Nicole pulled back, peppering his face with kisses, unable to contain her excitement.

  "I was getting ready to leave, and I got news that bikers were trying to enter the commune. I knew it was you. I wanted to go meet you, but my dad thought it best if you come here." She kissed him again, sighing in happiness. "I haven't seen you in forever. Is everything okay? Is it safe for me in Missoula? Can I come back? Oh, honey, you have no idea how much I've missed you. I tried calling you several times, and you were never home. I thought you wanted me gone, or you found another woman. Just the thought of that broke my heart. I almost decided to stay here, but living in the commune doesn't make me happy the way I am on the outside with you. I can't believe you're here. You look so good. You're okay, right?"

  He set her on her feet, held her face between his hands, and studied her as if he hadn't seen her in years. Her body vibrated, and he soaked all that in. She could see how happy he was beneath that hardened expression. His eyes couldn't lie.

  Hard to believe he was standing in front of her, at the commune, she pressed her hands all over him, proving that he wasn't a figment of her imagination. That she hadn't wished him here and when she let go of him, he'd disappear.

  "It's over." He smoothed her face, kissing her again. "Grab your shit. I'm taking you home."

  Her eyes lit up, and she squealed. "Come meet my parents first. My luggage is in the car already. I was planning on leaving today before you showed up."

  "Babe..." He eyed the area and everyone watching them. "I think it's best if we leave and skip the family reunion before their patience runs out and I get killed."

  She glanced behind her and exhaled loudly. Everyone protected the commune and what they'd built. To outsiders, she assumed it looked scary, but they wouldn't hurt him.

  "They're only protecting what we have here. You're a stranger to them." She looked at him. "They won't shoot you."

  "You're wrong." He frowned, looking over her shoulder, and pulled her close.

  "Nicole?" called her mom.

  She stayed close to Priest and shifted. "Come meet Michael, Mom."

  Her mom smiled and moved forward, holding out both of her hands. "It's so nice to meet you."

  Priest stuck his arm out, holding on to Nicole. "Same."

  Her mom held his hand with both of hers. "You're the one who sent our daughter to us?"

  "Yeah." He dipped his chin. "I appreciate you letting her come back home."

  "She knows she's always welcome here." Her mom let go of his hand. "Her dad and I are grateful that she has someone looking out for her after we heard what happened in Missoula. I wouldn't want her to be alone."

  "She'll be safe there, now," he said.

  Nicole hugged his side. "Now that he's here, we can leave together."

  "Tell your dad goodbye before you leave."

  "I will." She hugged her mom extra tight and whispered, "I'm so happy he came for me."

  "I'm glad. That's all I could ever hope for you. Be happy," whispered her mom.

  Gathering Priest's hand, she pulled him away from the others. At the car, her dad walked over, carrying a rifle.

  She shook her head in amusement. For someone who wouldn't condone violence, her dad made it apparent that he was going to take care of his daughter.

  "Dad...that's not funny." She stepped over and hugged his waist. "Come, say hi to Michael. We're going to leave together."

  "When are you coming back?" Her dad eyed Priest.

  "Not for a while. I want to talk to Kristi and see about getting my job back. If that works out, I'll need to stay there and make up for leaving her without any notice." She kissed his cheek. "I'll write, though."

  Priest held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

  "Hey, man." Her dad shifted the gun to his other side and shook. "Where are you taking my daughter?"

  "Dad." She groaned and looked at Priest. "He's being silly. He already knew I was leaving today."

  "You never told me that he's older than me and your mom, Nicole," said her dad.

  She glanced at Priest and raised her brows, amused by her dad's attempt at playing the father role now. When she was growing up, he and mom believed children should have as much freedom as adults because age was only a number.

  Priest wasn't looking entertained. A hardness came to the corners of his eyes, and his lips thinned. Could their age difference matter to him?

  The idea was preposterous to her. Later, she would have to try and see it from his view.

  "Dad's messing with you." She leaned against Priest. "He's cool with us. You'll see."

  Her dad rubbed his long beard. "Are you the one my daughter mentions smokes pot that tastes and smells like it was grown under artificial light with chlorinated water?"

  "He never received the joint I mailed him—isn't that strange? So, I told him about what everyone smokes in Missoula," whispered Nicole.

  Priest met her dad's gaze. "Your daughter has a different opinion than me."

  "Follow me." Her dad handed the rifle to one of the others and motioned for them to follow. "I have something I want to give you before you take off with my daughter."

 

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