Gabriel was setting the table for lunch when his phone rang. “Royal.”

 

“Royal, it’s Zorro. We have a runner.”

 

“You want me to take it?”

 

“Yeah. The bondsman asked for you specifically, if you were available. This one’s a nasty piece of work. Drugs, murder, the works. The indemnitor is his family, and they live in Caloon, Tennessee.”

 

“Where the—where’s Caloon?” he asked, censoring himself for Katrina’s benefit.

 

“North and east of Chattanooga. I know you’re still settling in, but might as well put you guys to work.”

 

Royal grinned. “We’re on it. We can be to Chattanooga in about four hours.”

 

“Go get ‘em,” Zorro chuckled. “It pays fifty thousand, so it’ll be a nice little boost for the Greenfield charter.”

 

“We can use it to pay back you blood suckers.”

 

Zorro chuckled. “I’ll email all the details.”

 

Gabriel hung up. “I have to go. We’ve been contracted to catch a guy who skipped on his bail.” His phone churred with the arrival of an email. “That’s probably the details on the guy there.”

 

“Okay,” Stella said without looking up.

 

He stepped in close and turned her to face him. She’d been distant and cool all morning. “Are we okay? Is something wrong?”

 

She sat the spoon she was stirring the rice with aside and sighed. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She glanced around him, but Katrina was nowhere to be seen. “It’s not you, it’s me,” she said softly. “You’re starting to get under my skin and I can’t decide if I like it or not. I still haven’t forgotten what you did, but at the same time I remember what we had and how happy I was.” She turned to give the rice another stir so she didn’t have to look at him. “I’m confused about what I want.”

 

He turned her to face him again and tipped her face up for a gentle kiss. “Don’t push it, okay? We’re taking it slow, just like you wanted. I’m not asking for more than you can give. You’ve already done a great thing by allowing me to get to know Katrina.”

 

She nodded. “I’m sorry. I know you want more, but—”

 

“Shhh,” he whispered, cutting her off. “I only want what you can give. I meant it last night when I said that I didn’t want you to say it until you meant it. Lying to me is worse than not telling me at all. I want to be part of your life, part of Katrina’s life, but if that isn’t what you want, I would rather you tell me than to string me along.”

 

She looked down. “I don’t know what I want,” she said softly, unable to meet his eyes.

 

He tipped her head up again. “Then we’ll figure it out together.” He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Maybe me being out of town for a couple of days is what you need.” His lips quirked into a lopsided grin. “Who knows, maybe you’ll even miss me.”

 

She giggled. “Maybe. Call me tonight?”

 

“Ah?” he said in mock surprise. “What’s that I hear? A bit of caring?”

 

“Oh stop. I feel bad enough as it is.”

 

“Don’t feel bad. I told you I love you because I do, and I’m never lying to you again, but if you ever feel like I’m pressuring you, for anything, I want you to tell me, okay? I’m going to win you, Stella, but I don’t have to win you today.”

 

She looked down again. “And if you can’t?”

 

Once again he tipped her face up. “I will, if you’ll only give me the chance.”

 

He held her chin and refused to allow her to look down. She stared into his eyes and saw the conviction there, and it made her feel...special…as if she were the most desirable woman in the world. “I’ll try.”

 

He smiled at her. “That’s all I ask.” He kissed her one last time. “But I do have to go. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

 

Despite herself, she smiled. “You’d better.”

 

***

 

“This is it?” Hammer asked Royal as he, Blade and Goon pumped gas into their Harleys.

 

“This is it. Welcome to the greater Caloon metroplex,” Royal replied with a grin. They were at the only gas station in town, and the city limit sign they passed said there were 602 souls in town. That made his job both easier and harder. Easier because if Wayne Alan Bass was in town, there wasn’t a lot of places for him to hide, but harder because small towns were clannish and protected their own.

 

“Why can’t we ever have to catch some loser in Vegas or Atlantic City, or someplace like that?” Goon asked.

 

Royal grinned. It was well known Goon liked the slots and paid regular visits to the casino in Cherokee, North Carolina. That was the primary reason he wanted to relocate to Greenfield: it put him closer to the casino.

 

“Because you would spend all your time in the casino spending our expense money.”

 

“Nah. Just my cut,” he grinned as the pump clicked off.

 

The bikers waited for Royal to finish filling the club Suburban, the truck taking considerably longer to top off than the three bikes. They were going to follow their standard game plan. Royal would hold back and direct the recovery team, not tipping his hand until they were ready to make the arrest.

 

As the truck filled, he opened the back and passed out small radios with tiny ear pieces so his brothers could hear him, and he could hear what they did. This was their 99th operation and they were a well-oiled team.

 

They didn’t have a lot of time today, so they were going to try the obvious, and direct, approach first. While Royal camped out nearby in the Suburban, Hammer would go to Wayne’s parent’s house and see if he was there. If he was, they would flush him out and Royal would be waiting to bag him. It was rarely that easy, but sometimes they got lucky.

 

The pump finally clicked for the SUV and Royal went inside to collect the remainder of the hundred dollars and his receipt. When he returned, the brothers were locked and loaded, sitting on their hogs and ready to ride.

 

“Give me a minute to find where the house is, and someplace to set up.” Checking his email, he programmed the location into the truck’s satnav, then using his phone, found someplace nearby he would wait. “Okay. There’s a Hardee’s not far from there and that’s where I’ll set up. They live on the corner of 6th and Main, 115 Main Street. I’ll drive us right past the place. Goon, you and Blade stay with me. Hammer, just ride on past, then when we’re ready, do your thing.”

 

Everyone nodded as the Harleys rumbled to life.

 

No place in Caloon was very far, and they were at the Hardee’s in less than five minutes. “Hammer, you copy?” Goon and Blade were in the truck with him as it idled with the air conditioning pumping.

 

“Copy, Royal.”

 

“You’re on, man. Make me proud.”

 

Goon and Blade were listening on their radios, though they had switched off their mics.

 

The men waited, listening as Hammer’s hog rumbled for a time, then fell silent. “Approaching the house now,” he said quietly.

 

The three men heard him knock on the door then the bump and rattle of a door opening. “Mrs. Wickam?” Hammer asked.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I’m here as a representative of All-Free Bonding. Is Wayne Alan Bass your son?”

 

“I have nothing to say to you,” the woman said.

 

“Ma’am! Do you realize Mr. Bass failed to make his scheduled court appearance? He is in default of his bond and you are liable for the entire half-million if he fails to appear.”

 

“Get off my property,” a man’s voice said. “Wayne isn’t here. We don’t know where he is, probably out of the country.”

 

Royal nodded. He’d heard that same song and dance a hundred time, and it hadn’t been true yet. He would bet his left nut Wayne was hiding in the house at this very moment, listening to every word they said.

 

“Remind them that harboring a fugitive can result in jail time, leave my card, then come on back. I don’t want you to get arrested for trespassing.”

 

Hammer did as Royal asked, thanked them for their time, then they heard him clomp off the porch. “He’s there or they know where he is,” Hammer. “I could see it in their eyes.”

 

Royal grinned. “Okay. Let’s turn the heat up. Park across the street and watch the house. Goon, Blade and I are going to go find someplace to stay, then I’ll send somebody to spell you. You good?”

 

“I’m good.”

 

***

 

“Hey, babe. Miss me?” Gabriel asked when Stella answered her phone. It was just after ten and Katrina should be in bed, but Stella should still be awake.

 

“Have you been gone?” she teased.

 

He grinned. He was alone in the motel room in Cleveland, Tennessee, he was sharing with Blade. Blade would be back from his tour of sitting in front of the Bass house in a couple of hours, Hammer and Goon were in the room they were sharing, drinking beer and watching the Braves play the Padres, so he had some alone time.

 

“How’s Katrina?”

 

“Sleeping, which is what her mother is going to be doing in a few minutes. I wish you were here.”

 

A tingle of excitement raced over him. “I wish I was there, too.”

 

“What would you do if you were here?”

 

He grinned. “I think you know.”

 

“Tell me. Tell me what you would do.”

 

He looked at the phone a moment, unable to believe what he just heard. He’d never done anything like this before, but if she wanted it, he would give it the college try. “I would turn off the lights,” he began, thinking furiously. “You would feel the bed move, but you couldn’t see me in the darkness. Then you would feel my lips against yours as I slowly dragged my fingers across your nipples.”

 

“Go on,” she breathed when he paused.

 

He felt ridiculous, but she was obviously getting into it, so he continued. “I would kiss down your body as you stroked my hard, dripping, cock. I want you so bad, I want to shove my cock into you, but not yet. I move lower and begin to lick you, my tongue gently caressing your clit.”

 

“Yes,” she sighed.

 

He was getting hard, imagining her playing with herself, her fingers stroking and caressing with his words. “I press in hard with my tongue, flicking your clit. You began to squirm and moan as I lick you hard and fast. You wrap your hands in my hair and hold me to you.”

 

He heard her moan softly, barely audible over the phone. “You’re about to come, but I won’t let you. I force your hands away, then slam my throbbing cock into you. I’m kissing you, your hands pinned to the bed as I fuck you hard and fast.”

 

There was the sound of the phone falling then she moaned again, her voice loud and close as her breathing became hard and fast. “I’m pounding into you, and you feel so good I’m about to come, but I can’t stop fucking you. I—”

 

Stella moaned again, the loudest one yet, and again there was the sound of the phone falling, then quiet. “Stella?” he asked, then waited until he could hear her again. After a moment he heard the phone move.

 

“I’m back,” she sighed into the phone.

 

“Did you come?” he chuckled.

 

“Yes. I’ve always wanted to do that,” she breathed.

 

He chuckled again. “Well, that was a new one for me.”

 

She sighed. “Thank you. That will help me sleep tonight.”

 

“What about me?” he teased.

 

She sighed again. “Want me to help you out?”

 

“No,” he said with a grin. “I’ll manage. So you do miss me?”

 

“Yeah, maybe a little,” she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

 

“Only a little?”

 

“Not as much now as ten minutes ago.”

 

He chuckled. “So you just want me for your boy toy?” She was quiet for a long time. “Stella?”

 

“No,” she finally said. “I have to go.”

 

“Wait! Stella, what’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing. I’ll see you when you get back.”

 

“Stella, wait!”

 

“It’s nothing, Gabriel. Don’t worry about it. I’m just confused. I told you that this morning.”

 

“You’re sure nothing’s wrong?”

 

“No. I miss you, but I’m not sure if I miss you because of what you do to me, or…something else. Call me tomorrow, okay?”

 

“Okay,” he said quietly.

 

“Okay. I—” she began, then paused. He gripped the phone, thinking he was going to hear the words. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

 

He held is tongue, not wanting to pressure her. “Okay. It should only be a day or two, I hope.”

 

“Okay.” There was awkward pause, as if she was going to say something else. “Bye.”

 

Fuck it! “Love you. Bye,” he replied before ending the call. He stared at the throbbing air conditioner a moment, then rose to go see if Hammer and Goon had an extra beer because he needed one.