“No.” I couldn’t believe it. Didn’t want to believe it. “Dusty?”
He set down the drone and held his hands up. “They weren’t supposed to hurt anyone.”
My stomach turned itself inside out. “What are you talking about?”
“The fertilizer. They knew we were getting a shipment. Two guys cornered me a few weeks ago and said if I left the outbuilding unlocked they’d come take the fertilizer and no one would get hurt. I’d heard rumors about some bikers threatening a few of the local ranchers. It’s not the first time it’s happened and it won’t be the last. Your granddad and I held our ground over the years, and I thought this would be the same.”
“You knew they were coming, and you didn’t warn anyone?” My fingers curled into fists as anger spiraled through me. “What if Gram had been here?”
“I’m sorry, Ashley.” He kept his eyes trained on the ground in front of him. “They didn’t show the night they said they were coming. I waited, thinking I’d scare them off myself, but no one came. I figured they’d gotten what they wanted from someone else.”
“You can save the rest of the story for when we get to the clubhouse,” Priest said. “Right now, I need you to get in the truck nice and slow.” He kept the gun trained on Dusty while he picked up the drone and set it in the back of the truck.
Dusty got into the back seat and Priest slid in next to him.
“Think you can drive us back?” Priest asked me.
I still had so many questions, but standing around and grilling Dusty wasn’t going to get me any closer to helping Thunder. With the two men glaring at each other behind me, I shifted the seat forward and started the truck.
CHAPTER11
THUNDER
I wasn’t preparedfor a stand off when I tracked the last known location of my brother’s phone. His truck sat in the middle of the drive, surrounded by buildings on three sides. We’d been stalled out for hours, waiting for a chance to reach the cab and see if he was still in there.
The front door of the building opened and shots rang out around us. I’d been about to have Juice cover me when the drone exploded over our heads. Without Stone in my ear telling me where to go, we were like three blind mice waiting to having their fucking tails chopped off.
“I need an update,” I yelled into my phone over the sound of gunfire. “Has anyone got eyes on the back of the building?”
“Give me two minutes, and we’ll have another drone up in the air,” Stone said.
“Where the hell did you get another drone?” I tilted my head back and stared up at the sky. The inky blackness had started to fade and the rising sun would eliminate our chances of getting to Lightning’s truck.
“You’re not going to like this, but Ashley had one at the ranch,” Stone said. “They’re setting up a quarter mile behind you.”
“No. Get her out of here.” My head pounded like someone had split it down the middle with an axe. I couldn’t have Ashley anywhere nearby.
“You need eyes in the sky, and she’s our only chance,” Stone said, his voice flat and emotionless.
“Not like this. Why the hell isn’t she up at Priest’s place?”
“I don’t know, but she’s the only chance you’ve got of getting everyone out of there alive.”
The gunfire stopped. We were in over our heads. They outnumbered us in firearms and manpower. I needed to think, but I couldn’t. Not with my brother on one side of me and Ashley on the other. They were both in danger. They were also both so fucking stubborn.
Stone’s voice came through my headphone again. “Drone’s in the air. You’ve got a group of guys on bikes moving in. They’re less than three minutes out. You want to make a move before hell surrounds you, now’s your last chance.”
I glanced back at Juice. “We’re out of time. I’m going to make a run for the truck. Cover me until I get there, then get the hell out of here.”
He nodded and got into position.
As soon as he was set, I tore across the distance separating me from Lightning’s truck. I was out of breath by the time I flung the passenger side door open, but I made it without getting hit. My brother hunched over the console inside. Blood stained his left sleeve, and it looked like he’d been shot on his way in. I only hoped he hadn’t lost too much blood.
“I’m getting us out of here.” I climbed over him to get behind the wheel. The truck started on the first try, and I slid down so far that I could barely peer out the windshield. Flooring it, I sped away from the building as it exploded into a million pieces behind us.
Lightning slouched in the passenger seat. He mumbled something, but I couldn’t make out the words.
“Hang in there, brother. I’m getting you to the hospital.” My hand shook as I dialed Priest’s number. With Lightning safe, I needed to know where the hell Ashley was. He didn’t answer. I pounded my fist on the steering wheel. “Dammit!”
