A murmur of acknowledgment rolled around the table. Linc tipped up his beer and finished it off, saw Carly doing the same; then both of them stood up.
“Keep me posted,” he said. “Tag, you got my number?”
“I got it,” Tag said. The number of a disposable phone no one could trace back to him. Rick, Del, and Johnnie also knew where to call.
“Don’t do anything too risky,” Linc said.
Tag chuckled. “We take a risk every time we get on our bikes. Some risks are worth it.”
Linc just nodded. Riding was these men’s lives. They craved freedom like other people craved air. He understood it, in a way envied it, occasionally got to enjoy a brief taste of that freedom when he took his Harley out on the road.
When they reached the door, Linc checked the parking lot but didn’t see any sign of trouble. Only a few people knew where he’d gone tonight and they were people he trusted with his life.
He got back on the bike and Carly swung on behind him. Things were progressing. Tomorrow night he’d take the truck in and have it fitted with surveillance gear. Then they’d wait for El Jefe to call.
Until then, he’d keep his friends close and Carly closer. He felt her arms slide around his waist as he shoved the kickstand up with his boot. Linc smiled as he imagined what he’d do when he got her in bed, revved the engine, and roared off down the road.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Carly rescheduled pickups and deliveries the next day, changing the times so all the returning drivers would be back in the yard before midnight. She had to delay a load from a furniture manufacturer in Texarkana, but she didn’t think the one daytime shift would cause a problem for the company.
That left only the night watchman to worry about and with any luck, he wouldn’t be a problem.
In the afternoon, she and Frank Marino drove over to Greenville to see Zach. His grandparents, Amanda and Tom Weller, had called to set up a meeting. If they seemed anything less than perfect for Zach, or if Zach would rather live with her than the Wellers, she would fight them for custody all the way.
Deep down, she had already begun to think of a life that included the boy. Sooner or later, her affair with Linc would be over. The sad truth was, no matter how much he desired her, she was only a passing fancy. She had never deluded herself about that.
It was different for her. She was crazy about Linc and it was going to break her heart when he was gone. Once it was over, having a child in her life would help ease the pain. Add to that, Iron Springs was a goodplace to raise a kid, and she believed she could give Zach the loving home he deserved.
Carly met the older couple in front of the single-story redbrick building that housed the Hunt County Detention Center. On the flagpole next to the sidewalk, the Stars and Stripes and Texas state flags gently whipped in the breeze. Linc had gone to Dallas, giving her the chance to handle things on her own.
“It’s so good to meet you,” Amanda Weller said. At fifty-five, she was an attractive woman with silver-blond hair who looked years younger, while Tom Weller was handsome, with a trim, athletic build. “We’ll never forget what you’ve done for Zach.”
Amanda leaned over and hugged her. “Anything could have happened to him if you hadn’t taken him in.”
“Zach’s family,” Carly said. “All I really have left. I’m happy to help him any way I can.”
“We’ve been Skyping quite a lot lately,” Amanda said. “He’s growing up so fast. He seems to be a very level-headed young man.”
“Yes, I think he is,” Carly said. “Considering the life he’s been living with his father, he’s a pretty amazing kid.”
“He talks incessantly about you and Mr. Cain,” Tom said. “I was hoping we’d get to meet him.”
“I think he wanted us to have a chance to get to know each other. Linc is . . . well, he tends to be a little overwhelming at first. He’s just so . . .” Powerful? Dynamic? “Linc’s an incredible man,” she finished, unable to come up with a better word.
Waving to Frank, who stood a few feet away, Carly followed the Wellers inside the building. They found Zach in the small private visitors’ room they had been meeting in all week. Amanda took one look at him, bit back a sob, hurried over, and pulled him into a hug.
When Zach hugged her back, then turned and hugged Tom, Carly relaxed. Giving them a moment alone, she walked a few feet away. A sound in her purse alerted her to a call coming in. Carly dug out her phone, saw it was Linc, and walked to the far side of the room to answer the call.
“How’s it going?” Linc asked.
“The Wellers seem like really nice people.”
“That’s good, because Graham Steiner called. Ray Archer was spotted in Dallas. He’s been staying with a buddy from high school. Cops have the place staked out. He’s facing assault and vandalism charges. Steiner thinks the police will have him in custody by tonight.”
Carly’s eyes closed on a wave of relief. “That’s great news.”
“Archer’s going to jail, hopefully long enough for him to get his head on straight. Of course, he hasn’t been arrested yet, but it shouldn’t be long now.”
