have a goddamn helicopter,” Wilson said grimly. “Because he is currently in Eugene.”
I came to a stop with my hand on the door leading to the field behind the clubhouse. “Say again?”
“Drake Warren’s cell phone is in Eugene, according to the GPS coordinates I just uploaded.”
My mind raced. How close was he? I glanced back at the room where I’d left Cecilia and Olive. “You got anything more precise?”
“With the technology at my disposal, that’s not possible,” Wilson replied. “Shit, Chief,” he said, his words coming out far more informal than usual, making him sound like the kid he was. “I fucked up.”
“Call Forrest and fill him in on the particulars,” I said, spinning on my heel and striding back toward the center of the club. I didn’t have it in me to offer him absolution—not when the devil was knocking on our goddamn door.
I found Casper and Dragon standing at the bar. As soon as I got close, their conversation stopped, and both men looked up in surprise when I joined them.
“Warren’s in Eugene,” I ground out.
“Course he is,” Dragon said, watching me closely. “You surprised by this?”
“Warning would have been nice,” I replied.
Casper chuckled. “Yeah, man, it always is.” He slapped me on the shoulder. “You’ve been spoiled with gadgets and backup too long. Welcome back to reality, where fuckers jump outta the shadows.”
“We planned for this,” Dragon said calmly.
“We plan for everything,” Casper added. “But knowing he’s here now, we can adapt a bit. Here’s what I’m thinking—”
The longer I stood with them, listening to Casper as he laid out the plan for the day, the more my shoulders relaxed. They really did try to plan for all contingencies. All that calm disappeared in an instant when Casper said Cecilia’s name.
“You want to what?” I barked.
“She’s gotta come with us,” Casper said. “Highly visible.”
“No,” I replied.
“You think I’m happy about this?” he shot back. “You think I’d ever put one’a my kids in danger? This is the only way to draw them away from the club. They don’t need to take any of us out—at least not at this point. He’s after CeeCee and Olive, and for this to work, he’s gotta think that he’s got a chance to get one of them.”
“We risk the chance of them tryin’ to get onto the property,” Dragon said. “And we could hold ’em off—but I’ve got a feelin’ that they’d just come back. How long you think we should play that game? Can’t keep the women here indefinitely.”
“Sure as shit can’t keep them inside indefinitely,” Casper added. “He’s not gonna stop.”
“So we take Warren out,” I said.
“The militia hasn’t gotten back to your friend,” Casper said calmly. “And they let Warren leave. They’re in this shit. You think takin’ one man out will stop this shit?”
“His goon squad isn’t part of the militia—”
“They’re still gettin’ paid,” Dragon said reasonably. “Even if Warren’s dead. I’d put money on it.”
“Militia will take care of that,” Casper agreed. “Hamstring us and claim plausible deniability. Exactly how I’d play it.”
I ground my teeth together and stared at the rows of booze behind the bar. I knew they were right. We had to draw the fight away from the clubhouse full of women and children, and we had to make it so that they couldn’t retreat and regroup. That didn’t mean that I could agree to putting Cecilia right in the middle of the fight we were about to invite.
“We’ll get her to the house and inside with Cam,” Casper said. “She’ll be in the open fifteen seconds tops from the truck to the front door.”
“Fifteen seconds is a long motherfucking time,” I bit out.
“You got a better idea?” Dragon asked. “I’m all ears. You don’t? Get your shit straight and back us the fuck up.”
“Cecilia know about this?” I asked Casper. If she knew, there was no way I could put a stop to it, short of tying her down.
“Do I know about what?” Cecilia asked, coming up behind me.
“Fuck,” I breathed, closing my eyes in frustration.
“Warren’s in Eugene,” her dad replied, not bothering to sugarcoat it. “We’re gonna draw him away from the clubhouse.”
“How?” she asked quietly. “What do you need me to do?”
“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” I bit out.
“Olive stays here?” she asked her dad, looking straight into my eyes.
“Of course,” her dad replied.
“Then I’ll draw that asshole a map straight to me,” she said.
I held her gaze, the muscle in my cheek jumping as I forced myself