“Drago. It’s time to go.”
“We must learn who sent them.” Drago spit on the ground next to one of the wounded men.
“We must meet again, Drago. Our conversation is far from over.”
Giving a brisk nod, Drago clasped Wrath’s shoulder. “We are far from done, my friend. I will have my men learn what they can about these sonsofbitches, then we will meet.”
“I’ll do the same.” Wrath hoped Grayson’s facial recognition program would ID their assailants. He turned toward Rock and Ghost at the sound of sirens.
“It’s time we got out of here.”
Chapter Six
Katrina tapped the keyboard, making final adjustments to the layout for Gunner’s property. Sitting back, she studied the changes, a small smile brightening her face.
Glancing out the window, she noticed the fading sun and checked the time. Almost four in the afternoon, well past when she’d expected Gunner to come by to get her car.
It had been slow for a Monday, yet the time had flown by as she worked on the designs. There were several, plus one showing an aerial view of the site with all her ideas. She felt a puzzling buzz of nerves. Most times, Katrina had a great deal of confidence in her work, certain the majority of her ideas would be approved.
Standing, she stretched before heading outside. The main sales lot was almost empty, Janie speaking to a couple in front of a large display of perennials. Other employees were stocking empty sections, a couple using hoses to wash down the walkways. An indication they were preparing for the five o’clock closing.
Katrina walked toward the parking lot, disappointed when she didn’t see Gunner’s bike or truck. She’d heard nothing from him after he left the café Sunday morning. Perhaps his plans had changed. Katrina knew enough about life in an MC to know the lives of the members weren’t their own. If the president of the club gave them an order, no matter how it might interfere with their own plans, the men would drop what they were doing to do his bidding.
Turning back toward the office, she stopped at the sound of a vehicle entering the lot. Not wanting to appear too eager, she continued for several more steps before hesitating at a large display of planted baskets.
Casting a look at the lot, she felt an odd sense of excitement spotting Gunner. The smile she expected didn’t appear. Instead, his mouth turned down in a slight frown. Seeing her, he changed direction, raising his hand in greeting. Returning the gesture, she met him partway.
“Sorry about it being so late.” He stopped before her. “Something came up.”
“Not a problem. You could’ve rescheduled.”
“I could have, but I wanted to see you.” This time, his mouth did lift at the corners. “If I take your car to the shop this evening, will you have a way to get to work tomorrow?”
“Janie might loan me the delivery van.”
“No need. You can drive my truck.” Gunner motioned at the office. “Do you have some plans for me to see?”
The butterflies returned. Katrina didn’t understand why his approval mattered so much. “I do.”
He followed her through the checkout area to the corner office, making a mental note of the different displays. Taking seats, she opened the folder with his designs.
“We’ll start in the front and circle around the house.” Moving from one image to another, she explained the designs and her reasons for selecting specific plants. “Wherever possible, I’ve chosen native plants. Most are perennials. They’ll be planted once, and with minimal care, will flower each year.”
Gunner forced himself to listen, although his mind kept returning to the earlier meeting at the clubhouse. Wrath, Ghost, and Rock explained the attack on them, Drago, and his two men. The assailants were not wearing cuts, which eliminated Dark Disciples. Those in outlaw MCs rarely removed their cuts. The consensus was Zeus had hired men to kill them. They still didn’t know how they’d learned of the meeting or why the attack was ordered.
“What do you think?”
The brief silence drew him from thoughts of the Disciples. “Sorry. Can you explain the last image once more?”
Katrina shifted toward him, resting a hand on his arm. “You seem distracted. Would you rather return tomorrow?”
Gunner couldn’t put it off, not with what Wrath had ordered after the attack. He covered her hand with his, squeezing. “Today is fine.”
Thirty minutes passed as they reviewed each slide once more. When finished, Gunner approved each one, a couple with minor changes.
“I’ll get a work order ready. I