Page 75 of Omega's Triplets

Chapter Nineteen

Harley pulled the motorcycleto the side of the road, cut the motor, and let his momentum carry him across the shoulder and down into the trees. When he was about ten feet from the road, he parked his bike and hunkered, waiting for the others.

It had been his idea to travel separately this time. It felt strange to be on the road without his brothers—they had always gone on runs together, and he was used to falling in on Mark’s left side. He was used to looking to his right and seeing Jamie there.

But it had been too dangerous to travel together this time. As soon as he’d raised the issue, Mark and Jamie had agreed wholeheartedly. The Death Fangs might not have wanted word to get around about the fact that they’d been cheated of what they saw as their property, but it was a sure thing that each and every member of their pack knew that there were three brothers—three identical alpha brothers—out there who had made themselves their enemies. One look at Mark, Harley, and Jamie would be enough to raise an alarm.

It was possible that the members of the Death Fangs who had seen them in Idaho would recognize them individually anyway. But Harley knew they stood out more as a trio than they did on their own.

Now, he hunkered behind the trees, prepaid cell phone in one hand, looking at his watch. He had been the last to leave home, and thus, the last to arrive. His brothers should already be in position, unless something had gone wrong. The phone call he was expecting was due at any minute.

Maddy was at home with the babies. She had been desperate to come along with them—in fact, she’d insisted on it—but they’d spoken with one voice, overruling her desire, ordering her to stay. “You have to take care of the kids,” Mark had said firmly, not adding what they were all thinking—if something went wrong, if the brothers were hurt or killed today, it was important that someone was still around to parent their children.

Maddy had understood what wasn’t being spoken aloud. Her eyes had filled with tears. But she had refused to let them fall. She was so strong, Harley thought now. So resilient. She knew they were doing what had to be done, and that if everything went well today, they’d never have to worry about the Death Fangs again.

The phone vibrated in Harley’s hand, jerking him out of his thoughts. He tapped the screen to answer. “Hello?”

“I’m in position,” Mark’s voice responded.

“Have you heard from Jamie?” Jamie had been the first to leave home and should have arrived in Oregon about six hours ago. He was in, perhaps, the most dangerous position of all. Harley was deeply worried about his brother’s safety.

“I just got off the phone with him,” Mark said. “He’s ready to go.”

Harley looked at his watch. “It’s quarter to three now,” he said.

“Go at five til,” Mark said. “I’ll go at three exactly, and Jamie will make his move now. I’ll call him back and let him know.”

“Mark?”

“What?”

“Be careful, will you?”

Mark’s voice softened. “Yeah. You too. I’ll see you past the Idaho border line if everything goes well. Pancakes at that diner.”

“Right.” Harley hung up the phone and looked down at his watch again. Nine more minutes to go. Then, he would make his move.

***

JAMIE SCALED A LARGEoak, shimmied out along one of its branches and reached out toward the barn window. He reached it, barely, and let out a sigh of relief.The hard part’s over.

Then, he had to laugh at himself. Of course, the hard part wasn’t over. The hard part was just beginning. Plenty could still go wrong.

The rope ladder he’d made and tested back at home was slung over his shoulder. Now, he dropped it into the room and draped it carefully over the window ledge so that half its length hung inside the barn and half remained outside. He peered carefully into the room. A cluster of frightened looking women stood in the corner.

“Hey!” he hissed.

A couple of them looked up.

He beckoned them over.

---