Chapter 23

Blair watched the three vans pull out of the drive before turning back to the shop. The last twenty-four hours had been rocky. Devin finally convinced his father to leave by agreeing to go with him. The two men were recovered enough to transport and were being taken back to the Alliance headquarters for questioning. Blair didn’t even know where that was and didn’t think he wanted to.

Kobie’s clan was a roller coaster of emotions right now, with two men found, but no news of the rest. She’d gone for her run yesterday and then spent the rest of the time avoiding him. He scowled, he wasn’t used to that at all, a female avoiding him. Then again, they’d had an awful moment, where harsh words were spoken when she came back.

He looked at the big excavator parked in the yard and smiled at it. A task he could focus on to get out of his head. He had missed this. Turning, he looked at Gary as he walked out of the shop, “does it run?”

Gary grinned, “non-stop, that’s the problem.”

Blair tilted his head and looked back at the machine, “a challenge.”

“Kelsey tried something yesterday and ended up tossing a wrench at it and walking away.” Gary shrugged and walked around the corner of the shed to whatever piece of equipment was there.

Blair grinned and put his hands on his hips and looked at it. “We’re going to communicate, you and I,” he motioned between the machine and himself, “I need a win today.” He started walking toward it, then bent down and picked up the wrench sitting on the ground. “I’ve got enough situations and problems to keep me occupied—so let’s work together on this.” Setting the tool tray on the bumper, he climbed up to open up the engine hood.

“Kelsey’s good with an engine, so you have secrets…” he mumbled as he started going over obvious things, but he wanted to cover all his bases. He hadn’t been exaggerating, he had enough to occupy his brain, he needed the distraction. This is exactly why he’d volunteered to come over and lend a hand and left Jake at the house painting more rooms with several women ‘helping’ him. He grinned, they helped, but it was like having a meeting with four bosses present and no workers. Everyone had their idea of how it should be done. Maybe it was cruel to leave him there to sort it out, but he needed to do something.

Kobie had been sitting in with her brother since finding out that Robbie and Niles had been found. It was going to take days to get them here. There just wasn’t enough of the Alliance team freed up right now to go escort them here. Jesse was headed that way, but even then, he’d been told Niles wasn’t up to the long trip just yet. No one was sharing why and that upset Kobie, and all the women of the clan. Daisie had been oddly quiet since finding out about her dad, but Cortney was now energized and she wanted to get the whole damn house done—in an hour, or so it felt.

Blair blew out a breath and leaned over the engine looking at it, but not really seeing it. He’d had words with Kobie, she wanted to go get the men. Not even an hour after him saying he didn’t give her orders; he had basically ordered her to stay put because she was not going.

“Need a hand?”

Blair looked to see Noah standing there, looking up at him. He shook his head, “I don’t know yet.”

Noah smirked, “I thought with all the mumbling you were doing, you were struggling.”

Blair straightened up and leaned back. “Oh, I’m struggling all right, but it has nothing to do with this,” he motioned to the engine.

“It’s been a hell of a ride for you, huh?”

Blair smirked, seemed like Noah had developed a sense of humor since he’d been away. “It’s been a hell of something, that’s for sure.”

Noah looked over to see Gary waving a hand for an assist. “Well, when you’re done riding out the storm, just know I’m behind you one hundred percent of the way.”

“Thanks.” He’d already figured out that Noah was fond of Daisie and would be her protector forever after, but it was good to hear it. “I just have to survive the damn storm.”

Backing up a step or two, Noah bobbed his head, “it takes a brave man to fill that place, but I think you’ve got it.”

Blair watched him walk over to Gary. Did he? Have it? Damned if he knew. He wasn’t even sure which storm Noah was referring to. The disagreement with Kobie didn’t bother him as much as other things—well, his own behavior pissed him off, he didn’t enjoy going all territorial jerk on her. He wasn’t even sure the upset women were an issue. He was starting to think he was the issue.

Seriously, none of that was something he could fix, even if he knew how. Those that had lost loved ones, well, he wasn’t God, he couldn’t soothe that. The ones that had no answers, he couldn’t do a damn thing about either. He frowned at the engine and paused for a second. “Won’t stop. There’s got to be something jamming, gummed up, or broken off—” He leaned down further to look more.

Jay had accepted him, for that he was thankful. If her twin was against him, Blair knew that would have been a problem as far as Kobie and him ever getting together. Blowing out a breath, he gave his head a slight shake, best not to think about that at all.

Now two more males from the clan were coming back. Blair didn’t know how he felt about that. He was happy they were, happy for their family that was waiting, but was he going to butt heads with them? He had gotten their women this far, so surely that counted for something.

He pushed against the valve, if he had been gone, regardless of the reason, and came back to some strange man taking over, how would he feel? He scowled at the engine; he probably wouldn’t be too accepting. Hanging over the edge, he grabbed a screwdriver, “maybe you just need some attention, huh? A little adjusting.” He grinned. With his luck lately, the chances of this excavator tossing something at him he didn’t understand were high. He pushed against the valve again. Seemed to be a little smoother. “Okay, let’s see how you like that.”

Sitting up, he turned to climb down and saw Kobie standing on the ground, grinning up at him. He’d been so lost in his head, she’d managed to sneak up on him. His heart picked up, “Is everything okay?”

She nodded, “at the house, yes, I just needed to get out of there.”

Swinging his leg over the engine casing, he sat on the edge of the bumper, “painting going that well?”

She smirked, “your friends may regret offering to help. Cortney is on a mission."

Pointing the screwdriver in the direction of the house, he nodded, “and that’s why I’m over here today.” He frowned, “I like to think that makes me a smart man and not a coward.”

Kobie tucked her hands into her jeans, “we both may be cowards.” She looked at the machine he sat on. “What is this and what are you doing to it?”

“This,” he looked from one end of it to the other, “is an excavator and she doesn’t want to stop once she’s started.”

Kobie raised an eyebrow, “she?”

Blair shrugged, “this one is because she’s a mystery.” He smirked. Pointing to the cab, he gave her a hopeful look, “want to give me a hand?”

“I know nothing about things like this.”

Jumping, down, he held out his hand. “You don’t need to. I just need someone to turn it off and on when I say.”

“If it gives me an excuse to avoid the house, okay.” She took his hand and then let him lift her up to the first step. Climbing up, she looked in the cab. “There’s a lot of switches and gearshifts, and far too many things to hit in here.” Kobie glanced over her shoulder at him, “are you sure you trust me with this?”

Blair grinned, “I trust you—and I won’t be near anything that can crush me.”

“Good to know.” Careful to not touch or hit anything, she climbed in and sat in the seat. It was more comfortable than most furniture she’d sat in. She inhaled, and smelled like sweaty man boots, she noted.

Blair leaned in, “okay,” he flipped a switch and did something with a shifter, “when I say, just push that in and turn the key.”

Kobie noted where he pointed. “Okay.”

“Once we get it running properly, we’ll take it out in the field and you can play with it.”

She looked to where he pointed. The field looked like it had been dug, dragged, and buried hundreds of times. Did she want to play with this monster machine? “Okay, but I accept no blame if I break something.”

“There is nothing you can do that one of us hasn’t already done, trust me.” He winked and then ducked back out of the cab and swung up to stand and lean over the huge motor that was open.

“Okay, start it.” He said loud enough she heard.

She did and felt a little exhilarated when the machine was vibrating with the power of the motor. Keeping her hand on the key, she watched Blair as he leaned down in, almost dangling his body in the motor. She held her breath and watched him reach in and do something to it. She wouldn’t even look under the hood of a car with it running and he was sticking his face and hands in a huge motor. Forcing herself to breathe, she hoped this was going to be an easy fix, so she didn’t have to worry about him losing pieces of his body.

It may not have been the most intelligent move he’d made, confining the both of them in the small cab of the rig. She smelled fucking amazing. Like, he had to keep his mouth away from her so he wouldn’t take a bite, kind of amazing. Each time she laughed, it made his cat side want to yowl in victory, that their mate was happy.

Kobie growled low in her throat when the rig hesitated in a deeper rut in the thoroughly dug-up field. He watched the look of determination appear on her face and his heartbeat kicked up a few notches. She was perfect.

“So,” he leaned down closer and adjusted the throttle, so the tracks would dig in, “when I can arrange it,” she paused and gave him her complete focus. Those eyes. Fuck. “I thought we could go do something—together.” So much for the smooth Blair that was seemingly a thing of the past.

She grinned slowly, her eyes lighting up, and it hit him in the gut or more groin. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

Blair grinned, “yeah. Some time without work, escape, or two clans present.”

Kobie laughed softly, “is that even a thing? Asking your mate for a date.”

Blair leaned back away from her before he grabbed her and did something stupid and uncivilized. “I fucking hope it is.” He snorted, “I don’t plan on a marking, and then that’s it, we’re stuck in a daily grind deal.”

She didn’t mask the surprised look on her face fast enough. Her dark eyes locked with his. “Good and yes, some time with just the two of us would be great.”

Blair nodded slowly, “I’ll figure out how and when.” He winked at her, “now get this rig out of this hole or I’ll have to call Jake to pull us.”

Her eyes went wide, “we’re not doing that.” She looked at the dash and pointed, “this one? Give it power, but not too much?”

He nodded.

With a determined expression, she leaned forward in the seat and maneuvered the rig, so it turned to gain better traction. Grinning at her expression, he turned to see the dirt kicking out beneath the tracks and spotted Noah running toward them, waving his hand. “Something’s wrong.” Blair reached over and throttled down the engine and shut off the rig. Opening the door, he hopped down and looked all around them. Nothing seemed out of place here.

“You need to get over to the house,” Noah called out.

Kobie climbed down and stood beside Blair.

“What’s going on?” Blair started toward him, a hundred different scenarios going through his mind. Had Tomas sent more? Was Jay okay? If Daisie fell out of a tree, he was going to freak out…

“Jake called, it’s one of the girls,” Noah stopped and took a deep breath to settle his breathing.

Blair’s heart thudded in his chest.

Noah waved his hand beside his head, “the one with the red streaks...”

“Nichelle.” Blair supplied quickly. 

Noah nodded, “her first shift.”

“Shit.” Blair turned to look at Kobie, then held out his hand. They started jogging toward the shop. “Get two of the guys over there to run the perimeter, in case she runs wild.” All he could think of was Kelsey’s first shift. He’d never been so worried and scared, but proud all at the same time. How had he not sensed it this morning when he’d seen her? He scowled as he opened the door for Kobie to get in. Nichelle had been quiet and keeping to herself a lot the last few days. Blair assumed it was because her uncle was coming back and not in good shape. Still, someone should have noticed and told him.

“It’s exhilarating and nerve-wracking each time,” Kobie said in a tense voice.

Blair only nodded; first shifts were always intense.

“It’s too bad none of her family is here for her.”

Blair eased off on the gas to keep the truck from drifting across the road as he turned out onto it. Reaching over, he squeezed her hand. “She’s got the rest of us.”

She was quiet until they pulled into the drive. “Maybe one of the older women will help.”