All the Way (30 page)

“Frank, I want you to meet Layla.” Blake introduced
Layla to their old friend, who lifted Layla’s hand to his mustache-covered lips as they greeted each other.

“This is the girl you’re staying with upstairs?” Frank asked with a nod overhead.

“The one and only.
I take that to mean you found us a spot.”

He nodded. “But it’ll cost you.”

“You know I’m good for it.”

“And you know rooms in Sturgis are booked eight months to a year in advance.”

“An emergency came up.”

“You’re lucky you have friends in high places.” Frank grinned at him.

Blake explained to Layla, “Frank owns a lot of property in Sturgis, and kicks everybody out for the week before, the week during, and the week after the rally.”

“It’s a town built for six thousand people,” Frank added, “but for three weeks a year it caters to almost to half a mil. Things get tight.”

“I guess rooms are a hot commodity,” she said.

“So are pretty ladies,” Frank said with a twinkle in his eye. “Blake, if I’d known your girl was this good looking I might’ve given you a discount.”
Layla beamed at him.

Blake drawled, “I’ve known you over ten years, but it’s my girl who gets you to bend over backwards.”

Tanner slapped a consoling hand on his shoulder. “Sorry, bro, I just don’t think you’re his type.”

Ribald comments sailed back and forth between him and the guys before Blake finally steered the conversation to what they were
anxious to hear.
“Frank, have you seen that kid I described over the phone?
I figured for sure he’d come here. Every year I return from Sturgis I rave to him about your shop. This is where I always get his souvenir. You carry some of the best T-shirts in the business.”

Layla’s hands found her hips. Her eyes narrowed. “Is that where Robby got the one that says ‘The best things in life are dangerous’?”

He faked a blank look. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Folding her arms, she relented. “I guess it doesn’t matter. As long as we find him, he can wear any T-shirt he wants.” She sent a hopeful look to Frank. Blake’s chest tightened, wishing he knew some way to make Rob materialize. Then maybe the frown between her brows would finally melt away. “My brother’s pretty distinctive, easy to spot, I’d think. Anyone you’ve seen resemble his description?”

Frank passed his glance between all three of them and shook his head regretfully. “Afraid I haven’t.” His compassionate gaze settled on Layla. “Real sorry about that.”

The hope seemed to drain out of her. Blake slid an arm around her waist and tucked her against him. She felt small in his arms. His hold tightened. He kissed the top of her head, murmuring how things would work out, that everything would be all right.

Layla blinked several times before she looked up again. “Thanks anyway. If he happens to come here, by chance, will you let us know?”

“Straight away.”

“Thank you,” Layla said quietly, turning to leave the store.

A thought struck Blake. “Wait. There might’ve been someone else with him.”

Tanner arched a questioning eyebrow. Frank waited.

Layla gasped. “You don’t think Jack would—”

“No,” Blake assured quickly. “Not Jack. The other guy, the passenger he brought with him when he met us outside the fair.”

“Why him?”

“Because he knew Rob.”

Layla’s lips parted. “How do you know that?”

“There were signs. Things he did to give me clues. He did the ‘peace-out’ thing Rob does when he says goodbye.”

“So?”

“So trust me, he knew Rob. There’s a connection there. I can feel it.”

“Why didn’t you tell me all this?” She sounded hurt.

“Because I didn’t know how it all came together.” He told Frank, “The guy wears a worn black baseball cap. Stands a few inches shorter than me, five-eleven or six-feet.
Black eyes and light brown skin
skin.
Super-thin goatee. Two hoops in his left ear. Talks with a tough-guy, city accent.”

“He trouble?” Frank gathered.

Blake squeezed Layla’s waist before he said, “I’m not sure yet.”

“Then I’ll keep both eyes open for the kid. The room you wanted is upstairs and ready whenever you are.” Frank tossed Blake a set of keys.

Blake caught them. He thanked Frank again, told him that he and Layla would be back with their things that afternoon, and they’d stop down to touch base again tomorrow morning.

“Did Jack’s passenger really know my brother?” Layla tugged at Blake’s arm as though begging for reassurance, her eyes wide with worry. “Is Robby in worse trouble than we thought?”

His heart ached for her. “I don’t know anything for sure. But it doesn’t hurt to be cautious and investigate all angles.”

Layla paused outside the door to Frank’s Harley-Davidson shop. Blake hung back with her where she stood on the bottom step and stared at the crowded streets. A cloud seemed to pass over her eyes, dimming their sparkle with a shadow of despair. “Where do we begin?”

“Well…” Blake rubbed the back of his neck, which had grown damp beneath the fall of his hair. His hat only partially deflected the heat of the blazing midday sun. “Frank was our best hope, but he wasn’t our last.”

“Nah, not even close,” Tanner added, backing up a few paces to join them. Sometimes Tanner’s devil-may-care attitude annoyed Blake, but right now he was grateful for his brother’s cocky, laid-back style. “Needle in a haystack is easier to find when you’ve got a magnet. We can stop by places along the strip for now, drop names and descriptions, and check back later.”

Layla brightened marginally. “That might give us something to go on.”

Tanner continued, “Our best bet on finding your brother will be after the sun goes down.”

“When the gangs come out to play,” Blake informed her.

Tanner nodded.
“My band is playing at The Full Throttle tonight. That’s a great place to scout around. With your brother being a musician, a live band could attract him. We might draw him right to us.”

“You really think so?” Layla’s wistful tone fueled Blake’s determination.

“I agree with Tanner. We’ve got a good shot of running across him tonight. We’ll make some stops, show them Rob’s picture, and spread the word to keep an eye out for him. Then we’ll come back with our stuff, check with our morning contacts. Relax for an hour or two, and then head to The Full Throttle after dinner. Sound good, baby?”

“I don’t know about the relaxing part,” she admitted, “but the rest sounds fine.” She reached out and placed her hands on both men’s arms. “Thank you so much. Both of you. I would’ve gone home in tears by now if it wasn’t for you guys.”

Tanner laced his fingers together and cracked them like it was all in a day’s work. “Just as long as the check’s in the mail, we’re straight,” he said on a wink.

Blake smirked at his brother, then turned to Layla. “Did you really think, back when you blundered into the Handle Bar, I’d let you come all the way to Sturgis by yourself?”

“I had no idea how persuasive you could be.” A sly grin slid onto her lips.

Tanner rolled his eyes. “Spare me.”

When Layla and Blake finally showed up at Tanner’s gig that night, Layla’s emotions balanced between
despair and desperation. This might be their last, best hope.

The day hadn’t produced a thing. They were no further along on their crusade to find and rescue Robby. A knot of tension twisted her stomach. Uncertainty plagued her.

Though one thing was certain, Layla thought as she looked around. They didn’t call this place The Full Throttle
Saloon for nothing.

If the guys were right—she prayed they were—this seemed like just the place to attract the wild and rowdy gang they were hoping to find, with Robby in tow.

There were whistles, shouts, and the heavy hum of voices, punctuated by the blast of pipes that seared the night air. It smelled like a barn, with all these bodies packed tight, beer taps flowing like sinks, leather everywhere. Exhaust fumes wafted through at intervals, carried into the open bar by the sultry breeze.

Aside from the entertainment of bikes that roared in at odd intervals, there were dancers scattered around the saloon, which boasted enough floor space to compete with a warehouse. Women in various degrees of undress wandered through the crowd of rowdy, testosterone-crazed males, tying one on with the help of Budweiser and MGD.

She spotted an unoccupied table in a distant corner near the stage, and they made tracks toward it. Layla led the way, more amused than scandalized by the number of masculine stares she drew as she walked through the crowd.
However, it went both ways. She noticed the hungry female glances following Blake’s muscular form, his tanned arms and torso, his unbuttoned vest offering a delicious view.

As they wandered through, the hands Blake planted on her hips didn’t deter any of the guys. It seemed a free for all, men grabbing an eyeful wherever they could get it.

Normally, Blake wouldn’t take it this well, all these men staring and grinning at her. But she hadn’t heard a word from him.
Was he too
focused on searching for Robby in the crowd? She hoped his height gave him an advantage, since she couldn’t see a thing.

When they reached their destination, he shoved the chair away with his boot and hoisted her onto the table with him, so she sat between his legs. They faced the stage. His arms came around her, and he stacked his forearms across her stomach, leaving no doubt who she belonged to. So he wasn’t immune to the stares after all.

Tanner’s band turned out to be really good. Much better than what she remembered from the Handle Bar. Of course, at the time she’d been distracted searching for her brother.
History certainly repeats itself
.
She frowned at the dismal thought.

She couldn’t believe that the entire afternoon they’d spent going in and out of shops, stores, tents, and the “beer gardens” hadn’t given them any leads. Blake and Tanner asked the people they knew to keep a look out for a kid matching Rob’s description. It helped her feel proactive, but why hadn’t anyone recognized Robby?

Were they completely off base? Was Robby even here in Sturgis at all? What if he wasn’t, and they were wasting their time combing the streets for nothing? Her stomach pitched and twisted again as questions piled up, a burden collecting on her heart.

Suddenly Blake tensed around her. He swatted her rump. “I need up. Trouble’s brewing.”

Layla leaped off the table. Was it Robby? Blake moved away too quickly to ask.

She tried to follow him, but the mob squeezed together, blocking her way.
So she stood on the chair Blake had shoved away to see what the fuss was about. At the same time she scanned for signs of her brother. From her new height she saw a crowd had formed around two meatheads who spent way too much time at the gym.

The band played on, but she saw Tanner whistle through his fingers and Blake answered him with a hand signal. The meatheads paced around each other. They were preparing to let fists fly. She braced herself to witness a nasty brawl.

Layla glanced at the stage. The band was absent a front man.

“Don’t tell me they’re going to…” She saw Blake and Tanner lunge into the fray.
Her hands flew to her hips. “Oh, brilliant, guys. Go jump right in the middle of it.”

They both reacted quickly, like they’d done this before. They each grabbed a meathead and pulled him back. The one Blake retained didn’t seem to appreciate the interference. He took a swing, and it clipped Tanner’s jaw. Blake flipped the guy flat on the ground before she could blink, his boot against the man’s throat.

Tanner held the other one back by sheer might. He shouted, “It’s not worth it, man. Let it go.”

In under a minute, the brothers had diffused what could’ve escalated into a bloody, bar-wide brawl.

Layla pushed through the crowd
toward the bar. Quickly she flagged a bartender and asked for an ice-filled cloth. While she waited, she turned back anxiously toward where the fight had nearly broken out. It seemed several bouncers were escorting the meatheads out of the bar. The Desanto brothers were both in one piece. Still, Tanner would need ice to reduce the swelling.

Growing antsy, feeling the hum of energy ignite throughout the place, she distracted herself by listening to two rough-looking guys next to her at the bar. Strange patches covered their vests. A skull with vines encasing it caught her attention for some reason, like it was familiar.
The man said, “I could’ve used a fight tonight. Wish I’d jumped in before they broke it up.”

“No way, man. Lay low. You know what’s coming in tomorrow night.”

“Yeah.
Huge deal going down. Is Big Red still working through that cop?”

Layla stilled.

“S’far as I know.”

“The cop always comes through, I guess. Seems like a risk, trusting a blue, out of state like he is.”

Layla swallowed hard and tried to keep her hands from shaking.

The man with the bandana around his head and that formidable patch shrugged. “S’long as we’ve got Johnny playing the middle, we’re cool.”

“Guess so. C’mon, let’s move. That girl over there’s about to take her shirt off.”

The two ambled away. Layla watched their backs until they disappeared. They hadn’t noticed her eavesdropping, but she’d memorized their every word.

Could they be talking about Jack?

Maybe their conversation could shift her search into better focus?

Absently she received the iced cloth from the bartender
and brought it to where Tanner stood near their table. He arched an eyebrow and accepted. “Thanks.”

“After raising my little brother, I know the cure for any injury.”
She sounded a little too bright, she realized. But her mind was on other things. She
blinked and looked up at Tanner. “With your view from the stage, have you seen Robby in here
tonight?”

He shook his head. “Sorry, Layla.
No sign of him yet.”

A distracted frown pulled at her lips. “I haven’t seen him, either.”

“The kid’s lucky to have a sister like you.” Tanner held the cold cloth to his jaw.

“I doubt he thinks so.” Her gaze dropped to the floor.

The fight officially over, Blake arrived at her side in time to hear her comment.
“You’re wrong, baby. He looks up to you more than anyone.”

“More than you?” she asked, startled by the discovery.

“Yes. But I’m not related to him, so he actually listens to me.”

Tanner said, “You two make a good team. Together you’ll get that kid home in the next four days, no problem.”

The reminder of how little time she had left flooded her with worry. “I hope you’re right.”

“How’s the jaw?”
Blake turned to Tanner.

“Still attached.”

“More ice?” Layla offered, thinking she might be able to steal more details from those two gang members.

“Nah, but I’ll sit with it another minute to stop the swelling.”
He looked at Blake. “Feel like taking over, bro? Just for a song or two?”

Blake scratched his neck. “I don’t know. It’s been ages since I played for an audience. Since our talent show days, man.”

“One song.”

He nodded reluctantly.
“Only because you asked.”

Intrigued at the revelation of Blake’s musical talent, Layla set aside her thoughts of the gang members for a minute and watched him mount the stage. He slid the guitar strap on, played a few chords to warm up and adjusted the mic.

“I know you’ve been listening to seventies and eighties rock, but I want to step it up a few decades. The song’s by Nickelback, called ‘Feelin’ Way Too Damn Good.’”

By the time Blake played the intro, the band caught on to the beat. It sounded like she was back at the pavilion last year, when Blake had treated her and Rob to the concert.
When Blake and Layla’s dormant attraction ignited fully between them.

“My gosh, I never knew he could sing like that. He sounds just like the CD!”

“I bet my brother’s been full of surprises on this trip.”

Layla tilted her head curiously. “Why do you say that?”

Tanner lifted a shoulder and nodded at his brother. “Listen to the song he picked, the words he’s singing. It’s about you.”

Surprised by Tanner’s bold assertion, she tuned in. Blake sang about falling in love, and finding his heart facedown. How the two of them should probably start to fight, because something had to wrong—things were way too damn good.

“So here’s my idea,” Tanner said, eyeing her flushed cheeks. “You two cut out all the crap from the past. Admit you love each other, because any idiot can tell anyway. Get hitched. And live happily ever after. Because one of us needs to carry on the family name, and it’s not going to be me.”

Layla smiled and threw him a sidelong glance. “Is that right?”

“Do the world a favor and stop acting like you’re clueless that my brother’s totally in love with you.”

Layla’s heart stopped. Her eyes widened. “Did he say that?”

“Like he had to.”

“Then how do you know?”

Tanner scoffed. “Why is it the people who can’t live without each other are the last ones to figure that out?”

“How do you know so much about love anyway?”

“Been there.
Once.”

“And?”

His eyes shuttered. “And now I know it when I see it. But if you take too long, it won’t wait.” He picked up an abandoned beer bottle, contemplated the amber liquid at its bottom and tossed it in a trash barrel. “Not even ‘til you’re sober.”

Layla could almost feel the pain he hid behind that handsome, careless smile. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

Shrugging, he tossed the rag on the table.
Blake’s song had ended.
“Thanks for the ice.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

“For what it’s worth.”

“A lot, coming from you,” she said sincerely.

He winked and headed to the stage. The brothers clasped hands, Blake hauled Tanner up, and they traded places. Cheers and applause followed Blake offstage.

Tanner said into the mic, “The guy can carry a tune, can’t he?” A chorus of feminine whoops and whistles rose up. “Sorry, ladies, he’s taken.” He threw out a dynamic grin. “But I’m not.”

The next song that sailed from the speakers brought a private smile to her lips.
Going back to 80s cover tunes, Tanner wailed on guitar and nailed the vocals—Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again on My Own.”
Fitting, after what he’d revealed.

Tanner seemed the type not to waste his breath unless he meant what he said.
Blake had been singing to her.
She
held bad-boy Blak
e Desanto’s heart in her hands? It seemed almost surreal after the year it took them to return to where they started.

Blake—the man who had resembled a god the first time she walked up his driveway to get Robby, the man she’d once secretly hoped might give her a second glance, maybe even the time of day—was now walking across a crowded room toward her. Layla memorized this moment. His smooth, confident stride, the straight hair that brushed his muscular shoulders, his black vest open to show off his toned body, his green eyes locked on her like she was the only person in the room.

When he reached her, she stood on her toes and pulled him into a kiss. After a minute he came up for air. “Do I get one of those every time I serenade you?”

A
blush of awareness seeped into her cheeks. “I’ll do one better if you give me my own private show.”

“Check please.” He took her hand and led her to the bar where their tab waited, paid, and tugged her out of the saloon.

“Shouldn’t we stay in case Robby shows up?” She paused on the sidewalk.

“Tanner said he’d keep a look out. There are plenty more bars where Rob could be. We can’t stay put all night and waste valuable search time.”