Burned

by Stone, Piper

  “You did good, buddy. Real good.” Anger swelled once again, reopening every wound from all the years, penetrating every cell and muscle. “We’re going to take care of this. We’re going to bring her home.”

  Even though there was no home to bring her to.

  * * *

  The moment I had decent reception after making my way down the mountain, I called Cole. I’d told him only minimal details about Kelly, but he was one smart guy, figuring out I was hiding something. What I needed right now was brawn and he was the man who could make that happen for me. He answered on the second ring.

  “Cole.”

  “Hawk. Jesus, dude. How are you doing?” Cole asked, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

  “I’m fine but I need a favor.”

  “O-kay.”

  I pulled into the vet’s office, throwing the gear into park. For some reason, I glanced in the rearview mirror. I had a feeling that Rusty and his boys would be hunting for the remaining loose ends. “Ever heard of Rusty Miller?”

  “I know he’s one bad dude. Had a run-in with him about a year ago. Please don’t tell me you’re mixed up with him somehow.”

  “More complicated than that.” I told him the basics, just enough to pique his curiosity, including the concept that he and his buddies had likely started both fires.

  “As I said, he’s an asshole,” Cole snapped.

  “I think he also took a hostage.”

  Cole hesitated. “What do you need from me? Anything and you got it.”

  “Any chance you know where he lives?”

  “I know he’s squatting on his father’s ranch just east of Missoula. Think it’s called the Black Steer. I can check with my brother. They had a little brawl a few months ago inside of Ziggy’s. Guess the asshole was coming onto his girl.”

  “Sounds like him.”

  “That what happened to the sexy girl you had stashed inside your house?” Laughing, he quickly shut down when I didn’t answer. “What do you want to do with him?”

  As Gage said, there was no such thing as a coincidence. Maybe karma was rearing its ugly head.

  “Teach him a lesson and find Kelly. I need some muscle. While Gage is trying to ascertain answers, I don’t want this broadcasted and especially not in Hamilton. We need to go in quietly.”

  “I think I can arrange that. Where do you want to meet?”

  I glanced at my watch. “Your place. Thirty minutes. I need to make certain Buck is okay. Taking him to my vet.”

  “I hear you. Take care of him. I’ll see you then.”

  I ended the call and gave Buck a rub on his head. “Let’s get you checked out, buddy.” As I climbed out of the truck, pulling the pup into my arms, I glanced at the last strings of color dancing in the sky. “Just hold on, baby. I’m coming to get you.”

  I carried my boy inside the vet’s office, one I’d used before. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.

  Thank God the pup was all right, the vet cleaning his wounds. He’d cheated death a second time in only a number of days. The boy deserved a medal. The way he adored Kelly, protecting her much like I would do reinforced everything my instinct told me about her.

  Beautiful.

  Intelligent.

  Victim.

  Almost forty minutes later I pulled down Cole’s long driveway. His house was nestled in the foothills of the same mountain I lived on. He’d purchased several acres of land only two years before. I’d stopped on the way, picking up additional ammunition. Buck’s tail thumped hard against the seat. He loved Cole’s ranch, the horses, the pastures to run and play in, the calm stream to go swimming.

  When I rounded the bend, I was surprised to see the number of vehicles, mostly trucks strung across the front of his house. “Looks like game on, Buck.” He announced our arrival, barking at one of the horses in the corral. I didn’t need to knock, Cole opening the door with the same shit-eating grin on his face he always wore. Only this time, there was a sparkle in his eyes.

  “You’re late,” Cole chastised. “Hey, Buck. What happened to the pup?”

  “He had a misstep with the butt of a gun. Had to stop for ammo.”

  “Jesus. What the hell are they doing this for?”

  “They have their reasons,” I huffed, scanning the perimeter, surprised to see so many bodies.

  Cole closed the door, flanking my side. “You’re dead serious about this. You think she’s holed up there.”

  “I am and I do.” Unless they buried her body somewhere. I shoved aside the ugly thought, concentrating on the task at hand.

  I counted a solid dozen people in the room, including our entire team; Brooklyn, Grinder, Quinn, and Mack. I recognized Cole’s brother, Sawyer Lincoln from the Missoula smoke-jumping team and at least two of the others. They were all formidable, roughhewn guys who took no shit.

  Cole waved his hand, drawing their attention. “Hawk Chambers. You know my brother Sawyer.”

  I nodded to the rugged man who reminded me more of a cowboy than a decorated jumper. I knew the reputation of the entire team. They were true Hotshots, heroes on several levels.

  “Then there’s Stoker Hansen, Landen Weaver, Garcia Puevos, Riker Sheffield, Boone Martin, and Antonio Giovanni. A few of the jumpers couldn’t make it but I think we have enough manpower.”

  “And firepower if we need it,” Landen added, folding his massive arms. I could see the pistol attached to his hulking mass.

  “I hope it doesn’t come to that,” I said with no conviction in my voice.

  “What’s the plan?” Grinder asked.

  “Simple. Rescue a girl by the name of Kelly Aspen.” I had to admit, I was impressed with the group Cole had been able to gather in such a short period of time. Fire eaters protected their own, no matter what crew or team they were on.

  “Kelly Aspen. Name sounds familiar.” Stoker glanced at Garcia, lifting an eyebrow.

  “That’s the chick from that bar. The Cargo Bar. Wasn’t there some kind of incident there?” Garcia asked. “Saw something on television about it.”

  “That’s right,” Stoker snorted. “What a crock of shit.”

  Sawyer glanced over at Cole. “I had that run-in with the same guy who was supposedly assaulted by Kelly in the parking lot of the Cargo. Remember that night at Ziggy’s?”

  “Oh, hell, yes,” Antonio hissed. “He runs with a pretty raggedy crew, but they’re armed.”

  “If this chick smacked down his ass, she’s my kind of girl,” Quinn said, chortling.

  “And she’s taken,” I stated without thinking.

  Cole patted me on the back. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back. Let’s go get her.”

  “We have to. I won’t leave there without her.” My words seemed to ring loudly in the group.

  The string of trucks heading for the Black Steer ranch gave me some level of comfort. Becoming vigilantes probably wasn’t the best way to handle this, but in truth, I had broken the law. There was no way around it. Getting Gage and his deputies involved would only place his job in jeopardy.

  I remained quiet, Cole driving, the darkness comforting.

  “This girl got under your skin,” Cole said, darting a quick look in my direction.

  “She did.”

  “I’m sorry about this shit.”

  “Yeah, me too. Whatever happens, she can’t be hurt.”

  “If she’s even here,” he muttered. He rolled past the sign indicating the ranch, slowing down as he hit the gravel.

  “She’s here. I can feel it.” Every nerve stood on end. Both Buck and I leaned forward, peering out the windshield. There was no question in my mind about whether they’d brought her to the ranch. I knew in my gut she was close.

  “Whatever happens, Hawk, you’re doing the right thing.”

  There was no answer needed.

  We swarmed the location, the various trucks blocking in the four sitting in front of the oversized ranch-style house. Every one of us climbed out at the same time, storm
ing toward the front door. I banged on the solid wood, the booming sound floating into the night sky. “Rusty Miller. Open this door.”

  The vehemence in which I’d said the words was barely the tip of the anger nestled inside, crawling to get to the surface. It didn’t take long before I heard a heavy set of footsteps charging toward the door. When the man threw it open, he smiled initially, snarling after a few seconds.

  “What the fuck do you want?”

  I took a step back, revealing the entire posse behind me. “We want Kelly Aspen. I know she’s here. Hand her over.”

  “You’re fuckin’ wrong,” he snarked, attempting to close the door.

  I placed my foot just inside, lifting the rifle. “As I said. We’re here to take Kelly Aspen.”

  “Over my dead body,” he said, laughing. In his hand was a bottle of beer. The single shot I heard came from my right, the bullet catching the bottle midsection, shattering it into a hundred pieces. Yelping, he stumbled backwards, obviously intoxicated. “What. The. Fuck?”

  Landen appeared beside me, the gun still in his hand. “The next shot won’t miss.”

  I could see a hint of fear in the man’s eyes, yet he covered it up with a snarl. “Boys, we have company.”

  Three men approached, surrounding Rusty as if he was a god. From what I could see, only one man had a pistol ready to use.

  “I suggest you listen to my friend. All we want is the girl.” I kept my tone even, the rifle close.

  Rusty eyed the lot of us, his eyes moving from one man to the other. “You’re a stupid fuck. Do you know who you’re messing with?”

  “And do you know who you’re messing with?” Grinder stood behind me. I could hear the anger in his voice, knew what kind of power he could bring to the table. You didn’t fuck with Grinder.

  Another laugh left Rusty’s mouth. “The girl belongs to me. Matter of fact, there’s a warrant out for her arrest. I’m going to be a hero. I suggest you boys back off or you’re going to be arrested as well.”

  “Not going to happen,” I stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “From what I know about you, including your less than stellar reputation, you enjoy picking on women. I have sworn statements from six different women stating you and your... boys attempted to rape them. I don’t think you’d like that to get out, especially since you have a rather lengthy record.”

  He stared at me, glassy-eyed.

  “We don’t have to take this shit,” one of his men snarled.

  Rusty threw out his hand, grinning. “You can’t prove a damn thing. I can take any woman I want any time I want. Period.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And that little redhead. She has a mighty fine taste. Yum. Yum. Her pussy is just as sweet as cantaloupe. Ain’t that right, boys? You have no idea just how good it was to touch her. Taste her. And that shit at the bar? She thought she was something, actually trying to fight me off. She learned her lesson good.” Rusty kept the grin on his face as he rubbed the spot where the knife had sliced into his muscle.

  I bristled hearing the words, could tell the others were incensed. At least the fucker admitted his crime. If he’d touched her, the man would die by my hands. I felt Cole gripping my arm, trying to keep me in check. Fuck that.

  There was no other choice in my mind. The asshole needed to come down a peg or two. The hard swing of my fist was fast and furious, catching him in the jaw. He went down with a hard thud. I yanked back the safety and stood over him, holding the barrel two inches from his face. “You were saying?”

  “Fuck!” Rusty hissed, his entire body shaking.

  I noticed the other three backed up, holding up their arms.

  Every firefighter and jumper piled into the room, surrounding the jerks in one tight circle.

  “We don’t want any trouble. Rusty told us to do it.” The man was red-faced, huffing, and his eyes lit up like wildfire.

  “Where is the girl?” I demanded, the words having nothing to do with a question.

  When one of the men swallowed, I swung the rifle in his direction.

  “In there,” he whispered, the sound almost inaudible.

  “Watch these assholes.” I swung my leg, taking long strides in the direction of where the man had pointed. The padlock on the door was primitive yet effective. With two hard swings of the butt of my rifle, the thick steel sprung free. I kicked the door, barreling inside. The light was on, the brightness killing my eyes. I stood in shock for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what I was seeing.

  The vision of seeing her locked inside a cage was enough to bring a murderous moment to my heart. “Jesus. Fucking. Christ.”

  Cole rushed in behind me, swearing under his breath. “What is wrong with these people?”

  Kelly was hunkered in the cramped corner, the long fingers of one hand still clinging to the metal bars, her breathing even.

  “Get a key. Now!” Rattled, I dropped to my knees in front of the cage, trying to control my breathing as I brushed my fingers over hers. “Baby. Open your eyes for me.”

  I heard Cole racing out, the hard thumping of his boots matching the thudding of my heart. I was going to kill Rusty. There was no doubt in my mind.

  Moaning, her eyelids flitted open, her hand immediately jerking away from mine. “No!”

  “It’s Hawk.”

  She fisted her hands, cradling them against her body as she slowly opened her eyes. I could tell they weren’t able to focus. Dressed in only a simple tee shirt and panties, she seemed so small and helpless. “Hawk?”

  The very strong woman had been reduced to a woman filled with terror.

  “It’s me, baby. I’ve come to take you home.” There was no way of knowing what she remembered, and I wasn’t going to mention a damn word about the destruction. “Where is the key?” My bellow startled her, those gorgeous and vivacious eyes darting back and forth.

  “They’re here. They won’t let me go,” she whispered, moving toward me by a few inches.

  “Bastards.” Cole dropped beside me, his hand shaking as he maneuvered a key into the lock. “I’m calling the sheriff.”

  “Don’t. Take pictures while I free her. This has to be recorded.” My instructions seemed garbled, at least in my mind. This alone would exonerate her.

  When the cage door was flung open, she threw herself into my arms, taking deep breaths before sobbing, her face buried against my shoulder.

  “It’s all right.” I held her, my hand gripping the back of her head as if someone was going to rip her away from me.

  Never again.

  No one would ever come between us.

  She pushed back from me, palming my chest, tipping her head then offering a slight smile. “I knew you’d come. I knew.”

  “Oh, baby. What did they do to you?”

  Shaking her head, she darted a glance around her, startled as Cole took several photographs. “Nothing really. They threatened me and shoved me in here.”

  “They’re fucking dead. All of them.”

  Kelly fingered my cheek, her smile growing wider. “They’re not worth it. Take me home. I’m going to be all right.” She took several deep breaths, brushing hair from her eyes and giving Cole a slight nod. Then her expression shifted, her mouth twisting. “Buck!”

  “He’s fine. He’s just fine.” With that, I heard scampering feet, growls and woofs slipping from Buck’s throat.

  “He didn’t want to stay inside the truck,” Grinder said quietly.

  Buck muscled in, licking her face, his entire backside wiggling with delight.

  A sparkling laugh slipped past her lips, offering hope and relief.

  “You’re my hero, Buck. He tried to protect me just like before. Didn’t you, baby boy?” Kelly rubbed his face even as she continued to cling to me.

  I curtailed the rage as a few others came into the room, Quinn swearing.

  “What do you want us to do with them?” Quinn asked, his voice broken.

  I thought about my answer before opening my mouth. “T
ie them up.” For now. While I wanted to pull the trigger at least once, there was no way I’d leave here with their blood on my hands. Kelly was right. They weren’t worth going to prison over.

  I lifted her into my arms, holding back a series of growls as she nuzzled against my chest. This was far from over. I shifted the rifle, still ready to use if necessary and I wanted all four men to know it. As I carried her into the living room, the expressions on a group of men I would forever call friends was poignant.

  And enraged.

  The silence in the room was telling. They had my back as I would theirs from now on.

  “Thank you for being here.” I barely managed to get the words out, fearful I was going to lose it. I spun, looking Rusty directly in the eyes. “If you ever attempt to lay a hand on her again, I will hunt you down. There were never be a location on this earth where you can hide. I. Will. Gut. You.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Kelly

  Fear.

  I’d known several levels of fear in my life, but none so desperate as being locked in the cage. I stood in front of the mirror, glaring at my reflection. The bruises on my neck and face would vanish within days, leaving no reminders of the horrors I’d experienced.

  But the scarring in my heart—well, that would take a long time to heal.

  What did I do to piss off a bunch of scavenger cowboys, men who’d seemed hell-bent on ripping my little world apart? I honestly couldn’t understand, but the way they’d talked to me, as if I was some huge prize in a hefty scheme continued to haunt me. That was the key. I was certain of it.

  Buck had allowed me to know about their arrival, the hackles on his neck raised seconds before he started growling. I’d already ventured a guess that the red rope signified an identification of the cabin. When Buck had raced around the house, moving from front to back, I knew I was surrounded. All my bravado about knowing how to shoot a rifle seemed lost in the moment, fear churning in my belly as I hunkered in the bedroom, trying to see what I was dealing with.