by K. C. Crowne
“Keys are in the truck,” his lips read. I couldn’t hear him, but he mouthed the words so I could make them out. “Go, now. I’ve got this.”
I nodded, and with Caleb in my arms, I ran for the broken window. I jumped out without even seeing how high it was. Thankfully, we were on the first floor and the snow cushioned our fall. I scrambled to my feet, lifting Caleb tightly into my arms, and took off toward the fence. When I’d come inside, only one man had been outside. I watched for him, but instead of men, I found blood-soaked snow and stopped having to look. There was so much red liquid mixed in with the snow, I knew Grant had killed whoever was guarding the fence.
He did it to get back to us. To save us.
Now I needed to get out of there to save Caleb.
My heart screamed at me for leaving Grant behind, and it was a choice I wished I hadn’t had to make. I was protecting Caleb at all costs and hadn’t even thought about Grant until it was too late.
My heart ached. I loved him. He loved me. I prayed for some way that we would all get through the horror and be a family.
I reached the fence and wasn’t sure how I’d get out. But Grant must have thought about that too. The keys that had unlocked it were dangling in the lock, and I turned the knob. It opened. I ran out, shutting it behind me, leaving the keys. Grant would still need to get out. The fence wasn’t that tall; he could climb it if he had to, but I wanted to give him an easier way to escape.
I ran in the direction of his truck, trusting it to be there even though I couldn’t see it in the thick, blowing snow. Finally, I saw it. Normally, I wouldn’t have been able to run so far with Caleb in my arms in the snow. But the adrenaline coursed through my body. I knew I would hurt in so many places the next day, but I’d be thankful we survived the day.
I got to the truck and climbed into the driver’s side, Caleb still in my lap. The keys were in the ignition. We could leave, run off to safety, but Grant would be stuck here. No way to get out.
I couldn’t just leave him, but I needed to get Caleb out of there. My eyes fell on Grant’s phone in the center console. I also knew he kept several hunting rifles in the back sometimes. He’d probably taken one, but I needed to make sure we had something to defend ourselves with too.
“Caleb, I’m going to get out of the truck and check the back. Okay?”
“No! Don’t leave me!”
“Baby, I have to get something to protect us,” I explained as I lifted him and put him in the seat next to me. “I’ll hurry.”
I could hear his tears as he cried, but I got out of the truck, opened the back hatch and found a rifle.
“Thank God,” I muttered, pulling it out.
I climbed back into the vehicle and called for help, praying that Grant was still alive when help arrived. Either way, I was prepared to defend Caleb with my life. Nothing and no one would get close to him.
Chapter 21
Grant
“Fuck, now I need to get a new leg,” I growled.
I had Lars at gunpoint. Two other men had tried to come in; they lay on the floor. They got me, sure. Once in the shoulder, but it was just a graze. The other in my prosthetic leg, which meant getting around would be a bit harder. But I got them too. One looked to be dead; he hadn’t moved since I shot him in the chest. The other was moving but in bad shape. I’d hit him in the stomach; he’d be lucky to make it.
“Anyone else here?” I turned to Russo.
The man shrugged, not about to tell me anything.
I listened. My ears were still ringing, but I heard no other movement. I kept an eye on the doorway just in case.
“What am I supposed to do with you, huh?” I asked in a friendly tone, as if we were just chitchatting.
I was seeing literal red, and it wasn’t blood. My insides were boiling, and I was on the verge of ending this man’s life. He messed with the people I love, and all my hatred from before - at the people who killed Firash and his family - came spewing out. But that wasn’t me. I’d killed, yes, but only in self-defense or at war. This man was helpless for now, but I couldn’t turn my back on him, I knew he’d shoot me as soon as he could get his hands on a weapon. He likely had them stashed all over.
But I also needed to get to Piper. I’d tried to clear all the guards I came across, but what if there were more? I couldn’t be sure she’d made it. I was pretty sure, but until I had her in my arms with Caleb between us, I wouldn’t relax.
The sound of a gunshot in the distance jerked me out of my thoughts. My heart stopped. I listened, afraid of what else I might hear. Someone else was out there. I had to get to Piper and Caleb.
The sound had distracted me, and Lars used that to his benefit. That moment of panic was all he needed to smack my arm, sending the gun flying across the room. My rifle was out of bullets, and I’d dropped it near the window. That gun was all I had.
That and my strength. Lars wasn’t a fighter. He was a bigger guy, more robust than me. But it wasn’t muscle. I pinned him against the wall. I could hold him for a while, but I couldn’t stay there forever. I had to do something, and quickly.
I saw the gun sitting in the corner of the room. Lars was eyeing it as well. I knew it was a risk, but I had to take it. I had to count on being able to get over there before he did, even with my prosthetic damaged.
I leapt toward the weapon, freeing Lars. He didn’t go for the gun on the floor, and I grabbed it, turning around to find him armed with another weapon he’d pulled out from his desk drawer. Both weapons were drawn and pointed at each other.
“Had you left us alone, your girl and I had struck a bargain that would have kept everyone alive,” Lars said.
“Bullshit.”
I was a Marine. Lars was a real estate developer. He might have a gun on me, but I bet my life on the fact that he didn’t know how to use it. Not like I did. I could also move better, or I could if my leg wasn’t damaged. I had to try.
I ducked out of the way as shots rang out. He missed. I took aim and pulled the trigger, hitting him in the shoulder. Lars’ arm flew back, but it wasn’t the one with the gun. He turned to me and shot, narrowly missing me, giving me just a second to aim again. I went for the other shoulder and hit him exactly where I’d aimed. He dropped the gun and fell to the ground, blood spurting from the wounds. The first one might have just been a surface wound. The second? Not so much. He wasn’t going anywhere. If he didn’t get help soon, he’d bleed to death on the floor of his office. I’d seen enough gunshot wounds to know that.
I didn’t hesitate to get the fuck out of there. I had to get to Piper and Caleb, and fast. I moved toward the window and cleared it, landing in the snow. I did a quick inspection of my leg and noticed it was mostly surface damage. None of the major parts were broken. It felt a bit stiff, but it would have to keep working.
I had to keep going.
I sprinted awkwardly across the yard, going as fast as I could. I was prepared to go over the fence again, but thankfully, I didn’t have to. Piper had left the keys there for me. I opened the gate and pushed on toward the truck. When I got close, I stopped in my tracks.
The snow was drenched in blood and a body lay nearby. My heart stopped momentarily until I looked up to find Piper standing next to the truck with one of my old shotguns in hand. She was shaking but standing her ground, prepared to shoot at anything that moved.
“It’s me,” I said, putting my hands up.
She lowered the gun, then dropped it entirely. She rushed toward me, tears running down her cheeks. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly, kissing her.
“What happened?”
“He— John, he—”
I looked down at the body of her uncle John. A gun lay beside him. I’d hardly known the man, but never in my wildest dreams would I have expected this from him. Grace, maybe? But John was always so quiet.
“Where’s Caleb?” I asked.
“He’s in the truck,” Piper said. She turned and hurried back to the truck. I followed.
She opened the door and said, “It’s alright, Caleb. Grant’s here. We’re safe now.”
Caleb peeked out from the floor of the backseat. Seeing his tear stained face broke everything inside of me. Piper moved aside and Caleb climbed out of his hiding spot and into my arms.
Overhead, there was a helicopter, and, in the distance, I heard police sirens. Help was on the way.
We were going to be okay. But most of all, Piper and Caleb were safe.
Ooo000ooo
Grace was in tears, as was Nadia. From the sound of it, Nadia had no idea how bad things had gotten. She even tried talk to Piper, but Piper couldn’t bring herself to talk to anyone in her family. I couldn’t blame her. I wouldn’t trust them either.
Grace tried to pin everything on Piper, including John’s death. But Teddy questioned her, and it was a clear-cut case of self-defense. What we’d managed to piece together was that John had dropped Grace off at the hotel before heading to Russo’s. He saw my truck and went after Piper and Caleb, but Piper stood her ground.
He’d tried to take Caleb, but she wasn’t having any of it. She meant it when she said she’d do anything for that boy. If anyone had any doubts, well, that just about proved it.
Grace was taken away in handcuffs after questioning. Nadia was free to go, for now. As she was leaving the station, she stopped and said, “Piper, I’m sorry. It never should have come to this. I’ll leave you and Caleb alone.”
Piper scoffed and pulled Caleb closer to her. He buried his face into the crook of her neck, hiding from everyone. “It’s not me you should be apologizing to. It’s Caleb.”
Nadia nodded, then proceeded to leave the station. We were officially free to go, and as soon as we were able to leave, we did.
Tabby and Leah were waiting for us in the lobby. As soon as they saw us, they rushed forward. We were surrounded by a group hug. Leah stepped back and examined the bandage on my arm. “You need to get that checked out.”
I held up my hands. “Both Piper and I have been checked out at the hospital already. We’re fine. It’s just a surface wound. I’ve survived worse.”
She cocked her head to the side as if she didn’t believe me. But before heading to the station, all three of us had been checked over by EMTs. They’d taken Piper in for a CT Scan to make sure she didn’t have any serious head injuries. She’d busted her scalp open, but her brain was fine.
“I need to take care of these two.”
I reached for Piper’s hand, giving it a firm squeeze. Leah raised an eyebrow and smiled. She hugged me tightly, whispering in my ear, “See? I knew it! I was right.”
“You were,” I said softly.
She released me, and I could breathe again. “Still, both of you, go back to the doctor tomorrow. Just to be safe.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him,” Piper said with a smile.
“I just want to get this little guy home,” I said, taking Caleb from Piper. He fell into my arms like a lump, clearly exhausted, but too scared to sleep fully.
We left the station and piled into my truck. Piper relaxed into the seat and closed her eyes. I knew she had to be tired too. We all were.
“Where to?” I asked.
She glanced in the backseat at Caleb. “Do you want to go home or to my house?”
Caleb looked back at us with wide eyes. “Grant’s house.”
We laughed, and Piper started to say something, but I stopped her. “We can go to my place,” I said. “And hey, if you want to call it home, you’re free to do that too. Wherever you feel safest, little man.”
The silence was deafening as we drove, until Piper said, “I can’t believe they did all that just to get Andy’s land.”
“Right? Talk about greed.”
Teddy had found out - likely from Grace - that while everyone was in the playroom with Caleb on their visit, John and Thomas had set up some cameras around the property, and also looked in Caleb’s room. They unlocked the window while there. It had all been planned from the beginning, and they were working with Russo. The plan was to make Piper look incompetent, get custody of Caleb, and then Grace would sell the property to Russo, which she’d split with Thomas. Everyone was supposed to get rich off that deal. Everyone but Caleb, obviously.
Grace and the family had never intended to hurt Caleb, but Piper? They didn’t really seem to care what happened to her.
The snow finally stopped falling, but the earth was blanketed in white as we drove home. I’d meant it when I told them they could call my place home. It was meant for a family. Sure, it wasn’t as big as Andy’s place, but if Caleb didn’t feel safe there - and I couldn’t blame him if he didn’t - he had somewhere else to stay.
They were always welcome at my house.
They were part of my life now, and nothing in the world would change that.
Absolutely nothing would take them away from me again.
Epilogue
Piper - One Year Later
My eyes fluttered open against the bright morning light. A groan passed through my lips as I realized what had woken me. Staring down the length of my body, I saw Grant’s face buried between my thighs. He lifted his head and smiled. “Good morning, beautiful.”
“Good morning to you, sexy,” I said, running my hands through his hair. “But please, don’t let me stop you.”
He winked at me, then went back to what he was doing. I relaxed into the bed, letting the pleasure wash over me. His tongue always knew exactly the right spots to hit. He drove me absolutely crazy with that mouth of his.
Within minutes of waking, I was whimpering and grabbing the sheets, bucking upward as I came. I tried to be quiet, not wanting to wake Caleb, but damn, it was so hard when Grant made me feel as good as he did.
“Come here.” I motioned with a finger.
Grant moved up my body, lifting my nightshirt as he went and kissing the bare flesh of my slightly rounded belly. I was only a few months along, hardly noticeable to the naked eye yet, but Grant made sure to pay special attention to it every day. He stroked my tummy gently, giving my belly button a kiss.
If you’d have asked me a year before if I could see myself having Grant Barnes’ baby, I’d have said no way. He was my best friend’s brother, my childhood crush. And now he was my husband. We’d gotten married fairly quickly once I found out I was pregnant with his child, but we’d been talking about it for a while anyway. I didn’t need a big, fancy wedding, but Grant made sure to give me the best day of my life - until every day after. Being with him just felt right.
We were always like family, but now we made it official - and we had a family of our own. Caleb was excited to have a little brother or sister on the way. Yes, that’s what he called it. We were his mom and dad. His real dad would never be forgotten, of course, but as far as he was concerned, we were his family now. Therapy had helped him a lot and continued to help him deal with the trauma. For the most part, we were happy as could be.
Grant moved up even more, hovering above me. His bare skin pressed against mine as he kissed me. God, I loved this man.
“We don’t have much time. Come on,” I teased.
“Oh? Maybe we should just stop here and go in to work—”
I wrapped my legs around him, holding him against me, but he was sure to prop his weight on his straightened arms so he put no weight on my belly. “You better not go anywhere until you make love to me.”
“Got it, Mrs. Barnes,” he said, kissing me deeply. His tongue swirled in my mouth, as our bodies became entwined. He thrust into me, and thankfully his mouth drowned out the groans of pleasure. Every inch of him filled me as he rocked slowly back and forth, moving in and out of me.
His lips left mine but soon found my neck. Every thrust into me, he groaned into my ear. He nibbled gently on the lobe, sending shivers throughout my body.
He took my hands in his, lacing his fingers through mine and pressing them against the bed on either side of us. Our bodies rocked back and forth in perfect harmony
. Just as I felt that first wave of pleasure wash over me, promising me of more great things to come, he stopped.
“No, don’t stop,” I begged.
He grinned down at me, staring deep into my eyes. “Oh, we’re not done yet.”
He rolled over, taking me with him, until I was on top. I sat up, letting my nightshirt fall over my body. Grant was having none of that, however. He lifted the shirt, removing it and tossing it to the floor while I rode his cock. He pulled me down, taking a nipple into his mouth. He sucked it, sending pleasure straight from there down to my clit, causing me to cry out. My head fell forward as I rode him harder and faster.
“Oh God, yes,” I whimpered. “You feel so good inside me.”
I rocked back and forth, my clit rubbing against his pelvis and bringing me closer to the edge. His head fell back against the bed, and I fell along with him. My lips smashed into his, once again silencing the screams of pleasure that might accidently escape. With his hands on my hips, he guided me up and down on his cock, our breathing growing more and more ragged with each movement.
“I’m going to—” Before I could finish the sentence, I was cumming hard. My body writhed with pleasure above him, my pussy clenching around his cock, milking him for everything he had.
His cock responded, throbbing inside me as he pumped his seed inside of me. My pussy milked his seed, and once every last drop was inside me, I collapsed on top of him.
“Well, that was a nice way to wake up,” I said, chuckling.
“Yeah? Should I do it more often?”
“Hell yes,” I said. “I’ll never say no that.”
“Good,” he replied, kissing the tip of my nose. “But now, I’m afraid, we need to get moving. Someone has a big day today.”