Doc breathed out a sigh of relief, bracing himself against the table. “It doesn’t look too deep, but I’m gonna need help.”
I nodded. “Jax, you and Diesel are still on guard, so go get cleaned up and get back out there. Flapjack, go with them. She might not be alone and I don’t want any other surprise visitors.” I had no doubts my men would listen and do as they were told. My word was law. I couldn’t take my gaze from the woman. “And I’ll stay and help.”
“Her pulse is weak but steady.” Doc furrowed his brow. “She needs a real doctor, not some cartel cowboy.”
“Bullshit. You’re a real doctor. Stop wasting time and help her.” I didn’t leave room for an argument, and Doc knew it.
Doc, whose real name was Roger, was a medic in the war and had more training, especially in trauma, than any doctor in the nearest small town.
Nevada was still wide-open spaces with room to move, to grow, to bury a body or two. It also meant other towns were hours away. The closest one to the ranch was still more than sixty minutes away. Solitude was a great thing for a man like me, but it came at a high price with a lack of medical care. Not that I would send any of my men to a doctor. The cops would come snooping around and asking questions—again.
Doc didn’t argue with me and pulled out his medical tools. Tonight wasn’t the first time he’d used them, and it wouldn’t be the last. Doc gripped a pair of pliers, clamping on to the bone.
The woman moaned while remaining unconscious as he yanked the fragment out. Bright red blood spilled out like a faucet. It wasn’t too surprising, as I’d seen my fair share of knife wounds. Flinging the bone to the floor, Doc grabbed a fistful of ripped up sheets, pressing them to her wound before focusing on me. “I’m gonna need a rod and a hot fire.”
My stomach turned. “You can’t be serious. You’re not gonna burn her. She’s barely alive as it is. It would kill her.”
Doc hung his head. “She’s already paler than when she arrived. I don’t know how much blood she’s lost, but it’s enough. If I don’t cauterize the wound, she will die. She’ll bleed out.”
Damn it. I gripped the back of my neck and scowled.
His eyes locked on mine. “Jacob, I don’t want to do this anymore than you. If there was another way, I’d do it.”
I stepped away from the table and strode outside. A few guys waited on the porch standing guard. Good men. “I need a rod, like rebar or something. Get the cleanest one you can find, and start a fire, right there.” I pointed off the steps, knowing we were gonna need the hot coals close for this to work right. I sure as hell didn’t want to see it done more than once.
I’d seen many men get cauterized, hell, wounds happen all the time, especially in our line of work. But not on a woman. The thought twisted my stomach again.
Darting back into the house, I found Doc still pressing down on her stomach trying to staunch the bleeding. Blood soaked through the cloth in his hand. She may not have stabbed deep with the bone, but it was deep enough. I rubbed my hand on my worn jeans. “Did she hit any organs?”
Doc shook his head. “I don’t think so, but I need to make sure all the bone is out before we do this. I’m gonna move this and do it quickly, then you need to reapply pressure.”
Grabbing a new cluster of rags, I prepared myself to help. Blood didn’t bother me and nothing could be more gruesome than some of Gunner’s wounds over the years. But this wasn’t Gunner.
Doc tossed the scrap of cloth to the side and used his fingers to dig inside her flesh, feeling for any remaining fragments. His shaky hands moved around quickly, but he’d doctored too many wounds in his life for me to start worrying now. He knew what he was doing.
“It’s clean and I don’t feel anything punctured inside. Ready?” Doc moved his fingers out and I placed my hands over her wound, pressing hard.
I had no idea who this woman was, but I wasn’t ready to let her die.
Nash came in with a foot-long iron rod. “It’s all I could find, boss.” He pointed over his shoulder to the door. “And Bear has a fire going.”
I nodded at him in approval. Nash handed the rod to Doc before leaving, knowing that unless I needed him, to stay out of the way. He was learning fast, wanting to climb the ladder, but he could only ascend as fast as I let him, and something was off just enough for me to keep him right where he was.
“Jacob, I need you to do it.” His voice shook.
I twisted to face Doc, but my hands stayed firmly in place. “What?” I knew Doc didn’t just tell me that I would have to burn the woman.
Doc held out the rod to me unsteadily. “I’m sorry, I know how hard this will be for you, but I’m not as good as I once was. If this were one of the guys I wouldn’t think twice, but I just can’t shake the fact that she looks so much like my granddaughter.”
“Shit.” Reaching with one hand, I grabbed the cold metal. “Hold this rag down, I’ll be right back.”
Doc took over for me, pressing down on the wound. For what good it did, I had no idea. Blood still seeped through the cloth.
Marching outside, Nash moved out of my way and Bear stood up beside the fire. The defeated angel tattooed on his left arm danced under the flickering flames. He had a powerfully broad frame, giving him his name, but I knew he was more growl than bite. Although, his bite could be quite vicious. He was also incredibly dedicated.
Crouching down, I shoved the rod into the fire, letting the end come to life in a fiery red glow.
“Want some gloves, boss?” Nash held out his pair of leather work gloves.
Bear’s muscular form dwarfed Nash’s lean physique, making Nash look more like a teenager than a man. His curly reddish-blond hair stuck out in thick tufts under his Stetson.
“No,” I barked. If she burns, I burn. I was a man, and by hell, I would not wear gloves. The pain I was about to put her through ripped me apart and I refused to soften my end of the situation.
With the tip of the rod glowing red, I yelled for Doc. “I’m ready, you ready?”
“Just get in here. I don’t think she can lose any more blood.”
Looking up at Bear and Nash, I gave them a hard stare. “I need you to go in there and help hold her down in case she wakes up. You know the drill. We’ve done it before.”
“Not on no woman we ain’t,” Bear challenged. This would be hard on any of us. We weren’t in the business of hurting women, quite the opposite actually. At least we had some good virtues.
“Woman, man, it all works the same,” I vowed with a resolve more for myself than my men.
But neither of them argued with me. They both nodded and headed into the house. I followed close behind them, taking a deep breath before reaching the table.
Doc pulled the cloth away, exposing her wound. Clearly, she was still losing blood. “You need to go straight in and out. Don’t leave the rod in for more than two seconds, otherwise, you’ll damage healthy tissue.”
I’d watched Doc do this many times, but this time it was me who held the iron. I nodded to no one in particular but felt like I needed to let them know I was ready. “Damn it, I’m sorry.” I breathed out an apology as I held the rod over her stomach and braced myself. I shoved it into her flesh and counted to two before pulling it out. The sizzling sound of blood on the hot iron faded into the background.
Her eyes opened as she screamed. Her pain-ridden shrieks would haunt me forever. She tried to thrash around, but Bear and Nash held her solidly in their grasps. In seconds, she fell back into unconsciousness. Her silence competed with my heartbeat as it pounded in my ears.
The smell of burned flesh permeated the air, but her wound was already sealing and the blood had stopped flowing.
With any luck, she could rest for a while and let her body heal from the trauma. She had been through more tonight than most people would endure in a lifetime. I nodded at Bear and Nash letting them know they were done and gave Bear the rod before he left.
“You did good, Boss.” Doc praised me, but I
didn’t feel worthy.
Instead of answering him, I grabbed a wooden chair, dragging it next to the table to sit beside the woman. I didn’t want to leave her. She was like a magnet I was drawn to.
Sweat trickled down my bare chest. Her blood smeared on my skin. Shit. What if we missed other wounds?
Standing back up, I untied the makeshift rope belt around her waist and unbuttoned the manly carpenter pants she wore. Why in the hell did she wear such clothing? The jeans were at least ten sizes too big and did nothing for her womanly figure.
Sliding the pants off exposed more wounds, some new and others old. But they were not self-inflicted. Someone had done this to her. The bruising discolored her legs to match her purplish-blue ribs. I pulled her arms out to see burn marks, probably from a rope around her wrists. The anger I had before couldn’t compare to what I felt now.
Gently, I touched her face. An old bruise surrounded a minor cut under her eye. With the sun creeping up over the mountains, the room began to fill with light, making it easier to see the beautiful woman in front of me.
Doc came back with a basin of warm water and clean rags. “I thought you could use these, boss.”
“Who in the hell would do this to a woman?” I stared at him, daggers shot from my eyes, but the old man knew my wrath wasn’t pointed at him.
“There are a lot of sick people in this world, Jacob. You know that.”
As if I needed to remember. I tried to forget. I took the basin from him. “Go get some sleep. I’ll take care of her. And tell the men to stay out. They are not to come in while she’s here. I’ll move her as soon as she’s stable enough.”
Doc nodded, and like the others, there was no argument. I placed the basin of water on the table next to her. Carefully, I began to wipe away the sticky blood and dried dirt from her delicate body. Every inch of her was vulnerable to me. However, I didn’t see anything but someone who needed me. My protective nature roared like a beast and I was in full primitive defense mode.
I didn’t even know who she was, but I knew right then she would be mine. And I protected what was mine.
Chapter 3
Lily
The pain is intense, worse than anything I’d endured before, radiating a slow burn from my abdomen up through my chest. It hurt so bad, I wasn’t sure I hadn’t died and gone to hell. I tried to sit up, but the movement seared across my torso, immobilizing me. Shit, now I’m beyond pissed that I’m not dead.
I hadn’t heard Knox’s voice, but he had to be the one behind the evil I experienced. A hot poker branding my flesh was a new kind of punishment. And the damn monster didn’t even have the audacity to do it himself. I would never forget the way it felt as the tip buried into my stomach.
I hated them all. Their hands touching my body revolted me. My flesh crawled and bile rose to my throat. Even though Knox had threatened to touch me sexually, he’d never actually done it. He saved that for my mother. But since her death, it had been harder to keep him from doing those things. His eyes would roam over me in lustful waves and his fingers would try to graze my breasts before he beat me, always telling me I was worth more if he didn’t touch me. Whatever that meant.
Although, I was grateful because I wasn’t sure I could have endured the price of freedom if fulfilling his sexual appetite was the cost.
But now, it seemed as though he was going to let these men have their way with me. I was practically naked in front of them, and one of them had already washed me down with a rag. It didn’t matter how gentle he was or how he slowly wiped over the tender spots. Fear glued my eyes shut. I didn’t want to see the man about to take the only thing that belonged to me.
My stomach rolled and I fought the need to vomit as bile rose, burning my throat. I tensed as fingertips grazed the rope burn on my wrist. So far, the man hadn’t ventured to touch my breasts or lower between my legs, but I braced myself against the thought.
“It’s okay, honey, I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re safe.” His voice was deep and soothing. My soul responded, wanting to hear him speak again, but I pushed out the thought. I must be delirious.
It took more strength than I had, but I finally managed to mutter words in the back of my mouth. “Just let me die.” Damn, it hurt to talk. Even the air hurt my throat. “Don’t touch me.”
He pulled away. “Who are you? Who did this to you?”
I flinched.
He walked away, his footsteps heavy on the floor, but all too soon, he returned. I squeezed my eyes shut harder, trying to block out whatever he was about to do, wondering if I had any strength left to fight back.
A soft layer of warmth enveloped me and I jerked. My eyes disobeyed my commands to stay shut as they fluttered open. I had to blink a few times to adjust to the light. It was no longer nighttime and I panicked. I focused on the kitchen, noting the white porcelain sink over dark wooden cabinets and dingy cream-colored walls. The smell of coffee wafted from the pot sitting on the counter. How long had I been out? What did they do to me while I was unconscious? Hell, I didn’t want to know. Maybe that was better.
“It’s okay, you’re safe.” He kept saying that like it was real, except I knew better. But he kept soothing me until his voice lulled me into a scary calm.
His large frame stood over me, shirtless, and covered in blood. His chest was muscular as well as his shoulders and arms. But strong scared me. I would be no match for his strength.
Staring down at me, his eyes startled me. They were a brilliant amber that shown clear like glass. His hard-set stare made me feel vulnerable. I didn’t have to know him to know what anger looked like.
A chiseled jawline had him looking as if he were carved of stone. His hair was a golden brown and kept short, but long enough to lie against his head. He’s the exact opposite of Knox, who was a short, pot-bellied, unkempt man. Ideally, this man was everything that I believed a real man should look like.
Not that it mattered. I didn’t care what he looked like.
He adjusted the blanket, pulling it up to my chin, leaving my body covered. All I could do was stare at him. Why was he doing this? Is he dragging out the suspense of my punishment?
“I’m Jacob Cardosa. You’re on my ranch, and you’re safe now.”
I stiffened. “Cardosa?” I knew that name. I’d heard it many times. Knox was always telling me about his boss, and how he would kill me if I tried to run.
Oh shit. I ran right into the lion’s den.
Chapter 4
Jacob
The way she stiffened at the mention of my name caught me off guard. She had heard of me. But then again, most people in these parts had, so it shouldn’t have bothered me. I braced myself against the onslaught of guilt my past brought and tried to look calm. Hell, I didn’t want her afraid of me.
She stared at me with wide cerulean blue eyes. They were so brilliantly bright that I swore I could see through to her soul. They mesmerized me and I couldn’t look away. “What’s your name?”
She eyed me cautiously but said nothing.
“Okay, how about, where did you come from?” I tried again.
Her gaze darted from me to the door.
This was going to be harder than I thought. It didn’t matter how many women I helped, this part was never easy. Just because this particular woman came to me instead of the other way around, didn’t mean she knew she was safe.
“What are you going to do to me?” Her voice was soft and silky, only a slight tremble echoed through her words.
There were many things I’d like to do with her, and even to her, but this wasn’t the time. Hell, I didn’t even know her name. The way my body responded to her was foreign and surprising. But it was more than that. Something about her spoke to me. The physical attraction was fucking over the top, no denying that, even in her disarrayed state, her presence captivated my mind. Right now, all I wanted was to help her. “I’m going to move you to the main house so the men can have their beds back.”
“I don’t
understand.”
I smiled. “Well, they’re sleeping outside right now because I told them they couldn’t be in here while you were here. You caused quite the commotion last night.”
“And they listened to you?” She asked, her tone full of doubt.
“Everyone listens to me.”
She flinched but recovered with a set stare of her own. I was silently proud of her for not crying and whining, as I assumed most women would do if they were in her position. I’ve seen a few not in as bad of shape as her that cried uncontrollably. Damn, it baffled me how no other woman had ever affected me like this one.
“Are you going to kill me?”
I half-choked on air and half-chuckled. It was a good question. I’ve killed many people, but they all deserved it. “It looks like you tried to do that yourself.”
“I’ll do it again too, but next time I won’t fail.”
I cringed and my heart thumped wildly at her affirmation. Everything in me wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her close. I wanted to hold her until she knew she was safe. “Why?”
She guffawed. “Are you serious? You know why.”
Now I was truly confused. I leaned back in the seat and folded my arms. “Why don’t you tell me what I’m supposed to know.” How in the hell should I know why she wanted to kill herself.
She rolled her head so she couldn’t see me. “Does he know I’m here yet?”
“Listen, honey, I’m not sure who you’re talking about. But the only ones who know you’re here are me and my men.” If the man she asked about ever showed up, he wouldn’t get close enough to see her. He’d be dead. It was a promise, but I wouldn’t tell her that, not yet. I had a feeling talking about this man any more would add to her fear. But it wasn’t the end of this conversation. I would find out more later. “How are you feeling? Ready for a bed and not a table?”
Branding & Saving Lily Box Set: Books 1 & 2 (Jacob and Lily's Duet) Page 2