What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 8)

by Sabrina York

  Caris’s hand flew to her mouth. “Where are they?”

  Dom continued to pace without answering for a long minute. The he froze. “The bunkhouse.”

  “What?”

  “There’s a bunkhouse about a half-mile from here, left over from the days when the ranch was a working business.”

  Her brow furrowed, and her confusion was evident. “Why would he go there?”

  “He had nowhere else. When he was a boy and Father occasionally brought him to the ranch, he used to like to sleep there and pretend he was a cowboy.” Dom shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s the only thing I can check out right now.”

  Caris got to her feet. “I’m coming with you.”

  Dom shook his head. “Absolutely not. You’re staying here with Mom.”

  “But—”

  He made his voice deliberately harsh, knowing he didn’t have time to argue with her. “You’ll slow me down. You know nothing about riding a horse or surviving this kind of cold. Neither does Brendan, which is why I have to hurry.”

  “Dom, please! I have to know if she’s okay.”

  He remained adamant. “You need to stay here.”

  “Don’t pull this macho crap on me. I need to hold her in my arms.” She glared at him. “You think because I’m a woman—”

  “It’s not because you’re a woman.” His expression softened, and he walked to her, taking Caris in his arms. “I know you need to be there for her, but she could die out in that weather. A few minutes might make all the difference.”

  Caris began to sob, but she nodded. “Hurry,” she said in a voice thick with tears. “Bring her back.”

  Dom nodded and sprinted from the room. He ran upstairs, removing his jeans and shirt as he went. He hated to take any extra time, but it would be stupid not to add layers before venturing out into the near-blizzard conditions.

  His fingers seemed to fly as he pulled on a pair of long johns before sliding his legs into the jeans again. He put on a long-sleeved shirt and two sweaters before changing into sturdy boots.

  He left the bedroom and stopped by the nursery to grab the baby carrier from the closet. He draped it over his neck and adjusted the straps as he rushed down the stairs. Although he was pressed for time, Dom stopped long enough to check on his mother once more and press a kiss to Caris’s mouth. “Keep trying the phone.”

  She seemed to have trouble releasing him. “Be careful.”

  Dom nodded. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  He hurried away from her with his heart racing in his ears. How could he have been so stupid as to leave Mom and Jessica unprotected? There seemed to be no need for security personnel once the wedding was over. He had believed his brother had accepted his relationship with Caris. Fool, he viciously cursed himself.

  Dom put on a heavy coat in the mudroom before leaving the house. He made his way through the driving snow to the stables, where they kept three horses. Two of the horses were gone, which surprised him. He wouldn’t have credited Brendan with thinking of riding away from the ranch. To his knowledge, his brother hadn’t been on a horse since he was eight-years-old.

  Daisy was resistant to the idea of getting saddled and riding in the snow, but Dom got her moving with a handful of oats. She was old and set in her ways, but she was still fast. He was counting on the fact that he didn’t have a baby and young girl to slow down his progress either.

  Caris barely restrained the urge to throw the phone across the room. For what seemed like the hundredth time, she had gotten no dial tone. Elena remained unconscious, and while the blood flowing from the wound had slowed, it hadn’t stopped. Neither had the snow. It continued to fall from the sky in heavy amounts, sending down thick, fat snowflakes. They weren’t the moist, flaky type, but the solid, icy balls designed to stick. Dom had been gone more than thirty minutes, and she couldn’t seem to stay still. She risked leaving Elena for a few minutes to go into the living room and look out the window to get a better view of the landscape than the small window in the sitting room provided.

  The TV was on, and Caris turned her attention to it when she heard a beep. A string of words in the lower portion of the screen followed, warning of an impending snowstorm for several counties. Their part of the state was already colored white on the little graphic beside the letters.

  She searched for the remote for the digital box, deciding she didn’t want to know what was happening outside with the weather. She had enough to worry about. She looked for the remote, finally getting down on all fours to search under the table. It was wedged under the couch, and she pulled it out. When Caris turned her head to avoid bumping it as she got out from under the table, she saw a cell phone on the floor.

  She dropped the remote and reached for the phone. Her hands shook as she lifted it. She flipped it open and almost sobbed when she saw the digital indicator bar was at one. The reception would be horrible, but it should work.

  She dialed 9-1-1 carefully and pressed “Send”. Caris held the phone to her ear, waiting for someone to answer.

  “Emergency 9-1-1.”

  The person’s voice crackled, and the line was full of static, but she had gotten through. She did sob then, while trying to explain what had happened. It was a full five minutes before she got herself under control long enough to relay the information the operator requested.

  Dom knew he must be close to the bunkhouse, but he worried he had lost his sense of direction in the snow. Icy wind cut through his heavy coat and protective clothes. He had wound a scarf around his face, but his eyes were uncovered, and they burned as the snow pounded against him. His gloved hands felt numb around the reins, and he couldn’t tell if he still held them. He looked down to make sure they remained in his hands.

  He continued along what he thought was the right path, knowing he had no other choice. He wouldn’t even consider giving up and returning to the main house. When he finally saw something ahead of him besides shadowy trees and unrelenting white, he knew it wasn’t the bunkhouse. He urged Daisy to go faster, knowing she was tired, but unable to accommodate her need to rest.

  As Daisy drew closer, Dom realized what he saw was the other two horses from the stables. The stallion’s rider was tall and solid, and the gelding’s rider was slight. He wanted to urge Daisy on more quickly, but knew she couldn’t go any faster. The horse was near collapse.

  The bunkhouse suddenly came into view. It was a vague, solid shape against the snow. Dom tucked his body in lower against Daisy and kicked her side. He winced and patted her neck when she flinched. “Sorry, girl,” he said, doubting she heard him. The wind stole the words before they could travel to her ears.

  As he watched, Brendan stopped the stallion and got down. Then he walked over to Lindsay and lifted her from the horse. When she turned, Dom saw she held something bulky in her arms.

  He should rein in the horse and wait for Brendan to go inside, but he couldn’t stop himself. Dom managed to get Daisy into a full gallop—as much as she could manage through the snow—and rushed toward them.

  Brendan looked up and caught sight of him. He pushed Lindsay toward the cabin and turned to climb back into the saddle. His foot got stuck in the stirrup, and he appeared to be frantically trying to free himself.

  All the while, Dom was getting closer. He pulled hard on Daisy’s reins when he was a few feet from his brother and hopped off the horse. Dom strode toward him with one dark purpose in mind. “You son of a bitch,” he yelled. He broke into a run and tackled Brendan, ripping him free of the stirrup in the process. “You son of a bitch,” he said again as he smashed his fist into his brother’s face.

  Brendan surprised him with a kick to the stomach, and rolled away as Dom gasped for breath. He gained his feet and stood over Dom. “You didn’t think I would let you have them both, did you?”

  Dom struggled to his feet, ducking out of the way when Brendan tried to kick him. “I should have known you couldn’t. Caris warned me about you, but I didn’
t listen.” He drew in ragged breaths, trying to ignore the burning in his stomach. “She’s just a baby. How can you do this? Even you, Brendan, shouldn’t think this is right. Or sane. Or normal.”

  Brendan flinched. “She has to pay.”

  “For what? Not wanting you?” Dom eyed his brother cautiously, searching his pockets for a bulge that might be a weapon. His brother used to be a good shot, but he didn’t appear to have a gun.

  Brendan’s face—already red from the wind—turned a darker red. “She left me without a word, the bitch! I didn’t know whom she was with, or what she was doing. Cari had no right to do that.”

  Dom shook his head, knowing he didn’t have time to listen to his brother’s rant. “It’s freezing out here. We have to get the kids back to the house.”

  Brendan laughed. “I’m not going back. You can’t have the kid too. She’s mine.”

  “If you’d wanted a baby, you wouldn’t have brought Jessie to me,” Dom pointed out. “You don’t want her. You only want to hurt Caris for moving on with her life.”

  His lips twisted. “She moved on with you. My own brother,” he said bitterly. “Do you know how that feels?”

  “I don’t have time for this.” Dom pushed past him and hurried to the cabin. Something caused him to turn his head a few steps from the door, just in time to see Brendan swinging a tree branch. He lifted his arm to block, but the limb connected with his jaw and forearm. He cried out and fell to his knees, clutching his arm. It felt squishy, and he knew it was broken. His head didn’t feel much better.

  Dom looked up as Brendan stood over him with the branch, preparing to bring it down again. He swayed, fighting off blackness around the edges of his vision. “You really want to do this?” he managed to force out through gritted teeth. “Kidnapping is bad enough. You’ll get life for murder.”

  Brendan brought his arm back, but paused. He seemed to be struggling with himself.

  “Guess I’m just like the pony.” Dom tried to stay on his knees, but the ground rushed toward him. He lessened the fall by extending his good arm, but it still jolted him. He wasn’t unconscious yet, but he knew it wasn’t far off.

  They both looked toward the cabin as Lindsay screamed and came running out of the doorway where a wooden door used to hang. Her body shook, and she continued to scream. It took a moment before her garbled sounds became legible. “Cat! There’s a cat.”

  Brendan lowered the branch. “What?”

  “A bobcat,” she sobbed. “It’s between the door and the baby.”

  Dom tried to get to his feet, but his head refused to cooperate. “Brendan.”

  Brendan looked down, his face filled with terror. “What?”

  “You have to get Jessica. I can’t. You’re the only one.” Dom gasped with exhaustion when he forced out the last word.

  He shook his head. “I’m not going in there.”

  “She’ll die, and it will be your fault.” Dom tried to stand again, succeeding in making it to his knees. “Jessica is your daughter. Can you let her be killed?”

  Brendan hesitated for a second before grasping the limb and striding into the cabin.

  Lindsay came forward and helped Dom to his feet. He tried not to lean too heavily on her as he made his way to a tree. He transferred his weight to the tree, using it for support. “Get the horses.”

  Lindsay looked terrified, but she pushed her way through the snow to the horses without a word of complaint.

  They both froze when a growling sound, followed by a cry of pain, issued from the bunkhouse’s interior. Another squeal of pain followed, but it clearly wasn’t human. Seconds later, Brendan came running from the building, carrying the blanket-shrouded form of Jessica in his arms.

  Lindsay brought the horses to Dom as Brendan trudged toward them. The left shoulder of his coat was torn open, and he bled freely. When he got to them, he thrust the baby at Dom.

  “We need to get out of here now. That was just a baby. Mom can’t be far away, and she won’t be pleased when she finds I knocked out her cub.”

  Dom, though weak, managed to maintain his hold on Jessica as Lindsay helped slip her into the pouch. Then the girl climbed onto the gelding. He gripped the saddle horn and tried to figure out how to get on the horse with one good arm. To his surprise, Brendan helped him mount. He clutched the reins and tried to steady himself. His tongue felt thick when he said, “Call an ambulance and have them waiting.”

  Brendan shook his head. “I can’t.”

  “We need help, for God’s sake—”

  His expression was grim. “I lost my cell phone. You’ll have to get them home without help.”

  Dom frowned. “What about you?”

  Brendan’s eyes seemed to slip from focus. “I’m not going to jail. I’ve been there. Never again.”

  “Don’t be stupid—”

  “Get out of here while I’m letting you leave, goddamn it.” His mouth tightened. “Don’t make me regret my decision to let you have the brat and the bitch.”

  Dom hesitated for a second, but then Jessica began to wail. He grasped the reins and turned in the direction of the ranch. He made sure Lindsay was beside him as they rode away. He didn’t turn around to look at his brother.

  The EMTs had managed to make it to the house in an ambulance equipped with a snowplow. They were preparing Elena for transit to the hospital when she opened her eyes. “Brendan,” she rasped.

  Caris grasped her hand. “Dom went after them.”

  Elena’s voice was slurred. “She let him in. If I’d answered the door…Lindsay didn’t know—”

  “It’s not your fault, Mom.” Caris squeezed her hand, but let go as the paramedics prepared to lift Elena onto a stretcher. “Dom will find them. Several officers went after them in snowmobiles.” She didn’t hold much hope for the officers finding them though. She hadn’t had a clue which way to send them, so they were forced to rely on the mostly-obscured trail Dom’s horse left.

  She walked with the EMTs and Elena as they rolled her gurney outside. She stayed on the porch as the technicians lifted her into the back of the ambulance and closed the doors. Then the paramedics got in the front and started the engine.

  At first, she thought the loud engine sound came from the ambulance. It was only when she realized the sound came from off to the right that Caris turned her head and saw two of the three snowmobiles approaching the house. She recognized two of the passengers and ran into the snow, ignoring the snow seeping through her socks. She rushed to the snowmobiles as they shut off their engines.

  Dom looked pale and haggard, and his face was drawn into lines of pain. He opened his coat with one arm to show her the baby. “She seems okay. She’s cold and will probably need to stay overnight in the hospital, but she’s alive.” His voice was hoarse.

  Caris reached for the baby and pulled her from the pouch. She hugged her daughter close, keeping the blanket wrapped around her. The snuffling sounds Jessica made were the best thing she had ever heard.

  One of the officers helped Dom from the snowmobile, while another lifted out Lindsay. “There’ll be another ambulance on its way by now. We’ll get you all seen to soon enough,” the young man said.

  Caris rushed forward and hugged Dom, who swayed unsteadily. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think he broke my arm.” Dom rubbed his swollen jaw. “He loosened a couple of teeth too.”

  “Was it Brendan?”

  He nodded.

  She scanned the area. “Where is he?”

  Dom shook his head. “I don’t know. He refused to come back with us. When we met up with the officers, they sent one of the snowmobiles on to look for him.”

  “Your mom woke up as they were prepping her for the ride.” Caris wrapped her arm around his waist. “The technician said she probably has a concussion. She might need stitches and will be in the hospital for a day or two, but she’ll recover.”

  The other ambulance forced its way through the snow of the driveway, and its engine c
ut off. With an officer’s help, in addition to Caris’s support, Dom was able to walk to meet them. They immediately put him in the back on a stretcher and had Lindsay climb inside to sit on one of the benches. “Buckle up,” one of the men admonished.

  The other paramedic took the baby from Caris and gave her a quick once-over. “Heartbeat is steady and strong. Lungs are clear. She looks angry, but I don’t think she suffered any physical trauma,” he told his partner.

  The other paramedic asked, “Are you riding with us, ma’am?”

  Caris nodded and climbed into the ambulance. She settled on the bench secured to the other side of the ambulance and held out her arms for Jessica.

  The paramedic shook his head. “Sorry, but she’ll have to ride in a car seat.”

  “There’s one in the Prius in the garage,” Caris said. She was able to hold Jessica while the man got the car seat and secured it onto the bench beside Lindsay. Then he took the crying baby and strapped her in.

  “Where the hell are your shoes, Caris?” Dom demanded when he looked over the side of the gurney. “You shouldn’t be traipsing around in the snow with bare feet.”

  She rolled her eyes, but her smile was affectionate. “I’ll be fine.”

  He looked like he wanted to protest, but didn’t. Instead, he laid his head down on the stretcher and closed his eyes.

  Caris leaned forward to look out through the windshield, while the second paramedic closed the back doors before hurrying around the side and getting in. Her mouth fell open when she saw the third snowmobile pull up near the other two. Three officers stood up and dragged out another person. When he raised his head, she recognized Brendan. He wore handcuffs, and shuffled with slumped shoulders toward the waiting officers standing near an SUV with a siren mounted to its top. She lost sight of him when the ambulance backed down the drive.

  She leaned forward and grasped Dom’s hand. “Thank you for saving her.”

  He opened his eyes and turned his head in her direction. “Brendan did it.”