by Leah Brooke
Hoyt couldn’t believe what he saw on the computer screen. “Son of a bitch. Here it is!”
Adrenaline rushed through his veins as the others cursed and gathered around him, watching the screen over his shoulders.
Lucas leaned closer. “That’s them. Damn, I can’t see the license on the truck. They’re going past Logan’s Leathers and Beau’s Adult Toy Store at eleven thirty-eight, only minutes before they’d burst into the house.”
Glancing at the time noted on the screen, Hoyt gritted his teeth. At that time, he’d been in the club with Lucas, Devlin, and Caleb, instead of at home protecting his family. “Maybe we’ll get a chance to see the license when they leave.”
A tense silence followed as they all watched the screen while Hoyt slowly fast-forwarded it, his breath catching when he saw the truck driving in the opposite direction seven minutes later.
Natalie sat in the front seat between them, and she appeared to be struggling. The oldest brother drove while the other did his best to subdue Nat, who didn’t stop struggling until the driver backhanded her, knocking her against the other man.
She didn’t move after that.
The rage inside Hoyt exploded and he actually saw red.
Turning to Ace, Hoyt jumped to his feet, knocking his chair over in the process. “If I get to him first, he’s dead.”
“I understand how you feel.” Inclining his head, Ace glanced at the others. “But, you’re not alone in this. None of us will stop until we get her safely home. You’re not going to do her any good from a prison cell.”
“I know.” He’d been part of a team for years, but this felt different.
It was personal—for all of them.
Moving away from the others, he braced a hand on the counter on either side of the sink, his eyes closed as he bent his head. “He hit her.”
Gritting his teeth, he clenched his hands into fists, struggling to control his rage at the image that would haunt him forever. “Jake said she was only wearing her cotton nightgown.”
Lifting his head, he opened his eyes, staring at their reflections in the dark window. “Her robe was on the bedroom floor. She must be freezing.”
He couldn’t remember ever being so scared, or feeling so impotent.
He wanted her here.
He wanted to wrap her in warmth and shield her from the rest of the world.
Turning to look at Ace over his shoulder, he sighed. “It made me feel good to know that Natalie was watched over here, but I always thought all of you were a little overprotective of your women. I thought it was fucking amusing. Not so funny now. Once I get her home, I’m never letting her out of my sight again.”
Caleb touched his shoulder. “We’re going to find her.”
Turning his head, Hoyt nodded and glanced at Ace. “Yes, we will, and I’m going to take great pleasure in doing a little hitting of my own.”
From behind him, Lucas cursed. “I can’t clear the image enough to see the damned license plate.”
Sitting back, Ace folded his arms across his chest, staring thoughtfully at the computer screen. “I haven’t been able to find any records of property they might own, but I’ll bet they’ve been here before. The way they drove straight here tells me that they knew exactly where they were going.”
Devlin stiffened. “I’ll bet they’ve been to the jail and tried to figure out a way to break her out.”
With a curse, Lucas grabbed the stack of disks they’d marked, ejecting the one in the laptop to insert another. “And if they were targeting Nat because of what happened at the bank, I’ll bet they watched her. We should get some images of them around Jesse and Kelly’s store. They’d want to get a good look at her during the day, so maybe we can get a good look at them in the daytime and make sure that’s who we’re dealing with.”
He glanced at Hoyt. “They probably followed her home.”
Hoyt groaned, furious at himself for missing it. “I should have thought of that. Damn it!” He slammed his hand on the countertop. “I’ve done this shit for years—planned out everything—and now when it’s most important, my fucking brain’s scrambled.”
Leaning forward, his eyes narrowed on the computer screen, Ace shot him a glance. “I can’t say that I blame you. I love Nat, but I have to say—if it was Hope—I’d be out for blood, and I’d be a little—off.”
Shrugging, he looked back at the screen. “I’d also appreciate every damned bit of help I could get, and would count on my friends to catch something I’d missed, and to keep me from doing something stupid.”
Lucas sat back, allowing the others to see the computer screen. “Look at this.” He tapped several keys. “Let me see—yeah, there they are. Broad daylight, too. It’s them. Let me see if I can get a clear look at the license plate.”
Hoyt studied the screen, ice forming in the pit of his stomach.
The image had been taken the previous afternoon, and because it had been shot in the daytime, the Dodge brothers faces could be seen clearly.
A quick check showed that the truck had been reported as stolen.
Hoyt straightened. “From where?”
A muscle worked in Ace’s jaw. “From Cushing. Close to where Debra was staying. I want to keep my line clear. Give me a phone. I want to get Linc to put out an APB on the truck.”
Hoyt began to pace, too restless to sit still. “I can’t fucking just sit here and wait.” He ran a hand through his hair, so frustrated, he wanted to punch something. “Christ, on a mission, I could sit for hours and wait. I can’t now. I’ve got to go look for her.”
Devlin laid a hand on his arm, his eyes filled with concern and compassion. “Where? Where are you going to look? You could be headed in the wrong direction. You’re not thinking clearly, and I get that. It’s Nat. We’re all scared for her, and we’re all furious. Christ, she’s got more spunk that almost every woman I know, but she’s still just a little thing.”
Lucas shot Devlin a warning look. “We saw the way the house looked. She fought. There’s no reason to believe she’s going to quit fighting.”
“If she can still fight.” Hoyt pushed aside the thought of Nat lying hurt somewhere, knowing that it would only mess up his head even more. “Over the years, I’ve tried to teach her a little about self-defense. I don’t know how much she remembers.” Cursing, he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I should have taught her more. I haven’t been around in years. I loved her too much to come around until I’d worked things out with Jake.”
Ace disconnected from his call with Linc. “Nat seems able to take care of herself, and she’ll use whatever you taught her.”
Hoyt grimaced, sick to his stomach. “If she gets hurt trying to do what I taught her, I’ll never forgive myself.”
He was so focused on his thoughts, that he jumped when his cell phone rang. Not recognizing the number, he frowned. “Must be someone calling from the hospital.” Dreading hearing that something was wrong with Jake, he accepted the call. “Campbell.”
“Hoyt? Can you come get me?”
The sound of Natalie’s wobbly voice had to be the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.
His knees turned to rubber. “Natalie? Baby, is that you?”
Dizzy from the rush of adrenaline, he glanced at the others, who’d all jumped up and rushed to him.
Lucas ran to another laptop and began hitting the keys. “I’m tracing it. Keep her talking.”
Hoyt ran a hand through his hair, wishing he could reach through the phone and wrap his arms around her. “Where are you? Are you okay?” His voice shook with emotion, his entire body trembling.
“I’m okay. Just cold. Look, I can’t talk long. Chuck is going to come through the door any minute. Oh, God. I can’t stop shaking. They hurt Jake, Hoyt. They hurt him real bad. Please tell me he’s not dead.” Her voice shook so badly that he had trouble understanding her.
She needed his strength now, and he was damned well going to give it to her. Firming his voice, he straightene
d, struggling to push emotion aside and be the ice cold soldier she needed. “Jake’s fine. He’s in the hospital with a concussion. Tell me where you are and we’ll come get you and go to him.”
“Promise me he’s okay. Please, Hoyt. Don’t let him be dead.”
Hoyt purposely injected anger into his voice, desperate to shake her out of her fear so that she could help him find her. “I don’t lie.” He put the phone on speaker so the others could hear. “What motel? Where? Are you safe? Where are the men who took you?”
“Chuck went to call Ace, and the other one’s tied up. I want to get out of here. He’s unconscious, but I’m afraid he’ll wake up. I tied him with duct tape, but I don’t know if I did a good job or not. Hell, I might have killed him. Oh, Hoyt. Chuck’s going to come back any minute. I have to get out of here. Please come get me.” A sob broke free, ripping his heart to shreds. “I don’t know where the hell I am.”
“Go to the window. Tell me everything you see.”
“Okay. There’s a diner across the street. There’s a sign! It’s called the Day and Night Motel.” Her voice still shook, and he knew it must be costing her dearly to hang on.
Clenching his fist at his side, Hoyt struggled to keep his voice calm and even. “Can you go outside? Wrap a blanket around yourself and get out of that room before Chuck gets back.”
She grunted, cursing as a sob escaped. “I have it. I have the blanket. To go outside, I have to hang up.”
“Not yet! Don’t hang up yet.”
Lucas jumped to his feet. “Got it. Tell her to get the hell out of there and hide. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Ace grabbed his phone, rattling off an address to Linc.
Hoyt gripped the phone tighter as they all ran out of the house. “Hang up and go find a place to hide. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Okay. Hoyt?”
Hoyt paused. “Yeah, baby?”
“Please hurry.”
“Like lightning. Hide, baby. I’ll be there soon.”
Sitting in the passenger seat, he grimaced when she hung up.
He should have told her he loved her.
Chapter Twenty
Pulling the blanket more tightly around herself, Nat eyed her handiwork, hoping that the tape held until she could escape. Alarmed at the amount of blood covering his face and dripping onto the carpet, she swallowed heavily and stepped cautiously around him.
He hadn’t moved since she’d hit him, but had moaned a few times, and she didn’t want to take the chance that he would somehow get loose and reach for her.
He moaned again, and tried to open one eye. “Bitch.”
“Fuck you.” Nat kicked him in the thigh, instantly regretting it as pain radiated up her leg. “Asshole.”
Rushing to the door, she eased it up a few inches, fighting the urge to throw it open and run outside. The beat of her heart sounded loud in the ominous silence as she peered through the small opening.
She scanned the dark and deserted parking lot before looking across the street to the diner. She could see several cars in the parking lot, and a few dark pickup trucks, and didn’t want to take the chance that one of them belonged to Chuck.
She had to find a place to hide.
With a last glance at her captor, she slipped out the door, closing it quietly behind her.
Staying close to the building, and in the shadows, she made her way to the left, heading for the opposite end of the parking lot from the entrance.
A hedge bordered the parking lot, one high enough for her to duck behind, but low enough to enable her to peek out so she could see Hoyt.
Scanning the area, she raced toward the opening in the hedge, wincing at the pain of stones digging into her feet. She didn’t slow down, though, scared that Chuck would appear any minute.
She didn’t know how long he’d been gone, but the fifteen minutes she’d have to wait for Hoyt seemed like forever.
She pushed her way through the small opening in the hedge, ignoring the scratches on her hands and hurriedly ducked behind it. Uneasy at the open yard she found herself in, she wrapped the blanket more securely around herself and moved back several feet and to the right, plastering herself against the base of a large tree trunk.
Hoping that the ugly brown blanket allowed her to blend in with her surroundings, she squatted next to the tree—and waited.
Shaking with the combination of cold and nerves, she stiffened at every sound, her breath catching when she heard the slam of a car door from across the street. Pressing herself against the side of the tree, she raised herself just enough to see over the hedge, her stomach clenching when she saw a dark pickup pull out of the parking lot and cross the street to the motel.
Where are you, Hoyt? Please, hurry. Please, hurry.
Her heart pounded furiously when the truck pulled in right in front of the room where they’d taken her, and holding her breath, she watched Chuck emerge.
Carrying takeout bags, he glanced from side to side as he made his way to the door.
With her heart in her throat, she ducked down again, knowing it would only be a few seconds before he realized she was gone.
She only hoped he wouldn’t leave and head back to Desire for another hostage before Hoyt arrived.
No.
He would have to find her first. She could identify them.
What if they didn’t care?
Oh, God! Hoyt, where are you?
“Son of a bitch! Bob! What the hell happened? Where the fuck is she?”
Huddled against the tree, she listened to Chuck curse. An angry tirade ensued. She couldn’t make out the words, but the message was clear.
Chuck was mad as hell.
Stiffening at the sound of running footsteps, she hugged the tree trunk tighter, searching the street frantically for any sign of Hoyt’s truck.
She froze as the sound of squealing tires echoed in the night.
Please be Hoyt. Please be Hoyt.
“Where are you, you fucking bitch?”
Nat blinked at Chuck’s furious demand, wondering if he really expected her to jump out and wave her arms in the air, yelling “I’m over here.”
Idiot.
Another squeal of tires made her pulse leap, and brimming with excitement and relief, she straightened, grinning at the sight of a big black SUV squealing to a stop behind Chuck’s truck.
All four doors opened—Hoyt emerging from the front passenger seat and heading straight for a clearly shocked Chuck. “You son of a bitch! Where’s Natalie?”
To her surprise, Caleb and Devlin shot out of the backseat, while Lucas jumped from the driver’s seat.
As the man she now knew as Bob staggered from the doorway to lean heavily against their truck, Chuck took off in the opposite direction of the four men—straight toward her.
Shit.
She knew the moment her kidnapper saw her, his evil smile sending a chill through her. Shifting her gaze to Hoyt’s, she realized the moment he saw her, too, and the flare of panic on his face when he saw that her kidnapper was between them.
Caleb and Devlin split up—Devlin going to Bob as Caleb circled the hedge from her left. Lucas stayed with Hoyt, both men gaining on Chuck with every stride.
Something inside her settled at the icy rage on Hoyt’s face, and confident that her kidnapper wouldn’t stand a chance against him, she threw the blanket off and ran.
Going left, she headed toward Caleb, who called out to her, watching over her shoulder as Chuck gained on her.
And Hoyt gained on him.
Turning to look back at Caleb, she stumbled at the sight of the gun in his hand, letting out a cry as she struggled to regain her balance—afraid that her kidnapper would reach her before Hoyt reached him.
She’d barely managed to regain her balance before Caleb caught her, just as a thud and harsh cry sounded behind her.
Pointing the gun at his shoulder toward the sky, Caleb cursed as he yanked Nat behind him. “Damn it, Hoyt.”
She had to struggle to see around him, and when she did, it was to see that Hoyt had tackled her beefy kidnapper to the ground. “Let go, Caleb. I want to see Hoyt kick his ass.”
Lucas, who stopped just short of the men fighting on the ground, cursed and holstered his own gun, gesturing toward her. “Get her to the truck where it’s warm, and check her over.”
Despite being cold, Nat pushed against Caleb’s hold. “No.”
Hoyt moved like lightning, delivering blow after blow to her kidnapper, making the other man look clumsy and slow. Struck by the fury lining his features, Nat called out to him just as the bigger, heavier man fell to the ground with a thud.
Hoyt still wasn’t finished, and with a growl of rage, started toward him again.
Shaken, Nat called out to him again, just as Lucas grabbed him from behind.
Holding him, Lucas said something in a voice too low for Nat to hear, something that had Hoyt’s head whipping around, his eyes still wild as they met hers.
Hoyt didn’t even appear winded as he started toward her, catching her securely when she ran to him. “God, baby. I’ve never been so fucking scared. You okay?” He removed his jacket without releasing her, tucking her into it and lifting her face to his.
Enveloped in the warmth of his body, Nat leaned into him, blinking when a grim-faced Ace appeared with another uniformed officer. “I am now.” She gestured toward the man on the ground as the other officer placed him in handcuffs. “That’s Chuck. The other one’s name is Bob. They’re the bank teller’s brothers. How’s Jake?”
“He’s got a concussion and has to stay in the hospital overnight for observation. Clay, Rio, and Jesse are with him.” Hoyt eased her back, lifting her face and eyeing her critically. “We know who these guys are. You’re going to have quite a shiner. We’ll get you checked out at the hospital and you can go see Jake.” Despite his light tone, his eyes glittered with anger as he ran a finger lightly over her upper cheek where Chuck had hit her as they rode out of town.
Nat smiled up at him, hoping to relieve some of the concern in his eyes. “I don’t even feel it.”
Lucas came up to her from behind with the blanket she’d dropped and wrapped it around her shoulders. “You will.”