“Jackson, I think I see them.” Ethan tapped Jackson on the shoulder, and he looked up just in time to see the small headlights flash and then disappear around a curve. “We’ll catch up to them. Up ahead the road straightens for a while and I’m going to gun it, but getting to them is only half the battle. What the hell are we going to do once we meet up with them? We can’t just run them off the road. He’s got Lily.”
Just then, Jackson noticed the coil of rope in the backseat. He caught his twin’s eye and smiled, holding the rope up. “We’re going to rope her.” He had intended on doing just that later in the evening, but for an entirely different end.
“Are you out of your damn mind?”
“I won a blue ribbon for calf roping the last time I competed.”
“Yeah, like fifteen years ago at the junior rodeo.”
“Roping’s like riding a bike.”
Ethan shook his head. “No, it’s not. This has to be the dumbest idea you’ve ever come up with. What if you miss? Or worse, what if you get that rope around her and end up yanking her off the back just to be dragged on the fucking road?”
Jackson gritted his teeth. “We’ll just have to time it just right. As soon as she’s roped, you’ll speed up exactly next to them, and I’ll pull her into the car. There won’t be any slack in the rope, I’ll make sure of that, so if we all do our jobs right, we should be able to pull it off. We have no other choice.”
“I don’t know, man. This is Lily we’re talking about. I couldn’t stand the idea of her getting hurt.”
“Neither can I. Like I said, we have no other choice that I can come up with. You have any other ideas?” Jackson waited as he watched his brother’s knuckles go white around the steering wheel, anger ticking at his cheek. “That’s what I thought.”
“After this curve the road goes straight for a while. It’ll be our only chance to get up beside them. You’ll only have one shot at this. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Jackson gauged his surroundings and realized how cramped the quarters were, not an ideal setup for swinging a lasso over one’s head. He was going to have to take the top down. Jackson reached up and pulled the latch behind the rearview mirror to open the car’s convertible soft top. As it popped open, a deluge of rain poured into the car, the hard droplets stinging his eyes.
There goes our perfect birthday gift. Lily’s going to love balling me out for this…again.
Jackson had never looked more forward to getting yelled at by a woman. Once he got his arms around Lily again, he’d let her nag him for the rest of his days.
They rounded the curve, and just as Ethan had said, the road became as straight as an arrow. Ethan floored the pedal, and they shot forward over the slick road. Jackson could make out the motorcycle in the distance.
When they got closer, what he saw made his blood run ice cold. Lily sat sidesaddle in the backseat, wedged between the biker’s ass and the bike’s backrest. She steadied herself with her bound hands behind her back. Her mouth was gagged with a bandana, and even with the rain pouring down around them, Jackson swore he could see tears running down her face.
“Oh, Christ. There she is, barely hanging on.” Ethan slammed his fist on the dash before Jackson lurched back from the force of the car’s acceleration. “I hope your plan works, ’cause now’s the time to test it out.”
With one hand, Jackson held the frame of the windshield and swung the lasso over his head with the other.
Just one shot. Jackson squinted through the rain and aimed at Lily’s form as they got closer. He ran a mental checklist of all the things he’d do to that biker once they caught up with him.
When they were only a couple feet behind them, Ethan pulled slightly to the left, which gave Jackson the perfect angle. As he released the lasso, he watched in slow motion as the rope soared through the air toward his damsel in distress. He held his breath. He felt like he was in some kind of action flick, and he waited for his perfect superhero moment to occur, the moment when the lasso circled Lily and he pulled her to safety.
But reality wasn’t like the movies. Instead, the biker swerved and nearly lost control. He turned, squeezing Lily’s thigh, and sneered at Jackson and Ethan. The biker had a crazed look in his eyes, a glint that said he didn’t care whether he lived or died. He revved the engine and sped off at a breakneck pace.
“Oh shit.” Ethan’s voice was a hoarse whisper.
Jackson squinted into the distance and saw what made his twin sound so hopeless. The road, bordered by a steep embankment, was about to curve. At that speed, it would be a miracle for them to make the turn without laying the bike down.
Jackson watched in horror as the bike wavered and swerved. He feared his worst nightmare was about to come true. The taste of bile rose in his throat. But what he saw next gave him a flicker of hope.
Just as the bike was about to crash, Lily managed to jump off, flying onto the grassy shoulder. The biker, however, didn’t look as lucky. Sparks flew as the bike skidded on its side on the road before spinning off the embankment, taking the biker with it.
Ethan slammed on the brakes, and Jackson jumped out before the Mustang came to a complete stop. He stumbled on the wet asphalt, catching himself with his hands, as he rushed to Lily. She was lying on the ground in a crumpled heap, covered in mud and blades of grass.
He fell to his knees next to her. “Oh, my God, Lily. Are you okay?” Jackson caressed the side of her face, rubbing off some of the dirt that now obscured her perfect complexion.
He surveyed her from head to toe. Her shoulders were rising and falling, so she was breathing, but her arms were at an awkward angle. It was then he saw her wrists, still tied behind her back. There was something about the sight that made him want to kill something. That fucking bastard was going to pay for making Lily feel helpless like this. Without a second thought, he ripped off her bindings, his fingers steady and purposeful. After he freed her, though, he had to use all his strength to restrain his need to swoop her up into his arms and hold her. Instead, he squeezed her small hand in his own.
Rain still fell in cold sheets, and the sound of it hitting the soggy earth masked the sound of his twin’s hurried footsteps until he was right behind Jackson. Ethan knelt down and flicked on the flashlight he carried, shining it on her, checking her over. Lily was covered in scrapes and bruises, but a cursory glance showed no major external injuries. Jackson felt her hand being taken away and glared at his twin before he realized Ethan was checking her pulse.
“I’m no doctor, but she’s definitely got a steady pulse. I don’t have a clue about internal injuries, though.” Ethan leaned closer to Lily, his hand cupping her face. “Lily, sweetheart, can you hear me? Are you okay?” Ethan shined the light into her eyes, checking for what Jackson had no idea. He suddenly wished he had paid more attention when their doctor brother, Brock, had given them basic lessons in first aid. At least Ethan had.
Jackson swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He had to be strong, but he was beginning to feel frantic. If anything happened to Lily, he didn’t know what he’d do. All those fights they’d had, all the time they wasted apart because of petty disagreements or squabbles, seemed so utterly ridiculous now. “Say something, Lily. Anything, please.”
Lily mumbled something and pushed Ethan’s hand away.
“What is it, baby? What do you want to tell us?” Ethan moved the light back on to her face, only to have Lily swat it away again.
“I said get that damn light out of my face.” Lily struggled to move.
“No, don’t move. What if something’s broken or you have a spinal injury or something?” Ethan rested his hand on her shoulder, making a futile effort at stilling a bullheaded woman who clearly had a different idea.
“I’m fine, really.” Lily sat up, rubbing her shoulder and moving her head back and forth. “You don’t grow up with two absurdly overprotective brothers—one of whom is a former SEAL—and not learn proper tuck and roll techniques. I probably
would’ve still been fine even if I didn’t have this muddy grass to break my fall.”
“They taught you how to jump off a moving vehicle?”
“You’d be surprised at all the survival skills I’ve accrued over the years. I can identify every edible plant in the state, start a fire with two sticks, and fashion an animal trap out of a piece of twine and a bobby pin.”
“Well, that may all be true, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, so don’t move another muscle.”
“Fine, but only if you hold me, and we’re all forced to not move. Then you’ll see how annoying you’re being.”
“If that’s the way she wants it.” Jackson grinned at Ethan and put his arm around Lily and lay beside her, resting her head on his shoulder. He was so happy to see her in one piece, he’d indulge her every whim from now until eternity. He wouldn’t waste another precious moment bickering with this woman.
“Fine, as long as Lily doesn’t move. I’m going to call for help, while you two stay here in the mud and the pouring rain.” Ethan stood and fished his phone out of his pocket.
“Can’t I at least lie still in the car then? Surely being soaked to the bone isn’t good for a wilting flower such as myself,” Lily said snarkily as she turned her head toward her Mustang. “What the…is the top down?”
Oh, shit.
“Yeah, about that…” Jackson ran his fingers through his mop of wet hair. “You see—”
“My car is getting drenched, my new upholstery, the leather…” Lily crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “I don’t think I even have to guess whose fault this is.” She glared at Jackson, a hint of mirth crinkling the corners of her eyes as she playfully poked him in the chest.
Jackson had to laugh. No one but Lily could muster the energy to crack a joke at a moment like this. “It was me, okay? I ruined your car…again. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.”
“No,” Lily said, pressing a kiss on his lips and then Ethan’s. “This was definitely meant to be. Definitely.”
“Somehow I don’t think we’re talking about the car anymore.” Ethan cast a glance at Jackson then returned his gaze squarely on her. “You were going to tell us something on the Ferris wheel. What was it?”
Lily grinned. She couldn’t believe he’d remembered. A man who could fuck and listen?
“Okay, stop your grinning and spit it out,” Jackson pressed, a confused look on his face.
Lily took a deep breath. “I’ve decided to stay. I’m not moving to New York. I’m staying right here with you two in Liebling.”
“Are you serious?” Ethan asked.
Lily nodded and was surprised to see Jackson immediately leap in the air and let out a whoop of joy before picking her up and spinning her around. He squeezed all the new bruises forming on her body, but she didn’t care. It was hard to feel anything besides pure, unadulterated love at that moment.
When Jackson set her down, Ethan held both her hands and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Well, then, there’s only one thing left to do.”
Before she could ask him what, bright lights and sirens invaded their intimate moment. The cavalry had arrived, reminding her of the horrific event that had brought them there in the first place.
Chapter Nine
Lily blinked hard at the blue and red lights flashing around them, trying to get her eyes to focus. Officers in uniform milled about, but she planted her feet where she was and refused to move. Her head throbbed so much even the tip of her nose hurt. She huddled into the emergency blanket and willed the night to pass so she could go home, see her mother and brothers, and then fall asleep with Jackson and Ethan wrapped around her.
Jackson and Ethan. Her heroes. Her protectors.
She shivered. She’d almost lost everything tonight, if that biker had been able to carry out whatever atrocities he’d had planned.
“Lily?”
She turned toward the sound of Jason’s voice. Horrible idea. Her skull felt like it would explode. Putting a hand to her temple, she tried to massage the thumping away, but Jason grabbed her shoulders and held her away from him.
“Jesus H. Christ,” he cursed, his eyes taking in her face. “My God, Lily. Are you okay? What can I do? I’m going to kill that son of a bitch. I swear to God I will.”
Jason’s eyes burned black in his skull, and his whole body shook with rage. For a moment, Lily worried he would go for the knife he always carried on his ankle and get the job done right then and there. She looked off to her right and saw Sheriff Callahan directing a deputy to ride with the biker in the ambulance, though in her opinion, they should have left the bastard in that ditch to rot.
Jason followed her line of sight, and his grip on her shoulder tightened. “He didn’t…hurt you, did he?”
She looked up into her big brother’s eyes and saw the helpless look mixed in with boiling-hot rage. Her heart softened. No matter how overbearing Jason was, his intentions were good. She had never seen him look so helpless in her life, and she burst into tears.
“Jason, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry about how we’ve been arguing and—”
He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her side-to-side like he used to when she was younger. “None it is your fault. It’s all with me and Seth. If we hadn’t been so obsessed with making you see things our way, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Lily pulled away and wiped her nose. “I think it would have, Jason. It seemed like there was nothing that would have stopped him. He made it seem like it, at least.”
“You’re right about that.” He used the blanket to wipe away the tears dribbling down her chin. “The biker gang he’s a part of have a lawyer on their payroll. That’s how he got out of jail so quickly.”
She sniffled. “I guess everyone has a price, huh?”
“Only worthless pieces of shit,” Ethan said as he and Jackson walked up to them.
The sight of them brought more tears and sniffling on her part, but out of relief. Deep worry marks bracketed their mouths and eyes, and they looked even more beaten up than she did.
Jason released her, and she threw herself at Ethan and Jackson, wanting nothing more than for them to take her home. Jackson wrapped his arms around her first, clutching her to him. Ethan embraced her from behind, completing the circle.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Jason said, his voice oddly quiet. “I know now that you don’t need or want me to thank you for what you did, but thank you anyway for saving my baby sister.”
Behind her, Ethan took a breath and was about to say something when Seth emerged from the sea of cops and firefighters. “Lily!” he called just before his gaze landed on her. He mumbled something to himself that looked like “thank Christ,” but she could not be completely sure from where she stood. He rushed over to them and yanked her from Jackson and Ethan.
“I swear to God, Lily, you need to stop getting yourself into situations like this. That’s twice in the past few weeks that I’ve almost died of a heart attack. I’m this close to locking you away forever and throwing away the key. You’ll get your meals through a hole in the door. Not kidding.”
Lily rolled her eyes and hugged him instead of snapping her own comment back at him. “I love you, Seth. Even though you’re an ogre.”
He went dead silent for a moment before he started chuckling. “You’re not a fairy princess yourself, baby sis. But I’ll love you, too.”
Her brothers and her men were markedly silent for a few moments, checking each other out and waiting for someone to make the first move.
Then Jason spoke. “So you ruined the car again, I see.”
Jackson scratched the back of his head. “The first time was all my fault. This round is on Ethan. He was the one driving this time.”
Ethan glared at his brother before looking Jason in the eye. “I’d like to have a word with you if that’s all right.”
Jason nodded. “Sure. Lead the way.”
Lily watched in stunned silence, and Ethan and Jason walked a
few yards away toward a copse of trees. The lights from the police cars did not quite reach them, so she could not read their lips to get a hint of what they were talking about.
“What is your brother up to, Stone?”
Jackson gave Seth a sideways glance. “Beats me. This is a new development.”
Seth just grunted, crossed his arms over his chest, and watched Jason and Ethan talk. Lily had to admit they looked downright serious, especially Ethan, who seemed to do all the talking while Jason listened and nodded periodically.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” she asked no one in particular.
“My money is on what to do about that bastard,” Seth responded.
“I have to agree with that,” Jackson seconded. “I vote we kidnap him and take him deep in the woods past the lake. We can show him how things are done when you mess with a woman around here.”
“No need for Jason to use his contacts who don’t exist.” Seth turned to Jackson and looked at him as if he had never seen him before. “If you hurt my sister, I’ll kill you myself. But I think I’m starting to like you. If you just keep taking care of her, we’ll be good.”
Jackson eyed Seth up and down and held out his hand. “I can handle that.”
“Good.” Seth took his hand, and they shook on it.
Lily rolled her eyes. She had a distinct impression that Seth just handed off his babysitting duties to Jackson. Men.
* * * *
“Yes, Edie. We’re alive. All three of us.”
Lily clutched the phone to her ear and listened as her future sister-in-law spoke at breakneck speed over the connection. She had assured Edie that she, Jackson, and Ethan were all alive four times already, but apparently there was no appeasing that woman until she saw the three of them herself. It gave her a warm feeling in her middle, like warm milk settling in her stomach, hearing Edie worry over her.
Looking back, Lily realized she’d had a lack of womanly warmth growing up. Although her mother was a strong woman, once her husbands had died, a spark had gone out in her, never to light up again. Lily could never blame her mother for that, though, no matter how much she wanted to. If she ever lost Jackson and Ethan like that, she did not know what she would do. Having Edie fret over her felt nice. It felt…familiar. Familial, even. She had finally found the big sister she had wished for as a child. Actually, she had two now. Lena was going to become her sister-in-law of sorts, and she and the other woman were quickly forming as strong a bond as Lily and Edie shared.
Mitchell, Ava and Holiday, Sydney - Corralling the Stones, Part 2: The Taming [Liebling, Texas 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11