by Lara Jones
“I don’t know but we need to find them. I don’t care what that woman said, you can’t go alone. Did you call the Simpsons where Callie is at?”
“Yes, yes, I did, no one answered. Right now I don’t have time to call again. Please, can you find Grant and Jake and tell them she wants me to meet her at the Hartwig farm. They’ll know where that is, right?”
Gina followed Sara, pleading with her. “Yes, they know but Sara, please wait. She just wants to hurt you. You know that, right?”
Sara just nodded and jumped into the closest truck, knowing the keys would be in it. She started closing the door when Gina stopped her.
“Hold on, I’ll be right back.” She turned and ran into the house. Less than a minute later, Gina ran out the screen door. “Take this, you know how to use one, right?”
Sara stared down at the small black gun Gina had placed in her hand. “Yes, I know how to use it. Thank you so much.” Holding the gun seemed to help calm her. “Now, please find the men. I’ll do what I can until they get there.” Sara put the truck into reverse, her focus on Callie.
Sara peeled out, and dust and bits of rock sailed into the air. The truck fishtailed, scaring Sara. A small scream tore from her throat. She swallowed and slowed down. She drove faster than she normally would but as carefully as she could. Her body shook so bad she locked her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering and gripped the steering wheel.
It seemed to take forever to get to the place. At the five-mile mark, she noticed a faded white, old rundown house and barn. This had to be it. She turned slowly into the driveway. When she got close to the house she noticed the car sitting, hidden, on the side of the house. She looked around frantically for Callie.
She straightened her shoulders. She had to protect Callie. The men would come as fast as they could. She’d do anything to keep Callie safe.
Sara slowed to a stop. She put a lot of space between the truck and the car, praying it would give her some advantage. She turned off the truck. No sound came from the open truck window. Everything, birds, and crickets were silent.
She took several breaths and looked around at the dilapidated old house. The white paint had long ago been sunbaked off. The front porch hung away from the house, one side completely collapsed. She feverishly hoped Christy didn’t have Callie in there. It looked like it was going to fall down any minute.
She looked down to make sure the gun was loaded and the safety was off. She carefully stuck it in the creases of her long skirt, holding it close to her hip, hidden from view. Her eyes jerked up at a movement in front of her. Christy was standing against her car, her arms crossed over her short T-shirt that showed her thin stomach. Her jeans were faded white with age. Sara thought, if you didn’t know how horrible a person she was, and didn’t have the signs of alcohol and drug abuse etching her face, she would be considered very beautiful.
Sara looked around and shivered as currents of unease slid up her spine. She slowly got out of the truck and walked to the front, keeping her one hand hidden behind her skirt. She glanced around quickly, her eyes trying to take in everything and hopefully preventing someone from walking up on her. “Where’s Callie?”
Christy’s face contorted with hatred. “She’s not here right now. A friend of mine will be bringing her shortly.”
Sara swallowed nervously. Uneasy. Christy looked slightly crazy, her blonde hair tangled around her face, her body visibly shook, and her gaze kept darting around. “What do you want from me?”
Christy looked back at Sara. “I want you gone, better yet dead.” Her voice rose with each word, her hysteria climbed and turned her face a blotchy red.
Sara noticed her slurring her words and guessed she was drunk or high which made the situation even more dangerous. She continued to stall her. “Why on earth would you want me dead?” she said softly, cocking her head at a slight sound that came from the line of trees. Her gaze skittered that way for a quick look. She didn’t want to take her eyes off Christy, but she wanted to know if there was another threat she needed to see. There’s no way the men could have gotten here that fast.
Sara tensed when Christy took a step forward. “You took everything I had.”
Sara laughed harshly, the sound bursting from her chest. Anger rose swiftly. “I didn’t take anything from you, you lost it all on your own. Now get me, Callie.”
Christy’s face twisted with hatred and she took another step toward her. Sara stood her ground. She wasn’t going to give this bitch an inch. She didn’t know when it happened, but she went from terrified and shaky to almost calm, angrier than she’d ever been in her life. She guessed she was going to get hurt or worse, but she wasn’t going down without doing some damage herself.
Christy yelled, cursing at her and started toward her, trying to pull something out of her pocket.
Sara’s heart froze when she saw the metal Christy was trying and failing to pull out of her pocket. Sara lifted her arm and silently pointed the gun at her.
Christy stopped, confused, surprised at the gun Sara held. She tried harder, frantic, pulling her gun out again but froze again at Sara’s voice.
“Stop right now, Christy. I’m warning you—if that gun comes out of your pocket I will shot you. I have no qualms about hurting you when you’ve done nothing but hurt my family, I’m warning you now, if you so much as messed up one single hair on Callie’s head, you will regret it. If I die today and can’t make you pay, you know her fathers will hunt you down like the rabid animal you are.”
Sara stared at Christy and watched her control slip further, and she became frenzied. If she could make her angrier, she might lose all her control and give Sara a reason to shoot her. “You know, I don’t think I’ve met anyone as bat-ass crazy as you before.” Sara’s empty hand rose, her finger circled her ear. “It’s like the wheel’s still turning but the hamster’s dead.”
Sara tensed when she thought she heard another sound, a snort, come from the dense trees. She wanted to look but didn’t dare take her eyes off Christy. Sara knew she’d really pissed her off when her face started turning different shades of purple-red. Sara tensed when Christy screamed her fury and charged at her.
Without blinking an eye, she shot Christy in the leg. Sara almost smiled at the look of shock on Christy’s face as she went down with a wail. Sara took a step toward her, wanting to find Callie and maybe make her hurt more.
“Sara.” A firm, deep voice behind her made her freeze instantly. “You need to stop right there, baby.” She stopped. “Now lower your gun.”
When she hesitated, the voice she recognized as Jake’s demanded, “Now.” She instantly dropped the gun. She felt strong arms come around her, stabilizing her when she crumbled to the ground in relief and started shaking violently. She was turned, her chin raised with gentle, gloved hands. A moan escaped and her eyes filled when she saw the grim look on Jake’s face. She reached up to hold his shirt between her clenched fists. “Please tell me you have Callie?”
Jake picked her up, walked to the truck, and opened the driver side door setting her sideways on the seat. He wiped the tears that streamed down her face with one hand as he held her against his chest. “Baby, she never left the Simpsons. I called them after Gina called us. She’s fine, baby. She’s just fine.”
Sobs bubbled up her throat, she put her hand over her mouth to keep them back. “I called there, Jake. No one answered.” Her voice was so shaky it was hard to understand her.
Jake pulled her more tightly against him, soothing her, trying to calm her down as she continued to cry, huge sobs sounding like they were being ripped from her chest.
After several minutes, he worried she was going to make herself sick. He wanted to take her mind off everything so he started listing everything she had done to earn a punishment, knowing that would get her attention and get a rise out of her.
When his words started to penetrate, she gasped in outrage. Why would he talk about that here, now? Her behavior? Are you fucking kidding me?
Shocked, she looked up into his face and saw him smile as he continued his list—some of them were so contrived. Sara giggled and listened to some of the ridicules things he wanted to punish her for. She laid her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his slim waist, her love for him overwhelming her.
She laughed outright when he grumbled under his breath, “This is going to take years to punish you, for God’s sake.”
She hugged him hard, knowing and appreciating what he was trying to do. She jumped when she heard the sheriff’s voice next to them.
She pulled away slightly from Jake, sniffed and wiped the tears off her face and slipped to the ground, turning to the sheriff. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open when she caught a glimpse of the old ranch yard. There were so many people, all men, milling around. Most just standing around talking, a few taking care of a screaming Christy on the ground. They all looked to be ranch hands and deputies. Some of them looked familiar.
“Sara, baby, the sheriff is asking you a question,” Jake said against her ear, rubbing her arms trying to get her attention.
“I’m…I’m sorry,” she stuttered and cleared her throat. “What was your question?” She tried to focus on what the man was asking, but she kept looking around at the chaos, hoping to get a glimpse of Grant.
The sheriff chuckled.
Jake realized what she was doing, he took her chin in his hand and make her focus on him. “Baby, Grant’s right over there,” Jake said and indicated the front of another truck in the yard. “He’ll be right over, okay?” Her shoulders slumped in relief and she nodded. “Okay then, answer the sheriff’s questions so we can go home. We’ve got to take care of you and we have a lot to talk about.”
The sheriff only asked a few questions but had to stop when Grant walked up and she flew into his arms, crying against his chest. She reached out until she connected with Jake and pulled until they both surrounded her, only then did she feel secure and able to relax. They both whispered loving words to her, rubbing her body, trying to soothe her.
She pulled back a little and sniffed. “How did everybody get here so quick?”
Grant’s thumbs rubbed over her flushed cheeks, wiping away her tears. “When the sheriff released Christy, they followed her, knowing she’d run for her next fix, hoping to get her dealer and maybe the suppliers. They have been trying to get these guys for a while now. Jake and I were driving cattle over the ridge there,” Grant pointed to a hill very close to the back of the house. Grant held her face close to his, his anger and fear showing. “You were lucky, baby. Do you realize that?”
She shrugged, holding them tightly. “I had Gina’s gun. I was ready to shoot her again.” She cringed at the harsh words both men started barking.
She felt Jake press tightly against her back. She shivered at the full bulge he pressed into her lower back.
“Fuck, baby, you scared the hell out of us. I know you took ten years off my life with this stunt,” Jake whispered against her hair where his face was buried.
She looked over her shoulder. “Stunt? Jake, I didn’t have a choice. I’m sorry if I scared you, but I was terrified she was going to hurt Callie.”
“We’ll talk more about this later.” He bent to brush his lips against her neck, biting down lightly, making her eyes close and her body shudder.
A cough got their attention. The three looked over at the sheriff who was still standing beside their truck, with his hands on his hips but a smile on his face. He shook his head. He knew he wasn’t going to get anything else out of them right now. “You can take her home. If I have any more questions, I’ll come by.” He shook hands with both men and walked off to talk to other officers.
Chapter 19
They stopped running their hands over her when she started to moan with arousal and a shiver of need that ran down her body. It didn’t matter where they were or what was going on around them, they needed to touch her, their fear for her still racing through them.
Grant released her and walked around the other side of the truck. Jake picked her up and slid her across the seat. He jumped in and started the truck, reversing, and driving back down the driveway.
Grant laid a heavy hand on her thigh, making her jump. “What were you thinking, baby?” His voice was rough with emotion.
Sara started crying. “She only gave me ten minutes. I didn’t have time to think, and I didn’t know where you were. All I could think of was getting to Callie.”
Jake’s hand came down on her other knee. She glanced up at him, but the hard look on his face and the muscles that bulged in his jaw made her drop her gaze to her lap.
“Do you realize what could have happened? How many chances you took today?” He squeezed slightly, his jaw clenching from anger. “I know the sheriff was there but accidents sometimes happen too quickly for anyone to able to stop it.”
Her body tightened with her own anger. “What was I supposed to—”
Jake and Grant both tightened their grips interrupting her.
Grant said between gritted teeth, “One thing, baby. I don’t care for your tone of voice. Two, you are never, and I mean never going to put yourself in danger like this again. Three”—his voice turned gruffer—“you will trust your men to take care of you and situations like this. You’ll come to us for everything. You will trust us with your body, your life, your welfare. You’re our responsibility now.”
Her eyes flared as fury almost choked off her breath. Angrily, she tried to push their hands off her legs. God, when did she suddenly turn into a child? “I am not your responsibility, I’m a grown woman for God’s sake. I can take care of myself. I want in no way for you to feel obligated just because we sleep together.” Sara started shaking in agitation, her emotions raw and…
“What the fuck?” Grant snapped and pulled her across his lap, her back against the passenger side door.
Sara looked over at Jake only to notice they had stopped in the middle of the road. She got nervous when she saw the muscle tick in Grant’s jaw.
“I don’t know where you’re getting this bullshit from, but it better fucking stop. We are not just sleeping together.”
Sara’s eyes widened at Grant’s expression. She’d never seen him this mad before. She was used to Jake being pissed but never Grant. Sara patted his arm and chest. “I don’t mean it in a bad way, Gran—”
Jake was running his hand up her thigh. “Baby, I’m getting the feeling you don’t really know how we feel for you.” She relaxed back against Grant, unconsciously opening her legs for Jake’s caresses.
She closed her eyes, the warmth of his hand spreading through her only to snap them open when Grant squeezed her against his chest, a low growl coming from his throat.
“When we said you were ours forever, it means we love you and will do whatever it takes to make you happy and keep you safe.” Jake raised an eyebrow when she opened her mouth, making her snap it shut. “I’m not done,” he said harshly. He took a deep breath, his voice softening slightly. “You are not an obligation, and if you ever say something like that again your ass will be red.”
Grant interrupted. “We love you, baby.” He tilted her chin up, gaining her attention. “It’s our privilege to take care of you. We want nothing but to keep you safe and happier than you’ve ever thought possible.” He cupped her cheek, tilted her head back farther and dropped his head down, taking her mouth, delving inside, consuming her. He lifted his mouth slightly. “But never an obligation.”
She put her hand on Grant’s arm around her middle and reached out for Jake’s hand. Tears gathered in her eyes. “I love you both too,” she whispered so softly they didn’t know if they’d heard her right.
Jake tensed, a sense of urgency gripped him. He turned his hand over, gripping hers. “What did you just say?” She sat silently. “Look at us and repeat what you said.”
She looked up at them, her face serious. “I said I love you.” She looked between both of the men. “Both of you so much.”
/> Grant’s body relaxed. He hadn’t known how badly he needed to hear those words from her until now. He closed his eyes and kissed the side of her head. “I love you, baby,” he murmured.
She turned her head when Jake cleared his throat. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone.” He ran his hand up and down her thigh, soothing and spreading heat at the same time. “But that doesn’t mean you’re going to get out of your punishments because”—Jake’s mouth widened into a grin—“you, my sweet baby, owe us quite a few pretty intense punishments.”
She shivered. She didn’t know if it was from alarm or excitement and decided it was probably a bit little of both.
Jake started driving again. They all stayed quiet but the men’s hands stayed on her, slowly stroking her.
They stopped in front of the house. Grant stepped down and reached up to pull her down into his arms. He started to carry her up the front porch. He stopped and tensed when the door banged open.
“Oh my, is she all right?” Gina rushed out of the house holding a dishtowel to her chest.
Grant relaxed. “Gina, she’s fine. She’s just tired. We’re going to take her upstairs. Callie is spending the night at the Simpsons’. Why don’t you go on home for the night?”
Sara lifted her head from Grant’s chest and smiled. “Thank you, Gina, for getting the men there so quickly.” She reached out her hand, which Gina immediately grasped in hers.
Gina smiled back at her, patted Sara’s hand and turned to walk off the porch toward her own home. “You’re a part of the family now.
Chapter 20
Grant laid her on the bed and instantly started pulling her clothes off. She tried to help but only got in his way. Sara giggled when Grant growled at her, nipping at her stomach playfully.
Jake was on the other side of the bed pulling his own clothes off. He came down, pulling her underneath him, resting on her. He spread her legs and settled in the cradle of her hips. He started kissing her, his mouth taking hers with a force that demanded she submit to him and take everything he gave her.