Safeguarding Miley

by Melissa Kay Clarke

  Miley shook her head as she drew back in fear. Loran's erratic behavior was becoming more frightening with every step he took.

  Fury clouded his features as he grabbed her face in his hands, stopping her negative movements. "You test my patience, Miley. I don't want you to meet Kreshnik with your pretty face marked, but I will not hesitate to remind you of your place if you forget again." He let her go and towered over her menacingly.

  She couldn't help it. The words flew from her lips before she could stop them. "My place is as far as I can get from you."

  Miley braced for the strike she knew was coming. Closing her eyes, she waited. However, Loran's booming laughter startled her, causing her to open her eyes. He smirked at her as he snaked a hand out and touched her cheek in an almost tender gesture before clamping his fingers on her chin. "You have a spirit like the new horses first tasting a saddle. Did you know, I have a talent for breaking wild things? Recruits in Miami. Unwilling politicians. Even the wild, unbroken horses purchased for the ranch. Stubborn, fierce, free - they too thought they would win." He leaned down until she could feel his breath brush against her face. "In the end, everyone obeyed me. Every. One."

  He slammed his lips against hers, mashing them together until her teeth cut into them. She let out a strangled cry and pushed against him. He cupped the back of her head in his other hand, holding her still as he shoved his tongue into her mouth. Miley almost retched at the sick wrongness of the invasion. When he finished, he drew back and gave her a lazy smile. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as silver sparks danced in her eyes. "You ever do that again..." she started.

  Loran laughed. "Oh, my sweet Miley, I will do so much more than that. In a few days, we will be married, and I will show you how I break the wildness from you." He clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "I can't wait until our wedding night. I promise it won't be unpleasant. At least not for me." He grinned and whirled around, stalking out the door and slamming it behind.

  When she heard the lock engage, Miley fled to the bathroom and washed her mouth out. Without toothpaste or a brush, she couldn't do much to get the taste of his vile tongue from her mouth, but she did all she could. Returning to the bedroom, she pulled the quarter out of her pocket and began to work on the remaining screws holding the bars in place. With a little luck, she could get out of here tonight.

  "No movement." Railroad's voice whispered in Cowboy's ear. The talented sniper and youngest member of their team was high in a tree, aptly named "the nest," observing the location intently. While Tex watched heat signature via satellite links, Railroad was their backup and watchdog.

  "You've got company," Tex growled over the comms. "Two vehicles just entered the drive. They will be there in three minutes."

  Cowboy looked at Bruiser. The scenario they hoped would not fall into their laps, just did. The last thing they needed was to be anywhere near this place when Bushati's enforcers arrived. Now, instead of the ten minutes they needed to get the plan in action, they had only moments.

  Railroad hissed. "Northeast corner."

  Cowboy jerked his eyes back to the building following the wall to the drop-off. His stomach lurched as he saw a figure raise the window and climb out. He stood as she dangled over the ten-foot drop by her fingertips. Before he could stop her, Miley hit the ground, rolled to her feet and sped into the stand of conifers. In a second she was gone.

  Cowboy was up and running in an instant. Ignoring Bruiser's hiss behind him, he sprinted around a pile of rocks, over a fallen log and into the tree line. Cutting at an oblique, he chased after her, not daring to call out to stop her for fear of being heard by the men arriving at the house. He knew he should feel guilty for leaving his team to deal with the house, but they could handle themselves. Miley was his only concern at the moment.

  The pit in his stomach magnified when he heard crashing through the woods behind him. Loran Hoxha's voice rang out, echoing against the nearby hillside. "Miley, come back. Don't make me hunt you down."

  Instead of stopping, Loran's words were like putting a fire under the little woman running ahead of him. She put on a burst of speed, sprinting through the trunks and sliding over the rocky ground. Once, her feet flew out from under her, but she was back up and running within seconds. Cowboy groaned. Damn, she was fast!

  It was while she was climbing one of those rocks that he finally caught her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her back against him. Immediately, she screamed, kicking and punching to get away. He clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled her behind the boulder. When she bit his hand, he gritted his teeth.

  "Would you please stop biting me," he growled in her ear.

  Her eyes went wide, and she turned her face until she could see him. Yanking his hand off her mouth, she whispered, "Alcide?"

  He felt the tension release marginally. "Yeah, honey. It's me. I've got you."

  "Oh, Alcide! You came for me."

  "Of course. How could you even doubt it?"

  Miley turned and slung her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder. "You really are here," she cried with a sniffle.

  "Yeah, I really am here," he said as he soothed her by stroking her hair.

  He held her close to his body as she wept, letting all the fear out. His left hand pressed her firmly against his chest while his right continued to stroke her hair. He murmured sweet endearments.

  When her tears were spent, she raised her face and wiped at her cheeks. "I'm sorry for being a blubbering mess," she apologized. "I promise I'm not this weak. I'm just so happy to see you. I missed you so much."

  "Honey, you aren't weak. Give yourself a break; you've been through a lot." He smiled and pushed her hair out of her face.

  She swallowed and pushed away. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

  "Good," he agreed. "The team will be wondering where I got off to."

  "They're here, too?"

  He nodded. "Of course they are, Miles. We're family, and that includes you."

  They stood, and he led her from behind the boulders. His large hand wrapped around hers, making her feel safe as the heat sunk into her skin. Every so often, he looked back, giving her an encouraging smile.

  The sound of a stick snapping put Cowboy on edge. With a hiss, he stopped and watched as Loran materialized out of the woods. Miley stiffened and pressed herself closer to him.

  "It'll be all right," he muttered, pulling her behind his back.

  Loran Hoxha stood a few feet away, gun trained on Cowboy and a snarl on his face. "Miley, come to me," he growled. "Come now, and I won't kill your friend."

  She started to move, but Cowboy stopped her. Holding her behind him, he shook his head. "She's not going with you. The lady doesn't want you."

  "I have said before, what she does and does not want is not important. She'll come with me, or she'll watch you die." He smirked as he lifted the gun.

  "Not happening," Cowboy ground out. He felt Miley's fists clench the back of his shirt as she pressed herself against him. Gently, he squeezed her thigh.

  Loran shrugged. "Suit yourself." The gun steadied in Loran's hand. Behind him, he heard Miley take a gasping breath as she trembled. He braced. Loran Hoxha was going to have to kill him before he would allow one hair on her head to be harmed.

  "I wouldn't if I were you," Bruiser growled. Out of the corner of his eye, Cowboy saw his leader take a step out of the trees, rifle trained on Loran. Beside him, Toad stood with his own pistol leveled at Loran's head. To the left, Hick and Finch materialized, their rifles raised and on ready.

  "Turn around and leave," Bruiser hissed. "This is your only warning."

  Six large, unfamiliar men materialized behind Loran, guns raised as well. Glancing behind him, Loran grinned. "Perhaps not. Send my queen over."

  "Not happening, asshole," Toad growled as he squeezed the grip of his pistol.

  "No matter what else happens today, Hoxha, you won't be leaving here alive unless you go now. This is your only chan
ce." Bruiser's tone was low and flat.

  Cowboy watched the standoff, careful to keep Miley shielded behind him. He would be her shield, for both her body and heart until his dying breath. He tensed, ready to throw her to the ground should things go south.

  "Loran, this is the woman you chose for your wife?" asked one of the newcomers in a thick Albanian accent. Cowboy recognized the man from a photograph Digger had shown them. This was Basim Bushati, Kreshnik's nephew and one of his top lieutenants.

  "Yes," Loran nodded.

  Basim studied the situation for a moment then raised his chin to Cowboy. "She is your woman?"

  Slowly, Cowboy nodded. "She is." He met the man's gaze. "She's mine."

  "And you, woman, who is it you belong to?"

  Cowboy felt her fingers unravel from the back of his shirt followed by a gentle tapping on the top of his shoulder. "Him," she said quickly.

  Cowboy wanted to shout at her affirmation. However, he stayed stoic, watching the scene and standing on ready.

  "I see. And you," Basim nodded at Cowboy again. "Who are you?"

  "He's Navy SEAL," Loran spat out. "I thought he was just a farmer, but I learned more."

  The man's eyes widened. He gestured to Bruiser. "And you? You are also SEAL?"

  Bruiser nodded slowly. "I am." He jerked his head to the side where the others stood. "So are they."

  Basim shook his head as he let out a pained sigh. "Loran, Loran, Loran. Always, you take bites bigger than you can chew." He addressed Bruiser, "You take yours. We take ours. We wish no fight with you."

  "We don't want a fight with yours as well," Bruiser said but kept his weapon up.

  "No, Basim, she's mine," Loran screamed and took a step forward. "She's going to be my queen. She has to come with me."

  Basim grabbed his arm and pulled the gun out of his hand. Shoving him toward the other men, he muttered something in Albanian. The enforcers lowered their weapons and turned, taking Loran with them. He continued to scream and fight them as they retraced their tracks.

  The team stayed tense, watching the woods and listening for them to return. After a few strained moments, from the safety of his nest, Railroad muttered, "Clear" over the comms. Within a couple of minutes, he appeared in the clearing and slung his rifle on his back. "They left," he told them. "Didn't even stop at the cabin, just shoved Hoxha and his two goons into a car and took off."

  "Bruise, are we going to just let Basim Bushati go free?" Finch stared into the tree line where the men had disappeared.

  Their leader nodded slowly. "Yeah, Darton told us to not engage if at all possible. Our job was to get Miley back and leave the rest to them. Her safety was our only concern. Come on, let's get out of here. I'm ready to get home to my wife."

  "Me too," Hick agreed. "Annabeth's waiting for me. Let's head out."

  Cowboy barely acknowledged him. Turning swiftly, he grabbed Miley and pulled her against his chest. Crashing his lips on hers, he kissed her as if the world was coming to an end. He'd her back, safe and in his arms. His world was right there in his arms, and he wasn't ever going to let her go again.

  When he drew back, he looked down at her, his fingers sliding through the tangled mess of her hair. Drops of sweat were drying on her face from her run, and she had a smudge of dirt across the apple of her cheek. She looked wild with her eyes shining brightly and her kiss-bruised lips parted. The pink tip of her tongue peeked out as she licked her lips. He groaned and swallowed. He'd never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

  "Miley," he whispered. "I have to tell you something."

  "I love you," she blurted out. Her face turned a beautiful shade of pink as she slid her arms around his waist. "I needed to tell you that. I figured it out the night you left, but I didn't want to leave a message on the phone. I needed to tell you as soon as I saw you, but then all that other stuff..."

  Cowboy closed his eyes and dropped his forehead to hers. "Pain in my ass," he muttered but drew her closer. "Here I was, worried to death about telling you how I felt, worried that I was going to run you off, and you went and one-upped me."

  He felt her shake with laughter. "You know me, Alcide. I can't let you do anything for me. It's always my way."

  "Don't I know it," he sighed. Pulling his head up, he leaned in and kissed her again, a sweet, chaste one that still boiled his blood. When he was finished, he cupped her cheek in his palm. "I love you, Miley. Everything about you makes me want you more. I love your confidence and no-nonsense attitude. I love the way you put the feelings of others first, even over your own desires. I love that you don't need my help but that you let me anyway. I love that you call me out on my alpha bullshit. Everything. It's all part of you." He grinned and took her lips again, nipping gently until she ground against him. He slid his hands under the back of her shirt and splayed them against her warm skin. "Mine," he whispered possessively. "Beauty, brains, and attitude. All mine."

  A nervous cough sounded from behind Cowboy. It was followed by, "Hey, can you do the whole caveman grunting thing later? I've only had three hours of sleep in the last seventy-two hours. I'm beat."

  Cowboy wanted to punch Toad in the throat, but the truth was, they did need to leave. With a glare at his friend, he said, "Yeah, let's go."

  Miley wound her arm around his waist. "Better get some sleep on the way home, Lancelot," she whispered. "You're going to need your strength."

  The sly smirk on her face made Cowboy's heart thud, and his pants tighten. Visions of her spread on his bed like a feast danced in his mind. He could already feel her warm skin as he ran his fingers over her body. The beautiful whispers of her sated sighs already drifted through his thoughts. The coming hours pressed against her in the car were going to be sweet torture.

  He couldn't wait.

  The heat of her seared his side as they followed the rest of the team to where the trucks were parked half a mile away. Looking down at her, he whispered, "As my lady wishes."

  Epilogue

  The table was set and full to bursting with all types of food. The crowning piece, a huge twenty-pound turkey, held court with all the trimmings placed around. It was a hodge-podge of regional favorites varying from garlic roasted carrots to six cheese mac and cheese to oyster and chestnut stuffing. There were a lot of desserts as well. It was going to be an amazing Thanksgiving dinner.

  All of the team had managed to make it; even Railroad had put down his furniture creativity long enough to bring his mother's buttermilk pie. Bruiser and Olivia appeared early with Auntie Nat and Jayden in tow. The older woman immediately commandeered the kitchen saying she was going to take care of everything and sent the rest of the crew out. Hick backed out with his hands in the air stating how Nat reminded him of his grandmother and he knew better than to argue.

  Hick had also invited Wolf, his team, and their women. The team had only returned from their mission yesterday. They bowed out but thanked them for the offer anyway. Digger and Demma were in Chicago, visiting her family. They sent their regards and promised to catch up soon.

  The topic at the table centered around the news that had broken this morning. The gruesome remains of a man were found floating in the Everglades not too far from the area that was used for dumping all those years ago. He'd been gnawed upon by alligators leaving barely enough to be identified as Loran Hoxha. There was a lot of speculation as to what exactly had happened. Rumors included a fishing accident, mugging went wrong and suicide. However, thanks to Digger's dark web access, the team knew the truth. Kreshnik Bushati had no intention of forgiving the Hoxhas for their disloyalty no matter how much money he was promised. Loran thought Basim and his thugs were coming to escort him and Miley safely to his place in Utah, but they were actually a hit team, there to bring Loran back for punishment. The conditions Bushati had placed on Loran's return were a ruse to keep him in place and placated until Basim could get to him. According to Bushati, there had been no amount Loran could ever pay to forgive the embarrassment, cost, and lo
ss he had suffered after the split. That had been what Digger had shown Bruiser that day before setting out to get Miley back. The plan was to get Miley away before the team arrived. Thankfully, it seemed the gangsters were hesitant to get into a gunfight with the US Navy. They were lucky to get out of there as easily as they did.

  "So, have you made any decisions?" Annabeth asked Miley.

  Miley swallowed the bite of pie. "I talked with Pop-pop a couple of days ago. I finally came clean about how I felt about the practice. He never knew I didn't want it and apologized for as he put it, 'trapping me.' So, we made a deal. Jessie's going to take over running it with Pop-pop helping out part-time. Then, he's going to withdraw completely and resume his retirement. In the meantime, I'll be a silent partner until Jessie is ready to buy me out. I promised it would be at a wonderful price he can't refuse."

  "Does that mean you're staying?" Livy grinned big. "Please say it means you're staying in California."

  Miley smirked and looked at Cowboy. "Yep, you guys are stuck with me."

  Annabeth and Livy squealed and jumped up, ran to the other side of the table and hugged Miley. Beside Cowboy, Railroad chuckled. "I think they are as happy as you."

  "Not even close." Cowboy pulled Miley into his arms and hugged her tightly. "We're going to Wyoming for Christmas and grab the rest of her stuff."

  "Fan-freaking-tastic," Bruiser told them. "About time too."

  Cowboy pushed his chair back and pulled Miley into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he hugged her tightly. "Yep," he agreed. Pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck he growled softly. "Best decision she ever made."

  Miley snorted and looked at him over her shoulder. "You sure about that?"