If anything happened to any of my cowboys, I didn’t know what I would do.
I began to scream while the men fought.
I felt completely helpless.
Chapter 41
The sounds of gunfire exploded all around me and seemed to never end. I screamed and huddled in the front of the truck, my hands over my ears and my tears streaming down my face in fear.
I was trembling with adrenaline and fear and prayed to whoever was listening that my guys wouldn’t be harmed.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Charlie yelled and his voice echoed across the underground garage. “Hold your fire!”
My cowboys stopped shooting and crouched down next to the truck. Silence followed.
I was surprised, I poked my head up and looked around slowly. Maynard and his men were hunched next to their vehicle with their hands up in the air.
Charlie slowly stood and looked at the men by the Range Rover. They stood as slowly as Charlie and each one of them held their hands up over their heads.
“What’s going on here?” Charlie called out. “Why did you stop shooting at us?”
“I want to talk,” Maynard said and stepped out from behind one of his thugs. “There’s no need for all this shooting, I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“You should have thought of that before kidnapping Morgan,” Clive snarled. “A bullet in your head is appropriate right about now.”
“We can settle this like gentlemen,” Maynard insisted, stepping around the guy who had kidnapped me in the first place. The man glowered at us and I shivered, his hatred burned in his eyes. I had a feeling he would tear me apart if he ever got the chance.
“We can’t settle it like gentlemen when we’re dealing with a maggot,” Harley growled, not loud enough for Maynard but loud enough for us to hear him.
“I agree,” Ty replied, not taking his eyes off Maynard and his men. “I think the only way to handle this is to shoot our way out.”
“I don’t want to risk Morgan,” Charlie said, glancing at me quickly. “I don’t give a shit about the truck or us, but if Morgan gets hurt I won’t forgive myself.”
“That’s true,” Clive agreed. “We need to protect Morgan, she’s hurt already and needs to get to the hospital. Let’s talk and get the hell out of here, we can handle this shit after Morgan’s okay.”
“What do you have to say?” Charlie called out.
“Let me approach,” Maynard told him. “We can meet halfway and talk.”
Charlie agreed, but Clive, Ty and Harley kept their guns up and pointed right on Maynard’s men.
Charlie walked a few feet from the truck and waited for Maynard to reach him. The two of them spoke for a few moments, Charlie shook Maynard’s hand and they walked away from each other tersely.
“What’s going on?” Clive asked as Charlie approached.
“Get in the truck,” Charlie barked to the three other guys.
I settled into the middle of the seat, Clive and Charlie flanked me and the two other guys got in the back. We drove slowly past Maynard and his men and I avoided eye contact, ducking my head down instead.
They still terrified me, I felt as if they were going to open fire on us at any moment.
“What the hell did you say?” Clive asked. “Why are they letting us drive away?”
“I told them I’d make sure Morgan didn’t publish her article and that we’d all drop this,” he said.
“But I’m not going to do that,” I exclaimed. “I think they’re using this building for human trafficking! Did you see those blankets in that room? They kept other people in there!”
“Calm down, darlin’,” Charlie said, “I didn’t say the article wouldn’t be published or the investigation wouldn’t continue, I just said you wouldn’t do it.”
“But I worked so hard on this,” I said.
“It’s gonna get you killed,” Clive said thoughtfully. “He didn’t say the article wouldn’t get published, but he’s taking your name off it. Smart guy.”
“This makes sense,” Ty told me, putting his hand on my shoulder over the seat. “We’re taking you right to the police, you can give them your photos and your statement, and then you’re going to disappear.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Harley said, “this is the best way we can protect you, Morgan.”
“They’ll be in jail, though,” I said, “they won’t have a chance to get me.”
“That’s not how this works,” Charlie said, driving through the streets, his hands clenched tightly on the wheel. “They’ll never get all the guys involved in this. I think this goes high up. If we don’t remove you from all of this, they’ll never let you go.”
I sat silent in the seat as Charlie drove towards the police station. I was exhausted, shaking, and so grateful to be safe. I didn’t want to give up my story, but I wanted to stay safe. I realized that Charlie was right, he’d tricked Maynard into letting me go and given us the chance to turn him in anyhow.
It still irked me though, I was so close to releasing the biggest story of my career, but in a way this might be giving me a way out. I might be able to ease out of the city and start my life in the country.
I was being pulled in both directions, but after that ordeal, the ranch and my four incredible cowboys was starting to pull ahead.
I could see myself getting into the slower lifestyle, maybe start learning to cook and garden like I’d always wanted.
It sure beat being kidnapped and almost murdered.
Clive put his arm around me and we pulled into the parking lot in front of the station. “Are you up for this?”
“I am, I need to be. Those guys need to be stopped,” I said, finding a little strength from some deep well inside. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter 42
The officers on duty looked at me with confusion, especially when the four cowboys refused to leave my side.
“Can we take your statements one by one?” the officer asked.
“We’d rather not leave her alone right now,” Clive said, and the other three stood next to him in stubborn agreement.
“Fine,” the officer said, “follow me back here.”
We settled at a table in the conference room and the officer started asking me questions.
I hesitated at first but within a few minutes the entire story was pouring out of me. The first officer kept asking me to elaborate, while the second one took notes and used a voice recorder to keep track of everything I told them.
I emailed them the photos I’d taken of the room and I shared everything I could think of.
At the end of the interview I thought I might fall over from fatigue. We walked out and I stumbled down the stairs, almost falling.
Charlie hooked his hand on my arm and held me steady. “Keep that up and I’ll carry you.” He smiled at me.
“I need sleep,” I said, “and a bath. I feel gross, I stink like fear and I don’t know how much more I can take.”
“We’re going to a hotel,” Clive said, “the five of us can stay together that way. I think we all need a little sleep.”
I checked my phone and realized it was already morning and I hadn’t slept properly since yesterday. “I’d like that,” I said, “my apartment is pretty cramped.”
I couldn’t imagine my four larger-than-life cowboys crammed into my little place. There was no way for all of us on my double bed, and we’d be playing bumper cars just to get coffee.
Charlie drove to a fancy boutique hotel near the edge of town, it was more expensive than anything I would have chosen at that point. I didn’t mind, though; I felt like we deserved the luxury for at least a day.
We checked in and I ignored the pointed looks from the concierge, I’m sure we looked like an odd bunch with no luggage and me ragged and trembling.
I stood in the elevator with Ty on one side and Harley on the other holding me up. My legs trembled and as the elevator door opened, I tried to take a step and failed.
Immediately I was
surrounded by the four of them and I felt Charlie pick me up in his arms and carry me to the room.
I clung to him, shaking and on the verge of tears now that I was almost safe enough to let all the emotions out at once. Everything I’d been holding inside was about to spill over and flood me with tears and sobs, and I needed to let it out or I was going to burst.
The moment we stepped through the door the tears came, fat and hot and uncontrollably down my cheeks as I gulped huge breaths and let them come.
“Oh Morgan,” Clive said and brushed tears off my cheeks as Charlie set me gently on the bed. “Let it out, baby girl, you’ve been through so much.”
He sat next to me and held me against his chest, stroking my hair and calming the tide of my emotions.
Ty sat on the other side and joined in, rubbing my back and letting me cry.
I let it out, at one point I realized I had my head on Ty’s lap and my feet on Clive’s thighs with the other two men kneeling in front of me, soothing me as it finally all melted from my body.
As they moved their hands along me, comforting me, I realized I was moving from despair to something else…I was getting turned on by the sensations of them touching me all over.
My body quivered and I let out a small moan. My eyes were shut but the moment I let out that noise of desire, the way they touched me changed. They turned from comfort to insistence, and I heated up even faster.
“I need this,” I sighed, “please don’t stop.”
I was lifted in their hands and moved to the center of the bed. Four men massaged me and spoke to me of their love while I floated on a cloud of pure bliss.
I didn’t open my eyes when I felt somebody’s hands push my thighs apart and somebody’s mouth kiss my stomach. I loved the unknowing, not being certain who was kissing me, touching me, or moving their mouth slowly towards my throbbing heat.
“Oh god,” I moaned and thrashed on the bed as one of their tongues worked against my clit. Two mouths latched onto my breasts, each one nibbling and sucking my nipples and softly touching my skin until I felt as if they were drawing lines of fire on my body. “Oh god, I’m coming,” I groaned.
“Come for us, darlin’,” Charlie’s voice said in my ear. I knew then it was his lips on my neck and my ear, kissing and nibbling as he moved across my body.
The sound of his voice seemed to send me over the edge and I let myself go, sinking into waves and waves of pleasure as my body finally released the last of my fear and tension.
I fell back against the bed, limp and exhausted. I opened my eyes slowly and saw the four of them watching me, their faces full of love and satisfaction at having rescued me, saved me and then having brought me back into myself.
I was Morgan again, not a scared girl alone in the dark. But at that moment I knew one more thing…I was in love with the four cowboys and I wanted to be with them from this moment on.
I wasn’t going to give up my career, but I didn’t want to live in the city on my own any longer. I wanted to move to the ranch and start my life and my future with them and figure out what else would happen from there.
I smiled in absolute contentment and traced my finger along each one of them in turn.
“Do you feel better?” Clive asked me.
“I feel better,” I said and stretched.
“You look stunning,” Ty told me and brushed a strand of limp hair off my forehead.
Harley looked up at me from between my thighs, a smug grin on his face. I smiled at him, words escaping me as I basked in their love.
Chapter 43
I had a long bath and enjoyed the benefits of having four attentive men for that too. Charlie washed my feet and massaged me, Clive washed my hair for me, Ty and Harley brought me breakfast and fed me champagne and strawberries as I lounged around in absolute luxury.
Finally I crawled into bed and slept, the security and love I felt kept me warm and dreamless.
When I woke I felt like a new person. I flickered my eyes against the bright light and found Ty’s arms wrapped around me with Clive snoozing gently in front of me.
I sat up halfway and looked for Charlie and Harley but they weren’t there. I reached across Clive and found my phone. Charlie had texted me to let me know he and Harley had gone to the police station to fill in a few details about last night’s gun fight and I should relax until they got back.
I sent a quick email off to Mr. Monty and responded to Selena’s desperate texts.
I showered quickly and went out to find Charlie and Harley returned.
“What time is it?” I asked. “Did I sleep all day?”
“It’s four in the afternoon,” Ty said, “you did sleep all day. You clearly needed it.”
“I have to get into work,” I said, “I need to explain everything to Mr. Monty so he can run the story without my name attached.”
“I’ll take you,” Charlie said, “these guys can hang out here for a while.”
“We can head back to the ranch tonight,” I told them. “We won’t be long, and I need to get out of the city for a few more days. I can’t handle how busy it is here anymore.”
“We converted her,” Clive said with a grin. “I knew you’d get into the laid back country life.”
“It didn’t take much, just one or two…or a few hundred insanely good orgasms,” I laughed. “And you guys, of course. I don’t know what I would have done without you. Thank you…I love you all for it. And for the orgasms.”
We all had a little chuckle and I left the room with my hand hooked in the crook of Charlie’s arm.
I walked through the lobby of the hotel with Charlie at my side and I felt a thrill of pride being with such a tall, gorgeous man.
I could see women glancing at us as we passed, their eyes flicking along Charlie’s body, his broad shoulders and nice ass packed tightly into his jeans.
I was quite aware that I was living every woman’s fantasy with not just one, but four smoking hot cowboys.
He drove me to work and the moment I walked through the front doors of the newspaper reception area I heard an ear splitting scream.
“Oh my god, you’re alive!” Selena screamed and pulled me into a tight, suffocating hug. “I was so worried, I knew your hotties would save you but oh my god, what was it like? Who did it? Why? What’s their deal?”
“Hold on,” I laughed, “let me catch my breath. It was Maynard and his thugs, they came after me over the story I’d been working on.”
“Holy shit, I knew that was going to get you into deep doo doo,” Selena said, “I can’t believe you pushed through it.”
“It was crazy, if it wasn’t for the four of them I would probably still be there,” I replied.
“Or worse,” Selena added with a shudder. “I’m just so happy you’re here. Mr. Monty is waiting for you.”
I left Charlie to flirt with Selena, and unlike my shy guy, he dove right in and had Selena giggling and blushing in no time flat. And like any of them, I knew it was harmless. I trusted my men with all my heart, they were truly mine through and through.
I walked along the rows of cubicles and was amazed at how different I felt. It didn’t seem like this was my place anymore, I still loved my coworkers and I always loved my writing, but after my ordeal my mind was leaning heavily towards ranch life.
As soon as everybody noticed me, they gathered around and started to congratulate me on the story while sympathizing with my kidnapping.
Mr. Monty heard the commotion and came out of his office, a great big smile on his face. “Morgan, thank god you’re alive. You had us all worried as heck around here.”
“I know, right?” I laughed. “I’m alive and kicking and we need to talk.”
“As long as we get first hand coverage of last night’s incident,” Mr. Monty grinned.
“Of course,” I said and followed him into his office.
Once we were settled in, Mr. Monty looked at me carefully, took a deep breath and said, “We need to take your name of
f the article.”
I could tell he was nervous telling me this, and even though we’d already decided this, it did hurt that he’d come to the same decision.
I thought about fighting him, but I knew this was the best course of action. I’d hoped Mr. Monty would fight a little for me though.
“I know,” I said, “that was one of the conditions of them letting us go. That and I’m not allowed to testify against them but that’s not going to happen.”
“Why did he let you go so easy?” Mr. Monty asked.
“He didn’t,” I said, “the cowboys showed up and saved my ass.”
“The cowboys from your last article?” he asked, incredulous.
“Yeah,” I replied. “So that’s the thing, I am going to go live with them. I don’t know what that means to me and this job, but I want to leave the city.”
Mr. Monty opened his mouth as if to speak, frowned, and said, “I understand. I don’t want to lose you though, there has to be some way to work this out.”
“I just know that I’m leaving town,” I said. “I’m sorry, but this really shook me up.”
“Once again, understandable. I do hope you’ll finish up your story for us though. We’ll publish it as staff writer,” he said.
“I can handle that,” I replied. “I’ll get it into you as soon as possible. Before the other papers break this wide open.”
“That’s all I can expect,” he replied and sighed. He looked generally upset and I was flattered. I’d never realized how much he valued me.
I went and rescued Charlie from Selena, or Selena from Charlie, I couldn’t be sure.
Chapter 44
Charlie took me back to the hotel and I let them all know I’d be up all night getting everything written for the first edition in the morning.
“You can head back and get your laptop,” Clive said when I finished.
“It’s better if I work at home,” I replied. “I know, I’m sorry but there’s not enough room for all of us. Just give me this one night alone and you have me for the rest of our lives, I promise. Well, as long as you’ll have me.”
Rough Stock, the Novel Page 15