by Becca Van
“Tori’s missing.”
“What?” Luther roared and started rushing toward his truck.
“I had to leave and fix a problem at the bank. I was gone no more than twenty minutes. When I got back the shop was still wide open and Tori was gone.”
“Is her car there?” Luther asked as he got into the driver’s seat. Jeremiah and Bryant got into the truck, too.
“Yes and so is her bag.”
“Shit.”
“I’ve called Luke and informed him that she’s missing.”
“Who the hell would want to hurt Tori?” Jeremiah yelled his question.
“I don’t know. Hopefully when Luke and Damon get here we can work it out.”
“We’ll be there in ten minutes.” Luther tossed his phone to Jeremiah and planted his foot on the accelerator. Gravel sprayed up from under the tires and the truck fishtailed down the drive.
He hardly slowed down as he turned onto the road and then pushed the pedal to the floor. Just as he was picking up speed, a truck came toward them from the opposite direction. He glanced over and blanched when he saw Tori in the passenger seat of the truck with an older man behind the wheel.
Luther tugged on the handbrake and the truck spun around. After releasing the brake he put his foot back on the accelerator. “Call Luke and give him the license plate. He can run a check and see who has taken Tori.”
Jeremiah dialed and started talking, but Luther didn’t bother listening in. He was hell-bent on catching up with that asshole and getting the love of his life back. He hadn’t even told her how he felt and now he may never get the chance.
No, that asshole’s not going to win. I need her more than my next breath.
He pushed the pedal harder and so did the guy driving the truck in front of him. The fucker swerved to the other side of the road and Luther was able to get closer. That’s when he saw that Tori was fighting him. He held his breath until the guy got the truck back under control and then he roared with fury when he saw the bastard hit his woman.
“Get closer, Luther,” Bryant demanded.
Luther glanced in the rearview mirror just as Bryant opened the back window, pushed his head and upper body through, and then climbed out into the bed of the truck. They all had rifles, but there was no way they were shooting at that motherfucker. The last thing Luther wanted was for Tori to get shot.
Luther glanced at the road ahead and was pleased that the road was straight and clear for now. He maneuvered the truck to the other side of the road and pressed harder on the accelerator pedal. He’d never been so glad in his life that his truck was the latest model. It was bigger and had more power than the one Tori was in.
He pulled the truck alongside the older one and Jeremiah lowered the window.
“Pull over!” Jeremiah yelled.
Luther frowned when he saw the man’s face and tried to remember where he’d seen him before, but he couldn’t. His anxiety was through the roof with fear for Tori and he couldn’t seem to think straight.
Jeremiah lifted the rifle from his lap and pointed it at the other truck. Luther knew his brother was just trying to scare the asshole into stopping and wouldn’t shoot but the other guy didn’t know that.
Or maybe he did.
Luther cursed when the bastard gave them an evil smile before facing the road again. He looked in the mirror and saw Bryant was on the opposite side of the bed and he moved the truck close to the other one. After making sure the road was still clear he edged over until there was no more than a couple of feet between the vehicles. Bryant was going to have to move fast because there was a curve coming up and it was too dangerous for him to stay on the wrong side of the road.
Bryant jumped and Luther hit the brakes. When he was far enough away from the other vehicle he pulled back in behind him and just in the nick of time. A semitruck came barreling around the curve.
“That was fucking close, man,” Jeremiah said.
Luther nodded but kept his eye on Bryant and Tori. Bryant was gripping the roll bar to the back of and above the other truck’s cab but his body was turned side-on so Luther could see his mouth moving. He wondered if he was trying to talk the fucker into stopping or giving Tori instructions.
Bryant bent over at the waist and when he stood up again he had a crowbar in his hand and then he swung it at the back window. Luther hoped like hell that none of that glass cut Tori, but it was imperative that they rescue her.
When the glass was gone Bryant reached in and placed his hand on the fucker’s neck. Tori moved and placed her hand on the steering wheel. Luther sighed with relief when he saw the bastard slump against the driver’s door, but the truck started picking up speed. The unconscious man must have still had his foot on the accelerator. Bryant bent down until his head and chest were inside the cab and then he pulled the man out through the back window. As the truck slowed, Tori steered it with one hand until it finally came to a stop on the grass verge.
Luther pulled in behind the other truck and was out of the vehicle moments later. He ran to the passenger door, but Bryant was already there. His brother was already reaching in for Tori, but she drew back, flinched, and moaned as if she was in a lot of pain.
“Tori, are you all right, darlin’?”
Tori took the hand Bryant offered but didn’t move to get out of the truck. Luther leaned around Bryant and sucked in a breath when he saw her bruised cheek and jaw. He turned when Jeremiah came up behind him. “Call the paramedics.”
“I’m okay,” Tori said in a wobbly voice.
“Baby, you’re hurt.”
She looked at him through tear-filled eyes and gave a little sob. She was breaking his heart. Luther needed to hold her in his arms and make sure that she was okay. He nudged Bryant aside and pushed his arm beneath her knees.
“I think my ankle is broken.”
Luther carefully lifted her from the cab and carried her toward his truck. Jeremiah rushed ahead of him and opened the back door.
“I was so scared, baby,” Luther said and he gently lowered her to the backseat. “We had no idea what had happened to you and didn’t know where to start looking.”
“I don’t even know that guy.” Tori sucked in a breath and gripped his hand. “I think he thought that Trick and I were…involved.”
Tori started crying and Luther hated seeing see her so upset and in so much pain. He glanced down the road when he heard the siren and saw the sheriff had arrived.
“Don’t talk, baby, just try and rest.”
Trick jumped out of the back of the sheriff’s truck and ran over to them. He glanced into the back of the other vehicle and paled. “Fuck.”
Luke Sun-Walker and Damon Osborne, the two sheriffs, walked over.
“You know that guy?” Bryant asked in a cold voice.
“Yeah.” Trick scrubbed a hand over his face. “He came into the bank a couple of months back and asked for a loan. I had to refuse. He was already mortgaged to the hilt and had missed six months’ worth of payments.
“His wife left three months ago and he came back to beg me for more time before the bank foreclosed on his property.”
“Goddamn it, Wendall.”
“Look,” Trick said. “I know you blame me for what’s happened, but I tried to help him twelve months ago. But he was too fucking stubborn to listen. It didn’t matter what I did or said. Marcus White was on the path to destruction and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.”
Just as Trick finished explaining, Marcus groaned and came to. Luke and Damon hauled him out of the back of the truck, handcuffed him, and read him his rights.
“I’m sorry you got hurt because of me, Tori.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Tori whispered. Luther didn’t like seeing her in so much pain and wanted to push Wendall back, but his woman seemed determined to alleviate Trick’s guilt. “You aren’t responsible for what other people say or what they do. There’s nothing to forgive.”
“Thank you, Tori. Now you let
your men take good care of you. You need to go and see the doctor.”
“Yes, I do. I hope you advertised for employees.”
“I did.”
“That’s good because I don’t think I’m going to be back at work for quite a while. That bastard broke my ankle.”
Trick looked horrified and his faced paled even more if that were possible. He apologized again and then followed Luke and Damon back to the sheriff’s truck.
“You take as long as you need to heal, Tori. I have the shop covered.”
“Let’s get you some medical help, baby.” Luther got into the driver’s seat and Jeremiah got into the back with Tori. Bryant sat up front with him.
Moments later they were headed back to Slick Rock. Luther cursed under his breath every time the truck went over a bump and he saw Tori wince. He should have demanded that the paramedics be sent out, but she could be so stubborn sometimes. She was like him in a lot of respects but way better looking and a lot softer and sweeter than he’d ever be.
“Try and relax, honey.” Jeremiah was supporting Tori’s upper body and cuddling her close. “God, Tori, you scared the shit out of us. We had no idea what was going on or where to look.”
“I know,” Tori said through gritted teeth and then winced in pain. “I think that man thought Trick and I were involved romantically as well as business partners. He said he wanted to take something away from Trick that he cared for. I don’t even know why he thought that. We don’t see each other that way. It’s more like a brother-sister relationship.”
The worry about her working with Trick eased from Luther’s heart. Even though she’d told them she wasn’t attracted to Wendall he’d still been a little trepidatious. He’d seen the attraction in the Wendall brothers’ eyes when she’d first introduced them. But he’d been worried over nothing. Tori was theirs and no one was taking her away from them. He had plans and nothing would stop him until he got what he wanted.
Tori in their lives forever.
“He saw what he wanted to see, baby,” Luther said and glanced in the mirror. “That man was blaming everyone for his circumstances but himself. Maybe if he had taken Trick up on his offer for help a year ago he might have been able to save his marriage and his home. He’ll pay the price for his actions now.”
Luther heard her gasp as the truck went over a bump, so he slowed his speed to below the maximum limit and avoided all the bumps he could, but by the time they got to the clinic Luther was sweating buckets. Tori looked so helpless and fragile. He wanted to go to the sheriff’s office and grab that bastard by the throat and break a few of his bones and see how he liked it.
After pulling into the parking lot of the doctor’s office he jumped out of the truck and opened the back door. Between him, Jeremiah, and Bryant, they had Tori in the clinic seeing the doctor.
After she was checked over for other injuries and X-rayed, the doc plastered her right leg from her toes to just below her knee and the pain medication was kicking in. Thankfully, as they drove back home, Tori fell asleep.
He and his brothers were going to take good care of her while she healed. There was no way they were leaving her alone ever again.
Chapter Eleven
It had been three weeks since Tori had been abducted by Marcus White, and even though she was grateful for the care her men had given her, she was starting to go stir crazy. At least one of her men was with her all the time, and no matter how much she argued with them that she was fine to be left alone, they wouldn’t hear it.
At first the crutches had been difficult to get the hang of, but she had after a few days, and she’d told Luther that he could go out and work with his brothers.
“Not happening, baby.” Luther crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her with an implacable resolve.
“Luther…”
“No.” He knelt down at her feet, took her face between his hands, and stared into her eyes. “I couldn’t stand it if you fell and hurt yourself and one of us wasn’t here to help you.”
“But…”
“We nearly fucking lost you, Tori. I never want to go through anything like that ever again.”
Before she’d had time to reply he’d kissed her softly on the lips and then headed into the kitchen to make some lunch.
Of course Tori hadn’t stayed put. She got to her feet with her crutches under her arms intending to help him get lunch. She’d been so intent on trying to work the damn things she hadn’t heard Luther come back in.
“What the hell…”
Tori wobbled and looked up and when she felt herself falling she cried out. Luther rushed over and lifted her from her feet, the crutches falling to the floor with a loud clatter.
“I told you…”
“If you hadn’t scared the shit out of me I would have been fine,” Tori said scathingly. “I swear you and your brothers must have lived with cougars or something.”
Luther chuckled, kissed on her on the forehead, and then carried her back to the sofa, but instead of putting her down on the cushion he sat down, plonked her in his lap, and started kissing her. Tori moaned as she lost herself in his taste, in his and her own passion. By the time he’d lifted his head her anger was gone and she’d wanted to make love with him, but of course he’d refused.
“Take me to bed.” Tori pushed her hand up under his shirt caressing his chest and abs.
“Not happening, baby. You’re still in pain and there is no way in hell I’m going to add to it by making love with you and accidentally hurting your ankle.”
When she’d opened her mouth to protest he’d just kissed her again. The rest of the afternoon was spent watching movies and kissing. By then end of the day her panties were soaked through.
Jeremiah had been just as bad. He’d caught her making her way toward the verandah out back and before she could say a word he’d scooped her up into his arms, crutches and all, and carried her back to the sofa.
“The next time you want to go somewhere, you call me first. Understand?”
Tori hadn’t answered. She just glared at him. The stare down seemed to last forever but finally she’d looked away and when she’d heard him chuckling under his breath in what sounded like victory, she’d wanted to hit him, but he’d already been walking away.
“Bastard,” she muttered.
“I heard that,” Jer called out and peeked around the corner of the door. Tori flipped him off.
Bryant was the same as his brothers only in a completely different way. He got her things like drink and food before she even asked for them, not giving her the chance to even get up off the sofa. And when she did to go to the bathroom he followed behind her holding her hips in case she fell. When he’d gone to follow her into the room she turned and looked at him over her shoulder.
“I can take it from here. I don’t need your help to use the toilet.” Tori had glared at him and he’d given her a grin and held his hands palm out in a placating gesture.
Although she still had the crutches she was allowed to walk on her right leg now with their aid and apart from the occasional ache she wasn’t experiencing much pain at all. She wanted to go back to work and had actually called Trick to get him to help her talk her men into letting her out, but he’d been in agreement with the Katz brothers and told her she wasn’t coming back until the plaster cast was off. Everywhere she turned she was being thwarted and her libido was so primed just a touch of their hand on hers, or on her shoulder, or her back, or her ass was nearly enough to make her orgasm. Luther, Jeremiah, and Bryant touched her constantly and she was in a continuous state of arousal, and she was bored out of her brains. They wouldn’t let her do anything besides go to the bathroom or take a bath. And even then she wasn’t left totally alone. They hovered outside the bathroom door while she used the facilities and she was never alone when she bathed. In fact they helped to wash her and that only made matters worse.
There was only so much a woman could take and Tori was at the end of her rope. If she didn
’t get relief soon she may just do or say something she would regret, and she didn’t want that. Even happy-go-lucky, easygoing Bryant had been on her case about resting and wouldn’t let her hobble into the kitchen for a drink. Something had to give, and she had a feeling it was going to be her.
Felicity had visited and after arranging a cookout to be held at the Katz brothers’ ranch she and the other women along with their men had turned up bringing all the salads and dessert so that all Luther, Jeremiah, and Bryant needed to do was supply and grill the meat.
“You look like you’re ready to scream.” Felicity smirked at her.
Tori explained how her men had been treating her like she was about to break.
“I know what that feels like.” Shelby patted Tori’s hand. “My men were the same after getting me out of that cave.” Shelby went on to explain how she’d witnessed the murder of her family and how the perpetrator had escaped and come after her.
“Oh my God,” Tori whispered and covered her mouth with her hand as she glanced over to the grill where all the men were talking as they stood around the cooking meat, while they sipped on beers.
“I’m fine,” Shelby reassured her. “That asshole got his just desserts when the cave in killed him.”
“Thank God.”
“You need to take matters into your own hands,” Felicity said as she lifted Carly Rose into her arms when she came over after being with her daddies.
“What do you mean?” Tori asked.
“Do you have any sexy lingerie?” Shelby asked with a sly smile.
“No.”
“I think it’s time we went shopping,” Flick said.
“They’re not going to let me out without one of them with me.”
“No. Bast…darn.” Shelby glanced at Carly Rose.
“We can go for her,” Felicity suggested. “We can find something a little less appropriate and drop it in.”
“You don’t need clothes to seduce men,” Cash said.
“She’s right. I have a better idea,” Shelby said and then glanced at Carly Rose again.