Their Ex's Redrock Twilight (Texas Alpha) (Texas Alpha Series Book 4)

by Shirl Anders

  How Tess knew what he was thinking was just something she’d always been able to do with him since they’d first met. Where other people found a set wall looking at him, his wife saw the things he was feeling.

  She wasn’t going to allow him to be guilty over what was happening, and maybe she was right. It was a wasted effort, when he needed to be thinking of any little thing he could to get them out of the deadly situation.

  He’d lay down his life for Tess, and she would lay her life down for him, because what they had was worth it.

  He gritted his teeth, grinding them hard, before he said, “If Luna hadn’t been fucking ignoring me, Tess, you and I wouldn’t have been anything more than a one-night stand. But I need a fucking woman in my bed at all times.” Now Vincent glared up at Luna, as he not even looked at Tess before. “I’m not the kind of man to go without.”

  He’d said it harshly, like the edge of a razor.

  It cut through Luna’s manic twitching for just a moment.

  “I know it’s hard to be with a star,” she hissed. In her world, every damn thing in the universe revolved around her. “It’s the price of fame,” she said, stupidly.

  He wanted to roll his eyes, and he would have, if the barrel of a .357 weren’t waving toward him ... then away. Then back again.

  “I’m not sitting on this fucking floor, Luna,” he dared her.

  Her face and eyes seemed to clear, and then she turned away.

  “I need to call Cabe,” she muttered, as she stumbled into the motel room.

  “Someone will call the police over that shot,” Tess whispered.

  Vincent grabbed the coupler on the pipe to try and loosen it. He shook his head as he muttered, “Maybe, babe. Gunshot sound carries. I know they heard, but they might think someone is hunting or shooting on reservation land, which is all around this place.”

  He hadn’t looked at her; instead, he glared at the shower curtain.

  “I couldn’t call, Boss.” Navi’s voice filtered out from beyond the curtain. “No one was in the office. It was locked.”

  “It’s solid, son,” Vincent said. “Now quiet, like a warrior.” He felt the pipe giving, but he had to stop each time Luna paced into view. “Could go either way with Cabe,” he muttered, looking at Tess.

  She bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Worth every minute,” she said fiercely, but it was under her breath, while her irises blazed into his.

  He nodded, and knew his features looked as fierce. “I get this open ... you get a chance, you get out the fucking window.”

  Then their time was up, as Luna screeched and came barreling into the bathroom. Vincent braced, because he couldn’t tell if it was good or bad.

  Tess watched Luna fall down onto Vincent to embrace him with the gun held limply in her outstretched arm. It was right under Tess’ nose.

  “He answered and heard it was me. Then he said before I said anything that you had him looking for me everywhere!”

  Luna was strangling Vincent, trying to hug him and kiss him, while Tess thought, Ohmygod that was close. She wondered why Cabe had known to say that, but then again, he’d been dealing with Luna’s kind of crazy for years. Tess wondered if it meant the police were on their way? Maybe the reservation police were closer.

  “Damn well told you,” Vincent growled.

  Tess looked away as he kissed Luna. But when she looked back, she saw his hand was still working on the pipe, and it was turning! Then just as hope started to fill her, things got worse. Luna was trying to open Vincent’s shirt and kiss down his neck and chest. The gun was practically in Tess’ lap, but Luna still had her finger on the trigger.

  “Get me up outta here,” Vincent demanded.

  “I wanna do it here, Vinny. Right in front of her.”

  “Fuck no!” Vincent bellowed.

  Luna’s head flipped up, her black hair flying backward in an arc. “Why not.” She looked at Tess and then at Vincent, suspicious. “Prove it to me,” she snarled.

  Vincent grabbed the back of Luna’s hair and yanked her down, until his mouth savagely kissed Luna’s. Tess clenched her eyes. He is worth anything, she thought as savagely.

  Tess heard her husband’s deeply growled voice. “Not doing it on the fucking bathroom floor, you hot witch. There’s a bed. She can see that.”

  Tess tried not to cry, praying it would never get that far.

  Five minutes later, Luna had Vincent handcuffed to the motel room bed. Vincent hadn’t had a choice, as Tess had watched the barrel of Luna’s gun pointing at her. Luna had screeched orders for Vincent to uncuff himself, and then cuff his wrists above his head to the headboard slats. Luna kept the gun on Tess the entire time, while Vincent, coiled power, had moved to do it.

  Tess knew Vincent tried to find a way to jump Luna, but even as crazy as Luna was, she was alert enough to keep the gun pointed at Tess, so Vincent had no choice. Tess’ heart pounded; she was so afraid of what might happen to Vincent, of what that bitch might make him do.

  She was desperate, but still she was as worried about Navi. If anything happened to him, she couldn’t handle it. The pipe was nearly undone ... a few more turns and she could get loose, but she was held captive right where Luna could see her, if the insane woman turned her head.

  Tess watched Luna set the gun on the nightstand, then Luna jumped onto Vincent, straddling him.

  Oh my God, she had to do something. She had to get Navi out of this—

  “Navi, listen to me closely,” she whispered, but she did it strongly. “I want you to quietly get out of the shower. Slowly. Then keep to the side of the doorway, where she can’t see you.”

  “Yes, Missy,” Navi said, and he sounded too eager, like a young boy who wanted to help or be the hero might sound.

  “Slowly,” she warned him. “We have to help Vincent, baby.”

  Tess saw Luna was tearing open Vincent’s shirt, then Luna went for his belt buckle.

  When she looked, she saw Navi was slowly inching out from behind the shower curtain.

  “That’s it, baby. Slowly and to this side,” she whispered.

  He looked fierce, a small warrior ready to conquer, and she felt relief that she’d been wrong about how his voice had sounded.

  “When you get to the edge, put your back to it,” she said. “And then I will tell you when you can reach out and pull the door partway closed. You understand?”

  “Yes,” Navi whispered with a nod, as he crept forward.

  “I’m not fucking do it this way, Luna! I’ve gotta be in control!” Vincent’s voice carried with a roar into the small bathroom.

  “Now, Navi,” Tess said, as her body clenched. “Just partway, baby.”

  Navi did it!

  Just as Luna shrieked, “Not this time! You do what I say!”

  Tess heard the slap ringing through both rooms, and she couldn’t help but glance at them, while she ordered, “Navi, get out the window!”

  “Not without you, Missy,” he said stubbornly.

  Damn.

  “Navi, you have to help Vincent,” Tess implored. “You need to run around the building and pound on this room’s door three times as loud as you can. Then run! I will be right behind you, getting out of the window,” she said, lying about the last part.

  She’d seen Luna slapping Vincent, and he couldn’t defend himself handcuffed to the bed.

  “You pound on the door, Navi, and she will go look, then I can get away.”

  “Yes,” Navi whispered excitedly.

  “You go straight to Vincent’s truck after, baby. It is part of my plan. You have to be there.”

  Navi was halfway out the window when he fiercely whispered, “Mom, you come quick!”

  Tess heart thumped painfully. She didn’t think Navi even realized that he’d said—

  “Damn it, give me your cock!”

  Tess’ gaze whipped to Luna. She was scratching and fighting Vincent as he bucked his body and she tore at the top of his jeans.

  “Oh God,
please,” Tess whispered, then she grabbed the pipe and got it loose. She pulled her cuffs through the gap.

  She was free.

  She didn’t know if she should try to get out the window ... but if Luna looked her way, she would see her. Tess gnawed on her bottom lip. She had thought of something, but it would leave Vincent alone if she just slammed the bathroom door shut, and then locked it.

  God, what should she do?

  But then everything changed, because three booming knocks sounded on the motel door. Luna whipped straight upright, while still straddling Vincent, to look at the door.

  “It’s the fucking police,” Vincent shouted.

  Luna bounced off Vincent, then the bed, while looking frantic.

  Two more pounds sounded on the door.

  Tess cringed at Navi taking the extra chance.

  But it propelled Luna to the door ... and away from the gun on the nightstand.

  Tess was three large, leaping steps from that gun.

  Her plans suddenly changed, because Vincent had taught her how to use weapons.

  But more importantly, Vincent had taught her that when you were in a desperate situation, you could not waste time thinking through plans ... you just had to react and know your self-defense training would kick in.

  Tess leaped up, going for the gun.

  Vincent jerked the handcuffs around his wrists against the wooden headboard holding him prisoner. He tugged more violently, his eyes glaring shards, watching his wife running to the gun. He thought he heard the sound of his forefathers’ chants in his mind as he wrenched his wrists, making them bloody.

  But the headboard wouldn’t break, and Luna reached the door.

  Luna must have heard Tess sprinting from the bathroom, because just as her hand touched the doorknob, she turned to look back over her shoulder.

  “No,” he bellowed, trying to turn Luna’s attention, and give Tess a few more seconds.

  Strong war chants of many voices filled his mind as time slowed and the headboard pounded against the wall with his efforts to get free and save his wife.

  Luna flew at Tess, but Vincent saw Tess had managed to get her fingertips on the gun. Only, Tess had to defend herself against Luna’s lunge, so the pistol went flying. He thought it slid under the bed.

  “You fucking bitch!” Luna screamed.

  Luna was a head taller than Tess, plus Luna had no moral instincts to make her hesitate to attack someone. But Tess didn’t hesitate either. Nothing held her back from attacking Luna with an upward strike under Luna’s chin. After the hit, Tess rolled right and fell on the bed beside him.

  “Finish it,” he growled. “Don’t stop.”

  But he didn’t have to say that, because he’d taught her well, and Tess was already moving to shove two fists into Luna’s chest. Tess’ first hit had dazed Luna, but her second one sent Luna flying across the room.

  “This is going to end!” Tess cried, and she leaped after Luna, who had crumpled against the wall.

  However, being totally manic seemed to give Luna strength where there shouldn’t be any, and the two women grappled, their hair flying. Luna scratched Tess, grabbing her hair as Tess shrieked and tried to throw Luna off. Then Tess tucked and rammed her. They fell against the floor lamp and it knocked over, shattering the light bulb.

  Tess’ cry of pain told Vincent that Luna had painfully yanked her hair. Yet Tess didn’t stop fighting as she wrestled around, trying to get an advantage. They both hit the wall, then bounced off and hit the front window of the motel room, shattering it.

  Vincent heard Navi’s voice. “Boss!”

  “Damn it,” Vincent bellowed, trying to break the headboard again.

  Then he smelled the smoke.

  Next, he saw Tess and Luna tangled up and flying through the open area where the motel room’s front window had been.

  “Tess!” he roared, as he saw the flames licking up the wall, where Luna had smashed the bottle of alcohol. The broken light bulb had set the alcohol aflame.

  ***

  Navajo had never known his last name, but he sure liked the way Missy and Boss called him Navi. Since it had started happening, it had made him feel like he was part of something. He hadn’t had a lot of that in his life.

  He’d had an old grandfather at one time, maybe when he was four or five, and he used to say some people were good people and some people were bad people. Navi knew Tess and Vincent were good people. He’d even started to feel like they were his people. He’d never been brave enough to think that before about adults.

  Most of the adults in his life had always been untrustworthy, violent, or bad people. So in his mind, he claimed Missy and Boss as his. He knew he was taking a chance by doing that, but he really wanted it to be true.

  So far they’d never let them down. Not once. And that was saying something.

  So he regretted not listening to Missy, but the spirit hawk that Vincent had taught him about was screaming at him to go back from running to Vincent’s truck. He swore when he turned around that he could hear his old grandfather chanting, and then he sprinted back to that motel room where the crazy lady was trying to hurt the two best people he knew.

  When he saw the smoke, and then the flames, he knew he’d been right to turn back. He knew Missy would not hate him, because she wasn’t like that. She was never mean like that. She was all goodness and warmth. And when he saw her fighting the crazy lady out in the dirt of the parking lot, he really wanted to go and help her.

  But the spirit hawk and his grandfather were telling his warrior’s heart that he needed to go into that burning building to try and save the man he prayed might one day be his father. Vincent had a strong heart, and he knew a lot about “the people.” He’d taught those things to Navi, so he knew he had to be a brave warrior when he rushed into the room filled with flames.

  Vincent tried to yell at him, but the smoke was too strong. Navi could guess what Vincent would say about Navi staying away and getting back. So Navi was glad he couldn’t yell at him, as he leaped up on the bed and he sprinted over Vincent to the headboard.

  It was hot and the flames were so fast. They were already over the bed on the ceiling above where Vincent was handcuffed and locked to the bed. Navi grabbed the top of the headboard that Vincent was pounding and put everything he had into jerking it, the same way Vincent was wrenching it.

  A loud snap sounded and Navi let out a short war cry, still certain in the flames that he could hear his grandfather’s chants. But Vincent wasn’t completely free, and he yelled at Navi to leave, then coughed harshly.

  “One more try, Father, please,” Navi shouted.

  He didn’t wait to see if Vincent agreed; he got ready to pull, and then Vincent gave a mighty tug that lifted his strong body. Navi heard the breaking as he began coughing so hard, he couldn’t catch his breath. Then he thought he was falling, but instead strong arms lifted him up.

  He grabbed Vincent’s shoulders, and Vincent carried him from the inferno just as a large crash sounded behind them.

  Navi saw the burning ceiling fallen on the bed, where his hopefully new father had just been. He coughed and coughed, and then he realized the chants of his people had started to fade, but over them were sirens, getting louder.

  Finally, he had enough air to yell, “Mom!”

  “Navi!” she cried.

  And then he was being held by both Tess and Vincent as they all staggered to the ground while holding each other.

  Navi saw the crazy lady was lying flat on her face in the dirt with her arms spread out.

  “Missy, you took her out,” he declared through his coughing as Missy kissed the top of his head and Vincent held him tight.

  It felt so good, he didn’t think he’d ever felt anything better.

  ***

  Tess held Navi and Vincent so tight, she was afraid she might break them, as she kissed Navi’s head. “You saved Vincent,” she cried.

  She looked over the top of Navi’s dark head and was ama
zed to see tears in Vincent’s eyes. He reached up and touched her very bruised cheek, while his arm still held Navi. She nuzzled his fingertips, seeing the blood on his wrists.

  “Thought I’d lost you,” he growled.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks. “No way,” she blubbered.

  The sirens were screaming, and she knew someone of authority had pulled up as they sat in the dirt of the parking lot and held each other. It was a mess after that. The reservation police were obligated to pull them apart and find out what had happened.

  That upset Navi, until Vincent convinced them the boy could stay with him. The reservation police respected Vincent enough to allow it, while she was taken to an ambulance that had just arrived on scene. They questioned her while she was being treated and told her she had to go to the hospital for possible breaks, fractures, and a concussion.

  But there was only one ambulance, and they had to take Luna first. It seemed Tess had managed to break the woman’s jaw. Yes! Tess didn’t feel one bit bad about, and she was relieved to hear Luna was in big trouble and eventually going to jail for a long time.

  Vincent called Cabe, who was halfway there, and told him to turn around and make certain the authorities kept track of Luna, and they got her behind bars after she was looked at in the hospital. Tess heard Vincent thanking Cabe as she sat on the back bumper of his pickup, while watching Navi being questioned by the reservation police a couple hundred yards away.

  Vincent and Navi were going to take her to the hospital, where Vincent had assured all police involved that they would answer more questions.

  Navi didn’t look upset or afraid of the police as she watched them talking. He was so brave, and he’d basically saved their lives. She could still hear his voice calling her “Mom.”

  Tess squinted and looked over Navi’s right shoulder out into the sagebrush and swirling dirt. It looked like someone was out there, and she straightened with a wince, thinking she saw an old Indian.