Feels Like the First Time

by Ciana Stone

  He sneered at her as she was shoved by her captor in the direction of the driveway. Lily didn’t need to wonder who these men were or what they wanted. With her no-account husband in jail, and his tale of the loan sharks being hot on his trail, she’d bet the farm that they’d followed him to Florida.

  She almost wished she’d gone with Clint and Cam to the sale. But then, if she’d gone, the goons would just have come at another time. They were land sharks, circling until they could move in for the kill.

  The kill was what concerned her. They had to know that Eddie was in jail so what could they hope to gain by grabbing her? All she had of worth was her own skin and that wasn’t going to bring much of a price.

  Lily felt the first stab of panic as she was shoved into the back seat of a dark sedan and her captor climbed in with her, leveling a gun at her head. She remained silent. They had not blindfolded her so they were obviously not concerned about her knowing where they were going.

  Which meant they had every intention of her ending up dead. That thought hit her like a semi. She had to keep her wits about her if she wanted to survive, which meant keeping her mouth shut and her eyes open for an opportunity to escape.

  * * * * *

  Clint was in good spirits when they pulled off the main road onto the drive of their ranch. They’d gotten a better price for their stock than he’d anticipated and had been able to afford a bull they’d had had their eyes on for a while.

  He couldn’t wait to tell Lily about it. The moment Cam stopped the truck, Clint hopped out and headed for the house. He rounded the back corner of the house and something sick rose up inside him.

  Something was wrong. The back door was standing open.

  He ran up the steps, across the porch and through the open door. A platter was broken on the floor, shards mixing with pieces of fried chicken. Two of the chairs were lying on their sides and the kitchen table was askew.

  “Lily!”

  He ran through the house, calling her name. Just as he made it back to the kitchen, Cam walked in. “What the hell?”

  “I can’t find her,” Clint said on his way past Cam.

  “Whadda you mean you can’t find her?”

  “Just what I said!” Clint shouted back at his brother as he dashed across the porch.

  “Wait up!” Cam hurried after him.

  They searched the entire ranch and there was no sign of Lily anywhere. By the time they got back to the house, more than an hour had passed. “Call the law,” Cam said as he grabbed a glass and filled it with water.

  Clint reached for his cell phone in the holder on his belt and at that moment it rang. He and Cam looked at each other for a moment and then he hit the speaker button and answered.

  “Clint Marsh.”

  “You wanna see your bitch again, you listen real close.”

  “If you’ve hurt—”

  “I said listen, asshole! You do exactly what I tell you or she dies. You got it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. You got ’til tomorrow at sunset to get five hundred thousand dollars together. I’ll call you at sundown to arrange a meet. You bring the money and you get the bitch. You show up without it and she dies. You bring the law and she dies. You get it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Tomorrow.”

  The line went dead. Clint looked over at Cam and for a few moments neither spoke. “How’re we gonna get our hands on that kinda cash?” Cam broke the silence.

  “No way we can,” Clint replied.

  “Then what’re we gonna do?”

  “We’re gonna let them think we have the cash and we’re gonna get Lily.”

  “In other words, we’re going to war.”

  “Yep,” Clint agreed with a nod.

  “Okay.” Cam set his water glass down by the sink. “Let’s check the guns.”

  Clint nodded, but put his hand out to stop Cam as Cam started by him. “This isn’t your fight, Cam.”

  “Yeah, it is. She’s family. And nobody fucks with our family. Now let’s get moving.”

  Without another word, Clint followed Cam to the gun cabinet in the family room. He never thought he’d be opening it to select a weapon to kill a man, but god as his witness, if that was what it took to save Lily, that was exactly what he’d do.

  * * * * *

  It was the longest twenty-four hours of his life. Clint stood on the back porch, watching the sun set behind the trees on the west pasture. His phone lay on the porch rail in front of him.

  He had not slept and found it difficult to eat even though he made an attempt at Cam’s insistence. All he could do was think about Lily. He had not planned on falling in love, much less asking her to marry him, but the thought of life without her was pretty much like anticipating an endless succession of rainy days. She brought light and joy into his life and he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

  He’d forced himself not to think about the possibility that the men who took her might be doing her harm. If he opened that door of thought, it would drive him mad. Ironically, it was her special talent that gave him hope. If she was in mortal danger, she could summon fire and that might be enough to keep her safe from bodily harm.

  Cam stepped out onto the porch just as the sun sank behind the trees. Clint turned his head to meet his brother’s eyes. He knew that Cam would ride into hell with him if need be, and would fight to his last breath to save Lily. There weren’t many men who could count themselves as lucky as he when it came to having a brother who always had your back.

  His phone rang.

  Clint punched the answer button and went to speakerphone.

  “You know where that kiddy farm is?”

  There was only one in the area, an old farm that had converted into a tourist attraction with a little train that ran through the farm and a petting zoo. Surely they would not be holding Lily there?

  “Yeah.”

  Across the road, two miles down, there’s a road that turns to the right on an abandoned farm. Bring the money or she dies.”

  The man did not wait for Clint’s response. Clint pocketed his phone and turned to face Cam. “That’s the old Wilfred place.”

  Cam nodded. “Been vacant for going on five years.”

  “If we take the main drive, there’s no way to get the drop on them.”

  “But if we cut across that pasture to the west—you know, the one they turned into that paintball park? If we leave the truck there and go in on foot, we’ll come up behind the old homestead.”

  “Let’s do it,” Cam agreed. “You got the truck loaded?”

  “Armed and ready to roll.”

  “Then let’s roll.”

  Together they walked out to Cam’s truck and climbed in. It was time to save Lily.

  * * * * *

  Lily felt as if she’d been kicked by a mule. She had not slept and had not been offered anything to eat or drink. Her mouth was dry and her gut hurt from Eddie punching her when he found her trying to text Clint. He’d had two of the goons hold her so he could hit her. Fucking coward. He wasn’t man enough to take her on alone.

  Fortunately, his actions had sparked enough anger to remind her that she was not weaponless. She’d set his eyebrows on fire. Today he was sporting a unibrow blister across his forehead.

  She’d set more than one fire since she was tossed into the crumbling shed behind the old house. Every crack she could see through she’d targeted an area to set a fire. She’d kept the men running all night and day, literally putting out fires.

  A couple of times the head goon had threatened to shoot her. When she tossed a fireball at him, he decided to leave her alone. She hoped he didn’t get it in his head to just burst in and open fire. Not even pyrokinetics could stop a bullet.

  She’d heard him on the phone and knew that Clint would be on his way. How he’d managed to raise that much money was a mystery. She didn’t think he and Cam had access to that kind of cash.

  The head goon, Johnny Something-or-o
ther, referred to as Johnny B by the others, had four men posted on watch, all armed. Lily didn’t think any of them would hesitate to shoot first and ask questions later. They were a rough-looking lot who, from what she’d overheard, had spent as much time in prison as out.

  The weakest link in Johnny B’s chain seemed to be Eddie. She could tell he was terrified of Johnny B, and that he was not exactly trusted. She wondered if Johnny B didn’t intend to kill Eddie along with her as soon as he got his money.

  Eddie getting shot didn’t concern her nearly as much as the idea of Clint walking into this viper’s nest. She didn’t think Johnny B intended for any of them to live, and a deserted farm in Florida, with all the available swampland, was a good place to dump bodies.

  She had to come up with a way to protect Clint. The problem was, she was locked in the damn shed and aside from setting it on fire, she hadn’t found a way out. There was little she could do but wait and worry.

  * * * * *

  Clint and Cam stopped behind an outcrop of palmetto on the edge of the overgrown pasture. Beyond the pasture was a small run-down shed, an even more run-down barn and, beyond that, the house.

  There were two cars parked behind the house, a big new Lincoln and a Dodge Charger.

  Cam tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the left. Clint saw the man walk around the side of the house, a gun in hand. He scanned the area and spotted a second man on the other side of the house.

  “How many you think there are?” he whispered.

  Cam shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

  “Yep. So what’s your plan?”

  Clint studied the area for a few moments. “You work your way around to the right and see if you can get up to that old oak there near the house—the one with all the vines and palmettos. I’ll see if I can ease up behind that shed.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  They set off in opposite directions. Clint made his way slow and as quiet as possible. He made it around the perimeter of the pasture to the edge of the overgrown yard. He had more than thirty yards to go to reach the back of the shed and there was no cover.

  He hunkered down and watched for the men on patrol. The one guarding the back corner closest to him was focused on the driveway. He rarely looked back. The other man’s view of Clint’s location was partially blocked by the shed and a few scrub oaks to the far side of the shed.

  If he moved carefully, he might be able to make it. He started making his way, careful to make as little noise as possible. His luck held and he made it to the back of the shed without being spotted.

  Clint pressed his back against the rough wall of the shed and ventured a look around the corner. The man on patrol at the driveway was standing in the open, lighting a smoke. Clint eased to the opposite end of the shed to get a look at the other side.

  He spotted Cam, his back against a big oak about twenty feet from the side of the main house. Cam gave him a hand signal to let him know that a patrol was on the side of the house.

  Clint held his hand up, signaling Cam to stay put, then ducked back behind the shed. When a harsh whisper came from inside, he jumped.

  “Clint?”

  He ducked down, looking for a crack in the weathered boards. “Lil? Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m okay.”

  “Cam and I are going to get you out of here.”

  “I can help.”

  “How? The door is padlocked from the outside.”

  That presented a problem. Even if he could kick down the door or shoot off the lock, it would alert the goons to his presence. They needed some kind of diversion.

  It came to him and he grinned. “Think you can give us a diversion?” he whispered. “Maybe a nice fire up around the main house?”

  He could almost hear the grin in her whisper. “I think I can manage.”

  “Okay. Make it big. We want all of them busy with the fire. Stay near the door. Once they’re occupied, I’ll come around and let you out.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Clint worked his way to the end of the shed and gestured to Cam to make his way to the shed. A few seconds later he heard a shout. He hurried to the opposite corner and looked around the side of the shed.

  Tongues of flame were licking the side of the main house, spreading fast. Two men were already working at beating out the fire. Within seconds they were joined by three more.

  Way to go, Lil, he thought as the fire billowed, spreading up the side of the house and into a tree overhanging the driveway.

  He hurried around to the front of the shed and cut a look over this shoulder. Lily’s husband was climbing into a car parked beneath the now burning tree, while the other men shouted and gestured.

  Clint stepped in front of the door, gave the rusty hinge a once over then drew back and kicked the door. Dry-rotted wood gave way under the force of his kick, pulling free the rusty screws holding the lock arm in place.

  Before he could take a step toward the opening, Lily was rushing out. He grabbed her arm and hustled her around to the back of the shed, nearly colliding with Cam.

  “Time to go, bro,” Cam said with a grin.

  “Right behind you.”

  Hanging on to Lily’s hand, Clint followed Cam back the way they had come. None of them spoke until they reached the truck, then Lily threw her arms around Clint. “You came for me.”

  “You had any doubt, sugar?” he replied, hugging her tight.

  “Never,” she said and pulled away to turn to Cam.

  “Come here, you.” She pulled him to her for a long, hard hug. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime, beautiful,” he returned with a grin. “Now come on, let’s get home. I get a feeling that these dicks aren’t gonna take it well when they discover you gone. We need to get home and get ready.”

  Clint had not considered that until Cam said it. He looked at Lily, seeing anger and fear stamped on her face, and took her hand. “We’ll be fine,” he promised.

  She nodded, trust gleaming in her eyes. He hoped he hadn’t just made a promise he couldn’t keep.

  Chapter Eight

  It would be dawn soon. Lily sat beside one of the windows in the living room, her back against the wall with a hunting rifle across her legs. Clint sat on the opposite side of the window, and Cam was positioned at the second window, scanning the darkness.

  “Maybe you should call the police again,” Lily suggested.

  “They’ll be here,” Clint replied.

  “And maybe those goons won’t show,” Cam offered.

  Just as the thought went through her mind that she hoped he was right, lights slashed the darkness.

  “Car,” Cam announced.

  Clint and Lily both turned, peering from the edge of the window. The car stopped. With the headlights on, it was hard to see much of anything. They all were frozen, eyes searching for signs of movement.

  “I’m going out the back to sneak around behind them,” Cam said.

  “No,” Lily argued as he moved to stand.

  Almost simultaneously, the window exploded and Cam lurched backward. Clint dived across the room, slid on his belly to the window and opened fire.

  Gunfire rained on the front of the house, bullets impacting with the block walls and more than a few shattering glass and slamming into the back wall of the living room. Lily scooted across the room on her belly to Cam.

  His shirt was dark with blood on his left shoulder and chest. “Oh god,” she breathed. “Cam, hang on.”

  She wiggled out of her t-shirt and used it to press down on his shoulder. He groaned and gripped her wrist holding the compress. “Help Clint, I’m okay.”

  “You need to get to a hospital!”

  “I’m—”

  The sound of sirens brought a sudden cessation to the sounds of gunfire. Clint kept his gun trained on the car. They could hear voices, demanding that someone lay down their weapons.

  In moments, a voice called out, “Clint? Cam? This is Dave Billings. You okay in there?”
>
  Clint hurried to the door. “We need an ambulance. Cam’s been shot.”

  With that he hurried to his brother’s side. “Hang in there, bro.”

  Cam nodded, his face pale and lips tight with pain. Clint looked at Lily. “I’ll take this.” He put his hand over the compress. “Go grab a shirt.”

  She nodded and rushed to the bedroom, grabbed a t-shirt from the dresser and pulled it on as she ran back down the hall. The next fifteen minutes passed in a blur. More police arrived, along with an ambulance and two fire trucks.

  By the time Cam was loaded into the ambulance, she and Clint had answered questions on what happened. They’d been informed that one of their attackers was dead, and had been told they could follow the ambulance to the hospital, but that an officer would follow to finish up taking their statements.

  Lily insisted that Clint go in the ambulance with his brother. She’d follow in Clint’s truck. She knew he was torn, feeling he should be with her, but wanting to be with his brother. In the end he agreed.

  She could barely remember the drive. All she could think was that if Cam died, it was her fault. By the time she reached the hospital, she was sick with fear. She hurried into the emergency room and spotted Clint talking with a police officer.

  “How is he?” she asked as she ran over to him.

  “They’re taking him straight to surgery. EMT’s said the bullet passed through but they’re worried an artery was hit. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

  “Oh god.” All at once her legs gave way and she reached out for Clint’s arm to steady herself.

  He caught her. “You okay? Are you hurt?”

  “No, no, I’m fine. Just worried.”

  “Come on, let’s sit,” he suggested and led her to a seat.

  They spent the next hour answering questions. When the officer finally left them, they both were silent for a long time. Lily was fighting not to cry. This was all her fault. If Clint hadn’t tried to help her, if she hadn’t let herself get involved with him, none of this would have happened.

  She’d screwed up his life and Cam’s.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered and reached for his hand.