Never again. I was going to find us a way out of this mess.
I aimed my gun. “Bill, you don’t want to do this.” That kind and concerned interest I’d seen in him was nothing but a façade.
A sneer stretched across his face. “Don’t I? You and your girlfriend here have been sticking your nose in matters that are none of your concern. I tried to warn you off. Gave you chance after chance. But, no, you just couldn’t listen.”
My jaw clenched. “Your brother know about this?”
Bill stiffened. “David has nothing to do with this.”
I inched forward. “Of course, he does. You’ve been killing horses on land he’s in charge of safeguarding.”
Bill’s eye started to twitch, and his hold on Jensen tightened. “Those fucking vermin are ruining the livelihoods of human beings. Don’t you think people are just a little more important than horses? They tear down fences, eat grass that is supposed to feed livestock, take up valuable space that other ranchers could be using. They have to go.”
“This is not the way to make that happen.” My gaze cut to Jensen. She was struggling to pull air into her lungs. My grip on the gun tightened. “Ease up your hold there.”
Bill let out a cackle. “Now, why would I do that?”
“Because if you don’t, I will put a bullet in your fucking brain.” And I would. No hesitation. I wanted to do it right now, just for his grip on her neck, one I knew would bruise.
Bill stepped more fully behind Jensen. “Nope, nope, nope. You’re gonna toss your gun over here, or you’re going to watch all the blood drain from your girlfriend’s body.”
The minute I tossed my gun to Bill, Jensen and I were both done for. I looked at Wilder. She motioned downward with her eyes. I squinted. She made the motion again. I adjusted my grip on my gun. My Wilder, so fucking smart. “Bill, let’s just take a breather here. Don’t do something you’re going to regret.”
His hand closed harder around Jensen’s throat. “I’m not going to regret a fucking thing—”
Jensen dropped like a ton of bricks. The move startled Bill so much that he lost his hold on her, and I got my opening. I exhaled and squeezed the trigger. I wasn’t taking any chances. Right between the eyes.
I knew I would feel no guilt for taking the life of the man who was trying to steal my future. Attempting to snuff out the brightest light to ever walk this Earth. No one would do a damn thing to hurt Jensen if I could do anything to stop it.
Bill crumpled in a heap to the side of Jensen. Her gaze flew to him and then to me. “I knew you had me.”
Her words took flight in my chest, warmth spreading. I was a better man because I knew her. Because I loved her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m—”
“No!” The word was a guttural cry. I turned to see David charging through the woods, rifle raised. “You!”
“David, get yourself in check. I had no choice. He was going to kill Jensen.” Time slowed as pieces fell into place. None of my team members were behind David. He was completely alone. He hadn’t wanted Walker and me to search for Jensen. Not because he was worried about our safety, but because he wanted time to cover for his brother.
David shook his rifle at me. “All this for some fucking horses? You bleeding-heart animal rights sissies.”
“You were in on this?” I couldn’t quite get the pieces to compute. David had always been an asshole. But this?
“I don’t give a flying fuck about the horses one way or the other. I was just trying to protect Bill.” His gaze dropped to his brother, tears filling his eyes. His gaze snapped up to me, and so did the barrel of his rifle.
I needed time. Time to figure out how to get us out of this. “Why? What was the point of all this?”
The rifle began to shake in David’s hand. “Did you know we grew up in Hettiesburg?”
“No, I didn’t.” Hettiesburg was one of the poorest communities around Pine Meadow.
David swiped a hand over his brow while keeping his rifle steady with the other. “My dad struggled to keep a small flock of sheep on some leased land. One year, those damn horses took down the fence, and we lost half the flock. Never been hungrier than I was that year. Bill just didn’t want any other families going through what we did. What’s so wrong with that?”
I eased forward a step, my mind racing, trying to find a way out of this. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make sure families have food on the table.”
David aimed his rifle at my head and took a step closer. “Then why did you fucking kill him?”
I went with the honest truth, hoping against hope that it might get through the crazy to the small, sane part of David I hoped was somewhere inside. “Because he was trying to take my family from me.”
“Lower the gun.” Jensen, God bless her, had worked Bill’s gun out of his grasp and now had it trained on David. He froze. “I’ve got better reaction time than you. You don’t want to test me.”
I saw a slight tremor in Jensen’s hold and wondered if she really could pull the trigger if she had to. Jensen was such a protector of life in all forms, I knew it would destroy her to have to end one. She pushed to her feet. “Lower the gun. Now.”
David hesitated for a moment, his gaze flicking from me to his fallen brother and then finally Jensen. I saw the moment the fight left him. His shoulders slumped, and the end of the rifle dipped.
I charged forward, grabbing the gun from his hold. “Get on the ground, hands behind your head.”
David slowly lowered himself to the ground, assuming the position he’d ordered so many to take over his career.
I turned to Jensen, her hands were violently shaking now. “Hand me the gun, Wilder.” She obeyed, but the movements were robotic. Shock was setting in. I holstered the gun she gave me and kept my own trained on David. “I need you to get my cuffs from my pack.” I slid the bag off one shoulder and then the other.
My gaze didn’t stray from her as she searched through it. She was okay. Just watching her move, watching her chest rise and fall, eased me a bit. She was okay.
Now, I just needed to figure out how I could get her to forgive me.
47
Jensen
Walker pulled me into a hard hug. The force of it caused me to let out some sort of strangled oomph sound. His hold on me only tightened. “Don’t you ever do that to me again.”
“Sorry?” I mumbled into his shoulder, but it came out as more of a question. It wasn’t exactly my idea to get kidnapped.
He released me from his hug but kept hold of my shoulders. “Not as sorry as you’re going to be when you get home. Mom and Dad are fit to be tied. You were supposed to have someone with you when you were with the horses.”
“Shit.” It didn’t matter how old you were, something about upset parents waiting for you always sent a flood of dread through your gut. “Did you have to tell them?”
Walker raised a single brow. “Do you really think they didn’t already know? Wouldn’t find out?”
He had a point. My eyes traveled around the vast array of law enforcement personnel. Forest Service, county sheriff, Walker, and a couple of his deputies, the medical examiner, and EMTs. My gaze caught on Tuck, who was talking to the sheriff and someone from the Forest Service.
I wanted desperately to run over there and affix myself to him like some sort of spider monkey or land-capable octopus. I needed to touch him. To make sure he was okay. To see if we were okay. Walker had shown up moments after Tuck had cuffed David and ushered us back to the Forest Service cabin where the emergency vehicles could make it in. Tuck and I hadn’t exactly had time to talk.
“Jensen? Earth to Jensen?” My brother gave my shoulders a little shake.
I blinked a few times. “Sorry, what?”
His brow furrowed. “The EMTs want to take a look at you.” He gestured towards the ambulance.
“I’m fine—”
“You are not. I’m pretty sure your head is going to need stitches
.” Walker ushered me towards the flashing lights and away from Tuck.
My chest tightened with each step. My breathing picked up its pace. By the time we reached the EMTs, I was practically hyperventilating.
Worry filled Walker’s expression. “What’s wrong?”
“Could, uh, could you get Tuck?” I hated that I was even asking, but I’d beat myself up about it later.
Walker looked from me to Tuck and then back again. “Uh, sure.”
The EMT gestured for me to sit on a stretcher and placed a blood pressure cuff around my arm. I watched as Walker reached Tuck and gestured towards me. Tuck’s head snapped in my direction, and he immediately strode away from the other officers without saying a single word.
His strides ate up the distance in no time. “What’s wrong?”
I felt color rising to my cheeks. I licked my lips. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Maybe the EMTs should check you out, too.” I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the whole truth. That I didn’t want to be farther away from him than absolutely necessary.
“Ma’am,” the EMT interrupted. “I’m going to need to take a look at your head.”
Tuck took a step back, and that familiar tightening in my chest returned. Tuck must have noticed because he rounded the stretcher so he was standing at my back. “I’m right here, Wilder. I’ll always be right here.” He rested his hand on top of mine on the gurney, his fingers lacing with my own.
That fist around my chest loosened just a bit. The EMT began prodding at my head, and I winced.
“Hey, watch it, buddy.” Tuck’s voice cracked like a whip.
The poor EMT took an instinctive step back. “S-s-sorry.”
I squeezed Tuck’s hand. “He’s just doing his job.”
“Well, he could be a little gentler about it.”
The EMT slowly stepped forward again. “I’ll try and be more careful.”
I gave him a sympathetic smile. “You’re doing fine.”
He nodded jerkily. “I think you’re going to need stitches.”
I sighed. “I really don’t want to go to the hospital. And needles aren’t exactly my favorite thing.” Tuck chuckled behind me, and I elbowed him. “Are you sure I need stitches?”
The EMT bit his bottom lip. “I have the glue here, but you’ll have to let me clean it first, and that won’t be fun without a numbing agent.”
Anything was better than needles. “Do it.”
Tuck moved in closer. “Wilder—"
I squeezed his hand hard. “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I don’t want needles.”
“Okay,” he whispered. “You pass out on me, and I’ll be really fucking pissed.”
I chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”
The EMT pulled out a kit of some sort and started organizing an array of things I didn’t want to look at too closely. He looked from me to Tuck and back again. “This is going to hurt.”
I nodded and held Tuck’s hand tighter. “Distract me. Tell me what’s going on with David.”
Tuck let out a sigh that ruffled the hair on the back of my head. “He’s on his way to county lockup.”
“I can’t believe—” The sting of the alcohol against the gash in my forehead stole the words out of my mouth and the air out of my lungs.
Tuck squeezed my hand in a rhythm I knew was meant to distract me from the pain. Three squeezes. Pause. Another three. Pause. “You’re doing so good, Wilder. So fucking strong. Like always.”
“Fuckity freaking fudge sticks fuck!” I’d found my voice again, and I wasn’t afraid to use it.
The EMT winced as if preparing for Tuck to rip him a new one. Instead, Tuck just chuckled. “At least I know you’re getting back to normal.”
I inhaled through my nose and out through my mouth as the burning fire on my head eased. “Back to normal because of my creative cursing?”
Tuck leaned in closer. “I love your creative cursing.”
My breath caught. “I’m glad.” I’m glad? Really, Jensen? That’s the best you’ve got? I blamed the head injury.
I felt Tuck straighten, but he kept hold of my hand.
Walker filled my line of sight. “What’s the verdict?”
“They’re gluing her back together,” Tuck offered.
Walker’s gaze flicked to our joined hands. He paused for a moment and then shook his head, grinning. “You worried she’s going to pass out on you again?”
“The thought had crossed my mind.”
The EMT started messing with my wound, and I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out. “This will just take a few seconds.”
I forced my eyes closed, and Tuck picked up the rhythmic squeezing of my hand.
Walker cleared his throat. “Tuck, the Forest Service wants your official statement when you’re done here.”
Tuck grunted his agreement.
Walker pushed on. “When the EMTs are done with J, I want to get her home, but you can send whoever by to take her statement later.”
I held my breath. Waiting. Hoping that Tuck would protest. Insist on taking me home himself. Better yet, on not leaving my side. I hoped that this would be the moment he would tell my brother and everyone else that his place was by my side. Instead, there was nothing but silence.
48
Tuck
I swiped the palms of my hands down my jeans as I climbed out of my truck outside Jensen’s guest house. I’d fucked up. Pretty much at every turn. And I knew it.
But the look on Jensen’s face when I’d agreed to let her brother take her home from the crime scene…that had gutted me.
I just hadn’t known where we stood. And the last thing I’d wanted to do was have that conversation in front of Walker. I blew out a long breath and started for the door.
I’d checked in with Walker on my way home from the Forest Service station after an afternoon of interviews, statements, and a whole lot of how the hell did this happens. He’d told me that Jensen was resting and that his parents were keeping Noah for the night so she could sleep in.
She was alone. Now, I just needed to see if she’d let me through the front door. If she didn’t, I’d stay outside and wait. I was done messing up where Wilder was concerned. It was time for her to know that I was here to stay.
“About time you got here.”
My hand went to the gun holstered at my hip before my brain recognized Irma’s voice. “Jesus, that’s a good way to get shot.”
Irma rose from the rocker on the front porch. “So’s abandoning my girl in her time of need. And being an idiot.” Her eyes narrowed at me. “I still got pretty good aim, you know.”
“Message received.” I glanced at the door. “Walker said she was alone.”
Irma followed my gaze. “She wanted to be, but I couldn’t quite make myself leave her that way.” She looked at me. “But now that you’re here, I can.” She started down the steps. “Don’t fuck this up, cowboy.”
I blew out a long breath before I rapped on the door. I’d do my best not to fuck things up any worse than I already had. The sounds of a television came from inside. Then the faint sound of footsteps. The door opened.
Jensen stood there, hair falling in loose waves around her face, those amber eyes blazing with a mixture of hurt and anger. She wore tiny sleep shorts and a tank. The outfit made zero sense for the dead of winter, and as the cold air hit her, those nipples I loved so much hardened.
My cock jerked. Fuck. This was not the time. I pushed inside, not waiting for an invitation. “You need to put something else on.”
Jensen’s hands came to her hips. “Excuse me?”
I grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the stairs and her bedroom. “It’s too cold for you to be wearing that.”
“Tuck, my house is about seventy degrees.”
I ignored her protests and kept leading her towards her room. “Don’t care. You’ve been through a lot, and the last thing you need on top of that is to get sick.” I released my hold on Jensen when we r
eached her space, and I went straight for her dresser, pulling open drawers until I found the one with her sweats. I pulled out the biggest, bulkiest ones I could find and held them out to her. “Here, put these on.”
Those adorable little worry lines appeared between her brows. “Tuck?”
I placed the clothes in her hands, forcing her to take them. “Put on the sweats.”
Jensen’s gaze met mine. “Why?”
A muscle in my cheek ticked. “Because I don’t want you to get sick.”
“Why?”
I let out a growl. “Because I fucking care about you, all right? And the last thing I want is something else happening to you on my watch.”
She let the sweats drop from her hands and stepped closer. “Tuck, none of this was your fault.”
I stepped back, shaking my head. “You know damn well that’s not true. I’ve made a fucking mess of everything.”
Jensen edged closer, moving me back towards her bed. She pressed down on my shoulders. “Look at me.”
I ground my teeth together but tipped back my head so I could meet her gaze.
She cupped my face in her hands. Hands that were incredibly soft even though she worked them to the bone day in and day out. Hands that tended scraped knees and checked fevered brows. Hands that shoveled manure and calmed skittish horses. Hands that soothed my soul and twined with mine so perfectly, it was as if they were always meant to be there.
I pressed my cheek into her palm, my scruff pricking her skin. I wanted to bury myself there. Under her flesh. Crawl as deep as possible so she could never dig me out. “I’m so sorry.”
Jensen took one hand and brushed the hair away from my face. “There’s only one reason you’d have to say that.”
“I think there are plenty of reasons, but what would yours be?”
Tears filled her eyes, and I wanted to slit my own throat. “If you’re trying to leave me again.” A single tear crested over, tracking down her cheek. I reached up and swiped it away with my thumb. “I have to warn you now. You can try and leave, but I’ll just follow. I’ve been chasing you since the day I could walk, and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”
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