Spider

by SJ McCoy

  He gave the bike full throttle and soon caught and passed Mav’s truck as they sped through the canyon. When they reached the gas station, Spider was relieved to see Frankie’s truck at one of the pumps. She must still be inside. He took his helmet off and looked back over his shoulder to see Mav pulling in behind him as he got off the bike. A familiar looking truck backed out right in front of Mav, making him brake hard and wave his fist as it spun around, pulled out onto the highway, and sped away.

  Spider frowned. Why did that truck look familiar?

  Mav was out of his own truck and striding toward Spider when it hit him. Shit! “Call Luke,” he shouted at Mav even as he was putting his helmet back on. “Ask him what he knows about the assholes from last Friday night. I’m pretty sure that was their truck. I’m going to follow them, just in case. You see if Frankie’s inside.”

  Again, he was hoping that within a few minutes he’d be feeling foolish for taking off after the truck. That Frankie would still be here, catching up with a friend or using the bathroom. But the way his heart was pounding, he was convinced that the two assholes in that truck were some kind of threat, and he wasn’t going to let them out of his sight.

  As he took off after them, he saw Mav running into the gas station with his phone pressed to his ear.

  ~ ~ ~

  Frankie was pissed. More than pissed. She was ready to kill. If only she had her gun, she would! She didn’t have her gun, though. She didn’t have a damn thing. Not even her phone. Instead, she was on the floor in the back of the truck belonging to the two assholes from the other night.

  Her phone was still in her own truck. Right on the dash where she’d left it when she went inside the gas station. She’d gone in the back to use the restroom and when she came out, they’d taken her by surprise. One of them had his hand over her mouth before she knew what was happening and between them, they’d forced her out the back door and into the truck. She’d fought. Asshole Number One had a gouge down the side of his face from her nails, and from what she could see, Asshole Number Two was still nursing his balls where she’d managed to land her knee. But it hadn’t been enough. They’d tossed her in the footwell in the back and one of them had held his knee between her shoulder blades while he fastened her hands behind her back with a zip tie.

  The plastic dug into her wrists as she tried to pull them free, and for the first time, it occurred to her that perhaps fear would be a more appropriate reaction in response to her current circumstances. She’d never been one to worry about what was appropriate, though. And besides, she’d learned way too early in life that anger gave you strength while fear only sapped it. She’d be damned if she’d let these two make her weak.

  “What the fuck are we going to do with her?”

  She held her breath, waiting for the response.

  “You gave the answer right there in the question. Fuck her and then dump her.”

  Frankie gritted her teeth. No way in hell!

  Asshole Number Two sounded more scared than she felt. “Dude. We can’t do that.”

  Asshole Number One laughed. “Fine if you don’t want to, I’ll have her all to myself. But after what her and her boyfriend pulled on us last weekend, she deserves what she’s got coming.” He laughed again. “And that’d be me.”

  Frankie shuddered in disgust. Even with her hands tied, she could fight him. Knee him. No way would she let him …

  “If you don’t want any, you can hold her for me.”

  She struggled harder against the zip tie around her wrists as fear started to curl its fingers around her throat and she struggled to breathe.

  ~ ~ ~

  Spider cursed as the truck pulled off the highway onto a dirt road. They were bound to spot him soon. The bike wasn’t quiet, but he couldn’t risk letting them out of his sight. He’d thought that Frankie’s gun was overkill the first time they’d tangled with these two, but right now he was wishing that he’d had the foresight to get it out of her glovebox before he’d followed them.

  His phone rang. “Maverick?”

  “Yeah. I’ve got you in sight. Luke’s on his way. He can track me. Do you know that she’s with them?”

  “I haven’t seen her but ...” That was the truth. How could he explain?

  “But you know it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s good enough for me. You stay on them. I’ll stay out of sight for now. It’s best that they can see you. It should deter them from ...” He didn’t finish that sentence, and Spider didn’t want to think about what he might have said if he did. “I’ll be with you by the time you need me.”

  “Thanks.”

  Just as Mav hadn’t questioned how he knew Frankie was in that truck, Spider didn’t need to question Mav. He knew that he’d be there.

  The truck ahead of him rounded a corner and then appeared a little higher as the road rose and then came to a stop in front of a cabin. Spider slowed, considering his options. Did he need to ditch the bike and move in unseen?

  His question was answered when he saw the men dragging Frankie out. She was struggling and kicking. One of them slapped her so hard she went down to her knees, and Spider’s bike surged forward.

  ~ ~ ~

  Frankie shook her head, trying to clear the ringing as she struggled to get back to her feet. She took off and managed to run a little way before one of them caught hold of her again. Shit. Asshole Number One was hurrying toward her with a shit-eating grin on his face when out of nowhere, a motorcycle gunned straight at him and took him down.

  The bike fell and so did its rider, but he was straight back on his feet and coming toward them. It was Spider!

  Asshole Number Two gripped her tighter, but she lifted her foot and kicked him hard with her heel to his shin, and he let her go. She threw herself to the side at the same time Spider launched himself at the hapless bastard who’d thought it was a good idea to mess with her.

  She’d landed face down on the ground and rolled at the sound of another vehicle approaching. She let out a short laugh when she recognized Mav’s truck. He jumped out and only glanced at Asshole Number One, who was obviously out cold, before coming straight to her.

  “You okay, honey?”

  She nodded and struggled to sit up. “I will be when you get these off me.”

  Mav flipped out a little knife from a tool that hung from his belt and slit the zip tie. She brought her hands in front of her and rubbed them together. Her heart was pounding, and her hands were shaking. But her brain still hadn’t caught up.

  “They have more ties in the glove box. You should get some and help Spider out.”

  Mav raised an eyebrow at her, but she just laughed. “Go on. It took you long enough to get here, you can at least help him with clean up.”

  It felt good to see her brother’s worried frown dissolve into a smile. “Jesus, Frankie. You’re a piece of work, honey.”

  She smiled. “I know. My brother taught me well.”

  As soon as he went to relieve Spider, who had Asshole Number Two by the throat, Spider rushed to her and took her face between his hands. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She winked at him. “I could have handled them.”

  She was stunned when instead of laughing with her, a single tear rolled down his face, and his hand trembled as he brushed hair away from her eyes. “You scared me.”

  Seeing him like that finally broke through the tough shell she liked to hide behind. Her breath hitched and a sob tore out of her. “I scared me, too.”

  His arms closed around her, and she clung to him and cried, shock giving way to all the other emotions that washed over her.

  He just held her close and stroked her hair and let her cry, muttering soothing words the whole time. The most soothing were the words, I love you and I’ve got you, over and over again.

  She was vaguely aware of sirens approaching. She heard Mav talking with someone – it sounded like Luke. She hoped it was. But all she really cared about was Spider. He w
as there with her. He’d saved her.

  “Are you okay, honey?”

  She sniffed and lifted her head to look at Mav. “I’m okay.” She forced a smile. “And I hope you won’t ever give another thought to running Spider off. He saved me.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “And he got here before you did.”

  Mav let out a chuckle. “He did. If it weren’t for him …” A shadow crossed his face, and he shook his head. He didn’t want to think about what might have happened if it weren’t for Spider any more than she did.

  He grasped Spider’s shoulder and gave him a grim smile. “He might be an outsider. He might look weird.” Frankie slapped his arm at that, but Mav continued, undeterred. “But he’s all right. I learned today, faster than I would have wanted to, but still, I learned that not only does he want to take care of you, but he can.” He nodded at Spider. “Just as well as I can, if not better.”

  Frankie looked up to see Spider’s face. He was choked with emotion. She could tell, but the way his gaze locked with her brother’s and they both nodded, she knew Mav wouldn’t be giving him any trouble in the future.

  Epilogue

  Three Months Later

  Frankie checked herself over in the mirror in the bathroom. She looked good, even if she did say so herself. She should; it was her birthday.

  Spider popped his head around the door. “Are you … damn!”

  “What?”

  He came in and hauled her against him. “You’re just … beautiful. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

  She reached up and pecked his lips. “I feel like I’m the lucky one. I got you. And I finally found a way to be happy living here and still be able to go off and be useful somewhere else, too.”

  He chuckled as he held her closer to his chest. “Nah, I’m the lucky one. That I got you and that you figured out a way you could be useful – and happy – in LA whenever we’re there.”

  “There wasn’t much figuring to do. Terry told me to have at it. Barbara helped me set up the programs, and she oversees it all when we’re not there anyway. It was easy for me to know that I wanted to work with the kids at the center – because I knew I wanted to be with you.”

  “Forever?” The gold flecks in his eyes sparkled as he looked down into hers.

  “Yes. Forever.” She frowned. “Has Mav been giving you a hard time?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Because while he’s been here this week, you’ve been asking for reassurance way more than usual. Every chance you get.”

  He shrugged and tried to look innocent, but she knew something was bothering him. She’d have to kick Mav’s ass for him if he was behind it.

  “You’ve got no worries there and you know it. Do you really think I’d still be here in the cabin if he had a problem with me?”

  “No. I guess not.” She’d been very pleasantly surprised when Mav had suggested that Spider should move into the house with her. But she’d already grown to love spending time here in the cabin together, and Spider felt the same way. They’d probably look for a place of their own at some point – maybe something closer to the bakery and to town. But for now, they were happy right here.

  “Are you ready to go?”

  She nodded and took one more look at her reflection. She braced both her hands on the counter and leaned closer to the mirror to check her mascara. Spider moved behind her and closed his hands around her hips, sending ripples of desire coursing through her. She pressed her ass back against him.

  “Are you ready?” she asked with a laugh. “Or do you have a gift for me before we go?”

  He pressed himself against her, making her hope that maybe he did. He was hard. She might have a birthday party to get to, but she wouldn’t mind being late if he wanted to.

  He closed his arms around her waist and leaned over her. “We should probably save it for later.”

  “Aww.” She pouted at him in the mirror.

  He swept the hair off the back of her neck and nibbled, making her melt against him.

  “You can’t do that and tell me no.”

  He chuckled and then stopped abruptly.

  “What?”

  His hand ran up over her neck, pushing her hair out of the way. “I found it!”

  It took her a moment, but then she laughed. “Finally! After all this time!”

  He laughed with her. “I think about searching you for your tattoo every time I get you naked, but you distract me. And to be fair, it’s mostly hidden under your hairline. Did you know that?” He traced his finger over the tattoo and smiled. “I love it.”

  She nodded. “I’d honestly forgotten about it. My hair was really short when I got it done. It was a long time ago. What can you see?”

  His fingers stroked up her neck. “Just a little bird. Wait, no, two of them and …” He sucked in a deep breath. “That’s perfect!”

  “Can you see what it says?”

  “Yeah. Fly.”

  “It’s about the only thing I remember from my mom. She used to hold me up high and say Fly, little one.” She shrugged and gave him a sad smile.

  He turned her around to face him and kissed her before leaning back to look into her eyes. “I like that it’s something from your mom. It feels like she knew.”

  Frankie had to swallow around the lump in her throat, which was dumb. She didn’t really even remember her mom. “Knew what?”

  He pressed another kiss to her lips. “That a fly is what a Spider needs to survive.”

  She laughed. “I’m not so sure I like that. Spiders eat flies!”

  He raised an eyebrow and let his gaze run over her. “And you’re telling me you don’t like that? I guess I had it wrong all this time.”

  She pushed at his arm with a laugh. “You know damn well that I like it.” She touched the back of her neck. “And I like thinking that maybe my mom …” She let her words trail off, not knowing what she even meant.

  Spider hauled her against him. She could feel his heart thundering in his chest. “I like thinking that somehow your mom knew or knows, and that she’s with us today and that she’d be happy.”

  Frankie didn’t even attempt to speak. She’d only cry. It wasn’t like Spider to get so sentimental. It must be because it was her birthday or something. She just nodded and grabbed his hand.

  “Well, I know Mav is with us today and he’ll only give me shit if I’m late for my own birthday party, so we should probably get going. And how you managed to get him and everyone else here for it is beyond me. Not that I’m not grateful. It’s awesome, but it’s not even a special birthday or anything.”

  Spider chuckled as he let her lead him out of the cabin. “I think it’s a special birthday.”

  She felt bad. It was the first birthday that she’d spent with him. “You know what I mean. It’s not one that ends with a zero or anything.”

  He nodded and gestured toward the bike. “You don’t want to take the truck, do you?”

  She shook her head. She’d consider it a birthday gift to get to wrap herself around him as they rode up the valley to the bakery, where apparently all their friends and a lot of her family were gathered for her birthday party.

  ~ ~ ~

  Spider stood behind the counter with Rocket and watched Frankie laughing with her girlfriends. There were so many of them. He loved that she’d even invited the girls from the coffee shop. They’d flown up from LA with TJ and Dani. He’d thought she didn’t like them at first, but she’d relaxed and gotten real friendly with them when she’d realized they were a couple. It made him happier than it should to know that she’d been jealous that he might have been with one of them.

  Rocket nudged him with his elbow. “When are you going to do it? People are getting restless.”

  Spider took in the room full of people. No one looked restless to him. Her cousins were all there, as were the Remington guys and their wives. All the Davenports and their wives were there, too. He loved seeing them mingle with the cowboys. Reid seemed to have a re
al friendship going with Shane, and Beau and TJ had been deep in conversation for a while now. It felt like reassurance to him that just because people might look very different on the outside, it didn’t mean that they couldn’t connect, couldn’t form real and lasting friendships – and relationships.

  He looked at Frankie again. He was hoping that today would be the official beginning of their relationship. One that he hoped would last until the day he died. He ran his finger over the ring box in his pocket. He was waiting for his moment, and he didn’t think he’d be able to hold off much longer.

  He scanned the room again, looking for Maverick. He was sitting in a corner booth talking to Deacon, the sheriff, and Ace. Ace caught his eye and winked. Spider nodded. Ace had been in his corner from the very first night he and Frankie had gone out.

  Mav followed Ace’s gaze and smiled, too. Then he got to his feet and started making his way over. Spider sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Asking Maverick for Frankie’s hand had been nerve-wracking, but he needn’t have worried. When he finally got the courage up to do it, Mav had laughed and told him he’d been wondering what was taking him so long.

  Halfway across the crowded bakery, Mav stopped. Spider followed his gaze and saw Libby standing alone just inside the front door. She’d said she might be late, but that she’d be there. She froze when she saw Mav and the two of them just stared at each other for a long moment. Then Libby turned away when an old guy, Jim, caught hold of her arm and spoke to her.

  Mav looked rattled by the time he reached Spider. “You about ready to do this?”

  Spider nodded, wishing he could say something. Wishing he could do something. He’d gotten to know both Mav and Libby over the last few months and he’d come to understand – and share – Frankie’s hope that they’d get back together. They were both great people. But this wasn’t the time to try to rekindle their love. It was time to declare his love for Frankie. Time to ask her in front of all their friends and her family, if she would spend the rest of her life with him.