Shelter

by Jay Crownover

  I heard my name and a scornful laugh. I heard a loud pop and a man’s furious howl of pain, but then all of that was drowned out by the sound of breaking glass and splintering wood as the entire front of the bar imploded. Shrapnel went flying everywhere as the front end of a big SUV took the place of the front door. The engine of the vehicle was still running and the bar’s fire and security alarms both began wailing.

  The weight on my chest suddenly lifted and I could suck in the desperate breath I needed so badly. I heard my name being repeated as cool hands landed on my face. Emrys’s amber eyes were wide with alarm as she hovered over me. Leo was also there, her dark eyes wide with fear and her hands shaking as she reached for her friend across my unmoving body. Cyrus was going to lose his mind when he realized she had ridden to the rescue, literally. She drove her car through the front of the building. But it had done the job. Burke wasn’t expecting the collision and he hadn’t been able to keep his hold on me through the shock. Surprise forced him backward where he landed in an uncoordinated heap several feet away. When he let me go I could breathe again and knew all I had to do was fight back the darkness that was threatening to overtake me. I knew neither of these women were going to let him get his hands on me again. He was going to be lucky if they turned him over to the law in one piece. Leo looked angry enough to do some serious damage.

  “Daye?” The word burst out through the drugs and the void that was doing its very best to suck me under.

  The soft, cool hands that were holding my face and trying to keep me alert disappeared and a smaller set landed on my scruffy cheeks.

  “Daddy.” She sounded like an angel and that single word was the best sound I’d ever heard.

  “Love you, baby girl.” It didn’t sound right. The words were slurred and sloppy as I forced them out, but I felt the sweetness of her kiss as her lips touched my forehead.

  “Love you, too, Daddy.” With that shaky, scared admission I had what I needed to let go and let the blackness surrounding me swallow me whole.

  My baby loved me and she was okay. She was surrounded by people who loved her and would do anything to keep her safe. That was all I needed to die a happy man.

  I’ll Go Anywhere With You

  Emrys

  It had been a long couple of weeks waiting to get all the Warners back under one roof. Lane had been airlifted to the same hospital in Billings that had treated Sutton’s gunshot wound and it had almost been too late. He’d lost so much blood and there was so much air in his chest cavity from the collapsed lung that he was barely breathing, and his oxygen levels dropped to a lethal level. The bullet also nicked part of his lower intestine, so the rush to repair that damage and to flush his system before any of the dangerous bacteria could infect him had been life or death. It was exhausting bouncing between the waiting room in Billings and the one at the much smaller hospital in Sheridan where Sutton had been for several days.

  Sutton’s stomach needed to be pumped and the emergency room staff had given him a dose of Narcan to counteract the effects of the drugs Burke forced him to ingest. His respiratory system had failed, his lungs had quit working, and he stopped breathing before the doctors had stabilized him. The damage had left both the younger Warner brothers unable to breathe and had their older brother losing his mind and swearing he was never letting either one of them out of his sight again. It was a trying time for everyone, but eventually Sutton stabilized and was able to return to the ranch with strict orders to take it easy for a few weeks. Lane’s recovery was much slower, and at one point he’d been rushed back into surgery when part of the repair on his intestines failed and started leaking toxins into his body. It was touch and go for a few days and his prognosis wasn’t great, but like the fighter he was, he pulled through and was bemoaning being on bed rest for the rest of the season.

  With both Sutton and Lane out of commission, Cy was forced to bite the bullet and hire outside help to work both sides of the business. Leo and I pitched in as much as we could, but it was painfully obvious that two eager city girls would never be able to replace two born-and-bred cowboys.

  Everyone was also tangled up in the ongoing investigation into Burke’s heinous crimes. Rodie met both injured men at the hospital looking haggard and uneasy. Everything about the man screamed that he wanted to apologize to Sutton, but considering the man was clinging to life and desperately fighting the drugs in his system, it wasn’t the time. Instead, he wasted no time reading Burke his rights and securing him to the hospital bed after the staff had sewn both of the wounds on his arms shut. Somewhere in the shuffle I managed to tell the distraught sheriff that Burke admitted to killing both Alexa and Cyndi. One was a crime of passion, one was a deliberate act of malice to set Sutton up.

  Rodie grimly replied that his guys finally pulled the security tapes from the bar. Burke never bothered to turn them off. The sheriff had footage of Alexa’s murder and Burke bringing a terrified Daye into the bar. They also had video evidence of what had taken place up until Leo’s SUV crashed through the front door. They had Burke nailed dead to rights on a plethora of crimes, all of them felonies. Burke was going away for a long, long time and the people of Sheridan were going to have a million different stories to tell about everything that went down.

  The only bright spot during the brothers’ recovery and the aftermath of the kidnapping was watching Cyrus’s first new hire, Webb Bryant, and Ten go toe-to-toe when the pretty ranger stopped by the ranch to lend a hand. Webb had a helping hand in getting me and Sutton away from the drug runners my first time in Wyoming. He was as charming as the day was long with a devilish streak that ran a mile wide. His disarming grin and biting sarcasm reminded me of Lane, and so did the way he watched the blonde woman who had made it clear she had absolutely no time or patience for his shameless flirting. Webb never mentioned where he was from, but I knew he’d run into some trouble when he was younger, which put him at odds with his older brother in law enforcement. It seemed like the handsome, auburn-haired man rubbed everyone who carried a badge the wrong way, but he didn’t let Ten’s constant, unrelenting rejection stop him. When I asked Cy if Webb had any kind of experience working on a ranch, he’d simply shrugged and told me that sometimes it was more about what someone wanted to learn and not what they already knew. Plus, he liked watching Ten get riled up every time the younger man said something that got under her usually thick skin.

  Today was the day Lane was coming home and finally everyone was going to be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief. The family was back where they belonged and they were going to be together, at least until Sutton and I left at the end of the season, as well.

  It was time I went and talked to my folks. I wanted to tell them what happened to me, both the good and bad things. I wanted them to see everything I’d gained after telling them about all the things I’d lost. We were waiting until school was out and Lane was back on his feet. Sutton wanted to wait until Cyrus had the ranch back up and operational and then we were going to northern California. We didn’t have a time limit on our visit, but both Sutton and Daye were excited to put some space between them and the place they had always called home. They both needed time for the bad memories of this place to recede so that all the good ones they’d spent a lifetime accumulating could push their way back to the forefront.

  I would never forget the sight of Daye curled up in a tiny ball on the dirty floor of that storeroom. She was crying silently but all her little fingernails were broken and she had a bruise high on her delicate cheekbone. Sutton’s baby had put up a fight. I was so proud of her and so relieved that she seemed mostly unharmed. She hadn’t hesitated to throw herself in my arms. The first thing she asked me was if her daddy was okay, followed quickly by an inquiry as to where my clothes were. It made me laugh, but any levity quickly fled when I realized Sutton wasn’t able to protect himself and he was alone with a madman. I ushered Daye out the back door of the bar and looked around until I found a place that I thought would make a suita
ble hiding spot. I told the little girl to stay there and not come out until I came to get her or she saw a policeman. She’d nodded gravely and told me she was the best at hide and seek out of all her friends. She promised to stay put and I went back in to make sure Sutton was okay. I hadn’t hesitated in the slightest to lift the gun Burke held on me when I saw him choking the life out of my unresponsive guy. I silently thanked all my father’s lessons at the firing range when my shot hit Burke in his remaining good arm. He’d fallen off of Sutton’s still body right before Leo made her grand entrance and alerted the entire town that something was amiss at the local watering hole. I should have known all the noise and commotion was too much for the curious and fearless little girl to ignore. She was good at hide and seek but refused to stay hidden when she thought her father might be in danger. She darted past both me and Leo when she caught sight of Sutton sprawled across the floor.

  Sutton was restless and twitchy the stronger he got. Now that he had finally admitted to himself and his brothers that he wasn’t happy doing what he’d been doing his entire life, he was ready to see what else was out there. Like me, he was ready to find the place where he could finally be the man he was supposed to be. The place where he wouldn’t just be Cyrus’s little brother, or a rancher, or a man struggling with several bad habits. He was ready to find out who he was when there wasn’t an entire town and looming legacy telling him who he should be. Daye was excited to see the ocean and to visit Disneyland. Sutton was nervous to meet my parents, but when I assured him they would love him because I loved him, and that even if they didn’t, I would love him anyway, it seemed to ease some of his fear. No matter where we were or who we were with, the way I felt about him and Daye was never going to change. It had taken me so long to find them, I had no intention of losing them regardless of how unpredictable the whirlwind of life could be.

  Today was a day for celebration, though. There would be plenty of time to say goodbye when the time came.

  Currently, Sutton and I were alone in the massive house. Cyrus and Brynn had gone to pick up Lane from Billings. Daye had insisted on going. She hadn’t handled both her uncle and father being in the hospital well and she was just as adamant as Cy about keeping everyone she loved in sight. Leo asked for a ride to town so she could pick up her new SUV that was finally ready. As expected, Cyrus went crazy when he heard about what she’d done in her attempt to save us. I thought he was going to have a stroke when he realized how badly all of us could have been hurt, but ultimately, he understood there was no way Leo was going to stand by and let me risk everything without having my back. She had come for me the last time Wyoming tried to end me, and she’d come when I needed her this time, as well. She really was the best friend anyone could have, and her man wasn’t too shabby either. He went overboard and upgraded her to an SUV that looked like it would survive an apocalypse and came with every bell and whistle on the market. She practically drooled when the dealership called and told her the special delivery had finally arrived from Casper.

  I knocked lightly on the closed bedroom door in case Sutton was still asleep. He had been lethargic and tired out easily since getting home from the hospital. His body had been through so much. His throat had finally started to heal, the bruises Burke left fading to a yellow-green color that wasn’t much better than the bright purple and blue that had been there for weeks. His voice was even raspier than usual. It would have been a total turn-on if it wasn’t a constant reminder of how close I’d come to losing him.

  He was lying on his stomach across the bed, but his head was turned in my direction and those mossy eyes were locked on me as I approached. When I was close enough to grab, he shot out an arm and wrapped his hand around the back of one of my thighs. I felt the brush of his calloused fingers all the way down to my toes. We’d spent every single night together since he got home. Some part of him had to be touching some part of me before I could even think about closing my eyes for the night. Luckily, he seemed to need the same thing and I had no doubt that those parts that were touching would have been far more intimate if we hadn’t had a fitful six-year-old caught firmly between the two of us. As much as I wanted to climb all over the man who was caressing the back of my leg, his fingers slowly moving farther upwards under the hem of my flowy dress, it had been more important for Daye to know she was safe and that it wasn’t only her dad who was worried about her. I wanted her to understand that there would always be room for her between us.

  I put a hand on the edge of the mattress and bent over so I could touch my lips to his spine directly between his shoulder blades. The sheet was low enough I could see that he was naked underneath it. He had dropped some of the weight he had put back on, so once again, Brynn was trying to fatten him up. As long as he was breathing and looking at me with those darkening eyes, I didn’t care how loose his jeans were.

  “How are you feeling?” He was probably sick of me asking but I couldn’t help it.

  That wandering hand reached the crease where the top of my thigh curved into my ass and his long fingers traced the sensitive spot knowingly. I lifted my eyebrows at him and returned his grin when his palm slid over the swell of one of my ass cheeks. I was wearing a thong so the heat from his hand seeped into my skin and my heart rate picked up.

  “I’m fine. I slept for over an hour. You could say, I’ve got my second wind.” His grin turned seductive and the green in his gaze started to bleed black. “It’s quiet. Did everyone leave?”

  I kissed my way down his spine until I reached the twin dimples that rested above either side of his tight ass. I dipped the tip of my tongue into each little divot and smiled when he shivered against my mouth. “They did. Leo should be back in a couple hours and the rest of them sometime before dinner. Webb was down at the barn last time I saw him. No doubt thinking up his next diabolical plan to win Ten over.”

  As soon as I confirmed that we were alone, he moved faster than he had in days. He rolled over onto his back and grabbed my arms. It only took a little urging and a slight bit of maneuvering for him to get me exactly where he wanted me, which was perched over his lap with his burgeoning erection standing up tall and flushed between us. His hands skimmed up my sides taking the colorful material of my dress with them. His loud groan echoed through the room when he uncovered the fact that I wasn’t wearing a bra under the gauzy material. Sometimes not having giant boobs had a benefit. When his hands immediately made their way to the soft swells, it was my turn to let out a groan that sounded loud and hedonistic in the room. My nipples instantly hardened and pulled into tight points, blatantly begging for his attention. It had been too long since I’d felt the scrape of his hands across my skin and the sting of his facial hair brushing across my most sensitive places. I’d missed it. I’d missed the way he made me feel and the way his body responded to my every touch.

  I smoothed my hands up and over his chest, watching the way his muscles rippled and flexed under my palms. When I got to his shoulders I leaned down so I could put my mouth on his. It wasn’t a sweet kiss. It wasn’t soft and searching. No, I was met with parted lips and a demanding tongue. It was a kiss that seared. Heat licked along my spine as one of his hands lifted to twine into my hair. He held me in place as his mouth ate at mine, tasting and devouring every corner and crevice. My nipples dragged across his hard chest and the contact made both of us suck in a breath. It was like every inch of bare skin was electrified, and when we touched, a live current popped back and forth between us.

  His cock swelled where it was jutting up between my parted legs and all it took was the slight rocking of my hips to make contact. The center of my panties was already wet and when that hard shaft was lined up where I wanted it, the contact made my eyes drift closed in pleasure. He was so hot, especially that part of him. His heat bled into me and my thighs quivered in response. My body pulsed with a low throb of want. I wantonly rubbed against him, seeking out friction for that spot that was bound to send my head spinning.

  We made out
for a long time, sinking into intoxicating kisses and exchanging breath after breath. He was the best thing I ever tasted and I knew I would never get enough of him. I continued to grind on him as he shifted restlessly beneath my weight. His hands skimmed over my back and along the outside of my legs. At some point, I blindly followed directions when he told me to lift up so he could slide my underwear down my legs. Dryly, he mumbled something about ripping them off of me when he was back to full strength. I had no problem buying new panties if he wanted to act out one of my secret romance novel fantasies, but for now, I was happy to get naked the old-fashioned way so every part of me could press against every part of him.

  When I swung my leg back over his hips, he gave me a burning look and I immediately went for his cock. I wrapped my hand around the wide base and gave it a squeeze as I guided the tip exactly where I needed it. Our minimal foreplay and the fact that he was here, warm, vital, and alive under me was enough to have my body wet, swollen, and ready. There was nothing but a slippery slide of satisfaction as I lined him up with my opening and sank down in a glorious glide. I tossed my head back and moaned as my body stretched and loosened around him. It felt so good, so right to be connected to him this way. When we were together like this, it was clear that it was exactly where we were supposed to be.

  “Fuck, Em. You feel better than anything has the right to.” His hands curled around my hips and started guiding me in a rhythm of rise and fall that had my breath catching and hands clutching at his shoulders.

  “You, too, cowboy. You feel so good.” He really did. The way his body swelled inside of mine and dragged across sensitive and tender places prompted me to pant his name over and over again in an uneven chant.

  I added a little swivel on my next descent, which made Sutton swear and tighten his hands where they held me. His eyes went dark and his mouth quirked into a sexy grin, teeth flashing white. I lifted a hand to his jaw and shivered when his scruff abraded my palm. I was leaning down to steal another kiss when I was distracted by his devious fingers disappearing between us and delving into the slippery folds where he was powering into me. His fingers dragged through the wetness that was collected there, coating them and making them just as slick as his throbbing dick. He pressed a light caress over my distended clit and chuckled when the touch made me gasp and dig my fingernails into his skin hard enough to leave little half-moon marks. He started out by rubbing small, light circles. I rocked into his touch and frantically rode his dick searching for some kind of relief from the tension that was winding its way up my spine and spiraling down all of my limbs.