“They will be. With only a few days until the trial, this is their last chance. We’re ready for them, they aren’t going to know what hit them.” Sebastian said, coming over and putting his arm around Leslie.
“I’ll call you in the morning with an update, but leave the phone on tonight in case I need to reach you.”
“You got it. Keep everyone safe there.” Sebastian said disconnecting the call.
They went back into the cave and warmed themselves by the fire. “Those guys are going to be on the trail by sun up tomorrow, you can count on it.”
“We’re ready. How long do we need to get everything set up?”
“It’ll only take a few hours, but we should be up by sunset and on the move.”
“Then we better get to bed, it’s late.” She said, suddenly nervous.
“It’s going to be okay, just think, in a week this will all be over.
“I know.” She said, burying her face in his chest. She didn’t add that she was more upset about that than the men coming after them.
They made love slowly that night, both savoring what would be their last night alone together in their little home. The bonds they’d begun to form had only strengthened over the last month, each was deeply in love, but too afraid to voice those feeling out loud.
The next morning they were out laying traps when Garrett called. “They just set off your way. Depending on which way they go when they reach the fork, it could only be a few hours before they get to you.”
“How did you know where we were?” Sebastian asked, laughing.
“I would have gone to the cave too, it’s a perfect place to defend yourself.”
“What’s the status on the kid’s family?”
“The swat team is finally in position, they’re going to go in any time now. The minute I hear that the kid’s family is safe I’m coming up there.” Garrett said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“I’m coming too.” They could hear Sabrina yell in the background. There was bit of a pause, Garrett tried to cover the phone with his hand, but they could hear the argument.
“Correction, Sabrina and I will be coming up there. I’ve also got a group of the boys ready to go as well. We’ll have your back, just stay alive long enough for us to get there.”
“We will, and you guys be careful too.”
“Leslie, I know you’re a bit out of your element, but if it comes down to it, don’t be afraid to shoot one of those guys, they won’t hesitate to shoot you.”
“Okay, Garrett, I won’t let Sebastian get killed even if I have to shoot someone.” She said, fighting tears.
“I know you won’t, take care of him.” Then he hung up.
Sebastian and Leslie just looked at each other for a long time, neither able to express all the emotions running through their minds. Without a word they went back to work, not wanting to open up something they didn’t have time to finish.
By the middle of the morning, they had their defenses up and were secluded under some trees, the horses hidden at the back of the canyon. They couldn’t afford to have them too close, in case they were spooked and ran. They were both dozing when the forest suddenly got quiet, a sure sign that something was wrong.
After a few minutes they clearly heard voices, two loud gruff ones, followed by a much higher voice. There was obviously an argument going on, they crept out of their hiding place and to the opening of the canyon. They could see the three men, they’d reached the mouth of the canyon and were trying to decide how to proceed.
“No way am I going in there blind.” One of the men said.
“We got no choice, we have to kill that bitch or the boss will kill us. You think I dragged my butt all the way up here to turn back.”
“They have to come out soon, let’s just wait until they do. They won’t be expecting us.” The other said.
Sebastian and Leslie exchanged a glance, smiling to think that these guys were so stupid. As they watched, the men began pacing around in front of the entrance to the canyon. They watched as one of the men stepped into one of the snares and was jerked off his feet and suspended ten feet in the air.
It was all they could do not to laugh as he swung upside down, bellowing at the top of his lungs. When the other man and the kid went to cut him down, the kid was soon swinging from a tree as well. The other man stopped in his tracks, suddenly afraid to move. The other man was still yelling at him, so he finally carefully made his way to the tree and cut him down.
The man landed on his head, and came up swinging. His fist connected with the other man’s face and blood splattered the snow. Satisfied, that their traps had achieved what they’d wanted, they crept back into the canyon and carefully made their way past the trip wires.
The men finally managed to get themselves organized and set off the trip wire strung across the mouth of the canyon. When the first mini-bomb went off they all hit the ground, then slowly got back to their feet, guns out. The kid had carefully been backing his way back out of the canyon, eventually moving out of sight.
Sebastian was relieved to see him disappear, the last thing he wanted was to hurt an innocent man. As they retreated farther into the meadow, they could hear more of the bombs going off, and a lot of yelling. But all too soon the men were past the trip wires and coming fast through the deep snow.
“I’m only going to have one shot before they know where we are. I’m going to take one of them out with that shot, I need you to take out the other one. You don’t have to kill him, just take out a knee or leg. He’ll be helpless in all this snow and a few minutes on the ground will have them frozen before long.”
“I can do it. I don’t want to, but I can.”
“On my count.” Sebastian said, raising his rifle.
Leslie followed suit and they stood at the ready, until they had a clear shot of the men. “One, two, three.” Sebastian’s rifle went off and Leslie squeezed the trigger only a second later. Both men went down, but one of them was able to get a shot off while he was on the ground.
It was a wild shot, but it glanced off a boulder and hit Sebastian in the shoulder. The impact of the bullet, threw him back into the snow and a bright spot of blood appeared on his jacket. Leslie wasn’t sure what to do, the blood was spreading, but it was too cold to take off his clothes.
The men were still floundering around in the snow, trying to get up, but between the snow and their injuries they weren’t having much success. They continued to fire off random shots, hoping to hit their target by sheer luck. Leslie was beginning to think that the only way they were going to get out of there alive was if she shot them both again.
She was checking her gun, while at the same time trying to put pressure on Sebastian’s wound when she heard a series of gun shots and the men in the snow began yelling again. When she looked up, to her relief, Garrett and a large group of riders were pouring into the meadow.
She watched as the men on the ground dropped their guns and threw their hands in the air. Garrett dismounted and picked up the guns. “Find Sebastian and Leslie, they’re out there somewhere.”
Leslie jumped to her feet and yelled. “Over here, Sebastian’s hurt. I need help.
Sabrina was at her side immediately. “I need to get this bleeding stopped but I can’t undress him out here. We need to get him back to the cave.”
With one of the other men’s help they managed to carry Sebastian to the cave. When Leslie pulled off his jacket and other layers, she was dismayed to find an open wound that was bleeding profusely. “We have to get this bleeding stopped, he’s already lost a lot of blood.”
Sebastian opened his eyes and grabbed Leslie’s hand. “Do your thing. The bullet went all the way through I can feel the wound.”
“I can’t. It’s too deep.” She said, becoming alarmed at how pale his face was becoming.
“I think he’s going into shock.” Sabrina said.
Leslie looked at Sebastian and knew t
hat she had to try, he was quickly losing consciousness. Her hands were shaking as she placed them on Sebastian’s shoulder, she immediately felt that spark of electricity flare and her hands began to warm.
She’d envisioned many wounds in her time healing, but the one in Sebastian’s shoulder was much worse than anything she’d experienced. But she tuned out all the outside influences and concentrated all her talent on the wound. Sebastian moaned as the wound began to heal.
It must have been very painful, because he thrashed under her hand, moaning with pain. Sabrina held him down, her eyes large, watching what was happening. Finally the bullet wound stopped bleeding and the skin began to heal over the wound.
Sebastian opened his eyes and looked into hers, a silent thank you there, before he passed out. “Is he okay?” Leslie asked, exhausted.
“Yes, he’s only sleeping. His heart rate is back to normal and his color is coming back. I don’t think we better move him for a while yet.”
“Thank God.” Leslie said, collapsing on the floor next to him just as Garrett came in yelling about calling a helicopter to transport Sebastian.
Sabrina shot to her feet and stopped him. “It’s okay. He’s fine, just needs some rest and some food when he wakes up. He lost a lot of blood, but its fine now.” She said, instantly calming him.
“There was a lot of blood out there and you’re telling me he’s fine?”
“See for yourself.” She said, leading Garrett over to where Sebastian was lying on the floor.
He kneeled down next to Sebastian and gently touched his uninjured arm. “Hey brother, how are you? You weren’t supposed to get yourself shot. How bad is it?”
Sebastian was already looking better but he was still weak. “It's fine, Leslie took care of it.” He said, closing his eyes and going back to sleep.
“What does he mean? He looks good, much better than when I saw him before.” He asked turning to Sabrina for an answer when it was clear that Leslie had fallen asleep as well.
“Well, I don’t quite know how to explain what I saw. Let’s just say that I don’t think he’s even going to need a doctor.” She said, shrugging her shoulders. “Let’s just be thankful that he’s okay. We’re not going anywhere for a while so we better get a fire started and scrounge up some food.”
They all spent the night in the cave, while Sebastian and Leslie recovered. The rest of the men, including the kid, who was pleased to hear that his family was safe, headed back down the mountain. They’d tied the men up and thrown them on the back of a horse, you could hear them cursing all the way down the mountain.
By the next morning, everyone felt ready to travel, they’d have to go slow but Sebastian and Leslie were anxious to get out of the mountains and back to civilization. As they rode down the mountain, Garrett caught them up on everything that had happened over the last 24 hours.
“Leslie, your parents are waiting at the ranch. They couldn’t reach Michael, so they flew home. They managed to track us down through the Tigers, and insisted on staying close, so I asked them to stay at the ranch.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. My father never wanted to leave, but he did it for me. I hope they haven’t been in the way.”
“Hardly, your dad has been taking his turn on guard duty out on the line. In fact, he was on duty when we spotted the men. I had to force him to stay behind. You mother has been making us all fat with her baking.”
Leslie laughed, so relieved to know that not only were her parent okay, they were being themselves. “My mother always bakes when she’s stressed.” She said.
“That’s okay with me. Donovan arrived last night with an entourage of security guards and several armored cars. It’s going to be quite the production to get you out of here when the time comes.”
“Wow, I feel like royalty.” She said, a little uncomfortable with all the fuss everyone had gone to.
“We all just want to keep you safe. My parents are here as well, they just couldn’t stay away knowing that Sebastian was in trouble.”
“They’re not going to like me very much, are they?” Leslie said, her heart sinking.
“They understand that you weren’t to blame for what happened. Besides they’re thrilled that Sebastian got married, but I have to warn you, I think my mother is planning another wedding.”
Sebastian had been listening quietly, but suddenly spoke up. “I told you.” Then gave her one of those smiles that she loved so much.
When they reached the ranch a few hours later, she was both nervous and exited. She hadn’t seen her parents in months, but she was going to have to meet Sebastian’s parents at the same time. When they came riding into the yard, the door of the house burst open and a bunch of people came pouring out.
She spotted her parents immediately, but stopped to help Sebastian down from his horse. He was pale again and very tired, but managed to make it to the house before collapsing. His mother was at his side immediately, ordering everyone around. Once they’d gotten him comfortably settled in bed, they left Leslie alone with him.
“Well, we made it this far. All we have to do now is make it to New York, Donovan will see to that.” He said, smiling at her, his eyes drooping with fatigue.
“Get some rest, I’ll be back in a little while.” She said, kissing him on the forehead.
“Don’t worry about my parents, they’re going to love you as much as I do.” He said, closing his eyes and falling asleep.
When Leslie walked into the kitchen all conversation ceased, but almost immediately she was wrapped in her mother’s arms, who then passed her to her father. “We’re so glad you’re okay. How’s Sebastian? I need to meet that young man and tell him thank you.”
“He’s sleeping, so that will have to wait until tomorrow.” She said, giving her parents another hug.
“I’m Sebastian’s mother and this is his father.” A small woman said, as she and a man, who looked remarkably like his sons, came forward and gave her an awkward hug. “We’re glad to meet you, just sorry it had to be under these circumstances.
“I’m so sorry I got Sebastian involved. I tried not to, but he just wouldn’t listen.” She said.
“Sounds like him. Honey, you better just get used to the fact that when a Terrell man makes his mind up to do something, nothing can stop him.” She said, taking Leslie’s arm and leading her to the table. “I bet you’re starving, let’s get you something to eat.”
As she ate, she recounted their day fighting off two armed men. When she got to the part about Sebastian getting hurt, she hesitated, trying to figure out how to explain away his injury. Sabrina stepped in, and took over, explaining that the wound wasn’t as bad as they’d first thought.
Leslie sent her a grateful look, then finished the tale, thanking them all for coming to their rescue just in time. Exhausted, the women hustled her back up the stairs, found her something to sleep in and sent her off to bed. When she got in bed with Sebastian, he didn’t wake up, but pulled her into his arms. She fell asleep, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.
The next morning Sebastian declared himself good as new and insisted on getting out of bed and getting dressed. They found everyone gathered in the kitchen, Donovan had a bunch of papers spread out on the table, going over the plans to get Leslie safely to New York.
When they saw Sebastian, he was rushed much like Leslie had been the night before. After everyone was satisfied that he really was okay, they fed him more food than Leslie could have consumed in a day. Once his hunger was satisfied and he had a fresh cup of coffee, they settled down to hear what Donovan had to say.
“I’ve arranged for a private plane to meet you at the airport. That’s the easy part, it gets tricky once you get to New York, but the trial will already be started so you won’t have to hide long.”
Leslie was just about to ask a question when Garrett’s radio came alive. “Boss, we’ve got a bunch of black cars coming up the road. Should we stop them?”<
br />
“Follow normal procedure, check them at the gate and don’t be afraid to make sure they see your weapons. Report back.”
A few minutes later the guard reported back that the men were with the Justice Department and demanded accesses to Leslie. Donovan immediately got on his cell phone, punching numbers, clearly angry. After a few terse words with whoever was on the line, he disconnected the call and set the phone down.
“They won’t tell me why they’re here. Frankly they don’t like me all that much.”
It was only a matter of minutes before the line of black cars pulled up in the front yard. Donovan met them at the front door and escorted them to the living room where Leslie and Sebastian were waiting.
Once seated, a man Leslie recognized cleared his throat and began to speak. “I’m glad you’re safe Ms. Morgan.” He began, but Sebastian interrupted him. “That’s Mrs. Terrell.”
“Oh, well that’s nice. Congratulations. I came out here to tell you that Starikov is dead. He was found dead in his cell this morning. We don’t know for sure yet, but our guess is that since they couldn’t eliminate you, they eliminated him. The order probably came directly from Russia.”
“You mean it’s over? I don’t have to testify?” Leslie asked, not daring to believe that the nightmare was over.
“No, and as far as we can tell, you are no longer in danger. The word went out that the bounty on your head has been revoked. You can go back to your old life any time you want.” He finished.
Leslie could hear cheering from the other room and knew that Daphne had probably been listening, she’d seen her sneaking around out in the hallway. Then she realized that she was free, no more looking over her shoulder, no more running.
Sebastian grabbed and hugged her so hard, she thought she would be crushed, but she hugged him just as hard, the relief bring tears to her eyes. The men, knowing that their job was over, got up and thanked Leslie for her service and left just as quickly as they came in.
When Leslie and Sebastian walked into the kitchen, Donovan was packing up his papers, getting ready to go home. “I’m out of here, you two will have to deal with them on your own.”
Be Mine Forever (Brothers From Money #2) Page 13
