A Real Cowboy Loves Forever (Wyoming Rebels Book 5)

by Stephanie Rowe

  Lissa sucked in her breath, and Mira leapt off the couch, racing across the room to get Chase, who had walked off to talk to Steen.

  Hannah just sat there, gripping the phone so tightly her hand cramped.

  "Get the fuck over here or your boyfriend dies."

  She swallowed, her mouth so dry she could barely talk. "Over where?" she whispered hoarsely. "Where are you?"

  "At your fucking house. You sent your boyfriend and four other assholes to take care of your problem? Well, guess what? They are now your problem. If you don't get your ass over here in twenty minutes, I'm going to start shooting them."

  Hannah went cold. "Rick, don't—"

  Chase crouched beside her, bending his head to speak into the phone. "Put Maddox on the phone."

  "Sure." There was a scuffling sound, and then Hannah heard a grunt of pain. Then she heard Maddox's voice.

  "Keep Hannah away from here—"

  There was the sound of a fist hitting something, and then Maddox grunted.

  Hannah gasped. "Maddox—"

  "He's not available at the moment." Rick came back on the line. "Twenty minutes, Hannah. If you bring anyone else, they will all die, and you can blame yourself. If the cops show up, they die. But you are all I want, so if you get over here, I won't hurt them. Twenty minutes, bitch." Then the phone went dead.

  The only sound in the room was the television blaring. The kids were oblivious, watching the movie, but the adults were all staring at her. Hannah handed the phone back to Chase. "I'll go."

  "Fuck that." Chase shook his head. "No way. We're all going—"

  "And then what? Maddox and my brothers were waiting for him, and he still took them all by surprise. There were five of them, and there are only three of you. What if you leave here, and he comes after the kids?" She shook her head. "No. No. No. This is my problem—"

  "No way." Chase's voice was low and hard. "There's no chance that we're leaving Maddox to handle this on his own." He grabbed his phone and called Dane, talking low and quickly.

  But Hannah knew there was no other way to save Maddox and the Harts. Rick wanted her. Her. Maddox's only chance was if she showed up there. But Rick wanted to kill her. How could she walk in there?

  She pictured herself walking into that cabin, into Rick's trap. Into a cabin that held five men she loved dearly, men who meant everything to her, a realization she'd understood too late, so achingly late.

  Five men who had grown up rough and rugged, surviving against odds that no one could defeat...except them. Men she believed in. Men she believed in.

  She suddenly stood up, shooting a quick smile at Ava as she walked over to Chase, who was still on the phone. "Give me the phone."

  He raised his brows, but silently handed her the phone. She immediately hung up on Dane, and called Maddox's phone back.

  As she expected, Rick answered the phone. She didn't wait for the threat from him. "Let me talk to Brody."

  "You're wasting time, bitch."

  A chill ran down her spine at the threat in his words. "You said you wanted me, right? You're going to get me, but I need to make sure that everyone I care about is still alive when I get there. You know that I want to see you hang, and if I think you've already killed everybody, then I'm not coming. Let me talk to Brody." She was taking a chance, but she would never forget the pure venom in Rick's eyes as he glared at her across the courtroom. He would not want to let her go.

  After a moment, the voice of the man she'd always considered her brother, even though she hadn't let him take that claim came on the phone. "Hey, Shorty. Long time no talk."

  Tears filled her eyes at the sound of the voice she hadn't acknowledged in so long. "What's the color?" It was the same question that the gang of teenage runaways had set up so long ago as part of their escape plans if things went bad. Red meant walk away. Red meant it didn't matter how great the loss was, it didn't matter how many things were at stake, because all that was left was survival. Red meant the only choice was to leave everything behind.

  Green meant, obviously, all clear. Dance in the streets. Sing songs.

  Yellow was the one she was hoping for. Yellow meant that shit had hit the fan, but there was still a chance. Maddox would tell her to walk away. Maddox would want to protect her completely, which was why he had shut her out from his own life.

  The Harts had a different code. The Harts believed that every single one of them was worth saving. The Harts believed that there was always a chance as long as there was at least one of them still on the outside, still breathing the air of freedom, still available to figure out a way. No one was sacrificed, not on the inside, not on the outside. Everyone protected everyone, which meant that Brody saw her as an ally, not a weak female who couldn't fend for herself. If Brody thought it would be suicide for her to walk in there, he would give her the red light. But if there was an opening, he would take it, and he would tell her to take it, too.

  He answered easily. "It's sunshine all the way, baby."

  She closed her eyes, gripping the phone. Yellow. "What do I do?" she whispered.

  "It's a full house—"

  Before he could finish, Rick was back on the phone. "Get your ass over here, Hannah. I start shooting off body parts in nineteen minutes."

  Her hands were shaking now, but she kept her voice calm. "I'm leaving now, but I can't drive fast because of the snow. I need thirty minutes."

  "Where are you? I'll send my brother to come get you."

  Hannah looked around the room full of people she didn't want to endanger. "No. Thirty minutes or it's over." He didn't know where she was. He had to wait for her to tell him. She knew she had the upper hand, and she was going to use it...just like little Alfred had done to save Fluffy. He'd found his strength, and suddenly, for the first time in her life, she felt strong, too.

  Rick snarled, but she knew she would win. His need for revenge was too unrelenting. "Fine, thirty minutes, but if you call again, or if you're late, I start shooting."

  He hung up, and she took a deep breath. She handed the phone to Chase. "I got Dane thirty minutes. Tell him to save the men I love. I'm going to the bathroom." She turned away and walked down the hall toward the room she'd been in with Maddox.

  She shut the door, walked over to the window, and hoisted the sash. The snow was deep, too freaking deep. For a moment, she hesitated. Then she thought of Katie, of Maddox, of the Harts, of Ava, and she knew that she was done hiding, done running away, done being afraid.

  Maybe Maddox's story about Alfred and Fluffy had been for her, not Ava.

  She climbed up onto the windowsill, scooched out on her bum, then dropped down into the snow. The snow came almost to her waist, an icy cold landing that sucked the air from her lungs. It took several precious minutes to flounder out of the snow into the plowed driveway, but once she was free, she raced across the driveway to Maddox's truck and opened the door.

  The keys were still in the ignition, exactly as he'd left them. Her heart pounding, she swung up into the truck, slammed the door shut, and started the engine. She waited for a split second, expecting the Stocktons to come rushing out the front door, but nothing happened.

  She realized the movie was playing too loudly, drowning out the noise from the truck's engine. Whispering a prayer of thanks, she shifted into drive and swung the truck around in a circle, and then headed down the driveway.

  She left the headlights off until she had rounded the bend, and then she turned on the headlights, and hit the accelerator.

  Chapter 24

  Maddox wanted blood.

  Rick's blood.

  The blood of the man who had murdered the sister of the woman he loved.

  The blood of the man who wanted to kill the woman he loved.

  He lowered his head, watching Rick pace restlessly, his heavy boots treading the same floor that Ava and Hannah had slept on that first night, when he had pulled the mattress out for them.

  Maddox was barely aware of the blood trickling dow
n his temple. He didn't care that his right arm was barely working. Every single part of his body and mind was focused on the man pacing back and forth.

  Rick had to die. From the conversations between Rick and his brother, it was clear that Katie wasn't the first woman to fall victim to his temper. Their family's money had saved his name three times, but Hannah's testimony had damaged Rick's reputation.

  He wanted revenge, and his brother was there to help him get it.

  Well, fuck that. Maddox wanted revenge, too, and he wasn't the one who had been born into silver spoons, silk sheets, and luxury vehicles. He was dirt, scum, violence, and death. All the things that were born to make revenge happen.

  "Shit, Maddox," Brody muttered, under his breath. "The expression on your face makes you look like one scary bastard right now."

  "I am one scary bastard," Maddox responded. "I never thought it would come in handy. Glad to know I was wrong." He hoped Chase had understood his message not to send help, when he had said not to let Hannah near the place. Yeah, he might have a concussion, and he might be handcuffed to Brody, but there was no chance that Rick was going to walk out of there alive.

  Maddox didn't need help. He didn't want help.

  He was going to take Rick down. If it had to be in cold blood, then fine. He was built for that, wasn't he?

  Brody grunted as he tried to sit up, but he, too, had been hit in the head with a shovel and knocked unconscious long enough to be dragged in the house and handcuffed. His other three brothers hadn't woken up yet.

  Maddox and the Harts had been prepared for an asshole who beat up women. They hadn't been prepared for two former military who had laid a well-planned assault on the house, which is why Rick and his brother had gotten the jump on them.

  But they knew now, which meant the element of surprise was no longer on the table. What was on the table were five badasses who had survived hell when they were teenagers, who knew only how to fight dirty, hit hard, and fight until there was only one left standing.

  Maddox had recognized kin in the Harts from the first moment he'd seen them. He'd already known they were intensely loyal based on how Hannah had described them. He'd figured they were scrappy survivors, willing to get their knuckles bloody in defense of those they loved. What he hadn't expected was that every single one of them carried the same shadow of darkness that he lived under. He didn't know what story each of them had, but he knew it was ugly, the kind of ugly that either broke a man, or turned him into a damned gladiator.

  The Harts had all turned into gladiators, and Maddox planned to use that to his advantage.

  "I don't like Rick," Brody said conversationally. "I don't really want to sit down and have a beer with him. You?"

  Maddox looked over at the man. "I don't really have a sense of humor in situations like this."

  "That's okay. I don't mind laughing at my own jokes. Sort of empowering." He was watching Rick pace just as carefully as Maddox was. "Where's the brother? Roger, right? Got any ideas?"

  "He set up outside again. He'll be looking for anyone to show up, which is why I told my brother not to send anyone."

  "He'll see Hannah when she gets here," Brody said.

  A chill went through Maddox at the thought of Hannah facing Rick. "No way in hell is my brother going to let Hannah come here."

  Brody looked over at him, and cocked an eyebrow. "You really think your brother could stop Hannah from coming? The man she loves is in danger. And not to toot my own horn, but we used to be pretty tight, too. I think she'd come just for me, but I know for an absolute fact she's coming for you."

  Maddox stared at him, suddenly unable to breathe. "You told her to come here? Are you shitting me?"

  Brody gave him a steady stare. "Do you really think I'd endanger her?"

  "But you told her to come!"

  "Because we'll be all done by the time she gets here. It was the only way I could think of to make her come over here." Brody gave Maddox a steady gaze. "Hannah has been through hell. She doesn't trust anyone. She never even trusted us. I've never met anyone as skittish as she is, but I can tell from what you've told me, that she trusts you. Your plan to walk away from her after this is over is complete bullshit. You don't break the heart of a woman like Hannah when she's given it to you. She's coming over here, and you're going to stop that martyrdom shit. She's coming here because she loves you, and you sent her away because you love her. That's about the crappiest love story I've ever heard. So, when she gets here, change the story. Got it?"

  Maddox stared at Brody. "Love story? Are you kidding me?"

  "Hell, no. I'm a total romantic. Love is good, my friend. Plus, Hannah's my sister, and if you are what her heart needs to heal, then I'm going to interfere." He looked across the room at Rick, who was now by the window, watching the driveway. "So, I'm guessing we have about four minutes until Hannah gets here. Should we act now, or wait until the last second?"

  Maddox stared at him. "What's your problem? This isn't a joke."

  "Nope. It's not." Brody was still watching Rick. "My mom was killed by a man like him." His voice was low, suddenly ice cold. "I told you I don't like him."

  Maddox looked sharply at Brody, his gaze narrowing when he saw the hardness on the other man's face. Son of a bitch. Brody was as dangerous as he was. He grinned. "Let's do this," he said.

  "Hell, yeah. Now."

  The two men lurched to their feet simultaneously, moving as one out of necessity, due to the fact their hands were handcuffed behind their backs together. They charged across the room, moving with lightning speed, reaching Rick before he could turn around. They slam-med their shoulders into his back, crushing him against the wall.

  Rick shouted a warning to his brother, but it took only two more quick hits before he was down and unconscious. Maddox dropped to his knees, searching for the key to the handcuffs. He could hear footsteps thudding outside, and he knew Roger was on his way.

  He found the keys, jerked them out of Rick's pocket, and jammed them into the handcuffs. He unlocked the ones binding him to Brody, but the door swung open before he could get out of the second set that was locking his wrists behind his back. Brody hit first, using his full body weight to shove Roger out the door. Both Brody and Roger disappeared from sight, and Maddox lunged to his feet, making it to the door just as they rolled down the steps and landed in the driveway.

  Maddox charged after them as Roger lunged to his feet and pointed a gun at Brody, who was still on the ground. "No!" Maddox launched himself off the steps and tackled Roger, knocking him to the ground just as the gun went off.

  Sharp pain slashed Maddox's calf, and he knew he'd been grazed by the bullet. He stumbled, trying to keep his balance, but his momentum was too strong, and his balance was off due to his injuries and the fact that his arms were still handcuffed behind his back. He hit the ground hard, and rolled sideways fast, as another bullet exploded in the snow, right where he had been.

  Brody lashed out with his feet, slamming his boots into Roger's ankle, knocking him off balance. Roger staggered, just enough for Maddox to leap up and shoulder slam him again. Roger was fast and wiry, but Maddox had the bulk and the range, and sent him flying.

  As Roger sailed through the air, he pulled out his gun, and aimed it at Brody. Maddox shouted a warning, and Brody rolled to the side, but his body jerked at the same moment the gun fired.

  Brody was hit.

  Fury exploded through Maddox, and he lunged to his feet. He sprinted across the driveway to where Roger was scrambling to his feet. He slammed his knee into the other man's gut, launching him sideways. He was just rearing back for another hit when headlights flashed over him. He froze as his truck came to a skidding halt and Hannah leapt out of it.

  Dear God. Hannah had come.

  He froze, aware of the blood dripping down his forehead and his leg. He was aware of his right arm hanging uselessly in the handcuffs. Brody was on the ground, bleeding from his side, and Roger was also down, groaning.

&n
bsp; It was just like the scene Beth had encountered, only worse, because there was so much blood.

  Hannah stood there in the glow from the headlights, her mouth open as she stared at Maddox, her gaze going to Brody, and then to Roger. He knew what she was seeing. He knew the carnage that was sinking into her brain. He knew the damage and ugliness that was seeping into her, all because of him.

  Maddox tensed, bracing himself for the inevitable, for that moment when it finally registered on Hannah exactly what he was...that moment when the look on her face shattered his heart.

  Chapter 25

  Suddenly, Hannah screamed, a scream that reverberated in Maddox's brain the way Beth's had for so many years after that night. The minute he heard Hannah scream, something inside him shut down, broke, fragmented into a thousand pieces. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. It was his worst nightmare—

  "Maddox! Behind you!" Hannah pointed, a look of horror on her face.

  Suddenly, it registered. The scream wasn't because of what he had done. The scream was because of something that was behind him… And there was only one thing behind him.

  He whirled around as Rick staggered out of the cabin, a gun pointed right at Maddox.

  "One move, and you die." But Rick wasn't looking at Maddox. The gun may have been pointed at him, but the bastard was staring at Hannah, a look of such depraved satisfaction on his face, that Maddox's blood went cold. He realized suddenly that he was wrong, that he had been wrong his whole life.

  His dad hadn't been a monster. His dad had been a fucked-up loser who wouldn't hesitate to use his fists on his kids, and suck the life out of Maddox's mom. But he'd done it because he was too screwed up to do anything else.

  But the man staring at Hannah right now was different, so different. The depraved greed in his eyes, the pure evil leaching from his smile, the smug satisfaction of knowing he was going to hurt the incredible woman standing in front of him, was so different than anything Maddox had ever seen on the face of his father.