Dangerous Territory
Page 15
As they rode back, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his gut knotted with anxiety. He tried to push his alarm away since he had no idea why he was feeling so fretful, but it wouldn’t budge. He met Logan’s eyes, and when he saw the frown on his face, he knew he was feeling it, too. When he looked to his other side and noticed Haden was clenching his jaw, he urged his horse into a gallop.
There was something seriously wrong, and they needed to hurry.
* * * *
Sammy came to with a muffled gasp when cold water was thrown over her. Her shoulders were screaming with pain, and her wrists were burning. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that she was tied up, her arms stretched above her head, rope wrapped tightly around her wrists with her arms bearing the weight of her body. She whimpered as she got her feet under her, taking the strain off her shoulders as she blinked the water from her eyes. Her hair was over her face, but she managed to get it away from her eyes by flicking her head back.
She screamed, but the sound was stifled by the tape over her mouth. She shivered with cold and terror when she met his dark brown, soulless eyes. There was no expression on his face, and as she stared into those brown orbs, she could see his evil intent.
“You’re going to pay for being such a dirty slut. God sends cunts like you to hell. The people in this whole town and surrounding county are corrupt. All the bitches living here in sin should and will be wiped from the face of the Earth.”
Her legs trembled, her whole body quaking as he took a slow deliberate step toward her. Then he took another and another. She stopped breathing totally when he raised his arm from his side, and she saw the metal hook he had in his hand. Sammy sucked air in through her nose and screamed for all she was worth. She was so scared she couldn’t even cry. She tried to back away from him as he got closer and closer, but there was nowhere she could go. Not with her arms tethered to the beam above her head.
Lily and her men flashed into her mind. Tears burned her eyes that she would miss out on seeing her baby girl grow up. Miss all the firsts a mother should be there to see, but it wasn’t only her daughter her heart ached for. Pain pierced into her chest as grief surged into her heart. She loved Maddox, Logan, and Haden so much but hadn’t had the chance to tell them. They were the loves of her life, and they’d barely started getting to know each other.
Sammy wondered what she’d ever done wrong to be punished so by the fates. He stopped a couple of feet in front of her, laughing evilly as she struggled, his hand and the hook still in the air. She saw the intent in his gaze just before his arm started moving downward, closing her own eyes as she awaited the pain.
She jerked with shock when the cold hook pressed against the skin of her upper chest, but there was no agony. Just as she opened her eyes, he tugged, her shirt ripping down the middle, exposing her lace-covered breasts to his gaze. He licked his lips as he stared at her boobs.
“You’re an evil seductress walking around with your ass and tits wiggling to tempt men.”
She froze and stopped breathing when he placed the hook between her breasts and jerked hard. The material in the middle of her bra tore, the satin and lace springing open, exposing her nakedness to his sight.
Sammy sobbed, shaking her head as she tried to back up again. She pulled and twisted, trying to free her arms from the rope, but all she ended up doing was hurting herself, abrading and tearing her own skin. She screamed when the cold metal pressed against first one nipple and then the other. The shaking worsened until she was quaking so badly she could barely stand.
He caressed the hook down between her breasts over her sternum and lower. Tears rolled down her face when the hook shoved under the waistband of her jeans and behind her zipper, and the denim gave way. When he gave a hard yank, she was nearly pulled off her feet, her shoulders hurting so badly as they once more bore the weight of her body. Goose bumps of terror raced over her skin, pebbling her flesh and her areolae contracting.
“Such a fucking horny slut.” He stared at her nipples while rubbing the back of the large metal hook over her pussy, forcing the hard steel between her pussy lips. Her stomach muscles jumped with revolted rejection, and when he grabbed one of her bare breasts in a cruel painful grasp, the tears flowed faster and she shook her head in denial.
When he lifted his gaze from her boobs, she swallowed around her restrictive lump of fear in her throat. She could see her own death in his evil eyes.
* * * *
Logan didn’t know why his gut was churning with anxiety, but he didn’t question the growing knot of alarm in his belly. He’d learned a long time ago to never discount his instincts. He leaned forward over his mount’s neck, urging the mare to run faster. He caught Haden beside him and slightly behind him from the corner of his eye and didn’t need to look back to know that Maddox was falling behind. His oldest brother was trying to be gentle with his precious cargo. He scanned the yard as he got closer to the house, but instead of veering toward it, he directed his horse toward the barn. The large double doors were closed, and the only time they were ever shut was when all the chores were done for the day after they’d bedded the horses down.
He leaped from the back of his horse before it had come to a full halt and race toward the barn doors, Haden right behind him.
He tugged on the handle, but the door didn’t budge. He raised his finger in the air, telling Haden to go around the back. There was another external door into the office and tack room, which also led to the interior of the barn. He raced around the other side, cursing the fact that they hadn’t bothered to put windows into the building since they hadn’t seen the need. There were a couple of sheets of polycarbonate panels situated at strategic places in the roof to let some light in, but that wasn’t going to help them now. He and Haden met at the back door after running around the outside of the building to check for fire and other damage, but they both shook their heads.
Logan grasping the handle to the door, turning and tugging, sighing with relief when it opened. He walked inside, hurrying across the large dim room, and stepped into the barn proper.
The sight that met his eyes had his blood boiling with an unadulterated rage he’d never felt before. Adrenaline surged pumping up his muscles, and with a roar of ire, he sprinted forward and attacked. The asshole sneered as he backstepped quickly, raising the large metal hook he gripped in his hand. Raising his arm, he blocked the down slash aiming for his chest, drew back his fist, and punched so hard he wondered if he’d shattered his knuckles, but he didn’t care. He heard bone crack and hoped he’d broken the bastard’s jaw when the fucker was lifted from his feet into the air and landed with a hard thud on the ground. He was out cold before he hit dirt.
After snatching the hook from the ground, he spun and hurried toward Sammy. Haden already had her up in his arms trying to relieve the pressure of the rope around her wrists. She was shaking and sobbing, and her eyes were closed. Logan tried to get his anger under control as he slowed and stopped next to his brother and his woman. She met his gaze through moisture-filled eyes, and he knew by the size of her blown pupils she was in shock. He gently cupped her face and said, “Did he…”
He shook his head. He didn’t want to upset her further by asking her the question on the tip of his tongue.
“Get something to cut the fucking rope, Logan,” Haden snarled.
Sammy flinched at his harsh tone. “Shh, sweetheart. You’re okay. I’ve got you. I’m not angry with you, Sammy. Just hold on, sweetheart. We’ll get you down.”
Logan finally got his head out of his ass as his rage began to dissipate and he no longer saw red. He ran to the tack room, grabbed a knife as well as a couple of lengths of leather, and sped back to his woman, quickly sawing through the hemp. Haden shifted his hold on Sammy, cradling her against his chest as if she were a child, kissing the top of her head.
Logan stalked over to the unconscious fucker, kicked him over onto his stomach, knelt, and tied his hands behind his back.
Logan nodded before running to the door and lifting the long plank of wood the asshole had used to lock it. Before he pushed it open, he grabbed the back of his shirt, tugged it up over his head, shook it out, and draped it over Sammy’s bare body. She lifted her head from Haden’s shoulder and blinked up at him. The tape that had been covering her mouth was gone. Haden must have removed it while he’d been tying the asshole up. “You came. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” she whispered hoarsely, fractured.
Logan gently cupped her cheek. “We’ll always come for you, honey.” He lowered his gaze and swallowed audibly. When he noticed the rope still wrapped around her wrists, he cursed under his breath and carefully removed it. The soft skin was red and even torn and bleeding in some places. He wanted to go over to the fucker and strangle him with his bare hands. No one got away with hurting his woman, but instead, he turned and pushed the doors wide open. Haden nodded at him as he raced across the yard toward the house. He wanted, needed to go, too, to make sure that Sammy was okay, but he stayed put to guard his captive. He pulled his cell phone from his jeans pocket and dialed the Slick Rock County Sheriff’s Department.
He wasn’t going anywhere until the fucker on the ground was in the law’s custody.
* * * *
Haden had no idea how he was containing the fury burning his blood other than the fact that Sammy needed him. He couldn’t believe that one of their ranch hands had hurt the love of his life. He was tempted to grab a gun and go back to the barn and shoot the fucker in the groin. He had no doubt that the asshole’s intent had been to rape and then hurt the other half to his heart and soul.
He didn’t take his gaze off Sammy until he started up the back porch stairs leading to the house. Maddox was pacing back and forth in front of the open sliding glass door, raking his fingers through his hair. He turned and glanced his way, his hand frozen in the air when he caught sight of them.
“Sammy?” he whispered as he rushed out onto the wood deck, stopping when he was two feet away. “Sammy, what happened? Are you okay?”
Sammy met his gaze, shook her head, opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Her lower lip trembled as fresh tears rolled down her face. She sank her top teeth into her bottom lip and sobbed.
“Shh, sweetheart. We’re here. You’re safe.”
“What the fuck happened?”
Sammy tensed in his arms, her eyes moving frenetically about the room.
Haden carried her into the living room and sank down onto the sofa with her on his lap. Maddox sat beside them.
“Lily! Where’s my baby?” She sat up and shoved against Haden’s chest. The shirt shielding her bare breasts dropped to her waist.
Maddox blanched, the color leeching from his face. “Lily’s safe, baby.” He reached out to cup her cheek but stopped when Sammy flinched away. He lowered his hand, curling his fingers into a white-knuckled grip. “Lily’s tucked up as snug as a bug in bed, baby,” Maddox said softly, gently.
She slumped against Haden with a hiccup and a sigh.
“Maddox, go and call one of the docs. Sammy needs medical attention.”
“I’m fine,” she said shakily.
Haden was so worried about her, his heart was aching. He was relieved to hear the wail of sirens in the distance getting closer and closer.
“I’m still calling a doctor, baby. I, we, need to know you’re okay.”
Sammy nodded, closed her eyes, and rested her cheek on his chest again. Haden hoped she couldn’t hear the rapid pounding of his heart, but knew she could.
Maddox rose, getting his phone from his pocket as he walked toward the kitchen, and started tapping on the screen.
Haden wondered if she’d fallen asleep since she was no longer crying. He hated seeing those dried salty tracks on her face, but he hated knowing that she was hurting physically as well as emotionally.
The sirens were loud, and Haden knew it wouldn’t be long before the sheriffs were inside asking for Sammy’s statement. He just hoped that she was up to going through her ordeal again.
If she wasn’t, he was going to kick everyone out of the house himself.
* * * *
Maddox was beside himself with fear and worry. He had no idea what the fuck was going on, but it whatever it was, it was bad. He wanted to demand that Haden tell him, but he didn’t want to upset Sammy. She hadn’t stopped shaking, and her pupils were so dilated there was barely any of her blue iris showing.
After calling Phoenix Carter, a friend and one of the local doctors, he stepped out onto the back porch. Two sheriff cars pulled up close to the barn. Brax, Ajay, and Cael Rhodes, Jaylynn’s men, got out of the vehicles just as Logan was escorting a groggy Jason from the barn. His arms were tied behind his back. Logan shoved the fucker at Brax, who took him into custody, adding handcuffs to his already bound wrists, and then helped Jason into the back seat of his car, slamming the door closed after him.
When they all started toward the house, he waited on the porch for them. Logan met his eyes as he ascended the steps and gazed toward the door. He moved around Maddox until Logan’s back was to the door and started talking. His brother’s voice was low and full of rage, and the more Logan talked, the angrier Maddox got. He turned to glare at the fucker sitting in the back of the sheriff’s car as a murderous rage hazed his eyes red. He didn’t even realize he’d taken a step until Ajay grasped his shoulder, stopping him.
“Don’t let your anger rule your head, Maddox.” Ajay squeezed his shoulder. “We need you calm and in control. Your woman needs support from all of you. Don’t scare her by losing your shit.”
Maddox bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he sucked in breath after breath until finally, he had his wrath on a leash. He straightened, sighing with relief when Phoenix drove down the driveway. He must have seen them because he didn’t stop the vehicle until he was by the back porch. Maddox thanked fuck that most of their friends knew to drive around to the back of the house since they hardly ever used the front door.
Maddox led the way into the house, all the while praying that Sammy hadn’t been raped.
Chapter Fifteen
Sammy woke up screaming and fighting, trying to get away from her captor.
“Open your eyes, baby.” Maddox’s voice penetrated her fear-soaked mind. “You’re safe, Sammy.”
His arms were wrapped around her, and she was in bed, but she couldn’t remember getting there. She’d given her statement to Brax, Ajay, and Cael after Dr. Phoenix Carter had treated the abrasions on her wrists. Thankfully, Haden had helped her put Logan’s T-shirt on before the men had entered the house. When she started trembling again while telling the deputies her account, Phoenix had given her a sedative shot. Everything after that was a blank.
She sniffed as she turned in Maddox’s arms, snuggling into him, feeling safe. He caressed a hand up and down her back, and it was only then that she noticed she still had Logan’s shirt on. She could smell his unique scent on the material.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Just after nine,” Maddox answered.
“In the evening?”
“No, baby. You slept the night through. It’s Monday morning.”
She sat up and was about to scramble from the bed, but Maddox sat up too and snagged an arm around her waist.
“I’m late for work.”
“No, you’re not, Sammy. Ajay and his brothers were going to tell Shyann that you wouldn’t be in for the rest of the week. You need time to recover.”
She turned back toward Maddox, relishing his warmth and his strength as he embraced her again. “Where’s Lily? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine, baby. Haden and Logan are with her.”
“What about the ranch chores?”
“Fuck the ranch,” Maddox snarled. She blinked up at him. He inhaled deeply, shaking his head. “Sorry. I’m not angry at you. We have a r
eliable foreman and hands that can do what’s needed to be done without us ordering them around.” He cupped her chin, raising her gaze to his. “How are you feeling, baby?”
“I’m okay,” she answered, and she was—other than having aching shoulders and sore wrists, she was fine. At least physically.
“I was so scared he’d raped you.” Maddox’s eyes moistened as he stared into hers. She blinked back her own tears. She had cried more than enough over that evil fucked-up bastard.
“He didn’t.” She caressed a hand over his chest. “Logan and Haden go to me in time.”
“It’d kill me if anything happened to you, Sammy. I love you so fucking much.”
“You do?” She whispered her question.
“Yeah, baby. You’re the other half to my heart and soul.”
Warmth filled her heart, chasing away the residual fear and horror of the previous afternoon. She smiled at him, bent down, and kissed Maddox on lips but pulled back before he could take control. “I love you, too, Maddox.”
“Thank fuck.” He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her softly, lovingly.
“Momma, what you doing in bed still?” Lily asked, interrupting their moment.
Maddox chuckled as he released her lips and held his hand out toward her daughter. “Come up here, darlin’, and give me a cuddle.”
Sammy hoped her little girl hadn’t heard his profanity. He and his brothers were going to have to watch what they said in front of her sweet child because she didn’t want her swearing up a storm. Lily hurried around to Maddox’s side of the bed and raised her arms. He lifted her up onto his chest and started tickling her. Laughter filled the room as she watched Maddox with her baby. His eyes were full of love as he played with her little girl. The last of her concerns about Lily fitting in with three big masculine cowboys dissipated.