The Irrevocable Series Boxed Set

by Samantha Jacobey

  “We cain’t go without ‘em,” Devon pouted slightly, “Dat girl’s over at The Ranch. She’ll be expectin’ them t’ be wit us.” Peering over his friend’s shoulder, he watched the dark-haired waitress for a moment, “Does she know where dey’s at?”

  “No, I already asked her,” Luis continued to devour the meal, “But I have an idea. We can take a few o’ their people with us; kinda hold ‘em for ransom, an’ try to get the others back as a trade.”

  “That’s a stupid plan,” Don piped up, “You really think that shit’ll work?”

  “It’s all we got,” the other man furrowed his brow, “If you wanna go now, we gotta make some choices. You don’t like my plan, gimme a better one.”

  The youngest of the trio only scowled, cutting his eyes over at the girl while she busily helped the few other patrons who had braved the storm to be there. “We can’t wait. Besides, this mess outside’ll be good cover for us to get away in. It’ll make them think twice about comin’ after us, too.” Addressing his darker-skinned companion, “How do you know they’re there?”

  “Got a message,” Devon grinned, “Dat red-headed girl sent it out, prolly to all o’ us on her friends list. Course, I only had a few minutes while th’ nurse was away from her computer, so I couldn’t do much. An’ ‘Manda’s outta da hospital now, so there’s nothin’ else we can do, ‘cept assume dey’s still there, an’ things are good on that end.”

  “Fair enough,” Don nodded. “We use the storm for cover, an’ we go tonight.” He indicated the jail that lay down the road. “We can’t see it, but you know what I’m talking about.”

  “Yup,” Luis pushed his empty plate aside, “We rally at ten tonight, after most o’ the town’s in bed asleep.”

  “Sounds good,” Devon indicated he was ready to leave, taking the to-go box with him, “Soon as we get dem out, we’ll get on t’ gatherin’ th’ rest. Right now, I need t’ make a few stops; take care o’ few things ‘fore I goes home.”

  Once he was gone, Don turned to the other man, “You really think we can pull this off? It’s a fuckin’ blizzard out there!”

  “I know,” Luis rubbed his chin.

  “Well, if you’re serious about takin’ that girl, you better’d not say anything until the last minute. We don’ wan’ her warnin’ anyone before we can make it outta here.”

  “Roger, chief,” Luis stood, giving the young woman a small wave after he had pulled his jacket and gloves back into place. “See you around, Bonny Lass,” his voice filled the small space.

  The girl only grinned at his back as he exited through the glass entrance, her mind already lost on what he would do to her when they were alone together later that night.

  Midnight Flight

  Amanda ran her fingers firmly over the ebony flesh that covered his ribs. “It’s no fun bein’ your wife when we can’t fuck,” she complained, producing a small pout.

  “You jus’ had a baby,” he laughed at her, “In a few weeks you’ll be ready t’ get back in da saddle.” He caught her fingers, toying with them for a moment before rolling over and pinning her beneath him, “An’ after dat, we gonna get busy ev’r day.”

  “You bet we are,” she giggled, kissing him lightly while her fingers caressed the smooth skin along his back. “We all set for tonight?”

  “Yeah,” he released her, standing to get dressed. “Get Hope all bundled up. It’s still perdy cold, even without da wind an’ da snow. I’ll be back t’ get you soon as da others are on der way.”

  “You know this plan o’ yours really scares me,” she admitted quietly while sliding into her jeans.

  “Don’ think about it, babe,” he commanded. “Jus’ do what you gotta do, an’ don’ be ‘fraid. Bein’ scared only makes it worse.”

  “‘K,” she nodded, sniffling slightly as she pulled her shirt over her head. “You should git; they’ll be waitin’ on you,” her blue eyes were misty when she peeked at him before he closed the door.

  Slinging a large trash bag over his shoulder, Devon peered into the swirling flakes, noting that most of the structures were pitch black around him. Crossing the compound, he met Don and Luis behind the jail, the two of them huddling in the shadows to get clear of the wind, as well as out of sight.

  Without comment, he walked past, and they fell in behind, headed around to the front entrance. Their attack a complete surprise, they didn’t really expect any resistance, and appeared calm when they cleared the glass door.

  “Hey fellas,” the officer on duty grinned, “Kinda late for a visit, don’t you think?”

  “We ain’t here for a visit,” Don produced a pistol, shoving it towards the smaller man in uniform, “An’ this don’t have to end bad for you. Get your hands up!”

  Lifting his palms slowly, his face crinkled, “What the hell are you guys doin’? A jail break in the middle of a blizzard? You must be a special kinda stupid…” his voice trailed away.

  Taking offense, Devon stepped forward. Using the butt of his own weapon to crack the man’s skull, he watched him fall to the ground. Glaring at him, he shoved the muzzle into the back of his head and executed him, his face placid as the man’s blood leaked out, forming a puddle on the floor. Snatching the ring of keys off the hook behind the desk, he led the others down the hall.

  Arriving at a short passageway lined on both sides with cells, he flashed his white teeth in the dim light, “Check da rest o’ da buildin’. Kill anyone you find.”

  “Yes, sir,” Don clipped, moving to the end of the hall. Locating no other people, he began gathering the weapons he found in what appeared to be the armory, calling loudly, “Damn, these guys don’ even have this shit locked up!”

  “That’s good!” John joined him, relieved to be free, but concerned about their next move, “I hope you boys’ve got more of a plan than this, though.”

  “We do,” Luis grinned, pulling out boxes of ammo and putting them in his jacket pocket, “They got two four-wheel drive SUVs parked out back, an’ we’re gonna pack one of ‘em with all this. You got it, Don?”

  “Yeah, we’re good.”

  “Alright, you guys take care of this, an’ I’ll go hand out the kid assignments.” Leaving the men to loading the weapons, he made his way down the hall, and back to the lobby where the others had gathered. The group dug through the pile of coats that had been dumped on the floor, and some of the women began to cry.

  “Where are my girls?” Paula demanded loudly, wiping at her tears.

  “Relax, mom,” Devon addressed his new mother-in-law firmly, “‘Manda’s at home, gettin’ our babe ready ta go, an’ we’ll get th’ others ‘fore we leave town.”

  “And why are we doing this now?” Peter demanded loudly, observing the snow for the first time. “We’ve been locked up for days, what would’ve a few more hurt?” he glared at the taller man, who appeared to be in charge of the rescue.

  “Couldn’ wait no longer. Things ‘re bad, an’ only gonna get worse,” Devon defended, noting that everyone had secured some kind of winter protection, although the fit was not ideal on most of them. “Sorry ‘bout the sizes, it’s the best we could do.”

  “Forget about that,” Michael Small cut in, “What’s the plan?”

  Pulling out a pack of folded pages, Luis removed the rubber band and began handing them to the remainder of the men, “Each o’ these is a location to one or more of our members. You go, break in, and I use that term loosely, because most o’ the houses are not locked, an’ you steal them back. If anyone wakes up or tries to stop you, kill ‘em. We’re gonna set fire t’ the jail here at midnight. By then, you need to be at your location, loaded, an’ ready to leave town, if not before.”

  “You have transportation for all of us?” Deanna appeared doubtful.

  “We got a few trucks lined up. You girls are gonna help load up a few of our animals an’ stuff; that’s your job over the next two hours. Jus’ remember, most o’ the town’s asleep, so no loud noises. If you have to talk to any
one, keep it down; no screamin’ or racket.”

  “Yeah, like anyone’s gonna hear us over this wind,” Pete tossed a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the swirling storm while claiming the downed man’s coat for his own, “Are we set?” he grinned at the folded sheet in his hand, “I like the little maps there, Luis. Nice work.”

  “I wasn’t figurin on you havin’ to read ‘em in the middle of a snowstorm,” he grimaced. “I really hopes this works.”

  “Not a jab, man,” Peter nodded, “If this is our best shot, we need to make the most of it.” Returning to the door, he pulled the hood of his jacket over his head and made his way out to get started on his part of the agenda.

  Continuing to get everyone organized on their task, Luis remained at the police station until everyone had been dispersed. Pulling his own gloves and jacket into place, he headed towards the ranch house on the back side of the large community, a whole fucking mile, he grumbled to himself. His thoughts turned while he moved, his mind caught up in the ebony-haired beauty that would be waiting for him.

  You shouldn’t o’ gotten personal, he admonished himself while bracing against a particularly strong gust of wind. Of course, it had been hard to avoid, since the girl was the daughter of his intended target. We need those horses, he reminded himself. And if she gets hurt in the process, that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

  Arriving at the gate a short time later, he let himself in and fought his way to the barn. Making his way down the stalls, he greeted each of their ponies, including the young foal that had been promised to the Dewitt boys. Stroking the small face for a moment, he thought about the two young men they had not been able to locate since their arrival in Pouty. I wonder what they did with them. He pondered their fate while he began loading the animals into the trailer located under the covered end of the building.

  Placing Star in next to his mother, and tying him off, he tossed a blanket across the smaller body, “Sorry little buddy, but we gotta get home somehow.” Leading the last few into the vehicle and securing the door, he glared at the house. Moment of truth.

  Part of him wanted to leave the family undisturbed; steal the horses back, along with the truck and trailer, and be done with it. But in the end, he knew he couldn’t do that. He would have to take care of the man inside, one way or another, and retrieve the girl.

  Reaching the back door, he tried the handle, chuckling when it swung open easily. “Silly bastards,” he mumbled, walking lightly across the linoleum and down the hall. Arriving at the master suite, he noted the entrance stood open, and he stepped inside. The room remained quiet, the silence only broken by the deep breaths of the slumbering couple.

  Standing over them, he observed them for a long moment before changing his mind. Retracing his steps, he located Bonny’s room easily enough, and closed her door quietly behind him when he entered. The girl was also asleep, having returned home a few hours ago, after their rendezvous. His hand clamping over her mouth to prevent her from crying out, he woke her with a firm shake.

  “Bonny Lass,” he whispered loudly when her eyes fluttered, and she stopped struggling. Releasing her, he smiled, “Surprise!”

  “What the hell are you doing here?” she cried, making the effort to keep her voice down. “Are you wanting my father to shoot your ass?”

  “No, love,” he caressed the cheek he had been holding, “But I don’ wanna kill him, either.”

  She blinked at him from her reclined position, “Whadda ya mean, kill him, either?”

  “I can’t explain right now,” he grabbed her covers, pulling them back and wishing he could join her beneath them instead. “I need to know if you wanna come with me,” a mild panic gripped him at the thought she might say no.

  Frowning, she climbed off the pliable surface, groggy at having been awakened from a sound sleep, “What the hell are you talking about, Luis?”

  “We’re leavin’,” he supplied, gathering clothing for her to put on. “You have to decide if you’re comin’ with me.” He handed her the items, while she stood gaping at him, “I really want you to come, Bonny. I wasn’t sure, until just now; but yeah, I wanna take you with me.”

  She returned his gaze for a full minute, considering his words. Finally, she found her voice, “You guys weren’t really joining us, were you.”

  “No,” he shook his head. “We got everyone busted out of the jail, an’ we’re takin’ off. Put your clothes on and come with us.”

  “You want me to leave my parents, and friends… and everything, just like that?”

  Rolling his tongue for a moment, he eventually nodded. “Yeah; if you’ll have me.”

  Her mind racing, the girl glanced at the door, realizing if she called out, her parents probably wouldn’t hear her, and she would definitely incur the wrath of the man before her. “Ok, let me get dressed,” she began fumbling for the rest of her attire. When she was fully clothed, the couple exited the room, and she followed him out to the back, where she gathered her winter outerwear from a hook.

  Making their way to the barn, she gasped, “You’re stealing the horses?”

  “Hey,” he growled, “They were our horses. Your people stole them from us, first.”

  Clamping her jaw shut, she looked around, aware that he had come alone, “Where’s everyone else?”

  “Gathering other stuff. We’re leaving shortly,” he glanced at his watch to check their time. “I need to pick up a few people an’ we’re on our way.”

  “And where are we going, exactly?” she demanded.

  “Back to The Ranch,” he soothed, starting the truck and easing it around in the dark the best he could without the lights. Not seeing any sign of life from inside the house, he heaved a sigh of relief. “Stay warm, baby, an’ I’ll be right back.”

  Stepping out, he grinned at hitting the spot perfectly, and attached the trailer easily in the dim light. Back inside the cab a few minutes later, he could tell the engine had warmed, as heated air spewed from the vents. Taking the road slowly, he eased them out onto the main thoroughfare.

  Bonny stared at her family’s home, still engulfed in darkness; damn. “You didn’t hurt them, did you?” Her voice small, it had occurred to her that he might have killed them all before coming to her room.

  “No, baby,” he shook his head. “Your family is fine.” Pausing, he slowed the vehicle even more, “You wanna get out? I don’ wanna take you if you don’ wanna come.”

  Turning her gaze to him, she swallowed hard, “They won’t forgive me for going with you.”

  “Then hop out,” he flicked his fingers at her door, while bringing the truck to a complete stop, “It’s ok,” he stared straight ahead.

  Studying his profile for a moment, she thought about what her life had been like, living with her family in the midst of the group; going with him won’t be much different. Reaching over her shoulder, she grabbed her seat belt, “You should get moving. We don’t want to be here if they wake up.”

  Grinning brightly, he agreed, “You got that right,” while he eased their speed up and made his way a few houses down. Stopping, he watched the flakes pounding the glass for a moment before catching sight of a few figures moving in the darkness. Opening his door, he climbed out, allowing Nung and his three female companions to squeeze into the back seat.

  Closing the half door behind them, he sighed in relief, “Everything go ok?”

  “Good enough,” Nung agreed, smiling at the blanket clad girls. “Are we waiting or we goin’?”

  “We go,” Luis supplied. “Everyone is securing their own transport, and we’re all going to the same place. We’ll see them soon enough, if everyone makes it.”

  The group rode in silence while he expertly guided the massive load across the fresh snow. Making it to the main road, he eased around the turn and flicked on the headlights, placing them on dim. “Man, this’s crazy, all this shit,” he wafted a hand at the front glass.

  No one replied, and he struggled to maintain his focus, ag
ain feeling a wave of relief when they reached the turn that led to their own fortress. It took the better part of an hour to make the last leg. Pulling through the mangled gate, he hoped they had been right about things being put back in order. He felt certain none of the others would allow his new companion into Lawson if they weren’t.

  Passing by the diner, he could make out the large pieces of plywood that covered the front glass, “Well, someone’s here.” A little further down the road, he could see the soft glow of the windows, the coverings dampening them, but not completely. Parking at the end of the front porch, he called loudly, “Everybody out!” and dashed up the steps to beat on the door and find out exactly who it was that awaited their arrival.

  Home Fires Burning

  “Bailey!” Caleb called her name, shaking her violently.

  “What?!?” she pushed at the man hovering over her, “What’s going on?”

  “I need you t’ get up,” he lay his rifle across the couch and began pulling out pistols, “There’s a car on the road.”

  “A car!” Carson lept to his feet, making it to the window and pushing the blanket out of the way.

  “Here, Cars, take this!” he wafted a long weapon towards the boy, “We don’ know who it is yet, so we need t’ be cautious.”

  “Why’d you turn the lights on then?” he demanded loudly.

  The older male leaned against the window as well, watching the truck pull up in front of their home. Able to make out a horse trailer behind it, he swore loudly, “Son of a bitch! It’s us!” Darting over, he flicked on the porch light and tossed open the door. Grabbing his jacket, he felt the cold air on his bare chest. “Hey!” he greeted Luis at the steps.

  “Hey yourself,” the older man offered him a hand to shake, “I got a truck full o’ women here,” he indicated the brood who were exiting the vehicle, “Mind if we drop by?”

  “Not at all,” the tall blond beamed, “Get inside, girls. Bailey’ll get you somethin’ warm for your bellies. You got our horses in there?”