by Paige Warren
His face filled with rage, his eyes darkening and his cheeks flushing a deep red. His hands curled at his sides, forming fists. He visibly shook with his anger. Elodie braced herself, knowing he was going to make a move, going to do something stupid that would lead them down a path that would change their lives forever. When he roared and lunged for her, she didn’t hesitate, didn’t stop to think. The gun jerked in her hand as she pulled the trigger. Casey stopped, staggered and looked down at his chest in amazement, disbelief showing clearly in his eyes as he watched the red stain blossom across his shirt.
“You shot me,” he said, then he collapsed on the floor.
Her hand shook, but she didn’t lower her weapon. Was he really dead? Or was he trying to lull her into a false sense of security? She took one hesitant step and then another. Falling to her knees beside Casey, she looked into his eyes, eyes that were staring sightlessly.
It was over. He was dead and she was safe.
The gun clattered to the floor as she covered her face with her hands and sobbed into her palms. She’d never been so scared in all her life. As the adrenaline rush left her, her body shook. She’d killed a man. He’d left her no choice, but this was a moment that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Elodie rocked back and forth, tears streaking her cheeks. She should call someone. She knew she should, but she couldn’t make herself move. As shock began to set in, she moved aimlessly through the house. Opening the back door, she eased down onto the porch steps. She’d wait for her men. They’d know what to do.
Chapter Fourteen
Beau had tried calling the house for the past ten minutes and there was no answer. Worry ate at him as he sped down the long dirt drive to the house, each bump causing the top of his cowboy hat to brush the roof. His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he careened into the yard. All of the vehicles were gone, but the sight that chilled was Elodie, sitting on the porch, shoulders stooped as she leaned against the post. She looked so small and alone sitting there, so defeated.
He barely threw the SUV into park before he was diving out of the door and running for her. All of his instincts were screaming at him to get to her, to hold her, make sure she was okay. He didn’t know why she’d been left alone, but he knew something had happened, something bad. She didn’t even look up at his approach, she stared at her toes, arms wrapped around her middle. Beau fell to his knees on the bottom step and reached for her, his hand cupping her cheek as his hat toppled from his head. Ignoring the white Stetson, he searched Elodie’s gaze for something, anything. Some spark of recognition.
“Elodie? Honey, what’s wrong?”
“I killed him,” she mumbled. “I shot him and he’s dead.”
Icy dread filled him, freezing his lungs. “Shot who, Elodie? Who’s dead?”
Her gaze slowly lifted to his and the blank expression worried him more than anything. It was like she’d shut down, had turned off her emotions and was going on autopilot. She claimed to have shot someone, but there wasn’t a speck of blood anywhere on her. For that he was eternally grateful, it meant she was safe. Whatever had happened, she’d managed to escape unscathed.
“Honey, who’s dead?” he repeated.
“Casey.”
His heart nearly stopped in his chest. Casey had come to the house? If Beau had thought for one moment that his brothers would abandon Elodie, he never would have left. He’d thought surely Cody would stay by her, even if the house burned down around them. He had no doubt that’s what Casey had been up to. Beau had seen the smoke from across the ranch and had known something bad was going on, but he hadn’t been able to leave the calf struggling in the barbed wire. It was inhumane and the critter wouldn’t let anyone else near him. It was either remain and free him, or shoot him and put him out of his misery. Not willing to lose any of their cattle, he’d taken the time to cut the calf free, then set the men to the task of repairing the fence.
“Where’s Casey, baby? Tell Beau what happened.”
“Everyone left. I went upstairs to find a weapon.”
His thumb stroked her cheek as he tried to calm his shattered nerves. “You found my gun, didn’t you?”
She nodded. “But it didn’t do me any good. He was waiting for me when I came downstairs, saw the gun before I even knew he was there. He knocked it out of my hands, out of reach.”
“How did you shoot him if you didn’t have the gun anymore, Elodie?” She wasn’t making any sense and he wondered if she was going into shock. Should he stop questioning her and just call 9-1-1? The sheriff would have to be notified, and the coroner would need to claim the body if she really had shot someone. But more importantly, Elodie needed to be checked over. She was more important than anything else right then.
“He had a gun.”
Her words made his world stand still. She’d faced an armed Casey once already, and had come out the victor, had she truly managed to do it twice? The thought of that asshole holding her at gunpoint, in her own home, made his blood boil. She was supposed to be safe at home. It should be the one place where she didn’t have to worry about someone harming her, and now her memories of their home would be defiled. He didn’t know how he’d make it up to her, how he’d make her smile again, but he vowed he’d do it.
“We fought for the gun,” she said. “I managed to get it away from him.”
Oh dear God! The thought of her wrestling with a man for a loaded weapon nearly brought up his breakfast. He should have been here, watching over her. The next time a damn calf got its head caught in the fence, he’d tell them to shoot the damn thing rather than leave her alone and unprotected. Never again would she be left to face the monsters in the dark. She would be guarded, treasured, and loved. He never wanted to hear about her fighting off another assailant as long as he lived. The most strenuous thing he wanted her to do was wash a dish, and right now he wasn’t even sure he wanted her doing that.
“He was insane,” she said softly. “Told me he couldn’t go to prison. I saw the rage billowing off him like it was a tangible thing, and then he lunged at me. I don’t remember pulling the trigger, but I know I did. One minute he was coming for me and the next he was lying on the ground. Those eyes. Those sightless eyes.”
“Hush.” He pulled her in close, wrapping his arms around her. “Don’t think about it anymore. You’re safe. I’m here and I’m going to take care of you, okay? We’ll get you into a nice hot bath, get you tucked into bed, and then I’ll call the sheriff.”
She shook her head. “No. We have to call him now. I don’t…I don’t want to go back in there while he’s there.”
“Whatever you want, baby.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “If you aren’t comfortable staying here, we’ll head to the motel in town. You just say the word.”
She pulled back and looked up at him with solemn eyes. “No, Beau. I won’t leave my home. I just need him gone. Then I need you to make me forget. Once I tell the sheriff what happened, I never want to remember this morning again.”
“You can have anything you want.”
He pulled away long enough to dial the sheriff’s department. As concisely as possible, he told the dispatcher what happened and that they needed to send out the coroner, as well. The phone call only took a few minutes and when he was done, he shot off two texts, one to each of his brothers, urging them home. Beau settled on the top step and pulled Elodie into his lap, cocooning her in his embrace. He wanted to battle her demons for her, chase away the nightmares she was sure to have.
It didn’t take long for the sound of sirens to reach them, and shortly after that two familiar trucks came barreling into the yard. As Elodie talked to the sheriff, something she’d insisted on doing on her own, he filled his brothers in on what had happened, and fought back the urge to cuff both of them upside the head for leaving her alone. It wasn’t entirely their fault. He’d left, too.
“She really took him on by herself?” Cody asked.
Beau nodded. “I came home to find her on t
he porch. I don’t think he waited long after you left. He must have gotten inside somehow before she locked up, slipped past us. I hate to admit it, but we really fucked up this time. It’s going to take a while for her to get back to her usual self. Casey might have been a bad guy, but it still wasn’t easy for her to take his life.”
“We’ll give her anything she needs,” Beck said. “Whatever she wants. Hell, if she can’t stand being in the house anymore, we’ll tear the damn thing down and rebuild. I don’t want her living with nightmares the rest of her life, unable to walk past the room where it happened without dark thoughts overtaking her.”
“Maybe we should take her away for a few days,” Cody suggested. “Hire someone to come in and professionally clean the place, get rid of the blood. We could drive in to San Antonio for a few nights. Maybe take her shopping or sightseeing.”
Beck nodded. “I like that idea. I think you’re on to something.”
“Wherever we end up tonight, I want some alone time with her. I know it isn’t fair of me to ask you guys to step away for a while, but after finding her like that…I need to reassure myself that she’s really okay, that she’s here and in one piece. I have no problem with the two of you joining us, I just want some time first.” Beau sighed. “She scared the hell out of me.”
“Whatever you want,” Beck said. “Cody and I can get something lined up for the next morning while you have your fun.”
Beau arched a brow. “What did you have in mind?”
Cody patted his shirt pocket. “I have the ring. I just need a place to ask her, and I was kind of thinking the two of you might want her to have something special from each of you, as well. We could take her on a picnic, or out for a nice lunch or something.”
“I know what I want to get her, but it has to be special ordered.”
Cody cleared his throat. “Actually, I found your notebook.”
Beau arched a brow.
“When I saw the design, I knew you meant it to be for Elodie. I took it to the jeweler with me and told him that I needed a rush put on it. He said he could have it ready in two days.”
“And where is this jeweler?” Beau asked.
“San Antonio. If we push out the proposal one more day, you could have it in time.”
Beck grinned. “So that just leaves me, and I already know what I’m getting her. I can probably pick it up from the same jeweler.”
“Then it’s settled. Beck, go pack a few things for Elodie and yourself. Cody, if you don’t mind, pack for the both of us. I want to stay here and wait on Elodie. She’s holding it together really well, but I don’t want all three of us disappearing at the same time.”
Cody and Beck hurried into the house to follow Beau’s instructions and he folded his arms over his chest, watching Elodie and Sheriff Crawford. When he saw her turn away from the sheriff, he hurried to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her in close.
She burrowed into him, sniffling against his shirt. He hated that she was crying, but it was better than the lack of emotion she’d shown so far. Giving the sheriff a nod, he led Elodie over to his SUV. He eased her down on the driver’s seat and wiped away her tears with his fingers. Her lower lip trembled and she fisted her hands in the hem of his shirt, holding onto him like a lifeline.
“Everything’s going to be fine, baby. Cody and Beck are upstairs packing our things right now. We thought it might be a good idea to get out of the house for a few days, let a cleaning crew come in. The sheriff can recommend someone I’m sure. They probably use a certain company to clean up crime scenes.” He winced at the reminder that their home was now, indeed, a crime scene. It wasn’t something they could ever undo.
“But Beau, it’s our home. I don’t want to leave.”
“It’s just for a few days. Besides, we can treat it like a mini vacation, just the four of us. Doesn’t that sound nice? A little shopping, some sightseeing, lots of relaxing in the hotel,” he said with an exaggerated waggle of his brows.
She laughed. It was a small, pathetic sound, but it was progress. Beau knew what he needed to do. He couldn’t let her languish in misery, couldn’t watch as she sank into a depression. He needed her to focus on something, to clear her mind of everything that happened today and just feel. No, sex didn’t solve everything, but in this case he thought it might help. He’d planned to just hold and cuddle her while Beck and Beau ran their errand in San Antonio, but now another plan was forming in his mind. He hoped Beck thought to pack their special little box of goodies. He was going to need it.
Beck and Cody came out of the house, each carrying two bags, and tucked under one of Beck’s arms was the box. As his brothers loaded everything into the back of his SUV, he helped Elodie get settled in the backseat. While he knew Beck wanted to snuggle with her just as much as the rest of them, Beau was kind of hoping he’d let Cody do the honors. He knew his baby brother was suffering right now, mostly from the guilt of leaving her alone.
They were all going to pull through this. Tonight, they would come together again. It wouldn’t be as wild and frantic as their previous coupling because this time it wasn’t lust driving them. They each needed the reassurance that she was still very much alive and that she was going to be okay. Their hands would caress her silken skin, their mouths would worship her body. And in the end, they would join together to bring her intense pleasure that would leave her both relaxed and well-loved.
Plans for the evening buzzed around Beau’s head as he made the nearly two hour drive to San Antonio. A few times, he glanced in the rearview mirror to check on Elodie and found her wrapped in Cody’s arms. At first, she stared sightlessly out the window, and later she rested, eyes closed, lips parted in slumber.
With a city as large as San Antonio, Beau didn’t think a little thing like not having reservations would be a big deal. The first hotel they came to was booked, but the second one was only too happy to rent them a room. The penthouse suite. He inwardly winced, not even wanting to know how much it was going to set Cody back. His baby brother had insisted on paying, probably still feeling responsible for what happened. Truth was, they each played their part.
When the hotel room door closed behind them, Beck and Cody made their excuses, tossed their bags on the floor, and walked out. Elodie gave him a questioning look and he hoped she didn’t feel abandoned. He hadn’t thought that part through.
“They’ll be back,” he assured her. “They’re just giving us a little time alone right now.”
She looked around the room, taking in the sumptuous living area. There were three doors off the room. One led to a bathroom and the other two were for the bedrooms, not that they needed more than one. Each had a king-sized bed in it so it didn’t really matter which one she chose.
“Do you want to lie down?” he asked.
Her gaze fastened on him again and she shook her head.
“What do you want, Elodie? Tell me what you need.”
“I need you, Beau. I need…”
“You need what, baby?”
“I want you to do what you did before.”
He wasn’t letting her off that easy. “You’re going to have to be more specific, Elodie. Which time? You want me to bend you over the table? You want to suck my cock, like you did last night? What is it you want?”
“I want…I want to belong to you. I want to be yours.”
“You’re always mine,” he said softly.
“But I want to feel it. I want to…to feel your ownership.”
Ah, there it was. That’s what he’d been waiting for.
“The first thing we need to do is get you clean. I want to wash away all of the bad memories from today and start fresh.” He took her hand and led her into the bathroom.
“Strip while I get the tub ready.”
“Will you get in with me?” she asked, her eyes taking in the size of the whirlpool tub. It was plenty big for both of them, but he wasn’t sure that was the best of ideas right now.
“
Not this time. You’re going to soak and relax and when I’m ready for you, I’ll come back and help you out of the tub and we’ll begin. All right?”
She nodded as she began removing her clothing.
Beau filled the tub with water hot enough to melt her bones, but not so hot that she’d hurt herself getting in. The hotel provided scented bubble bath and he added a dose to the tap water, filling the room with a pleasing floral scent. It wasn’t as heady as whatever Elodie normally washed with, but it would get the job done.
When the tub was full, he turned off the taps and helped her over the side. Keeping hold of her hand, he helped ease her down into the water, making sure it wasn’t so high that it would get her stitches wet. The wound was healing nicely and he figured the stitches would begin dissolving in another day or two. The skin was already knitting together and no longer looked red and angry.
“I’ll be in the other room if you need me, but try to relax.”
He pulled the door mostly closed behind him, wanting to be able to hear if she called out, yet not wanting her to see what he was up to. The first thing he did was place a call to the front desk and fifteen minutes later they delivered his requested items. He laid out the pink collar and leash. His fingers caressed the satin of the blindfold, but he bypassed it in favor of a rather unique toy Beck had found. There were vibrators, anal plugs, more edible body paint, honey dust, and a host of other items in the box. But tonight things were going to be simple.
He moved around the room, lighting the candles he’d requested, then turned out the lights. Stepping into one of the bedrooms for a moment, he pulled the comforter from the bed and carried it into the living area. He pushed the coffee table against the wall, then spread the blanket out in the middle of the floor. Beau fully intended for Elodie to spend a lot of time on her knees tonight, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t make her comfortable. Part of his job was not only seeing to her pleasure, but seeing to her comfort and well-being also.
