“You’re getting five for every smartass remark you make, so keep it up.”
“You wish. I have a safe word.”
“Then use it.”
Next to them, Thor growled then looked toward Nate. “Get between these two before I decide to take Zane out.”
“You’re welcome to try,” Zane said.
Nate reached over and grabbed Ravyn and pulled her toward him. He stuck an earpiece in her ear, then put a mic on her and added a pair of night goggles. She let out a little screech when he brushed her sore eye. “Sorry,” Nate said, then turned on the goggles. “How’s that?”
Ravyn looked around, amazed at what she could see. “Wow, I want to keep these.”
Thor grunted again. “Zane, come with me. We’re going to go get the bad guy now, if you have the time to spare.”
Zane rose into a crouch. “Fuck off, Thor.” He disappeared over the edge of the ditch.
Thor chuckled. “I love fucking with these Ramseys in love.” He chuckled again. “‘The fool who persists in his folly will become wise.’”
“William Blake,” said Addison on the radio, then added, “Ah-oh.”
“Addison, how the hell did you get your hands on a radio?” Cade asked on the radio.
“Uh, uh, I can explain,” Addison said.
“Turn it off and get down here to my den right now,” Cade said.
Thor snorted, then followed Zane.
Ravyn watched them move toward the house. From her position, she couldn’t see them once they reached the side of the building. She tried to move farther to her right, but Nate blocked her.
“Keep your head down,” Nate said.
“Can they hear us?” Ravyn asked.
“Yes.”
“Stop the chatter,” Thor said.
Ravyn grimaced, then waited for something to happen. For several minutes, there was silence, then she heard a soft squeak of old boards and Zane said, “Okay, I’m on the front porch.”
Thor said, “I’m outside the bedroom window. This guy’s still snoring.”
Ben said, “Mac and I are right behind you, Zane.”
Ravyn could hear the snores of the guy in the house. She listened, then froze. “Wait. There’s something wrong.”
“Everyone freeze,” Nate said.
“What is it, Ravyn?” Zane asked.
“Thor, hold your mic up to the window,” Ravyn said.
A moment later, she heard the snores more clearly. She listened for a moment, then gasped. “I think it’s a recording. It’s the same snores over and over.”
“Are you sure?” Zane asked.
“Yes. Get out of there, Zane,” Ravyn said. She listened and heard Zane and Thor question if the house was rigged to blow up.
“One of you look through the window I used to climb out of the house,” Ravyn said, her voice urgent.
A few minutes later, Thor cursed, then said, “Get the hell out of there. The door is rigged. Ravyn, didn’t you even try the door?”
“No, I figured it was locked or they were on the other side of it. Either way, I wasn’t leaving that way.” Ravyn saw Thor move away from the house. A minute later Zane, Ben, and Mac joined him.
“We can’t just leave it like this,” Zane said.
“They’ve probably rigged the entire house,” Thor said. “The window Ravyn used is too damn small for any of us to get through.”
“I could go back in and you could tell me what to do,” Ravyn said.
“Hell, no,” Zane said. “I figure they’ve got someone close by, waiting to see if the house blows.”
“Let’s find the son of a bitch, then,” Thor said.
“Nate, take care of Ravyn,” Zane said.
“No,” Nate said. “You come get your woman and take her home. I’m in the mood to go hunting.”
“Get your ass in gear, Ramsey,” Thor said. “We’ll get this guy and meet you back at the house. Luc and Jackson, you’ve got our backs.”
Ravyn heard a series of clicks and figured that was their way of answering.
Zane appeared in front of her. “Let’s go. Stay low and if I tell you to stop, you stop. Understand?”
“Stay low and stop if you say to,” Ravyn said. “I think I can manage that.”
“That’s five more.”
Ravyn rolled her good eye, then followed him. Every now and then, she’d hear a series of clicks on the earpiece and she knew the others were communicating with some kind of code. In front of her, Zane stopped and held up his fist. She stopped, then glanced around and wondered why he’d stopped. Ahead of them, she saw a pile of tree limbs and brush. Zane stared at it. When he stepped back toward her and pushed her to the ground, she let him. He came down beside her with his body between her and the debris.
He put his mouth against her ear. “Stay here and keep your head down.”
She nodded and a second later when a cloud blocked the moonlight he disappeared into the darkness. If she hadn’t had the night goggles on, she never would have seen him as he belly-crawled toward the bushes. As she waited, each second seemed like an hour. She stared in the direction Zane had gone, then jumped when a gunshot rang out, followed by two more. Ravyn saw Zane stumble out from behind the debris, followed by Dolor. Zane attacked and Dolor thrust a large knife in his direction. Zane blocked it then kicked Dolor and connected with his lower legs. Dolor stumbled back, then caught his balance and attacked again.
Ravyn saw Zane stumble and realized he was hurt. The thought that he might die sent her into a panic and she looked around for a weapon and saw a large rock. She grabbed it, then, without thinking, she ran toward them. She saw Dolor stab Zane’s arm but Zane didn’t even pause, as if the wound hadn’t registered with him.
Ravyn waited until Dolor went after Zane again, then she ran up behind him and hit him as hard as she could on the head. He turned toward her with the knife raised and she saw Zane’s arm go around his neck and pull him back. Dolor struggled, but couldn’t loosen Zane’s chokehold on him. They struggled for several minutes but when Ravyn saw Zane falter she screamed, ran toward them and kicked Dolor between the legs as hard as she could. He squealed and Zane managed to cut off his air supply until he passed out. Zane dropped him to the ground, then planted his knee in his back and zip tied his hands and feet together. Zane looked up at her, then without warning he fell over onto his back.
Ravyn ran to him and dropped to her knees next to him. “Zane, Zane,” she said then remembered she had a mic on. “Zane’s been shot or stabbed. I need help now.”
“We’re on our way,” Nate said, his voice calm. “Find the wound and put pressure on it.”
“Okay, but come quick.” She ran her hands over his body. There was blood on his arm where the knife had cut him. It was bleeding but it appeared to be a shallow cut. She felt over his chest and body armor but didn’t find any blood. When she touched his left leg, his pants were wet and she could feel blood running from an open wound. She pulled off the belt she was wearing, then wrapped it around Zane’s leg above the wound and twisted it until the bleeding stopped. “He’s been shot in the leg about a foot above his knee. There’s a lot of blood.”
“Right or left leg?” Nate asked.
“Left,” Ravyn said. “I’ve used my belt as a tourniquet.”
“Good girl,” Nate said. “I’ll be with you in just a minute.”
“Come on, Zane, don’t you dare die. You still owe me an apology and some groveling,” Ravyn said. She wanted to hold him but didn’t dare let go of the belt.
“I’m approaching you,” Nate said.
“Please hurry.” Ravyn looked around when she heard a moan. “This bastard Dolor is waking up. Zane tied him up before he passed out.”
Nate dropped down next to her and she jumped.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Nate said as he pulled something from his pocket and placed it around Zane’s leg, then tightened it. “You can remove the belt now, Ravyn.”
“Are you s
ure?” Ravyn asked.
“I’ve put a combat tourniquet on him,” Nate said. “It will control the bleeding and you don’t have to hold it. Did you check his head and torso?”
“Oh, no, I didn’t check his head.” She reached for Zane and Nate grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
“Stay calm, Ravyn, and let me check him. Okay?”
She nodded. “He has a cut on his arm, but it’s shallow.”
After a few seconds, Nate leaned back. “He has a knot on the back of his head. He must have hit it when he fell.”
Thor’s voice came over the earpiece. “I’m in the SUV and I’m on my way.”
“Luc and I have you covered,” Jackson said, followed by two clicks.
“McCabe is sending Bari to disarm the bombs,” Mac said, his voice disgruntled. “Ben and I will stay and make sure there are no more of these assholes watching the house.”
Thor chuckled. “How well does Addison know Bari?”
“She can meddle all she wants, but it won’t do her any good where I’m concerned,” Mac said.
“Watch your six, Mac, or Addison will have you walking down the aisle,” Thor said, then laughed.
Ravyn heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. A door slammed, then Thor was next to them. He and Nate picked Zane up and carried him to the SUV. They laid him on the backseat and she climbed in beside him as they got into the front seat.
“How’s he doing?” Thor asked.
“He took a bullet to the leg and he’s going to need surgery to remove it, but he’ll live,” Nate said.
“I’ve called the hospital and they’re waiting for him to arrive,” Cade said on the radio. “We’ll meet you there.”
“Roger,” Nate said.
The SUV bounced up and down every time they hit a rut. Ravyn crouched on the floor and held onto Zane to keep him from bouncing around. After several minutes, they turned onto a road and Thor sped toward the lights in the distance. Several miles later, he jerked off his night vision goggles and turned on the headlights.
Ravyn stroked Zane’s cheek, but he didn’t stir. “Shouldn’t he wake up?”
“No,” Nate said. “It’s better if he stays out and stays still.”
Ravyn nodded, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. She leaned toward Zane. “You’re going to be okay. Trust me.” She kissed his cheek. “I love you, Zane.” She stroked his hair back from his forehead, then realized they were both still wearing the mics, ear buds, and night-vision goggles. She felt her cheeks heat when she heard Thor chuckle followed by several clicks on the radio. She removed their equipment then held it out toward Nate. “Here, Nate.”
She felt Nate take them from her hand just as they pulled beneath the emergency entrance of a hospital. Several people in white coats stood near a gurney. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Nate jumped out and opened the back door. He picked Zane up and laid him on the gurney.
Ravyn scooted across the seat and ran after them. As soon as she cleared the doors, the royals surrounded her.
“I need to be with Zane,” Ravyn said as she tried to push by them.
Marisol grabbed her by her shoulders. “He’s in good hands, Ravyn, but you’re hurt as well. Let us help you.”
Ravyn sent an anxious look in the direction Zane had disappeared. “Where have they taken him?”
“Surgery,” Addison said.
“Oh, god, it’s bad,” Ravyn said as tears flooded her eyes. Her swollen eye stung and she tried to blink it and couldn’t. A sob left her lips as the reality of the situation hit her. “Is he going to die?”
“No,” Addison said. “Absolutely not. He just needs surgery right now and you need to be cleaned up and treated as well.”
Ravyn nodded, then looked down at her clothes in the bright lights of the hallway and gagged. The pants she had on were covered in blood. She gagged again, then ripped at the clothes. “Get me out of these. Now. Now.” She tried to calm herself but her breathing was going wacky and there were spots flashing before her eyes as she felt herself falling.
Cade caught her and lifted her into his arms. “Coming through,” he said, his voice loud as a nurse rushed out of a curtained area, saw him, then quickly pointed at an empty exam area. He laid Ravyn down, then stepped back as the nurse called for a doctor.
Dr. Stephens rushed in, nodded at Cade, and began examining Ravyn. “What happened to her?”
“Kidnapped, beaten up, lost consciousness, woke up to two dead men, dressed in their clothes, and escaped,” Cade said.
Dr. Stephens smiled. “Just another day at the ranch?”
Cade nodded.
“Okay, nurse, you know the routine. Blood pressure, temp, pulse, blood, and call CT. Let’s make sure her head’s okay. That’s quite a shiner she has there.” Dr. Stephens listened to Ravyn’s heart, then examined her eyes. “Get someone down here to look at this eye.”
“Yes, Doctor,” the nurse said. “Do you want her cleaned up?”
“Not until we get the CT scan back,” Dr. Stephens said.
“Bag the clothes for evidence,” Cade said.
Dr. Stephens nodded to the nurse. “Go ahead and gather evidence on her skin and beneath her nails.”
The nurse scooted by them. “I’ll get an aide to help me.”
Dr. Stephens turned to Cade. “Do you think she was raped?”
“I was listening to the rescue on the radio. She didn’t say anything about being raped.”
“I’ll ask her when she wakes up,” Dr. Stephens said.
The nurse returned, and Cade and Dr. Stephens stepped out of the exam area. Dr. Stephens pulled the curtain closed. “If you want to go check on your brother, I’ll keep you posted on her status.”
Marisol walked up to them. “I’ll stay with Ravyn, Cade.”
Cade cupped her shoulder. “Thanks, Marisol.” He released her and took off.
Chapter Eleven
Ravyn felt someone squeeze her hand. She squeezed back, then opened her good eye. Marisol smiled down at her.
“Hi,” Marisol said.
“Zane?” Ravyn asked.
Marisol gently adjusted the ice pack on her eye, then smiled. “That feel okay?”
“Yes. Zane?”
“He’s fine. Came through the surgery with flying colors. He’s in recovery.”
“Can I see him?”
“Doc will let you know. You need to rest and heal, too.”
The door opened. Addison, Jenna, and Cassie entered the room.
“Scoot over, Ravyn,” Addison said, “I’m exhausted.”
Ravyn scooted over and Addison lay down next to her and sighed. “Ah, this is so much better.”
Jenna laughed. “I swear, Addison, that baby is turning you into a turnip.”
The royals laughed and Ravyn managed a small grin. Addison hugged her. “It’s scary being kidnapped, isn’t it?”
“Terrifying,” Ravyn said. “I thought I was going to die.” A sob escaped, followed by another. Within minutes, they were all crying.
The door opened, Jackson stepped in, took one look at them, and backed out.
Jenna giggled, then Cassie and Addison giggled. Marisol laughed and squeezed Ravyn’s hand again.
“At least now we know how to get rid of them,” Marisol said. “Just turn on the tears and they head for the hills.”
Ravyn’s stomach growled and Addison sat up. “Lunch.”
Jenna frowned. “If I even think about food, I gain weight and you eat all day, Addison, and you don’t gain an ounce.”
“You look better now that you’ve put on some weight,” Addison said. “You were too skinny before. Now you’ve got all your lovely curves back.”
“Jackson won’t stop feeding me. It sucks,” Jenna said.
“You know what really sucks?” Cassie asked.
“Craving pizza and being in the hospital,” Ravyn said.
Cassie laughed. “I was going to say Addison getting us in trouble for listening to your rescue on the radio and
then she never gets spanked, but pizza sounds good, too.” She pulled out her phone and made a call. When she hung up, she said, “The pizza will be here in thirty minutes. I told them they’d have to sneak them in and they said they were used to doing that.”
“When do you think they’ll move Zane?” Ravyn asked.
“Doc said in the morning,” Cassie said as she pulled a chair closer to the bed, then sat down and propped her feet on the edge of the mattress. “Aww, that’s better. Luc caught Logan pretending to be him last night while he groveled. The backs of my thighs are still sore from the spanking he gave me.”
Marisol and Jenna grabbed chairs of their own, then took up the spaces on either side of Cassie. Jenna laughed. “Every time Jackson gets his sniper rifle out, when he comes home we have a sex marathon. I swear handling that rifle makes him hornier than hell.”
“Did you order pop?” Addison asked.
Jenna snorted. “All you think about now is food. You don’t get pop. Remember the conversation we had about caffeine and sodium?”
“Doc said I could have a pop once a week and today’s my pop day,” Addison said.
“You had pop yesterday,” Cassie said.
“Rat,” Addison said.
Ravyn slid onto her side so she could see her friends. Addison winked at her and Ravyn laughed. She was alive and Zane was alive and she was surrounded by friends. “Where’s Harper?”
“Luc and Logan have him,” Cassie said, then sighed. “He’s almost one of them now. It’s spooky.”
“Oh dear, already?” Ravyn asked.
Cassie nodded. “After Doc checked Harper, Zane went to eat, then got the call that they’d found you. When Harper woke up, Logan was with him. He took one look at him and asked him who he was. He thinks it’s really cool that he has two uncles that look alike.”
“He didn’t want to see me?” Ravyn asked, even though she told herself not to be so pathetic.
“We had to bribe him to keep him away while you slept,” Addison said. “He’s had enough rides on their shoulders to last him a lifetime.”
“Not to mention all the snacks they’ve been feeding him,” Jenna said.
“Is he sick? Hurt?” Ravyn asked.
Addison hugged her. “He’s a little thin, but Doc said other than that, he’s healthy.”
Maxwell, Mardi - Zane's Choice [The Doms of Club Mystique 4] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 20
