by Donna Grant
He grinned, but there was no mirth in it. “I may not be in the military, but I’ll always be a SEAL. And everything I learned is going to come in handy.”
“Please, don’t go after this person on your own.”
Clayton stopped as he started to walk away. He turned back to look at Danny. “Give me a few hours. Once you know the name, you’ll swarm the place and possibly ruin any chance I have of discovering who all is involved.”
“What makes you think it’s more than one person?”
“It took skill to steal the herd and bull from us. And it took several men and trailers. One person might be running this, but I want everyone involved.”
Danny raised a brow. “And Brice? He’s part of it, and he refused to give us anything.”
“I think he may change his mind now. Either way, the sheriff’s department can’t go barreling in.”
“Dammit,” Danny muttered as he ran a hand through his hair. He glared at Clayton. “I’ll give you some time, but don’t make me regret it. SEAL or not, I’ll still arrest your ass.”
Clayton gave a nod. “Understood.”
He left the house and got in the truck. The boys were in the backseat, silent as death. Clayton glanced at his father before he started the truck and backed up before turning the vehicle around.
While he felt better knowing that Abby wasn’t in mortal danger, the fact remained that someone shot her. He was going to find out who that was.
And he would make the person pay.
Painfully.
By the time he parked the truck in the hospital parking lot, he’d thought of twelve different ways he could take out the people who had hurt Abby and her brothers—each one more satisfying than the last.
Clayton led the way into the hospital and was directed to the ER where they had Abby. His steps slowed when he saw her lying so still on the bed with the IV bag and monitors beeping. Blue curtains hung, sectioning off Abby’s bed from others.
“She was awake earlier,” Caleb said in a voice strained with worry.
Clayton put his hand on the teen’s shoulder. “It’s most likely the pain medicine,” he explained.
His dad motioned for the boys to follow him. “Come. You’ll see that she’ll wake soon.”
Clayton slowly followed the three of them to the bed. Brice took one side and Caleb the other. They stared down at their sister for a long moment before they grabbed her hands.
He saw a tear roll down Brice’s face. Clayton couldn’t press him for information on the cattle rustlers. Now wasn’t the time. But soon. After what those people had done to the Harpers’ house and to Abby, surely Brice would talk.
“I’m going to call your mother,” his dad whispered before walking away.
Clayton stood at the foot of the bed noting how pale Abby looked. The bright white bandage that peeked out from her hospital gown was a reminder of how close she’d come to death.
“I hit one of them,” Caleb said. “I hit him so hard I heard him cuss. And my bat cracked.”
Clayton looked at the youngest Harper. “You did good.”
“I should’ve aimed higher. Or lower. The lights were out,” he said, his breathing becoming harsh. “Only the headlights coming through the living room gave us light. I tried a switch, but the lights didn’t come on. That’s when we heard them.”
Brice stood silently as another tear rolled down his cheek.
Caleb drew in a ragged breath. “If I’d hit lower, I might have taken one of them out and moved on to the other. Hell, I don’t even know how many there were.”
“Hey,” Clayton said, drawing Caleb’s gaze. “I want you to listen to me. You did a good job hurting them. No matter how much you could’ve done, it’s never enough when someone is harmed. Trust me. I know this.”
“I almost threw up when I saw her blood,” Caleb confessed.
Clayton looked from Caleb to Brice, waiting until both boys had their eyes on him. “No one is going to hurt either of you or your sister again. I’m going to make sure of it.”
Chapter 25
Even in a drug-induced sleep, Abby still heard the sounds of gunshots in her dreams, still felt the impact of Caleb’s body against hers.
She hadn’t wanted to leave Caleb and Brice, but the paramedics hadn’t given her a choice. So as she pushed through the fog of the painkillers, her mind was focused on them.
When she came to, she felt something in each hand. Her eyes opened, and she saw Brice first. He was slumped in the chair next to the bed with his neck at an awkward angle while he held her hand.
She turned her head to the other side and found Caleb with his head resting on his arm on her bed as he, too, held her hand. She smiled, her heart full, knowing that her brothers were safe and unharmed after such a horrific incident.
Abby looked at the end of the bed as she felt a pull. That’s when she spotted Clayton. A rush of emotion filled her, causing her to blink back tears. He nodded, his own face tight with emotion. She knew without asking that he was the one who had brought her brothers to the hospital.
“They wouldn’t leave,” he whispered.
She pressed her lips together, fighting back the rush of tears. Once she realized she’d been shot, she’d put on a brave face for her brothers, and now that they weren’t looking, she could let her fear show.
“Thank you,” she mouthed.
He briefly looked down at the bed. Just as his lips parted as if he were going to say something, Brice stirred. She watched as her brother’s eyes parted, glancing her way before they shut again. A moment later, he jerked upright, his eyes open once more.
“Abby,” he said.
Caleb grunted before he lifted his head and blinked several times at her. The tears she thought she had under control filled her eyes when her brothers both hugged her. She held them tightly while looking at Clayton, uncaring that her wounded arm began to throb painfully.
“I’m fine,” she told them. “But you two need to rest.”
Caleb rubbed his stiff neck. “Clayton said we’re staying at the ranch.”
“That’s very kind,” she said to Clayton.
He shrugged. “Your sister’s right. You should rest. Dad was here earlier, but Mom came to get him. I’ve already texted her to come get the two of you now. She’s been cooking all night, and she expects you to gorge yourselves when you get there.”
“Soooooo, no school?” Caleb asked her hopefully.
Abby squeezed his hand. “I think we all deserve the next few days off.”
“Someone needs to stay with you,” Brice said.
“I’ll be doing that,” Clayton announced.
Abby watched her brother consider Clayton’s words. Finally, Brice gave a nod of acceptance. They had a few more minutes together, which allowed Abby to look over her brothers to make sure neither had been physically harmed. And then Clayton walked them to the exit where Justine waited to drive them home.
A nurse came in to check Abby’s vitals and bandage while Clayton was gone. She had Abby sit on the side of the bed while she went about her examination.
Abby hated the smells of hospitals almost as much as she hated the sight of one. It reminded her of her father suffering through months of tests before they discovered that he had some rare disease. She couldn’t even recall what it was, only that it had eaten away at him slowly, extending his misery until he was so full of painkillers that he no longer remembered her.
“How is she?” Clayton asked the nurse as he walked up holding a small bag.
The nurse smiled in greeting. “It’s a graze, which is good, but it doesn’t hurt any less.”
“I know,” he said.
Abby had seen the scars on his body. If anyone knew what kind of pain she felt, it was Clayton. She started to reach out to him but thought better of it. However, he had other ideas. He set the bag down and then came to sit beside her, folding her right hand in both of his large ones. His touch reassured her, comforted her.
Eased her.
“You’re going to be in some pain for a few days,” the nurse said as she removed the IV from Abby’s left arm. “The doctor has sent in a prescription for pain meds to the pharmacy for you to take as needed. Don’t move around too much. You need to give your body time to heal.”
Abby frowned when the nurse signed something on the chart she carried. The removal of the IV was good news, or so she hoped. “Does that mean I can go?”
“It does. I’m getting your paperwork started now. Give me a few minutes. Until then, you can get dressed.”
Abby couldn’t leave the hospital quickly enough. She and Clayton didn’t talk about what had happened, but he kept a hold of her hand.
“There’s some clean clothes,” Clayton said as he jerked his chin to the bag near a chair.
She didn’t know who had gotten them for her, but she was thankful since she didn’t relish putting on her shirt that was covered in blood. In fact, she wasn’t even sure where her clothes were.
It was midmorning when Clayton helped her into his truck before he pulled her against him. She drew in a deep breath, letting his scent of man, leather, and strength fill her. His hand rubbed up and down her back. He didn’t say a word, just held her. And that’s all it took for the tears to start.
She’d been terrified of dying, of her brothers getting hurt, of so many things. In his arms, she could let down her walls and allow him to shoulder her worries and fears for a few minutes. And once she began crying, she couldn’t seem to stop.
She didn’t know how long they sat there before her tears dried and she lifted her head to look at him. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’ve never been so scared as when Danny called to tell me something had happened. He wouldn’t tell me more than that.”
She ran a hand down his face. “Why did Danny call you?”
“Brice told him to.”
She would have to thank Brice later for that. While they had known the Easts for only a few days, it felt like years. “I need to see what was stolen from the house.”
Clayton shook his head as his face hardened. “You’re not going back there. You don’t need to see that.”
“I have to. It’s our home. I have to get it cleaned up.”
But he kept shaking his head. “We’ll hire someone to do it. You don’t want to go back. Trust me.”
“What don’t you want me to see?” she asked.
He blew out a breath, his head turning away for a moment. “The people who broke into your house weren’t thieves.”
“How do you know that?”
“They destroyed everything. They even busted walls.”
She frowned, not comprehending what she was hearing. “But … why?”
“I think this is about the stolen cattle. And the 4B ranch I went to check out yesterday.”
Her stomach clenched in dread. “I didn’t think you saw anything.”
“I didn’t. But someone must have seen me.”
She leaned back in the seat, her stomach churning in fear. “Then you did find the right place.”
“Yes,” he replied with a single nod.
“And the people think Brice told you.”
Clayton drew in a breath and released it before he nodded once more.
She put a hand to her forehead as she looked out the windshield. “Which means that they were there to carry out their threat against him.”
“I don’t think he was the target.”
Her gaze jerked to him as her arm fell to her side. “You think it was me? You’re wrong. They fired two shots before aiming at me.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I’m reaching in thinking that they threatened to do you or Caleb harm if Brice told.”
She wasn’t sure what to think anymore. All she knew was that people had broken into their home, wrecked their things, and shot her. Did it really matter who those people had threatened?
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
He slid a hand around to her neck and pulled her toward him for a long, lingering kiss that made her melt and forget about all the horror of the night before. Her body became languid, and it had nothing to do with the pain medicine and everything to do with the wonderful, hot man holding her.
His touch, the taste of him, had the ability to wipe away all the horror of the past few hours and replace it with a burning desire only he could quench. She didn’t question her feelings or allow herself to think of anything other than Clayton. Because for the first time, she not only felt safe, she knew she—and her brothers—was completely protected by him.
And that did wonders for her state of mind.
Clayton ended the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m going to take you home and get you settled.”
She smiled when he said “home,” and didn’t correct him. The ranch did feel like home, but she cautioned herself about getting attached. For her brothers’ sakes, as well as her own, she needed to keep things in perspective.
Clayton had asked her to work for him. He was giving Brice a second chance. And they’d had sex. Twice. That didn’t mean they were in a relationship.
While her heart argued that no man would’ve gone to get her brothers and stayed at the hospital if he didn’t care, she admitted to herself that she did want a relationship with him. She wanted … everything with him.
“Then,” Clayton continued, “I’m going to dig deeper into the name you gave me.”
Ronald Baxter. “I know him. Well, I knew of him. He was ahead of me in school.”
Clayton held her gaze and promised, “He won’t hurt you.”
She put her hand over his heart, felt it beating beneath her palm. “I know.”
They drove back to the ranch with the sound of the radio in the background. Every time she blinked, she saw the shadows of the night before and the flash of the gun. She’d slept in the hospital thanks to the painkillers, but she wasn’t sure about later that night. What if someone had come to her house not to just wreck everything, but to hurt one of them? Worse, what if one of her brothers had been shot? Or killed?
Abby turned her head to Clayton. “What if you’re wrong about it being Baxter who came to the house?”
“That’s why I’m going to do a little digging.”
“I don’t want you hurt.”
The smile he gave her was cold and full of lethal intent. “Oh, I hope they do come for me. I’ll show those assholes a thing or two.”
“Clayton, please.”
“Abby, they shot you and fired two more rounds into the house from a gun that could have been pointed at Brice or Caleb. They destroyed your home. And they could be the same people who stole our cattle. I’m not going to sit back and do nothing.”
She licked her lips. “The police would think differently.”
“Yeah. I know,” he murmured as he slowed the truck before turning into the ranch.
“Brice could give you the answers.”
Clayton glanced at her. “Yes, he could. I watched him for hours before he fell asleep in that chair at the hospital. He’s scared, yes, but he’s more worried about you and Caleb. It’s how I know whoever he’s working with threatened the two of you and not him.”
“I can get him to tell you.”
“He needs to come to me on his own.”
“I’m not so sure he will,” she said.
Clayton pulled in to the garage and turned off the truck. “He knows what he has to do. He’s working through it. Give him some time.”
“You make it sound as if you don’t think whoever those people are will come here.”
“I don’t think they will. You were an easy target. And if they’d wanted you dead, you would be. Last night was a warning.”
She couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down her spine. “For Brice to keep his mouth shut.”
“I drove around the address you gave me yesterday, but I didn’t look too hard. That could be the only thing that kept you alive.”
“That’s stup
id,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “If they threatened me to keep Brice quiet, wouldn’t killing me do the opposite?”
Clayton’s lips twisted as he gave her a rueful look. “I think they have the cattle somewhere that can’t be easily found, otherwise, why warn Brice? But I think if they planned to hurt anyone, it would be Caleb. That way, you’re still there to take care of Brice.”
She covered her mouth, sick to her stomach at how easily some people could think of taking a life.
“Abby,” Clayton said to get her attention. Once she looked at him, he said, “I’m going to do some snooping on my own. I’m hoping during that time, Brice will figure out that the best option is to tell me the truth. Either way, I’m going to find out everything. It’ll go quicker and easier with your brother, but it will get done regardless.”
“You won’t take these people on by yourself, will you?”
He hesitated before shaking his head. “I promised Danny I’d inform him of what I knew.”
It was a small concession. And it was all she was going to get.
Chapter 26
“He knows.”
Gus Lewis slammed his can of beer down on the granite island, uncaring that the alcohol splashed on him. He glared across at Terry Perez. “Enough, goddammit!”
Terry’s hazel eyes narrowed. “Deny it all you want, but you’re as scared as I am.”
“What can one man do?” Berny asked from the couch as he lifted the bottle of tequila to his lips.
Gus glanced at Berny, who had bags of frozen peas on his left arm and ribs. “Clayton East was a SEAL, you dumb fuck.”
“So?” Berny said before issuing a loud burp.
“He’s drunk,” Terry stated.
Gus grunted. If he’d received the whooping the kid had given Berny with the bat, he probably would’ve gotten drunk, too. “I think he has a broken arm.”
“We’ll wait until he passes out before we set it.”
Gus downed the last of the beer even though it was now flat. It was supposed to have been a simple job. Steal some cattle from the largest ranch around. The Easts had so many, they wouldn’t miss a hundred or so.
Fuck. Had they ever been wrong.
