by Becca Van
“The authorities were transporting Ramone Perez to the maximum-security prison in Springfield. They wanted to make sure he couldn’t escape the lower-security facility. His goons had been visiting too often, and the prison guards were worried he was planning an escape. It seems that Perez and his friends on the outside had indeed planned an escape. As of late yesterday afternoon, Ramone Perez is at large.”
Shelby’s knees buckled, and she slid to the floor next to the bathtub, only vaguely aware of the sheriff’s voice droning on. Oh God. She was in deep shit. Ramone Perez had sighted her as he shot her brother, Ian. Shelby had wondered for months why he didn’t just kill her, too.
The sheriff had suggested that Perez thought she was no threat. She was just one woman, after all, cowering behind the sofa. Hurrying to leave the crime scene, Perez had jumped back in his car with his cronies and driven off.
Except he had been caught. Later that night, he and the others were picked up by Bloomington PD in connection with an assault. Shelby learned, to her horror, that Perez had loaned money to Ian, money that Ian had lost gambling. When Ian couldn’t pay, Perez had come for him and taken Shelby’s parents, too.
The crime lab matched the bullet casings at the house with those in Perez’s gun, but the key piece of the prosecution’s case was Shelby’s eyewitness testimony. Everyone connected to the case had praised her for helping to put a dangerous criminal behind bars for life. Shelby hadn’t been too comforted by that. No one could bring back her family.
Once she’d done her part, she left town, running from her memories. Now Perez had escaped, and she had something real to run from.
“Shelby? Ms. Richmond, are you there?”
“Yes.”
“Perez is seeking revenge. He talked about it to other inmates. It’s possible that his man on the outside has been keeping track of you, too. Wherever you are, I think it would be best if you come back home, where we can protect you.”
Shelby looked up when she heard a soft click as the lock to the bathroom door disengaged and then the doorknob turned. Cord entered the bathroom, took one look at her face, and reached for the phone.
“Who is this?” he asked and paused to listen. “Sheriff Conan, my name is Cord Alcott. I am an ex-cop and am part owner of a security company with my brother, Brandt, and cousins, Giles, Remy, and Brandon Alcott. We live in the small town of Slick Rock, Colorado, and as far as Shelby’s safety and protection is concerned, I think she would be safer here with us. This town is a close-knit community with retired marines, cops, and special-force operatives as well as hard ranchers and local law enforcement.
“Can you fax or e-mail me everything you’ve got on this bastard?” Cord paused again. “Okay, thank you, Sheriff. Keep me updated, and I’ll do the same.”
Cord snapped the phone closed and squatted down next to her. Shelby was looking at him, but she couldn’t understand what he was saying. Her ears were ringing, and she felt light-headed. Scenes from that horrible night flashed through her mind, and nothing seemed to make sense. Movement near the door drew her attention, and the buzzing in her ears intensified. Brandt was frowning at her and his mouth was moving, but she just shook her head. The light began to recede from her eyes, and she welcomed the darkness.
* * * *
“Shelby, what’s wrong, darlin’?” Brandt asked when her saw her white, pinched face. He grew more concerned as he moved toward her. She was looking at him with a blank expression, and her pupils were pinpoints.
“Shit.” Cord caught Shelby and pulled her against him before she slid sideways and her head hit the floor.
“What the fuck’s going on?” Brandt yelled.
“We need to get her in bed, quick. She’s in shock,” Cord stated as he lifted her up into his arms.
“Fuck, she’s so pale, Cord. I need her in my arms. I can’t stand it when she’s hurting so bad.” Brandt pulled the covers back and got into bed.
Cord placed Shelby on the bed next to him, and he moved her onto her side and wrapped his body around hers. Her skin was cold and clammy, and Brandt didn’t like it. He hated seeing her ill and scared.
Cord climbed in on the other side of Shelby, moving up close so that she was sandwiched between them, sharing their body heat.
“Tell me,” Brandt demanded. He listened as Cord repeated everything he’d learned from the call from Sheriff Conan. Instantly, Brandt shifted into police mode. He filed information away, began making connections, tried to see the case as Sheriff Conan saw it. At the same time, fierce determination filled him. He looked at Shelby’s pale face and resolved that nothing was going to happen to their woman.
“Okay, we can deal with this. There is no way in hell she’s leaving our sight. We’ll get Giles, Remy, and Brandon in to help protect her as well as Sheriffs Luke Sun-Walker and Damon Osborne. And if that’s not enough, we’ll commandeer Damon’s brothers Sam and Tyson, too.”
“Don’t forget about Britt and Daniel Delaney. They are two spooky dudes, but they’re on our side. And I know Clay and Johnny Morten could take down a perp with a rifle without blinking an eye.”
“I’ll set up a meeting on Monday morning. We can distribute copies of Sheriff Conan’s files.” He looked back to Shelby’s face, relieved that color was returning to her skin. “Right now we need to concentrate on Shelby.”
“She’s been through hell already, Brandt. We have to make sure she’s seen the last of hell on earth.”
Just then Shelby moaned and stirred. Brandt rubbed a hand up and down her arm, hoping his presence and touch were enough to keep her calm. He looked over at Cord and saw his brother brushing the hair back from her face and whispering in her ear. Even though he couldn’t hear what his sibling was saying to Shelby, Brandt knew that he was reassuring her so she wouldn’t wake up scared.
It seemed to work, because when she opened her eyes, the glazed, panicked look was gone and her body didn’t tense.
“Are you okay, darlin’?”
Shelby turned her head to look at him, smiled, and gave a slight nod. Her eyes showed her unease, though. Brandt thought how strange it was that they knew all about the incident with Perez, first from overhearing Shelby tell Kayli and now from Sheriff Conan, but Shelby herself hadn’t told them. He wished that she would. Not only would it be a token of her trust, but he thought that some of the anguish in her eyes would be released if she could just talk about it with them.
Now wasn’t the time, though. No matter how long it took her to tell them, he and Cord would wait.
“We’ll take care of you, baby. We won’t let that bastard near you. I spoke with the sheriff from Bloomington, and he agreed that the safest place for you to be was right here with us. He is going to keep us in the loop, and he’s put out an APB on Perez. That bulletin has been sent nationwide, so if Ramone pops up on the radar anywhere, he’ll be back behind bars before he can blink.”
“Thank you, Cord, Brandt. But the last thing I want is for you to be in the line of fire,” Shelby stated emotionlessly. “I think it would be best if I went back home.”
“Why?” Cord snapped.
Shelby disentangled herself from him and Cord then crawled off the bed. She pulled a robe on and then turned to look at them.
“Why do you think?” she asked without inflection and walked out.
Cord rose to his feet and jerked his jeans on. Brandt sighed and followed suit. It looked like their plans for the morning were flying out the window, but he didn’t really care about that. What he did care about, or should he say who he cared about, was Shelby. And it seemed she was going to do her damndest to keep him and his brother out of the line of fire. God, she was amazing. Except there was no way in hell he was letting her leave and put herself in danger. The best way to keep her alive and safe was with him and Cord.
They found her standing motionless in the kitchen, looking out the window. “Shelby, be reasonable. You can’t go back home. You don’t know if Perez has friends watching your apartment and you
r parents’ house. They could even be watching the sheriff’s office, just waiting to follow you. Perez is after you. He’s made that clear.”
“You don’t understand.” She spun around to face him and leaned against the kitchen counter.
“Yes, we do, darlin’,” Brandt said as he walked toward her. “What you don’t understand is that we are trained to protect people and take down the perps. Have you forgotten what we did before the security company?”
“No. And I know you think you can keep me safe. But what if you can’t? What if he comes after you to get to me?” she said with a hitch in her breathing. “I can’t and won’t live with that. Too many people have already died. Please, you have to let me go.”
Brandt reached out and pulled Shelby into his arms as she broke down. For all that she was trying to keep her emotions at bay, their little woman cared about what happened to him and his brother. He looked over as Cord came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His face held just as much anguish as he imagined his did.
“Baby, you’ve got to stop worrying about everyone else except you,” Cord said as he held her close. “You’re the one in danger, Shelby. This town is full of very skilled law enforcement officers as well as retired marines and operatives. Please just calm down and listen to what we have to say. Then if you decide you want to go back to Bloomington, you can, but we will be coming with you.”
“Come on and sit down, darlin’,” Brandt said and guided her to the table. Once they were seated with fresh mugs of coffee, he and Cord began to explain that they were going to call on all the men living in Slick Rock. Then he told her about their intention of setting up a meeting first thing tomorrow morning. When they were done, they sat back and watched her as she processed the new information.
“It sounds like this place will have more than enough trained men to help out, but I don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of me.”
“Baby, you aren’t the person causing trouble. You’re not the one that went on a killing rampage. You have to get that sort of thinking out of your head right now. If you don’t, you’re going to make yourself ill. It’s. Not. Your. Fault.”
“Cord’s right, Shelby. None of this is your burden,” Brandt reiterated. “If you want to blame someone, then place the blame at the feet of Ramone Perez.”
Shelby sighed and clutched the mug between her hands. Brandt didn’t know if it was for warmth or to stop the trembling, but she clung to that mug like a lifeline. Finally she lifted her head and looked to Cord and then to him.
“Can I attend the meeting?”
“Are you going to stay?” Cord queried.
“Yes. You’re right. I think my options will be better if I stay here.” She took a deep breath. “But you better be prepared, because I have a feeling it won’t be long before he finds me.”
“Is that the only reason you’re staying, darlin’?” Brandt asked, already knowing what the answer was. When Shelby lowered her eyes and shook her head, he felt the knot in his chest fade and his heart fill up with hope. He didn’t push her to elaborate. Brandt didn’t want her to feel pressured, but he knew then, in that moment, that Shelby was definitely the woman he and Cord had been waiting for.
Glancing up at his brother, he saw hope and love blazing out of his eyes before he concealed his expression. Brandt gave him a quick grin and then closed down his emotions when Shelby looked up at them. They had only just gotten her to agree to stay with them where they could protect her. Admitting their feelings too quickly would only send her running.
But that wasn’t going to happen. Brandt was going to make sure she would never have to run from anyone ever again.
Chapter Eight
Shelby waited nervously for the men Cord and Brandt had told her were about to arrive. She’d outfitted the boardroom of the Slick Rock Security offices with a big urn full of coffee on a side table, along with cream, sugar, and some cakes and pastries she had bought from the diner. Glancing at her watch again, she noted that no more than a minute had passed since the last time she had looked.
Cord and Brandt had been in their office, on and off the phone, all morning. Now Brandt entered the room, giving her a smile and a wink, and began to place folders on the large table in front of the chairs. When he was done, he walked over to her, placed his hands on her waist, and pulled her in tight against his body.
“Why are you so jumpy, darlin’?”
Shelby craned her neck and quickly lowered it again as pain pulled along the tense muscles. “I don’t know. It’s just that I hate to be a bother. All of this is because of me.”
“How many times do we have to tell you none of this is your fault, baby?” Cord asked as he entered the room, leaning into her back.
Shelby shivered with desire as their clean, masculine scents assailed her nostrils and their warmth wrapped her in comfort and desire. Her breath hitched and she gasped when Cord pushed his hips against the small of her back. The action drove her into Brandt, and she couldn’t help but be aware of the bulge in his pants, pressing against her stomach.
Brandt groaned, nudged her chin up with a finger, moved back a little, and bent down. He covered her mouth in a hot, wet kiss, which set her body on fire. They hadn’t made love to her since that first time, a couple of nights ago, and Shelby was craving their touch. She appreciated the fact they hadn’t made a move on her again, since she had woken up sore, but now that she’d had their hands, mouths, and cocks in and on her, she needed to feel them again.
Whimpering with need, she tangled her tongue with Brandt’s and lost herself in sensation. If it hadn’t been for someone clearing his throat and interrupting, Shelby wondered how far Brandt would have gone. When he pulled back from her, he kept his arms around her waist and pulled her into his side. She looked up to see him grinning sheepishly at someone across the room.
“Shelby, this is Sheriff Damon Osborne and his brothers, Tyson and Sam,” Cord said.
Shelby’s head was spinning by the time the room was full of men. Some she had already met, and others she hadn’t. There was Tom and Billy Eagle from the Double E Ranch and their good friend Sheriff Luke Sun-Walker, ranchers Clay and Johnny Morten, as well as Seamus and Connell O’Hara. Sitting next to the O’Haras were Britt and Daniel Delaney, and Giles, Remy, and Brandon were seated on the other side of the table. As she glanced about the room, her gaze touching on all the men, she noted how tall, muscular, and handsome they all were. None of the men in her hometown of Bloomington measured up to their masculinity, at least none of the men she had seen.
Turning back to the urn, she filled the rest of the mugs with coffee and placed them on the table. She had already moved the cream and sugar to the middle of the boardroom table.
“Come and sit down, darlin’,” Brandt said and drew her with him, seating her between him and Cord. “Just let us talk things out, and if you have any questions, you can ask later. Okay?”
Shelby nodded and wondered what she was supposed to ask. She had no idea how this sort of stuff worked.
“I hear you have some business competition, Sam,” Luke Sun-Walker said.
“Yeah, looks like, but to be honest I’m sort of glad that Quin and his brothers have set up business. I had so much work there was a backlog of more than three months,” Sam replied.
“So you’re not worried about the other mechanics setting up business in town?” Billy Eagle asked with a grin.
“Nah. The Badons are good friends of ours. They served alongside us. I know they won’t hog business, and neither will I.”
“They were marines, too?” Brandt queried.
“Yeah. We can call on them, too, if needed,” said Sheriff Damon Osborne.
“That’s good to know.” Cord cleared his throat. “Okay, let’s get down to business, gentlemen.”
Cord and Brandt proceeded to outline the danger Shelby was in. They didn’t sugarcoat the situation. In fact, by the time they had finished, she was even more scared than she had been t
o begin with. Cord pointed out that even though it was Ramone Perez who was the danger to her, he could also be using his gang members to help him get to her. And as far as he was concerned, that was a problem.
The information Sheriff Percy Conan had sent them only had some information on the thugs Perez ran with. God knows how many others the authorities didn’t know about. Brandt went through the files, pointing out who would more than likely be working with Ramone, and even showed photographs of some of his cohorts, but what worried Shelby the most were the ones they didn’t have information on.
“All right, that about wraps it up, gentlemen,” Cord stated. “As soon as I get any updates from the Bloomington sheriff, I’ll pass them over, but until then we have to keep vigilant. This asshole and his gang have a predilection for harming women. They don’t care whether they are single or in a relationship, and they don’t seem to have a fondness for a particular look. Tell your women so they are more alert, and I wouldn’t let them go anywhere without one of you beside them.
“On the last sheet of paper in your folders you have a list of all our cell phone numbers. I suggest you program yours but most especially your women’s cells with them. That way they can call on any of us for help if necessary.
“The new motel won’t be leasing any rooms to anyone until this bastard is back in prison where he belongs, and neither will the club. As far as we are concerned, this town is on lockdown. If any strangers enter our home, we all want to know about it. Any questions?”
“Nos” were the answer as the men gathered their folders and began to file out of the room.
“Oh my God. What have I done?” Shelby groaned. If she’d had any idea what she was up against, she would never have agreed to stay. “I think I should leave. I can’t be responsible for anyone else getting hurt.”
“Shelby, none of this is your fault or your responsibility, sweetheart,” Sheriff Damon Osborne stated as he rose to his feet. “You are not putting anyone else in danger. That asshole is. You won’t be safer anywhere else. This town is full of military-trained men and hard ranchers, not to mention your men, who are ex-law, along with their cousins. We won’t let anything happen to you or any of the other women in this town. Just make sure you do as you’re told and are never alone. It’ll all be over before you know it, honey.”
