by Becca Van
Shelby screamed again as rough hands grabbed the back of her shirt and hauled her to her feet. She tried to cling to Cord, but she was pulled away. She was shaking so much she could barely stand, and she shook even harder when the barrel of a gun was placed at her temple.
“Move, bitch,” a voice spat near her ear. The rough hands began pulling her away. Shelby didn’t dare turn her head, but the man moved alongside her and she saw his face in profile. It was the same face that she saw in her nightmares.
Shelby stumbled when her ankle nearly gave way, but Perez held her up by her shirt. She was sobbing uncontrollably, scared that Cord was dead. Perez didn’t let up, just kept dragging her toward the front of the house, down the driveway, and out onto the street.
She looked around frantically, hoping to see someone she could call to for help, but there was no one. Cord and Brandt’s property was on the outskirts of town on a huge tract of land, and the nearest neighbor was a mile away.
She cried out with pain when her foot landed on a rock and wrenched her already-injured ankle. She couldn’t stop herself from falling to her knees. Ramone Perez pushed the barrel of his gun harder into her temple and bent closer toward her.
“Nothing you do is going to stop me. So get up or I’ll shoot you now.”
Shelby pushed to her feet and winced when pain shot through her ankle but clenched her teeth and began to limp toward the truck Perez guided her to. He shoved her into the passenger seat and wound his way around to the driver’s side of the car. She cringed against the door when Perez got in and started the car. She prayed to God to save Cord.
* * * *
Cord moaned in pain and frowned when he couldn’t work out what the persistent buzzing noise was. He couldn’t remember where he was or why his shoulder was on fire. “Shelby!” he roared as memory slammed into him. Groaning with pain, he sat up and looked about as he reached for his cell phone. Ignoring the incoming text, he hit the speed dial for his brother.
“Brandt, I think Perez has Shelby. He snuck up on me and shot me. Call everyone in,” he barked into the phone. “I have to get to the doctor’s so he can patch me up.”
“How bad are you hurt?” Brandt asked with concern.
“Shoulder wound. I think it’s just a graze, but I hit my fucking head on the deck. Must have knocked me out for a bit. I’ll meet you all at the doc’s.”
“I’ll get Damon and his brothers to begin searching for Shelby. See you there. Hurry.”
Cord raced to his truck and spun the wheels in the gravel when he planted his foot. Five minutes later he was inside the doctor’s office, tucking his gun into the waistband of his jeans after Brandt handed it over. Luke and Sam rushed through the door as the doctor began inspecting his wound. Britt, Daniel, and the others who had promised to help keep their woman safe were on their phones via conference call, as they were still in transit. He flinched when the doctor disinfected the groove across his shoulder but listened as Luke spoke.
“We got a print off that stolen car. It was definitely Ramone Perez. I have an APB out on him, but we don’t know what he’s driving now. I was surprised he actually did his own dirty work instead of making one of his goons do it. That means he’s desperate, and desperate men are dangerous. I’m hoping we get to him first, but our first and only priority is getting Shelby away from him safe and sound, so if any of you find her and can get her out safe, do it.”
“Um, there is something I think you need to know,” the doctor interrupted. “If you gentlemen would leave for a moment, I need to speak to my patient privately.”
Everyone cleared the room, but the doctor detained Brandt before he could leave.
“I don’t like to break patient confidentiality. In fact, I am totally against it, but I think under the circumstances you should know.”
“What?” Cord barked impatiently. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, the woman you love is in danger,” the doctor conceded. “Shelby is pregnant.”
Cord drew in a gasp of air and closed his eyes. When he opened them he pinned the doctor with his gaze.
“Are you sure? When did you do a test?”
“When she needed an X-ray, I had to ask if there was a possibility she could have conceived. I needed to take the necessary precautions to protect the fetus. She asked for a pregnancy test that same day.”
“Fuck. We have to get her back, Cord. I love her so damn much.”
“Thanks, Doc. Let’s go.”
Cord exited the room with Brandt at his heels. They entered the waiting room just as Luke finished a call on his cell.
“Okay, thanks. Keep me posted.”
“Any news?” asked Cord.
“No. No one has spotted a man and woman traveling together in a vehicle, at least not the ones we’re looking for.”
“Have you got all the roads covered? Shit, they could be long gone. I have no idea how long I was out,” Cord snapped with frustration.
“I have most of the roads in and out of Slick Rock covered, but there are only so many people I can call on.”
Cord’s cell phone vibrated. He looked at the screen, surprised to see Quin’s number displayed.
“Yeah.”
“Cord, I just saw Shelby pass by the garage in a car with a strange man. She looked scared. He was heading on the back road toward County Road Q1. Pierson is following but keeping out of sight. What’s going on?”
Cord quickly explained and then cursed when he realized he should have brought the Badons in from the first. He trusted them, but they were so new to town that he wasn’t accustomed to accounting for them in his plans.
“We’ll come to your shop. Let us know if Pierson contacts you.”
Within minutes, everyone had gathered at Badon Mechanics. Damon Osborne, Slick Rock’s other sheriff, brought a large map of the area, which they spread out in the back office.
“Here’s County Road Q1. It’s my guess that Perez is aiming for the small ravines and canyons surrounding this area.” Daman pointed on the map. “What sort of vehicle was he driving?”
“A four-by-four.”
“Fuck. That means he could go anywhere off road. There are a lot of caves in this area. If it was me and I was planning to take someone out, I would do it here.” Damon pointed again to a spot on the map slightly southeast of where they were.
“That looks like pretty rough terrain even for a truck,” Luke commented.
“Yeah, but not impossible,” Damon replied.
Quin’s cell rang, interrupting the conversation. He put his phone on speaker.
“Quin, they’ve gone off road. I’m not familiar with the area, and it looks too rough for my truck,” Pierson said.
“Tell me where you are. We’re coming to meet you.”
“Whoever is coming, make sure they have four-wheel drive. Bring the dirt bikes.”
“Be there soon,” Quin signed off.
“You have dirt bikes? Where are they?” Brandt asked anxiously.
“Out back. We were going to do some riding but haven’t had the chance yet.”
“Thank God, where are the keys?” Cord asked desperately. He wanted to be out there looking for Shelby and getting her away from Perez.
Grayson plucked two sets of keys from a board on the far wall of the workshop and tossed them to Cord and Brandt.
He and Cord headed immediately for the back door. “Wait,” Damon called out. “You had better take these with you. I’m not sure how far the cell network reaches.”
Cord accepted the police radios and handed one to Brandt. He fitted the key to the right bike on the first try and kick-started the engine. Brandt got on the other bike, and moments later they went fishtailing out of the lot onto the road.
Cord spotted Pierson sitting in his truck on the side of the road. He put his arm out the open window and pointed toward the line of trees off the left side of the tarmac. Cord gave him a wave of thanks. He applied the brakes and kicked back two gears, leaning over the handlebars of
the bike as the terrain grew rough.
The urgency to get to Shelby was eating at him, and he was glad Brandt had handed over his .38, which was tucked into the waistband at the back of his jeans. He watched the ground, looking for tire tracks, and spotted them immediately.
Ten minutes later, he spotted the four-by-four just around a bend. He slid the bike to a stop, and Brandt pulled in alongside him.
“He’s going to know we are here. He’ll have heard us coming a mile away. The noise from the engines carries.”
“I know, but we have to get to her, Brandt. Maybe one of us can distract him while the other creeps up on him.”
“Okay, let’s go. Keep your eyes open. He’s probably on higher ground so he can see us coming.”
Cord and Brandt made sure their cell phones were on silent and turned the volume of the police radios down. The last thing they needed was to alert Perez to how close they were getting if they found him.
“Footprints.” Cord pointed. There were two sets in the sand. The larger prints fell steadily, indicating a man walking.
Cord’s anxiety ratcheted up at the sight of the smaller prints. They were uneven, like a woman had been limping.
Cord took the lead, following the trail but watching his surroundings. Outcroppings of bare rock provided cover for them, but they could also hide Shelby or Perez. The footprints didn’t veer off into a hiding place, though.
The trail led them unerringly toward a steep cliff face. The riverbed at its base was long since dry and filled with brush and boulders. As the ground grew rockier, the trail became patchy. Still they didn’t sight Perez or Shelby.
Frantic with worry for the woman he loved, he halted at the base of the cliff and scanned upward. The back of his neck prickled, and his gut felt like it was full of lead. They were getting close. He always followed his instincts.
Using hand signals, he ordered Brandt to backtrack around the large boulders to cover him. Perez was so close that Cord could feel him practically breathing down his neck.
* * * *
Shelby was scared and in pain, but that all seemed so inconsequential after seeing Cord shot right before her eyes. There had been so much blood. She had been too shocked to look for the wound. Hunching against the passenger-side door, she thought she caught Quin looking at her strangely as Perez sped past their workshop. She tried to look back, but they were going too fast and Badon Mechanics was nearly already out of sight. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on how she had last seen Cord.
It had all happened so fast, and her body and mind had immediately gone into shock.
Shelby thought of the love she felt for her men and how they loved her in return. She hadn’t even had the guts to tell them how she felt, and now she might never get that chance. Covering her stomach, she vowed to her baby she would do everything she could to get them both out of this alive. This was her chance at true happiness, and she wasn’t going to let Perez take that away from her.
Perez slowed the vehicle and turned. He was taking them off road. Shit. How the hell is anyone going to find me now? What if Cord is still unconscious or, God forbid, dead? Perez drove for what seemed close to half an hour, as the going was slow over the rough terrain. Shelby asked herself where he might be taking her and why he hadn’t just shot her back at the house, but her mind was blank. Finally, he stopped the vehicle. He’d held the gun pinned against the steering wheel, but now he pointed at her once more.
“Get out, and don’t try anything or I’ll put a bullet in you.”
Shelby opened the door, but she answered, “As opposed to what?”
Girl, don’t mouth off. But she knew he wanted to kill her, and she didn’t understand why he was taking her out here instead of shooting her back at the house.
With courage she didn’t know she had, she demanded, “Where are you taking me?”
“I lost six months of my life because of you. I could have lost a lot more than that. I’m glad I didn’t run you down the other day. I’ve decided I want you to die slowly. Now get out!”
Perez shoved her, and Shelby tumbled off the passenger seat. She reached for the passenger door and bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood when her newly wrenched ankle threatened to give way beneath her as she tried to stand. She clutched at the door and breathed deeply, pushing the pain to the back of her mind. By the time she was back in control, Perez had walked around to her side of the truck.
“Move,” he yelled, pushing the gun into her back.
Shelby let herself be guided, watching and waiting for an opportunity to escape. She knew she was no match in the strength department to Perez, because he had to weigh at least twice what she did, but if she found a way to get away from him, she wasn’t going to waste it.
Only halfway up the side of a steep rock wall, Shelby cried out with pain as her ankle finally gave out. Grabbing onto a small bush, she tried to pull herself up, but the branch broke. Perez grabbed her arm in a bruising grip and half dragged her the rest of the way. Just below the top of the precipitous cliff was a small opening in the rock. Perez had to duck and nearly bend in half to enter, but he didn’t stop or care as he hauled her behind him. He pushed her away from him roughly, and she landed on her hands and knees on the cave floor. Scrabbling to get as far away from him as she could, she hunched against one of the stone walls.
Shelby began to get angry. Angry for her parents and brother. Furious at how scared she had been because of this bastard and enraged at him for hurting Cord. If she was going to go down, then she was going to go down fighting.
Perez stood over her with the gun pointed at her, his finger around the trigger and an evil smile on his face.
Chapter Thirteen
Brandt kept back from the cliff face, sheltering behind some boulders while Cord investigated the open space before the cliff. They had worked together in the police force and now in security, and each knew how the other thought. Cord was placing himself out in the open, in danger, hoping to draw Perez out while Brandt provided cover, and he tried to locate the fucker the moment he stepped into view.
Keeping half an eye on Cord, he scanned the face of the cliff. Halfway up the cliff wall, Brandt spotted a small bush with a broken limb. Scrutinizing the spot, he let his eyes wander up and saw a small opening in the rock. Signaling Cord to get his attention, he pointed out the hole. Cord nodded that he’d seen it. There was nowhere else for Perez to hide. The shrubs and bushes weren’t large enough to provide adequate cover.
Cord quickly made his way toward him to confer.
“I’m going to go up there. I think he’ll stay put, but if he comes out and I’m only halfway up, I’ll be a sitting duck.”
“Let me go up, Cord. You’re already hurt, and I can tell your shoulder’s paining you,” Brandt whispered.
“Yeah, but I’m high on adrenaline, so it’s not too bad. It’s better if I go. He probably thinks he killed me. Surprise is a good advantage. It will give the few extra moments I need.”
“I’m not going to stay down here to cover you. I need to be closer for a decent shot, and I want to be there when we get to Shelby.”
Brandt followed Cord up the steep slope, careful not to dislodge any of the smaller rocks and alert Perez to their presence. It took them longer than he would have liked to traverse the incline with such care.
They were only yards from the entrance when the echo of a gunshot resounded out of the cave.
Brandt roared with fear and fury and took off into the cave after Cord.
* * * *
Shelby whimpered with terror as Perez squeezed the trigger. She screamed when the gun exploded and waited for the pain. But it never came. Ramone stood over her, the gun smoking in his hand but the barrel aimed toward the roof above him. The bastard was playing with her.
A yell from outside made her turn her head toward the entrance of the cave, but then a low rumble made her look up. Perez lost his smile and tried to make a run for it, but he wasn’t fast enough. The roof to the cav
e began to fall in.
Shelby huddled into a ball and prayed she wouldn’t be crushed. A warm, heavy object landed on top of her, but she couldn’t see what was happening. Dust in the air clogged her lungs, and the weight on top of her crushed her. Finally the horrific noise stopped and everything was quiet. She whimpered with fear when the body on top of her moved, and then warm hands grabbed her arms, pulling her up.
There was no light. The opening had been sealed, and she couldn’t see who had her. She began scratching, slapping, and hitting out blindly until finally a familiar voice penetrated her shock and fear.
“Shh, baby, you’re safe. We have you.”
“Cord? Is that you?” she whispered hesitantly.
“Yeah, baby, I’m here. Brandt is, too.”
“Perez. Oh God, he’s got a gun.”
“Shh, Shelby. It’s okay, darlin’,” Brandt crooned, and she heard him moving. Then she was sandwiched between her men, their love and warmth cocooning her. “Perez is dead. I saw the ceiling come down right on top of him.”
“Oh good. I thought you were dead. Thank God you’re alive,” she sobbed, clutching at Cord’s shirt. “Are you hurt badly?”
“No, baby, he just grazed me. I hit my head and got knocked out for a bit.”
“There was so much blood, Cord.” She sniffed. “Are you really all right?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“How are we going to get out of here? We’re trapped.”
“We’ll be out sooner than you think, darlin’.” Brandt wrapped his arm around her waist. “Everyone is coming to help look for you. I have a police radio I can use to call Luke to come dig us out.”
“Tell him to hurry. I don’t like being in here.” Shelby began to cry, and Brandt pulled her back against him. “I hurt my ankle again. If he wasn’t already dead, I’d take your gun and shoot him myself.”
Shelby was shaking. Now that she was safe, the adrenaline in her system was looking for a way out. Brandt kept his arm wrapped around her from behind while he radioed Luke and the others for help. She leaned into Cord at her front, and he held her while she cried. Her tears slowed at about the time Brandt was giving Luke directions to the cave. Luke promised to get them out as quickly as possible, and she began to calm down.
