Colters' Woman: Colters’ Legacy, Book 1

by Maya Banks

  Adam could feel the clock ticking, and he didn’t like it a damn bit. He glanced over at Holly’s pale face. She was too damn weak, not nearly recovered enough to take on her bastard husband. She needed rest, to recuperate.

  “What do you think’s going on?” Ethan muttered as he sat down beside Adam.

  “Don’t be talking in low voices, thinking I won’t hear,” Ryan said sourly. “If there’s something to be said, I want to hear it.”

  “We’re trying not to wake Holly up.” Adam turned back to Ethan. “I wish the fuck I knew what was going on in her head. She blames herself for what happened to Ryan, and she’s acted on that.”

  Ryan swore a streak that would have their mother washing his mouth out with soap.

  “So what do we do?” Ethan asked.

  Adam shook his head. He felt so damn helpless. “I don’t know. It has to be her decision. We can’t make it for her.”

  “I don’t want to lose her,” Ryan said in a tight voice.

  “Do you think we do?” Anger and frustration simmered in Ethan’s eyes.

  Adam rubbed his face. They were all on pins and needles. Tired. Frustrated beyond belief. And scared to death of losing the one woman who meant everything to them.

  “How can we just let her walk away?” Ryan demanded. “Who’s going to make sure that bastard husband of hers isn’t going to hurt her again?”

  Adam turned his head to the bed when he heard Holly shift and sigh softly. Her eyes fluttered open, and he leaned forward in his seat.

  “How’re you feeling, baby?”

  “Tired,” she whispered.

  He felt guilty for what he was about to do, but he wasn’t going to let go without a fight. She didn’t need to be pushed, but that was exactly what he was going to do.

  “What’s going on, baby? Why did you call the D.A.? I don’t like what that implies.”

  She stared at him with her beautiful eyes. Eyes that were awash in sadness. And fear. Almost as if she was afraid of how he’d react when she answered his questions.

  His gut tightened uncomfortably.

  “It had to be done,” she said.

  “No, it didn’t,” Ryan refuted.

  Tears welled in her eyes. “You almost died, Ryan. Because of me. Do you have any idea what that did to me? How badly it hurt? I can’t stand the thought of any of you gone. I love you too much.”

  Adam glanced over at Ryan. His brother looked to be near losing all control. Rage and grief festered like a gangrenous sore.

  “I’m the one who let you down,” Ryan said in a near shout. “Don’t you get it? I let that bastard into our home. I let him take you away from us. I let him nearly kill you. I let you down just like I let those prisoners down in Iraq.”

  Tears streamed down Holly’s face. “Ryan—”

  “I won’t let you do this, Holly. I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for us,” Ryan said fiercely.

  She struggled to sit up, and Adam leaned further into her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to help.

  “I made a bargain with the district attorney,” she said. “A bargain I won’t back out of. It’s something I have to do. For all of us.”

  Nausea welled in Adam’s stomach, and he and Ethan exchanged panicked looks.

  “What kind of bargain?” Ethan asked dully.

  “I’m going to testify against Mason.”

  Adam shook his head. “No. No, no, no! It’s too dangerous. He’ll go after you with everything he has.”

  “I’m going away,” Holly added softly. “Until the trial. I’ll be in protective custody.”

  Adam surged to his feet. He clenched his fingers into tight balls. God, he wanted to hit something. Put his fist through the wall.

  “Why? Why are you doing this?” He no longer cared that he sounded so angry. He couldn’t bring himself to treat her so gently when she was tearing him apart on the inside.

  “I’m doing it for you.”

  The statement was firm. Accentuated by a sharp lift to her chin. Fire blazed in eyes that had been so fatigued just moments ago.

  Adam closed his eyes, drawing a tight rein on his anger. He wanted to fucking howl. Instead, he turned and walked out. He couldn’t trust himself to speak when all he wanted to do was shout.

  Holly watched as he left and felt her world splinter and break into tiny pieces. He was angrier than she’d ever seen him. At her.

  Looks of betrayal loomed in Ethan and Ryan’s eyes. Did they all hate her?

  “Go after him,” she said softly. “He needs you.”

  “He needs you,” Ethan pointed out.

  “Don’t let him do anything stupid,” she begged.

  “I need some air,” Ryan said in a defeated voice she cringed at.

  Ethan shook his head and followed Ryan out the door.

  Holly clapped her hand to her face as the sobs she’d tried so hard to contain came bubbling out. She tried to suck in steadying breaths, but loud, raspy, harsh sounds kept spilling from her throat.

  The nurse came in the door, a concerned expression marring her face. David Masterson followed closely behind.

  “Do you need something for pain?” the nurse asked.

  For pain? If only a simple drug would take away the agony that clawed at her heart.

  Holly shook her head. She wanted her wits about her. She was going to need all she could get in the coming days.

  “Mrs. Bardwell…Holly, I’ve spoken with your doctor, made extensive arrangements to have you transferred to a private facility in another state. If you’re agreeable, we’ll have you transported within the hour.”

  Holly’s mouth gaped open. “So soon?”

  “It’s imperative we move you to a safe place as soon as possible. Your husband has already proven he is capable of anything. He hasn’t had any trouble finding you. It’s only a matter of time before he finds you here.”

  “I’m ready,” she said in a steady voice.

  ***

  Adam knew something was wrong the minute he stepped off the elevator. The nurse who’d cared for Holly this shift wouldn’t meet his gaze. In fact, she scurried off in the opposite direction as fast her legs would take her.

  He growled low under his breath. It had taken him the better part of two hours to cool off enough to think rationally. Ethan and Ryan hadn’t helped. They’d been as pissed as he was.

  The three of them strode down the hall toward Holly’s room. Adam noticed the absence of the guard who had been posted earlier. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a freshly made bed. An empty bed. He rushed through the door, slamming it against the wall.

  The room was empty. Completely empty. No trace that Holly had ever been there could be found.

  He stormed back into the hallway, his brothers close on his heels. He stalked to the nurses station and slammed his hands down on the counter.

  “Where is she?” he demanded.

  An older lady, the head nurse, maybe, walked over to him and put out a placating hand.

  “She’s been transferred to another facility. One that has better security than we do here.”

  “Where?” Adam bit out.

  “She can’t tell you that.”

  Adam whirled around to see David Masterson standing a few feet away. He itched to plant his fist square into the D.A.’s nose.

  “She left this for you,” David said, extending a folded note. “Don’t worry, Mr. Colter. We’ll take excellent care of her.”

  Adam watched, stunned, as David turned and walked down the hall toward the elevator. He stared down at the paper in his hand, his stomach rolling and tumbling.

  With shaking hands, he pulled it open. Three words. So simple.

  I love you.

  He crumbled the note and sent it flying into the wall. His brothers wore expressions of disbelief. Ryan punched the wall, shoving a hole into the plaster.

  “What do we do now?” Ethan asked in a quiet voice.

  “We go back to the cabin. And wait for her to co
me home.”

  Colters' Woman: Colters’ Legacy, Book 1

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Holly stood at the end of the winding driveway staring up at the cabin. Summer had come to the mountains. Everywhere she looked, the earth burst with green. She’d only seen the landscape when it was covered with a sheet of white and had thought at the time it couldn’t be more beautiful. She’d been wrong. It couldn’t possibly look any better than now when she was coming home.

  She’d parked down the road, exactly as she had done once before. Somehow she’d wanted to replicate the journey she’d made so many months before.

  She smiled as the breeze lifted her long hair and blew it gently around her shoulders. She slid a hand over the bulge of her abdomen, rubbing absently at the gentle swell.

  With a deep breath, she started the long walk up the hill to the front door. Butterflies danced in her stomach. In response, the baby kicked and turned over. She stopped and put a hand to her stomach again until the sensation passed.

  She smiled and continued on. When she reached the front porch, she hesitated. The door was mere inches away and yet she didn’t knock. Should she just go in? No. She’d been gone too long.

  Would they welcome her back? Would they still love her? Uncertainty nibbled away at her confidence. Adam had been so angry the last time she’d seen him. She closed her eyes to banish the look of betrayal she’d seen in his expression.

  Tears swam in her eyes. She’d missed them terribly. She’d lain awake so many nights longing for their touch. She looked down and scrubbed at her eyes. It was over now. She was finally free to live the life she wanted. It was up to her to reach out and take it.

  Slowly, she raised her hand and knocked quietly. She waited a moment then mustered her courage and knocked harder.

  Her heart lurched when she heard firm footsteps from inside. The door opened and Ryan stood in the doorway, a stunned look on his face.

  “Holly?”

  She stared at him, praying he didn’t turn around and shut the door.

  Before she could say anything, she found herself enfolded in his arms. He picked her up and whirled her around, burying his face in her chest.

  The baby rolled and kicked between them and he froze. He let her slowly down then backed a space away. He reached out with a shaky hand to cup her swollen belly.

  “Is this…is this…?” He broke off, his voice hoarse with emotion.

  She covered his hand with hers, holding it in place against her stomach. “Yes.”

  He stared at her in stunned silence. Then he hugged her to him again. He buried his face in her hair and stroked her back. He reached between them to palm her abdomen again as if he couldn’t quite believe the evidence in front of him.

  “Our baby,” he whispered.

  He tugged her to the couch and sat. He reached for her hands and pulled her down until she straddled his lap. Then he placed both hands on her stomach, a look of wonder in his eyes.

  He looked back up at her, and his hands traveled over the arm that had been broken then up to where the knife wound had torn her chest.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Now that I’m here,” she added.

  He reached up and framed her face in his large hands then pulled her down to kiss him.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” he said hoarsely.

  Tears slid over her cheeks. “I missed you too.”

  A noise across the room had her jerking her head in that direction. She tensed as she saw Adam and Ethan standing in the doorway to the living room.

  Ethan’s face split into a wide smile, but Adam stared in brooding silence. Her heart flipped and her stomach dropped. He hadn’t forgiven her for leaving.

  She shakily crawled back off Ryan’s lap and stood, her fingers wrapped tightly together.

  Adam took a step forward. “Promise me.” He stared directly at her, his eyes penetrating every layer of her skin. “Promise me you’ll never do anything so completely stupid again. Swear to me you’ll never leave us again.”

  She flew to him, throwing herself into his arms. He caught her tightly against him. He held her head against his chest. He kissed the top of her hair, leaving his lips there for a long moment.

  When she pulled away, she found herself tugged into Ethan’s arms.

  “Welcome home, doll.”

  He kissed her lingeringly then hugged her again.

  “Do you have something you want to tell us?” Adam asked, his eyes drifting to her stomach.

  She smiled. “You’re going to be fathers.”

  Ethan let out a whoop and twirled her around the living room.

  “Put her down, dumbass,” Ryan said sourly. “She doesn’t need you throwing her around like a sack of grain.”

  Ethan set her down and molded his hand to her belly.

  “Are you hungry? Want me to fix you something to eat?”

  “I’m starving,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to stop even for a moment until I got here.”

  They herded into the kitchen and Adam sat Holly at the bar. He settled in beside her, his hand caressing her back. “What happened?”

  She let out her breath in a sigh. “It went faster than we all thought. Mason showed no sign of cooperating even with my damning statement. Then the night before the trial was set to start, he entered into a plea bargain with the district attorney. He pleaded guilty and forewent the trial.”

  “And he’s no longer a threat?” Ryan asked.

  She shook her head. “He’ll be in jail for a long time.”

  “You did a brave thing, baby,” Adam said. “I’m pissed that you did it, but it took incredible courage on your part.”

  She gave him a sad smile. “I missed you all so much. I was so lonely without you.”

  Adam hugged her to him. “You’ll never be without us again, baby. That I promise.” He glanced down at her belly. “When did you know?”

  She looked down, not sure she should answer truthfully. He nudged her chin up until she looked at him once more.

  “You knew before you left.”

  She nodded. “It was such a shock. Amidst all the blood loss, the injuries, when they got routine lab work back, they told me I was pregnant. They fully expected me to miscarry, but I didn’t.”

  She paused before continuing. “I knew…I knew if I told you, that you would never let me go. And I knew I had to do what I did to protect you and our baby.”

  Ethan set a plate in front of her along with a glass of milk. She wrinkled her nose. “Milk?”

  “For the baby,” he said.

  She rolled her eyes. “I hate milk.”

  “Drink up,” he said with a grin. “You need it and so does the little one.”

  She smiled, allowing her full joy to roll through her. She was home. It was almost as if she’d never left. A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she smiled harder.

  Adam reached over and thumbed the wetness away.

  “Not a day has passed that we haven’t thought about you. Worried about you. Cursed you,” he added with a wry grin. “Welcome home, baby,” he said in a more serious tone. He bent over and pressed a kiss to her belly. “Welcome home, baby Colter.”

  “My divorce is final,” she whispered.

  “And don’t think we’re going to waste any time making you ours,” Ethan said fiercely.

  A tingle snaked its way up Holly’s spine. “When?”

  “As soon as we can arrange it,” Adam declared. “Our parents will want to be here. I’ll call them tomorrow. We’ll have a civil ceremony to legally marry you to me, but we’ll have a private commitment here, where you’ll be married to all of us.”

  Holly stared at them for a long moment then felt her heart swell until she feared it would burst right out of her chest. They still wanted her. Acted as though she’d never left them, hadn’t been gone nearly six months.

  “I’ll really be yours,” she said in awe.

  Ryan snorted. “You’ve always be
en ours. Make no mistake about that.”

  Adam fingered her hair, wrapping the ends around his hand. “Will you stay with us always? Love us as much as we love you? Be the mother to our children?”

  She stood and wrapped herself around Adam as tightly as she could. She hugged his neck to her and held on for dear life.

  “I love you so much,” she whispered. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Ethan’s face split into a wide grin, and Ryan sat back on his chair, folding his arms across his chest in a gesture of supreme satisfaction.

  Adam kissed her long and hard, leaving her breathless. For the first time in six months, she allowed herself to relax and revel in the moment.

  Soon she’d legally, emotionally, completely belong to the three brothers, and more importantly, they would belong to her.

  Life was full of ironies. Only in running from a past riddled by mistakes had she found a future so perfect, so bright that she still had trouble believing it was her reality.

  “Anyone want to play Monopoly?” she asked.

  Later, as they sat on the porch watching the sun go down over the mountains, Holly wrapped herself in the comfort that she was indeed home. For the first time since her parents’ deaths, she felt a sense of belonging.

  Adam reached over to take her hand, his thumb massaging her palm. “I love you, baby.”

  She smiled. “I love you too.” Her gaze drifted to Ethan and Ryan, both of whom wore relaxed, easy expressions. “I love all of you.”

  Ethan smiled. “We know, doll. After all, you came back to us.”

  Colters' Woman: Colters’ Legacy, Book 1

  Chapter Thirty

  A week later Holly stood by the window in the bedroom and looked over the back expanse of property where Adam, Ethan, Ryan and their fathers were putting the finishing touches on the wedding arch that framed the distant mountains.

  The days since her return had been nothing short of magic. The men hadn’t let her out of their sight or out of reach of a touch or caress. They’d spent every waking moment together, talking, reconnecting. And the nights had been spent in a haze of tender loving.

  Adam hadn’t wanted to wait a single moment longer than necessary to get the legalities out of the way. He and his brothers had taken her into town and he and Holly were married. She was officially a Colter, but now her new family had gathered to see her pledge herself to all three brothers.