by Kaliana Cole
The Whelans shared a worried glance. Wilderness peppered with numerous trails bordered the parking ground. She could be anywhere. How the fuck were they going to know what way she had gone?
Colby bolted for his truck. “I’ll see you there!” He roared off.
* * * *
Andy opened the door to his four-by-four. “Get in, you two. We’ll get there quicker with the lights.” The last thing he wanted was to be on a road between three enraged Whelans and the man who held their woman.
Andy called it in to the area command as he sped down the road. He knew abduction was beyond local capabilities. Backup was on its way.
Running in stealth mode along the five-mile stretch of dirt track leading to the parking area, he could feel the tension building in the cab. Ty looked fit to burst while Zach muttered darkly. It was with no small relief that he pulled up near the coupe. “Don’t touch anything,” he warned them as they sprung from the vehicle before it came to rest.
He watched them circle, reading the sign. They were all mountain boys. They had all hunted. He, too, saw the reason for the white-hot fury pinching their faces. The driver had gotten out and lifted a weight from the trunk before stepping onto the grass on the other side of the barriers the cars parked against. All sign effectively vanished in the short, thick mat of growth.
* * * *
They had spread out, quartering the area, when Colby pulled up in a cloud of dust. Ty watched, somewhat confused and a little concerned for Colby’s sanity as he jammed a bright flag in the ground not far from Emma’s car. He ran around to the other side of his truck and came out holding one very overweight basset hound and what looked like five miles of hopelessly tangled rope.
He plunked the sad-eyed animal on the ground with little concern for its overburdened legs and fashioned a harness from the knotted line. He dropped a piece of fabric beside the flag. Ty was close enough to see that it was a pair of lavender panties.
His heart skipped a beat.
He would never have another disparaging thought about his youngest brother. Colb had acquired one of Mrs. Perkins’s champion tracking dogs. He knew Zach and Colby supplied her dog food, but he hadn’t known they were on close enough terms to borrow one of her prized dogs. Ty decided he didn’t want to know how Colby had acquired it. The old biddy probably wasn’t aware the dog was missing yet.
The dog snuffled eagerly at the lavender silk before casting toward the car. All three brothers groaned when the basset did a leisurely inspection of all four tires before lifting an arthritic leg and pissing on the one that took his fancy.
“Christ, Colb, all those fucking dogs and you pick the only one not trained to track?” Zach vented his frustration.
“Relax, bud. It’s Fred. This boy’s won more titles that you’ve had hot breakfasts.”
“How long ago? He looks like he’s a hundred and five.” Zach was still not convinced as the dog waddled about unhurriedly.
Even Colby even began to lose hope, his shoulders sagging. Suddenly Fred let out a loud bugle and headed out. Colby let him have plenty of line as he cast frantically about. Then, nose to the ground, he took the trail leading toward Moon Lake. Four men hurried behind the aged basset as he took the scent. For the first time since Beth’s call that morning, Ty dared to hope.
* * * *
“I thought you were going to learn your lesson last night, bitch. Those Whelans should have tied you up and fucked you like they do to the tramps in that little club of theirs.
“I’ve watched them. They like sliding their big dicks into tight asses, splitting them wide, but they left you alone. What was all that tender shit? You were supposed to find out what is really like to have a real man.”
Emma’s breath caught in her throat. He had been watching them last night?
Her skin crawled at the thought of this perverted creep being privy to the most erotic experience of her life. Rage swiftly followed.
“Listen, you sick fuck! You had better start running, because wherever you go, one of them will find you. And if you come in here, I will kill you. I will beat you until you are a pile of dog food at my feet.”
Stark savagery flowed through her veins. Adrenaline had kicked her fight or flight response into overdrive. There was nowhere to run, her back was to the wall, but by God she would fight!
“Found your backbone, have you, little girl? Never mind, it will just make it so much more rewarding to break you. There is no one around to hear your grandstanding, Emmaline. That table leg won’t protect you forever.”
Emma froze. How did he know what she held in her hands? Her eyes darted around. There, on the exposed beam above the door. A little box sat, black eye winking sinisterly. Emma’s pert little nose flared and her lip curled in disgust.
She made sure the last thing her assailant saw was a feral gleam in her eye just before the broken table leg smashed into the lens.
“Temper, temper! That isn’t playing nice, Emmaline. I have gone to all the trouble of washing them from your body for you. You clearly didn’t like what they offered you, running off in the middle of the night like that, so I cleansed it from you.
“I want a clean slate when I start on you. That useless cretin Colby left a mark on the back of your neck, but your hair should cover that. You may have dismantled my table, Emmaline, but you will look just as sweet hanging from the rafters. In fact I think I would like that better. I can turn you to face that cracked mirror as I stick my dick in you. I will watch your face as I plant it straight up that untouched little ass. You’ll scream for me, Emmaline, scream twice as loud as you did last night.”
“Come in here, asshole, and try! I’ll cut your dick off and shove it down your throat.” Emma swung the heavy piece of timber at the door, delighting in the satisfying crunch as the door timbers cracked.
Again and again she hit it. She stopped to get another leg when the first finally gave up the ghost but got straight back into it, curses flying, telling the madman exactly what she was going to do to him. She didn’t hear the distant bugle, but her stalker did.
* * * *
Andy followed the three men and the hound. The trail led straight toward Moon Lake, a place dotted with fishing shacks and camping grounds.
Once Fred stopped, the trail fouled for some reason. With hearts in their throats they watched as he quartered. He sniffed at some ashes from a recent fire. Back and forth he worked the area, but that unbelievably sensitive nose found the scent and they were off once more. Faster and faster the aging dog followed the trail, the men running to keep up.
A fishing shack tucked into a thicket of Douglas fir became his obvious target. Male voices swore savagely. The men streaked ahead as they could hear the sounds of violence within. Andy managed to calm them before they reached the shack. He drew his gun and indicated that he would circle around to check the building.
He did so quickly, moving on silent feet. A quick glance in the window had him turning away. The Whelans could deal with the traumatized and very naked woman in there. The lowlife that put her there had to be around somewhere.
Weapon at the ready, he faced outward. He yelled for Ty to get in there and settle her down. A motorboat starting up on the lake had him swearing a blue streak as he ran in that direction. Andy spoke into his collar mic as he sprinted for the lake.
* * * *
Ty drew back the bolt on the door warily. Emma’s exhausted voice was spitting heated threats within and something heavy hit the damaged door every now and again. He could hear her ragged breaths. He signaled Zach and Colby back as he thrust the door open, his heart braced for anything.
The untamed, wild-eyed creature within shocked him to the core. Gloriously naked, Emma snarled and charged, the thick lump of timber she wielded arcing with deadly intent toward his head. Ty twisted aside and caught her wrists, the weapon striking him a glancing blow on his heavily muscled shoulder before he shook it from her grasp. Inhuman sounds ripped from her throat as she fought and twisted in h
is hold.
Ty jerked her to him, smothering her in his embrace. “Shh, I got you, Em. No one’s going to hurt you, darlin’. It’s me, darlin’. Ty’s got you.”
He turned toward his brothers, pain in his eyes as Emma drew in one choked breath after another, weeping in relief as she realized who held her. Zach and Colby moved in on each side, adding their voices and soothing hands. Tears streaked down her cheeks, absorbed by Ty’s shirt. He felt like crying, too, when he saw the cuffs that still encircled her wrist and ankles. Her feet were coated with blood.
Colby shrugged out of the shirt he wore and put it around her naked shoulders. They could hear sirens drawing closer. Within minutes the drum of running feet heralded the arrival of the police. Zach talked to them, filling them in on the little they knew. He told them they didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of talking to Emma until she saw a doctor. The ranking officer told Zach an ambulance was on route even as he directed units into the scrub to join Calhoun’s search for Emma’s kidnapper.
Two uniformed officers ushered them away from the door so they could begin a search of the shack. Ty still held Emma close, a blanket now wrapped around her as well as Colby’s shirt. A concerned-looking policewoman talked to them, letting them know Emma would need to have a full physical at the hospital and that she would be there with them every step of the way. Her name tag read Sgt. Davis, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out she was from a special victims unit.
Ty handed Emma to Colby as his phone rang. She had yet to say a word. It was Emma’s number. Beth would be calling from her house. Emma stiffened as Ty extricated himself from her grip, but reassuring words settled her into Colby’s arms. “Em, honey, just let me hold you for a bit. Ty will be right back. None of us are going to leave you,” Colby crooned against her ear as he gathered her close.
If Sergeant Davis was surprised by the way Emma readily entwined herself around another man, she gave no sign. Ty returned shortly, concern weighing heavily on his face. He spoke to both his brothers and Sergeant Davis, “That was Beth. She has been in contact with Emma’s personal advisor, Henry Sawtell. Apparently he has known her since she was a baby. Sawtell said she has had a stalker for years and that’s why she moved here. He is in contact with the police down here and he is sending everything to them. Was it him, Em?”
Emma nodded against Colby’s chest.
Ty felt his heart break at the hopelessness on Emma’s face. “We need to get her to hospital. How far away is that ambulance?”
Sergeant Davis conferred with the mic clipped to her shoulder. “Any minute now. If you are up to carrying her, it will be quicker to meet them at the trailhead. A stretcher ride over this terrain wouldn’t be very comfortable.”
Ty reached down and took Emma from his youngest brother’s arms. Cradling his precious burden, he strode out toward the car park, followed by two anxious Whelans, Sergeant Davis, and Fred the Basset.
Only one of them could accompany Emma in the vehicle, so Ty pulled rank. He had no intentions of letting go of that woman again. Ever. He sat beside her stretcher as they sped toward the larger center of Sheridan.
At the hospital they gave Emma a sedative before treating the lacerations on her ankles. A wave of animalistic rage swept through Ty when he saw the extent of the cuts and bruises. His muscles clenched with the need to hurt, tear, rend. He wanted to kill the man responsible for this with his bare hands, again and again, but the feel of Emma’s soft hand holding his so fiercely kept him anchored.
Only when Emma fell into an exhausted but drugged sleep were they able to pry Ty’s hand from her grip. Sergeant Davis pulled Ty aside. She needed to collect some pretty personal details from him, and the doctor needed to carry out a pelvic exam to ascertain the extent of the abductor’s crimes.
Sergeant Davis remained coolly professional as she recorded details of the sexual encounter the brothers had shared with Emma. Ty, on the other hand, was uncomfortable as hell as they discussed intensely private details. He held Emma’s trust sacred and felt as if he were betraying that trust as he answered the questions. Only that it was to help her made him answer.
No, she shouldn’t have any semen in her vaginal or anal cavities. Yes, she may show signs of sexual activities in those areas. Yes, her mouth may have traces of semen in it. No, there should be no signs of trauma to her genitalia or breasts. On and on the intimate questions went.
He was sitting silently with Zach and Colby as they waited for the doctor along with Michelle Davis. The policewoman had given Ty her first name after the intimate interview had passed. It was a distancing tool that had helped during the awkward questioning.
The doctor called Michelle aside and gave her the preliminary results of his examination. He shot the three men waiting a curious look as he filled her in. The doctor was leaving it up to the policewoman to determine who should have the information.
Rumors about Liberty Springs abounded. It was only natural that the doctor would feel uncomfortable discussing results with three men waiting for one woman and not one related to her. But Michelle had no such qualms.
“Okay, this is against protocol. I am only supposed to disclose the information to family, but I think you all need to hear it. The bastard didn’t rape her in any way. He stunned her with a Taser set on a high enough setting to knock her out cold and leave second-degree burns on the base of her neck. We know he manacled her to the table.
“That is one courageous woman to escape the way she did. The crime scene crew is unbelievably impressed. He has washed her with disinfectant, but that is all. The wounds on her ankles are consistent with the cuffs used upon her. I will need to talk to Emma when she wakes up, but the doctor said that shouldn’t be for an hour or two.
“By the way, Deputy Calhoun said to let you know that Mrs. Perkins was very glad for the return of her lost dog. Personally I think the animal deserves a medal, but if keeping quiet keeps you out of trouble, I can live with that.
“I will come back in a couple of hours and see if Emma is up to answering some questions. I know it appears callous in this situation, but we really need Emma to tell us what she remembers. The sooner we get this information, the sooner we can catch this bastard.” She nodded her leave. “Gentlemen.”
The wait was interminable. Ty sat immobile, his eyes on the double swinging doors leading to emergency. Zach paced restlessly while Colby pulled threads out of the old sweater he had found to wear in his truck. If someone didn’t hurry up and say something soon, there was going to be nothing left of it but collar and cuffs. They were prevented from having to look at Colby’s bare chest by a nurse slipping into the waiting room. All three of them knew her.
“Marley!” Zach nearly hugged her as she approached. Marley Richards was a Liberty Springs girl who drove the forty minute trip to Sheridan for each shift.
“Hey, guys.” Her voice was as soft as her eyes as she took in the concern on each face. “Emma is starting to stir. I think it would be best if you were there. I’ll sneak all of you in there for a couple of minutes, but don’t be surprised if the doctor kicks you back out. He’s an old stick, but he is a damn good doctor.” Marley held the door back so they could slip through. Ty could have kissed her with gratitude if he hadn’t been so eager to see Emma.
* * * *
Emma woke slowly, things a little hazy as she took in the white ceiling and green curtains pulled around her. She had a moment’s panic as the last time she had woken came back, but lucidity asserted itself. She felt a wave of shame that she had broken down when Ty had grabbed her. Felt pathetic that she had shown such weakness.
The soft rumble of male voices behind the curtain caught her attention. She had two goes at trying to talk. Her mouth was dry and felt as if it had been packed with cotton. She looked around, spying a pitcher of water on a table near her head. She was reaching for it when the curtain slid back.
“She’s awake!” Colby’s relieved but excited voice was one of the best sounds she had ever hea
rd.
She vaguely noticed the nurse pushing through and checking her vitals, but her eyes were all for the men. Zach was quick to claim the hand that the nurse let go of while Colby brought the other to his mouth, laying a chaste kiss against her palm as he held the gauze-wrapped appendage with both hands.
Ty stood his ground, his body held tight. Emma fought against the urge to rise from the bed and let him hold her in his arms, to shelter her with his body from the world. His gray eyes held hers as the doctor bustled in and cleared the room, pain, tenderness, and promise all there for her to see. He would only leave when Emma nodded her assent.
The next couple of hours were a whirlwind. After getting the all-clear from the doctor, Michelle Davis questioned her on every aspect, going over things again and again to make sure they got every detail. She was concerned when Sergeant Davis stepped out briefly when she told of the abductor’s assertion that he had been watching the Whelans at the club and at home as well as her, but the interview continued on. Emma was exhausted by the time they finished.
Exhausted and ready to go home.
Ty was talking to a uniformed deputy when Nurse Richards escorted her out. Emma had signed out against the recommendation of the doctor, though he too had asserted that all she needed physically was rest.
Emotionally, she was going to need more than that.
Marley Richards had given her a pair of uniform pants to wear home. They were snug through the hips and needed to be rolled up at the bottom, but they covered her. She still wore Colby’s shirt.
Ty went silent as she walked toward him, the officer stepping back a little. Ty’s face was solemn as he offered his hand. Em swallowed before reaching out to take it, feeling his big hand engulf hers as he drew her beside him. “Em, this is Andy Calhoun. He’s the Liberty Springs deputy. They have a tech unit at your house now doing a sweep for surveillance bugs. They found two in the Kat. That’s how he knew what was going on there. Our place is clean. He must have been watching from the hill behind the house when the drapes were open.”
