You're My Rock (Brothers From Money #4)

by Shanade White

  *****

  They made it to the dam much faster than the time before, even with the rain and mud. The dam didn’t look that much worse than it had before, but the pasture was completely full of water, the weight straining against the old wood. Allison though she could hear it creaking with the weight of all that water but wasn’t sure.

  They all stood on the bank, surveying their options. The trenches they’d dug when they were here before, were now under water, but there was as steady stream of water draining out of them. “It looks like the trenches are working. We just need to dig them a little deeper and farther out.” Garrett said, “Someone should go over on the other side and work over there.”

  “Allison and I will go over. I want to get a look at the dam from the other side. I think we might be able to shore it up some more without getting drowned. I’ll let you know when I get over there.”

  Everyone set to work, Allison wondered if Nate had thought about how they were going to get over the rushing water, but held her tongue. When it finally occurred to him that the only way over was on the horses, she saw him tense, then she saw him square his shoulders, ready to take on the water.

  “We better do this before I lose my nerve.” He said, mounting his horse.

  “Just let your horse do the work.” She said, “I’ll go first.”

  Allison cleared the water with plenty of room to spare and was pleased to see Nate do the same. They dismounted and led their horses into the trees, which was when Matt made a break for it farther downstream and jumped the water. He was in the trees before Allison and Nate came back, carrying shovels.

  They set to work digging trenches, pleased when the water began to drain out of the field. If they could work fast enough, they might just be able to relieve enough pressure that the dam would hold. Leaving Allison to continue digging, he stepped up to the dam to get a closer look. With all the noise from the rain and the rushing water, he didn’t hear Allison scream as Matt grabbed her from behind and dragged her into the woods.

  Something must have caught Nate’s eye, because he turned just as Allison disappeared and noticed that she was gone and scrambled back to where she’d been standing. Looking around him, he tried to calm down. The water wasn’t strong enough to carry her away, so either she’d stepped away to take care of the horses, or... he didn’t want to finish the thought.

  The entire way up here, he’d had that sense that someone was following them, but it was impossible to see anything with the rain. But now he knew he had to trust his instincts. Looking back across the water, he thought about going back for help, but knew if someone had Allison he’d better follow now. Otherwise the rain would erase their tail, then he’d never find her in the miles and miles of forest around them.

  Carefully scanning the area around him, he saw a trail in the growth and followed it, sure that Allison had gone that way. As he looked, he realized that it looked as if someone had been dragged though the weeds, and he increased his pace, quickly becoming concerned. He heard a rustling in the bushes and turned just as the horses came thundering at him. Ducking out of the way, he continued on thinking that Matt had made his first mistake. Now he knew which way they were headed and when those horses hit the water and Garrett saw them, he’d know that something was wrong.

  *****

  Allison fought as Matt dragged her into the woods, stumbling when he hit her in the head. “Stop fighting me or I’ll knock you out like I did before.” He growled at her grabbing her around the neck and squeezing. Her air was cut off long enough she began to see stars. When he let go she sank to her knees, dragging in deep breaths until her vision began to clear.

  Before she could get up on her own, Matt grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her to her feet. “Get up and get moving.” He said, then pulling a gun out of his pocket added, “I don’t want to shoot you yet, but I will.”

  She stumbled in the direction he’d pointed, then continued walking with the gun pressed into her back. By now Nate would be looking for her, all she had to do was stay alive until he could find them. They continued walking as memories began to form in her mind. Suddenly, she remembered that night in the barn. Turning to look at Matt, she was more afraid than she’d been before. With a shutter of horror she remembered his mouth coming down on hers, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth as she struggled.

  “Face forward and keep walking.” Matt said, pushing the gun into her back harder.

  After only a few minutes more, Matt saw a cave up ahead and steered Allison toward it. She was so scared that her legs would hardly move, but he pushed her until they stepped into the cave. It was suddenly silent, the sound of the rain muted inside the cave. Matt motioned for her to move back in the cave, but she hesitated and he slapped her.

  “Do what I saw when I say. Understand?” He said, pulling a length of rope out of his pocket.

  Stalling, she tried to talk to him. “Why did you do it? Those horses could have won a bunch of money on their own. They didn’t need the steroids.”

  “I wasn’t prepared to take that chance. Although I do have to admit I made a mistake. I should have been looking at the big picture, but instead I only looked for the quick score. But here’s the thing, once you’re gone there’s no one to stop me from having it all. The Triple Crown, that nice prize that comes with it and your home.” Matt said, coming toward her.

  “But you won’t get away with it. My lawyer knows about the will, he’ll be coming after you. The police have already been out looking for you.” She said, hoping to scare him.

  “It won’t matter. They can’t prove anything without the original will and I’ve seen to it that it won’t appear any time soon.” He said, practically sneering at her.

  “I found another copy and gave it to my lawyer.” She said, bluffing. The will was still in the saddle in the barn, she’d left it behind when Matt had hit her in the head with his gun.

  For a moment Matt looked panicked then recovered, “Won’t matter for you. You and I are going to have a little fun, then I’m going to kill you. If you’re a good girl and do what I say, I’ll make it quick, but if not, well just be good.” He said, pulling open her jacket and shirt and plunging his hand into her shirt to grab one of her breasts.

  “Nate is going to kill you.” She said, through gritted teeth, grabbing the sides of her pants to keep from hitting him. She felt something hard pressing against her palm and remembered putting a hoof pick into her pocket as they left the barn.

  It was an old habit she had, her mother had always teased her about the collection of hoof picks in her room and at least once a month she’d have to return them. Now that old habit might just save her life. Slipping her hand into her pocket and palming the hoof pick while Matt was distracted, she thought about the best place to bury it in his body.

  “Move to the back of the cave and hold out one of your hands. Do it now.” Matt shouted.

  He followed her to the back of the cave and tied a loop around one of her wrists, when he reached for her other one, she swung her arm up and buried the hoof pick in his neck. The gun clattered to the floor of the cave with a thud as Matt grabbed his neck, screaming in pain.

  Allison was in motion immediately, but Matt lunged at her barley catching her feet, dragging her to the ground. There was blood running out of a hole in his neck, but he was still strong enough to drag her back to her feet. Fumbling with the front of his pants he finally managed to free his erection.

  “The problem with all that is you’ve only made me want to punish you more.” He said, pushing her up against the wall and reaching for her pants. “This is going to be a fuck I’ll never forget, too bad you couldn’t be nice about all this, but I like this more.”

  Allison was fighting with everything she had, biting and scratching Matt every chance she got. Memories of fighting him off before making her fight even harder. They were making so much noise than Matt didn’t hear Nate come into the cave, what he did hear was Nate’s shotgun when he loaded the s
hell in the chamber.

  Stopping mid lunge, he turned to find Nate pointing the gun at his head. He rushed Nate, who lowered the gun and shot Matt in the knees. Matt crumpled to the floor screaming in pain. Allison rushed over to where he was rolling around on the floor and kicked him in the stomach, then the back and continued to kick him anywhere she could, only stopping when Nate came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

  She spun in his arm and burst into tears. He guided her over to the side of the cave, well away from where Matt was lying unconscious on the floor. “It’s okay. You’re fine. He didn’t hurt you did he?” He said, pulling back to look at her. She looked fine but her pants were ripped and her shirt was hanging open exposing her breasts. Sometime in the struggle, her coat had been lost and she was shivering.

  Sinking down on the floor with her, he pulled off his coat and put it on her. It was much too big, but it smelled like him and she immediately felt better. “He tried to rape me, that’s what I couldn’t remember, and he was doping the horses with a very dangerous steroid.”

  “But he didn’t and you’re fine.” Nate said, rocking her in his arms.

  “He tried to rape me twice. I was so scared, I didn’t think you would get here in time.” She sobbed into his chest. Nate let her cry for a few minutes.

  “Sweet heart.” He said, “Look at me.” When she looked up at him, she saw the love in his eyes and knew that everything was going to be okay. “You beat him, I always knew you were strong, but you won.”

  “No Nate, we won.” She said, her tears drying on her cheeks.

  Not long after that, Garrett and the others came busting into the cave. The looked at Nate and Allison huddled together on the floor then at Matt, finally beginning to come out of his stupor.

  “I take it, you found the guy who attacked Allison.” Garret said, shaking his head. “Dam about to burst and you two go off chasing criminals.” Knowing that Nate had the situation well under control.

  “What can I say? It looks like we belong in this family.” Nate said, getting to his feet. “What took you so long?”

  Epilogue

  Nate and Allison were standing on the front porch of what she now knew was her home. The lawyers at Terrell industries had finally given them the okay to visit the house, so they’d flown in from Denver that day. They’d already visited Nate’s home, a beautiful house, but nothing as grand as Allison’s. Stepping into the house, memories of her mother and even a few of her father, who had died when she was very young, came washing back.

  Nate took her hand and led her farther into the house. “How do you feel?”

  “It feels like home, but not home.” She said, climbing the stairs.

  In her room, she looked around her, finding only happy memories, the same was true for the rest of the house. But as they walked out the front door, she hesitated, not quite ready to face what had happened in the barn all those months ago. Instead she walked the other way to lean against the fence and watch the horses roaming free in the pasture.

  “I don’t know what to do with them. They’ll never be able to hold a rider again.” She said, feeling a sadness that they might have to be destroyed.

  “We should send them all back to Colorado. They could spend the rest of their lives living in comfort. Maybe they can be used in the therapy program. Just because they can’t be ridden doesn’t mean they’re not still useful.”

  Allison had been thinking the same thing, but the expense involved would be high. “I thought of that, but it would cost a small fortune to send them back.”

  “I’m not worried about the expense, but I would like to know if you’re coming back with me or not.” Nate said, pulling her into his arms. If she decided to stay, he’d stay with her, but he really wanted to finish what he’d started in Colorado.

  Allison looked at the house that held so many wonderful memories and then at the barn. “As much as I love the house, I think for now our lives are in Colorado. I’m going to take Donovan up on his offer to let Terrell industries take care of the property for now, but maybe someday we’ll want to come back. Right now the memories are just too fresh.” She said, “But before we go, I need to go into the barn, see where it happened, maybe then I can put those memories to rest.”

  “I’m right here with you.” Nate said, taking her hand.

  When they drove away from Allison’s childhood home, she felt a pang of sadness, but it was quickly replaced by happiness. Nate took her hand as he drove, sending shivers of desire rushing though her. She couldn’t wait to get to the motel and show Nate just how much she loved him.

  “So, now that we’ve decided to stay in Pleasant Valley, I suppose I should officially move into the cabin.” She said, smiling at him mischievously.

  “I suppose that would be a good idea, but are you sure you can live without all the modern conveniences?” He asked, teasing her.

  “That should be fine for a while, but it might be a good idea to get working on our renovations, it’s going to be difficult having a baby without a washer and dryer.” She said, waiting for her words to sink in.

  “Are we having company that I don’t know about?” He asked, still not getting what she was trying to tell him.

  “Nope, just a baby. Our baby.” She said, turning up the radio.

  Nate pulled to the side of the road, tires squealing and shut off the car. “Are you telling me that we’re going to have a baby?” He asked, finally looking at her.

  “That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you.” She said, screaming when he unbuckled her seat belt and pulled her into his lap.

  “I can’t believe it, our baby. When I left for Colorado, I was searching for something, some reason to enjoy life again. I found you and somehow from then on all my dreams have come true.”

  “I love you Nate.” She said, kissing him.

  “I love you too, Allison. And I think now is the time to give this to you.” He said, pulling the ring Jonathan had given him out of his pocket and sliding it on her finger.

  The end... but wait:

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