by Morgan Fox
The eruption of shattering glass startled him from his thoughts. His eyes darted to the window beside the front door. Two men dressed in black tumbled through the now-opened space into the front room. Their bodies rolled onto the floor, and then they quickly jumped to their feet, holding automatic weapons.
Stone glanced down at his 9mm and knew he had to make every shot count.
Remaining calm, he and James stayed hidden. Whatever James had planned better be good or they were as good as hamburger meat.
Another window smashed, this one coming from the kitchen. Within a few seconds the shadows of more men filed into the room. Stone glanced up and counted five large figures. He thought back to the night he’d saved Gracie and knew one was still missing.
Bullet was most likely not going to get his hands dirty on the job. Anger surged through him. If anything, Stone wanted that bastard strung up first. He was the one Stone really wanted to see dead.
Suddenly, James yelled, “Now!”
An explosion of blinding light ignited the room, stunning the five men. Their bodies exposed as their arms sprung up to block the light from their vision. Stone and James rushed them, slamming into each one, sending them tumbling to the floor like a row of bowling pins.
Everything happened so fast. Within a few short seconds, James and Stone had subdued three of the five men. The last two struggled to regain footing, searching the room for an exit. James gripped the first one by the back of the shirt and slung him to the ground, sending a swift kick with his cowboy boot across his face. James was on him, a solid punch to his jaw. Flipping the intruder over, he quickly cuffed him.
Stone marveled at James’s speed and wondered how the heck he had learned how to do all this. How had he rigged the lights? Was he a Boy Scout in disguise?
Stone strolled up to the man trying to crawl back through the window and yanked him into the house by his baggy pants. He gripped his shoulder hard, digging his fingers into muscle. He turned him over just as he cocked his fists back and pummeled his face several times. The boy’s body went limp. He cuffed him and tossed him back to the ground.
Where was the challenge in that?
Then the lights went out and the room fell dark again. Stone removed his glasses and turned to face James. The moment he did, a gunshot rang out.
Clay!
* * * *
Gracie couldn’t stand it any longer. She had to know what was going on. James had ordered her to stay put, but she couldn’t sit back while they fought her battles. Bullet was here because of her brother, and if Stone or James got hurt because of that, she’d never be able to forgive herself.
Taking a big chance, she unlocked the door, opened it, and climbed the steps that lead into the back of James’s closet. She was still amazed that he had a secure room in his house in case of emergencies. She could’ve stayed in there for months with all the supplies and provisions he had stocked in there.
As she crept through the bedroom, she didn’t hear much. Then suddenly the walls closed in on her with the sounds of breaking glass. Her world trembled. Every nerve in her body warned her to stop, turn around, and hide. She didn’t listen.
She gathered the crash came from the front living room. A few moments later, more glass shattered, echoing as if further away. The house would be a heap before Bullet would give up. Now it was a matter of credibility, and there was no way he’d back down.
Instinct demanded that she return to the safe room, but her stubbornness wouldn’t allow it. She had to be sure that Stone and James were safe. It was a need unlike anything she’d ever felt before.
Like a cat, she moved stealthily out of the room. Her fingertips glided over the wall at her back, edging closer to the front of the house. Everything was incredibly dark. A cold chill swept over her. Something wasn’t right. She could feel it straight into her bones.
As she took another step, a force she hadn’t expected knocked her back against the wall. Her body surged with panic. Pain burned in her mind as her mouth was covered by a something hard and uncomfortable. The power behind it was so fierce she thought her mouth would tear open. A heavy weight pressed against her, crushing her to a point that she struggled to breathe.
Blinking several times to clear her vision, she finally saw the cold, dark, menacing eyes of her assailant.
Bullet!
He had found her, and no one was there to save her. No one would know she was gone. No one would even look for her until it was too late.
What had she done?
* * * *
Stone had never run so fast in his life, arms and legs pumping with a force so strong he even surprised himself. He didn’t know what had happened or where exactly he was headed. He just prayed that he’d find Clay safe and unharmed.
Please don’t be dead.
Crashing through tree limbs and brush, his body roared with pain, but he blocked it as best he could, channeling his focus. Nothing would stop him from getting to his friend. Nothing would stop him from ending this night once and for all.
Charging up to an image he could barely see, he tucked his shoulder down and slammed into it, landing on the ground with a hard thump.
Groaning, he was sure he broke another rib. Ignoring the pain, he clawed his way up, taking hold of the man he’d tackled. Preparing to strike, he caught a glimpse of his eyes and immediately knew it was Clay.
“Shit, I could’ve killed you,” Stone said angrily. “Are you hit?”
“No,” Clay moaned.
“Who fired the gun?” He didn’t release his hold on him. Stone’s body was on high alert and ready to kick some serious ass.
“I did!” he muttered, shoving Stone off of him.
“Who were you aiming for?”
“Bullet,” he breathed. “Who do you think?” He caught his breath and eyed Stone as if he was about to be sick. “I think he’s got Gracie.”
Stone’s world imploded. All that he had come to cherish flashed before his eyes. She was supposed to have been safe, locked away from all the shit, but instead she was in the thick of it.
He had to get to her. He had to get to her now.
“Which way?” Stone demanded to know.
“Stone?” Clay said, an edge of reason in his voice.
He didn’t care. He was ready to kill anyone who stood in his way. “Which way did he fucking go?”
Clay held his heavy stare for a moment, a second longer then he liked. He grabbed hold of Clay’s shirt, pulling him up against his forearms. “Tell me now,” he ordered through clenched teeth.
“Stone, you’re not thinking clearly. You can’t even see out here, and you’re unarmed.”
Stone released Clay. Reaching behind his back, he pulled his gun out. The shine of the silver barrel shimmered in the dark. “If this were Delilah, would you still be standing here?”
Clay frowned. “No.” He pointed to the left through the thickening brush. “He went that way, but Stone, I hope you can see in the dark. I’m going to come up on the other side…and I would really be pissed if you shot me.”
Stone launched himself in the direction that Clay had indicated. The rustling of brush and sticks was so loud to him he was sure he sounded like a herd of buffalo. Nothing would stop him from catching up to them, not now, not ever. The bastard had gone too far, and he was going to pay.
A noise he hadn’t expected caught his attention, and he froze, breathing hard and fast. His lungs were on fire.
Concentrating on the muffled sound, his heart squeezed.
Gracie!
She was crying, he could tell. The soft whimper tore at him. He was close, and she was in serious danger.
Slowly, he stalked in her direction. Rounding a tree, his gut rolled with acid. Bullet held Gracie against his chest, both facing Stone. A knife was pressed to her throat.
Stone’s fists clenched at his sides. His blood boiled.
“You found us,” Bullet said, snickering.
“Let her go,” he demanded.
/> Bullet laughed. “Sure,” he said, dragging out the word. “Just pay me twenty large, and we’ll call it a day.”
Gracie’s eyes were wide with fear, her cheeks stained with tears. Stone’s heart dropped out of his chest. Seeing her so distraught, so frightened, was killing him.
“Twenty grand? That’s all?” Stone asked, taking a small step forward.
Bullet eyed him.
“If that’s all you wanted, you should’ve just asked for it.” Another step.
Bullet pointed the knife at him. “Stop right where you are, big man, or I’ll slice you good,” Bullet warned.
Just then Gracie hit him hard. Her elbow slammed into his gut just as her forearm came up in a closed fist, catching Bullet with a solid punch to his nose. The knife dropped to the ground, and Gracie immediately picked it up and scurried away. Stone moved in, his feet connecting with Bullet’s midsection and anything else he could hit. Stone then picked him up by his shirt. The blood from Bullet’s nose ran down his face. Stone showed no mercy, punching him across the cheek with all his might. Over and over again, Stone reared back and let his fist blast away.
Bullet’s body sagged against him. Stepping back, Stone let his limp body fall to the ground. He lay motionless.
Gracie ran to him, her body trembled as he held her. Relief flooded through him. He’d never been so happy in his life.
“Remind me to paddle your ass when we get home,” he said, kissing her face all over.
“Whatever you want,” she told him, pulling her arms tighter around him.
Tenderly, he kissed her lips. “Let me get you home,” he said, reaching in his pocket for his cell phone. He had to let Clay know where to find Bullet.
Suddenly, he was shoved to the ground. Flipping over, he watched Bullet launch himself at Gracie, pushing her to the hard, cold earth beside him. Stone rushed to his feet, pulling him off of her. Instead of resistance from Bullet, his body went limp, unmoving. Glancing down, he saw the blade sticking out of the center of his chest. He looked to Gracie, her eyes wide. The knife Bullet had used against her had been his undoing.
Tossing Bullet’s body aside, he quickly knelt beside her, pulling her into his embrace.
Meeting her shocked gaze, she breathed, “I killed him.”
* * * *
Several weeks later, Stone and James knocked on an apartment door in the middle of the projects in Houston. It was time a certain score was settled. James glanced over at Stone, glad his friend had his back. All he had to do was tell him he wanted to confront Adam, and he didn’t even need to explain his actions, even though he did anyway.
The door creaked open, and a young man answered. James instantly assumed it was Josh, Gracie’s youngest brother.
“Josh?” James asked.
“Who’s asking?”
“I’m a friend of your sister’s.”
“Gracie ain’t got no friends,” he replied.
James would love nothing more than to smack that smug look right off of Josh’s face. Her brothers were scum, and he hated that she’d given so much of herself for a family that only cared if she had money to give them. Out of sight, out of mind, they just didn’t fucking care. “Is Adam home? I’ve got a package to give him.”
As if it were customary for strangers to bring Adam packages, Josh opened the door to let them in. He didn’t bother closing the door behind him. He simply returned to the front sofa and to whatever program was on television.
Josh swiped his hand in the air, waving them back. “He’s in the back bedroom.”
James and Stone walked down the narrow hallway. Just as they reached the door, Stone stopped him.
“What’s wrong?” James asked, narrowing his gaze.
Stone frowned. “You can’t go in there.”
“Why the hell not?” he barked, sounding so much like Stone. Damn, he’d been spending way too much time with him.
Stone dug his hands into his hips and scowled. “You’re a cop, James. Let me handle this.”
James couldn’t argue. Truth was, if he went in there, he would most likely come out a murderer, and that wouldn’t do any of them any good. Stone, on the other hand, would simply scare the living hell out of Adam.
James rested his hand on Stone’s shoulder. “Give him hell, soldier.”
With a crooked grin, Stone knocked on Adam’s bedroom door and slowly walked inside. James waited just outside the door and prayed that he’d hear lots of crying and whimpering from Adam. Lord knew that son of a bitch earned it.
Chapter Twelve
“Damn, Stone. I haven’t heard a grown man cry like that in my entire life. What the hell did you do to him?” James clasped his hand on Stone’s shoulder, catching his attention fully. “Not that I’m complaining. In fact, I’d love to have seen it firsthand. But seriously, what did you do to him?”
James appeared way too eager to learn the details of what had occurred behind closed doors. Stone didn’t want to give the deputy nightmares or a guilty conscience. James was a good man, and he needed to stay that way.
Truth was, as Stone stood over the sniffling little shit, he didn’t feel sorry for Adam one bit. He’d actually enjoyed torturing him verbally and physically. The bastard deserved it, and Stone wasn’t about to regret his actions, not for a second.
Tactics Stone had learned in the military, and a few he invented, came into play as he worked Adam over. Nothing Bullet could’ve done to him would’ve been any worse. The mind games he’d played on Adam had been so much more intense than any physical torture.
Shrugging off James’s hand, he began walking toward his truck. He cocked his head to the side and locked onto James. His expression was serious. At least he hoped that was how James saw it. “James, it’s really best you leave those little details to me. Just know that he’s very sorry for fucking up your life and for almost getting Gracie killed.” Stone rolled his wrists, tightening and opening his fist as he did. A sudden flood of tension trailed from his shoulders down into his hands. He had figured Adam would’ve needed an ass beating, but it hadn’t turned out that way after all. “Starting next week, Adam and his brothers are checking in to a rehabilitation center. They’re going to get clean.”
James stopped walking and stared at him. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open. A wall of disbelief coated his face. “Damn, Stone,” he said, sounding genuinely shocked. “What did you do to him?”
He paused, his feet planted firmly to the ground. He put his hands on his hips and slowly cocked his head to the side to look at him again. “James, I did the only thing I knew how to do. I beat him down so much that there is nowhere else for him to go but up.” He scowled. Tightness pulled at the corners of Stone’s eyes. “I fucked with his mind so badly that he’ll think more than twice before doing anything as stupid as buying and selling drugs.” James opened his mouth to speak, but Stone quickly cut him off. “And I made it perfectly clear that he and his brothers are not welcome in Gracie’s life unless she wants them there.” Stone grinned, and he knew he must’ve looked frightful because he was feeling very iniquitous. He wasn’t proud of the things he’d been forced to say to Adam. Nor was he proud of the way he’d manhandled him, but rather than beat him to a bloody pulp, he’d shared some very frightening stories, stories from his childhood and time spent overseas. Tales that were most unpleasant, partially fiction, and best forgotten.
Stone might’ve also said something to the fact that he’d be checking on him regularly, and the next time he was forced to visit, he’d bring his twin brother, Clay. The idea made him smile, and for the first time, he’d found humor in their names.
For whatever reason, Stone was destined to be a part of Clay’s life. They were brothers. After all, when clay hardened, it felt a lot like stone.
* * * *
Gracie enjoyed her job more than words could say. She learned how to make coffee, file, answer phones, organize Clay’s crazy desk, and all the cool codes for crimes being committed, which didn’t ha
ppen very often.
The one citation issued most often was for drunk and disorderly conduct, but that was usually done by Roxy, the town free spirit. Clay had a soft spot for her, and he generally made her sleep it off in the jail and then released her the next morning.
Everything was as she’d always dreamed it would be, but so much better. James had a slight adjustment problem sitting a few feet away from her. He kept stealing kisses in the stockroom and copping a feel in the break room.
Not that she minded one bit.
In fact, she enjoyed the playfulness of their relationship and the way he couldn’t seem to stop wanting her. The desire between them was beyond anything she could’ve ever hoped for.
“Want to come on a ride along with me?” James asked eagerly.
She arched a brow. She’d done ride-alongs with James before. Most often Clay was the one who approved her time away from the station, but today she hadn’t seen Clay. “To where?”
“Paradise Ranch?”
Her heart jumped into her throat. Her mind raced with thoughts that something awful had happened to Stone. “Is something wrong?”
“Nope,” he said plainly, grabbing his keys from the top drawer of his desk.
She eyed him for a long moment and then dug into her desk drawer and grabbed her purse. “Okay, I’ll go.”
Smiling all the way to Paradise, she didn’t know what to make of James. He was practically giddy, humming as he drove. James was not a humming sort of guy. For whatever reason, he looked happier than normal, like he’d just gotten his Christmas present a few months early.
She hopped out of the police cruiser and folded her arms over her chest. “What’s going on, James?” she asked.
James stared at her, looking way too innocent. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know, you just look so—”
Before she could finish her thought, she spotted a shirtless and mouthwateringly sexy Stone mounted on top of a magnificent black horse, riding like he’d done it forever. The sight had her pulse pounding. Blood rushed to all the right spots, and suddenly she felt incredibly warm.
