by Lara Jones
“Wait. I can’t leave my car here.”
Dylan pressed her between him and his car and pulled out his phone. He wasn’t taking a chance of her running again. “Stacy, I need two guys to come to Make-out Bluff and pick up a car. I’ll leave the keys on the passenger front wheel well. Drop it off at the Jacobsons’ place.” He paused and listened, but his eyes stayed glued to Mora’s, and his thumb rasped across her cheek. “Yeah. I’ll take care of it in the morning. Can you call the Jacobsons and tell them I have Mora and she’s safe?” Slight pause. “Okay. Thanks, Stacy. Night.”
He took a step back, shoved his phone into his pocket, and held his hand out.
Mora looked from his face to his hand and back. She sighed before digging into her pockets and pulling out her keys and handing them to him. Her heart lightened when he smiled. For some reason she wanted to please him, and that wasn’t like her at all.
The drive to the Jacobsons was silent, but he insisted on holding her hand the whole time. She sat up straight when he passed what she thought was the turn-off to their place. “Hey, wait. Weren’t we suppose to turn there?”
Dylan smiled and released her hand to grab his phone. He kept his attention was on the road. “Hey, you off work?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Are you home?”
“What’s going on, Dylan?”
“I’m headed over. We’ll talk when I get there.”
Liam shook his head. “You got it.”
Mora turned sharply in her seat and evaded his hand when it went to hold hers again. “No, where are you taking me?”
“Liam’s and my house.”
“Why? I want to go to Isabel’s.”
“And you will. As soon as we all talk. I want to discuss last night.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. Turn this car around,” she said through gritted teeth.
Dylan chuckled. “No.”
Mora gasped. “Dylan…”
“Mora…”
She settled back on the seat but kept both of her hands on the door handle, ready to make an escape.
Dylan bit back a smile. Didn’t she realize they were in an official sheriff’s car? The door wouldn’t unlock until he pressed the button. He guessed she’d find out before long as they were just pulling into their driveway.
Dylan put the car in park, turned it off, and got out, making sure the locking mechanism was engaged. He walked around the back and chuckled to himself when she screamed in a fury and he heard a pounding on her door.
“What the hell, Dylan?” Liam said, coming down his front steps and then stopped suddenly, and his eyes widened in shock. “Is that Mora going crazy in your front seat?”
Dylan bent down enough to make sure she wasn’t hurting herself. “Yeah. Hey, I need you to stand on this side of the door, because the minute I unlock the car she’s going to try and bolt.”
“You’re kidding…oh shit.” In two steps he had her in his arms.
“Get her in the house.”
“Please tell me we’re not doing something illegal?”
“Hell, yes he is,” she screamed and tried without success to get Liam to release her. In fact, he stood with her in his arms, having a conversation like she didn’t weigh anything and wasn’t fighting to get free. The strength of these men boggled her and made her a little apprehensive.
“What’s he doing, angel?”
Dylan snorted. “Wait for it…”
“Wha—” Liam asked confused.
“This motherfucker kidnapped me. God dammit. The sonofabitch won’t leave me alon—”
Dylan started toward the house.
Liam followed him. “Hey, settle down. We’ll figure this out. Please know we would never hurt you…”
“No, but I’m going to hurt that shithead.”
Liam bit his lip. Damn, she was a spitfire and a very pissed-off one. “Let’s get you in the house.”
Mora wrapped her arms around his neck and grumbled as he walked her into the house and set her on the sofa and stood.
“Liam, watch it…” Dylan sighed and then took off after her as she ran down a hallway. “Woman, you’re digging yourself deep with these stunts.”
She made it to the bathroom, slammed the door, and locked it. “Fuck you.”
Dylan heard it and shook his head. “You know what’s going to happen now, sugar?” He turned to see Liam leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
“What’s going on, Dylan? Why do you have her here against her will? Have you lost your mind?”
“Yes, he has. The bastard needs to be arrested.”
Liam’s eyebrows rose. “Are you doing something that’s going to get you arrested?”
Dylan rolled his eyes at Liam. “No,” then turned back to the door. “Hey, sugar, you know you’ll need to come out of there eventually, right? Well, just so you know, we’ll be out here waiting for you, sweetie.” He said with such phony sweetness it was obvious to everyone.
Liam’s head jerked back at the furious scream that came through the door. “Holy shit, we’ve got our hands full,” he whispered to Dylan and then grinned.
“You don’t know the half of it. Come back to the living room, and I’ll tell you about my day, but we need to sit facing the bathroom because she’ll probably try to escape.”
“I could bring Dodger in and lay him in front of the door. That’ll keep her in line.”
Dylan waited until he called his German shepherd in and commanded him to lay on the floor in front of the bathroom. This will be hilarious. Everyone was terrified of Dodger because he was so intimidating. Liam would need to introduce them before he accepted her, but he wouldn’t attack unless commanded or Liam was being threatened.
Liam brought out two kitchen chairs and two bottles of beer. “I thought we could at least be comfortable.”
Dylan snickered.
“Okay, let’s have it. Why have you done a one-eighty since last night, and why is she here under these circumstances?”
Dylan took a long drink of his beer. “I actually listened to what you said last night.”
“That’s a shocker.”
“Shut up, dickwad. Anyway, I was planning on talking to you tonight about a game plan on our next move with her, but I came upon her car up at Make-out Bluff.”
Liam choked on his mouthful of beer. “What was she doing there?”
“When I found her, she was sobbing uncontrollably. It nearly broke my heart. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone cry with that depth of emotion. I tried to talk to her, and she went off, telling me to leave her alone. She cussed so many times I lost count, and the very first chance she had, she tried to run from me.”
“You don’t look too pissed about it.”
“Because I was having fun. If it hadn’t have been for her obvious pain and tears, it would have been a great day. After I caught her, I had to pin her to the ground because she fought like a wildcat.”
Liam chuckled and shook his head. “You look almost proud of her.”
“I am. I thought we’d need to be really careful with her because she’s so little, but damn she can fight better than most guys, and she didn’t give up until I started touching her.”
Liam leaned back with interest in his eyes.
“We only kissed. There was no way I would have gone further without you there the first time. Anyway, I had her pinned, her arms over her head. When she caught her breath, she was revving up for more fight until I slid between her legs and pressed on her pussy and kissed her. Only then was she totally docile.”
Dylan looked toward the bathroom door and smiled at the cuss words coming periodically. “Dude, I think it’s going to take the both of us to keep her in line.”
Liam chuckled turned toward the front door when someone knocked. “Come in.”
Dylan and Liam were confused when a few of each of their men came through the door.
Dylan looked at Liam with his eyebrows raised, like What the hell?
Liam waited, but no one said a word. They just looked at each other nervously. “Hey, guys, what’s up?”
The guys looked at each other nervously before one of the older ones stepped forward. He cleared his throat. “Um…we were told that a kidnapping was taking place at this address?”
Dylan and Liam looked at each other in shock and then at the bathroom door that stayed closed and locked against them and threw their heads back and laughed until tears streamed down from their eyes.
Finally, after a few minutes of trying to stop laughing, Liam took a breath. “Sorry, guys.” He had to bite back his laughter again at the confused and nervous faces of his and Dylan’s men. “Um, our woman is pissed at us right now and has locked herself in the bathroom. I give you my word she’s absolutely fine, but if you’d like to talk to her, go ahead.”
The men looked at each other and shrugged. “No, sir, we believe you. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”
Liam started to laugh again. “It’s okay. This is going to be something we tell our grandkids someday.”
The deputy nodded. “We look forward to meeting your girlfriend, sir.”
“Oh, you all will definitely get to meet her. She’s hard to ignore.”
Liam chuckled at Dylan. “I can’t believe you didn’t check for a phone.”
Dylan grunted. “You’ve seen what a hellcat she is. When did you think I’d have a chance to frisk her?” That set them both off again.
The men left, shaking their heads when their bosses burst out laughing again.
The officers and deputies walked out. “Jesus, our bosses have their hands full with that one.”
They all snickered and got into their separate cars.
Chapter 5
Dylan and Liam continued to chuckle, trying to finish their beers, when the bathroom door lock disengaged and the door slowly opened.
They looked at each other and sat up, waiting to see what she’d do now.
The door stopped when it was halfway open and she caught sight of the dog.
The men snickered until they heard her talking to the dog and coaxing him into the bathroom with her and locking the door again. They both jerked upright and looked at each other in complete and utter shock.
Dylan closed his mouth and swallowed. “Shit. I’ve never seen anyone take a look at your dog and want to pet him or even be near him.”
“Because it’s never happened. I’m almost afraid. I don’t know what he’ll do in this situation.”
“Do you think we should…”
Liam shook his head. “Should what? She’s going to come out when she’s damn good and ready unless we use the key.”
Dylan looked staggered. “You have a fucking key and haven’t said anything?”
Liam chuckled. “Yeah, I’m having too much fun.”
Dylan stood. “Want another beer? It looks like we’re going to be here for a while.”
“You might want to grab us a few.”
A half an hour later, Dylan’s phone rang. “This is Dylan.”
Someone cleared their throat. “I’ve become aware that you have my houseguest locked in a bathroom?”
Dylan chuckled and shook his head at Liam. He put the phone on speaker. He didn’t want Liam to miss a word. “Is this Royce?”
“Yeah…”
“What’s wrong with your voice?” Liam asked.
Royce tried to hold back his laughs, but they burst from him.
They waited several moments until he calmed down enough to talk. “Liam is listening, Royce. Start at the beginning if you would.”
Some snorting laughs. “I asked…if you by chance had my houseguest locked in the bathroommm…”
Liam and Dylan laughed with him. Their cheeks were beginning to get sore because of the laughing.
Dylan cleared his throat. “Why would you ask me that?” He sniggered.
Royce cleared his throat again. “Well, um. My wife got a call from her. She told her you guys were keeping her against her will in a locked bathroom and to have her men come over and get her.”
Liam spoke up first. “It wasn’t my fault. Your brother did it.”
Dylan rolled his eyes. “Thank, bud, for backing me up.”
Liam sat back and took another drink of beer. “You’re welcome.”
“Asshole,” Dylan growled, making Royce burst out in laughter again.
“Okay, Royce, it’s like this in a shortened version. I found her at Make-out Bluff sobbing. I stayed and helped her, kissed her several times…”
“You didn’t say you kissed her several times to me,” Liam complained.
Dylan snorted. “It could be described as one long one.”
“Whatever,” Liam groused.
“Get on with it, Dylan. I have an angry fiancée telling me if I don’t fix this she will, and that won’t be pretty.”
“Okay. She was still too distraught, and I didn’t feel it was safe for her to drive, so I had some men pick up her car and drop it off.”
“Yeah, it’s here.”
“I made a snap decision to bring her to Liam’s and my house so we could talk some things out. When we got here, she tried to run again.”
“Again?”
“Remember long story…short?”
“Yeah, but I want to hear the full version eventually.”
“Okay, you got it. Shit, where was I?”
“She ran again,” Liam drawled.
Dylan snorted out a laugh. “Thanks, Liam, for all your help,” he said sarcastically.
“You’re welcome,” Liam said, deadpan.
“So, she ran and Liam caught her…”
“Royce, he told me to.”
Dylan ignored Royce’s laugh. “We brought her into the house, sat her down, and she took off again…” Dylan rolled his eyes and started tapping his toe, impatient for his brother to stop laughing. “Are ya done?
Royce coughed a few times. “Yeah, sorry.”
“She locked herself in the bathroom where she still is.”
“When is she coming out?”
“How in the hell should I know?” Dylan growled.
“What am I supposed to tell Isabel?”
Liam and Dylan looked at each other for a long minute.
“How about you tell her Dylan and I are trying to get her to move here?”
“Hell, she might go for it. She really wants her here, too. I’ll try it, but if she’s still not satisfied, I’ll need to call you back.”
“No problem, thanks, Royce.”
“Bye, Dylan. Bye Liam. Good luck.”
They could hear Royce’s laughter as he hung up his phone.
“Now what are we going to do?”
“How about you try talking to her? She’s not mad at you,” Royce suggested.
“Hell, it’s worth a try.” Liam stepped up to the bathroom door and tried to listen but couldn’t hear anything. He tapped on the door. “Mora, it’s me Liam, honey. Can we talk?”
“No.”
Liam silently shook his head at Dylan. “Come on, sweetheart. We just want to talk.”
“No.”
“You can’t stay in the bathroom all night.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Why won’t you come out?”
“Because I’m pissed at both you assholes.”
Liam mouthed ‘she’s still pissed’ to Dylan.
Dylan whispered back, “Keep trying. I’ve got another idea.”
Liam watched him pull out his phone and then turned back to the door. “Why can’t you talk to us?”
“Because you’re assholes.”
Liam rolled his eyes. “How about we use better words, baby?”
“Okay, you’re pricks. Is that better?” she asked sarcastically.
He had to bite down hard on his tongue to keep from laughing. “No, I think we might be able to do better…” He bit off when he heard her phone ring.
“How’d you get my number, you shithead?” Liam heard Mora say thro
ugh the door, and then he heard Dylan’s voice down the hall.
“I need you to stop being a baby and come out like the good girl you are and face us.”
Liam rolled his eyes.
“Are you fucking kidding me now? Jesus, is there a bigger asshole on the face of the earth?” she spits out.
Liam grinds his teeth. “Psssst. Dylan. Knock it off. You’re making it worse.”
Dylan waves him off. “You’re what nineteen or twenty?”
“No, God. Dylan, just let me go home,” she said through her clenched teeth.
“How old?”
Rrrrrr. “Twenty-three.”
“Interesting.”
“What is your fucking problem?”
“I don’t know. I just thought you were so much younger by the way you’re acting.”
Something hard hit the inside of the bathroom door, and a furious scream and excited barking seeped through, making Liam jerk back.
“What the hell are you doing? She was talking to me. God, Dylan,” Liam said as he walked back down the hallway, sat, and took a long drink.
“I thought if I made her mad enough, she might come out and try to smack me.”
“Kinda like I want to smack you?”
Dylan rolled his eyes. “Where’s the key?”
Liam looked down at his lap where he gripped his beer and leaned back in his chair with his legs stretched out in front of him. “We’re going to give her a little more time.”
“We’ve already given her more time than we ever would.”
“You keep forgetting she’s not ours yet, and if you keep poking at her, she might decide to run the other way.”
Dylan chuckled. “Oh, I think we’ve got her where we want her.”
Liam looked at him with both eyebrows up. “Where, in the bathroom?”
“No. She’s with us.”
“For how long? She has to go back to Isabel’s.”
“Only for the time being.”
Liam looked at his friend suspiciously. “I don’t trust that smile.”
Dylan rolled his eyes. “Everything will be just fine.”
“Famous last words. Just don’t forget you’re the fucking sheriff.”
Chapter 6
“Isabel, why aren’t you coming to get me?”
Isabel bit her lip, both feeling guilty and cheerful at the same time. “Mora, my guys say Dylan and Liam just want to talk to you. Can’t you give them a chance?”
