Parker rolled, taking her with him, putting his body over hers. His warm breath slipped over her cheek, caressing it, making her nipples harden. He smoothed her hair back, his silver gaze scanning her. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” she whispered, her lips brushing his.
“Good,” he said, stripping the weapon from her hand and taking over, keeping his body on hers protectively. He shot several outlaws before one of them managed to graze his upper right arm. He let out the smallest of grunts but kept going.
Lynn gasped, fear for him coursing through her veins. Blood oozed from his wound, coating the plum colored shirt he wore. He paid no mind to it. An outlaw charged them from the right and Parker aimed. He pulled the trigger but nothing happened. Lynn reacted, doing something she knew she’d regret later. She called upon her natural born powers.
Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she began to chant, “Take this, that which I offer, my magik marker and protect the man they call Parker.” She lifted her head quickly, knowing what had to be done. She captured his lips with hers, thrusting power into him. It pulsed outwards, knocking the threat clear of them.
Lynn attempted to end the kiss, but Parker pushed his tongue into her mouth. Heat danced through her body at the feel of him. Her tongue slipped around his, learning it, gaining pleasure from it. It wasn’t until she felt his long, thick erection pressing against her mound did she stop him. She tore her mouth away from his and turned her head to the side, panting softly.
He remained in place. “A witch?” he asked so quietly that only she heard.
Fear coursed through her and she met his gaze, wondering if he’d reveal what she was. Some areas within the New Territory were witch friendly, most, even the ones controlled fully by supernaturals, weren’t exactly thrilled by them.
Parker sucked in a deep breath, inhaling near her. “Fear? You’re afraid of me?” He seemed hurt by the idea.
“Will you tell them?” she asked. “What I am that is?”
Suddenly, his silver eyes seemed to swirl as if they were made of liquid mercury. She knew what that meant.
Shifter.
Molly never mentioned the MacSweeny boys were shifters. She’d only said she was fairly sure they were more than human.
Parker winked and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. “Thanks, darlin’. I think it’s high time I got you somewhere safer than out in the open here.”
“Me?” she questioned. “You’re the one who almost got shot in the head. I bloody well saved your arse.” She cringed as an accent she’d tried since her youth to be rid of, returned in force.
A huge, sexy grin spread over Parker’s face. “Aren’t you a woman of mystery and intrigue?”
“Get. Off. Me.”
“Make me,” he taunted.
She opened her mouth with the intent to cast a compulsion spell. Parker slapped his hand gently over her lips, blocking her ability to speak. He wagged his brows. “None of that now, darlin’.”
Her eyes widened.
Pressing his cock against her mound more, he caused a torrent of cream to flood her sex. She rocked against him, unable to help herself. It was his turn to look taken aback by the events unfolding. As quickly as the moment came, it went. His cool façade returned.
“Woman,” he said, his lips brushing over her neck. “I’ll give you what you’re wanting later. You have my word and, darlin’, I’m a man of my word.” His promise of sex later should have offended her. It didn’t. It excited her.
Her legs seemed to have a mind of their own as they spread for him, allowing him to settle between her thighs just right. He grunted and the muscles in his neck began to work. If Parker MacSweeny thought he had all the control and power in whatever was happening between them, he was wrong and she wasn’t afraid to prove it.
His weight was suddenly ripped off her. Lynn stared up to find two outlaws there. Worry for Parker’s safety cost her valuable reaction time. One of the outlaws grabbed her by the ankle and yanked hard, dragging her across the unforgiving ground. Her head thumped into a jagged rock, bouncing off it, pulling a scream free of her.
The other outlaw snatched hold of her and she thought they might break her like a wishbone. He went to one knee and was lightning quick about tying his dirty bandanna around her mouth, blocking her ability to cast a spell. She attempted to yank it down, but he grabbed her wrists, tying them with another scrap of material as well.
Lynn struggled, trying to kick free of the man holding her ankle. Turning her head, she thrashed. The only thing she accomplished was causing blood from the wound on her temple to drip down her cheek.
The men laughed, yanking her upright and dragging her with them. The man who had tied her up pulled a tiny handheld transporter device from his breast pocket. It looked homemade, but it was evident it worked by the fact they’d arrived by means of it. Going with them wasn’t just bad, it was deadly. Doing so would mean she could end up anywhere in New Territory with no way for anyone to track her.
She made a move to run, but the other man seized hold of her hair, ripping her backwards by it. Something growled so loud that the ground seemed to shake. The man holding her put a gun just under her chin, pressing hard. She glanced up to see Parker standing about ten paces in front of her. He looked downright deadly.
“Let the female go,” he said, his voice much deeper than it had been only a moment before. It meant he was on the verge of a shift.
“Barney,” the man with the gun said. “Activate the transport now!”
“I need a second, boss.”
“Come any closer and I’ll shoot the bitch’s head clean off.”
Parker flexed his fingers, looking as if he wanted to rip the outlaws apart. “Pull that trigger and you’re a dead man. Is she worth dying for?”
The boss guy cocked the weapon. “Must be. You seem mighty taken with her. She’ll fetch a pretty penny at the Trader Market.”
Lynn tensed. The Trader Market was well known all over the territory for its black market goods, including human trafficking. The buzz of the handheld transporter came to life. Her senses went wild and panic built.
Parker took a step towards her and the outlaw reacted in a way she wasn’t expecting. He bashed her hard in the side of the head with the weapon, making Parker stop in his tracks when the outlaw then put it to her temple once more.
Her vision blurred and ringing in her ears started. It was almost loud enough to drown out the sound of the handheld transporter’s buzz. She locked gazes with Parker and knew he was about to do whatever it took to try to stop them from taking her.
She shook her head, not wanting him harmed on account of her.
Acting on skills Cole and Molly had worked long and hard to give her, Lynn bent her head forward and then brought it back fast, smashing it into the outlaw’s nose. He released his hold on her hair enough for her to drop downwards. He pulled the trigger, the gun aimed at Parker. She pushed her body against the gunman’s arm, hoping to make the shot go wild.
She fell to the ground.
Parker moved fast, charging the men. He lashed out, taking hold of the gunman’s neck and snapping it with one hand. He thrust the man away and focused on the other, disposing of him as effectively. He grabbed the transporter device and smashed it into the ground, breaking it into tiny pieces before turning and looking at her. Crimson coated his upper chest. Fearing he’d been shot, Lynn lost it, the tears coming faster than she could manage to scramble towards him.
Parker came to her and bent before her. She tossed her still bound arms over his head, smashing his face into her breasts. She didn’t care. The need to know he was alive and well was more important than her modesty. She tried to speak, but the bandanna prevented anything coherent from falling out.
“I’m fine, darlin’,” Parker assured, seeming to sense her concern. He eased her arms from around his neck. “And so are you. They aren’t takin’ you from me, erm, I mean here.”
He untied her wrists first and then her mou
th. Lynn hugged him again, acting so out of character for herself that she felt like a stranger in her own body.
“Lynn?” Cole asked. “You’re hurt!”
She twisted in Parker’s arms, still breathing hard from all the excitement. “I’ll be fine. What about Molly?”
Indecision shone in her long time friend’s eyes. “You’re bleeding.”
She clung tighter to Parker. “It’s not deep. I’ll have a headache for a few days but beyond that, I’ll be fine. Promise. Go help Molly. Heaven knows what she’ll get herself into.”
Cole rushed off to lend a hand and Lynn’s stomach twisted. She released Parker, fearful she’d be sick all over him. His silver gaze seemed so comforting as he checked her head over carefully, with a tender touch she wasn’t quite expecting. His deft fingers moved just under the spot the outlaw had bashed her in. It was the same temple she’d hit on the rock prior. It was sore and she winced slightly as he made contact with the area.
“How do you heal? Like a normal person or like a supernatural?” he asked, keeping his voice low even though there was another commotion starting up near Molly and Cole.
Lynn put her hand over his, already feeling the toll the injury was taking on her system. “Neither and both,” she said. “I need to rest and my stomach isn’t quite right. Concussion, I bet. Makes sense.”
He nodded. “That’s my take too, darlin’. Let’s get you out of this mess.”
She held his wrist in a tight grasp. “Go help Jonathan and Molly. I’m fine. I’m going to go find a spot to sit down, out of the way.”
The look he cast was speculative to say the least.
“Promise,” she repeated.
He eased her to her feet and actually walked her over to a bench just outside the General Store. She sat. He seemed impressed with himself. “Good. Now stay put, woman. I’ll go get my brother before he does something stupid like…”
She looked over to see Molly arguing with someone.
An outlaw looked as if he were about to wet himself. “Y-You can’t shoot me in cold blood. You’ll hang.”
“Like I give a shit if I hang,” Molly yelled loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’m as good as dead as it is, asshole. Jon has a chest full of bullets in him and I fully intend to follow him when he goes. To see you die, I’ll wrap the noose around my own neck.”
Sighing, Lynn took a deep breath to shout out to her friend. She was sure to coat her voice in calming energy. “Molly, calm down, honey. The man’s right. We need to take him before a judge. He surrendered to Cole, that means he gets a trial. Doing anything else would make you no better than them and you don’t want that.”
Parker laughed and shook his head. “I’ll go sort this out. You’ll stay put?”
No sooner did he say it than shots rang out.
“Christ, can’t leave the boy alone for a minute.” Parker ran off in the direction of his brother and Molly.
Lynn tried to stay awake, knowing falling asleep wasn’t recommended, but she couldn’t help herself. Her lids drew heavy and the last thing she heard was Molly screaming for Jonathan.
Chapter Three
Shouts woke Lynn. She sat up too fast and her head spun. Catching hold of the side of the cot she was lying on, Lynn did her best not to tumble out of it.
Strong hands grasped her shoulders and she drew in a sharp breath.
“You all right, ma’am?”
Blinking, she found herself staring into a handsome face. Lavender eyes stared back at her. The man inclined his head. “Doc’s been worried about you. Just finally got him to go handle some of his other patients.”
“W-who are you?” she asked, her hands going to his forearms.
“Eli MacSweeny.”
She groaned at the mention of the name. “How many MacSweenys are there?”
“More than I can count,” he said, mischief in his voice. “You all right to stand? If you fall, I think Parker might skin me alive.”
At the mention of Parker’s name, she perked. “Was he hurt in the commotion?”
Eli seemed to fight a smile. “No, ma’am. He faired just fine.”
“Cole? Molly?”
“They’re right as rain,” Eli said. “Molly is out at Jonathan’s place and your friend Cole is staying at the hotel. He hovered here so long I thought Parker was gonna kill him.”
She glanced around the room, taking in the furnishings. It was hard not to smile. She was clearly in a doctor’s office. His main office to be exact. It was a familiar place to be and felt totally and completely safe. She hadn’t felt that way in a long time. Nodding, she rose to her feet.
Eli remained close, assuring she did indeed stay upright. It was hard to take offense to that. She gifted him a smile.
Shouts came from the outer area.
Eli sighed. “Outlaws are some of the worst patients ever. I’m always telling Saw Bones not to bother doctorin’ them, but he insists it’s his duty. There is one of him and a lot of them. Man’s been goin’ nonstop since yesterday.”
“Yesterday?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Eli said. “When you arrived.”
She’d been asleep since yesterday?
Shouts returned, but they were different than the others. “Doc, Doc, Daddy’s been hurt real bad! He dropped his saw. It got him good.”
Eli rushed out and into the hallway. Lynn followed close behind. The facility was good sized and that surprised her. She hadn’t expected Prospect Springs to boast something such as it.
She caught a flash of Parker’s profile and her chest tightened. He was there, taking an injured man from the arms of several others who were all pushing into the building. He used his foot to press the decontamination button on the wall. A white gas filled the room quickly, dousing its occupants, sanitizing them and the room in the process. Many small towns lacked something so sophisticated. The gas was odorless and evaporated quickly, leaving the room microbe and germ free. Its effects would last nearly twenty-four hours. A plus for sure.
Parker spun with the man, holding him as if he weighed nothing. A perk to being a shifter male. He laid him out on the exam table. Lynn glanced around, wondering where the doctor was. Blood spurted freely from the wounded man’s upper thigh. It coated Parker’s shirt and pants. He paid it little mind.
Two young boys stood just inside the doorway, their eyes wide with worry. The one on the left grabbed hold of the younger one’s hand and held it tight. Lynn’s heart ached for them. Times were hard in the New Frontier and children often were subjected to the harsh realities of it at a tender age.
Eli went straight to them. He knelt, attempting to be more on their level. Since he, like the other MacSweeny boys she’d met thus far, was huge, he still managed to look large next to the children. “Where’s your momma?”
“Back home,” the older child said. “She said we could come to mill with Daddy today.”
Eli seemed torn as to what to do. Finally, he looked towards her. “Ma’am, if they show you the way, could you go and fetch their momma? They’ll help you get there and back.”
“Call me Lynn,” she answered, glancing to the patient. Her gut said remain and assist.
“She’s not going anywhere!” Parker shouted, as he put pressure on the wounded man’s leg. He tried telling the others around him what to do in order to help, but no one seemed to grasp what he was saying.
Lynn reacted, pushing past several of the men and planting herself directly across from Parker. She moved quickly, grabbing clamps from the side tray. She handed them to him, but his hands were covered in so much blood that there was little chance he’d retain his grip on them. Knowing as much, she kept her hand there, waiting as they slipped free of his fingers. He cursed and Lynn remained calm, leaning in, finding the bleeding artery and grabbing hold of it.
Blood continued to pour from the wound and she knew then it was beyond bad. “You got hold of him?” she asked.
Parker nodded, watching her closely.
Lynn ret
rieved a surgical clamp and moved in closer, unconcerned with the blood getting on her. She dug into the man’s thigh. He nearly came off the exam table. All the men present held him down. She found what she was searching for, the other end of the artery, and drew it down, twisting and grabbing another pair of clamps with her free hand. She clamped it off.
“Get me morphine,” she said to the man closest to her. “And I’ll need a suture kit.” She looked around the room and spotted the cabinet she suspected they’d be in. “On the left, in that big case.”
“Parker?” the man questioned.
Parker nodded. “Do as she says, Henry.”
Unsure why the man needed permission from Parker, Lynn shook her head, but remained focused on the patient. She administered the morphine and then grabbed the suture kit from Henry. Setting it aside, she began cleaning the wound, sterilizing it fully as best she could. The gas gave it a good start, but with as deep and severe as the wound was, it required another level of cleansing.
She’d heard of the New Frontier and their barbaric ways at doctoring, but so far she’d not seen any signs the Prospect Springs’ doctor was that way. He had the latest in medical equipment for small town doctoring. Sterilization systems such as the one he had were expensive to have installed and hard to come by. She’d only seen a few in her life.
“Want a laser binder?” Parker asked.
Lynn shook her head. “No. Too great a risk of damage. They’re fickle and I prefer the tried and true method,” she responded. She tore the kit open and had the needle threaded and ready in record time. The man began struggling again, shouting for his boys to leave the room. He didn’t want them to see him die. One of the bystanders was kind enough to take the boys outside.
Lynn met the man’s gaze. She offered a warm, reassuring smile before she began to hum. When she started to sing softly, letting her natural born gifts of influencing others with her singing voice come through. She pushed waves of calming energy at him. He seemed to still somewhat. So did the tension in the room. She worked quickly, singing to him the entire time, even winking at him on occasion. It took her a moment to realize Parker was there, assisting her every step of the way like a seasoned pro. Truth be told, he was as good and quick as her father had been when he was alive. And her father was legendary in the world of medicine.
Parker’s Honor (Cowboys and Supernaturals 2) Page 2
