by Wilder, L.
As if in shock, she slowly lifted her hand and stared at the diamond ring on her finger. Sue Ellen had been kind enough to help me find the perfect ring, which wasn’t easy considering the closest jeweler was two hours away. The ring was an antique with a two-carat diamond in the center and two single-carat diamonds on either side. Just as I hoped, it looked amazing on her hand. After several seconds, Reece faced me with her glittering blue eyes locked on mine as she answered, “Yes, Jackson. I’ll be your wife.”
Unable to put my feelings into words, I slid my hand behind her neck, savoring the feeling of her soft skin as I crashed my mouth down on hers. My tongue swept across her full, supple lips, and she opened her mouth, welcoming my kiss. A small moan escaped her lips as I delved deeper, tasting her, teasing her, making her squirm impatiently beside me. She inched her way closer, tipping her head back in invitation, and the velvety touch of her tongue against mine unraveled my self-control. I swiftly rolled my body on top of hers, and her thighs spread as she wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me close and grinding her hips against mine. Her nails raked down the skin of my back in a perfect balance of pleasure and pain. I rocked my growing erection against her, feeling the warmth of her center through her pink lace thong. My mouth moved to her neck, kissing and nipping gently at her soft skin before traveling to her collarbone. I hooked the satin spaghetti strap of her nightgown around my finger and slowly, tantalizingly pulled it down, freeing her firm, heavy breast for my mouth to devour. I rolled my tongue around her nipple and watched with satisfaction as her back arched off the floor, silently pleading for more. “You’re so damn perfect.”
I slid my body downward, settling between her thighs as I lifted the nightgown up to reveal her trembling stomach. Like mine, her desire was growing by the moment, and I relished the torment building up inside of her. I glided my tongue along her stomach ever so softly, trailing kisses here and there as I worked my way down to her panties. The thought of my mouth clamped around her, sucking and teasing her to ecstasy made my cock throb with need. I slid my hands down to the waistband of her panties and had just begun to tug them off when Crow’s voice came over the two-way radio. He was clearly distressed as he whispered, “Guys … I think we’ve got company.”
I was already up and reaching for my radio when Murphy responded, “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m out here on the west bank of the creek, and there’s an UTV parked back here in the woods.” I felt like the rug had been pulled out from beneath my feet as I stood there listening to the sounds of him tromping through the snow. While we’d prepared for it, I’d prayed that this night would never come, but it was clear that my prayers weren’t answered when Crow said, “And the engine’s still warm. Whoever is out here …”
His voice suddenly trailed off, and a chill ran down my spine when I heard faint gurgling sounds in the background. I engaged the radio’s receiver and shouted, “Crow … Crow! You there, brother?”
T-Bone’s voice came over the line and said, “Murphy’s Law.”
Since there was a chance that Crow’s radio might’ve been compromised, we all changed our radio frequencies from channel six to eighteen. It was something that Murphy had implemented during one of our preparation discussions. He didn’t want the enemy listening in, so every five minutes, we’d change frequencies. Once we were all on the same channel, I ordered, “Everyone to their posts.”
Reece came up beside me, her eyes filled with panic. Her voice trembling, she asked, “What’s happening?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m going to find out.” As I glanced over at Tate’s bedroom door, I told her, “I need you to go get Tate.”
“Is this them? Are they here because of me?” she cried.
“Get Tate, Reece. Now!” Without any further hesitation, she rushed into Tate’s bedroom, and seconds later returned with him nestled against her chest. I could see the fear in her eyes when I motioned her towards the closet. As I opened the door, I told her, “I need you both to get inside, and no matter what happens … no matter what you hear, I need you to stay right here until I come for you.”
Reece did what she was told, although reluctantly, and stepped inside. Still holding Tate protectively in her arms, she lowered herself to the floor and whispered, “I’m scared, Jackson.”
“I know you are, baby, but everything’s going to be okay,” I assured her. “I just need you to stay put.”
When I started to close the door, she whispered, “I love you, Jackson Reed.”
“And I love you, Reece. It’s going be okay.” After I closed and locked the door, I told her once again, “Don’t move.”
Once I knew they were secured, I grabbed my gun, and with my adrenaline rising by the second, I raced downstairs to meet up with the others. When I got to the living room, I found Gunner and Murphy at the side closet, stocking up on artillery. “Do you think it’s them?”
“Got no idea,” Murphy answered me flatly.
Anger boiled inside of me as I asked, “How in the hell did they find us?”
“No way of knowing. You gotta remember who we’re dealing with here, brother. If Navarro hired someone to take us out, he’d hire the best. Someone who knows how to watch for mistakes. One fuck up is all it would take.”
“We were careful … We played everything by the book.”
Murphy took out two M249s, and as he handed them over to me, he said, “Keep one of these for yourself and give the other to T-Bone. He made need something with a little more punch. He’s out on the front porch.”
As I took it from his hand, I asked, “Where’s Rider?”
“He’s out back.”
My voice was strained as I told him, “Reece and Tate are up in the closet.”
“Good.” He turned and gave me a stern look as he said, “I know you’re worried and I get that, but brother, we’ve prepared for this. We’ve just got to stick to the plan. It’s the only way we’re going to get out of this thing alive.”
I nodded, then turned and headed for the front porch. When I opened the front door, T-Bone was looking out at the woods through his night vision googles, and it was clear that he was rattled when he shouted, “Fucking hell. Where are these motherfuckers?”
“Any sign of Crow?” I asked as I handed him the M249.
“Fuck no!” T-Bone barked as he took the automatic rifle from my hand. “If these motherfuckers hurt him, I will kill them with my own two hands.”
“We’ve gotta find out if he’s okay …” My train of thought was thrown off when I noticed a familiar tiny red glow bouncing around on T-Bone’s chest. I lunged towards him, tackling him to the ground as I shouted, “T-Bone!”
But it was too late. The shot had already been made, and the bullet pierced his chest, causing him to wince in pain. His hands clung to his chest as he groaned, “Fuck! The motherfucker shot me!”
Bullets sailed past me as I scurried to my feet. T-Bone was too big for me to lift on my own, so I grabbed his leg and started dragging him towards the front door. “We’ve gotta get you inside.”
“You’re gonna get your ass shot! Leave me here!” he demanded.
“That’s not gonna happen, brother.” T-Bone’s blood stained the freshly fallen snow as I continued to pull him towards the front door. I hadn’t gotten far when I felt a searing pain radiate through my bicep. I glanced down at my arm, and just as I had feared, I’d been shot. Thankfully, it was just a graze, but it didn’t matter. Nothing was going to stop me from getting T-Bone out of the line of fire.
Gunner opened the front door, and when he saw me pulling T-Bone across the porch, he shouted, “Murph! Need a fucking hand, brother.”
Bullets continued to whiz past us, breaking windows and plowing into the logs of the house as we worked together to get him through the doorway. Once we were inside, I kicked the door shut and locked it behind me. I glanced down at T-bone and grimaced when I saw that blood had already seeped through his thick winter coat. As I re
ached for his feet, I told them, “Let’s get him over to the sofa.”
Even with all the adrenaline I had pumping through my veins, it was a struggle to lift him off the ground and carry him across the room. When we lowered him to the sofa, I heard something drop to the ground. I leaned forward to see what had fallen off the couch and was surprised as hell that an unfamiliar iPad was laying there. “Who’s is that?”
Confused, Gunner looked around and said, “What?”
“The iPad. Who’s is it?”
“I don’t know, man. It’s Reece’s, I think.”
While I didn’t have time to process it all, I knew in my gut that I was looking at the very thing that brought Navarro’s hitman to our front door. “Fuck!”
Murphy was helping Gunner remove T-Bone’s coat as he said, “We’re gonna have to do something to stop the bleeding.”
T-Bone reached for Murphy’s arm, and as he held on to it tightly, he ordered, “Get me a fucking towel, and then go. I’ll be fine. You gotta end this fucker before he gets to Reece and Tate.”
Murphy gave him a quick nod, then motioned over to Gunner. “Grab a few towels out of the hall closet.”
Once he was gone, T-Bone looked over to me and said, “I’m sorry, brother. I should’ve been more careful.”
“Not your fault, T-Bone. Don’t think that for a second.”
“Just promise that you’ll get that fucker,” T-Bone pleaded.
“You know I will.”
Gunner returned with the towels, and once we’d gotten T-Bone sorted as best as we could, Murphy grabbed two of the rifles and started for the back door. “I’m going to the roof,” he announced. “Gunner cover the front, and Riggs … get upstairs with Reece. We need you to be the last line of defense if this motherfucker gets in.”
I gave T-Bone one last look before I followed Murphy’s order and headed upstairs. My heart was pounding like a drum as I opened the door and stepped inside. I could hear Tate’s whimpers, so after I turned out all the lights, I quickly walked over to the closet and whispered, “Don’t worry. It’s just me.”
“Can we come out?”
“Not yet. I need you to hang on just a little longer.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
When I heard gunshots outside, I walked over to the balcony door and peered out the window. At first, I couldn’t see anything, only snow and trees, but then I spotted Crow. He was out by the back fence, just on the edge of the woods, and he was lying face down in the snow. It was clear from the way his body was positioned, and the amount of blood that surrounded him, we’d lost him. Fuck. I was still standing there staring at him when I heard more gunfire. I had no idea what was going on, so I reached for my radio, and after tuning to the next frequency, I asked, “What’s happening out there?”
After several seconds, Murphy answered, “I just got him.”
“You sure?”
“He’s got a bullet between his eyes, so yeah, I’m sure,” Murphy replied, clearly proud of himself.
I felt a sudden sense of relief and walked back over to the closet. “Did you hear that?”
“He really got him?”
“He did.”
“Thank, God. Does that mean we can come out now?”
“Let’s give the guys a few minutes before—”
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence. Before the words could leave my lips, a round of gunfire exploded through the balcony door, slamming me against the closet door as the bullets impaled my flesh. I was stunned, unable to process what was happening, as my knees gave way and I fell to the floor. Everything stilled as the searing pain burned through my chest and abdomen, and with a ragged breath, I watched as a man dressed in all black entered the room. With every beat of my heart I could feel the blood gushing from my wounds, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d black out. In a blink, he was towering over me. He kicked my rifle out of reach, and with a wicked grin, he sneered, “Josue sends his regards.”
“Fuck you, asshole.”
“I’ll let him know you send yours in return. Now, where is the girl?”
“She’s not here.”
“We both know that’s not true.” He glanced around the room, and when he wasn’t able to see anything in the dark, he turned on the light. He looked under the bed, and when he didn’t find her there, he stepped into the bathroom, quickly searching for any sign of her. I eased my hand behind me, reaching for my pistol, but froze when he came back into the room. Growing impatient, he stormed back over to me and said, “I’ll find her. You know I will. Make it easier on us both, and just tell me where she is.”
I motioned my head towards the closet door and told him, “She and the kid are in here.”
“See. That wasn’t so hard.”
Before heading to the closet, he turned his gun towards me, shooting me once more in the side. I groaned in agony as he pushed me away from the door. Once I was no longer blocking his path, he turned and reached for the door knob. Knowing it would be my only chance, I used what was left of my strength to take my pistol from its holster. I took in a deep breath as I aimed it directly at his head and pulled the trigger. Blood splattered against the bedroom wall as the bullet penetrated his skull and exited out the other side. A feeling of satisfaction washed over me as I watched his lifeless body drop to the ground with a deafening thud. I lowered my hand, letting my pistol fall to my side as I looked down at my wounds. Fuck. I knew it was bad, really bad, and I hated the thought of Reece and Tate seeing me like this. I could hear her pounding on the door behind me, but I couldn’t move. I could only lie there and wait. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Murphy and Gunner came crashing through the door.
As soon as he saw me, Murphy knelt down at my side and said, “It’s gonna be all right, brother. Just stay here with me.”
Gunner walked over to the shooter and barked, “How the hell did he get up here without us seeing him?”
“He must’ve crawled up the side of the balcony. I should’ve known something was up when the light was out,” Murphy growled.
“Not on you, brother,” I assured him. “Should’ve been watching for him.”
I let my eyes fall shut as I tried to block out the excruciating pain I was feeling, and when I opened them once again, Reece was hovering over me with tears in her eyes. She was trying her best to keep it together, but the sight of all the blood was more than she could take. With the palm of her hand on my face, she whispered, “I need you to stay with me, Jackson. Do you hear me? You can’t leave me.”
I tried to reach for her, but I couldn’t will my arm to move. I could only lie there as I muttered, “I’m right here, beautiful … I’m right here.”
She looked over to Murphy as she cried, “We’ve got to do something! We can’t just let him stay here and die!”
“You know … I thought people were crazy when they talked about love at first sight … I just didn’t believe it was possible to fall in love after just one look.” I gazed up at her and said, “But then I saw you … I never felt love like that with anyone but you. I want you to know that.”
“And I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you. That’s why I need you to hang on. I need you to stay here with me, Jackson. Please.”
Her words where still lingering in the air when Jed stepped through the doorway and said, “Just did another check. No one in sight. You boys got ‘em all.”
“Thanks, Jed,” Murphy answered. “Rider with you?”
“He’s taking care of your boy, Crow. Sure sorry you lost him like that.” Jed took a step towards me and said, “Looks like we might lose him, too, if we don’t get moving quick. We need to get him downstairs, now, before he loses anymore blood.”
As they all lifted me up off the ground, I turned to Reece and said, “Tell him about me … tell him how much I loved him.”
“Jackson Reed, don’t you dare give up on me! If you want Tate to know about you … if you want him to know how much you loved
him, then you stay here and tell him yourself.”
“Let’s move, boys,” Jed ordered.
I was falling in and out of consciousness as they carried me into the kitchen and laid me out on the table. The room was spinning out of control. I could hear Tate crying in the background, and I tried to focus on the sound of his voice as they started to remove my clothes. I was cold, so fucking cold, and even though my eyes were closed, I knew Reece was standing next to me. She was talking, and while I couldn’t make out the words, I knew she was pleading with me to hang on. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay there with her and Tate, and I was trying with every ounce of strength I could muster. But the fight was futile. I could feel myself falling into the darkness. It was pulling at me as I heard Jed shout, “We’re losing him!”
Reece pressed her lips on my cheek as she kissed me softly, and just as the darkness took its hold, I heard her say, “You’re the love of my life, Jackson. Now and forever.”
20
Reece
Two weeks later
As I sat there on the stand, I couldn’t stop staring at Josue, the man whose life weighed in the balance as the jury listened to my testimony. I couldn’t believe how much he reminded me of my uncle. He had the same dark, beady eyes and confident demeanor, seemingly unfazed by the fact that he was on trial for first-degree murder. I wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug look off his face. God, how I hated him. I hated everything about him—what he’d done, what he represented—and I prayed that after hearing everything I had to say, they’d put him away for the rest of his life. It’s what he deserved after the pain he’d caused so many people. When his attorney commenced his line of questioning, I started to get anxious, worried that I might say the wrong thing, and without even realizing what I was doing, I found myself looking out into the crowd. I was searching for him, needing to see his green eyes staring back at me, but they weren’t there. This time, he wasn’t here to stand with me as I faced Navarro, but I found solace in knowing that his brothers had come in his place. They all sat in the back row with their leather cuts and fierce stares, letting everyone know they were a force to be reckoned with.
