Playing to Win

by Becca Van

  Maybe she could wrap the belt around one of her arms and in the event of a wreck, cling to it as hard as she could. She would probably still end up getting hurt, but at least she wouldn’t get sliced to pieces.

  Decision made, she lowered herself back to the seat after making sure he wasn’t watching her. The idiot was whistling along with the radio and had a smile on his face as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Was he crazy? Did he even remember he hadn’t tied her up? Did he think she was going to be unconscious forever? Whatever it was, the guy definitely wasn’t playing with a full deck.

  That was to her advantage.

  Cindy inched her way toward the edge of the seat, keeping her head low so as not to be seen by the driver. Sucking in a deep, quiet breath, she thought of her men and prayed that they’d realize she was in danger soon.

  As their faces filled her mind’s eye, her heart filled with love and determination. She could do this. She had to do this because if she didn’t, she might never see the Kenny brothers, the loves of her life, ever again.

  * * * *

  Shane wasn’t surprised when Jake and Curt pulled up outside the main hall of Safe Haven. Obviously his brothers had put two and two together and come up with four, as well. He’d just been about to call them and tell them what they suspected but shoved his cell phone back into his pocket. As soon as he and Grant had figured it out, Grant had called Kat.

  Kat and Niki had already been here before they’d arrived. The sisters nodded at Jake and Curt when they joined them. “You need to let Niki and I do all the talking. Okay? I’m not about to let you yell or upset those women and kids. They’ve been through enough already.”

  “Agreed,” Shane said. “But if I’m not happy with the information, I’ll start asking questions of my own.”

  Kat crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him, but Shane held her gaze. She sighed, dropped her arms to her side, and nodded. “On one condition.”

  Shane quirked his brow.

  “You don’t raise your voice, and you don’t start bombarding her.”

  Shane glanced at his brothers, and when they nodded in acquiescence, he placed his hand on his chest over his heart. “I promise.”

  “Okay, let me and Niki go in alone first. Once we’ve explained the situation, one of us will call for you.”

  “Thanks, Kat, Niki.”

  “You don’t need to thank us, Shane. Cindy is our friend, too.” She spun away and hurried into the main hall with Niki on her heels.

  “Let’s hope the wife can tell us how to deal with this fucker,” Grant said through clenched teeth.

  “And if she can’t?” Curt asked.

  “Then when we find him, we deal with him our way,” Grant stated.

  Shane nodded just before Curt and Jake did.

  They were all in accord. No matter what they had to do, they were going to get Cindy back where she belonged. In their house, bed, and arms.

  * * * *

  Cindy peeked out the window as she tried to gather her courage. She knew exactly where they were or close enough. They were not far from Burro Canyon, and if she remembered rightly, the dirt road was called 10S. She’d been walking in this area a couple of times and had taken a swim in the Dolores River to cool off afterward.

  She wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else getting hurt since hardly anyone ever used the road and especially not this time of the day.

  Thinking about all the injuries she’d incurred and how she’d gotten them made her mad, and Cindy fed her anger until she was sure she had steam coming out of her ears. When she felt as if she were going to explode, she made her move.

  She lunged up and forward, wrapping her arm around the man’s neck, linked the fingers of her hands together, and pulled backward with all her strength. He shouted and then stomped on the brake instead of pushing harder onto the gas pedal, and her arm loosened around his neck as they lurched forward. As soon as she could, she tightened her arm again, but he fought back. He dug his fingers into her arm so hard, she knew she had instant bruises, but she held on. When he pressed harder and she felt her strength diminishing, she looked about frantically for something to use to knock him out. Just as her gaze alighted onto her cast, he reached back with his other hand toward her face.

  Cindy ducked just in time from getting her eyes poked or gouged but cried out when he grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked, hard. Tresses ripped from her scalp and pain seared her skin, but she wasn’t about to, and couldn’t, let go. If she did, she had a feeling she wouldn’t live long.

  Untangling her fingers but keeping one hand against his airway, she brought her casted arm back and then swung with all her might. The sickening crack seemed so loud in the cab of the truck, and she screamed in pain as she felt the fractured bone in her wrist give way, but she wasn’t giving up. She wasn’t sure she’d knocked him out. Trying to ignore the pain in her wrist and hand and shooting up her arm, she swung at him again and again. White flecks and plaster dust flew into the air around her face, and she coughed, trying to clear her lungs.

  It took her a few moments to notice that his fingers were no longer digging into her arm, and though she wanted to ease up her hold around his throat so she didn’t kill him, she needed to make sure he was unconscious before she let go.

  Shifting on the seat carefully, she leaned around the headrest and looked at the guy. His head was tilted toward her, and there was blood pouring out of his nose. She’d been so intent on disabling him, she hadn’t seen that he’d turned his head toward her. From the looks of it, she’d broken his nose.

  Trying to get her shaky legs to cooperate was awkward, but finally she managed to get her feet under her, and she stood bent at the waist so she didn’t hit her head on the ceiling. His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling regularly, but he was unconscious.

  Keeping her gaze on him, she removed her hand from around his neck and felt for the door handle. When she was out of the truck, she sucked in breath after ragged breath, trying to get her trembling under control. Tears threatened, but she blinked them back as she tried to figure out what to do next.

  There was no way she’d be able to move the big guy so she could get behind the wheel and drive out of here. The only option was to either start walking or see if the bastard had a cell phone on him and call one of her men, but to do that, she’d have to get back into the truck and close to him.

  Cindy had no idea how long he’d be out or if he even was. For all she knew, he could be playing her.

  Walking so far wasn’t a great choice. Normally it wouldn’t bother her walking a few miles, but her wrist, head, and chin was killing her. Her muscles were also starting to stiffen up and hurt like hell after being in a wreck, but she had to get away from the guy as soon as possible, just in case.

  Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she tugged open the driver’s door and perused his body, looking for any bulges indicating he had a phone in his pocket, but there were none. And then she spied it nestled in the cupholders between the seats. The only way she was getting her hands on that was to walk around to the other side of the truck.

  Leaving the driver’s door open, she stumbled her way over a few scattered rocks and opened the front passenger door. Since she wasn’t very tall, she had to step up on the side step to reach it. Just as she had the cell phone in her grasp, the fucker grabbed her wrist so tightly her circulation was cut off.

  When she lifted her gaze to his and saw murder in them, she began to shake. The only way she was getting away from him again was to bludgeon him with her already cracked cast and broken wrist. Even though she knew the pain was going to be excruciating, she didn’t have any other options.

  It was either damage her wrist more as she fought for her life or end up dead.

  There was only one choice, and she was determined to come out of this deadly game the winner.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “H-He’s n-not answering,” Louise stuttered softly. “I’m s-sorry.

I-I don’t kn-know what else to d-do.”

  Grant spun away from the bastard’s ex and tried to keep his angry frustration in check. It wasn’t her fault that her ex-husband was a motherfucking abusive asshole.

  “Thanks, Louise,” Kat said gently. “We appreciate you helping.”

  Grant spun back to Louse and the other woman, Joy, Angela’s mother, forced a smile, and nodded his appreciation. Then he hurried outside. He gulped in air, trying to release some of the tension in his shoulders, but it didn’t help. He wasn’t going to be able to relax until he and his brothers had Cindy back.

  When he heard a car coming down the gravel drive, he turned and squinted at the vehicle, trying to see who it was. The car stopped, and when the two front doors opened, he saw the sheriff’s logo on the vehicle. Sheriffs Luke Sun-Walker and Damon Osborn exited the car.

  “I see that you’re thinking ahead of us,” Luke said as he walked toward him. Damon came to stand at the man’s side. “Could she tell you anything?”

  Grant shook his head. “She even tried to call his cell phone, but he must have it switched off because it went straight to voice mail.”

  “Damn!” Damon scrubbed a hand down his face.

  “I don’t—” Luke cut himself off when his cell phone pealed through the night air. “What’s up, Mr. Johnson?”

  Luke paused to listen. Grant shifted restlessly on his feet as the sheriff’s frown deepened. “Yeah, that does sound suspicious. We’ll be there in a few. Thanks for the call.”

  “What did old man Johnson have to say?” Damon asked just as Shane, Jake, and Curt joined them outside.

  “It seems there’s a vehicle on the road leading to Johnson’s ranch. He was working outside when he saw it and thought he was going to get company, but the vehicle stopped and he was sure he heard someone screaming.”

  “Where?” Shane snapped out.

  Damon answered. “Burro Canyon, road 10S.”

  Grant didn’t bother to acknowledge the new information but took off at a fast clip for Shane’s truck. His brother was right behind him. He jumped in behind the wheel and started the ignition as Shane got into the passenger seat. After buckling up, he pressed his foot on the gas pedal and took off.

  Glancing in the rearview mirror, he sighed with relief when he saw Curt’s truck and the sheriff’s vehicle behind him. Although he felt deep in his heart the information was going to lead him to Cindy and her abductee, he was more than capable of taking out the threat by himself. Nevertheless, he was glad to have his brothers and the two sheriffs to back them up.

  They were rescuing Cindy tonight even if it killed him.

  * * * *

  Cindy swung at his face as hard as she could, but he was faster, and he caught her casted arm in his free hand. She cried out when he tugged her into the cab as agony shot up from the break in her wrist up her arm. Tears welled, but she sucked in a deep breath and pushed them away. When she noticed the fucker was smiling at her maliciously and there was a crazed look in his eyes, she wondered if she was about to die.

  The smile left his face, and as he leaned closer, she drew back. His breath was foul, and she had to swallow to stop herself from gagging and throwing up. It took her a second or two to realize she had an advantage over him. She was a woman and not a very big one at that. He probably didn’t see her as much as a threat, but she was so fucking angry, she wanted to scream.

  Cindy was sick and tired of being hurt by men bigger and stronger than she was. She was furious that her injuries had prevented her from doing her job and teaching the kids at Safe Haven. She was so full of rage, she wanted to hit something.

  Without worrying about further injury to herself, she shoved her head forward as hard as she could into his face. There was a tummy-flipping crunch, and then his grip around her wrists loosened and dropped away. Stabbing pain pierced into her already pounding brain, and though she tried to blink the blurry darkness from her eyes, it just seemed to take over until she was totally blind.

  She was cognizant enough the search for the phone in the cupholders, and as soon as her fingertips brushed over it, she grasped it and wriggled back out of the cab.

  Because she was shaking so badly and her muscles were no longer cooperating, her legs wouldn’t hold her, and she fell to the ground on her ass, the phone flying from her hand.

  Breathing deeply and regularly as she tried to evade passing out, she rolled to her hand and knees, sat back on her haunches, and sifted through the dirt, feeling over the ground as she searched blindly for the phone.

  After a few minutes, she was able to see, albeit not much through a blurry-eyed gaze, and she got to her feet. As she walked, she could feel herself swaying and wondered if she looked as drunk as she felt. A hysterical giggle burst out of her mouth, and tears rolled down her face, but she kept putting one foot in front of the other. There was no way she’d be able to find the phone since it was dark, and the cell casing had been black. The only choice she had was to start walking and to get as far away from her attacker as she could.

  * * * *

  Shane’s throat and chest were so tight with fear and concern for Cindy he couldn’t speak. In his mind, he was urging Grant to drive faster, but again, he wasn’t sure he’d be coherent if he tried to talk. That was if he’d been able to pry his locked jaw apart. His knuckles were white and aching as he gripped the “oh shit” handle, and his heart was racing.

  Shane and his brothers were Marines, but trying to keep his emotions at bay when someone he loved was in peril was easier said than done. Now that he knew what it was like to be on the opposite side of the coin, he hoped to hell he’d never be here again.

  What he hated the most right now was that they were heading south instead of northeast toward Mr. Johnson’s ranch. The only way to cross the Dolores River and not take the long way around was to drive away from where they wanted to go.

  Thank fuck he and his brothers were proficient behind the wheel to drive fast while still keeping control of the truck.

  After what felt like hours later, they were speeding along S8 Road, which would meet up with 10S, the road that led to Johnson’s property.

  When he glanced at Grant and saw how tense he was, he didn’t feel so bad for letting his emotions take over for a moment or two. He and his brothers were in love with Cindy, and it was killing them that she was in danger.

  However, the closer they got to their destination, the calmer he got, until once more he was the cold, emotionless soldier he’d been trained to be.

  Nothing and no one was going to stop him and his brothers from saving Cindy. Nothing.

  * * * *

  Cindy screamed as she tripped over a rock she hadn’t seen and fell to the ground. She was in so much pain she was sick to her stomach, and she heaved until all she was bringing up was bile. All she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry, but she couldn’t.

  Was her attacker still conscious? Was he tracking her? Did he have a gun? Would he shoot her when he found her?

  Getting to her feet was harder than it had ever been. All the muscles in her body were stiff and spasming, but it was the pain in her wrist and head that had caused her to be ill.

  With a final sob, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and slowly stood and once more started putting one foot in front of the other. She wasn’t even sure if she was going in the right direction, but one thing she was certain of was, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep going.

  The pounding in her skull was unbearable, and she was feeling dizzy, and that wasn’t even mentioning her fuzzy vision.

  I wonder if I cracked my skull when I head-butted him?

  * * * *

  Grant had barely turned onto 10S when he slowed. There was something on the road ahead of him moving. He pressed on the brake, idling along slowly, but as soon as he realized he was seeing Cindy, he slammed the truck into park, pulled the hand brake on, got out, and sprinted toward her. Shane got to her first since he’d beat him out of the truck, and when he heard other feet pounding the ground, he knew Curt and Jake would be here in seconds.

  His heart lurched when he saw that her face was covered in blood.

  “Jesus Christ!” Shane snarled between clenched teeth, catching Cindy as she started to fall.

  “We need an ambulance,” Grant shouted.

  “They’re already on the way,” Luke said.

  “We need to get her to the truck,” Shane said. “We can meet the paramedics on route.”

  “I’ll let them know,” Damon stated, and then he was speaking into his radio.

  Grant was only vaguely aware of the two sheriffs hurrying up the track toward the Johnson ranch. Though he wanted to get his hands on the fucker who’d hurt his woman, right now, she was his number one priority.

  He didn’t care about getting revenge. All he cared about was getting Cindy the medical attention she needed.

  She was bleeding, battered, and bruised, but she was alive.

  * * * *

  Cindy knew she was in the hospital when she heard machines beeping. She wasn’t in any pain but figured she’d been given something for that since she felt as if she were floating on a cloud again.

  Something tickled her nose, but when she tried to lift her arm to scratch the itch, it felt so heavy.

  Forcing her eyelids open and then blinking the haze from her eyes, she gazed about the room. Jake and Curt were sitting in chairs on either side of her bed near the end. Shane was on her left side toward the head of the bed, and Grant was on her right, holding her hand. All four of her men were sound asleep.

  They had what looked like a couple of days of growth on their faces, and even though they were resting right now, they had dark circles under their eyes, as if they hadn’t slept much recently.

  “I see you’re awake,” Dr. Camden Brown, one of Enya’s husbands, said. “We’ve all been very worried about you, Cindy.”

  -->