Chapter 39
A scream rips through the woods, startling birds from the trees. The air seems to turn still with it, the entire forest around me holding its breath.
Niamh.
I set off on a run, my gun clutched in my hand. I don’t know if my brothers heard it, but I’m not waiting around for them. We split up to come in at all angles on the lodge, and I haven’t seen or heard from them in at least twenty minutes. We’re so close now.
I’m coming, sweetheart.
I pull to an abrupt stop when I see my father standing over a body, a body that looks entirely too still, curled up in a fetal position on the dirty, forest floor.
No!
Behind them, Oscar comes limping forward, clutching his arm as blood seeps through from a wound on his upper arm.
Jenson reaches down and yanks Niamh up from the ground, and relief washes through me when I realize she’s alive but hurt, and I’m just about to step forward when I see Silas reveal himself, gun aimed and pointed at my father.
“Let her go,” Silas growls. My father lifts a pocket knife to her throat and everything goes quiet.
“Not the son I was expecting,” Jenson fires back.
Silas smiles cruelly. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“Where is he?” My father asks.
Sinking back into the trees, I conceal myself, my steps light, soundless as I move closer, using the shadows thrown by the setting sun to keep myself hidden.
Moving closer, I catalogue Niamh’s injuries. Cuts on her forearms, bruises around her wrists and a thin trickle of blood that runs from her hairline, the fresh scar from her accident split back open. Tears track down her face, bottom lip wobbling.
“Don’t give them anything,” She wheezes. Silas flicks his eyes to her, moving over her much like mine just did, cataloguing what they have done to her.
Jenson yanks her back. “Shut the fuck up.” A fresh drop of blood slips down her throat. The grip on my gun tightens. I have to make the shot clean. The wrong angle will hurt her, and I’m not risking her life for his.
“Why do you want Roman?” Silas asks.
“You know why, son,” Jenson sneers. “We all know that ranch belongs to me. I’m here to get what I deserve.”
“You deserve to see nothing but the inside of a cell until the day you die,” Silas snaps back. “You’re not getting the ranch.”
“Not even for his precious wife’s life? You know I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again. I’ll slice her pretty little throat.”
My molars grind together, and everything in me pulls tight. I’m ready to spring, the rage pushing at its walls, wanting to get out. Oscar is watching the two of them, eyes pinging back and forth. I can see the moment he decides to try and take Silas on, but he doesn’t make it half a step.
“I wouldn’t,” Remy gets an arm around his throat.
“Well, two out of three,” Jenson chuckles. “Come on, Roman, we’re waiting for you.”
I don’t move an inch.
“Tick tock, son.” He laughs, “Or do you want to see her bleed? Maybe you’re more like me than you thought.”
That blade is pushed right up to throat, any shot other than to kill will have it slice through her flesh.
I get into position, lifting the gun to aim for his temple, but my foot steps on a branch and a loud snap echoes off the trees.
FUCK!
Jenson spins, cutting into her even more as he positions her in front of him and faces me.
Blue eyes latch onto mine. “Roman.”
“I’m here, baby,” I keep my voice calm, “I’m here for you.”
“Don’t give him anything.”
“Shut up!” Jenson tugs her head back by her hair, forcing a whimper from her.
“You want the ranch?” I step closer, seeing the manic look in his eyes, the wild violence brimming through his body. He’s unpredictable, untamed, and one wrong move… “You can have it. It’s yours.”
“Roman,” She breathes, voice watery.
“You let her go, and it’s all yours.”
“I don’t believe you,” Jenson spits.
“All I want is her.” I tell him, “Let her go and take me.”
“No,” Niamh whispers. “Don’t.”
“You have my word,” I speak directly to my father.
“Drop your gun,” Jenson orders.
Lowering to a crouch, I place the gun on the ground, my eyes on Niamh, and then lift, showing him my palms.
“Step forward.” I do as he instructs, getting so close I can see the different types of blue in Niamh’s eyes. “Now turn around.”
I give him my back and start to count.
One. I breathe out. Two. All sounds turn muted in my ears as I ready myself for what happens next. Three…
Niamh is suddenly pushed forward, and she lands hard on the ground, right next to the loaded gun. Spinning, I throw my fist into the side of his face, his head snapping back with the force, but he’s quick to recover. He shoots forward just as a loud bang echoes through the trees.
Jenson goes down at the same time pain bursts through the side of my body.
“No!” Niamh screams as she sees the knife sticking out of my side, her shaking hands releasing the gun. She shot him.
“Roman!” Silas roars, but then there she is, her arms around me, attempting to keep me up as blood pours from the wound.
She comes down with me, knees hitting the ground first.
“No, please,” She cries. “Someone help!”
The edges of my vision go blurry until all I see is her, tears tracking down her face, blood smeared on her skin.
“Don’t leave me,” She begs.
My hand lifts to cradle the side of her face. “I don’t want to, sweetheart.”
I can hear my brothers, their voices, the sounds of their steps, but I only focus on my wife.
“I need you,” She cries, her tears landing on my cheek.
“No,” I shake my head, but it feels numb, like my head is swimming. I can feel my heart slowing, the thumping in my ears going quieter. “You never needed me. It’s always been you. You’re the strongest person I know, baby.”
“Niamh,” Silas gets to the ground beside me, “I need you to move.”
“No!” She cries.
“Move, Niamh,” He orders, and if I had it in me to berate him for shouting at her like that, then I would. Maybe in the next life I’ll kick his ass.
“Don’t you fucking die on me, asshole,” He snaps. “I am not looking after the ranch.”
A wet laugh crackles out of me, which quickly turns to a howl of pain as he presses something around the knife, pushing hard.
“They’re coming,” Remy settles next to me.
Who’s coming?
“You need to stay with us, Roman,” Silas demands.
Niamh strokes the side of my face, eyes swimming. “Please.” She whispers, her voice broken.
I’m not in the business of making promises I can’t keep, so I say nothing at all.