Chapter Fourteen
Ryland
A high-pitched scream erupted from the cabin, followed by the front door bursting open. Kimberly appeared, glancing around wildly before she ran.
Away from me. Fuck. She was headed in the wrong direction.
“Over here!” I risked hollering, not sure who was left in the cabin. I hated working blind.
She didn’t hesitate, plunging into the bush. She obviously hadn’t heard me. Diego tensed at the sight of his mistress, and I let go of his collar, urging him to go to her.
By now, Kimberly had disappeared into the woods, and Diego bounded across the clearing to follow her. I pivoted my attention as two guys stumbled out of the cabin, cursing and rubbing their eyes.
What the hell?
I pulled my gun and aimed a warning shot at their feet as they looked wildly around the clearing. Staying out of sight, I yelled. “Hands up where I can see them.”
“Fuck that!” The one closest to the door scrambled back inside, pulling his buddy with him and slamming the door shut.
I pulled out the secure phone, thankful there was cell service in the area.
Impatiently, I worked through the connection protocols, and William came online.
I didn’t bother with niceties. “I have the two guys that took my woman holed up in a cabin in the mountains. I need backup, or the okay to take care of it my way.”
William knew what I meant by that. “Is the woman okay?”
I glanced around. “I think so. She escaped, but I don’t have eyes on her right now.”
“Send me your position. I’ll have a couple of the guys air-dropped to take care of the hostiles. We can detain them and deal with them later, once everyone is safe.”
“Roger that.” I relayed my position to him and dropped the phone back in my pocket.
I whistled softly. If Diego had the training I suspected, he’d know it was a recall and he’d bring Kimberly with him. If those assholes tried to shoot their way out, I wanted both Kimberly and Diego here with me so they didn’t get caught in any crossfire.
I heard twigs snapping behind me, and I rolled over, gun in hand. I was ninety-nine per cent sure it was Diego and Kimberly, but I couldn’t take any chances. I slipped the safety off and aimed in the direction of the sound.
Diego came into sight first, Kimberly following close behind, her face lighting up when she saw me. I slipped the safety back on and held my finger to my lips, motioning for her to be quiet.
She nodded her understanding and came to crouch down beside me. I reached for her hand and held it tight, looking her over for injuries.
I dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “You okay?”
She nodded, her eyes on the cabin. “Are they still in there?”
“Yeah.” I squinted at the building. “I saw two of them. Anyone else?”
She shook her head. “Not here, but I don’t know where their boss is. Julien. The guy Sasha’s been seeing. He’s head of the whole mess.”
Shit. Things suddenly made sense. The leak. The connection between Kimberly and me. “Does Sasha know?”
“Not sure, but I doubt it. We need to warn her.”
I already had the cell out, waiting impatiently for William to answer. When the call connected, I hissed, “Leak is my sister’s boyfriend. She doesn’t know. Drop a couple of guys at her place ASAP! Before he finds out we’re on to him.”
“On it.” William kept the line open, and I heard him barking out orders to the chopper. “Okay, they’re at the house, and a black sedan is speeding toward them. They dropped a bodyguard for your sis, and the chopper is moving to intercept the sedan.”
I locked my eyes on Kimberly, seeing the fear and horror on her face. We both held our breath, waiting. Through the crackling static, we heard the chopper report in to William.
Confirmed sedan occupant as leak, likely kingpin. Suspect has been neutralized. Package is unharmed.
Translation -- the head of the poaching ring was in the sedan and was now dead. Sasha was safe.
Proceeding to secondary target.
Kimberly tilted her head. “That’s us?”
I nodded. “Yeah. As soon as they get here, we’ll be free to go. They can take care of the kidnappers.” I knew how that was going to go down, and I didn’t need Kimberly to see just how ruthless the Brotherhood could be when someone threatened us.
A faint smile curved her lip. She knew, but knowing and seeing weren’t the same thing. I wanted to protect her as much as I could from the brutal reality.
The sound of the chopper approaching cut our conversation short. The pilot hovered just above the tree level, and three figures in camo rappelled to the ground just beyond the clearing.
I linked my fingers through Kimberly’s. “Time to move out.”
* * *
Kimberly
I hated waiting.
I paced back and forth in the kitchen while Diego sat and watched me, his head swiveling back and forth.
I wanted to sit on the front porch and watch for Ryland’s return but the two watchdogs he’d left with me vetoed that idea.
Strongly vetoed, as in they took turns guarding the door to make sure I didn’t sneak out.
I’m being unfair. The watchdogs were actually twins, members of the group Ryland worked with.
They looked less than civilized, with long, shaggy blond hair and an assortment of weapons strapped to various limbs.
Ryland said they would keep me safe while he mopped things up.
Those were his words. Mop things up. I just hoped none of the mopping involved his blood. That arrow wound had been enough.
“I am so sorry.” Sasha wandered into the kitchen, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. Finding out the guy you were so excited to be dating was an asshole would be bad enough. Finding out he never cared, and that he used you to hurt people you loved? That really sucked. It wasn’t her fault.
I stopped pacing and wrapped my arms around her. “He was a lowlife bastard, and he used you. You couldn’t possibly have known.”
“They killed him. The guys Ryland works with shot him. It was crazy. A gunfight, like on one of those James Bond shows we watched.”
“That bother you?”
She scowled. “Hell no. Except he didn’t suffer. He deserved to suffer.”
That made me feel better, because Julien, or whatever his real name was, wouldn’t get a decent burial. Ryland didn’t spell it out, but he didn’t have to. They were going to make him disappear. I had the feeling no one would mourn his loss.
The sound of a vehicle’s engine as it approached the house cut through the evening, and I rushed into the front room.
Noah stood in front of the door with his arms crossed, shaking his head.
Or was it Sam? I had a hard time telling them apart.
I veered off to look out the picture window as Ryland’s car pulled into the driveway.
Screw Noah. Or Sam. Whoever it was. I shouldered my way past him and threw the door open. Barefoot, I ran to meet my lover.
Lover? Yeah, lover. Ryland was it. The one.
The guy who would wade through icy waters, chase down kidnappers, and do whatever it took to keep me safe, to get back to my side.
He wouldn’t leave me for a better job or another woman.
Those guys I’d dated before? The one who left me at the altar?
They didn’t deserve me. Ryland did. We deserved each other.
I threw myself into his arms as he got out of the car, and he caught me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He took my lips in a kiss that sizzled right down to my toes.
When we came up for air, I stood in the protective circle of his arms. “Everything taken care of?” I didn’t ask for details and he didn’t supply them.
He nodded. “All done. You’re safe. Sasha is safe. The spirit bear and her baby are safe. Those bastards won’t ever hurt anyone again.”