Chapter 14
fourteen
. . .
Walker
“ W here are they? They should’ve been out here by now.” My gut churned with every passing second as Cross and I waited in the car, lights off, engine idling, attention focused on the window Bishop slipped through nearly fifteen minutes ago. The plan had been ten. Max.
I was certain men would come swarming out of the mansion any second, weapons trained on us.
“I am not cut out for this,” I muttered, my knee bouncing and fingers tapping on the steering wheel.
“He’ll get her out.”
“And what if he doesn’t?”
“Then we go in after them.”
I scoffed. “That’s a suicide mission.”
Burning midnight blues hit mine. “Are you saying she’s not worth dying for?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth.”
“Then stop your fucking whining.”
I lifted my gaze back to the window, staring so hard the image blurred, and I had to blink. My heart lurched as a shadow passed in front of the curtain. Then a large figure ducked out and climbed onto the trellis. Fuck. He had her. She was clinging to his back like a koala.
“Is that blood?” Cross snarled. “If she’s hurt...”
“She’s alive. Let’s save the vengeance for after we have her safe.”
Cross grunted, already climbing out of the car and rushing around to help them get in.
“It’s not hers,” Bishop said without preamble, carefully untangling River’s arms from around his neck. Sweat dotted his brow and lines bracketed his mouth. I’d bet Blue’s life the tension radiating from him had nothing to do with exertion and everything to do with the prolonged physical contact. Even in a rescue situation, it had to be playing hell on his PTSD. He’d shared a bit of his past with me when he’d stopped by after my attack to offer some advice on dealing with my burns. Turned out we had more in common than our obsession with River.
“Give her to me,” Cross said. “It’s okay.”
Bishop passed our girl to Cross, then heaved a sigh, his body visibly relaxing. We’d done it. We had her with us. It was almost over. But a shout echoed from the house, setting us all on high alert.
“Get in the fucking car,” I growled. “We’ve gotta move.”
Keeping River cradled on his lap, Cross settled them in the back seat while Bishop took the place next to me, gun aimed and ready as I peeled out.
“Go, go, go!” Bishop shouted, rolling down the window and firing two shots as men raced from the house.
They might have had guns, but I drove like a bat out of hell. I floored it, leaving them in a cloud of dust as we sped off.
“We’re never going to be safe,” River said, her voice a harsh, fearful rasp. “He’ll come for me. He won’t ever stop.”
“Shh, baby. I promise you we will. You’re safe now. We’re going to do everything to keep you protected.” The way my brother’s voice was so different from the Cross I’d grown up with shocked me. He soothed her so easily with words and actions. From the rearview mirror, I watched him stroke her hair and kiss the top of her head over and over. “We’ve got you, sweetness. No one’s ever going to hurt you again.”
“We can’t go back to the ranch, can we?” she asked some time later.
“No, ladybug. It’s the first place they’ll look.”
“So where, then?”
“We found a place to hunker down,” Bishop said, his eyes lifting to meet hers in the rearview mirror. “A few hours away. Remote. Secure. I personally checked out the specs. It’s basically a fortress.”
“Hiding? Is that how this is going to go? Are we just going to spend our lives running from him?”
I glanced out of the corner of my eye in time to see Bishop’s expression turn to granite.
“No,” he said firmly.
“So what’s the plan, then?”
“I’m going to hunt the bastard down and kill him.”
“Stand in line,” Cross growled, his arms tightening around River. “I called dibs.”
Part of me felt like I should throw my hat in the ring, make a declaration of my own. But honestly, I was less worried about getting vengeance and more interested in taking care of my girl. Everyone else had a chance to hold her and make sure she knew they loved her. I was ready for it to be my turn.
Three hours later, I was desperate to get out of this fucking car and stretch my aching legs. We were nearly there, though. One last turn up a winding dirt road. Then I’d be able to touch her and see with my own eyes that she was okay.
She’d fallen asleep almost immediately, though it was far from restful. Every now and then, little whimpers would slip free, and she wouldn’t settle down until Cross whispered reassurances in her ear.
One thing was abundantly clear: my ladybug had been horribly mistreated. She’d lost weight she could ill afford to lose, and despite the makeup caking her face, it looked as though she’d been knocked around a bit. The blood flaking off her limbs didn’t help matters either.
“What’s that scowl for?” Bishop asked.
“I’m not scowling.”
“Uh huh.”
“I’m just trying to decide if she needs a burger or a shower first.”
He hummed in consideration. “It’s late. She needs sleep.”
“Shower,” came her soft reply as I keyed in the gate code, then drove through. “I’m not hungry.”
“You got it, darlin’,” I said, aiming for relaxed and easy but unable to hide the break in my voice.
“Does Ransom have a doc on call?” Cross asked.
“Should do,” I confirmed.
“We need someone here to check her over. We all saw the bruise in that photo, and I saw the rest of her body when they made her undress. I didn’t like the look of the bruises on her sides.”
“They didn’t hit me much. Mostly just drugged my food,” she murmured sleepily.
My knuckles went white on the wheel. “I hope you flay those fuckers alive,” I gritted out.
“I intend to,” Bishop swore.
“Not if I get there first,” River threatened. She sounded more like a kitten than an alley cat, but I could still appreciate her bloodlust.
I chuckled. “My girl is fierce.”
“Don’t you forget it.”
Parking the car in front of the sprawling lake house, I shut off the engine and got out before opening the door for my brother. “Come on, we’re here.”
Her eyes swept across the darkened landscape. It was impossible to make out much of anything without the light pollution of the city, but the mansion loomed over us, making no secret of its size.
“Where’s here?” she asked.
“Somewhere safe,” was all I said. I needed her in my arms in the worst way.
“I called in a favor,” Cross added.
“A favor that got you a new house?”
“We’re borrowing it. It’s not mine. Unless you want it, then I’ll see what I can do.”
I rolled my eyes at my brother’s promise, though my lips twitched with a silent laugh. It was exactly the shit he’d pull. Me too, for that matter. Whatever our girl wanted, we’d get for her. Anything to make her happy. No matter who we had to fuck over or double cross to make it happen.
“Whose house is this, Cross?”
“Brett Ransom.”
“Why do I know that name? And why do I hear water?”
I let out a soft laugh. “He’s basically the Bruce Wayne of ranchers.” When she gave me a curious look, I added, “He’s the second richest man in Texas, and this is his private sanctuary. The guy wanted somewhere to get away from everything. So he bought a damn forest and had a lake made, then built a house right on the shore.”
“Classy,” she murmured, but I could tell her energy was flagging.
“Let’s get you inside, pretty girl. See about getting you all cleaned up and tucked in bed.”
Grabbing my cane, I held out an arm for her, silently asking her to join me. She did so gratefully, curling into my side and settling some of the restless ache in my chest.
“You two coming?” I asked without looking over my shoulder.
“You go on ahead,” Bishop answered. “I want to do a sweep of the perimeter before I come in.”
“I’ll join you,” Cross said, turning to follow him.
As soon as we stepped foot on the porch, light flooded the area, startling us both. The front door swung open, and both Bishop and Cross pulled their guns on instinct. River fisted my shirt, tucking her body against mine. She’d never been one to scare easily, but after the last few weeks, I could tell she wasn’t going to take to strangers—especially male ones—anytime soon.
“Whoa, don’t shoot. I’m just here to help get you settled.” Ransom stood in the doorway, hands up, a twinkle in his eye.
“Fuck, Ransom. We didn’t know you’d be here.” Cross holstered his weapon and approached the man, hand extended.
Bishop seemed less inclined to relax. He lowered his gun but didn’t put it away, even after Cross and Ransom shook hands.
“There’s too much y’all don’t know about the place to keep from tripping alarms. Besides, we’re in this together now.”
“No, we’re not,” I bit out, frustrated he was here without telling us.
“Yeah, we are. I’m not leaving you out in the cold with Volkov on your heels. Cross helped me when I was in a jam once. It’s time I return the favor.”
“The favor was use of your house, not you playing butler.”
“Yeah, well, I come with the house, so suck it up. Now come on, get inside. Looks like y'all have had a rough night and could use a good night’s sleep.” He eyed River, and I tightened my hold on her. “I’ll get a doc up here in the morning after you’ve had some rest, River.”
She nodded and whispered, “Thank you.”
Ransom’s gaze met mine, a multitude of questions there, but he didn’t ask a single one. “Follow me. We’ll get you all set up.”
“I was gonna do a security sweep,” Bishop protested.
“I can do you one better. Let me get your girl sorted out, and then I’ll show you my control room.”
There was no way I’d leave her for a bunch of computer screens. “I’ll stay with her.”
“Suit yourself.”
Cross looked like he wanted to debate the issue, probably try and squeeze in on my alone time with her, but he shocked me by staying silent. Guess old dogs could learn new tricks.
Ransom led us upstairs to a suite, complete with a view of the lake, the moon shining over the water. The picture would have been beautiful and romantic if we weren’t coming off a horrific trauma. He left us alone, pointing out the fresh towels and spare clothes he’d already set out before telling me we could call down to the control room if we needed anything else. We wouldn’t. I planned to get my girl cleaned up and safely snuggled in bed where I could make sure she knew she was safe.
“Do you need help in the shower, ladybug?”
She bit down on her lower lip, looking torn. “I’d rather do it myself if that’s okay.”
I got it. She needed time alone to take stock of herself and reclaim her agency. “You don’t have to ask permission, darlin’. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need me.”
“I always need you,” she murmured so softly I thought I imagined it.
“You want me. There’s a difference. And I’m so glad you do. Just holler at me if you decide you want help. I’ll be here.”
“’Kay. I’ll be fast.”
“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
Something about the way I said it caught her attention, and she paused with her hand on the doorframe, holding my gaze for a beat before she said, “Me either.” Then she moved into the bathroom, keeping the door open behind her.
It wasn’t an invitation, and I didn’t take it as one. After her captivity, it made sense she wasn’t going to be a big fan of closed doors for a while. At least not in unfamiliar places.
The realization that we’d all be forever changed because of that slimy bastard Volkov finally caught up with me.
I held it together until the shower started and she stepped into the stall. Then the walls I’d put up came crumbling down, and I lost it. My breaths came in frantic gulps as I sat on the edge of the bed, head in my hands, heart racing. I let myself break down while she cleaned her attacker’s blood off her body, and I prayed she wouldn’t come out until I pulled it together. Not because I was ashamed, but because the last thing she needed was the burden of my emotional turmoil.
We might never be able to reclaim the pieces of us he’d stolen. Her sense of safety. My ability to walk without a limp. And so many other things the four of us may not discover for years to come.
But at least we were together.
We’d figure out the rest and learn to live with it.