Rough Ride by Piper Stone

Chapter 14

Jake

A force of nature.

Almost as soon as the nickname ‘Thunder’ had been given nearly a decade before, others had called me a force to be reckoned with. I thought about the early days on the rodeo circuit as I walked into the living room. They’d been some of the best years of my life. It was difficult to compare the experiences, but I enjoyed being on the ranch, and not just because of my hunger for Madisen.

Still, my instinct told me that I hadn’t been told the entire truth about the place. My inner voice had reminded me that Sheila had told me twice that she’d been friends with Rutherford for a long time. If I had to guess, I’d say she was well aware of everything that had gone on regarding the threats and troubles he’d had with Cunningham and Whitehorse.

Whatever reason she’d neglected to share everything was no longer viable. She would tell me everything.

Or else.

Madisen and I had spent the better part of two days searching through Rutherford’s things, trying to find any evidence of any kind that would implicate Cunningham and Whitehorse. While Rutherford had made certain notations, including making a full list of times, dates, and details about the threats the ranch had received, there was nothing else of value that we’d been able to find. There was also nothing odd with regard to the contracts, although a good attorney might have issues with some of the language used in the most recent ones.

They were strict enough that any holdup of providing oil meant termination of the contract, not just sanctions. I might be no businessman, but that didn’t set well with me on any level. Madisen had also had difficulty finding a single security company willing to provide any help.

I couldn’t imagine the thirteen companies we’d found on the internet were really that fucking busy. Thank God, a friend of hers had suggested someone from out of town. Sadly, they hadn’t been able to fit the ranch into their schedule for another forty-eight hours.

Devlin had come through, the buddy of his Madisen had mentioned an expert in the field of contaminated oil. While the engineer had provided the formula and method for cleansing the lines, it was going to take far too damn long to make them ready again for production. Unfortunately, if the terms of the most lucrative contract were followed to the letter, it would be considered null and void by the end of the week.

What had been worse was that two prospective clients suddenly stopped returning phone calls. It was obvious word had gotten out about our difficulties. If the ranch’s reputation was damaged, there would be no more contracts and the stocks would plummet. Since a significant portion of the company’s wealth listed on paper was from reinvesting in the company, that would be devastating for Madisen. In truth, I couldn’t care less about the money, but she deserved to have some real happiness in her life. Everything was starting to snowball just like the two bastards hoped it would.

We were running out of time.

At least there’d been no other incidents of any kind, but there’d also been no new information provided by Greg. My patience had been kicked out the window.

It was definitely time to play hardball.

I grabbed the keys, heading for the door. I’d remained by Madisen’s side, refusing to allow her out of my sight, but this was something I had to do all on my own.

“Where are you going?” she asked before I could reach the door. “I thought we were going to have a real dinner tonight.”

Sighing, I debated what to tell her. As I turned, there was something entirely different about the look on her face. She was worried about me. After shoving my keys into my pocket, I sauntered closer, brushing my fingers down the length of her arms. “What’s wrong, little filly? You concerned I’m walking out on you?”

“Don’t do that, Jake.” She pushed her palm against my chest. “Just stop. I know you’re trying to make me smile or maybe even laugh, but I can’t take that kind of torment right now. Okay?”

She was right. I couldn’t sugarcoat what was happening or pretend as if I didn’t give a shit. Sighing, I closed my eyes briefly. “I’m sorry. First of all, I’m not going anywhere. Second and even more important, we are going to get through this.”

“How? It’s just a matter of time before another incident happens. You and I both know that. Next time, I have a feeling it’s going to be much worse. I know you told me that the FBI is investigating, but they are taking their damn sweet time in doing so.” She was more exasperated than I’d seen her before.

I pulled her into my arms, cradling her against my chest. I could feel her rapidly beating heart and it only fueled my anger. “I promise you that things will work out. You just have to trust me.”

She shuddered in my arms, nuzzling her head against my shoulder. All I wanted to do was keep my arms around her, reminding her that everything was going to be okay, even though I was no longer certain of it.

Madisen had been right about almost everything. I’d taken a short trip into town earlier in the day, trying to sniff around about the two men involved. I was given the cold shoulder by almost everyone, not a single person willing to talk about either man. I’d seen the looks on their faces. They’d been warned to keep their mouths shut. What the hell year were we living in?

I rubbed my hand down the back of her head, taking several deep breaths. Then I eased her away by a few inches, placing a single finger under her chin and lifting. “Do you trust me at all?”

A slight smile crossed her face. “Dad always told me never to trust a cowboy.”

“Well, I should have met that dad of yours. He gave you great advice.”

“I think you would have liked him, even for a rowdy cowboy like yourself.”

I tugged on her hair, swatting her bottom twice. “When I get back, you’d better be prepared for a nice meal and some enticing dessert.”

“You promise, cowboy?”

“Oh, I give you my word. Cowboy honor and all.” As I captured her mouth, the taste of her sweet lips was delicious enough to keep me from heading out the door. She’d fallen asleep in my arms on the couch the night before and I was ashamed to admit it but the quiet moments of sitting in front of the television had been some of the best of my life.

She rose onto her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around me. As I swept my tongue inside, shifting it back and forth, she undulated her hips against me. Damn if the friction wasn’t enough to shove my aching cock into the zipper of my jeans. When I finally pulled away, I nipped her bottom lip, issuing a series of husky growls.

Purring, she slipped her hand around my thick bulge, teasing me as only the woman could do.

“Such a bad girl.”

“Don’t forget it.”

Laughing, I pulled away, nodding toward the weapon on the coffee table. “When I leave, lock the doors. Don’t hesitate to call me if anything happens.”

“You haven’t told me where you’re going.”

“I have a hunch. Okay? I want to play it out.”

She lifted her eyebrows and placed her hands on her hips. “Why is it that it seems every time you play out a hunch, trouble brews?”

Winking, I hated leaving her more than I wanted to admit. “Maybe you do know me.”

“Oh, I have your number, cowboy. Just don’t get yourself killed.”

“That you don’t have to worry about.”

As I walked out the door, I took a deep breath. The humid air was thick tonight, ominous clouds overhead. Maybe a storm was brewing. And maybe that was something we needed in order to clear the air. I almost laughed at the thought as I climbed into the truck. At least the drive would do me some good, providing a certain amount of perspective on what little we’d learned.

By the time I got out of the truck, the wind had kicked up significantly. I stared at the darkening sky, hissing as I noticed heat lightning in the distance. This was a perfect freaking night for another attack.

While it was already after five, I’d taken a chance that Sheila would still be in her office hard at work.

As I strode into the reception area of Sheila’s office, I was surprised the receptionist I’d met earlier wasn’t behind the desk. In her place was an older woman who seemed annoyed at my arrival. She didn’t utter a word as I approached, but as she lifted her glasses, peering at the obvious dirt covering my face and arms from time spent on the rig, it was easy to read her disdain.

“I’m here to see Ms. Nesbit.” I didn’t bother with pleasantries. What was the point?

“She’s not seeing anyone today.”

“Oh, I think she’s going to want to see me. Tell her Jake Travers is waiting, and I expect a few minutes of her time.”

The receptionist sucked in her breath. “As I said before, she doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

“I just bet she doesn’t.” I leaned over the counter, cocking my head. “I’ll try and make this easy on you. She doesn’t have a choice.”

Her eyes opened wide, her look of disdain remaining. “Very well. I’ll see if she can spare a few minutes.”

“You do that.”

As she walked down the hall, my instinct kicked into high gear. There were too many things that were out of place for my liking.

I waited for less than a minute before strolling down the hallway. Sheila’s door was closed and me being me, I barged right in.

“Mr. Travers,” Sheila said as she stood, her receptionist finally appearing ruffled. “You should have called.”

“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise, now would it have been?” I gave the receptionist a hard look before turning my full attention toward Sheila.

“You can go, Margaret. I have things under control,” Sheila instructed.

Margaret gave me a hard look before rushing out the door, closing it behind her.

I swaggered closer to Sheila’s desk, smacking my hands on the surface. “What happened to that lovely receptionist I met earlier?”

“I found her services to be less than I’d expected.”

How interesting. It was obvious the woman didn’t like me very much.

“What a shame. Now, why don’t you share with me exactly what you know about the threats your client was issued as well as all the juicy tidbits about Cunningham and Whitehorse. And don’t try and tell me that you don’t know anything. I won’t believe it.”

She seemed uncomfortable at first, but seconds later planted the same smile I’d seen at Rutherford’s funeral. “While Rutherford and I were friends, he didn’t tell me everything.”

“You’re his attorney. Bullshit. Not only is there a significant reason for those two assholes to continue doing everything in their power to destroy what the man you called a friend created, but my guess is that Rutherford had already found some damning evidence. Right? Isn’t that the reason we’ve suddenly had a life-threatening fire and contamination of the oil lines?”

I’d always been able to tell when men were bullshitting me. They’d always seemed so cavalier, as if I had no clue what I was talking about. However, the look in her eyes was unreadable at first, her pupils dilating only marginally. Then her lower lip quivered, as if she was shocked by the news.

Very slowly she eased into her chair, folding her hands in front of her. “Please sit down, Mr. Travers.”

I did as she asked, trying to keep from losing my patience. After she remained quiet for a few seconds, I wasn’t certain I’d be able to accomplish the feat.

“Look, Rutherford was very private, including with me,” Sheila started, keeping her voice low. “However, when he received the first threat, he mentioned it to me casually over lunch. He didn’t seem bothered by it at the time, even laughing that the boys shouldn’t have risked the property in a poker game. While I asked if he wanted me to check into it, he declined. I heard nothing again until there was a rigging accident. I guess one of the men almost died.”

“That happened for a second time.”

She exhaled and I was able to see her hands were shaking.

“I’m very sorry.”

“Sheila, I don’t need apologies or excuses. What I need is the reason why the two men would risk everything they have to claim a piece of property less than half the size of the acreage of land they own. Given their wells are producing even more oil than Big Horn’s and they seem to own half the town, they don’t need the money or the hassle. Unless this was entirely personal and for another reason altogether, then they need the land for a specific reason. That’s what I want to know.”

She didn’t seem inclined to answer at first until I smashed my fist on her desk. “Talk to me.”

Jumping, she shook her head. “Jake, I don’t know what you want me to say to you. I don’t have anything concrete. After the rigging accident, even though it went against Rutherford’s wishes, I talked to several friends of mine who work for the country as well as a trusted member of law enforcement. There was nothing unusual. At all.”

“I don’t believe you, Sheila. From what I’ve been able to tell, you’re damn good at what you do. I doubt you’d allow accusations to come from your client’s mouth without pursuing them like a dog to a bone. Now, if you really don’t want to help, then I’ll have no choice but to make certain that you’re a part of the FBI investigation into Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Whitehorse.” That seemed to shock her. “While you might not have been purposely covering up criminal activity, even the hint of impropriety will likely damage your career. Is that what you want?”

“Jake, please. I would never hurt Rutherford.”

Snarling, I glared at her in the eyes. “Then help me.”

“How do you know there’s an investigation?”

I gave her a huge smile. “I also have friends in high places. Since it would seem that the local law enforcement is not interested in protecting Big Horn, I thought I’d pull in a few of my friends to see if they could help. What I’ve learned so far has been… interesting.” She didn’t need to learn I knew squat at this point. If I was correct in my suspicions, the information she could give would at least provide additional ammunition to use against both men.

I could swear the woman was getting ready to blow me off. I was even more furious than before, struggling to keep my cool.

She pulled out a drawer, tugging an envelope from the desk, fingering it for several seconds before handing it to me. “Rutherford gave this to me only two weeks before he died. He was angry as well as upset, knowing that he could die any day. He told me he didn’t have the strength to fight them any longer, but he was very worried about what they would do after he was gone.”

“Whatever it is, did you take it to the police?”

“Rutherford asked me not to. He didn’t want to cause Madisen any additional pain unless absolutely necessary.”

“Are you kidding me? You should be disbarred for your behavior.”

“There’s nothing in this envelope that implicates the two men. Nothing,” she shot back. “While I absolutely bound by my clients’ wishes, do you honestly think I would have held this in my possession if I thought it would force the damn sheriff’s office to do something?”

There was sincerity in her eyes, although I wasn’t prepared to buy her entire conviction. “Then what the hell is the big deal?”

Sheila’s brow furrowed and she pointed to the envelope. “See for yourself, Jake.”

I gritted my teeth as I picked up the envelope. This was the second time in less than a freaking week where the contents could potentially change my life. After thirty seconds of hesitation, I pulled out the two pieces of paper. After reading the first one, I lifted my head slowly. “You are kidding me.”

“No, I’m afraid I’m not. Rutherford was very concerned and when he brought it to my attention, you could tell the entire situation was getting to him. I honestly think it contributed to his death.”

“What the hell does it mean?”

“That’s what he was trying to figure out; however, I’m not certain how far he got with his own investigation. You can choose to do something with the information or not. It’s entirely up to you but remember that this could alter your entire future as well as your inheritance.”

I had to give the woman credit. She obviously cared a hell of a lot about Rutherford. Sighing, I shifted to the other piece of paper, uncertain what I was looking at. “I’m not sure I understand what this is.” I handed her what appeared to be notes and nothing more.

A short knock on the door was followed by the door opening quickly. As I turned my head, I noticed the distraught look on Margaret’s face.

“Excuse me, Ms. Nesbit, but tornado warnings were issued. There’s been at least two reports of the twisters touching down. Is it all right if I go?” Margaret asked in a rushed voice.

“Shit. Of course. Get out of here,” Sheila said nervously. “I’m leaving in a few minutes myself.”

“Thank you and be safe.”

A damn tornado? Jesus Christ. What else were we going to be forced to deal with? I stood, leaning over Sheila’s desk.

After Margaret left, she stared down at the paper, groaning under her breath. “I’m sorry. This must have gotten in there by accident. Rutherford was also worried about someone he knew, fearful this was the person behind the actual acts of sabotage.”

My hackles were instantly raised. “I need to go. I appreciate the information.” I grabbed the envelope, stuffing it in my back pocket.

“Jake. Wait. What are you going to do?”

I stopped short just before reaching the door. “I’m not certain, but at least this provides some answers.” I didn’t wait for her reply, racing out of the building and jumping into my truck. The wind was at least twice the strength as when I’d gone in, thunder rumbling all around me. Lightning bolts crisscrossed the darkened sky and the rain had already begun.

After rolling out of the parking lot, I dialed Madisen’s number. The call was almost immediately cut short without connecting. I glared down at the screen. Fuck. The reception was shit at this point, likely from the storm. As I barreled down the road, I continued trying, able to connect on the fifth try.

But it rang and rang and rang.

Goddamn it. What the hell was wrong with me? I should never have left her alone. If what Rutherford had written was true, she was in significant danger. I had to get to her no matter how powerful the storm became. I tossed the phone, keeping both hands on the wheel, the wind already adversely affecting my ability to control the lightweight truck.

Rain pelted against the windshield, the wipers barely able to keep control. The headlights barely illuminated the road. Everything was one big blur as trees flanking the road on both sides swayed closer and closer to the ground. This was nothing but a freaking nightmare.

“Come on, baby. Don’t let me down.” I was forced to swerve around a fallen limb, nearly hitting another car head on. My blood pressure increased, beads of sweat forming along my hairline, and I was forced to slow to a crawl after a few minutes. When another limb fell, almost blocking the road, all I could do was pray that I’d get to her in time.

As the wind started to whistle inside the cab, my heart thudded against my chest. Time ticked away slowly, the adrenaline rush making it difficult to breathe. When I finally turned down the last road, I hit the gas pedal, more determined than ever.

The sky was black, lightning flashes dancing across the sky like fireworks every few seconds. The scene was surreal, and I knew the worst was yet to come. As I rolled into the entrance of the ranch, a series of ominous sensations roared through me.

She was in immediate danger.

I could feel it in my bones.

The wind was now making it difficult to move forward at a high rate of speed, but I kept pushing harder. When I managed to see lights on in her house, I almost breathed a sigh of relief.

Almost.

Until I noticed the front door was wide open.

I barely had the gear in park before jumping out and racing inside. What I saw was just the beginning of another nightmare.

Furniture had been turned over, one mirror ripped from the wall and smashed. When I rushed into the living room, my fear was confirmed. The room had nearly been destroyed but even worse, her gun was lying in the middle of the floor. I picked it up, realizing instantly that it had been fired at least once. What the fuck was going on? I pocketed the weapon, realizing I might need it.

“Madisen!” I yelled as I searched the rest of the house. She was taken. Oh, my God. I wasted no time, rushing outside. As the headlights of another vehicle approached at a high rate of speed, I yanked the weapon from my waistband, pointing it in the direction of the driver side window.

The truck skidded to a stop, the door opening slowly. As the occupant climbed out, I was finally able to recognize who it was.

Devlin kept his hands raised, struggling against the wind to walk in my direction. “Whoa. What the hell, Jake?”

“Madisen is missing. She was taken,” I was forced to yell over the howling noise.

“Shit. I was coming to warn her. I spotted an asshole on the property who shouldn’t be.”

“Diego Martinez.”

Devlin’s eyes flew open, and he lowered his arms. “Yes. You know about him?’

“Unfortunately.”

“The asshole is bad news. What the hell is going on?’

I huffed, returning the weapon behind my back. “We need to find her. The asshole can’t have gotten very far in this weather.”

“Jake. There was a tornado spotted only two miles from here,” Devlin insisted.

“I don’t give a shit,” I barked as I moved off the porch, heading for my truck. “I am going to find her.”

“Then I’m not going to let you do this alone. He has a place three miles down the road. Turn right after exiting the ranch. If we can cut him off from the back entrance, we might have a chance.”

“What back entrance?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about the place,” Devlin yelled. “I’ll call in reinforcements. We’ll get this bastard.”

I honestly didn’t give a shit what he did. There was no way the asshole was going to harm Madisen. But if he did, he wouldn’t live to see the light of day. I rolled the truck down the driveway, moving toward the entrance. It was now almost impossible to see anything, but I powered on, darting my eyes back and forth as I scanned the road. There were almost no other vehicles out in weather like this, so I was shocked when I noticed at least two sets of headlights behind me. Maybe Devlin was a good guy after all.

The next two miles seemed to take forever and in a flash of lightning, I could swear I noticed a funnel. I had to concentrate, blinking several times as the rain began to fall sideways. I’d never been through a storm this powerful, but nothing was going to stop me.

Nothing.

When my headlights picked up on object in close proximity, I pressed down on the accelerator. It had to be a truck. Maybe my luck was changing. Hissing, I drove even faster. The road in this area was curved, more so than I would have expected. My hands were sweaty as I clenched the steering wheel, beads sliding down both sides of my face. As I started to close the distance, the two vehicles following closely behind, I almost smiled at the sight of several additional sets of headlights coming from the opposite direction.

“Come on. Let’s do this.” I slapped my hand on the steering wheel, my heart racing as I inched closer and closer. Thirty seconds later, the vehicle in front of me was suddenly boxed in, skidding to a stop. The driver’s door was immediately thrown open and before I was able to exit, the occupant had yanked another person from the passenger seat.

Even through the torrential rain, I was able to tell it was Madisen. I held the gun in both hands as I approached, trying to control my breathing. The asshole had his arm around Madisen’s neck, a gun pointed at her head. I had no doubt it was the motherfucker who’d abused Madisen years before. Rage swept through me like a tidal wave.

“Stay the fuck away from me,” Diego snarled.

The headlights from all three vehicles were obviously blinding him. Diego winced since he was unable to shield his eyes.

“Jake!” Madisen called, constantly struggling to get out of his arms.

“Drop it, asshole. In case you haven’t figured it out, you’re surrounded,” I commanded, hissing under my breath. As Devlin and several other men approached, every one of them with weapons in their hands, I was able to give the bastard a smile.

He blinked several times, dragging her away from his truck.

“He’s right, Diego. If you try and hurt Madisen, all eight of us are going to bring down the wrath of God,” Devlin added, moving even closer.

“Try it and you’ll lose her,” Diego snapped, pushing the barrel of the gun against her temple.

She huffed, clawing at his arm, her eyes piercing mine. She was such a strong woman, but on this horrible night, I could see nothing but terror in her eyes. When she repeated my name, there was no sound.

I took giant strides in his direction, almost pushed to the side as the wind whipped against us. Lightning flashed all around, the electricity in the air startling. We were in total danger being out in the open.

“You have five seconds to let her go. If you don’t, your time on this earth is up.” I moved even closer, able to see Devlin cocking his head as he tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do.

Diego laughed, but I could tell his hand was shaking. “Rutherford’s son. What a crock of shit.”

That confirmed what I’d already learned from Rutherford’s note. The man had been working for Bob Cunningham as well as Brad Whitehorse for a few years, likely their strongarm, doing all the nasty stuff neither one of them wanted to be associated with.

“You’re right,” I said as I aimed the barrel carefully, doing everything I could to keep my arms steady. “I am his son, and do you know what that means? It means I refuse to take any shit from a broken-down asshole playing games.” For a few seconds it seemed that all time stood still, a moment of complete silence encompassing the entire area. I glanced into her eyes, allowing a smile to curl across my lip. “And buddy. Your time is up.”

Pop! Pop!

The slow motion continued, the shots I fired exactly as intended, hitting him in the arm. The force was enough that he broke his hold, the weapon flying out of his hand. I shot forward, grabbing Madisen and racing away.

“Get her to safety, Jake. We’ve got this asshole,” Devlin yelled over the continued roar of wind.

While I wasn’t a trusting man, at this point I had no other choice.

I gave him a respectful look and an exaggerated nod before pulling her limp body toward the passenger door. There was little time to waste.

When we were both safely inside, I pulled her closer, wincing from the sound of the howling wind. We weren’t out of the woods yet. Still breathing hard, Madisen leaned her head against me.

“You saved me,” she whispered.

“I told you that I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you. Where the fuck did this storm come from?”

“They happen all the time. There’s a storm shelter, the basement in Rutherford’s house.”

“Then that’s where we’re going.” I jerked the truck around, catching a glimpse of at least two of the riggers, dragging Diego to his feet. I owed every rigger a huge debt of gratitude.

“What about the others?” she half yelled as she jerked up.

“Darlin’. I have a feeling they can take care of themselves. Hold on tight ‘cause this is going to be one bumpy ass ride.”

We both remained quiet as I maneuvered the truck around the other vehicles, heading back to the ranch. As I glared out the windshield, the funnel I’d noticed earlier seemed a hell of a lot closer. Mother of God. I wasn’t a praying man, but at that moment I swore my allegiance to all things good if God would allow us to get to the house safely. Nothing else mattered but keeping the woman next to me unharmed.

I rolled down the road, the truck tossed not once but twice to the side. As I struggled to hold on, I could hear her ragged breathing.

“We’re not going to make it,” she said.

“Oh, yes, we are, sweetheart. Put a little faith in me. Will ya?” As I turned onto the road leading to Rutherford’s house, everything was surreal.

The sky.

The wind.

The moment.

And I’d never been so damn scared in all my life. I’d almost lost her. Now weather was taking aim. Fuck that. I raised my middle finger toward the windshield, hissing under my breath.

A few trees snapped, limbs and other debris rolling across the hood forcing me to swerve several times. As we approached the house, everything was pitch black, the electricity off.

“Come on, Jake. We can do this. We can,” she whispered, her fingers digging into the dashboard.

Ten seconds passed.

Twenty.

The sound of the wind was like a freight train. I skidded to a stop and didn’t need to tell her to get the hell out. We both raced onto the porch, and I was thankful I’d forgotten to lock the damn door.

“Come on. Take my hand. There are a few supplies and several lights.” She grabbed my fingers, pulling me along in the darkness, feeling her way as she went along. When she opened a door, she squeezed my hand. “We’ll be safe. I promise you.”

As she closed and locked the door, leading me down a flight of stairs, I realized that my life would never be the same without her. She’d opened up my heart, expanding my horizons just because of the kind of woman she’d become after the difficulties she’d been forced to face. She seemed to know exactly where she was going and within seconds, there was a warm glow splashing across the room.

While it was a typical basement, thick cinder block walls on all sides, Rutherford had taken the time to leave various essentials needed in case of a crisis. Shelves were lined with bottles of water, a limited amount of food supplies, first aid equipment, and several different lights and batteries. There were towels and tarps, an entire shelf full of items like crowbars and axes. He’d tried to think of everything in case of a disaster.

After placing the lantern on a utility table positioned against one wall, she finally turned to face me. The ability to see her face clearly filled me with anger as well as relief. The bastard had hit her, her cheek already swelling from the blunt force the fucker had used. There was even a trickle of blood caked on her lip.

After grabbing a towel, I took long strides, gently placing my hands on either side of her face. “What the hell happened?” I slowly wiped water away from her face, being careful around her cheek. Just having her close was all that mattered. Whatever the storm would bring, we would handle the outcome.

Together.

Madisen smiled in her coy way, taking the towel from my hand then rubbing the soft terry across my skin. “You’re drenched.”

“It doesn’t matter as long as you’re all right.” I brushed the towel down both her arms, finally tossing it aside. “Did the fucker hurt you in any other way?”

She hesitated, placing her hands on mine, caressing my skin as she stared into my eyes. “No. There was a knock on the door. As soon as I opened it, Diego burst in. He was crazy, more so than I’d remembered. He demanded I come with him and of course I refused. Then things got ugly. I went for the gun, but he was too fast for me. When the shot went off, I knew I’d grazed him but that didn’t matter. By the time I got to the door, he was on me, dragging me by my hair. I just…” After swallowing hard, she shifted closer, wrapping her arms around me.

I stroked her hair, wishing I’d killed the son of a bitch. “Everything is going to be all right.” Was it? Even several feet under the ground, I could clearly hear the howl of the wind, several things thumping against the house.

“Thank you, Jake. I knew you’d come.”

As I eased her away, my eyes darting back and forth, I was overcome by emotion. “I love you, Madisen. I realize there’s no way you could love a cowboy like me, but you’ve become my world in such a short period of time. I will always protect you, no matter the choices you make.”

Madisen clung to me, wrapping her slender fingers around my hair, tugging my head until our lips were only centimeters apart. “Stop talking, Jake. I love you with all my heart. I don’t know what’s going to happen now. Nothing makes any sense, but I know I don’t want to lose you. Make love to me.”

I’d spent my entire life trying to find myself, fighting against rules and accusations, pretending to be something and someone I wasn’t. As the storm over us raged in anger, I was able to accept I no longer felt the same fury I had my entire life. I’d found a home.

And maybe I’d discovered the love of my life.

Nothing was going to take her away from me.

So. Help. Me. God.