Page 20 of Deacon

Deacon couldn’t believe their luck that not only had this idiot been stupid enough to open the door to them, but he hadn’t seriously hurt Lisa. Deacon couldn’t be sure what he might have done if she’d been more hurt.

He listened to Cowboy talk to the cops and held on to Lisa with one arm, just to reassure himself that she was okay. He would feel better if she would let him take her to the hospital and get that knot on her head checked out, but he understood her wanting to talk to the police first.

Deacon watched the asshole who’d had the nerve to touch his woman, to try to take her away. Who had nearly succeeded in getting away with her.

“Hey,” Lisa turned toward him, “how did you guys find me, anyway?”

“Cowboy did something with his phone and found you on GPS. I’m not entirely sure what he did.”

She turned and pinned her brother with a narrow-eyed gaze, “I think I know what he did, the question is how?”

Cowboy disconnected his call and turned to them.

“There will be someone here before too long. It really wasn’t that hard to guess your password. You should have something more secure. On a different note, all things considered, it would be a good idea to set something up so we can trace you by GPS.”

She didn’t answer but glared at her brother for a few seconds before turning back to her phone. Deacon wasn’t going to push the issue, not now. But he would, later. He’d also do his best to get access to that doorbell video.

Not because he didn’t trust her. He did. What he didn’t trust was this asshole sitting on the edge of the bed between Cowboy and himself. Nor his friends. Who knew what he could talk them into, even if he was locked up and couldn’t get to Lisa. And one way or another, Deacon would make sure he couldn’t get to Lisa again.

“What are you doing? There will be trouble if you hurt me!” Randy’s voice made Deacon turn to see what was going on.

Cowboy had taken hold of the duct tape wrapped around the asshole’s ankles and wrists and picked him up, he tossed him up on the bed and watched as he landed on his side. After he landed and nobody went after him again, the shithead shut up.

“What was that about?” Lisa asked.

“I didn’t want to have to watch him every second. That way I don’t have to worry about him going anywhere. You know how difficult it is to move when you’re tied like that,” Cowboy said with a shrug.

“I do, but how do you?” She lifted one brow at her brother.

Cowboy gave the man on the bed a glare and pointed one finger at him. “Stay. And don’t say a word or I’ll gag you.” Then he turned his attention to Lisa. “Come sit down. I don’t like you standing too much with a head injury.”

Lisa turned to Deacon and rolled her eyes, but she wove the fingers of one hand with his and tugged him along with her as she went. She sat in the chair Cowboy had pulled out into the middle of the room for her. When she released his hand, Deacon moved behind the chair and put his hands on her shoulders. Not holding her down but letting her know without words that he had her back. She reached up and patted his hand, letting him know she appreciated the gesture.

Cowboy moved around in front of her and squatted down until he sat on his heels, and he was eye level with her.

“Are you sure there’s nothing more than where he hit you on the head? He didn’t do anything else? Now’s the time to tell us.” Cowboy laid one hand on her knee. “We want to tell the cops everything, and the paramedics. They can’t do a proper evaluation if they don’t know everything.” He kept his voice soft as he spoke to his sister.

Deacon didn’t know if he was trying to control his temper or keep from freaking Lisa out, whichever, it seemed to be working.

“He slapped me, he knocked me out by hitting me over the head, that’s all.”

“Your clothes were in place when you woke? He didn’t do anything while you were out?”

She was quiet for a moment then tilted her head. “Are you asking if he raped me?”

Cowboy made a sound that Deacon took as choking. He watched to make sure his friend was okay, but the other man shook his head, then looked back at Lisa. “Yeah, that was what I was asking, though I was trying to be a little more circumspect.”

“No. He didn’t. If he’d tried while I was conscious, we would both be a little more beat up.”

Deacon didn’t say it, but he thought if the asshole had tried, he might have an accident before the police showed up. Thankfully, that wasn’t an issue.

A few moments later a knock sounded on the door beside Deacon. Cowboy looked up at him, but he shook his head and stepped out of the way for Cowboy to open the door. Deacon moved his hands from Lisa’s shoulders to the back of the chair and pulled her and the rolling chair past the foot of the bed and out of easy reach of the door just in case whoever was at the door had unfriendly intentions.

Cowboy checked the peep hole, then turned back to them,

“Police,” he said before opening the door and stepping back to let them in.

“Someone here called about an alleged kidnapping?” A tall, square built man in a black uniform seemed to fill the doorway.

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