Page 56 of Naughty by Nature

Then the line went dead.

Cheyenne screamed and looked down at the phone. Hands shaking, she pressed redial on the screen, straining her ears as she ran. Why couldn’t she hear the ring?

Sheridan’s huge truck slammed to a stop in front of her and Cheyenne almost smacked into it she was running so hard. She jumped into the cab, even as she pushed redial on her phone.

“I lost them,” she cried, tears flooding her eyes.

“Put your seatbelt on,” Sheridan ordered, and floored the truck.

Cheyenne had only ever ridden in one other vehicle running lights and siren, and that had been an ambulance. She didn’t remember much of that ride other than how rough and noisy it had been.

Sheridan drove like a bat out of hell, cursing at people to move even though there was no way they could possibly hear him. On one stretch of road, Cheyenne thought they caught air as they crested a rise, but he handled the truck like it was a roadster.

“Patterson is going to meet us there. He doesn’t live far from me, and Deputy Miller is a couple miles out.”

Cheyenne nodded, staring at the phone, waiting for it to ring again. The thought of her babies being out there with so little protection terrified her. She didn’t know if Wade would actually hurt them, but she didn’t want him anywhere near them.

Sheridan’s phone rang and he pressed the speaker button. “Yes,” he barked.

“Thomas Applegate says he loaned Wade more money last night for food, but he didn’t show up for work today.”

“Okay, thanks Marlene.”

Cheyenne pushed the redial button on her cell phone, but nothing happened. It didn’t even ring.

Panic clutched at her throat and she forced herself to breathe through it.

Finally, they were within the sight of the gate. Wade’s white truck was parked in the driveway cockeyed, as well as a shiny motorcycle resting on its side. Two men were rolling around on the pavement, exchanging punches.

As soon as he got close Sheridan slammed the truck into park and was out of the vehicle. His long legs got him to the fight in seconds and for a moment, there was a jumble of flying arms and legs. She couldn’t tell who was who. Cheyenne dropped out of the truck and stood to the side, looking up the driveway. She could see Savannah holding onto Beowulf’s collar, and the other three girls standing behind her. Their faces were pale and frightened but Olivia’s arms were wrapped tightly around Carolyn and Grace as she stood tall between them. The gate had stood firm and so had they.

Wade fought for as long as he could, but Paul and Sheridan eventually got him under control. Sheridan cuffed him and left him laying on the ground as he helped Paul to his feet. Both men were sporting bloody injuries, but seemed to be fine.

“Doll,” Wade cried, catching sight of her. “You gotta tell them. Tell them they’re my kids and I’m allowed to see them.”

“You’re not, Wade. I told you that.”

Cheyenne took a few steps forward, and recognized the look in his glazed eyes. “What did you take, Wade?”

“Nothing, Doll, just a pain pill for my hip. I swear.”

She had a feeling it was more than a pain pill. Probably more like half a dozen.

A siren wailed in the distance. Cheyenne skirted the three men and went to the fence, reaching through to reassure herself the girls were fine. They clutched at her hands. “I need you to go inside the house and close the door. We’ll be in in a few minutes, I promise.”

Reluctantly, the girls did as they were told, Beowulf still sticking close to Savannah’s side.

Wade pleaded with her until Deputy Miller arrived to haul him away. Sheridan instructed him to take Wade the next county over, so that there was no chance anything would happen to Wade while he was in their jail.

“You can’t do this, Cheyenne. You’re my wife. Why are you treating me like this?”

There seemed to be genuine bewilderment in his voice, but Cheyenne was so done with him. Sheridan looped his arms around her as the cruiser pulled away. “You okay, babe?”

She nodded and keyed in the code for the gate to open. “I’m going to go check on my girls.”

“I’ll be up in a minute.”

Cheyenne ran up the drive and into the house. Grace burst into tears and fell into her arms, blubbering about dropping the phone and breaking it. Cheyenne wasn’t worried about that. All of the girls crowded in for a hug, even Olivia, and it took a long time to reassure them that the man was gone. Maybe she should have allowed them to watch the cruiser leave with Wade inside it.

---