Page 10 of Taken By my Brothers' Best Friends

CHAPTER 9

Vera

After five rings, Mills answered. “Do you have any idea what time it is? Who the hell is this?”

“Come to my cabin right now, you gaslighting asshole. There’s someone hog-tied in my bathroom that you might want to see.” I hung up after that, too exhausted to argue with him if he didn’t believe me again. My ankle hurt from where the intruder had grabbed me and I was exhausted. My mind was racing but my body felt like molasses in the winter.

I slowly sank to the floor outside the bathroom and watched the guy fight against his restraints. “You’re wasting your energy. I was the hog-tying champion for three years straight when I was younger. You’re not getting out.”

“You stupid bitch. You’re going to pay for this.”

“I’m already paying for it, asshole. My ankle hurts. And I’m sore all over. I haven’t hog-tied anyone in a very long time. You’re a big sonofabitch, too. I could enter you in the rodeo and win a big reward, I bet.” My words were slightly slurred. “Just stop talking, okay? I’m tired. My brothers are on their way and then they can deal with you. I would’ve let you get away but they didn’t believe anyone was after me. I had to be right. Are you like that? When you’re trying to prove you’re right, do you get a little crazy?”

I flinched at the sudden pounding on my front door and was about to tell them to kick the door down when I heard my deadbolt turn. They had copies of my keys. When I felt more alive, they were going to have a lot of questions to answer. I looked up as six pairs of legs came running towards me. They’d brought their friends. Great.

“Holy shit.” Mills knelt down and grabbed my face. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head. “He grabbed my ankle. And I feel so tired.”

“She’s probably having an adrenaline crash. Why don’t y’all take her back to the main cabin and let us handle the pig in the bathroom?” Lennon sounded mad. “We’ll find out who sent him and maybe send a message of our own.”

“No.” Tate stood in the bathroom doorway and growled. “We’re going to do it. He came after our little sister, on our family land. This is ours.”

“Fine. We’ll take her to the main cabin then.” Dean squatted next to me and grunted. “You took down a man almost three times your size, kid. That’s pretty fucking impressive.”

I scowled at all of them. “So, am I still crazy? Is my imagination still bigger than my common sense? I’m not going to the main cabin. I’m pissed at y’all and I’m staying here. In my bed.”

Reed moved to stand in front of me and took off his cowboy hat. He handed it to Lennon and then bent forward to lift me and toss me over his shoulder like I wasn’t the full-bodied queen that I was. “We’ll be in the main cabin.”

I didn’t have the energy to fight him so I just let him carry me like a ragdoll. They left the keys to their truck with West and walked back with me still over Reed’s shoulder. I kept quiet, close to nodding off, and then found myself propped up on the couch with my foot in Lennon’s lap as he gently touched my ankle.

I blinked myself awake and looked around. Dean and Reed were standing by the front door, looking out at the night. “What are you looking for?”

Dean looked back at me. “Trouble.”

I swallowed and tried to sit up but Lennon didn’t let go of my foot. He traced his fingers over the deep bruises already forming and smiled up at me. “It’s pretty amazing this is all the damage you suffered.”

“I had to prove I was right.” I pulled my foot away and grabbed a throw from the back of the couch to wrap around myself. “What’s happening now? Where are my brothers?”

“They’re asking the guy you hog-tied some questions. We need to know who sent him.” Lennon sat on the coffee table in front of me and rested his elbows on his knees. “Are you up for telling us everything that happened tonight? I promise we’ll listen this time.”

I told them everything and when I described how I’d taken the intruder out, I could tell they were impressed. Horrified, but impressed. “I knew someone was going to come. I’m guessing the guy chasing me picked up my phone and easily found out who I was. I hope he didn’t read my messages. I have private stuff on there.”

Reed glanced back at me and lifted a single eyebrow. He didn’t have to say a word to get his question across, loud and clear.

“Not nudes. Even if there were nudes, that’s not a big deal. People are allowed to take pictures of themselves naked. I didn’t. Take nudes, I mean.” I blew out a breath. “Stop talking about nudes. This is getting ridiculous.”

Lennon rolled his lips into his mouth and I could tell he was trying not to laugh at me. He finally managed to clear his throat and push on with the conversation. “Did the guy in your bathroom say anything to you?”

“He called me a stupid bitch and told me I was going to pay for hog tying him. Or maybe he was talking about the stun gun. Or the stab wounds. Whatever the case, he was pissed at me.” I thought about my keychain. “Do you think someone could get my keychain back from him? It’s in his arm. Now I know how well it works, I want to make sure to keep it with me.”

“You want the weapon you stabbed a man with back?” Dean put his hands on his hips as he studied me. “Not a new one?”

“I know that one works.” I stood up and walked to the kitchen. “How long is this going to take? I need to get some sleep. I have a lot to do in the morning.”

Dean followed me and let out a disbelieving sound. “Vera, you were just attacked. You’re in danger. Your plans are about to drastically change until we know you’re safe.”

I grabbed a bottle of juice and looked back at him. “My plans can’t change. I have deadlines. I have meetings. I have—”

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