Page 48 of Taken By my Brothers' Best Friends

I felt a bolt of guilt at thinking a baby was a shithead but I refused to take it back. Even if it was just in my head.

The closer we got to the Mays’ ranch, the more uneasy I felt. What was so important that it couldn’t wait? I sat forward in my seat and linked my fingers through the cage that separated the front and back of the patrol car. “What are you taking them?”

“You’re a nosy one, aren’t you?” Sheriff Morgan turned under the Mays’ Ranch sign. “That’s been the whole problem all along, though, hasn’t it?”

A chill went up my spine. “What are you talking about?”

I saw a couple of men standing outside of the barn where Sheriff Morgan was headed and leaned closer to the window. It took me a few more seconds to recognize the sheriff who’d chased me.

“I can tell by your face that you’re putting it all together.”

I smacked the cage, feeling a crushing amount of fear. “I’m not putting anything together, you crazy asshole! Why did you bring me here?”

“You’d better calm down before you get out with these guys, Vera. They’re not exactly nice. And they’re definitely not fans of yours.”

“What is wrong with you? Why are you doing this?” I sat back and pulled my legs up to kick the cage behind his head. “Take me back to town! You can’t do this!”

He slammed the car to a stop and kicked his door open. I watched him walk around to the side I was sitting in and yank the car door open. He reached in but I’d already twisted around. I managed to kick him in the chin and it knocked him back enough for me to climb out of the car and take off running down the road.

I’d only gotten a few feet away, though, when I was tackled from behind. Sheriff Morgan pinned me to the ground and yanked my arms behind my back. “Such a pain in the ass! You’re lucky I’m a nice guy!”

I had to beg to differ, as he was making me eat a mouthful of dirt at that moment. I fought to buck him off of me but it was no use. Seeing that my physical strength wouldn’t work, I switched to a verbal assault. “You’re going to pay for this, you piece of shit. When my brothers find out what you’ve done, you’re dead. Dead! They’re going to chew you up and spit you out like rotten meat, you loser!”

“Your brothers will never know what happened to you. It’ll eat them alive.” He yanked my arms harder and I felt searing hot pain rip through my shoulder. He laughed when I screamed. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt for long.”

I screamed louder when he yanked me to my feet by my wrists. The pain in my shoulder was excruciating but it was clear Morgan didn’t care as he dragged me back towards his car. “Let me go!”

He shoved me into the back of his car and jammed my face into the hot metal of the trunk. “I’ve always hated your family and now I’m going to get to enjoy watching them all crumble over your loss. Or maybe they’ll be happier without you. You and that little sister of yours were always fucking awful.”

I kicked my foot back as hard as I could and felt it connect with a solid satisfaction. His grunt of pain was even better. I swore as the world spun and I slammed into the ground on the same shoulder he’d hurt.

“That’s enough!” An angry voice I didn’t recognize rang out and then I was lifted to my feet by two big hands under my arms. It still hurt but it was a lot better than being dragged around by my wrists. “If you kill her before Michael gets a chance at her, you’ll be retiring a lot faster than you wanted to.”

I looked up and met the hard gaze of a man I didn’t know. My voice shook as I whispered to him. “Help me.”

CHAPTER 38

Reed

“You had her for less than thirty minutes! What the fuck do you mean you lost her?” Dean’s raised voice was full of a panic that had me on my feet immediately.

I wasn’t the only one. I saw Lennon already had his truck keys in his hand. “What happened?”

Dean didn’t answer. He just ran out of the house ahead of us. It wasn’t until we were in the truck, Lennon racing toward Devil’s Den, that he spoke again. “They lost her. They stopped at a red light and she jumped out of the truck and ran. They can’t find her.”

My blood ran cold. “I’ll kill them.”

Lennon growled. “Call Agent Henderson. Let him know she’s in the wind.”

“There are only so many places she can be hiding in town.” I tapped away at my phone to shoot an encrypted message to our contact.

“They waited twenty minutes to call us. They’ve been searching and haven’t been able to find her.” Dean’s voice shook with the same fury I felt. “She’s been gone for twenty minutes. She could be anywhere.”

“Goddamn them.” Lennon slammed his hands on the steering wheel. “Goddamn us. If we hadn’t opened our mouths, she would’ve stayed. If anything happens to her—”

“Nothingcan happen to her.” I clenched my jaw hard enough for my teeth to grind together. “We need to start a grid search through town. Get someone to check the airport and any bus stations in a fifty-mile radius.”

“Already on it.” Dean glanced up at the highway and then back at me. “We’re meeting the Hellstones at the police station. Don’t get arrested. You won’t do anyone any good if you’re in jail.”

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