Page 104 of Knot Her Cowboys
Martha grabbed me by the arm and nudged me back toward the edge of the shadows. “Don’t undo my work. Maisie isn’t going anywhere, so abandon any grand plans you have about her. Her children need her here. You don’t get out of this place once you’re in.”
“Help her,” I whispered. “Help all of them. You don’t have to stay.”
“I—” Martha looked like I’d punched her in the gut. “I’ve tried. Leave, Riley. Protect yourself.”
I didn’t know how it could happen, but this didn’t have to be the end. The compound was a trap, and one day, enough would be enough.
This whole place needed to be burned to the ground.
We returned to the ranch in the wee hours of the morning, exhausted and anxious but successful in saving the herd. Instead of going to bed, I showered all of the goat and dirt off myself, scrubbed until my skin was pink, and then headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for everyone.
The repetitive work of measuring and chopping helped steady my mind.
Cooper showed up while I was taking out my stress on an innocent cantaloupe. “What did that melon ever do to you?”
“I’m imagining it as Paul Decker’s head.” I chopped it swiftly in half, wishing I could do the same to the disgusting little weasel who had stolen Maisie’s freedom from her.
“Put the knife down, Riley.”
“I’m busy. Breakfast has to be prepped.”
“Wielding knives when you’re exhausted and pissed off is a recipe for disaster.” He slipped up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and rested his chin on my head. “Put it down and come to bed. Our team knows we just got back and they’ll fill in the gaps.”
“But…” My bottom lip wobbled.
“They can handle it. You’ve already got everything ready for them.”
The chef’s knife hovered in my trembling hand for so long that Cooper unlocked my fingers from the handle himself.
“We’ll do what we can,” he promised. “But we can’t fight a war we won’t win. If she gets out, I swear we’ll do anything needed to keep her from going back, but that’s not a problem we can fix today.”
“I hate them so much,” I ground out. “Fucking monsters, every single one of them.”
Cooper’s sweet crackly purr rumbled for me and I succumbed, melting into his embrace. “They’ve been on my shit list since day one. Could I persuade you to hate them while horizontal?”
I spun slowly until I could plant my forehead against his chest with a grumble. “Okay.”
Every protest melted away when Cooper scooped me into his arms and carried me all the way back to the big house. The others were in the kitchen when we arrived, Cash on the phone, Dakota and Levi halfway through glasses of water.
“Can everyone come upstairs when you’re done?” I asked as Cooper walked right past them.
They followed immediately, the five of us going up to the omega suite. I stripped out of my clothing and climbed straight onto the bed, collapsing naked and face-first into my pillows with a distressed whine.
Stupid fucking Deckers.
My pack wrestled me under the blankets and tucked in around me. Cooper laid me across his body, leaving more room for the others to get close. His purr was joined by more, my own included.
Maisie deserved to feel safe like this too.
Dakota wiped tears off my cheeks. “I’m sorry, petal. I wish we could have done more tonight.”
“I called around,” Cash told me. “We’ve got friends all over the state who would be able to house Maisie and her kids. Didn’t use any names or give any info, but they’ve got the space and the Deckers wouldn’t be able to find her or think to look for her there.”
I flipped my head to look at him. “Really?”
He nodded, smoothing his hand over my hair. “I know it’s not ideal. It would be nice if we could storm the compound, get her and every innocent person out of there, but we do what we can. If she can get herself out with all three kids, which doesn’t sound easy from what you’ve said, then we can handle the rest.”
“I hate feeling so helpless.”
