Page 62 of My Cowboy Temptation

Chapter 20

Callie

“How isthat feeling for you, sweetheart,” Roger asks me as he presses the end of a cigarette butt up to my right arm, making another angry welt to go with the other four.

The pain is intense and blinding, and I can no longer control the stream of tears that run down my face unchecked. The first burn was probably the worst of them; the pain of the butt burning into my skin had my teeth clenched so tight I thought I might pass out. The last three had been bad, but I was more prepared for the agonizing pain, the smell of burning flesh.

There would be no way in hell that I would give Roger or Zeke the satisfaction of hearing me beg or cry out in pain, knowing that it would only fuel Roger’s enjoyment of this torture.

Childs doesn’t seem to have the stomach for it, as he’s standing outside the door instead, his back to us. I don’t know why he’s even still here other than he’s probably waiting for whatever payout Zeke Palmer promised him.

“It’s really too bad it’s come to this, Calliope,” Zeke says from the chair he’s been sitting in, smoking a pipe. “I always liked you. Thought you showed some spirit growing up, spirit that I would have thought would get you away from this place. You might not be sitting here now if you had.”

If I could shoot fire from my eyes, he would be cinders, but I would have to settle for a deadly glare as I stare at the old man who I remember once offering me an ice cream sandwich at the gas station one summer when I was probably around twelve, something I took with little care for who he was—at least until my dad learned about it and laid into me that night.

Zeke continues despite my silence. “Your daddy should have kept his mouth shut instead of squealing like he did. It’s a real shame that you’re going to have to pay the price. And that little one growing inside. What I would give to see the look on his face when they recover your body, see your entrails around your feet. Your babe too.” He grins, his dark eyes glimmering with excitement at the prospect. He nods to Roger, who grabs a chair and sits directly in front of me.

“I’m not going to lie. This one is really going to take your breath away,” he says, and he takes a drag on another cigarette and this time leans forward to press the tip against the side of my neck.

Fu-uck.

The pain is too much, and I can’t stop the scream that rips from my throat. This time, the pain combining with the smell of smoke and burning flesh has me jerking forward against my ties, and I hurl the puny contents of my stomach across the front of Roger’s shirt.

I’m aware of him coming to his feet, cursing, and then another blow lands across my face. But it’s nothing to the burning at my neck, and I just sit there, limp and terrified, wanting it to be over but just as much wanting it not to be over because that would mean my baby and I would be dead.

Suddenly, there’s a crash from the other room that has the men jumping to attention as they search for their weapons. I hear gunshots and see Childs going down, just as Zeke’s driver takes a shot of his own and steps out into the other room to face this unknown threat. There’s another crash from the other side of the house and the thunder of footsteps. I can’t see who is out there and how many of them are here, but I know that one way or another, this torture will finally be over.

There’s more gunfire, and Roger suddenly clutches his side before dropping to his knees as his gun clatters to the floor. I look up and meet Zeke’s eyes, see the rage there directed entirely at me, just before he’s reaching down to grab the gun. There’s no question. He’s not planning on keeping me as a hostage. His aim is to inflict as much pain on my dad as he can.

Through me.

His hand closes on the gun, and he slowly reaches his feet again as he turns toward me. His teeth are bared as he smiles at me and brings the gun up. It’s the third time tonight I’ve had a gun trained on me, but this time there’s something final about the movement that tells me there won’t be any warning. Everything is moving in slow motion as he pulls his finger back, and there’s a sound of gunshot.

I’m gasping, waiting for the searing pain of a bullet as it rips into my body, but nothing comes. Either that or I’m dead and having an out-of-body experience.

I’m still staring into Zeke’s face when I realize the smile has left it, and his eyes are wide open in shock as he slowly crumples to the ground as the white of his shirt becomes stained with a growing pool of blood.

Frantic, I search the door, knowing in my heart of hearts who’s out there, a suspicion confirmed when Brody steps through the door, his gun held in front of him as he trains it on Zeke. His gaze searches the room, and I can see the wild fear in his eyes before he finally finds me in the dark room. He takes a few more seconds to stare at me, as if assuring himself I’m okay.

Then I see Chief McCall and another officer, then my dad, all coming inside the room, making sure that Roger and Zeke are out of commission.

Brody strides over to me, kneeling down as he stares at my face, my arms, and my neck that is blistering, before he frantically searches his pocket for a pocket knife that he uses to cut the ties restraining me.

And like that, I’m falling into his arms, feeling the heaviness of them as they wrap around me, crushing me against his chest. “You’re safe now, Cal. I got you. No one is going to hurt you.”

Safe in his arms, I finally allow myself to cry.

* * *

“We’re goingto keep her overnight for observation. Just to be safe,” the doctor explains to Brody and my dad later that night once Chief McCall has taken my statement and left.

“And the baby is okay?” I ask, glancing to the monitor next to the bed that a nurse explained earlier tracks the baby’s heartbeat.

“The baby is fine. Heartbeat is strong.”

I exhale a breath I didn’t realize I was still holding as I meet Brody’s gaze.

Our baby’s okay. Brody’s okay, my dad’s okay. Things could have been so much worse. For Zeke, they definitely were. I saw his body loaded into the back of an ambulance.

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