I hear a noise and look to the right. James stops for a second, his feet faltering at the sight of what is unfolding in front of him. I take his surprise and use it to my advantage. Reaching toward the back of my waistband, I pull out my gun and point it at him.
“Fuck,” he shouts, just as he jumps to the side at the same time, I pull the trigger.
I hear him cry out, staggering a few steps, his hand flying to his side. The sound of the front door slamming against the wall causes me to freeze, my gun still trained on the crying James.
There’s a growl and I hear him before I see him. The sheriff is here. He shouts and Emily goes limp beneath me.
Turning my head to the side, my breath coming out in labored puffs, I freeze. His gun is drawn, but I don’t mistake the look of surprise on his face to see the naked woman beneath me.
“There’s three of them, one more man and one pregnant woman somewhere in the house,” I say, suddenly able to speak.
“Ass on the floor, James,” he growls.
“But my side,” he whimpers.
He tilts his head, his eyes narrowed on James. “Get your fuckin’ ass to the floor, you useless pile of shit,” he spits.
James does as he’s instructed, but its full of complete reluctance. Sheriff Robby lifts his chin, holsters his gun and quickly takes off toward the back of the house. Emily drops the knife. Looking down at her, she looks completely defeated.
I shake my head, my stomach fucking sick that this poor girl has been so abused. I help her so that she’s sitting on her ass and allow her to lean against the wall. Her eyes don’t look up, they’re focused on the floor, and she looks so fucking lost.
Ford, Beaumont, and Louis are next to burst through the front door. They look to me, to the girl on the floor, then back to me just as the sheriff brings in Jacob and Jennifer by gunpoint.
“Asses down and against the fucking wall,” he sneers.
I watch as the three assholes walk over to the wall opposite Emily and sit down. Jennifer attempts to whine, but Robby actually cuts her off.
“Shut the fuck up,” he barks.
Turning my back from Emily, I walk over to the three of them, they all look pretty fucking pathetic right now. No longer are they in charge of anything, no longer are they holding an innocent pregnant woman against her will, or torturing a young girl. Right now, they just look fucking pathetic.
Unable to hold myself back, I bring my foot behind me and deliver a kick to James’ ribs, right where I fucking shot him. I hear a sickening crunch as my composite steel toe boots connect to his side.
Leaning down, I murmur low enough for just him to hear. “You ever fuck with my family again, and I swear to Christ I will hunt you down, skin you alive, and smile as you die. Channing is not yours anymore, neither is her baby. Stay the fuck away.”
He doesn’t say anything, his eyes lift to mine and I watch him gulp. Finally, he fucking gets it—maybe. My eyes flit between the three of them, and I curl my lip.
“Enjoy prison, you motherfuckers,” I snort, turning my back to them and walking over to Exeter. She’s still standing strangely still in the middle of the room, her eyes focused on Emily.
“Exeter?” I ask, keeping my voice low, calm, gentle as if I’m trying to calm a spooked animal.
Her entire body jerks, her eyes widen, and she turns to face me. “Don’t,” she warns.
Holding my hands up in a surrender motion, I shake my head once. “I wasn’t,” I lie.
Exeter turns from me, taking a step toward Emily and slowly sinks down in front of her. I watch as she whispers to her, trying not to strain to listen. I want to know her better, I want to know what Emily was referring to when she said their fathers had hurt them, though I’m pretty damn sure I don’t want to hear the truth of it, at all.
Exeter stands, standing in front of Emily. Her body jerks, then she says loud enough for me to hear. “I will be here for you Emily, when all this is done, and you feel more like yourself. When you get some help, I will be here.”
Emily turns her head to the side, choosing to ignore her cousin. I shake my head, wondering if there is any help for the young girl. I hope so, I hope she survives this, gets help, then thrives. Though judging by the dead look in her eyes, it’s going to take a damn long time.
Exeter lets out a breath, she takes a step away from me, turning her back and then takes another step. I don’t let her go far. Reaching out, I wrap my fingers around her bicep and gently tug her back against my chest.
“Where do you think you’re goin’, sugar?” I ask, resting my mouth next to the shell of her ear.
My cock grows painfully hard beneath my jeans as her plump ass collides against me. She attempts to jerk out of my grasp, but I hold her firm, careful not to grip her too tightly.
“You helped your cousin. Hopefully I helped Emily, my cousin, now, I’m leaving,” she grinds out. “Let me go.”
I make a tsking sound, pulling her a little closer, letting her feel how hard she makes my cock, just by standing near me. I hear her gasp, then she turns around in my arms. I don’t care that the room is full of people or that it’s chaotic as fuck. Everything melts away when my eyes find her light blue ones.
Rylan’s roar breaks through our moment. I release her, glancing over to watch Rylan embrace Channing. I close my eyes at the obvious love and relief that consumes them. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect woman for my cousin. Both of them are so damaged, and yet, there is nobody else in the world for either of them.
Exeter begins to walk toward the back of the house, but I don’t allow it. Closing the distance quickly, I wrap my fingers around her bicep, again.
Instead of forcing her to stop walking, my legs take over and I march her fucking ass back to her MawMaw’s. If she thinks she’s going to run off without talking to me this time, she’s fucking lost her goddamn sense.
EXETER
Wyatt doesn’t let me run away from him, not like I want to. Instead, he marches me over to my MawMaw’s like a child. Once we’ve reached her back porch, I yank my arm free of his grasp. He lets me, because I have no doubt if he had wanted to squeeze his fingers tighter, to keep me where he wanted me, he would.
I watch as he spreads his feet wide, planting them before he crosses his strong arms over his broad chest and then he levels me with a glare, then he spits on the ground next to my feet.
“Talk,” he barks.
“About what?” I ask, playing as dumb as I possibly can.
I watch as his arms flex, and I have to squeeze my thighs together, because he looks so damn beautiful. Even glowering at me, he’s absolutely stunning and one hundred percent out of my league.
My stomach clenches. I knew it at that bar, even when he took me home, I knew. And I left him so that I didn’t have to feel the sting of rejection that would eventually come.
Now, he’s standing in front of me, after seeing my cousin naked and battered. He knows now, without a doubt he knows that I am so far beneath him, I’m like gum stuck to the bottom of his shoes.
“You leave me that night because you been hurt?” he demands.
I flinch, my head jerks and my breath escapes. He heard, of course he heard, but he heard Emily. I take a step back, but he doesn’t let me get far. He lets his large arms fall and reaches out for me, but he doesn’t grab ahold of me roughly like I expect. Instead, he wraps one hand around my hip, and the other he cups the back of my head.