Page 14 of Healing Her Cowboys (Silver Creek Ranch #6)

Chapter Fourteen

“ D o you have to go into town today?”

She smiled against Atlas’s chest. “Jason told me I had to come in to give my first report in person. I am here to do a job.”

“But don’t you like sleeping in with us?” Brik asked, his head resting on her back.

“Of course I do, but I still have to complete my work. Despite how many times you two distract me from it.”

“I object to that,” Atlas said. “I always let you work. That’s his thing.”

“Bullshit. You never want to interrupt our sessions?” Brik asked.

“I never said I didn’t want to. I just don’t do it.”

Reese giggled. “Calm down, boys. I’ll be back soon.”

“You might as well let her go,” Atlas said. “Once she’s made up her mind, she’s not changing it.”

Reese couldn’t help but enjoy the way she had gotten so comfortable between them. Her men. She could get used to saying that.

“You both act as if I’m running away from home.”

“This is your home now. With us.” Atlas kissed her shoulders.

“I know, and I’ll be back to enjoy it with both of you properly.”

It really was hard to pull herself away from them, but she showered quickly and dressed even faster. She wanted to be back there as soon, too.

“Let us know when you get into town safely,” Atlas said.

“Yes, Dad,” she teased.

“He’s serious,” Brik added. “If we don’t hear from you, we’re both coming to hunt you down.”

“That actually sounds like fun,” she said with a grin.

She kissed them both before heading to her car. At first, she thought it would feel odd kissing them in front of the other ranch hands, but the other men didn’t seem to act differently around their new relationship.

As she drove off, Reese could see the long faces of her men in the rearview mirror. She rolled down her window and waved back at them, hoping to reassure them.

Before she could leave the ranch property, she saw Tony walking on the side of the road up ahead. He waved her down.

“You heading into town?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied, keeping her tone neutral. “I’ve got somewhere I’ve got to be.”

He blocked her from rolling up her window, his smile fading. “Guess the bosses really seem to like you now, huh?”

Reese felt her pulse quicken, a warning flaring in her mind as she tried to move away from him. “I have to go now, Tony. Please move your arm.”

He smirked, shaking his head. “You know, it’s funny. I never saw you coming. All my plans made, and you had to change them.”

Reese tried to keep her voice calm. “Tony, step back. I don’t want any trouble.”

But he didn’t move. Instead, his hand shot out, gripping her arm tightly, his face hardening as he leaned in closer. “Maybe you don’t get it. They care about you now. That means you’re valuable.”

Reese tried to scream, but Tony only covered her mouth with a damp cloth that smelled like chemicals. She struggled against his grip, panic flooding her veins.

Her heart raced, fear tightening her throat as she struggled against him. She’d never felt so vulnerable, so helpless, and the reality of her situation hit her like a punch to the gut.

With each second, it felt like she was getting dizzy. Her vision blurred and her limbs felt like molasses.

“Don’t fight it,” Tony said. “It’ll all be over soon.”

That was the last thing she heard him say before everything went dark.

***

With Reese gone, it was hard for Atlas to focus on his chores. He couldn’t think straight without knowing where she was. Although he knew he couldn’t keep her on a leash, he hated not having her within walking distance of him.

She had become that important to them in such a short period. It was hard to imagine what their lives were like before she entered it.

His last conversation with Reese lingered in his mind, and he hoped she listened to them about telling them when she got into town.

As he approached the house, he spotted Brik standing on the front porch, his face pale as he stared at the phone.

“Brik?” Atlas called, frowning as he walked up. “What’s going on?”

Brik didn’t respond immediately. He just held out his phone and played a voicemail.

Tony’s voice was unmistakable. “If you want to see Reese again, come to the docks next to where they had the festival. Come alone, Atlas, or she gets hurt.”

Brik’s eyes narrowed, fury sparking in his eyes as he looked back at Atlas. “That bastard took her.”

Atlas’s jaw clenched tight. A multitude of emotions filled his head. “He wants me to go alone. He’ll hurt her if I don’t.”

Brik shook his head, his voice a low growl. “There’s no fucking way you’re going alone. He’s unhinged, and if you go in there by yourself, who knows what he’ll do?”

His memories came flooding back. All the men who died because he made one grave decision. He couldn’t let the same thing happen to his woman. Their woman.

Then Atlas realized something that had never clicked before now. He realized that Tony looked just like someone he knew years ago, one of the men who died under his command.

“I know him,” Atlas said. “I know who Tony is. How did I miss it?”

“What are you talking about?” Brik looked at him, confused as hell.

“I think he’s the younger brother of a soldier in my squad. He’s Brendan’s younger brother.” He remembered Brendan telling him stories about him and his baby brother and how they always looked after each other.

“So what does that mean?” Brik asked.

“He’s got a personal vendetta against me. I have to fix it. I don’t want to risk him hurting her because I didn’t follow his instructions.”

Brik grabbed a hold of Atlas’s shirt and shook him hard.

“You listen to me. Reese belongs to both of us. She’s our woman.

Whatever we decide, we decide on it together.

You’re not doing this alone. If something goes wrong, you’ll need backup.

Besides, I’m not sitting around here while that little shit has her. We’re going together.”

Atlas nodded. “You heard what he said, right? He took her to the docks. That means she’s on a boat somewhere. He’s using her fears against her.”

“I know,” Brik said. “That just means we need to work faster to get to her. She’s counting on us, and we can’t let her down. We won’t let her down.”

After a tense moment, Atlas relented. “All right. But we need to be careful. He’s not exactly acting rationally if he wants revenge for Brendan.”

“Trust me. He won’t get to harm a single hair on her head.”

With a final shared glance, the two of them headed toward the truck, the sense of urgency between them palpable. They drove in tense silence, the only sound the rumble of the engine as they neared the docks.