Hot as Hades (30 page)

She headed straight for the pegboard wall, to pack up the sex toys. Rose methodically pulled down items and placed them in a couple of cardboard boxes already sitting on the floor, intent on her task.

 Daisy tried to get her attention. “Rose?”

Her sister didn’t acknowledge her or make eye contact, though her shoulders tensed. Daisy couldn’t imagine the hell she’d been through. She opened her mouth to speak again, but everything she could conceivably say sounded inane to her own ears.

“Ro?” she tried again. “I love you,” she whispered.

This time, Rose turned and really focused on her, met her eyes, as though seeing her for the very first time.

“Yes, it’s me, Rose!” she cried. “It’s Daze.”

Rose inched closer, nearing the bed. “Daze?” she asked, wonderingly.

Right then, the door slammed open and the security guards marched in, followed by Kent. “It’s time to go.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Daisy hobbled to the car, flanked by the security guards. Daisy dubbed one Cheap Suit, for obvious reasons, and the other Tweak, because of his darty eyes and twitchy trigger finger.

 They’d shackled her arms, as well as secured her ankles with leg irons. Evidently, they’d determined she was a threat.
Smart.
Kent walked behind them, with his arm wrapped around Rose.

“I don’t see why we have to go now,” Daisy said, hoping to delay him. “You aren’t finished packing your things.” She wanted to give Cowboy enough time to retrace her steps. He’d figure out Kent was behind this and come after him.

“We should have been on the road hours ago,” Kent snapped. “I wanted to be out of here before anyone knew you were missing.”

“No one knows I’m missing. They probably think I’m out shopping or something,” she said, hoping to dissuade him.

“All the same, I’ll have my solicitor arrange for the rest of my belongings to be shipped.” As they stood beside the Lexus, the security guards hastily loaded the last few boxes into a small trailer attached to the sedan.

She was rapidly running out of time.

The roar of an engine on the private road broke the tense silence and the guards gripped their sidearms, readying for a fight.

“Who the fuck is that?” Cheap Suit growled.

“What now?” Kent bit out. He pushed Rose toward Cheap Suit. “Take her inside and lock her in the cage. Stay there until I call you.”

“Sure thing, boss,” the guard said, propelling Rose back towards the house.

“And you just became my bargaining chip,” Kent said, as he turned to her. “Somehow, I think whoever’s headed down the street, is coming for you.”

Please, let it be Cowboy.

***

When Cowboy pulled up, he saw Daisy crouched behind a silver Lexus, Kent on one side of her, and what looked to be a security guard on the other. The guard had his gun pressed beneath her jaw. The man looked uneasy, way too agitated for the situation. Cowboy knew if he got too spooked, he might just shoot Daisy. He’d have to play this very carefully.

He hopped out of his truck, keeping his hands where they could see ‘em, but stood behind his vehicle, in case the guard decided to shoot him full of lead and be done with it.

“How many are with you?” Kent called, peering over the car.

“Only me,” he lied. “Look, this doesn’t have to end ugly. Give me Daisy and you can be on your way.”

“You must be Cowboy,” the lawyer called.

“Yeah, and I remember you from the Palace. Kent, right? And I’m figurin’ you’re the Jewelry Fairy too.”

Kent ignored his jibe. “Leave now, or I’ll kill her.”

“We both know that isn’t going to happen!” He glanced at Daisy and she met his eyes.

 
Any other woman might be terrified and crying. Hell, he knew some grown men who would lose their shit, but not
his
woman. She looked really,
really
pissed off. God help those boys if she managed to wriggle out of the shackles.

“They have Rose!” she called. “She’s inside.”

Cowboy nodded quickly. He didn’t have much time to process the information at the moment, but he eased the cell out of his pocket and fired off a text to Duke, telling him to find Rose. Then he removed the Colt from his holster, still staying hidden behind the truck. He snuck a peek over the bed and the security guard cocked his gun, pressing it tighter against her throat.

“Come on. Let her go and everyone walks out of here alive,” Cowboy tried again.

“No, you’re going to leave and my women and I will be on our way,” Kent insisted.

So much for the come out with your hands up approach. Time for plan B.

He studied the security guard again and then kissed the barrel of his Colt. “Lean back, Wildcat!” he called and then fired off a shot. He nailed the guard in the forehead and the man slumped back, firing a round in the air harmlessly.

Let’s hear it for fancy rodeo shootin’.

He could hear the sounds of a struggle going on behind the Lexus, and figured Daisy tried to make a grab for the gun. Then he heard her curse a blue streak. Evidently, she’d lost.

 She finally shuffled out from behind the car with Kent right behind her. The cowardly asshole crouched behind her, using her as a human shield.

“You okay, Wildcat?” Cowboy said, rounding his truck, with the Colt drawn.

“Just peachy,” she bit out.

“I’m going to get in the car and she is coming with me!” Kent shuffled backward, towards the driver’s side door, slowly pulling her along with him.

“The hell she is,” Cowboy said, advancing on them both. “There ain’t no way around this, man. Let her go!”

“I’ll kill her!” he cried. “I swear to God I will!” Kent threatened, pressing the gun to Daisy’s chest.

“Cowboy, I think we have a
Speed
sort of situation here,” Daisy said tensely.

He caught on immediately. “The hell we do!” Fuck if he would shoot his own woman.

“What the hell are you two talking about?!” Kent shouted.

Daisy’s eyes became impossibly wide. “On three, you’re gonna do it!”

He sliced his head to the side.“You can’t ask this of me!”

“One, two….
please, Cowboy
, three!”

With a quick kiss, he fired off one shot, barely grazing her upper thigh. With an agonized cry, she slumped to the ground and Kent released her to dive headfirst into the car. He jammed the key in the ignition and drove off, tires screeching.

***

Daisy sucked in a pained breath, clutching her leg.
Damn it!
He’s getting away!
Cowboy rushed toward her and she
made a grab for the discarded gun, but it lay just out of her reach.

“Shoot the tires!” she called to Cowboy, who stopped long enough to aim at the rubber, but by then Kent reached the end of the driveway and Cowboy’s shot ricocheted off the rims as the lawyer floored it and took off, the trailer bouncing wildly behind him.

 “You’re hurt!”

“Leave me, I’m fine!” She tried to reach the gun once more and pain blasted through her thigh.
Shit!
“Go check on Rose,” she said. “What if the guard took her when he heard the gunshots?”

Cowboy knelt beside her, examining the wound on her flank. Blood gushed it from it and he took off his shirt, fashioning a makeshift tourniquet. His hands trembled as he worked.

“Duke is sneaking up on the house,” he said, tying off the bandage. “Believe me, he’ll get her. Let me worry about you.” He slid a hand under her knees, the other under her neck. “You need to get bandaged up.”

“I’m fine, check on Rose!”

“I swear to God woman you are certi-fucking-fiable. I told you Duke is getting her!” he bit out, glaring at her.

She thought back to boot camp, and her drill sergeant’s sadistic little mantra. “Pain is weakness leaving the body!”

“No, what’s leaving your body is wet, red stuff.
It’s called blood
and its leaking from your
gunshot
wound. Don’t try to Marine me. Right now, you need a doctor and maybe a fucking shrink.”

“I’m fine!”

He carried her towards the truck and hoisted her up into it. “Fuck, we need an ambulance, but the hospital has to report gunshot wounds.” He climbed up and placed a hand to the side of her neck, feeling her pulse. “Thank God, your pulse is steady.”

Just then, Duke emerged from the house, with Rose wrapped securely in his arms, and she hung there limply, like a rag doll.

“What the hell happened to her?!” Daisy screamed.

“She fainted, that’s all,” Duke said as he appeared at the passenger side door. He shot a glance at her wound. “We need to get you bandaged up.”

Duke climbed in, and the men shuffled both her and Rose around, placing her sister between them on the seat and then laying Daisy down across everyone’s laps and propping the injured leg up, letting her foot dangle out the passenger window. Duke yanked a black bag from the floorboard and began pressing gauze pads to the wound on her thigh.

She took her sister’s limp hand in her own and kissed it, pressing it against her cheek. “I love you, Ro.” Tears pricked her eyes.

Oh, thank God, I got her back.

Suddenly, she started to feel dizzy again.

“She’s lost a lot of blood,” Duke muttered as he bandaged her leg.

 “Stay with me, Wildcat,” Cowboy said softly. “You need to stay awake for me. Duke is going to patch you up, and then you and me will go for biscuits.” The last thing she remembered was Cowboy’s face swimming above hers.

And then she passed out.

***

Daisy awoke to a dull ache in her leg and bright lights overhead.

Eddie’s blurry face came into focus above her. She glanced around, trying to get her bearings, but didn’t recognize the bedroom. She sighed. “Okay, I’ve had enough of being knocked out. Where am I?”

“You’re staying in my spare bedroom,” Eddie said, sitting down on a chair beside the bed, and smoothing the hair away from her face. “Duke treated you, gave you a truckload of antibiotics, some transfusions, and he’s been changing your bandages every few hours to prevent infection. He says you’re going to be just fine, other than some scar tissue.”

Thanks to Cowboy.
Eddie handed her a glass of water and she gulped it down gratefully
.
“How long have I been out?” she asked.

“Almost twenty-four hours.”

“Where’s my sister? Is she okay?”

Eddie frowned, shaking her head. “Physically, yes. Although she is a little skinny and weak. We put her in a room at Hades and Voo will get her fixed up with some food. I don’t know the details, but I get the feelin’ she’s been through hell. She’s been real quiet.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “She has. I only got to talk to her a little bit, but I could tell she’s changed. Can I see her?”

Eddie squeezed her hand. “Of course you can, honey.” She pulled out her cell and sent a text. In a minute, she received a reply and smiled at Daisy. “Fetch is comin’ over with a pair crutches and then he’ll drive you over to see her.”

“Thank you.” She glanced around the room. “Where’s Cowboy?”

 “Hopefully sleeping. I had to pry him away from your side.”

Daisy smiled. She needed to see him. They had something very important to discuss, but she had to make sure Rose was okay, first.

“Frankly, he was buggin’ the shit out of me, snapping at prospects, bickering with Duke.” She leaned forward. “Is it true he shot you?”

“How did you know that?”

She raised a brow. “Well, damn. I owe Elizabeth $20. I overheard Duke givin’ him shit about shooting his old lady,” she said slyly. “And is
that
true too? Are you his old lady?”

 “I’ll answer you after I have a little talk with Cowboy,” she answered ambiguously. But she couldn’t keep a smile from spreading over her face.

Eddie let out a whoop. “I’m going to take that as a yes! Damn straight! Saddle up and get your Cowboy.” She pulled Daisy into a big hug. “This is perfect! Steele wants you to work at the shop so bad, he can’t stand it and Cowboy needs to pull his head out and move back into that beautiful house of his. You need a place where you can raise babies, and—”

“Woah!” Daisy said, raising her hands. “You got my whole life planned out there, let’s take it slow.”

 “I’m sorry, have you met me?” Eddie said, with a smirk. At Daisy’s look, she rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine, I won’t push too much. We’ll take the slow mo Ryker approach.” She paused for a minute, eyes widening. “You know, I overheard another interesting bit of gossip you might be interested in.”

“Oh?”

“I know how the boys found you.”

“How?” Daisy asked. Frankly, it had mystified her. She’d been almost willing to chalk it up to an old fashioned miracle.

“Apparently, Duke chipped you.”

She gaped at Eddie. “He did what?!”

***

At her insistence, Fetch helped Daisy run an errand, before she pulled up to the curb outside of her sister’s room at Hades. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder before she hobbled towards the door on crutches.

 As she was about to knock, Duke propped himself against the wall, right next to her sister’s hotel room door.

 “Good to see you’re up and around, Daisy.”

 “You mean, you didn’t know? Since you can track my every move.”

He crossed his arms over his broad chest and cocked his head to the side. “Would you rather I left you to make special friends with the dungeon master?”

Point for him.

She blew out an irritated breath. “Thank you for finding me and bandaging me up, but tomorrow you’re gonna dig that thing out of my body.”

 “Fine. Are you going to see her?” he asked, nodding to the door. She suddenly realized he hadn’t been out here by accident. Was Duke watching Rose’s room?

“Yes” She watched him carefully.

“Good,” he said with a nod. “She could use a familiar face.”