Sarah's Seduction (16 page)

Sarah couldn’t speak. The steps paused outside her door. Clutching the phone to her stomach, she slid across the floor, sliding quickly beneath her bed as the door began to inch open. She couldn’t breath. She could barely hear Mary’s frantic voice yelling through the phone pressed to her breast. She clearly saw the black sneakers that entered the room. She heard sirens in the distance, and knew Joshua was coming. What if he didn’t make it on time?

“Sarah, you’re in here.” The voice was mechanical, distorted. “Come out, come out, sweeting, wherever you are.”

Lora Leigh

Sarah’s Seduction

91

She couldn’t breathe. She was terrified he could hear her heart pounding in her chest, threatening to smother her with terror. She shook with dread; with the impotence of realizing she was totally at the mercy of a stranger until the sheriff arrived. A stranger intent on causing her harm. She could feel the sick premonition of danger in the pit of her stomach, the stench of her own fear. Her hand covered her mouth as she fought the screams building in her chest. Dear God, why hadn’t she let Brock stay?

“Sarah, I’m gonna get you.” He didn’t move from the door but his voice wrapped around her with sinister threads of malice. “Come on out, bitch, let me see the Augusts boys’ new plaything.” The voice was soft, amused, yet filled with hatred. He spoke the August name as though it were a curse. A vile, tarnished word that he had to force past his lips. Tremors of terror shook her body. She clenched her teeth hard to keep them from chattering, her eyes closing tightly as she fought the reality of this danger.

“Come on, whore. I know he’s fucked you. Let me show you what a man can do.”

Sarah heard the sneer, the growl of obsessive loathing in his voice. The sirens were getting closer. Josh would be here soon, she assured herself, fighting the screams welling in her throat. Just a few more minutes, that was all.

“Whore, did you call the cops on me?” Fury filled his voice now as the sounds began to fill the night. “I bet you did, didn’t you? That’s okay, bitch. You’ll pay for that too. Get ready, whore. To die.”

She screamed as the shots blasted through the room, the vibrations to the bed, the maniacal laughter as feet pounded down the hall and out of sight. The phone fell to the floor as she felt a burning pain across the top of her shoulder, felt the fear explode in her head like dynamite. She pushed her way out from under the bed dragging the comforter from the bed around her body. She shook so hard she couldn’t stand, she could only scoot in jerky movements to the opened door. She hid behind it quickly, her hand clamped over her mouth as she fought her hysterical screams. The shriek of the siren was in her yard, in her head. Raised voices, curses, the sound of gunfire echoing around the house.

She pressed herself closer into the corner, clutching her shoulder, wondering why it hurt so bad. She was cold. Or was she hot? She knew for a fact she was on the verge of hysteria.

“Brock,” her whimper shocked her. The need for him terrified her. She wouldn’t be safe again until Brock found her.

* * * * *

The ringing of the phone brought Brock from a restless sleep, lending ire to the growling curse that escaped his throat. Hell, he had hardly closed his eyes and already the damned phone was ringing?

“What?” He pulled the phone to his ear, checking the hands of the clock blearily. Lora Leigh

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“Brock August.” The official voice asked without hesitation.

“Yeah.” He frowned, hearing raised voices, imperative shouts.

“This is Sheriff Martinez. Josh.” He and Josh had been friends in school. A long time ago.

Then it hit him.

“Sarah? Is she okay?” He was out of the bed and jerking his jeans from the chair before the words were out of his mouth.

“Hell if I know.” Frustration edged the sheriff’s voice. “ She won’t let anyone check her. She’s been shot though, I can tell you that much. We’re at the house. She’s refusing treatment and damned near hysterical. I need you to get here as soon as possible.”

“I’m bringing the chopper. I can land in her back yard.” There was no question of it. It more than an hour’s drive away. He would kill himself before he made it there.

“So I figured,” Josh informed him. “Just get here. She needs treatment and she’s in shock. And I don’t know if there are any other injuries.”

Brock’s heart jumped to his throat.

“Meaning?” he asked.

“Meaning all she’s dressed in is a comforter she has wrapped around her body and she refuses to let any of us near her. I don’t know, man. But she keeps asking for you, so I called you.”

“I’ll be there.” He disconnected. “Cade!” He threw open the door, yelling his brother’s name as he jerked on his boots.

Seconds later both Sam and Cade were in their doorways.

“Someone attacked Sarah. I’m heading to town.” He rushed down the hallway.

“Sam, get the jeep ready. Marly get dressed.” Cade called back to Marly.

“I’m taking the chopper.”

“Then you’ll wait on one of us.” Cade caught him as he made to pass.

“Think, Brock. Five minutes. That’s all. Sam can go out in the chopper with you and Marly and I will follow in the jeep. Don’t be a fool.”

Cade’s expression was savage, imperative. Brock knew Sarah was his soul, and he knew that made her more than important to his brothers as well. They had no choice but to fight to protect her now, for it made her their heart.

“Get going then,” he growled. “Hurry up, Sam, I’ll have the chopper warming.”

He didn’t want to spare five minutes but hell, he knew it would take that long to get the helicopter ready to fly. He ran from the house, his heart pounding, fear clogging his throat. She was hurt. It was all he could think about. He had to get to her, and he had to get to her now.

Lora Leigh

Sarah’s Seduction

93

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Brock wanted to kill when he saw her. She was huddled in the corner of the bedroom, a bloody comforter wrapped around her, surrounded by enough damned men to send his possessive instincts into overdrive. Her head was lowered, her silken honey colored hair falling around her, mussed and tangled, stained red on her left shoulder.

“This is how we found her.” Josh stood back as Brock entered the room. “She only shakes her head and cries when we try to treat her, Brock. We have to find out how bad she’s been hurt.”

Brock ignored him. Fury, raw and ripe traveled through his body, made him want to scream out in rage.

“Get a handle, bro. Doc’s on his way here.” Sam laid his hand on Brock’s shoulder warningly. “Cade was calling him as we left the ranch. Just help her pull it together.”

Brock shrugged his hand away.

“Get the fuck out of my way,” he growled at the EMT’s and various deputies huddled around her. “Dammit Josh, why are you letting them crowd her this way?”

Her head came up. Son of a bitch. He was going to kill someone. He could feel the rage traveling through his system, heating his blood. She was white as a sheet, her whisky colored eyes nearly black with shock, dark circles lying thick beneath them. She was on the verge of hysterical collapse and all the fucking morons around her could do was try to get closer to her.

“Brock?” Husky from her tears, her fear, her voice shattered him.

“Get the hell out of my way.” He pushed at a reluctant EMT, going to his knees in front of her huddled form.

“God, Sarah-love,” he whispered desperately, his hand touching her white cheek.

“Are you okay, baby?”

“Bastard shot me.” She tried to smile, but her lips trembled in violent reaction to the attempt.

“Is that all?” His hands went to the comforter at her shoulder, pulling it back enough to see the long, jagged gash in her shoulder. A flesh wound. He wanted to close his eyes in relief. It looked bad, but it would heal.

“That’s all,” she whispered. “I was under the bed. He shot at the bed. He knew where I was.” The tears were falling down her cheeks now. Lora Leigh

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“Was it Mark, Sarah?” Brock fought to keep his voice gentle as he moved her hair back to get a better look at the wound.

He knew if Mark had done this to her, the man wouldn’t live out the night.

“No,” she whispered, her eyes flickering to the impatient men behind her. The thread of wariness in her voice had him narrowing his eyes on her, watching her carefully.

“Who was it, Sarah?” he asked her softly.

“I don’t know.” The helpless fear in her voice had him fighting to contain his rage.

“What do you know, baby?” He knew Josh and Sam were listening carefully. She did too. He saw it in her face, in that spark of nervousness in her eyes. She looked at him pleadingly. What did she want to hide?

“Sarah?” he questioned her softly. “You have to tell me what happened.”

Her glance went to the men gathered around her, shame and pain reflecting in her eyes.

“Josh, get these fucking men out of here.” He cast the sheriff a hard look. “Now.”

“They need to check her out, Brock,” Josh argued. “And I need a statement.”

“Evidently you didn’t hear him well enough, Josh,” Sam’s voice was a low, warning growl.

Brock glanced at his brother, seeing the untamed violence that rarely came to the surface in the other man. Josh saw it too. The sheriff paused, winced, then turned to the men crowded behind Brock.

“Outside, boys, before these two cowboys decide to piss us all off.” Frustration lined his voice.

“Doc Bennett will be here any time. I want him brought up here. He’ll check her out and see if she needs to be taken to the hospital.” Sam continued to direct the action behind Brock.

“Come on, baby. Let’s get you off of the floor.” Brock eased her into his arms, his chest tightening at the little sob that escaped her lips as he picked her up in his arms.

“He shot my bed,” she whispered, her voice forlorn as he carried her toward it. “He wanted to kill me, Brock.”

Brock knew if he found out who did this to her, the man wouldn’t live five minutes after he got hold of him.

“Damn. New bed too, hon.” He tried to keep his voice light. Tried to keep the violence out of it. “I hadn’t even got to share it with you yet.”

He stood aside while Sam grabbed pillows from the floor and propped them against the headboard.

“Here you go, sugar.” He settled her against them, sitting beside her. “Now, it’s nice and quiet in here. I want you to tell me what happened.”

She stared up at him, misery filling her expression. Lora Leigh

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“I think he wanted to hurt you,” she whispered bleakly. “You and your brothers, Brock. How would killing me hurt your brothers?”

Because she was a part of him, just as they were. Brock knew why. He had learned that lesson at the hands of a madman. He listened carefully as she told him what happened, her voice tear filled, stuttering at times as she fought the shock and the pain. Violence filled him, tore through the control he kept built carefully around his emotions. His hands were gentle though, as they smoothed over her hair, his voice comforting, as tender as the ragged emotions escaping him would allow it to be.

“Brock, Doc is here.” Sam stood behind him, speaking softly. “He’s outside. You want me to let him in now?”

The words were no longer out of his mouth then the bedroom door was pushed open to admit the doctor and his more than irritated nurse/wife.

“Sam August, you don’t hold us up like this when one of our patients is hurt.”

Elizabeth Bennett pushed open the door, determination filling her lined face as her husband followed her.

Small, fierce, her dark brown eyes as sharp as an eagle’s went over Sarah where she huddled in the bed. She was an excellent nurse and a good friend to the August family. Brock was more than thankful that she had come along.

“Sorry, Beth.” He swallowed tightly. “Guess I wasn’t thinking.”

“Knothead.” Her voice was affectionate, but worried. “Now get out of the way and let me and Doc check our girl here. She doesn’t look so good at the moment.”

Brock moved aside, standing close in case Sarah needed him and watching as the couple began to take over. He knew damned well that Beth and Doc hadn’t seen Sarah but that once, when she came in for the blood tests and birth control medication. But he could also see that Sarah had made a definite impression on the couple.

“Cade’s coming into town now.” Sam moved to his side. “He wants her ready to bring to the ranch if she doesn’t need hospital care.”

Brock sighed. He doubted she would go.

“I’ll see what I can do.” He crossed his arms over his chest as Sarah glanced up in confusion while Beth worked at her shoulder, questioning her gently.

“Did he touch you, Sarah?” The older woman’s question had Sarah looking at her in surprise.

“No. I was under the bed,” she answered the older woman, her voice still carrying the dazed confusion Brock knew was running through her head.

“Good. Then this is our only problem?” Beth held Sarah’s hair back, tilting her head as Doc moved in to treat the wound. “This ain’t too bad, hon. Doc can fix you right up with it. Won’t even need stitches. Just a nice bandage.”

Sarah winced as antiseptic was applied. Doc worked on the wound gently, a soft lullaby humming from his lips as he cleaned and patched the wound. A lullaby? Brock shook his head glancing at Sam, sharing his confusion at the sound. He would have Lora Leigh

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never imagined it. The big, rough doctor was all thumbs and needles when he treated them.

“She’s okay. Shocky, but fine. Flesh wound, shallow at that. Bullet just grazed her.”

Doc stood back a long while later. “I want to leave her a sedative. She needs to rest, take it easy for a day or two.”

“She can come to the ranch.” Brock had been unaware of Cade entering the room until he spoke authoritatively.

His brother stood with a concerned Marly at his side watching Sarah with brooding eyes. Cade was clearly pissed, it showed in the utter stillness of his body, the darkening of his eyes.