Cowboy Rough [Men for Hire 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 12

  “Let’s get ready for them.” West was out the door and followed by Joe.

  Sienna stayed with Collin, who’d taken her and pulled her close. And yet, for the first time since meeting him, she felt nothing but fear. She fought to hold back the tears and think. Her child depended on her keeping it together and she wouldn’t let her down.

  The sound of a car skidding to a stop had them turning toward the door of the trailer. Collin pulled the flimsy curtain aside, took one look, then confronted her. “I don’t know what Big Dan looks like, but I’d be willing to bet that’s him.”

  She shoved past him and flung open the door. Dan got out of the big black car, then opened the rear door and pulled her daughter from the back seat. Shelby, her eyes big, clutched her favorite stuffed animal. When she saw her mother, she tried to run to her, but Dan held on, keeping her with him.

  “Turn her loose, Dan. So help me if you hurt her, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

  Dan had always been an impressive man, standing tall at six feet, three inches with a hard body from his hours spent with his personal trainer. His dark hair was slicked back as usual and he wore one of the expensive Italian suits he loved so much. A gleam filled his black eyes as a soft sneer formed on his lips.

  “Sienna, come on. Why would I ever hurt my own child?”

  Shelby looked from him to her, confusion marring her innocent expression. Sienna had never told her that Dan was her father. Why should she, when he’d never acted like one and had never wanted any part in her life? Until that moment, he’d denied her as his child.

  She wasn’t sure Shelby understood the full implication of Dan’s words. She hoped that she was correct.

  “You’re hurting her right now.”

  Shelby tried to jerk away from him, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Mommy?” Her whisper was almost too soft for Sienna to hear, but she couldn’t mistake the anguish in Shelby’s face.

  “It’s okay, honey. He’s a friend of Mommy’s and he’s going to let you go in a few minutes. Aren’t you, Dan?”

  “Sure I am, little girl.” Dan’s smile morphed back into his sneer as he turned away from Shelby to face her again. “Once your mommy gives me the things she stole from me.”

  “My mommy isn’t a stealer!”

  Shelby’s outburst ripped into Sienna’s gut. She moved closer, but stopped when Dan lifted his hand to halt her. Two men got out of the car and came to stand next to him.

  “Listen up, Sienna. My associates here, Clyde and Marco, are going to take Shelby for a ride. When she comes back, she’s not going to be the little girl you knew.” He slid a lecherous glance down Sienna’s body and back up. “They prefer their girls a lot younger than I do.”

  She’d learned through the years that he was terrible, but she hadn’t known he was evil. Not until now. “You’d let them touch her? Dan, she’s your own blood.”

  He shrugged as though what she’d said meant nothing at all. “What can I say? Money makes men do whatever they have to do to get it. Now, are you ready to give me what I want? Or do I give my friends what they want?”

  “Is this what you’re looking for, scumbag?” Collin dropped out of the trailer, skipping the steps and landing on the ground with the duffel bag in his hand. He held it up and shot Dan a hard look. “Turn the girl loose.”

  Dan laughed and the sound of it made Sienna’s skin crawl. “If that’s the money, I can already tell that it’s a little too light for what was taken from me. Along with a very important book.”

  His dark scowl centered on her again. “Who the hell is he, Sienna? Your new boyfriend? Have you been using my money to have fun with Cowboy Bob, here? Tell me. Does he ride you good, baby?”

  “The name’s Collin Young and I wouldn’t use your money even if it really was yours. I don’t associate with thieves. Stealing’s bad enough. But stealing from elderly people, man? That’s just plain low.”

  She wouldn’t have believed Dan could get any angrier, but she was wrong. His sneer turned into a snarl and his hand tightened on Shelby’s pink T-shirt.

  Dan snorted. “This bitch stole from me, man. Now get the rest of my money and hand it over. Along with the book.”

  Collin sauntered up beside her. “Don’t call her a bitch again. I don’t like it when a man disrespects a lady.”

  She cringed as Dan’s laughter rang out. “What lady? That whore lay down with me the first chance she got. And when I didn’t marry her so she could lay claim to half my money, she still stayed.” His bright smile taunted them. “Yeah, man. That’s how good I am.”

  She lunged forward, but Collin caught her and held her back. “Why, you asshole. Let me go! I can’t stand the thought of him touching my little girl.”

  “No, baby. Let’s just give him what he deserves.”

  Pushing her back, Collin flung the duffel bag into the air. Caught off guard, Dan reached for the bag, turning Shelby loose. He caught the bag as Sienna held out her arms for her daughter.

  Joe and West came out from behind the trailer. Although they had no weapons, their intensity and the furious expressions on their faces made Dan and his cohorts pause long enough to give the Young men the chance to strike the first blow.

  Joe took Clyde down with one hard hit while West threw his entire body against Marco, knocking the gun Marco had pulled from under his coat out of his hand. Dan dropped the bag and jumped for the gun, but Collin beat him to it.

  Sienna picked Shelby up and hurried toward the trailer, but by the time she’d gotten to the door, the fight was already over. She put her child down inside to stand in the open doorway and scanned her body from top to bottom. Other than the red marks left by Dan’s hard grip on her arm, Shelby didn’t appear to be harmed.

  But that didn’t mean Shelby had escaped the ordeal unscathed. Sienna could see the pain and fear in her little girl’s eyes. If she could take that horror and make it her own, she would’ve done so in a heartbeat. Instead, she took Shelby inside then motioned for her to sit on the couch.

  “Stay here, honey. No one’s going to hurt you. I promise you. But don’t look out the window. Can you promise Mommy you won’t look out the window?”

  Shelby, her dark eyes still wide, gazed up at her. “Yes, Mommy.”

  She gave her a smile that was filled with both love and concern. “That’s my girl.”

  Shelby reached out, catching her as she turned to leave. “Is that bad man my daddy, Mommy?”

  The question seared into her gut and left her aching. She hadn’t wanted to tell Shelby about Dan. Not ever. Yet she’d known she’d have to one day. But the telling of it didn’t have to happen today. Once she was older and could better understand, then she’d tell her the truth.

  “No, honey. Not really. He could never be a real daddy.”

  She leaned over and pressed her lips against her child’s tender cheek. It was a half lie. Dan was her biological parent, but he’d never been and never would be her father. She’d explain it better when Shelby was older, but for now, she didn’t want the child thinking that the man who had her hurt was her daddy. If she had any luck, one or all of the Young men would have that honor.

  “Remember what I said. Don’t look out the window.”

  She left Shelby in the trailer, holding on to her stuffed bunny. Once she’d closed the door behind her, she strode over to Dan and put her body within an inch of his. Collin held Dan’s arms behind him and leaned past the big man to give her a questioning look.

  Joe and West had Dan’s two men bent over the car with their arms behind them. They’d taken the guns away from the men and had laid them on the ground in front of the car.

  “You’re not going to get away with screwing me, bitch.”

  Collin wrenched his arms behind him harder, and Dan let out a girlish-sounding whimper.

  Sienna planted her feet apart and glared up at the man she’d once thought she’d loved, but now that she’d found the Young men she knew it had only been a shadow of the real
thing. “Collin, turn him loose.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Just do it.”

  She could see Collin trying to decide, then he released Dan. But he stayed close just in case she needed him.

  “Dan, I’ve always wanted to give you something.”

  Dan’s confusion mixed with the fury on his face. “And what could you ever give me?”

  “This.” Stepping back with one leg, she then leaned forward, throwing all her strength into bringing her other leg up. Her kick landed solidly between his legs.

  Big Dan wasn’t so big any longer as he crumpled to the ground. He let out an agonized groan, then landed on his knees as he cupped his hands over his crotch.

  “Fuck you, Dan. Fuck you for putting your filthy hands on my daughter.”

  Collin didn’t bother smothering his laugh until his phone started ringing. “Collin here.”

  He paused, his gaze landing on her as a strange intensity hardened his features. She felt the relief that had come over her disappear. Something awful had happened. “What now?”

  “Okay, I’ll tell her.” Collin ended the call, twisted Dan’s arms behind him again, and yanked him onto his feet. He pushed the big man over to the other side of the car and bent him over the hood like his friends.

  “Collin, tell me.”

  When he turned to her, she could she see the pain in his eyes. “Baby, I don’t know any other way to say this.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Shelby’s safe, so what else could have happened? Is it my sister Shawna? Is it Michael?” If her brother or sister had paid the price for her involvement with Dan, she’d never forgive herself.

  “No. Gabriel’s had a man watching them and they’re fine.”

  A vise tightened around her heart as the only other explanation struck home. “Oh, my God. He took Shelby from Melissa. It’s Melissa, isn’t it?”

  Collin had to grab her to keep her from sinking to the ground. “I’m so sorry, baby. That was Gabriel on the phone. He said the man we had watching Melissa’s house was killed when Dan’s men jumped him.”

  She hated to think that someone had died trying to protect her daughter, but the twist of her gut told her that there was more. “And Melissa?”

  He shook his head and pulled her close. She laid against him for support and closed her eyes, preparing for the onslaught of pain his words would bring.

  “Melissa tried to stop them from taking Shelby. From the way the house looked, she put up one hell of a fight. But she couldn’t beat them. Our men got her to the hospital as fast as they could, but she didn’t make it. I’m so sorry, baby.”

  The sob she’d tried so hard to keep inside broke free. “She’s dead?”

  He tightened his hold on her. “Yes. She is.”

  * * * *

  The rest of the day was a blur. Soon after Collin had broken the news of Melissa’s death, the sheriff of Destiny had shown up along with two state patrol officers. They’d taken Dan and his men into custody.

  Although they’d tried to question her and she’d done her best to give them complete answers, the only thing she could think of was the loss of her friend. Melissa had welcomed her as a friend from the first day Sienna had arrived in town. They’d grown close very fast, bonding over shopping, and later, watching Shelby change from a cute, pudgy baby into a beautiful child. Although her brain told her that Melissa was gone, Sienna’s heart refused to believe it.

  Aching from the loss, she’d held Shelby until the poor child had started complaining. At last, Joe had called in his friend Cela and together they’d taken Shelby to see a newborn foal. She hadn’t wanted to let her child out of her sight, but Shelby’s excitement, along with Joe’s solemn promise to watch over her every second, had finally won her over.

  Collin and West had stayed by her side throughout the entire ordeal, speaking to her softly, getting her whatever she wanted, and telling her that everything would be okay. She nodded, not really agreeing with them, but appreciating their attempts to make her feel better.

  An hour later, she sat on the couch in the trailer and leaned against West. Collin sat at the table opposite them, taking calls from Gabriel and others.

  “Where’s Shelby? Is she all right?” She’d asked the same questions several times and always got the same patient responses.

  “She’s fine. Joe checked in again a few minutes ago. Shelby’s scarfing down a hot dog right now. She’s a tough kid, and resilient. You should be proud of her.”

  “I am.”

  She snuggled closer, wishing she could melt her body into his. “I’m sorry. I know you’ve told me a ton of times, but tell me what Gabriel said again. About my not having to testify.”

  “He said Dan and his men left enough evidence behind at Melissa’s to get him for murder with no problem. As for the other charges, Gabriel’s arranged for you to give a sworn testimony in the judge’s chambers when the time comes. That way you won’t have to testify in court. Plus, Fletcher’s dug up substantial evidence about Big Dan’s embezzling. So see? There’s no way Dan’s going free, much less getting custody of Shelby. Instead, he’ll be lucky if he gets to spend his life in jail and not get executed.”

  She dragged in a ragged breath. As long as Dan stayed away from her and her daughter, she didn’t care whether he lived or died. His death wouldn’t bring Melissa back.

  “Gabriel’s contacted an attorney friend of his—”

  She smiled, feeling a little more like herself. “Let me guess. It’s a female friend.”

  His chuckle warmed her straight through her back and all the way to her heart. “You make it sound like Gabriel’s a player. Trust me. The man doesn’t have game.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I do. And yes, she’s a former client. She’s also a very good lawyer. So if you want her help, you’ve got it.”

  “She’s paying it forward, huh?”

  “That’s the way it works.”

  “I don’t know how I’m going to pay it forward, but I’ll do the best I can.”

  “We know you will. Don’t worry about it for now.”

  She sat up as Collin ended another call. “I can’t thank you all for helping me. I’m forever in your debt.” She took West’s hand and reached hers out for Collin to take. “But I need to ask you one more favor.”

  Collin squeezed her hand. “All you have to do is ask.”

  She looked at both of them and hoped they’d understand. “I want you to take my daughter and me back to our home.”

  Their disappointment made her want to take her words back, but she wouldn’t. She needed time to heal, to think, to just exist without the shadow of Big Dan hanging over her.

  “We haven’t asked you yet, but we were hoping you’d come back to the ranch with us.”

  West jumped in. “He’s right. We want you and Shelby to live with us. Not just for now, but for the rest of our lives. In time, we’re hoping Shelby might start to think of us as her family. As maybe uncles or even, if she wants, as step-dads.”

  They were offering her the life she’d only dreamed of, but she couldn’t take it. Not yet. “That means more to me than I can ever say, but I need to do this. I want to see my sister and brother. And I want to make sure Melissa’s family knows what she did for me. They need to know she gave her life for Shelby.”

  The door opened and Joe stepped inside. “Shelby and Cela are outside. I think they’re already best friends.” He paused, catching on that something was going down. “What’s wrong?”

  She took his hand and tugged him beside her. With the men crowded around her, she told them again that she needed to go back to her own home. Joe was as crushed as West and Collin were, but after a few initial attempts to change her mind, he gave in.

  * * * *

  “We have to give her the time she needs.” Joe slung the bridle over the hook and heeled around to confront Collin. He understood how his stepbrother felt, but he wasn’t about to break his word to S
ienna. She’d asked them to give her time alone and he was bound and determined to give her what she’d asked for.

  “It’s been a week.” Collin dragged a hand through his hair then went back to brushing down his horse.

  As they’d done so often since coming back to Second Chance Ranch, the men had gone riding, hoping that a good, hard gallop would take their minds off Sienna. But as far as Joe was concerned, nothing could ever do that.

  “It’s been a hell of a long week,” agreed West. He sat on a bale and chewed on a stick of hay. “I’m not sure how much longer I can take waiting.”

  Collin, his eyes full of worry, paused in mid-stroke. “Do you think she doesn’t care for us? Did we imagine everything that happened between us? After all, trussing her up inside a horse trailer doesn’t say romantic by any stretch of the imagination.”

  “Collin’s right. Should we send her another dozen roses?”

  Joe cleared his throat and didn’t bother telling them that he’d had the same thoughts. “If the first five dozen didn’t convince her, then another bouquet’s not going to do the trick.”

  “And the dollhouse? Did you send Shelby the dollhouse?”

  At the time, he’d thought giving Shelby something would help, but he wasn’t so sure anymore. “We may have made a mistake doing that, West. I’d hate for Sienna to think we’re trying to get to her through her daughter.”

  “As long as we get to her, who cares how we do it?” Collin led his horse down the center aisle of the barn and into its stall. He walked back, slow in his movements as though his despair was ridding him of his energy. He hadn’t been his usual happy-go-lucky self since they’d last seen Sienna.

  Joe couldn’t help but take out his cell phone for the hundredth time that day and check it. Once again, he was disappointed to see that she hadn’t called. Still, he was determined to stay resolute, no matter how much it tore at him. “We have to hang tough, guys.”

  “I’d rather be giving it to her cowboy rough style.”