Belonging to Them (10 page)

Quickly, she wrote a note and made out a check for the car repair—at least what she suspected it had cost. She replaced her checkbook, pulled out her keys then shoved them in her pocket. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she headed for the front door. Once there, she slipped on her shoes.

Sorrow filled her as she paused. Her heart hurt as if it were being gouged from her chest. Why couldn’t Antonio just leave her be? Why did she have to find the O’Keefes now when her life was in such shambles? She’d never forget them or this. And Jamie… He was emblazoned on her soul forever. It didn’t matter that she’d been in a ménage with him and three other men—there would never be another man for her, whatever the circumstance.

With tears flowing down her cheeks, she stepped outside into the utter stillness of Daly Wyoming. The bar had closed a few hours ago, and all the cowboys had made their ways home. Silence and peace followed and now reigned over the night. The stars shown overhead in a spectacular display she’d never seen elsewhere.

This place was perfect. She would have loved to call it home.

She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay forever. Glancing up at the house, she reminded herself why she was going. To protect the man she loved and the men for whom she held great affection. She’d rather have forever alone than have any of them hurt. That was the way it had to be.

Dread filled Jamie as he woke and discovered Rayna’s side of the bed cold. He was downstairs in minutes. His stomach sank when he saw the note and the check on the table. She was gone. He knew that before reading whatever she’d scrawled on the page. His sorrow soon turned to fury when he read the note—the impersonal note of thanks, with an apology for leaving so quickly then the added sentiment that it was for the best.

Best?
The best for whom? he wondered. How could she just leave? How could she go without even saying goodbye to him? And the danger…

God, if anything happened to her, he didn’t know what he’d do.

He was still standing there clutching the note when Patrick came downstairs. “What is—Good lord, man. Underwear? The windows are wide open.” He grabbed an afghan off the couch and handed it to Jamie who was still in a stupor.

“She left in the middle of the night,” Jamie told his brother.

Had everything she’d said been a lie? No. No, she was doing this to protect him. Jamie knew that as clearly as he knew he had to follow her wherever she’d gone. He couldn’t just let her go. But how would he find her?

However he had to.

Determined, he went upstairs to get dressed. When he returned, the sheriff was in the front hall talking to Patrick while Sean and David stood nearby, listening and drinking coffee.

“Jay, you’re not gonna believe this,” Patrick said.

“What? Is Rayna still here?”

Sadness filled Patrick’s eyes as he shook his head. “It’s this Antonio guy. That’s not even his real name. Joe’s been running stuff, and I guess the jerk’s real name is Mick. He’s wanted for murder and a host of other things.”

Jamie’s blood ran cold. Murder? Dear lord, he could have killed Ryana—

God, he can’t touch her now. Please don’t let him find her.

“Have you seen anything suspicious?” Joe asked.

They all told him no. After they’d promised to contact him if Mick/Antonio showed up or anything strange happened, Joe left to patrol the town and check out the ranches as he did every morning.

Jamie went into the kitchen to get some coffee. Patrick followed.

“What are you thinking?” Patrick asked.

Jamie just looked at him for a few minutes, then poured the brew into his mug. “I’m thinking I’m an idiot. That she couldn’t feel anything for me then take off like this. And I’m thinking she must love me like she said, and that’s why she took off. And I’m desperately trying to figure out how I’m going to find her.”

“Maybe Joe’s contacts…”

He hadn’t thought of that. If Joe could find out this Antonio guy was a murderer, surely he could find out where Rayna’s family lived. A smile had just curled his lips when a pounding rattled the front door.

“Where is she!” an unfamiliar, male voice bellowed.

He and Patrick looked at one another. “Call 9-1-1,” Jamie said, already heading out of the kitchen. This man wasn’t leaving this house unless he was in handcuffs.

“What do you want?” he asked coldly as he glared at the man by the front door. Antonio had a weaselly look about him, slick and underhanded, but perhaps that was just Jamie’s impression of the man because he hated him on sight. Well, before then truthfully. Any man who’d hit a woman—

“I want my fiancée, scarface,” Antonio sneered.

Jamie let the insult slide as he stepped into line with his cousins to block the way. “She’s not your fiancée.”

“Like hell she’s not!”

“What planet are you from, man?” Sean asked. “She broke up with your ass when you kicked the shit outta her. Truthfully, I think she shoulda cut off your dick, but she’s too sweet for that. I wouldn’t count on that kindness from us.”

“Oh, so you’re tough guys? A bunch of fags, the lot of you, and one of you is a cripple.” He stepped toward Jamie as Patrick joined the line.

“I wouldn’t, man,” he warned quietly.

“What the hell is your problem?” Antonio demanded. “Just send my bitch down here to me, and we’ll be out of your face.”

Jamie almost cold-cocked him right then and there. His hand clenched into a fist. A few more minutes and Joe would be here to collect this piece of shit.

“She is not ‘your bitch’,” Jamie growled. “She’s ours. Our
woman
. You got that! She belongs to us now, and you can just go to hell.”

“Why you—” He never got any further than that as he lunged at Jamie. Jamie’s fist planted in Antonio’s nose a second before he was shoved backward by the felon. Jamie reeled, but David caught him just before a sickening crack echoed through the room, followed by Antonio’s screech.

“I warned you not to,” Patrick rasped. He held the offensive man in a relentless grip, his fingers biting into the arm he’d just broken. Behind them, Joe and Rayna filled the doorway.

“Geez, O’Keefe,” Joe sighed, taking custody of the injured man. Jamie only had eyes for Rayna.

She’d come back.

She’d come back. Rayna had made it to Gillette, sobbing the whole way. By the time she’d gotten there, she was sure she’d made a mistake. Jamie said he could protect her, that she would be safe. He’d asked her to trust him. She loved him; shouldn’t she believe him?

Not trusting her car to make the trip back, she’d rented a vehicle as soon as the shop had opened. Armed with a GPS and rehearsing apologies, she’d driven back as fast as possible.

Horror had filled her when she’d pulled down Main Street. The sheriff’s cruiser was parked in front of the house. Antonio’s car was in the drive. No! No, no, no!

She’d screeched to a halt and dashed to the door, heedless of her safety. Joe had held her back when she would have rushed inside. She heard Jamie tell Antonio that she belonged to the O’Keefes.

Her heart raced in her chest. She belonged to them… He still loved her. He could have just told Antonio she was gone and shoved him out the door. Instead, he defended her.

Joe held her back again when Antonio shoved Jamie. Panicked, she fought to get away from the sheriff. She couldn’t let Antonio hurt Jamie because of her!

“No,” she begged. “Let me—”

The awful crack of bones snapping stopped her, and she stared in horror at the scene. The sheriff suddenly released her, and she dashed forward, intent on getting to Jamie, not caring about anything else. Skirting Patrick and Antonio, she rushed to her man. He crushed her in his embrace. His green eyes flashed with disgruntled relief as he stared at her with such love, she nearly melted right there.

“Don’t you ever leave like that again,” he growled. “I was so worried about you.”

“I won’t. I’m sorry.” She couldn’t. It would be like ripping out her heart a second time. She just couldn’t do that. To either of them. Her arms tightened, and she pressed her damp face into his neck. “I love you, Jamie.”

“God, Rayna. I love you, too.”

Holding each other as if they’d never let go, neither realized the entryway had emptied. Joe had dragged away Antonio; the other men now lounged in the living room pretending not to listen to the lovers.

“Rayna,” Jamie said quietly for her ears only. “I want you to stay. With me. I want you to be mine.”

“Yours and Patrick’s and Sean’s and David’s?” she whispered.

“No. Mine. Maybe, if you want and if I want, we can share. But mostly, I just want you for myself.” He lifted a hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “That is if you can live with ‘scarface’.”

“Don’t you say that,” she rasped.

“Will you stay with me?”

How could she not? “Yes,” she vowed. “There’s nowhere else I want to be.”

“Whoo hoo!” Patrick whooped from the couch. “This means we’ll soon be known as The Mecca for Men! I might get a woman of my own, too.”

Rayna ignored him, a little unsure whether she should unleash him on the world—of course she should, she immediately decided. The men of Daly deserved love.

Jamie deserved love. “I didn’t get my morning wake up call,” she said with a grin.

“And whose fault is that?” Jamie laughed. He guided her away from his family. This morning, there was no sharing. It was just her and Jamie.

“I really am sorry,” she said as soon as they were alone in her bedroom.

He nodded. “Get undressed.”

She blinked in surprise at his surprisingly flat tone. A little worried, she pulled off her shirt then shoved off her jeans.

“Now, get on the bed.”

“Jamie…”

He crossed his arms and waited.

Her heart fluttering a mile a minute, she complied. She’d hurt him by leaving. She’d make it up to him if this was what he wanted. Carefully, she moved to the center of the bed and arranged herself with her arms at her side, her legs slightly parted, her eyes sending him an open invitation.

He smiled then as he stood at the side of the bed, looking down at her. She saw the love that warmed her, love she wanted to feel for the rest of her life. “No more apologies,” he said.

She bit her lip. “Okay.”

His grin turned feral, and a shiver went through her. Intent was clear in his eyes. She wasn’t getting out of this bed any time soon.

“Mine,” he growled. His finger drew over her erect nipple. Her body immediately softened, her sex growing wet for him.

“Always,” she promised. “Always yours, Jamie.” She opened her arms to him, ready for more love than she could probably handle. She hoped he was ready for the same. She might belong to Jamie, but Jamie belonged to her, too.

As he covered her body with his, she whispered a prayer of thanks that she’d broken down here and been introduced to the Daly way. From now on, it was the only way. She couldn’t imagine anything more perfect. Small town, unlimited love and a lifetime of pleasure safe in Jamie O’Keefe’s arms.

About the Author

When it comes to books and movies, Brynn has one rule: there must be a happy ending. After that one requirement, anything goes. And it just might in her books.

She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children, who love her despite her occasional threats to smite them. They humor her and let her think she's a goddess...as long as she provides homemade chocolate chip cookies on a regular basis. Brynn has conducted workshops at several writers’ conferences around the country and enjoys mentoring and meeting new people.

According to Brynn, her writing success can be attributed to an eclectic collection of music, her local road construction crews, a trusty notebook, and of course, her husband, Mr. Inspiration, who puts up with a lot in the name of research.

Brynn loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.brynnpaulin.com.

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