Boots and Wishes: Ugly Stick Saloon, Book 8 (8 page)

Chapter Eight

Randall froze, his eyes narrowing. “You won’t shoot me.��

“Oh yeah?” She leveled the gun on him, her hands shaking, her vision barely focused. “Try me.”

For the first time in her life, Audrey wanted to kill a man. She waited for him to move, even to bat an eyelash. “Give me a reason to kill you. You’re a coward and a son of a bitch. You don’t deserve to be married to a woman as kind and bighearted as Beth.”

“Fuck you,” Randall spat at her. “Elizabeth is my wife. She belongs to me.”

“Women aren’t cattle to be owned. They’re people who have the right to choose who they want to be with.”

Randall glared at Beth, who sat cowering against the wall where she’d landed. “Tell her you want to be with me.”

Beth’s eyes widened and she glanced from Randall to Audrey and back to Randall. After a long pause, her eyes narrowed and she said in a low, clear tone, “I don’t ever want to see you again. You’re a bastard. As soon as I can, I’m divorcing you and I’m suing for sole custody of my daughter.”

Audrey’s chest swelled at the steel in Beth’s tone and she faced Randall. “That settles it. You’re done.”

“Bitch!” He took a step forward.

Audrey raised the gun, pointing it at his chest. “You’re pushing your luck.”

“I’m going to push a lot more than that.” He took another step.

Audrey pointed at the man’s foot and pulled the trigger. The .40-caliber HK barely jerked in her hand, the bullet piercing the wooden floor an inch from Randall’s foot.

He jumped back and snarled. “You’ll pay for that.”

“No.
You
will if you don’t back off.” It was only a matter of seconds before Jackson reached the house. If she could hold Randall off until he arrived, they’d put the jerk away for good.

“Audrey!” Jackson called out through the wooden front door. He pounded against it and rattled the handle.

For a split second, Audrey glanced toward the front of the house.

Randall took advantage of that momentary lapse in her attention and dove through the back exit at the same time Jackson broke down the front door.

“Audrey!” Jackson yelled, storming through the house.

“I’m in here.” She pushed to her feet as Jackson entered the kitchen.

One look at her face and Jackson’s cheeks burned a ruddy red, his lips curling back from his teeth in a fierce snarl. “Where is he?”

“He ran out the back door.”

When Jackson hurled himself toward the exit, Audrey reached out to snag his arm.

“Don’t go,” she begged.

Jackson shoved her hand aside. “I’m going to kill him.”

Audrey reached out again and hooked his elbow. “Please. Don’t go.” She fell against him, too tired and bruised to stand another minute.

Jackson caught her in his arms and scooped her up. “We can’t let him get away with what he’s done.”

Deputy Cramer burst through the front door and ran straight through to where they were in the kitchen, skidding to a halt, breathing hard. “Damn, Jackson, you drove like a bat out of hell.”

“Neal was here.” Jackson jerked his head toward the broken back door. “He went out the back way. Stop him if you can.”

“On it.” Cramer ran through the kitchen, his weapon drawn. “I have backup on the way,” he called over his shoulder.

Jackson started after him, still carrying Audrey.

Audrey cupped his cheek and turned his face to hers. “Let the authorities handle it. This time we have witnesses to what he’s done. He won’t get away with it.” She struggled against his hold. “Let me down. Beth’s hurt and we need to check on Mia.”

Jackson eased her to her feet, still glancing toward the back door, apparently torn between staying with them and going after Randall.

Audrey dropped to her knees beside Beth and gathered her in her arms.

“Where’s Mia?” Jackson asked.

“In the master bedroom closet. Go. Get her,” Audrey urged him. “I have this.”

He handed her the gun. “Shoot him if he so much as steps up to the door.”

“Believe me, I will,” she said, her voice steady. She let go of Beth and used both hands to point the gun at the broken back door.

Jackson hurried down the hallway and was back in less than a minute with the still-sleeping baby in his arms.

Audrey helped Beth to her feet and, together, she and Jackson guided them down the hallway to the nursery, where Beth tucked Mia into the baby crib, draping a soft, crocheted baby blanket around her. “If it’s all right by you two, I’ll sleep in here tonight.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Audrey said. The twin bed in one corner had clean sheets and would keep Beth close to Mia through the night.

Jackson and Audrey backed out of the room and pulled the door closed halfway.

“Are you all right?” Jackson asked, staring at her face, his thumb brushing just below her throbbing cheekbone.

“I’m okay, just a little bruised and sore. I’ll be all right with a dose of ibuprofen.”

“Let me get that for you.” He took her hand and led her into the kitchen and sat her at the kitchen table. His boots crunched across the broken glass as he made his way to the medicine cabinet for a couple pills, grabbed a glass from the dish drainer and filled it with water. Back across the broken glass, he handed her the items.

“Thank you.” She took the pills and washed them down with the water, glad she could swallow after almost being choked to death.

Jackson stood beside her, a scowl marring his dark brows. “Maybe we should take you to the doctor.”

“I’m fine. All I want to do is soak in a hot bath and sleep.” When he started to protest, she held up her hand. “Really, Jackson. I’d tell you if I needed more than that. And I won’t leave Beth and Mia here alone.”

His frown remained for a few seconds longer and then he nodded. “Okay. But if you show any signs of internal injury or concussion, I’m calling an ambulance.”

She smiled. “Deal.”

“I’ll board up the window in the back door and fix the front door before we go to bed,” Jackson said, his face grim and pale for a swarthy-skinned Kiowa.

“Thanks, babe.” Audrey leaned up and kissed his mouth, wincing when she realized her lip was split.

“When I get done shoring up the house, I’ll come take care of that lip and bring you a bag of ice for your cheek.” Jackson pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.

“I’ll clean up the glass in the kitchen—” she started to say.

“No.” Jackson shook his head. “Go run a bath and soak. I won’t be long.”

Audrey let him go, too tired and achy to argue.

In the master bathroom, she turned the handles on the bath faucet, adjusted the temperature to warm, and poured in scented bath salts. The fragrant smells made her feel better. While the big tub filled, she returned to the bedroom and cleaned up the glass and rock on the floor. As tired and achy as she was, she took the time to vacuum to be certain all the glass shards were removed. She and Jackson liked padding barefoot and buck naked across the room. She didn’t want that to change because a crazy man had violated their home.

When she was done with the vacuum, she left it in the hallway for Jackson to use in the kitchen.

Already she could hear the sound of a saw as Jackson fulfilled his promise to make the house safe again before they went to sleep.

Still a little shaky, Audrey retreated to the bathroom and slipped into the warm water, listening to the whirring buzz of a battery-operated drill gun.

Jackson would be screwing the board into the back door. Already she felt safer. He moved around to the master bedroom and screwed another board into the window frame.

Audrey sighed. For a short time, until they could replace the window, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the morning sun shining in to wake her.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the edge of the tub, absorbing the heat into her sore muscles. She had a small bruise on her hip, her cheekbone was puffy and her lip was split. She’d wiped away the blood with a bruised hand, the knuckles sore from being banged against the wall.

For a moment she considered wallowing in self-pity, but she reminded herself this was only a fraction of what Beth had put up with for the past six years.

Anger pushed aside self-pity. Beth would not go back to that man if Audrey and Jackson had anything to do with it.

A warm chuckle made her open her eyes, and she stared up at Jackson, unbuttoning his chambray shirt.

His lips twisted. “You look ready to spit nails. I would have thought a bath would relax you.”

“I needed you in it with me.”

“While you were daydreaming about clobbering bad guys, Cramer came back.”

She sat forward. “Did they get him?”

“He said they’d set up a roadblock in both directions on the highway. They caught Randall Neal heading south toward Austin.”

Audrey sat back in the water and let go of the breath she’d been holding. “Thank God. We might actually sleep tonight.”

“Mind if I join you?” He dropped the shirt from his shoulders, and all those lovely muscles honed from hard ranch work rippled in the candlelight.

Audrey’s core tensed, her pulse quickening. “You know I don’t mind. Bring that naked body into this tub before I go crazy with lust. My pussy is on fire and there’s only one way to quench it.”

“I love it when you talk dirty to me.” He flipped the button loose on his jeans, and his hand hesitated on the zipper. “I just want to make sure you got all your anger out on Randall. Cramer said Randall had a huge bruise on his forehead. I take it you gave it to him?”

“Damn right I did. If I had it to do all over, I’d have shot him dead and saved everyone time and money.”

“This way, you won’t go to jail on some stupid technicality.” Jackson toed off his boots, unzipped and shoved the jeans off. For a moment he stood, naked and magnificent, his cock jutting out, straight and thick.

Audrey ran her tongue across her lip, anxious to feel that big, hard shaft thrusting inside her. She thanked her lucky stars she’d managed to snare this Kiowa cowboy for herself.

Then he slipped into the water beside her, making a wave that splashed up and over her and onto the tile floor. Gathering her in his arms, he sighed. “Ah. This is better.”

She snuggled close, her hand stroking his thigh beneath the water. “Much better.”

“I’d suggest we get it on…” his arms tightened gently, “…but seeing as how you’re injured, I’m afraid to touch you.”

“Every bone in my body would have to be broken to keep me from making love to you, Jackson Gray Wolf.” She rolled over to straddle his hips, her knees on either side of him. “I could never get enough of you.” She started to kiss him, but paused. “Unless, of course, my bruises are too painful for you to look at, and I’m too ugly to get laid.”

He laughed. “Hardly. They’re positive proof that you’re the girl for me. You’re not afraid of anything.”

“Yes, I am.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead and one to each of his cheeks. “I’m horribly afraid of losing you.”

“Babe, you don’t know the half of it. I lost five years off my life tonight.” He shoved his hand through his hair, his face sober. “When I came back to the house, I knew something was wrong, and I couldn’t get to you fast enough. I should never have gone.”

“Yeah. Hindsight is always better than foreseeing the future. I should have known the fire at the Ugly Stick was a diversion. Randall may be crazy, but he’s smart.”

“I’m glad you’re okay. I never would have forgiven myself if you’d been…if you…” He pulled her into his arms and buried his face against her neck. “I love you, Audrey. I can’t imagine life without you.”

“And I can’t imagine life without you.” She dug her fingers into his hair and tipped his face up so that she could claim his lips in a searing kiss, both passionate and desperate.

When she broke off the kiss, she pushed up on her knees and eased down over his member, taking him into her. “You make me complete,” she said, her breath catching as he filled her so deliciously full.

He surged upward, pressing her thighs down, careful not to touch her bruised hip. “If it’s me and you the rest of our lives, I’m perfectly happy. I love you.”

With Jackson buried deep inside her, Audrey paused. “Jackson, if we can’t make a baby of our own, what do you think about adopting one?”

“You want to talk about that now?” he asked.

Audrey shrugged. “It was just a thought. I could see adopting a baby like Mia or a child who doesn’t have parents, or maybe the parents can’t care for it.”

His hands curled around her thighs. “I don’t know, Audrey, I hadn’t really thought about it. Who do you go to for something like that? Doesn’t it take a long time and don’t you have to jump through a lot of legal hoops? It always seemed a little cold and impersonal, like buying a puppy at a pet store. I love you, babe. I don’t have to have a baby in the mix to improve our relationship. What we have together is enough for me.” Jackson brushed her hair behind her ears. “Let me think about it.”

Though her heart was heavy with disappointment over not having a baby of her own, Audrey agreed life was wonderful with Jackson in it. “It was just a thought.” She rose and lowered herself over him again and again, moving faster and faster. Jackson’s face grew tense and his hands tightened around her thighs. When she thought he might come, he stopped and lifted her off him, standing her on her feet.

“I wasn’t done,” she pouted.

He stood, water running off him in rivulets. “Neither was I.” Stepping out of the tub, he helped her out and dried her off, his touch so gentle and caring, it made Audrey want to cry.

She toweled him off then, taking her time over his cock, cupping his balls and rolling them around in her fingers.

His chest expanded on a deeply indrawn breath, and he captured her wrist in his hand. “Enough.” Then he scooped her up in his arms and marched through the bathroom into the bedroom, where he tenderly laid her on the sheets.

For a moment he studied her bruises, his jaw hardening.

“Don’t think about it.” She reached out and cupped his ass, loving the feel of the hard muscles beneath his smooth skin. “Just love me.”

“That was my plan.” He spread her legs and lay down between them. Starting at the insides of her knees, he kissed a path up the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, angling ever closer to her heated core. When he reached her center, he tongued her entrance, swirling around the juices, suckling her nether lips until she was so turned on she could hardly remain still.