Brock flinched, watching as her eyes slowly closed, her head finally relaxing against the pillows. He sighed roughly, his gaze meeting his brothers’. He saw the weary acceptance on their faces.
“I called Rick on the way here. He’ll be here with his team tomorrow. I’ll have a guard put on her if you can’t convince her to come to the ranch.” His voice was cold, hard. “This time, we’ll find the bastard.”
But that wouldn’t change Sarah’s fears. It wouldn’t change her feelings towards the family. Brock sat down heavily beside her, his
fingers touching her hair, her cheek.
“We have to,” he whispered, staring down at the woman who had held his heart for so long that she was as much a part of him as his brothers. “Because I don’t think I can live without her, Cade. I just don’t think I can.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It was dawn before the house cleared out. Cade and Marly were in another room, Sam was sitting up downstairs with plenty of coffee and a slightly illegal rifle that Cade had brought along. The lethal Russian AK47 was loaded and waiting for anyone stupid enough to try to get into the house with Sam on guard. And he was pissed enough to kill. Sarah was family now and they all accepted it, except Sarah.
The mattress had been flipped and remade until a new one could be bought, and Brock laid next to Sarah, holding her against his chest, his heart still thundering even now. He had almost lost her. Some maniac intent on destroying the August men had almost taken her from him. He buried his face against her hair, fighting the agony rising from his soul. What was it? The hard knot of brutal pain that clogged his throat? How did he ease it?
Along with sedatives, Doc had left pain pills. The wound at her shoulder wasn’t bad but it would be sore, he had assured Brock. She was sleeping comfortably now, resting against him. As long as his arms stayed around her, as long as his body shielded her, she didn’t become frightened.
“Brock.” Sam opened the door, his voice soft enough not to awaken if everyone slept.
“Come on in.” He was used to his brother knowing when he couldn’t sleep, knowing when the demons haunted him. It was the same for Brock, he knew when Sam was tormented as well.
“She doing okay?” Sam moved to the chair beside the bed, the rifle held loosely in his hands.
“She’s sleeping. That’s what she needs for now.” Brock sighed.
“Dillon showed up earlier, madder than hell,” Sam sighed. “Seemed to think we should be able to force her to the ranch.”
There was a question in his twin’s voice.
“She’s not ready, Sam.”
“We have to get her to the ranch, Brock.” Sam’s voice was imperative.
“She won’t go. Not yet.” Brock smoothed his hand down her arm. “It will take time.”
“We may not have time,” Sam said, his voice hushed. “What if the bastard strikes again?”
“Then I’ll be here.” Brock’s voice hardened. He would kill the bastard himself.
“I’ll have security added to the house as soon as I can get someone out here. Get her locks changed.” Sam planned. “It won’t be easy to protect her this far from all of us.”
A guard would be watching the house as well, Brock knew. They would keep her as safe as possible until they could convince her to come home.
“We’ll see,” Brock finally said softly. “I know what I have to do, Sam. I just know she’s scared right now. All the way to the bone scared and not just of the attacker or of us. She’s scared of herself.”
He had seen that the day before. The shocking excitement, the pleasure from the edge of pain he gave her. He hadn’t expected that from her and it added to the growing desperation to bind her to him. She met his needs and fired others he had no idea he had.
She shifted in his arms, a soft, plaintive moan that he clearly recognized easing from her lips. He saw Sam’s grin of amusement. She shifted her buttocks against the erection lying along the tender separation of flesh. He had been hard ever since crawling into the bed beside her.
“Would she let me watch?” Sam asked huskily.
Sarah moaned deeper, rubbing against Brock now, her buttocks clenching on his cock.
“Not yet.” Brock gritted his teeth at the sensations racing along the sensitive flesh.
He couldn’t do that to her. Not while she was unaware, reacting on instinct rather than common sense. She moaned again, pressing against him.
“Shit. I gotta get out of here before she makes me come anyway,” Sam sighed. “Lucky bastard.”