All Jacked Up (Rough Riders 8)

She ain’t been here all goddamn night, has she?”

“Have you talked to her?” he asked Colt.

“We talked to Chet and Remy. We know what went down.”

Jack shook his head. “No, you don’t.”

“Then why don’t you tell us why Keely threw her engagement ring at you and vanished?” Colby demanded.

“What happened is between Keely and me. Period.” His tired eyes sought Cord’s. “AJ hasn’t heard from Keely?”

“That’s between Keely and AJ,” Cord said.

“Besides, it ain’t like you weren’t warned about what we’d do to you if you f**ked with her. We’re here to make good on our promise.”

The room seemed to shrink to the size of a dollhouse. Jack’s whole body hurt. If even one of these psycho brothers came after him, he couldn’t put up a decent fight, say nothing of taking on five pissed-off cowboys.

You deserve to get your ass handed to you. And it’s going to happen either way.

“You know what? You’re right. I don’t know where the hell Keely is. I’ve been going crazy waiting for her to show up and yell at me or kick my sorry ass or something.” He met each of her brother’s gazes, one at a time. “That’s why you’re here, right? To kick my ass? So go ahead.”

Carter stepped forward. “Remember you asked for this, Donohue.”

The last thing Jack heard was a cracking sound as Carter’s fist connected with his jaw…and then the lights went out.

Dusk started to fall when Keely recognized the crunch of tires on gravel. She kept the pistol within arm’s length until she determined whether friend or foe approached. The smoke from the campfire switched direction, making her squint at the vehicle.

A truck. She quelled the disappointment it wasn’t a BMW. Her pulse leapt when she realized it was Cord’s truck.

AJ had come looking for her.

But all four doors of the quad cab opened. Colby emerged first. Followed by Colt. Cord and Cam came around the front end of the truck. Carter was the last one out.

Keely gaped at her brothers. All five of her brothers.

“You’re a hard woman to find,” Cord said.

Her gaze moved from face to face. She expected Cam would chew her out for taking off alone. Colby would comment she needed a babysitter. Colt would threaten to whup her butt. They did none of that. She finally looked at Carter, who’d stepped forward. “Hey, little sis. Looks like you need a friend or five.”

The tears she’d kept at bay streamed down her cheeks. Keely ran straight into Carter’s open arms. He caught her and squeezed. “It’s okay. We’re here for you.”

“I can’t believe you guys came.” She sniffed when Cam grabbed her from Carter and hugged her tightly.

“I can’t believe you thought we’d just let you be when you’re hurting.” Cam gave her a soft head butt and set her back on the ground. “You’d never let any of us get away with hiding, so what goes around comes around, little sis.”

Then Colt scooped her up and swung her in a circle, like he used to do when she was little. “We ain’t that easy to get rid of, if you haven’t noticed.” Colt practically tossed her to Colby.

“We McKays stick together. Although you ain’t got a stem, you were born with balls. You’re truck tough.” Colby kissed her forehead and dropped her in front of Cord.

“Sometimes I think you’re the toughest of us all. God knows you’re the smartest.” Cord hugged her and then smacked her ass. Hard.

“Hey!”

“You’re damn lucky we didn’t all swat you. You scared the crap out of us, Keely West McKay.”

“Sorry. I needed time alone to think. A family trait you’re all familiar with.” She wandered back to the fire pit.

Her brothers followed and crowded around the fire. Colt and Colby crouched by the fire. Cord perched on a log. Cam and Carter stood, hands in pockets as they stared at the burning embers and the flames licking the pale night sky.

Cord spoke first. “What happened between you and Jack that sent you runnin’?”

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” This from Cam.

“No. We both said some pretty nasty, hurtful things to each other. Sometimes that’s worse.”

“So is it over?” Colby asked.

Keely stirred the embers, glad the heat in her cheeks could be attributed to the flames. “I don’t know.”

“Do you want it to be over?”

Her gaze connected with Colt’s after he voiced that question. “No. God no. I think he probably does.”

“We’ve already established he’s a f**king idiot if he walks away from you,” Carter said. “I’m glad we—”

“Carter,” Colby warned.

“What? I’m glad we figured out he’s just as stubborn as her, that’s all I’m saying.”

A weird feeling rippled through her. “What are you guys talking about?”

“You. And Jack. Stubborn as all get-out, both of you. Didja ever try talkin’ to each other? Instead of throwing insults and stompin’ off mad as a wet hornet?”

Keely’s mouth dropped open. She stared at Cord, who couldn’t be considered chatty on his best day.

“She threw the engagement ring at him this time, not an insult, which tells me it’s over for good.”

Her gaze whipped to Cam. “How did you know I threw my engagement ring at Jack?”

“Chet and Remy.”

And they claimed their word was their bond. She snorted. They’d gone tattling to her brothers fast enough. “When did you find out?”

“When you didn’t show up at the building today. Doc Monroe told ’em you weren’t at the clinic. You weren’t answering your phone. They called everyone… Who’d they call first?”

Cord lifted his hand. “I reckon they started at the top of the birth order and worked their way down.”

“They called all of you?”

“Yep.”

“When was this?”

“One. Or thereabouts.”

Damn. “How’d you find me?”

“AJ,” they all said in unison.

“So what have you guys been doin’ the last six hours?”

Guilty looks.

Her pulse spiked. “Oh. My. God. What did you do?”

“Now, Keely. You gotta understand. We warned Jack not to mess with you,” Cam said amiably.