While the men decide what to do, I sit on the couch with my legs folded under me, reviewing my life with Alex in my memory. He changed some those last few months, but I can’t wrap my head around the idea that he may have changed enough to allow this to happen. There has to be a good explanation and I need to know what it is. I don’t know how long I sit there, but I feel the couch dip next to me and turn to find Elias sitting there. The frown lines on his forehead and around his mouth are prominent as he studies me.

“Are you okay?”

“Not really. I knew this was ugly, but I’m afraid of what I’ll find when the truth is revealed.”

“I’m sorry. I know this is hard.”

“That’s an understatement. Did you guys figure out what we’re going to do?”

“We’re going with simple. We’re going to sit and wait. They’re desperate enough to come to you. All you need to know is that I’m going to stay with you until this is over. I won’t leave you alone, but they’re going to come for you. So we’re going to be prepared.”

“Is this going to work?”

“They need what you have. There are only two of them and there are at least 10 of us. Can you shoot a gun?”

“My dad’s been taking me to the gun range since I was eight or nine years old. So, yeah. I’m best with a 9mm or a .38 special, but I can shoot just about anything.”

“Hank’s going to go back to his place and pick one up for you. We all have our own. Once he’s back and you’re armed, the Brotherhood guys are leaving.”

“They’re leaving?” I can’t hide the fear in my voice.

“Yes, but they aren’t going far. They’re going to circle back and approach from different points on the property. The Backowski brothers will think it’s just us and make their move. They’ve proven they aren’t afraid to do that when it’s just you and me. Bill found where they came in last time so we left it open and plan to allow them to come back through that way.”

“We’re sitting ducks?” My insides twist and churn.

“Yes, and no. We’ll have backup. They just won’t be sitting outside the door to protect us. It’s going to be okay. I trust the Brotherhood guys with my life.”

I nod because I don’t have anything else to say.

“These guys are the experts and if this is what they think is best, I’ll go along with it. We’re also giving Hank the thumb drive. His friend at the FBI is going to take it into evidence. If they have it they can get arrest and search warrants on all their properties. There is no reason for you to have it anymore. Are you okay with that?”

I nod. He’s right. I don’t need it. I have help and they’re going to put an end to this one way or the other.

* * *

Within a couple of hours Hank and the boys have come and gone. I’ve got a loaded 9mm on the table next to me and Elias is armed too. I’ve never been patient or one to sit and wait for something to come to me. I’d prefer a “let’s go get them” attitude, but the guys are right. The Backowski brothers are desperate enough to come for me and they’re obviously tired of waiting.

For the next several hours we watch television, play cards and finally stretch out on the bed. Neither of us could sleep if we wanted to, but we’re trying to follow normal patterns so if they’re watching and waiting they won’t realize anything is going on.

When we lie down on the bed, he pulls me in close so I can rest my head on his chest. He kisses my hair before he asks, “How are you holding up?”

“The best I can.” I can’t think of a better answer. The truth is, if someone dropped a safety pin on the floor I’d jump a mile in the air, but there’s no point in telling him that. He can’t fix it.

“You’re so strong, Reya. I don’t think I’ve met a woman stronger than you are.”

What do you say to that kind of compliment? Nothing seems appropriate so I stay quiet. He positions his fingers under my chin and lifts it so I’m looking at him. Of all the things that have been so horrible about this experience, I do have my time with Elias to be thankful for. He’s reminded me of what it’s like to be alive, both physically and emotionally. Why can’t a man like this live in Florida? Maybe there is one, but it’s not him, and after this it’s going to take me a long time to get over Elias Covington, my cowboy hero. His quiet, gentle but strong manner is the polar opposite of Alex and exactly what I’ve needed. There could never be another Alex for me, but there could be someone else. I just don’t think I’ll want anyone else when this is said and done. I’m already half in love with Elias as it is. Maybe it’s because he rode in on a white horse to save me and has risked his life to protect mine ever since. Maybe it’s because the sex is hotter than sin and the tenderness in between is so fulfilling. Or it could be because he doesn’t need to fill the quiet moments with endless chatter or television. He’s content to relax and enjoy the peace. Maybe it’s just everything that is Elias Covington.

I lean in and place a soft, tentative kiss on his lips and pull away to look into his eyes. They’re amazing, twin cerulean pools of perfection. I could stare into them for hours if it didn’t seem creepy. He slides his fingers into the hair at my temple and pulls me to him. This time he kisses me. It’s equally as soft as mine was, but he slips his tongue between my lips and coaxes mine to join his. As the kiss grows deeper, I swear I fall further in love with him.

How do you fall for someone you just met a few days ago? I never believed it to be possible. It took me months and months of dating Alex before I felt a fraction of what I feel now. Could it be because I’m so vulnerable? Or because this whole scenario is supercharged with emotion? Instead of analyzing it, I think I’ll enjoy it before I have to give it up.

Keeping hold of me, he rolls us so I’m on my back, but never breaks the kiss. We make out like teenagers, kissing and groping with hungry abandon for a long time, until he pulls away.

“God, I want to make love to you so bad.” He punctuates the statement with a kiss to my lips, my nose and finally my forehead. “But I won’t be caught with my pants down when these two bozos show up at the door.” I grin at him. The mental picture is a funny one.

“You can still kiss me though, right?” I ask, not wanting it to end.

“If that’s what you want, doll.”

This time I thread my fingers into his soft hair and bring his mouth to mine to resume the hot and heavy. I make sure to absorb everything about this moment so I can bring it out when I’m back in my bed alone in Florida.

A little while later we’ve worked ourselves up into a nice frenzy. It’s so bad for me that I’m grinding on his thigh looking for relief. I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. I’m too turned on to be. It’s in the middle of this when he pulls away. “Shhh,” he whispers.

I lie still and try to hear anything over the pounding of my heart. Elias jumps off the bed and tugs on his boots. “Get your shoes on and get your gun. There’s a rope ladder under the bed. Grab it and wait.” He shoves his gun in the back waistband of his jeans and I do the same. Quickly, I tug on my socks and shoes while he runs around looking out each window. I pull the heavy rope ladder out from under the bed and when I stand up I understand why he wants it. Fire. I can see it out all the windows except the kitchen one and the heat level in here is rising.

“Come on, these assholes are burning us out. Promise me you’ll shoot to kill if they get to us and I can’t do it. It’s us or them and I want to walk away.”

I’ve never killed anything in my life except the occasional squirrel that ends up under my tires, but I won’t have a problem aiming at these two jerks. “I promise.”

We open the kitchen window, hook the ladder on the edge and drop it down. This is not going to be easy, but we need to move fast or this place will collapse. “You’re going down first, be ready to jump and run toward the barn if they aren’t there.”

I nod, scared to death, and begin my descent. As soon as I hit the ground, Elias starts climbing down and I turn to run, only to be hit around the middle with something hard. It knocks the breath out of me and takes me down. I didn’t see the guy waiting in the shadows for me. I must have caught the guy in the guts or the nuts when I went down because he’s rolling around next to me. I scramble to my feet fighting to catch my breath, ready to run, when he grabs the hem of my jeans and pulls me to my knees. A shot rings out and I turn to see the guy holding me go limp. I don’t wait to see where he was hit, I run as hard as I can for the stables. Another shot is fired but I don’t turn around to see who it is. Footsteps come up hard and heavy behind me and I glance back to find Elias on my heels.

We are halfway to the barn when all the horses gallop past at full speed, obviously spooked. Elias and I dive out of the way to avoid being trampled by a couple. Another shot spooks the horses and Brotherhood guys come out of the woodwork to help lead the horses to safety. Elias tugs me to a standing position and pulls me toward the back side of the barn when more chaos unravels. The gate to the cow pen opens and cattle rush out, filling this part of the property. Havoc reigns and with all the enormous, terrified animals running around, it’s obviously not safe.

Bill yells over the noise behind us, “I can’t find Sampson!”

Sampson is Elias’s horse. We have to go in after him. I don’t ask, I just turn and run inside.

“Reya! Wait!” Elias and Bill are both yelling at me, but I don’t stop. I don’t want anything to happen to the horse because of me. “Reya!” It’s total mayhem everywhere. Horses, cows and men all running amuck. There’s fire engulfing the storage area underneath Elias’s house and now his residence too. This is out of control. I can’t focus on any one thing or even seem to think straight.

When we get through the barn doors he takes the lead and we’re almost to Sampson’s stall when the gate is flung open and a gunshot spooks him out of there. Elias throws me to the ground, out of the path, and falls on top of me with a heavy thump to protect me. Once the horse has passed he leaps to his feet, and as he’s helping me up a man appears behind him and swings a crowbar hard at his back. Elias stumbles and growls in pain but turns and charges the man. The guy swings again, catching Elias in the shoulder hard and I’m shocked Elias doesn’t fall to the ground. Elias hits him in the waist with his uninjured shoulder, like a football player, taking them both down.

The crowbar drops next to them. Because the two men are wrestling, kicking and throwing wild punches, I can’t get in there to grab the crowbar. It’s the most vicious fight I’ve ever seen. I’m so stunned by the encounter I can’t decide if I should stay and help Elias or run. Where would I run to at this point? I could get trampled outside the barn and I don’t know where the other brother is. The man, now on his back, is taking a serious beating. Somehow though, he manages to grab hold of the crowbar and swings it down hard on Elias’s head before I can warn him. Elias goes limp immediately and I stand stunned, terrified that the asshole killed Elias. How could he live through a head injury like that?

I don’t come to my senses quick enough and the guy grabs me hard by the arm and tugs me toward the door, cussing the whole way. When we make it out the door he stops and shouts, “Johnny!” toward the lifeless man on the ground about a hundred yards away. The brother on the ground doesn’t move. “Johnny!” he tries again. I do my best to wiggle out of his grip while he’s slightly preoccupied. This only pisses him off because he squeezes my arm harder and yanks my hair with the other hand.

The one who I now know to be Chris Backowski—since his brother Johnny is lying on the ground in the middle of the mess they made—spins me around, releases me, and backhands me all at once with what feels like the force of five fists.

I drop to my knees and he screams, “You killed my brother, you crazy bitch!” and hits me with a closed fist this time. I fall to my back, stunned by the pain radiating through my cheek, and watch as Chris straddles me, wrapping his hand around my throat.

“Where the fuck are those files! I need the fucking files! All you had to do was give them to me. Instead you got your new boyfriend killed and made me drive up here to the middle of fucking nowhere. Alex was a dumb motherfucker so I’m assuming you’re just as stupid.”

He’s squeezing on my throat harder and I instinctively reach up and grab hold of his wrists as I try to free myself, but he’s too strong. It feels like my eyes will pop out of my head and my throat is burning.

“That fucker thought he’d be smart and video our operation and then blackmail us. He was making a ton of money off of us and probably would still be alive, but he grew a conscience and went to the Feds. That was an easy fix but we never could find those damn files. Where the fuck are they?!” he leans in and screams, spitting all over my face. The more he loses his mind the tighter his grip gets, while my vision grows hazy with each passing second. Pretty soon I’ll either be unconscious or dead.

In a last-ditch effort, which he’s too busy choking me to notice, I let go with one hand and clumsily yank the gun out of my waistband, sliding off the safety as I bring it around. I can’t breathe. I’m never going to be able to do this. I kick with my legs, trying to dislodge him and he lets up just enough for me to get a breath before he’s squeezing again. This time I let go with my other hand, moving the gun between us. I pull the slide back to chamber the round and turn it into his gut. I don’t think about anything but breathing again as I fire bullet after bullet into him. His eyes widen in shock, his grip loosens from my throat and then to my horror, he collapses on me. I can feel his warm sticky blood coating my shirt and I freak out, bucking and squirming. He’s so damn heavy and I can’t get him off me. “Help!” I scream, completely undone. “Help! Help! Help!”

Within seconds he’s yanked off me and tossed to the side. Swede stands above me, out of breath, looking alarmed. He helps me up and I take off in a sprint to where we left Elias on the barn floor. Behind me I can hear the apartment collapse in a cacophony of crackles, crashes and pops.

The sound freaks me out but I don’t have time to look back. I need to know if he’s dead. His body is so still and there is blood pooling on the ground. Putting my fingers to his throat I search for a pulse and thankfully it doesn’t take long to find it. It’s still strong and steady. He’s just knocked out. I run my fingers over his face and head gently and find the knot where he was hit when he went down.

“Is he okay?” Swede asks from behind me.

“He’s breathing and has a pulse. It’s likely he has a concussion, but he’s at least alive.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

I can hear his footsteps retreat as he initiates a phone conversation.

The adrenaline slows and my body becomes weak so I rest my head on his chest and listen, gratefully, to the beat of his heart. It doesn’t matter that I’m soaked in someone else’s blood or that my body hurts all over or that all my clothes just burned in a fire. The only thing I care about is that this man is alive and breathing.