When they started walking in his direction, Myka gasped and whispered, “Tell me that is
not
one of your cowboys.”
“Yep,” Kim said proudly. “That’s my Caleb.”
“Oh dear God, do they all look like that in Haven’s Crossing?” she asked, her mouth hanging open.
“Pretty much,” Kim said, laughing. As they got closer, Caleb stepped forward and Kim introduced them. He shook Myka’s hand, putting on all the Wade charm he could muster and then they walked over to get her luggage. When Myka located her bags, he pulled them off and started carrying them out, without saying a word.
“Wow,” Myka whispered. “Such a gentleman.”
“You have no idea,” Kim said with a nudge and a wink.
She smiled to herself as she looked over at Caleb, who was not saying a word, but just absorbing all that was being said. Occasionally, he would grin and she knew he was amused at the conversation. When they arrived at the house, Myka—just like Kim had been the first time she saw the ranch—was awed by the beauty and peacefulness that surrounded them.
“Okay, I’m never leaving,” she said, taking it all in.
“Welcome to
my
world, sister,” Kim said proudly. They got her unloaded and settled into one of the spare bedrooms and then started discussing plans for supper. “They cook, too,” Kim said loud enough for Caleb to hear. His look told her she would be teased without mercy once he got her in bed that night. Her face got flush at the thought and he knew he had gotten his point across.
Logan came in and Myka about fell out of her chair. Smiling, Kim made the introductions and both men were on their best behavior, which made her even more proud to be theirs. She knew they knew that Myka was important to her, but she felt like they truly did like her. Caleb had to take an important business call, so he excused himself for a while. Logan was heading for the shower and she asked him if he felt like cooking steaks that night.
“Anything for you, darlin’,” he said as he pulled her up from her chair, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her hard against his body. He then kissed her so passionately that she almost collapsed. Myka sat there with her mouth open, not able to speak.
When Logan had left, she swallowed and said, “Dear God in Heaven. I definitely need some of that.” Kim burst out laughing and then they both started giggling like schoolgirls again.
Kim grabbed her purse and went to see if Caleb was finished with his call. She could see that it was going to take some time and they needed to go get the steaks, so she picked up his keys and jotted a note letting them know where she was going and that she’d be right back. She knew they wouldn’t mind since it was just to town and back and besides—Myka was with her.
As they pulled into the parking lot at the grocery store, Kim noticed there were only two other vehicles there.
Have they already closed?
She looked at her watch and they headed on inside. Kim led the way back to the meat department, Myka following right behind her.
“Hey, Charles,” Kim said, causing the butcher to look up.
“Well hello there. What can I get ya today?” he asked politely.
“Logan’s cooking tonight and you know what he likes, but we’ll need four steaks instead of three. This is my friend Myka. She’s visiting us this week.”
“You don’t say?” he said, looking at some of the steaks he already had out. “Could you excuse me for a moment? I need to see what we have in back. Don’t wanna disappoint Logan.”
“Oh, sure,” Kim said, as she and Myka walked over to look at the fish. A few minutes later, Charles stuck his head out of the door.
“Ladies, could you help me in here a minute? I need one of you to hold this door and the other to help me lift this box and get it out of the way.”
“Uh, okay,” Kim said, walking back toward the chilly room thinking that Logan or Caleb would never ask her to help them lift anything. Myka followed close behind and as soon as Kim stepped over the threshold, she saw a knife go up to Kim’s throat.
“Get in here, bitch!” he yelled at Myka. “Or I slit your friend’s throat!” Myka went in without hesitation, and Kim knew her friend would never leave her alone. “Now shut the door and lock it,” he ordered, holding the knife tighter against Kim’s skin.
Kim could feel the panic rising in her body.
Deep breaths. No sudden moves.
“I’ve been waiting for you, whore,” he spat in her ear. She could smell his breath as he spoke and it disgusted her.
“Charles, I don’t understand,” she said as softly and calmly as she could.
“You’re all alike. You’re just like
her
—every fucking one of ya!” Myka tried to speak and he told her to shut up, so she said no more. He led them out to the back, making Myka walk in front of them.
His van was parked by the door. Kim had seen his van out front earlier and realized he had moved it when he left them at the counter. Kim had put the keys to the pickup in her jeans pocket, but they hadn’t gone all the way down. They were still close to the top and easily accessible. While Charles was paying attention to Myka, she slipped them out of her pocket and dropped them on the ground by the door, hoping someone would see them. The girls were shoved into the back of the van and the duct tape was handed to Kim. When he took the knife from her throat, she thought about charging him, but that knife was a huge hunting knife and she didn’t think that would be a smart thing to do. She was ordered to duct tape Myka’s ankles and wrists and then put a piece over her mouth. Kim tried not to do it too tight, but he was watching.
As Kim knelt down, she felt the knife in her pocket. Logan had given her a hot pink pocketknife to have as her very own because she had always asked to borrow his to open packages or whatever. She had gotten in the habit of keeping it with her because she needed it a lot when she was working or doing things around the house. Kim had to get the knife out of her pocket and get it to Myka without Charles seeing her. She “accidentally” dropped the duct tape and it rolled over to the side of the van, so as she stood to go get it, she took it out and got it ready. Myka saw what she had done and was ready. As Kim stood to hand the duct tape to Charles, she used her other hand to drop the knife to Myka. Since it was small, Myka was able to hide it in her hands with ease. She cooperated with Charles as he used the duct tape on her next, while silently praying.
Please, God, tell them where we are.
Logan got out of the shower and headed to the kitchen. Not seeing the girls, he went back to see if they were with Caleb. Caleb had just finished his phone call and was walking out of the office when he saw Logan.
“Where’re the girls?” Caleb asked.
“I thought they were with you,” Logan replied. They both walked to the dining room and saw the note Kim had scribbled for them. The two brothers looked at each other, realizing they should’ve been back by now. They tried to call Kim’s cell, but it went straight to voicemail. Caleb swore as he remembered she had left it in his truck on the charger. They both ran out the door, Caleb calling the sheriff on the way.
They rode bound in the back of the van, listening as he ranted and raved about how evil all women were. Kim and Myka communicated with their eyes and Myka began to work the knife open, slowly cutting through the tape. She made sure the cut was underneath, so he wouldn’t be able to see. They both knew they would be fighting for their lives as soon as he opened the door. The girls couldn’t see where they were going because he had them on the floor. Kim’s heart never beat so hard. She hated that Myka was with her, but also knew if he had taken them alone, they probably wouldn’t have a chance of getting out alive. They felt the van turn off onto a gravel road and they braced for the impending fight. They were tough. They could do this.
Logan and Caleb pulled into the grocery store parking lot, seeing Caleb’s truck out front. The sheriff was already there, along with Blake and a few other trusted men. Logan and Caleb ran into the store and saw the sheriff walking their way.
“They were here!” he yelled, throwing Caleb the keys. “I found those on the ground outside the back door.”
“That’s our girl,” Caleb said, knowing she was trying to leave breadcrumbs for them to follow. Blake walked up beside them.
“It’s Charles, isn’t it?” he said with distress in his voice.
When the sheriff nodded his head, Logan, running his hand through his hair, yelled, “That fucking son of a bitch! He’s lived here five years!”
The sheriff split them up. “He’s got two places. Logan, Caleb, and Blake—you go to his house. I’ll take the other two and head out to his dad’s old place. Call me if you see him!” the sheriff yelled as everyone was heading out.
Logan mumbled, “I’ll kill the fucker first.” Both Caleb and Blake heard his words and knew he’d do exactly that.
After Charles shut his door, he left them in the van and went into the house. Kim pulled part of the tape from her mouth so she could talk quickly.
“When he pulls me out, you lunge at him. He won’t be expecting that and it’ll be our only chance.” She started to put the tape back on, but before she did, she said, “I love you, Myka.” She saw the same in her friend’s eyes and both girls knew they’d never leave the other one, no matter what.
When they heard his footsteps on the gravel, they got ready. Please help us to do this right,
she prayed
.
Her heart began to beat harder and harder the closer he came. As the van door opened, she sat perfectly still, looking as if she were bound securely. She allowed him to pull her out backward and then, when he sat her on the ground and started to pull Myka out, Kim pulled her tape free and wrapped her arms around his legs. Myka lunged at the same time and he ended up falling backward onto the ground. He struggled to get up, but both girls pushed him back down and Kim saw a large rock beside them. She picked it up, squinted her eyes almost shut, and hit him in the head as hard as she possibly could. It took two good hits before he lay motionless. The girls didn’t speak, but continued to work in unison. Myka grabbed the duct tape and they began to bind his wrists and then his ankles. They wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get away, so they wrapped his legs together, too, all the way up to his knees.
They turned the unconscious man over onto his stomach and then Kim sat on his legs while Myka sat on his back and shoulders. They sat motionless, afraid to breathe, too scared to move.
Myka whispered, “Should we look for the keys to the van?” Kim shook her head.
“They’ll come for us, soon,” she said with confidence. She could see her purse in the back of the van, but remembered she had left her phone in Caleb’s truck. She was also afraid he might get away if either of them got up, so they just stayed put. He made a groaning noise, so she picked up the rock—just in case. Please hurry, she thought, knowing in her heart they were trying.
Logan was speeding down the road, all three men silent. The tension filled the air. As he turned onto the gravel road, Logan quietly prayed and then he prayed again. Caleb was the first to see the van and they all jumped out before the truck was barely in park. As they ran up behind the van, trying to be quiet, they heard Kim and Myka softly talking. Caleb started around one end, while Logan and Blake went the other way. The men were speechless as they peered around each side. There they sat, with Charles underneath, as if they were on the front porch having a cup of coffee.
“You gotta be kiddin’ me,” Blake said. They ran toward the girls, helping them up and making sure they were okay.
“Did he hurt either one of you?” Logan yelled, as he picked Charles up off the ground. Charles was now conscious and cussing at that point.
Kim glanced back and saw the look in Logan’s eyes.
“You fuckin’ son of a bitch!” he yelled, punching Charles in the face and stomach over and over again.
“Logan, no!” Kim screamed, trying to run toward him, but Caleb grabbed her around the waist and wouldn’t let her go. “Caleb! Stop him!” she cried, trying to push his arms away.
“He needs to do it, sugar—but I’ll stop him before he actually kills him.” Caleb gave Logan the time he needed and then handed Kim over to Blake so she couldn’t interfere.
Caleb walked over and touched Logan’s shoulder, not saying a word. Logan looked at Caleb and then at Kim, taking a deep breath. He threw Charles on the ground, now unconscious again, blood covering his entire body. As Logan walked toward Kim, Caleb took his turn and kicked Charles several times in the ribs hard enough that his body moved on the ground. Blake let Kim go as she ran into Logan’s arms, and he squeezed her so hard she thought she might break.
“I’m so sorry, darlin’,” he whispered as he started to kiss her all over her face.
“Sorry for what, Logan? You’re my heroes.”
Blake called the sheriff and they all waited around until he arrived along with the ambulance. All three men decided the girls needed to go see Doc Bailey even though they argued they were fine. Myka wasn’t used to be taken care of like that. She looked up at Blake, who was now standing next to her, and said, “I’m fine really, I don’t need to see the doctor.”
“You’re goin’ to the doctor, sweetheart,” Blake said, giving her one of those looks that all men in Haven’s Crossing apparently use. “And if it has to be with me carrying you kickin’ and screamin’, then so be it. Am I clear?” Myka stared at him speechless. Myka was never speechless until she came to Haven’s Crossing.