Authors: Cheyenne McCray
When he touched her neck, he felt her pulse and it was strong. She groaned and blinked as she opened her eyes. It registered in her eyes when she recognized him.
He looked over her shoulder into the back but no one was there. “Where’s Jessie?” he asked as the rain poured down.
Phoebe’s face was white as she straightened. “I—I don’t know.”
“She called me from your phone,” he said. “I know you were with her. Tell me where she is
now.
”
“I don’t know,” she repeated, her voice shaking. “She must have stolen my phone. I couldn’t find it.”
“Why are you out here?” he asked.
“I was looking for her, too.” Phoebe licked her lips. “I wanted to help you.”
“Bullshit.” He pushed away from the car. “She’d better be all right. You’d better hope she’s all right.”
He didn’t have time for this. “Stay here,” he ordered her before climbing into his truck. He didn’t know how seriously Phoebe was hurt. As much as he wanted to keep her with him, he couldn’t move her.
And Jessie was somewhere ahead. He pulled out his cell phone and called Wyatt and told him where he was. Wyatt said he’d call the sheriff's department.
Zane jumped back into his truck and drove to the house. He parked and grabbed a flashlight out of his glove compartment before jumping out of his truck. His boots hit a mud puddle and water splashed.
“Jessie,” he shouted as he ran toward the building. “Jessie!”
In the light of his flashlight, he was sure he saw footprints in the mud. At times there were three separate sets. Three sets going toward the back of the house, one set coming back.
It looked like there might have been a struggle and then someone was dragged. His heart beat faster and faster. “Jessie!” he shouted again as he ran around the back of the house.
He followed the footprints that led to a pile of boards. Three sets of prints went up to the pile. One set came back.
The well.
“Jessie!” He hurried to the pile and started pulling off board after board. “Can you hear me, honey?”
When he’d pulled off enough boards to see that well, he got down on his belly and held onto the edge as he looked down. “Jessie!”
Her name bounced off the walls. Nothing.
His heart jerked hard and fear tore through him. Fear for Jessie.
A moan rose up from below.
“Jessie?” Zane shouted. “Are you down there?”
“Yes,” she said and relief made his shoulders sag for a moment.
“I’ll get you out of there.” He looked around him to see if there was something he could use. Nothing. “I’ll get a rope and I’ll be right back.”
“Zane,” she called out, her voice faint. “My ribs hurt so bad. I don’t think I can hold on.”
“Help is coming.” He eased up until he was crouched beside the well. The front of his clothing was slick with mud and he wiped his hands on his back pockets. His phone was still holstered. He pulled it out and called 911 and let them know about her situation and that rescue equipment was needed.
After he hung up he remembered that three sets of footprints had led up to the well and one had come back.
“Is anyone else down there with you?” he asked. “You said someone was dead.”
“They guy Phoebe was with,” she said. “I think he is dead.”
“Who did this to you.” He ground his teeth. “Phoebe?”
“Yes.” She sounded like she had a hard time speaking. “And the man down here. He pushed me in but he slipped when I grabbed him and he fell with me.”
Zane’s jaw clenched. “Will you be okay if I leave you for a bit?” He’d check to see if he had any equipment in this truck that could help him save Jessie.
“Please don’t leave me.” She spoke in a hoarse voice then coughed. “Please.”
“I’ll be right here, honey.” His heart twisted as he spoke. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He tried to keep Jessie talking but she kept fading in and out.
It wasn’t long before Wyatt, Wayne, and Dillon made it and came around to the back of the old house, flashlights bobbing in the darkness as Wyatt called out to him.
“Help is here, Jessie,” Zane said. “How are you doing?”
“I’m alive,” she said. “That’s what’s important.”
He glanced over his shoulder at his brothers who had rope and other gear with them. “We’re going to get you out of there now.”
“Okay,” she said then groaned in pain.
Wayne walked up holding a harness he’d obviously made out of rope. “I can get her, bro.”
Zane had known he’d be able to count on his brother to come up with something. Wayne had been Special Forces, had served in Afghanistan, and had just retired a few months ago.
“I’m going down,” Zane said as he took the harness from Wayne. “You just get us out of there.”
Wayne slapped him on the shoulder. “You got it.”
While Wyatt and Dillon were outfitting Zane, Wayne drove his big Chevy 4x4 around to the back of the house. The trucks headlights illuminated the area. Wayne got out and started preparing the winch attached to the front of the truck that they’d use to lower Zane into the well and then extract him and Jessie.
When they were ready, Zane’s brothers slowly lowered him into the well. Zane’s heart jerked as he shined his flashlight down and he got his first good look at Jessie. She was sitting with her back up against the wall of the well, her arm wrapped around her chest. Her face was dirty and blood marred her temple where he could see a large cut. Her pupils were dilated, her clothes covered in mud and she was shivering so hard that he could see her body shaking.
“I’m here, honey,” he said as he neared her.
She gave a strained but relieved smile. “I knew you’d come for me.”
He reached her and saw that she was sitting partially on top of a man’s body and his gut tightened.
The bastard had almost murdered Zane’s woman. If the man wasn’t already dead, Zane would have killed him.
When he reached Jessie, she gingerly came into this arms and he carefully held her and kissed her forehead, avoiding the cut on her temple. “I’ve got you,” he said as he buckled her into the harness with him as gently as possible.
She leaned her head against his chest as he tugged three times on the rope. “Bring us on up,” he shouted.
A moment later the rope tightened and he and Jessie were slowly pulled up together. When they got to the top of the well, Zane said, “Be careful with her. She’s injured.”
“Don’t worry, bro,” Wayne said. “We’ll treat her like a glass rose.”
Zane unbuckled Jessie as his brothers tried to raise her all of the way out without hurting her. She still cried out and tears flowed down her cheeks. After they laid her on a blanket outside the well they got Zane out.
Sirens sounded in the distance and Zane closed his eyes and took a deep breath, thanking God that Jessie was okay.
Chapter 16
After he made another pot of coffee, Zane left it on the warmer and headed outside. It had been two days since everything had gone down and Jessie was still sleeping.
Dillon was just getting out of his truck as Zane opened the door to the closed-in front porch. He strode toward his brother’s vehicle as Dillon leaned in and grabbed his Stetson from off the seat then put it on.
“What’s up?” Zane rested his forearm on the front of Dillon’s truck and leaned up against the vehicle. The metal was warm beneath his skin.
“You won’t believe what I found on Phoebe.” Dillon held some papers in his hands and stood a couple of feet from Zane. “I did some research and learned some interesting things.”
“And?” Zane prompted.
“I had a strange feeling, like something wasn’t right, so I dug a little deeper.” Dillon had always been over-inquisitive as a child.
Dillon pushed up the brim of his hat and rubbed his forehead and continued. “Phoebe is from Chicago, not Arizona like everyone thinks. What’s more is that she’s been married three times—Mike wasn’t her only husband like she let on. If that’s all not enough, her second husband is dead and of course there’s Mike.”
“She’s from Chicago and she’s been married three times,” Zane repeated slowly. “You’re sure about that?”
“You would have been number four.” Dillon had a serious expression. “I wouldn’t tell you something like that if I questioned any part of the information I gathered.”
“Yeah, I know.” Zane frowned. “It came out of left field so I wasn’t expecting it.”
Dillon gave a nod. “The first ex left town after their divorce and the second husband committed suicide by carbon dioxide poisoning. Found him in his car. And you know how Mike died.”
For a long moment Zane said nothing as he thought about what his brother had just told him. He looked down at the papers in his hands.
“Duplicates of her marriage certificates and her birth certificate.” Dillon gestured toward the handful of papers. “Along with a few copies of articles I tracked down about her second husband’s death. His family maintained he never would have done that. The guy’s family pointed fingers at Phoebe, but in the end it was ruled a suicide.”
“Thanks.” Zane raised the papers. “Kinda explains a few things.”
“It sure does.” Dillon dragged his hand down his face. “She became a very well-off woman after the deaths of her husbands.”
“She’s in the county jail now,” Zane said. “It’s not likely she’s going to be hurting anyone for a long time with the kidnap and attempted murder charges for Jessie, not to be mention I am sure the reinvestigation of the of the other deaths and potential murder charges there.”
Dillon nodded. “One other thing. That first husband who left town… It’s the same man who ended up dead at the bottom of the well. He was an ex con. A bad guy. He used a bunch of aliases. They probably divorced to set up her marrying these other guys. He was probably the mastermind behind it all.”
“This has to be the craziest situation to happen in these parts,” Dillon said.
“She fooled me,” Zane said. “I never thought she had all that evil in her.”
Zane shook his head. “According to what Phoebe said to Jessie, I was slated to be the next dead husband.”
“That is sure one hell of a bitch,” Dillon said.
“A lot of words can be used to describe that woman.” Zane slapped his hand against Dillon’s truck. “I’m headed into Sierra Vista now.”
Dillon removed his hat has he opened his truck door and tossed the hat on the seat before climbing in the vehicle. “See you later, bro.”
As his brother took off, Zane looked back at the house before going toward his own truck. He had a little shopping to do while his Sleeping Beauty rested.
• • •
Jessie leaned back, bracing herself on her palms as she looked up at the tree leaves. It was six months to the day since she and Zane had met and he’d taken her to the same spot they’d had their first picnic. She had moved in with Zane almost four months ago, after an attempt at a long distance relationship.
She smiled at him as he ate the last bite of his cookie and she brushed crumbs from his cheek with her fingertips, remembering when he’d done that with her on that first picnic.
He looked so good to her. Whenever he was near she felt like everything was going to be all right. That everything in her life was good.
He cupped her face in one hand, and brushed hair from her face with his other. “You’re beautiful.”
She moved her fingers to his jaw, feeling the light stubble beneath her fingertips. “You’re not so bad yourself, cowboy.”
He leaned back and reached into his breast pocket. She hadn’t noticed the bulge before he drew out a red velvet box.
Her breath caught in her throat as he opened the box. A solitaire diamond was nestled in the velvet.
“Will you marry me, Jessie?” he said quietly.
She felt a little lightheaded.
“Wow.” She looked from the diamond and met his blue eyes.
“This time I know it’s right,” he said. “Not a single question in my mind. This time it’s love.”
“Yes.” She smiled and said more emphatically, “Yes, I will marry you.” He grinned as she spoke.
He cupped the side of her face again before he kissed her. When he drew back there was a wealth of meaning and love in his gaze. “Guess we’ll be needing a new wedding photographer.”
Jessie laughed. “I guess we will.”
Also by Cheyenne McCray
E-Books:
From Ellora’s Cave
“Wild” Cowboy Series
Wildfire
Wildcat
Wildcard
Wild Borders
Wonderland Series
King of Hearts
King of Spades
King of Diamonds
King of Clubs
“Taboo” series
Taking Instruction
Taking on the Law
Taking it Personal
Taking the Job
“Erotic” series
Erotic Invitation
Erotic Weekend
Erotic Stranger
Print books by Cheyenne
From St. Martin’s Press:
Lexi Steele Novels
The First Sin
The Second Betrayal
Night Tracker Series
Demons Not Included
No Werewolves Allowed
Vampires Not Invited
Zombies Sold Separately
Vampires Dead Ahead
Magic Series
Forbidden Magic
Seduced by Magic
Wicked Magic
Shadow Magic
Dark Magic
Single Title
Moving Target
Chosen Prey
Cheyenne Writing as Jaymie Holland
The Auction Series
Sold
Bought
Claimed
Taken
Taboo Series
Taking it Home
Losing Control
Alluring Stranger
Taboo Desires: 3 Tales of Lust and Passion
Playing Rough: 3 Stories of Sensual Submission
Paranormal Novels
The Touch
Come to Me
Excerpt… Rough and Ready: Lipstick and Leather
Cheyenne McCray
Available Now!
Mike came back barefoot and wearing only his jeans.
Anna swallowed as she got a good look at his powerful body. He was cut, his muscles defined all the way from his chest and biceps, down to his six-pack and his waist that tapered into his jeans. He pulled on a white T-shirt and she found herself disappointed. Talk about eye candy. She never knew cowboys could be so sexy.