“Ignore them and they’ll leave,” Jenson said.
“They must still be drunk from last night.”
Shaking her head, she tried to signal Ethan away as he raised a finger to his lips to silence her. Her heart thumped so hard it hurt. What if the men saw him and Jake and started shooting? She saw the cold, determined look in Ethan’s blue eyes as they moved from her to the men who had taken her and Cooper. His body was tense, his muscles coiled as he crept slowly forward. Behind him Jake looked the same, silent and focused. Beside her, Cooper watched as she did, eyes wide as he followed their movements.
“They’re coming up the steps. You may need to tell them to leave, Jenson,” one of the men said, still watching whoever was outside. Annabelle’s money was on Buster and Newman, and she felt a well of tears at the thought that her friends had come for her, had put themselves in danger for her and Coop.
Ethan and Jake were close now, and she watched as they lifted their weapons.
“Don’t move if you want to take another breath,” Jake said.
Annabelle looked to the three men quickly. One had reached for his gun, but she couldn’t speak because she still had the gag in her mouth.
A bullet struck the floor between the man’s feet, and his hands shot into the air.
“Nice shooting, Tex,” Jake said.
“I said, don’t move.” Ethan’s words sounded cold and clipped. “Put your hands high, where we can see them.”
She watched each of the men do as they were asked.
“Annabelle, honey, we need to tie these guys up before I get to you, okay?” Ethan said, but his eyes were still on the men.
She couldn’t speak so she nodded, not that he could see her. Her eyes devoured him, her beautiful Texan. The relief that she would see him again, have a life with him, made her slump against her brother.
She watched as he and Jake tied up the men after taking their guns, then all three were laid face down on the floor. Only then did Ethan come for her.
“It’s alright now, baby.” He dropped to his knees before her while Jake went to tell whoever was outside that it was all clear. He removed the gag and Annabelle sucked in a deep breath.
“I knew you’d come,” she rasped as he removed the ties from her ankles and wrists before starting on Cooper.
“You scared me,” he whispered when her brother was free, pulling her into his arms as he rose. He held her so tight she could hardly breathe, but Annabelle didn’t care. She never wanted to leave his arms again.
“I’ve called Cubby and he’s spitting mad that we did this without calling him,” Buster said behind them as Ethan eased the punishing grip he had on her.
“He’ll get over it,” Jake said.
“I-I don’t know how to thank you again, Ethan,” Cooper said from behind them.
Ethan released her and faced him. “Today finishes it, Cooper. We move forward from here on, okay?”
“How?” Cooper whispered, staring at the hand Ethan held out to him. “I can never repay you for what you’ve done.”
“You can by not getting back into drugs, by doing something with your life, and that’s just for starters,” Ethan said, wrapping and arm around Cooper’s neck briefly and giving him a squeeze. “We’ll work on the rest, all right?”
Annabelle watched her brother nod, but he said nothing more.
She stood in Ethan’s arms until Cubby arrived, enjoying his strength.
“I told you boys to call me!” the sheriff roared, walking in the door with his deputies at his heels. “You’re fucking irresponsible, is what you are!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Buster said, waving a hand. “But you knew we’d do it, Cubby, so let it go.”
Annabelle watched Cubby snap his teeth together before he and his deputies began to haul away the three men.
“I want food, Griffin, so you better be in your kitchen by the time these three are in my cells,” the sheriff of Howling snarled before he walked out the door with the last man.
“Let’s go then.” Jake found some keys by the door. “These must be for the camper, so we’ll take that back to Howling. Branna’s meeting us in town.”
