Promise Me Forever

  A broken sob escaped me. I lowered the gun. But I couldn’t take my eyes off Paul. What he had done to me, what he had tried to do, kept replaying in my mind. He had touched me, said things to me. He had taken my brother from me and almost taken Cash.

  I raised the gun.

  Cash’s voice sounded like it was coming from far away, telling me to give him the gun. Saying I didn’t want it on my conscience. But I did.

  For Nathan.

  When Paul looked at Cash and lunged one more time, I did it.

  I pulled the trigger.

  Chapter Thirty–Nine

  Cat

  The gun exploded. Paul toppled over. I couldn’t move. The gun was still in my hand, still pointed straight ahead.

  Cash ran his hand over mine, cupping the weapon. “It’s okay, Cat. Give me the gun, sweetheart” he said in a gentle voice. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

  I couldn’t let go. My fingers were stiff around the cold metal. Cash looked at me and pried the gun from my cold hand, his touch careful and slow.

  As soon as it was gone, my arm fell limp to my side. I stared straight ahead and took a deep, shuddering breath. “Oh god.”

  Still holding his ribs, Cash’s other arm went around me, pulling me to him.

  “Fuck, Cat. Fuck,” he said hoarsely against the top of my head.

  I stood stiffly beside him. My mind was blank except for four words.

  I killed a man.

  Cash moved his hand up to the back of my head, cradling me close. His lips touched my head.

  “You’re okay,” he whispered, holding the gun pointed down. “Thank God you’re okay.”

  His voice was hoarse, the words broken. I realized with a start that he was shaking, his hand trembling as he stroked me. Knowing this rugged, tough cowboy could be frightened by the thought of almost losing me, made the flood gates open. I buried my face in his chest and cried.

  I don’t know how long we stayed that way. Cash held me as I cried. It was as much for him as for me. We needed each other. Words weren’t required; touching said it all.

  He pressed me to him closer. I breathed in the scent of him. His whiskers grabbed at my hair. My fingers clenched his jacket.

  When I started shaking with cold and my chilled nose pressed into his chest, he let go of me and crossed the room in two quick strides, stuffing the gun in the back of his waistband.

  I stood in place, trembling, watching as he yanked the blanket from the bed and retrieved my underwear from the floor. Color burned my cheeks and my stomach tightened painfully. I was suddenly back on the floor, Paul forcing me down to touch me. I could remember his hands on me, making my skin slither.

  I whimpered and fell back a step. Cash returned quickly and wrapped the blanket around my shoulders. then dropped to his knees and held out the underwear.

  “You’re okay, Cat, you hear me?” His voice was hard, determined like he was saying it as much to convince himself as he was to convince me.

  I nodded numbly. He frowned and dropped to his knees in front of me, holding out my underwear for me to step into. I didn’t. I couldn’t.

  “Cat, please.”

  His tone was so heart wrenching, so pain-filled. I put my hands on his shoulders for balance and stepped into my underwear. We were more than just two people who couldn’t keep their hands off each other. We took care of each other even in the toughest of times.

  He pulled my underwear up my legs, the backs of his knuckles warm against my chilled skin.

  “You’re the most stubborn woman I know, Cat. You don’t take shit from no one and that’s what I lo—”

  I hiccupped, a tear falling down my cheek. “Cash, he tried to…”

  “Fuck,” Cash swore under his breath and shot to his feet. He cupped my cheeks and bent down to look in my eyes. His throat worked hard, pain crossed his battered face.

  “Did I…” he gulped and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was anguish in his gaze. “Did I stop him in enough time?”

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  “Thank god.” The words were said on a rush of air. He wiped a tear away and glanced over my features. My forehead. My eyes. My mouth and lower. His face was a patchwork of black and blue. His nose bloody. One eye still swollen and the other blood-filled.

  I hissed with pain and pulled my chin away when he touched the edge of my jaw.

  “What happened? Your jaw is bruised.”

  I licked my lips. “He slammed my head against the floor.”

  Cash swore, his hands dropping to my arms. “If you hadn’t killed him, I would’ve just for those bruises alone.”

  I started to peek around Cash’s arm. I had to look, to make sure Paul was really dead and he wouldn’t hurt me again. But Cash stepped in front of me, blocking my view.

  “Don’t.”

  I looked up at him through the tears in my eyes. He was so tall and imposing. So strong. I remembered how he looked, with the rope around his neck. I took a step closer. He drew in a sharp breath and his body went tense, aware of me like I was of him.

  “You’re alive,” I whispered, holding the blanket around me.

  He didn’t move. “Yeah. Gavin snuck into town and found out that they were going to hang me. He cornered Mary and she got Adam. They made plans to get us out.”

  I drew my brows together. “When did that happen? Adam led me to believe they were going to hang you.” I took a step closer, suddenly angry. “Do you know how terrible it was, watching them put that noose around your neck?”

  Cash stared down at me, his gray eyes haunted and cold as he remembered. “I didn’t find out until seconds before Adam dragged me out of the basement. If he told you, you wouldn’t have been upset. Frankie would have known something was up. He was smart and tuned into you like a hawk. You were our key to make it play out right. I needed to be out in the open and the only way to make that happen was for them to almost hang me.”

  “Did Tate know?”

  Cash shook his head. “No. We needed him to be a hothead like Frankie expected.”

  I was angry that no one told me and let me worry but something nagged at me. Something Cash said…

  “Right before you killed Frankie, I heard you say it was for your unborn son.”

  Cash’s gaze went dark. The muscle in his jaw ticked.

  “He said if you were pregnant, he would raise the baby as his own after I was dead.” His eyes moved down to my stomach and back up. “I don’t know if you’re pregnant or not, but the thought of that monster touching my son or daughter—”

  Angry voices cut him off. He let me go and swung to the open doorway, the gun in his hand. I heard running footsteps. Many of them. Pounding up the stairs. Heading our way. We were still in a town full of bloodthirsty people. We were the hunted. The prey.

  Standing close, Cash slipped a knife out from under his jacket and pressed it into the palm of my hand. He held a finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet, then started toward the door.

  He closed it quietly, hardly making a sound. The sound of men got closer. Fear made me take a step back then another. I raised the knife in front of me and avoided looking at Paul’s body. I kept my eyes on the door instead and prayed.

  The footsteps got closer. Men. Big. Running with purpose. Terror made me shake along with the cold that found its way under my dress and the blanket.

  I glanced from the door to Cash nervously. His profile was in shadows as he listened for the men, the gun was clasped tightly between his fingers.

  I gulped with fear, my heart beating so hard I was afraid the men could hear it. The footsteps were louder. Closer.

  “Sis!”

  My gaze flew to Cash’s. Tate!

  I flew forward just as Cash opened the door. Tate appeared in the doorway and pushed past Cash.

  “Where is she? Where the fuck is she?” he shouted, rushing inside.

  “Here,” I said, lowering the knife.

  He let out a small cry and ran to me. I
almost fell back as he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly.

  “Easy, kid. She’s banged up,” Cash said, watching from the door.

  Tate didn’t let up. He squeezed me tight, his lanky body almost bending me backwards.

  Someone else appeared in the doorway. The man in the hoodie. Ryder.

  “You found her,” he said, walking into the room and slipping the safety back on the gun he held in front of him.

  Cash shot to Ryder and had him up against the wall in seconds. “No thanks to you, Ryder. Where the fuck were you? You were supposed to grab her and run.”

  Ryder glared at Cash and shoved him away. “I was trying not to get killed so I could save her hide and yours.”

  Cash let him go but didn’t back down. “You fucking owed me.”

  Ryder got in Cash’s face. “Like you wouldn’t have saved Maddie anyway.”

  I let go of Tate and stared at Cash with confusion. I knew who Maddie was. He had told me about her, but why was there jealousy in Ryder’s voice. What was going on?

  Ryder gave Cash a fuck-you glare and strolled in, his gaze pinning me in place.

  He was big and tall and his attitude sucked but I refused to be scared. He had a backpack over one shoulder and a shotgun slung on the other. Where Cash was calm and deadly, this guy was a lit bomb ready to go off. He strolled into the room with a roll of his hips and stopped right in front of me as Tate stepped away to look at Paul’s body.

  “You okay?” he asked, looking down at me with his crystal clear blue eyes.

  I nodded, aware that Cash was watching, looking anything but happy.

  Ryder stared at me a second longer then went to the window, dismissing me without another glance.

  As soon as he was gone, Tate was back in front of me, looking at the bruises on my jaw and cheek. “Holy shitballs, Cat. What did that man do to you?”

  Before I could answer him, more people filed into the room. Gavin. David. A man with short brown hair who looked like he belonged on a high school football team instead of fighting in a town from hell. Adam appeared last, looking like a soldier with his mouth set in a rigid line and an assault rifle in his hand. They piled into the room one by one, tense and roughed up.

  Alive.

  David and Gavin headed straight to me, shooting questions at me nonstop.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Where are you hurt?”

  “What did he do?”

  I had been okay but it was too much. They were crowding me. Intimidating me with their size when I had never been afraid of them before. I hunched my shoulders and drew away, cowering. It was an automatic response, one I wasn’t proud of. I was imagining Paul’s hands on me. Touching. Trying. Invading. I whimpered and started shaking, feeling pathetic but unable to control the fear.

  Tate frowned at me. “What the fuck, sis?”

  Cash stiffened by the door. Adam was talking to him in low tones but when he heard me whimper, he pushed past Adam and over to me.

  “Back off,” he told Gavin and David, muttering and not happy.

  David moved away but Gavin didn’t go anywhere.

  “Cool your engines, Romeo. I was an EMT and she needs to be looked at. Her face is a mess.” He leaned down to peer into my eyes. “What did he do to you, pussycat? Talk to me.”

  I glared at him, feeling my fear dissipate. “Don’t call me that. I hate it.”

  Gavin grinned and reached for my chin. “Works every time. Make a girl mad enough and she forgets to be afraid.”

  “You’re an expert at doing that, Gavin. I wouldn’t be proud,” Ryder muttered from the window, peeking out between the blinds.

  Gavin snorted and grasped my chin. I flinched but he grabbed it anyway and turned it right then left, studying me. His grin disappeared. He glanced up at Cash. “What happened?”

  Cash frowned down at me, crossing his arms over his chest. “He slammed her head against the floor, among other things.”

  “Damn,” the High School Football Star whispered, rubbing a hand over his face with uncomfortable irritation.

  “Shit, sis,” Tate mumbled, shifting from foot to foot beside me. “Did you kill him?”

  Cash told him to shut up. Gavin got closer to study my pupils. It was too much. I felt like a subject under a microscope – bared and exposed for all to see. Plus, there was a body feet away. Someone I had killed. Combine that with the fact that I hadn’t ate in over twenty-four hours, I almost watched Cash get hanged, and I probably had a concussion and…oh god, I was going to be sick.

  I pushed past Cash and Gavin, dropping the blanket. I didn’t make it very far before my stomach emptied, right in front of High School Football Star’s dusty boots.

  Cash was immediately behind me, holding me upright and tucking my hair behind my ear. The room grew quiet. A clock ticked somewhere in the hotel.

  I looked up. Mr. Football Star was slightly green as he stared down at me.

  “We haven’t met yet. I’m Brody.” He attempted a smile and failed.

  Gavin kneeled down beside me and looked up at Cash. “You want me to look at her now?”

  Before Cash could answer, Ryder’s brusque voice cut in. “Make it fast, Gavin. We’re about to have company.”

  I looked over at him. He was holding the blind open enough to peer out. Sounds of shouts came from outside the hotel, right below.

  Cash nodded at Gavin. “Make sure she’s okay.”

  Gavin reached for my chin again and turned my head one way then another. He studied my eyes and whispered an apology when he touched my jaw. I winced and whispered that it was okay, studying him myself.

  He was very handsome despite his annoying attitude. His hair was pitch black and his eyes were the same bright blue as Ryder’s. He had a small cut on one cheek and an old scar that ran through one eyebrow. His easygoing attitude seemed to be a rouse. I had seen the serious side of him which reminded me…

  I licked my dry lips and asked the one question that hadn’t left my mind in weeks. “Is Keely okay?”

  Gavin’s fingers paused on my cheek. “Yeah.” His voice softened. “She says hi.”

  I smiled. A weight lifted off my shoulders.

  Gavin let go of my chin and looked up at Cash. “She’s banged up and will probably be hurting worse tomorrow but I think—”

  Ryder interrupted from the window. “No time. We’ve to go now.”

  Cash pulled me up and grabbed the blanket. Wrapping it around me, he grasped the front and pulled me to him.

  “Stay close.”

  I nodded and we rushed out of the room. Ryder led the way followed by Gavin, David, and Tate. Cash and I hurried to keep up with Adam bringing up the rear and watching our backs.

  We rushed down the cold, dark hallway and down the stairs. In the dining room, we could hear voices outside. A group of men. Angry. Close. Coming our way.

  Ryder went over to the window and peered out. “They’re here.”

  The front door knob jiggled. Cash pushed me behind him and raised his gun. Tate stood beside him, pulling a gun from the back of his jeans and providing extra protection for me too.

  Gavin, Brody, and Ryder had their weapons up and cocked. David eased to the window and peered out.

  “Six of them. Armed to the hilt.” He looked over his shoulder at us. “They’re mighty mad, boys. It’ll be a fight to get out.”

  I back away, my heart thumping with fear. Cash looked back at me, his gaze moving over my body quickly.

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Cat. I promise.”

  I nodded. I believed him. But the door handle wiggled some more. My heart knocked against my chest harder. Suddenly, the kitchen door flew open. Everyone swung their guns around.

  It was Mary. She rushed in, ignoring the weapons pointing at her and spotting me immediately.

  “Oh, child. Oh, child. This is just awful,” she cried, running to me, pushing Cash and Tate out of the way.

  Her flabby arms went aroun
d me. Her soft body hit mine. The smell of the outdoors and freshly baked bread wafted up from her curly, gray hair.

  “It’s okay,” I whispered against the wiry strands. “We’re alive.”

  “For now,” Ryder grumbled, peeking past the lace curtain on the window.

  Mary patted my back very motherly then pulled away and sniffed, wiping her nose on the back of her flowery, quilted jacket. “You have to leave now. Here—” She grabbed hold of the blanket around me and started pulling me toward the kitchen door, glancing back at Cash. “Go out the back. It’s the only way out. They’ve got the front surrounded.”

  She pushed open the swinging door and pulled me through the kitchen. Cash stayed right behind me, never letting me get far away. Everyone else followed, guns at the ready.

  Near the back door, Mary let go of the blanket and turned to face me. “You stay safe, you hear me?”

  I hugged her again. “Come with us, Mary,” I whispered against her gray hair.

  She shook her head and patted my back. “Oh no, child. This is my home. My people need me. You go on. You and your man. You’ll be okay, you’ll see.”

  She gave me another strong pat and pulled away to look me over.

  I wasn’t one to show another woman affection – I had had so little of it in my own life – but she had quickly become like a mother to me.

  “Thank you for everything, Mary,” I said as she looked me over.

  Her eyes watered all over again. She gave a sharp nod and ushered me to the door.

  “Go now. And young man…” She raised one eyebrow at Cash.

  Cash looked at her. “Yes, ma’am?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him like an overprotective mother hen. “You take care of her. You hear?”

  Cash tipped his absent hat at her and drawled, “Yes, ma’am. I will.”

  David hugged her goodbye and Gavin gave her a playful slap on the rump. It was bittersweet, saying goodbye. But we had to go. Loud banging sounds were coming from the front as the men tried to break down the door.

  “Go! Go!” Mary shooed us out the door.

  Sun blinded me as Gavin pushed it open.

  It was now or never. Time to run.