Part 7 (1/2)

He hadn't thought of that. If Joe could find out this Antonio guy was a murderer, surely he could find out where Rayna's family lived. A smile had just curled his lips when a pounding rattled the front door.

”Where is she!” an unfamiliar, male voice bellowed.

He and Patrick looked at one another. ”Call 9-1-1,” Jamie said, already heading out of the kitchen. This man wasn't leaving this house unless he was in handcuffs.

”What do you want?” he asked coldly as he glared at the man by the front door. Antonio had a weaselly look about him, slick and underhanded, but perhaps that was just Jamie's impression of the man because he hated him on sight. Well, before then truthfully. Any man who'd hit a woman- ”I want my fiancee, scarface,” Antonio sneered.

Jamie let the insult slide as he stepped into line with his cousins to block the way. ”She's not your fiancee.”

”Like h.e.l.l she's not!”

”What planet are you from, man?” Sean asked. ”She broke up with your a.s.s when you kicked the s.h.i.+t outta her. Truthfully, I think she shoulda cut off your d.i.c.k, but she's too sweet for that. I wouldn't count on that kindness from us.”

”Oh, so you're tough guys? A bunch of f.a.gs, the lot of you, and one of you is a cripple.” He stepped toward Jamie as Patrick joined the line.

”I wouldn't, man,” he warned quietly.

”What the h.e.l.l is your problem?” Antonio demanded. ”Just send my b.i.t.c.h down here to me, and we'll be out of your face.”

Jamie almost cold-c.o.c.ked him right then and there. His hand clenched into a fist. A few more minutes and Joe would be here to collect this piece of s.h.i.+t.

”She is not 'your b.i.t.c.h',” Jamie growled. ”She's ours. Our woman woman. You got that! She belongs to us now, and you can just go to h.e.l.l.”

”Why you-” He never got any further than that as he lunged at Jamie. Jamie's fist planted in Antonio's nose a second before he was shoved backward by the felon. Jamie reeled, but David caught him just before a sickening crack echoed through the room, followed by Antonio's screech.

”I warned you not to,” Patrick rasped. He held the offensive man in a relentless grip, his fingers biting into the arm he'd just broken. Behind them, Joe and Rayna filled the doorway.

”Geez, O'Keefe,” Joe sighed, taking custody of the injured man. Jamie only had eyes for Rayna.

She'd come back.

She'd come back. Rayna had made it to Gillette, sobbing the whole way. By the time she'd gotten there, she was sure she'd made a mistake. Jamie said he could protect her, that she would be safe. He'd asked her to trust him. She loved him; shouldn't she believe him?

Not trusting her car to make the trip back, she'd rented a vehicle as soon as the shop had opened. Armed with a GPS and rehearsing apologies, she'd driven back as fast as possible.

Horror had filled her when she'd pulled down Main Street. The sheriff's cruiser was parked in front of the house. Antonio's car was in the drive. No! No, no, no!

She'd screeched to a halt and dashed to the door, heedless of her safety. Joe had held her back when she would have rushed inside. She heard Jamie tell Antonio that she belonged to the O'Keefes.

Her heart raced in her chest. She belonged to them... He still loved her. He could have just told Antonio she was gone and shoved him out the door. Instead, he defended her.

Joe held her back again when Antonio shoved Jamie. Panicked, she fought to get away from the sheriff. She couldn't let Antonio hurt Jamie because of her!

”No,” she begged. ”Let me-”

The awful crack of bones snapping stopped her, and she stared in horror at the scene. The sheriff suddenly released her, and she dashed forward, intent on getting to Jamie, not caring about anything else. Skirting Patrick and Antonio, she rushed to her man. He crushed her in his embrace. His green eyes flashed with disgruntled relief as he stared at her with such love, she nearly melted right there.

”Don't you ever leave like that again,” he growled. ”I was so worried about you.”

”I won't. I'm sorry.” She couldn't. It would be like ripping out her heart a second time. She just couldn't do that. To either of them. Her arms tightened, and she pressed her damp face into his neck. ”I love you, Jamie.”

”G.o.d, Rayna. I love you, too.”

Holding each other as if they'd never let go, neither realized the entryway had emptied. Joe had dragged away Antonio; the other men now lounged in the living room pretending not to listen to the lovers.

”Rayna,” Jamie said quietly for her ears only. ”I want you to stay. With me. I want you to be mine.”

”Yours and Patrick's and Sean's and David's?” she whispered.

”No. Mine. Maybe, if you want and if I want, we can share. But mostly, I just want you for myself.” He lifted a hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks. ”That is if you can live with 'scarface'.”

”Don't you say that,” she rasped.