"Negative, Sheriff. All four sheds are locked up from the outside. They have to be in the house. Wish we had ears in there."

"You mean you don't?"

Mel shook his head and answered for them both. "No, we pulled them. We thought about just leaving them in place and letting the guy find them and think that his loan shark buddy was closing in on him, but we didn't know what he'd do if he found them. So we pulled them."

Left unsaid was that he really wished, now, they hadn't done that. It would be very helpful for them to know exactly what was going on in that house-where the women were, how the women were, and where Baxter was.

Instead, they were going in to what could be a very dangerous situation, completely blind and deaf.

"All right." Stinson surveyed the small group. "We could wait for the State boys to get here, I guess, but then I'd have to turn the whole d.a.m.n thing over to them. Not that I'd mind that, so much."

Yeah, right. Mel figured Hank Stinson was as much about control as a few other people he knew, including his own partner.

"But I don't want to wait. I don't want to give Baxter any more time to plan, or to become agitated. So we go in low and quiet, and spread out. Focus on the point of entry you've been given. If I tell you to move, you move."

All of them were armed, and all of them, Mel knew, were professionals. Hank turned to the lone deputy he was leaving behind. "Anyone else shows up-we're expecting a couple of firefighters named Jessop-you hold them back. Keep them with those other two, over there." He indicated Owen and O'Malley.

"That ought to be interesting," Ace Webster said.

Mel nodded. "Be more interesting to see what happens when we've got the all clear and those two big strapping firemen have a word with their fiancee about doing as she's told."

"I've heard they make the women a little fearless over there in l.u.s.ty," Ace said. "Nothing wrong with a fearless woman, in my opinion."

"To hear our sheriff tell it, the women-including his own wife-are a little too fearless."

Stinson had been listening to the exchange. He grunted, which could have meant anything but likely, Mel thought, indicated that he was with Adam Kendall on that one.

Stinson met the gaze of each of the men. "Let's go," he said.

Mel put aside every other thought and kept his concentration on the task at hand. They fanned out as they approached the house, hunkering down, staying low to the ground, moving quickly but quietly.

The red Ford Escape that belonged to Lucy Carter was parked in the drive, close to the house. From the position of vehicle, Mel deduced Baxter had taken his hostages into the house through the back door.

The gate had been opened, but not closed again.

Mel took a moment to look over his shoulder. He didn't need to see Connor to know the man was in that tree, his weapon aimed at the house. If Baxter realized he was surrounded, and decided to use one of the women as a human shield, it would likely be the last decision the b.a.s.t.a.r.d would ever make. His promise to Stinson aside, if Connor believed he had to, he wouldn't hesitate to kill Ralph Baxter.

The closer they drew to the house, the slower they moved. Each one of them, Mel knew, was very aware that surprise was of the essence, and currently on their side. Baxter had no way of knowing that he was moments away from being apprehended. Yes, Chloe Rhodes was in that building, too, but he'd bet that she would have denied having called anyone for help. That woman could think fast on her feet. Likely, she'd say she just happened to see her friend Emily Anne turn into the drive, and had thought to pop in and say hi.

If Baxter had been alerted to impending trouble, he'd be peeking out the windows, watching for it. Those tightly closed drapes hadn't moved. He knew Connor would alert Stinson if they did.

Those window covers might hamper them, but it meant they still held the advantage. Most importantly, from an ops point of view, they kept those inside the house blind, too.

Stinson had positioned himself to Mel's left, and Ace Webster to his right. He couldn't see the other two deputies or Kemp Whittier, but he knew they were there, and that the noose around Ralph Baxter was figuratively, if not literally, tightening.

For one moment Mel's thoughts went to his woman. They were supposed to go over to Clay Cook Jewelers' this afternoon and pick up her engagement ring. Then, they'd planned on a nice early dinner and then a return to that parking spot they'd taken her to on their first date.

They had a softer blanket in the back of the car and planned on spreading it out on the bank of the stream. They fully intended to make love to her there by the babbling water.

Please, G.o.d, keep her safe. Keep them all safe.

"What's that?" Ace's voice, just above a whisper, reached him.

Mel heard it, too. He looked over at Ace. There'd been the sound of a voice-no, voices. They moved closer to the house and he heard them better. The voices were female, getting louder and they sounded p.i.s.sed.

If he didn't know better, he'd think he was listening to the sound of two women, screaming at each other at the tops of their lungs.

"Maybe he has the television on loud?" Ace asked. "It sounds like a movie with a cat fight going on."

Mel shrugged and looked over at Hank. That man had stopped moving and held his hand up, signally everyone to stop. Into the growing female-sounding melee, a man yelled. And then he yelled again, only this time it was a sound of surprise and distress.

Loud thumping came from inside the house as if something heavy had fallen on a wooden floor, a thumping that continued on for at least thirty seconds.

Mel jumped as a gunshot exploded from inside the small building.

Hank Stinson surged to his feet, gun in hand. "Go, go, go!"

Mel was up and running before Hank had finished giving the command. He didn't think about anything but his woman, and getting to her on time. He hit the door first, Ace right behind him. Mel went in low, letting the other man take high, his gun in a two-handed police grip, ready, he was certain, for anything.

Ready for anything except the sight that greeted him.

"I'm all right. Really. He didn't hurt me." Emily Anne found herself sitting on an upturned crate that someone had brought over for her, with her men squatting in front of her. She could feel the anger rolling off them in waves. While she couldn't blame them-they'd likely been worried sick about her-it was over, now. Ralph Baxter was in custody, sitting in the back of Hank Stinson's cruiser.

"I beg to differ." Connor was holding one of her wrists and ma.s.saging it gently. The rope she'd been restrained with had left marks, but mostly because she'd tried to get free. She'd felt a little left out of the action as things had unfolded even though she'd agreed to the plan and done her part. She'd thought that if she could work the rough hemp off her wrists, she would be able to help the other women once the fur started to fly.

In the end it hadn't mattered, because when Baxter's gun had gone flying from his fingers, she'd been able to scrabble after it, and grab it up, anyway.

Unfortunately it had gone off when she'd gotten it in her hands. Fortunately, she hadn't shot anyone and by then, Lucy and Chloe had tripped up the b.a.s.t.a.r.d when he'd tried to break up their "fight" and had him pinned down and were-more or less-sitting on him.

Of course, Chloe had done a little more than just sit on the man, but who could blame her?

She nearly chuckled recalling the sound of Ralph Baxter crying for his mother.

Over by Lucy's car, Lucy, Beck O'Malley and Patrick Owen were standing and chatting with Chloe, and wasn't that a sight to see?

Mel followed her gaze. "I thought the firemen would have been here by now. They must have hit-"

The sound of a car coming to an abrupt, fish-tailed, tire-squealing stop pulled everyone's attention to the road in front of the house.

Sheriff Stinson still had the driveway itself blocked to any vehicles that might want to turn in, so that meant the two men who'd just arrived in that kick-a.s.s SUV had to park at the side of the road and walk in.

Emily Anne saw the looks on the Jessop brothers' faces and recalled the way Mel had greeted her friend after Baxter had been cuffed.

He'd given her a hug, and then grinned at her. "Thank you for saving our woman. But I have to tell you, your a.s.s is gra.s.s when those men of yours get here. Adam told you to stay put."

Chloe's eyes had gone huge at the news. "Grant and Andrew are on their way here?"

She guessed Mel was remembering that scene, too. "Ah, and here come the lawn mowers now."

Emily Anne watched as Chloe caught sight of her men-neither of whom looked happy at all. She caught the look of concern on Beck's face-Lucy's, too-and thought that was very sweet.

Grant and Andrew Jessop resembled two minor mountains but Emily Anne knew they were absolute teddy bears when it came to her friend.

Everyone else soon knew it, too, because Chloe ran toward them and leapt. Grant snagged her out of the air, enfolding her in his arms. Andrew moved so that he was pressed against her back and for a long moment, no one said anything as they simply held her.

"We love you Chloe-doe, never doubt that," Andrew said.

"But you are definitely getting your a.s.s paddled when we get home for not obeying Adam."

Emily Anne had gotten to her feet the moment Chloe had leapt. It didn't surprise her in the least that her men followed her over to greet the newcomers.

"Guess that means you don't want to know all of what went on in there," Mel said.

Connor nodded. "On the bright side, you'll be able to really commiserate with Adam and Jake. h.e.l.l, with Colt and Ryder, too, if the tales I've heard about a 'f.u.c.king shovel' are true."

"The women of l.u.s.ty sure do know how to do things," Mel said. "Unfortunately for the men."

Grant held Chloe out from him, her feet well off the ground, as he asked, "What did you do, baby girl?"

Chloe proved that she knew her men pretty well. "Don't fret. I love you." She leaned in and kissed him, then turned toward Andrew and kissed him, too. "Now come and meet Lucy, Beck, and Patrick."

Emily Anne just stood where she was as Chloe led her men over to the red Escape. She turned to her own men. "That was kind of mean."

"A woman's men need to know when she does something that puts herself in harm's way," Mel said.

"d.a.m.n straight," Connor agreed. "How else are the men to know when discipline might be required?"

Just then Hank Stinson approached them. He looked down at Emily Anne and gave her a smile. Then he looked at her men. "Do you want the EMTs?" he asked.

"Yes, please. Her wrists are raw from the rope that b.a.s.t.a.r.d used on her, and if they aren't treated they could become infected."

She opened her mouth to protest Connor's fussiness.

"I was more concerned about any other injuries? When that gun went off, I heard the distinct ping of a ricochet. Just took a look. That bullet must have missed you, Ms. Bancroft, by a hair's breadth."

"I did think I felt something hot by my ear. I didn't mean for the gun to go off, Sheriff. I just meant to grab it before Baxter could, but the safety was off, and, well, with my hands tied, I fumbled it a little. But I got it before he did."

"You certainly did that," the sheriff said. He looked at each of her men in turn. "We're going to conduct a full-scale search of the premises tomorrow morning. You want in on that?"

"Well, you did make me a deputy," Connor said. Then his gaze landed on Emily Anne. He said, "Tomorrow is perfect. That will give us time to see to our woman."

"We still need to get Ms. Bancroft's statement."

"You don't mind if we sit in on that, do you?" Mel asked. "We'd really like to know what all happened in there."

Both men were smiling at her, but Emily Anne wasn't fooled, not even for a moment. She thought of the items she'd bought at Discretion, earlier. She guessed that paddle was going to be getting a workout sooner, rather than later.

Somehow, she didn't think she would mind that one little bit.

Chapter 26.

"Just give me a minute, angel eyes." Connor eased his woman into his arms, his movements measured and gentle. He needed to put away that part of him that had thrived in wartime, that part of him that had made him so good at black ops.

Emily Anne brought out his softer side, his n.o.bler side, and he needed to hold her, to breathe her in, to know that she was safe in his arms.

To know that she was safe, and sound, and his.

He'd died a thousand deaths as he'd sat quietly and listened to Emily Anne recount what had happened to her today, beginning with her stepping into Lucy Carter's spa and ending with Mel and the guys bursting into that house. Jesus, she could have died when that gun had gone off-when Baxter had already been subdued by Chloe and Lucy. f.u.c.k, Baxter could have shot her at any time. b.a.s.t.a.r.d certainly seemed crazy enough.

Connor looked up and met Mel's gaze. In his best friend's eyes he saw all the raging emotions he felt running rampant through himself. He recalled just a half hour before when Grant and Andrew Jessop had arrived and surrounded Chloe with their bodies and, he knew, their love.

That was the way it should be. That was the kind of family the Jessops had, the kind that he and Mel wanted to build with their woman.

"Get over here," he said to Mel.

Mel nodded, and sighed, and wrapped his arms around Emily Anne from behind her, so that they had her between them. Whereas during other such hugs in the past, when Mel would have done his best not to touch him, this time Connor felt a masculine hand on his shoulder.

Connor returned the favor and knew there was nothing s.e.xual in their gestures to one another.

They were two men, united as one in loving and caring for their woman. They were brothers more surely than some he knew who'd been born that way.

"I was so f.u.c.king scared," Connor said. He'd spent his career being a tough as nails, hard-a.s.s, bada.s.s, U.S. Army Ranger. He didn't let his emotions show on the battlefield. h.e.l.l, he didn't let himself even feel them, because they could have gotten him killed.

"When I found out that Baxter had you, honest to G.o.d, angel eyes, I was more frightened than I've ever been in my life. So you're going to have to deal with me hovering over you for a while."

"That goes for me, too, precious. All the situations I've been involved in during my years on the force kept trying to crowd into my thoughts. I knew how this whole situation could go horribly wrong. I couldn't let those pictures into my head. I had to just focus on getting you out of that f.u.c.king house. So yeah, what he said about the hovering."

"I can't think of anyplace I'd rather be than right where I am-in your arms. And I can't think of a better fate than to have the men I love hovering over me."

Mel chuckled. "You might change your mind when you discover that our hovering includes a spanking later tonight for trying to grab that gun while you were still tied up, hands and feet."

"Hey, I didn't try to grab the gun, I grabbed the d.a.m.n thing." Emily Anne eased back, and Connor let her have just enough maneuvering room so that she could look up at them.

He liked, very much, that Mel let her have the same few inches. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that the others were looking over at them, but no one seemed to think there was anything strange about the three of them standing together this way-not even the sheriff.

"And as far as that spanking is concerned...did I mention what I bought when I was out at Discretion this morning?"

Was it only this morning? Connor felt as if a greater period of time than just a few hours had pa.s.sed.