Rescuing Their Virgin Mate(50)

“I’ll catch you. Hurry.”

Sweat slickened her palms and her fingers slipped. The pipe creaked.

Lord have mercy. She pushed off, pinwheeling her arms and legs. Her heart slammed into her throat. Dirk caught her. With her in his arms, he raced to the front of the house. Her pulse refused to slow.

Gunshots sounded inside. He set her down and handed her a key. “Go to the car and hide. I need to help Clay.” He pointed toward the end of the street.

With the evil men inside, she’d be safe as long as her two men took down those bastards. Her rubbery legs barely held, but she drew on every ounce of strength and ran. Tears choked her. When she neared the vehicle, she pressed every button until the lights flashed, and she heard the doors unlock. In case Hood’s men injured both of her men, she slid into the driver’s side and started the ignition. It wasn’t about hiding. It was about escaping.

She tapped the steering wheel and jiggled the handle of the gearshift making certain she could take off the moment her men exited the house. If only she hadn’t dropped her phone help could be here in minutes. Stupid Colters.

The dashboard clock read 8:46 P.M. Uh-oh. What if Hood’s men called for backup? Sitting here might not be smart, but leaving the scene with Clay and Dirk inside was dumber. Or was it? Indecision strangled her.

A small part of her wanted to rush up to the house and look in the window. The smart half told her to stay put. Now it was 8:49 P.M. How long did it take to shoot two men or wrestle them to the ground? In the television shows, the good guys won in seconds. A few punches and the bad guys went down.

What if the two Colters got the drop on Clay and Dirk? Don’t think about it.

Keeping an eye on the front door, she prayed. Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. As she said her prayer, her jumbled nerves untangled.

Before she finished, the front door banged open, and Clay and Dirk dragged out both men. Tears of joy streamed down her face. The bad men were cuffed, but she feared they’d shift and run away. Dirk shoved the man forward. Only then did the man’s bloodstained chest become visible. Halfway to the intruder’s car, the first man dropped to his knees.

Screeching tires made her duck. Her heart pounded. She anticipated gunfire, but nothing happened. Seconds passed. She chanced looking. Trax, Drake, and Kurt piled out of the vehicle, and she slumped against her seat.

Dirk and Clay let the new arrivals take charge. Darkening skies prevented her from seeing if her men were injured. Only a shot to the heart would kill them. Even if they were wounded elsewhere, they’d heal.

She slid across to the other side and Dirk climbed in. He cupped her face. “Are you okay?”

“Me? You’re the one who tangled with those men.”

“We’re good.”

She looked behind her. “Where’s Clay?”

“Getting your stuff.”

“I guess I can’t stay here with a broken window.” Not that she wanted to. More of Hood’s men could come. “I need to call Janice.” Perhaps the Pack would help pay to replace the damage.

He handed her his phone. “Call her. We asked Kurt to contact someone to board up the window. We’ll get it repaired tomorrow.”

Janice shouldn’t stay here, either. Those few hours of reflection were all it took to convince her she was miserable without her men. Her mom would come around eventually, though their relationship might never be the same.

She dialed Janice, but it went to voicemail. She gave her the condensed version of what happened, including the broken window. “Do you think you could stay somewhere else tonight?” This really sucked. “The window will be repaired tomorrow. I owe you big time. Hugs.” She disconnected and handed Dirk the phone.

Clay came out with her suitcase and one box under his arm. She pushed open the car door. “I’ll help with the rest.”

Dirk stayed her with a hand. “I’ll help. You’ve been through enough.” His smile wavered as he scooted out.

Dirk returned and handed her the burn phone. “Seems you dropped this.”

“I was distracted.”

Dirk smiled and took off.

Clay sat in the back and clasped her shoulder. “Have you given any thought to what you want to do?”

“Yes. I called my mom.”

“And?”

“I told her the truth. It didn’t go well, but it could have been worse.”

Dirk glanced over at her. “What are you going to do?”

She managed a smile. “I want to be with both of you.”

The drive home took forever, or so it seemed. No sooner had they stepped inside the living room, when Clay’s phone rang. Her shoulders slumped. Living on this roller coaster sucked.