Stony Creek Hero [Stony Creek 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (31 page)

“Ben, I know you are upset, which is why I should have been driving. Keep your head on, son, and don’t wreck us. You know that you can be a little klutzy.” Bill tried to make a joke to calm Ben down.

Brody took over from the back seat. “Uncle Bill, he didn’t let you drive because he wanted to get there as quickly as possible. Since you turned fifty, you have been driving Miss Daisy.”

Even Ben had to chuckle for a moment at his father’s indignation. It lasted for only a second, however, as he noticed how far back Cole’s truck was.

“Someone get on the fucking cell and tell Cole to stop driving like a girl!” Ben yelled out loud enough to fill the cab.

Ben could hear Brody talking to Jackson on the cell, let out a small laugh, and hang up. He saw his father turn in his seat with brows lifted in question.

Brody smiled briefly and filled in the blank. “Cole says that you have an unfair advantage as he has not one but two heavyweights in his cab as he’s got both Hunter and Jackson in there with Troy as well. He also says to tell you that your facts are inaccurate as Beth drives pretty damned fast, got a ticket from Nat just last week. He also recommended you not mention your opinion in front of the ladies if you want to live.”

Ben realized that was the truth. He didn’t want to live without his Lizzie, not one fucking day. When he got his hands on those men, they had better pray that he was distracted by a very needy and willing Lizzie or he really would kill them with his bare hands. Just then a call came in on Bill’s cell. He heard his father’s end which only consisted of yeps, yeses, and okays.

“Well, Dad? Who was that and what the hell did they say?” Ben demanded with a growl.

“That was Gus again. The car is in front of the bank. Floor it, Ben, I am not liking this either. Theodore Davis’s car is there too and the bank is locked. Sly is already there with Nat and the all the Saunders boys. Did you hear me, I said floor it, son!” Bill said with the first hint of anxiety.

Hell, if his father was nervous he should need CPR right about now. His stomach began to knot as he pushed the accelerator to the floorboard.

* * * *

“Ms. Carmichael, I think you need to come with us.” Lizzie immediately recognized the face of one of the burly men from The Pump several weeks ago. He was dressed in casual jeans and a pearl-button top, not the countrified attire that the men had worn when they were out with that weasel, Mr. Davis. Lizzie turned and saw that there was another of the men blocking her path, dressed in a similar fashion with yet another one sitting in the driver’s seat of a black Lincoln town car with tinted windows. Really, could they be any more cliché? Were they cowboy mobsters or something?

She would have laughed if she had the courage but only felt the fission of fear run up her spine as they flashed something from under the leader’s arm. What did they want with her? Lizzie glanced around, hoping for someone to call out to but with the end of the workday everyone was either home or on their way to their ranches. Never a Powell around when you needed one. Okay, that was a lie but there were none here at present and she felt that a Powell, particularly Ben, would be a good idea right about now. She let him be her focus. She had just found the love of her life and unbelievably he felt the same way about her. There was no man, or men in this case, that she was going to allow to ruin her happiness. This town was full of gossips. Lizzie prayed fervently, this one time, that Julia or one of the ladies was spying on her in their usual fashion. She took several deep breaths and tried to regain her control.

“What is it that you gentlemen want exactly?” Lizzie surprised herself by the bravado in her voice.

“Just to talk, Ms. Carmichael. If you would just get in the car, we promise that we will take good care of you,” the leader said again. He was a large man with a deep voice that broached no nonsense. She saw him flash the one thing that puts fear in the hearts of many a person. Not her, however. She had seen them before and was ready to do battle.

* * * *

Sounds of tires squealing to a halt filled Main Street in front of the bank. Huge hunky men, enough to make an entire sorority faint, were jumping out of trucks armed with shotguns and rifles. They were taking up spots that were being pointed out by Nat and Sly, the lead surgeons of this operation. It was eerily silent when most were in position, just waiting for direction from their sheriff and deputy. Ben was wisely forced in between his father and elder brother in an effort to keep him under some semblance of control. Both his father and brother wore concerned expressions while they tried to concentrate as Ben looked ready to storm the castle and rescue his princess.

Ben held his rifle in a death grip, eyes trained on Sly for some indication that he could get his hulking body into that bank. He had made the suggestion that he just kick in the door, as it was made of glass, but knew that venting his rage would not turn out well for his love. Finding the control that had always eluded him was one thing but the struggle he was waging to control it was another. He actually was beginning to feel outright fear as there was no communication with Lizzie on her cell, no demands or threats from inside the bank. There was just nothing. It was that complete absence of any response that had Ben growing sicker and sicker by the minute. He just wanted her in his arms. When she got out of this, he was moving permanently into her cramped but cozy little house and planned on having her get one of those lunch trucks that she could situate on their ranch. That way she would be within yelling distance at almost all times. Yep, that ought to do it, he thought.

Bill had just released Ben’s arm for all of two seconds while he rubbed his forehead when Ben picked up a pretty big stone and pegged Sly in the side of his head.

“Are we just going to sit here and wait while you do nothing, you waste of a law-enforcement person?” Ben spoke over to the sheriff as quietly as he could manage. Sly touched his head, looking for blood, and hurled a look of death in Ben’s direction.

It was his father, however, who got Ben back to sanity for the moment. “Sit down on your ass, boy, or by all that’s holy I swear I will turn you over my knee and whoop your butt like I did when you were a child!” Bill whispered furiously at his middle son.

Both Jackson and Ben looked incredulously at their father after his threat. Bill was a very mild-mannered man normally and it suddenly became obvious where they had gotten their tempers from.

Ben felt like he was taken down a peg, but still had enough fury in him to hiss back at his father.

“I am an adult now, damn it!”

“Then act like it,” Bill whispered back without blinking an eye.

Their exchange was interrupted by a booming megaphone.

“We want to see Ms. Carmichael if she is in there. We want to see her now.” Nat’s voice was strong and confident, fitting as that was his whole outward persona.

All the men could see movement from inside the building, as the lights came on in the offices upstairs. The blinds in what was Theodore Davis’s office were drawn slightly apart, revealing the tallest of the unknown men. Yelling from inside could be heard, making Ben shift with his impatience to get at his love. A whistle was heard from Sly and seventeen rifles were raised as figures of men appeared by the front door. The men, apparently either unaware of the sheer number of weapons pointed in their direction or uncaring of it, proceeded to walk outside with Mr. Davis between them. Ben gave his father and friends around him a quizzical look as no one could figure out what the men’s intentions were. Suddenly the most beautiful vision in the world appeared. Lizzie walked out, apparently more aware than the kidnappers were as she gasped in fright at seeing all the town’s men with weapons aimed in her direction.

Suddenly, as if in slow motion, Ben shot up and ran for her, not even attempting to slow down as he grabbed her. The speed and sheer force he used propelled both Ben and Lizzie into the giant planter that sat in front of the bank, filled with dark dirt. He heard a grunt of pain from Theodore Davis as he hit the pavement hard, having been knocked out of the way from the man acting like a professional linebacker. Ben rolled to shield her body with his as they fell and then rolled on top of her, successfully mashing her into the wet soil.

“Benjamin Powell, have you lost your gorgeous ever-loving mind? What do you think you are doing?” Lizzie whispered furiously in his ear.

“Not a sound, baby. Just wait and let us handle this,” Ben tried to whisper back but his voice carried. Ben turned his head to see what the men holding Theodore Davis were going to do now that they were cornered and had lost their main bargaining chip.

Instead of looking startled, scared, or even enraged at being caught, the men looked downright shocked and perplexed. They scanned the group of armed Stony Creek inhabitants with looks of disgust.

“Um, Sheriff, what the hell is going on here?” the tallest one asked.

Sly bravely stood and held his nine millimeter aimed at the tallest one’s brawny chest. He yelled back, “Put your hands in the air and step away from Mr. Davis please, all of you.”

The men looked at each other and shrugged, placing their hands in the air and taking two steps back. Theodore Davis just stood still looking plain miserable and like he was about to cry.

“I think we can explain if you just calm down and give us a moment, Sheriff.” the leader spoke again, amusement starting to replace his previous expression.

“You can explain after you are in custody, sir,” Nat yelled back, coming to stand besides Sly.

At the word custody, Theodore Davis began to tremble and everyone could see the fat tears that were running down his nauseating face. Ben looked down at Lizzie and then up again in confusion. What the hell was going on here?

The leader started laughing and the other two men with him followed suit. Apparently they were having themselves a fine old laugh except no one had any idea of why.

“The suspect is in custody, Sheriff! If you care to check our front pants pockets you will find our badges.” The leader laughed in Sly’s direction.

Sly shifted only his eyes briefly in Nat’s direction, probably a long-practiced unspoken communication, and walked forward to the leader. Making a grimace as he had to reach in the man’s front pocket pretty deeply, he pulled out a very official-looking badge and ID.

“Who the fuck are you guys?” Sly asked in his trademark deep, controlled tone.

“Sorry for laughing, Sheriff, but you all look like you are ready for the next shootout at the Stony Creek OK Corral. We are FBI and have been working on this piece of shit for two years. He is in our cuffs and our custody or was until Rambo over there knocked him over,” the leader explained.

“Hey, dumbass! I was protecting my fiancée no thanks to you all putting her near that asshole Davis. He has been threatening her for over a year and now she will be traumatized that you somehow included her in your messed-up investigation,” Ben angrily retorted to the so-called FBI agent.

“Ben! I am not traumatized. If you would just let me explain…” Lizzie tried to get out her answer.

“Ssh, baby, I got you. Just let me take it from here,” Ben condescendingly answered her.

“But, Ben, you don’t understand!” Lizzie tried again.

“Baby, I love you but you are going to get yourself another spanking if you don’t lay there and be quiet now.” Ben’s embarrassing threat was heard by all present.

“Is he always like this?” the lead FBI agent chuckled to Lizzie.

“Worse but I love him for it.” Lizzie’s muffled voice was barely heard from under Ben’s enormous body. During the exchange, Nat had given a signal of some sort that had all the armed townsfolk lowering their weapons, and he was now moving forward to check the other agents’ IDs as well. Sure enough, Mr. Davis was in cuffs and now crying like a baby.

Ben was pulling Lizzie up out of the mud and proceeded to do a full-body check on her, ignoring both the shocked and embarrassed expression she wore as well as the mud coating her form. Oblivious to the fact that everyone was watching, he ran his hands from the top of her muddy hair, over her breasts and past her rear, even squeezing her lightly as though something may have gotten lodged in there. Well, something had several times, he thought with chagrin, but not right at that moment. Later was going to be another story, he thought furiously.

When he realized that she had suffered no permanent injury, whether at the hands of the FBI, Theodore Davis, or his “rescue attempt,” he lowered his hungry mouth to hers and began to devour her in his kiss. Instead of being annoyed at his high-handedness, she apparently reveled in the emotion of his devastating kiss as he slanted his mouth over her soft lips again and again, unable to get close enough to her. He thrust his tongue around hers in a sensuous dance, both tasting her and running his hands over her mud-slicked body in an intimate caress. He heard male appreciation and laughter at the show he was unwittingly putting on but could care less as he sipped at her lips and allowed some of the anxiety and tension to leave his body every time he ran his hands over her ass.

A series of slaps shocked him but not enough to halt his possession of his love. He recognized the handiwork of his mother, aunt, and Julia from their previous attempts at correcting his wayward behavior.

He didn’t even lift his head as he heard his mother wail to Bill, “I did not raise him to maul women in public like that, William Powell!”