All Jacked Up (Rough Riders #8)(94)

“What’s that in your hand, Donohue? Your last will and testament?” Carter asked.


“You’re f*cking hilarious. Why don’t you all trot home to your wives because this doesn’t concern you—”


“Wrong f*cking answer. If it concerns Keely, it concerns us.”


“Back off,” Jack warned. “I’m handling it.”


“And just how the hell are you ‘handling’ it?” Colt demanded. “Near as we can tell, she ain’t here.


She ain’t been here all goddamn night, has she?”


“Have you talked to her?” he asked Colt.


“We talked to Chet and Remy. We know what went down.”


Jack shook his head. “No, you don’t.”


“Then why don’t you tell us why Keely threw her engagement ring at you and vanished?” Colby demanded.


“What happened is between Keely and me. Period.” His tired eyes sought Cord’s. “AJ hasn’t heard from Keely?”


“That’s between Keely and AJ,” Cord said.


“Besides, it ain’t like you weren’t warned about what we’d do to you if you f*cked with her. We’re here to make good on our promise.”


The room seemed to shrink to the size of a dollhouse. Jack’s whole body hurt. If even one of these psycho brothers came after him, he couldn’t put up a decent fight, say nothing of taking on five pissed-off cowboys.


You deserve to get your ass handed to you. And it’s going to happen either way.


“You know what? You’re right. I don’t know where the hell Keely is. I’ve been going crazy waiting for her to show up and yell at me or kick my sorry ass or something.” He met each of her brother’s gazes, one at a time. “That’s why you’re here, right? To kick my ass? So go ahead.”


Carter stepped forward. “Remember you asked for this, Donohue.”


The last thing Jack heard was a cracking sound as Carter’s fist connected with his jaw…and then the lights went out.


Dusk started to fall when Keely recognized the crunch of tires on gravel. She kept the pistol within arm’s length until she determined whether friend or foe approached. The smoke from the campfire switched direction, making her squint at the vehicle.



A truck. She quelled the disappointment it wasn’t a BMW. Her pulse leapt when she realized it was Cord’s truck.


AJ had come looking for her.


But all four doors of the quad cab opened. Colby emerged first. Followed by Colt. Cord and Cam came around the front end of the truck. Carter was the last one out.


Keely gaped at her brothers. All five of her brothers.


“You’re a hard woman to find,” Cord said.


Her gaze moved from face to face. She expected Cam would chew her out for taking off alone. Colby would comment she needed a babysitter. Colt would threaten to whup her butt. They did none of that. She finally looked at Carter, who’d stepped forward. “Hey, little sis. Looks like you need a friend or five.”


The tears she’d kept at bay streamed down her cheeks. Keely ran straight into Carter’s open arms. He caught her and squeezed. “It’s okay. We’re here for you.”


“I can’t believe you guys came.” She sniffed when Cam grabbed her from Carter and hugged her tightly.


“I can’t believe you thought we’d just let you be when you’re hurting.” Cam gave her a soft head butt and set her back on the ground. “You’d never let any of us get away with hiding, so what goes around comes around, little sis.”


Then Colt scooped her up and swung her in a circle, like he used to do when she was little. “We ain’t that easy to get rid of, if you haven’t noticed.” Colt practically tossed her to Colby.


“We McKays stick together. Although you ain’t got a stem, you were born with balls. You’re truck tough.” Colby kissed her forehead and dropped her in front of Cord.


“Sometimes I think you’re the toughest of us all. God knows you’re the smartest.” Cord hugged her and then smacked her ass. Hard.


“Hey!”


“You’re damn lucky we didn’t all swat you. You scared the crap out of us, Keely West McKay.”


“Sorry. I needed time alone to think. A family trait you’re all familiar with.” She wandered back to the fire pit.


Her brothers followed and crowded around the fire. Colt and Colby crouched by the fire. Cord perched on a log. Cam and Carter stood, hands in pockets as they stared at the burning embers and the flames licking the pale night sky.


Cord spoke first. “What happened between you and Jack that sent you runnin’?”


“He didn’t hurt you, did he?” This from Cam.


“No. We both said some pretty nasty, hurtful things to each other. Sometimes that’s worse.”


“So is it over?” Colby asked.


Keely stirred the embers, glad the heat in her cheeks could be attributed to the flames. “I don’t know.”