All Jacked Up (Rough Riders #8)(95)

“Do you want it to be over?”


Her gaze connected with Colt’s after he voiced that question. “No. God no. I think he probably does.”


“We’ve already established he’s a f*cking idiot if he walks away from you,” Carter said. “I’m glad we—”


“Carter,” Colby warned.


“What? I’m glad we figured out he’s just as stubborn as her, that’s all I’m saying.”


A weird feeling rippled through her. “What are you guys talking about?”


“You. And Jack. Stubborn as all get-out, both of you. Didja ever try talkin’ to each other? Instead of throwing insults and stompin’ off mad as a wet hornet?”


Keely’s mouth dropped open. She stared at Cord, who couldn’t be considered chatty on his best day.


“She threw the engagement ring at him this time, not an insult, which tells me it’s over for good.”


Her gaze whipped to Cam. “How did you know I threw my engagement ring at Jack?”


“Chet and Remy.”


And they claimed their word was their bond. She snorted. They’d gone tattling to her brothers fast enough. “When did you find out?”


“When you didn’t show up at the building today. Doc Monroe told ’em you weren’t at the clinic. You weren’t answering your phone. They called everyone… Who’d they call first?”


Cord lifted his hand. “I reckon they started at the top of the birth order and worked their way down.”


“They called all of you?”


“Yep.”


“When was this?”


“One. Or thereabouts.”


Damn. “How’d you find me?”


“AJ,” they all said in unison.


“So what have you guys been doin’ the last six hours?”


Guilty looks.


Her pulse spiked. “Oh. My. God. What did you do?”


“Now, Keely. You gotta understand. We warned Jack not to mess with you,” Cam said amiably.


“He knew the risks and he hurt you anyway, which pissed us off,” Colby added.


Colt nodded. “You know we ain’t gonna let something like that slide.”


Fear, anger and shock all warred inside her. She forced herself not to scream to get to the bottom of what her crazy brothers had done to Jack. “What did you do to him?”


Carter studied her a minute before he spoke. “Would you care?”


“Yes! How could you think I’d…?” She inhaled, exhaled, amidst awful, bloody, violent scenarios racing through her mind. “Where is he?”


“He’s a little tied up at the moment.”


Every single one of her brothers started laughing.


Not good. Not good at all. “Tell me where Jack is right f*ckin’ now or I will call every one of your wives and round up my own McKay posse to track him down. I ain’t kiddin’.”


More exchanged looks. Something passed between Cam and Carter. They stood, along with Colt, and walked to the back of Cord’s truck bed.


The grunting noises were loud in the stillness. Dragging, scraping sounds echoed. Hissed breaths.


Keely couldn’t see the action. She gasped when her brothers struggled into her line of sight carrying a bulky form. A six-foot-four, muscular form they dropped on the ground, none too gently. A form that was blindfolded, gagged, with arms and legs tied.


Holy f*cking shit. That trussed up form was…Jack.


“Omigod! Please tell me you didn’t kill him!”


“Jesus, Keely. Give us some credit. If we woulda killed him, you never would’ve known,” Colby said.


“Yeah, we definitely wouldn’t have brought the body here,” Cam scoffed.


She glared at him. Before she could move or speak or do anything, another pickup barreled up and skidded to a stop. When the dust cleared she realized it was her father’s pickup.


Carson McKay got out of his truck. His impassive gaze swept over his sons and then landed on Jack.


His mouth tightened. “What in the hell is wrong with you boys?”


Silence.


“Cut him loose. Now.”


Cord crossed his arms over his chest. “Dad, we were just—”


“Jesus Christ. I’ll do it.” He whipped out a Bowie knife and knelt in the dirt to saw off the binding around Jack’s ankles. Then he cut the ties around Jack’s wrists. Colt swore and helped her father pull Jack upright when he couldn’t move the big man by himself.


When Keely started toward Jack, Carson stepped between them. “You can go to him in a minute, okay?” He threw up his hands as he addressed his sons. “I don’t know what kind of shit you boys are pullin’, but I raised you better than that. What were you thinkin’?”


“We were thinkin’ it was his goddamned fault she was gone,” Cam snapped.


“We ain’t gonna stand by and let him treat her that way,” Colt said stubbornly. “You raised us to protect her.”