Colters' Gift (Colters' Legacy #5)(74)

Most important she’d led these bastards away from Noah and Liam. She clung tenaciously to that thought. They were alive. They would come for her.

She was barely clinging to consciousness when the two men yanked her to her feet and dragged her toward the truck driven by the man she’d shot.

They merely left him on the road, lying in a pool of his own blood.

At least Noah and Liam and the Colters would find the body, and they would know what had happened to her.

It was her only hope.

They took a roll of duct tape and roughly wound tape around her head and over her mouth. Then one taped her hands together, winding the tape around and around her wrists. Once that was accomplished, they tossed her into the back of the Hummer and grabbed her ankles, bruising her skin with the force of their grip.

After securing her legs with the same tape, they tossed the roll over their shoulder and slammed the back door shut. Without sparing another glance in her direction, they got into the cab of the Hummer.

The driver began the awkward task of turning around on the narrow road and several times sent rocks tumbling over the edge of the sharp incline.

After a moment, he had them turned in the way they’d come, and he floored the accelerator. She bumped painfully all over the backseat, the seat belt buckles digging into her skin and hitting her ribs.

They were bringing her to Joel and what he planned for her she had no idea. She could no longer deny the sort of man he was. The blinders had been off for a very long time now.

She knew what he was capable of. She knew what he’d already done to numerous women.

What was one more woman’s blood on his hands?

Chapter 33

WHEN Noah heard a shout in the distance, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. Liam had left, taking Noah’s gun with him, as soon as he’d learned that Lauren had struck out on her own.

He hadn’t wanted to let Liam go. Liam was obviously injured and fighting his hold on consciousness. He was bleeding steadily from his head wound.

But what choice had either of them had? How could Noah hold him back when Liam was all the help Lauren could expect so soon?

Liam had been terrified the moment Noah had told him what she’d done. And it was obvious that he was torn between leaving Noah in such a horrible situation and going after Lauren.

Noah had quietly pointed out that there was nothing Liam could do for him. Noah was stuck until help arrived. But Liam could go in search of Lauren and hopefully reach her in time.

Noah had never felt so helpless in his life than he did now, pinned in the SUV while Lauren was out there fighting for her life and Liam was somewhere in between.

Relief made him temporarily weak, and it took a second for him to muster the strength to shout back upon hearing Adam Colter’s call. A moment later, the older Colter brothers appeared at the vehicle, their expressions worried and grim as they took in the wreckage.

“Are you hurt, son?” Adam asked. “Where are Lauren and Liam?”

“No, sir, I don’t think I’m injured that badly. Just can’t move my legs but I can feel them.”

Then he quickly related the events that occurred right after the wreck, and Liam’s departure to go after Lauren.

“I’ll call Seth and give him the update,” Ryan said grimly.

“I did,” Noah said. “He was on his way out. I told him to get everyone in the damn town out if that’s what it takes.”

“Okay then. We just need to concentrate on getting you out of there,” Ethan said. “I have some tools in the truck. I’m calling for a wrecker just in case we can’t get you out of this. I know you don’t want to be stuck here when Lauren is out there and her fate has yet to be determined. We’ll do our best, son.”

“Thank you,” Noah said, his fingers flexing and then curling in agitation. It was killing him to have to sit there, unable to move, while others searched for Lauren.

Ethan and Ryan turned and ran in the direction of their vehicle while Adam stayed with Noah. Adam put his hand on Noah’s shoulder and squeezed.

“I don’t want you to panic. I know you’re worried. I won’t tell you not to worry because in your shoes, I’d be pissing my pants and freaking out. But I want you to know that not one of us will rest until we get Lauren back.”

Noah nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The more time that passed, the sicker at heart he became. Liam hadn’t returned and neither had Lauren.

He yanked his head back up to stare at Adam. “Lauren said she was going to try to make it to your place. Did you leave Holly there alone? They could both be in trouble.”

“I called Max and Callie to go stay with Holly. He was fit to be tied but we told him we didn’t have any details and that we needed him there. I can understand his anger. Lauren is his sister and by rights he should be right here with us, but he doesn’t know this mountain like we do and the last thing we need is for someone to get lost while our focus is on Lauren.”

“You did the right thing,” Noah said. “We need level heads right now.”

Even as he spoke, his fingers formed tight fists and he pounded the caved-in dashboard in frustration.

“Seth and the others are nearly here,” Ryan said when he returned. “They’ve set up a roadblock at the bottom of the road, and they’re coming up the mountain balls to the wall.”