Colters' Gift (Colters' Legacy #5)(83)

Ron tore at her clothes while she stood there, numb, so scared that she couldn’t even think. And then she was naked and he was shoving her toward the couch, his hands mauling her and making her cry out in pain.

She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t face what was about to happen. She just wanted to die.

Her mind went blank and she blocked out her reality, retreating to a place where no one could hurt her. She didn’t feel the pain when Ron shoved her over the end of the couch and wrenched her arms back to tie them in place. She closed her eyes and withdrew, blanking everything until she was floating in a soothing sea of nothingness.

Chapter 38

LIAM was about to come out of his skin as they raced down the winding drive of Joel Knight’s lake home. Every beat of his heart was magnified ten times until it felt like his chest would explode with the pressure.

He was terrified. Lauren had been in Knight’s hands for hours. If Knight hadn’t already killed her, Liam could only imagine what he’d done to her.

The tension inside the SUV was tangible. Noah’s hands gripped the steering wheel while Seth and Dillon were in the second row, stiff and ready to bolt into action. In the back, Adam and Ryan looked worried, their brows creased with anxiety as they imagined Lauren’s fate.

Max was on the floor in between Seth and Dillon, his hands knotted together, his knuckles white. Liam wasn’t sure if he was praying or plotting vengeance. Probably a little of both.

Noah turned off the headlights as they made the last turn and the house came into view. He slammed on the brakes and turned off the engine a good distance from the house and then motioned everyone out.

There was a car parked in the front. A sleek black Mercedes. Only one light burned from within the house, a beacon for Noah and Liam.

Seth drew his weapon while Noah and Liam both pulled their guns as well. Then Seth turned to his brother, his dads and Max.

“You stay behind us. This isn’t time to play hero and get yourself killed. Let us go in first and take care of any threat. We don’t want this to get bloody unless it’s necessary.”

They nodded their agreement, but Noah and Liam were already starting across the gravel drive to the house. Liam broke into a run, not willing to wait a second longer to get to Lauren. Noah caught up to him and they charged toward the front door.

It was the view from the picture window that stopped them in their tracks. There were no curtains or blinds on the large window looking into the living room, and what they saw made Liam’s blood run cold and then instantly molten with rage.

Lauren was bent over a couch—naked—and the welts on her back were visible even from a distance. The son of a bitch had beaten her! It looked as if someone had taken a belt to her back. Joel Knight stood to one side, his face set with satisfaction as another man roughly parted Lauren’s legs as he prepared to rape her.

Liam hurtled to the front door, throwing it open. He barreled into the living room, gun raised.

“Get away from her!” he roared. “Hands up, ass**le!”

“Liam, look out!”

He heard Noah’s shout and then several things happened at once. One gunshot. Then two. Pain bloomed in his left shoulder. The man who’d been abusing Lauren dropped and rolled, and Liam could see he was going for the gun lying beside his discarded pants.

Liam tried to move to cut off the man’s access, but his reaction time was ridiculously slow and part of his body felt encased with lead.

Seth stopped in between Liam and the man on the floor and all Liam could get out was, “No!” He didn’t want Seth Colter to go down for him.

Seth dove low, tackling the man while Max surged forward and kicked the pistol away from the man’s grasp.

Knowing that threat had been eliminated, Liam turned his attention to Lauren. Noah was also rushing toward Lauren, and they reached her at the same time.

Noah worked furiously at the ropes around her wrists, while Liam knelt by the couch and gently turned her head in his direction. Her eyes were closed and his heart nearly stopped in his chest.

“Lauren?” he asked softly. “Lauren, baby, it’s okay now. Noah and I are here.”

Even as he spoke, he put his trembling fingers to her neck, feeling for a pulse. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, but he shut out everything but the woman in front of him.

As Noah got the ropes free, Max pushed in with a blanket to cover Lauren’s naked body. Noah pulled her upward, wrapping her in the blanket, ignoring Max’s demands that he see to his sister’s well-being.

Ryan and Dillon tried to pull Liam back, their questions urgent about his wound. They tried to get him to sit down, but he shook them off, only wanting to get to Lauren. He pushed Max aside, uncaring of his own injuries or that Max was her brother and by all rights should be the one seeing to her. Lauren was Liam’s. His and Noah’s, and Liam wasn’t leaving her side.

Noah eased onto the couch, holding Lauren in his arms. Liam knelt in front of Noah, his shaking hand going to Lauren’s bruised and bloodied face.

Behind them Seth was on the phone, his voice low and urgent. Liam had no idea what happened to Joel or how he himself had been shot, or if Seth had the other man under control, but he wouldn’t allow himself to do anything but focus on Lauren.

“Lauren, honey, you’re safe now,” Noah said in a choked voice. “Open your eyes. You’re safe, I swear it.”