Colters' Woman (Colters' Legacy #1)(25)

Adam shook his head. “No.”

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. “Well then, there isn’t much more to say is there? Have a nice life with your helpless little doll.”

Adam’s eyelids narrowed at her insult, but he refused to be baited into further argument. Holly waited for him to take her home. And that was all that mattered.

He turned and walked away.

Chapter Nine

Holly slid into the backseat with Ryan while Ethan got into the front. Despite the warmth of her coat, she shivered. Mostly in reaction to the last hour.

Beside her, Ryan shrugged out of his coat leaving him in a t-shirt that stretched tightly across his muscled chest and shoulders.

She wanted nothing more than to burrow into that chest, but she hesitated. She still wasn’t sure where she stood with Ryan. He seemed to have a lot of mistrust regarding her. So she focused her attention out the window and waited for Adam to come out.

She would have to be a fool not to notice the sparks between Adam and Lacey, and that bothered her. Bothered her a lot. Had they been lovers? There was more than idle interest burning in the redhead’s eyes. And then there was her comment about Ethan and Ryan which led Holly to believe Adam had wanted Lacey but his brothers hadn’t.

She frowned and closed her eyes. She was tired and mentally exhausted, and she didn’t like to dwell on the burning jealousy in her gut.

She barely registered the door opening and closing as Adam got in. He turned to look at her, but she didn’t meet his gaze, wasn’t sure she wanted to see what was there. She was feeling way too insecure to try and figure out what the hell was going on between him and Lacey.

They backed out of the small parking lot and headed out of town. And further from Mason.

She began to shake in earnest as the reality of what she had done hit her. She’d stood up to the bastard and won. Now maybe the awful fear that gnawed at her gut would go away.

A warm hand kneaded and massaged her neck. She glanced over to see Ryan staring at her. She searched his face for some sign of what he was thinking, but could find no clue.

“Come here,” he said.

She flew into his arms and buried her face in his hard chest. Strong arms wrapped around her and a hand rubbed up and down her back.

“I’m proud of you,” he whispered.

Tears streaked down her face as relief poured out of her system. So many weeks of constant fear had eaten away at her. Now she was free.

She snuggled deeper into Ryan’s arms, curling herself as close into him as she could.

The next thing she knew the engine had stopped and cold air brushed over her as a door opened. Had she fallen asleep? All she really knew was that she had no desire to move from Ryan’s arms. Reluctantly she picked her head up. They were back at the cabin.

She slid over as Adam opened the door for her then she climbed out of the Land Rover. She pulled her coat tighter around her and hurried for the front door, anxious to be inside where it was warm.

They all entered the house, stamping the snow off their feet inside the door.

“I’m hungry,” she announced, realizing she hadn’t eaten a thing since the day before.

“Go warm up in front of the fire, and I’ll start on lunch,” Ethan said, pushing her toward the living room.

Adam and Ryan followed her and Adam went to add more logs to the dying embers.

“So what happened in there?” Ryan asked.

Adam paused in his task and turned to look at Holly, obviously wanting to hear as well.

“Mason was there when we got to the sheriff’s office,” Holly began.

Adam swore. “Lacey must have known he was there all along.”

“He tried to leave immediately, but I refused to go with him. I thought he was going to force the issue, but Lacey wouldn’t let him. I asked Lacey to leave us alone for a few minutes.”

“You did what?” Ryan demanded, his expression darkening.

“It was the only way,” she said. “I told him that I knew what he’d done on our wedding day, that I’d seen him kill that man. Then I told him I wanted a divorce, and he was going to agree to that divorce or I’d make sure the whole world knew what he’d done.”

“Fuck,” Ryan said.

“Yeah, f**k is right,” Adam said, rubbing the back of his neck.

She looked at them in surprise. “But I thought you wanted me to get a divorce.”

“Baby, we do,” Adam said, pulling her into his arms. “But we want you safe, and you’ve just told us that the bastard now knows you can put him away for life.”

“It was the only way to get him to agree to the divorce,” she said defensively.

Adam rubbed her shoulders soothingly. “Don’t worry about it, baby. You’ll get your divorce, but more importantly, you won’t ever have to face that bastard again.”

Ethan called to them from the doorway. “I threw together some sandwiches. Come eat.”

Holly turned and walked toward the kitchen. Had she made a mistake by threatening Mason? She frowned, worry inserting itself back into her mind.

She sat down at the bar and Ethan shoved a plate in front of her. The brothers took their places, and they began to eat.

“What now?” she asked, unable to keep the question back any longer.

“What do you mean?” Adam asked.