Page 31 of Ride 'Em Hard
“You still have Dad’s guns in the office?” Shane asks.
“I do. But I left my best friend in the Rover.” I hear Shane take off down the hall.
“I’ve got mine on me,” Ryder offers. “I wasn’t about to drive anything the Johnsons have been in without one.”
Bam. Bam. Bam.Someone pounds on my front door. “Well, this ought to be fun,” I comment, just as Shane strolls back into the kitchen. He keeps my dad’s old Colt Cobra and hands me the old Smith & Wesson.
“Whenever you’re ready.” Shane does a sweep with his hand, gesturing to the door. Ryder throws me a look, and we head out of the kitchen.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
My blood’s pumping. “Lexi,” I call back over my shoulder. “Get your phone. Keep it on with the ringer off. Stay where you are, and I’ll come back when it’s over.”
“Isn’t there an extra gun in that office for me?” she asks from about a yard away. I spin around. “Um yeah, I’m not hiding in there. I want to see what’s going on.”
Christ.
Shane chuckles.
Ryder grins. “I like her already.”
“Have you ever fired a gun, sexy?” The thought never crossed my mind.
“My Gramp’s, but it’s been a while.”
Well, okay then. “Could we hold off on that thought for now?”
Bam. Bam. Bam.
“Let’s hurry it along, lovebirds,” Shane says, heading down the hall.
Ryder gets a grip on his gun and follows.
I trail Ryder, feeling Lexi behind me. I know I can’t stop her from doing anything. She’s smart as a whip and won’t do anything stupid, but it kills me to have her around this shit. “Just stay out of sight, okay?”
“Copy that,” she says, keeping her distance as we make our way to the front of the house.
When we reach the foyer, Shane and Ryder get behind me. I grip my gun, take a breath and open the door.
Wearing an army-green getup with a red cardigan, Maeve Johnson levels her beady eyes on me and snarls from about four feet away.
“Well, good evening, Mrs. Johnson.” She just squints in reply. Her stubby hands are parked on her hips, and her mouse-brown hair is going every which way. Behind her, Cletus and Buck, who’ve thankfully found pants, point their guns at my face.
“And what brings you out here on this fine evening?” I sneer at the idiots. “You can put your guns down, by the way. Unless you want my brothers to blow a hole through your mom.” I step out onto the porch and the Johnsons back up, making room as Ryder and Shane follow me. This discussion is best kept outside.
“Keep your aim steady, boys,” Maeve orders, glaring at me. “I don’t appreciate finding my sons walking in the middle of a freeway thanks to you and your sexual perversion,” she spits. “They used to hang people for that kind of thing, you know.”
“Please, Maeve. Save the theatrics,” I growl. “I’m a lot better at it. Your fine offspring here were tailing me and up to no good. They got off easy. They’ve been following us since Lexi got here.” I hear the front door squeak and know instinctively that Lexi has just moved directly behind me, which is exactly what I didn’t want.
“They followed you undermyorders,” Maeve bellows. She leans in at me, throwing darts with her eyes. “You know the agreement, Chase. And you do too,” she barks, pointing at Shane and then Ryder. “All of you do. I mind my business, and you mind yours. You violated that the moment this... ” She angles for a look at Lexi behind me. “...that stranger drove onto my land, parked her car and left it there.”
Lexi moves a little closer to me, and it’s just as well. I don’t want her hiding from this old windbag. “People sometimes run out of gas, or get lost, or lose a tire,” I hiss, feeling my rage grow at the nerve of this woman. “Not everyone gives a flying fuck about what you’re doing over there.”
“Well, I care aboutstrangersprowling on my land.”
That’s it. Glowering at Maeve, my anger simmers, almost at boiling point when I reach her. Shane, Ryder and Lexi are close behind. “Enough!” I throw my hand up instead of flipping her off, because I’m still trying to be a gentleman. Buck and Cletus level their guns at me. I don’t give a shit.
“I’ve had it with you. You need to stop calling her a stranger. Her name isLexi, and you better get used to her, because she’smine.Lexi belongs with me and she’s not going anywhere.” I flick my gaze from Maeve and stare down Buck and then Cletus. “And if anyone in your family touches one hair on her head, or even looks at her the wrong way, I’ll fucking come for you and make you pay. Got it?”
