Page 13 of A Cowboy's Claim
“Let her go.” Adam’s deep voice drilled into Sydney’s ears.
Pain exploded behind her eyes as her head jerked back, her braid yanked like a rope. White noise roared in her ears. Sydney twisted, raising her hands to defend herself, and another sharper flash of pain bloomed in her left eye. A second later, her butt hit the porch and she kept going, rolling toward safety.
“Don’t even think about moving.”
Sydney stopped in mid-roll. She was hands and knees on the middle of the wide staircase and utterly in shock at the familiar voice.
She looked up. “Declan?”
Relief shot through her at the sight of him with storm-clouds in his eyes and a face made of granite. He held Adam immobile, twisting the man’s arm behind his back.
Fear widened Adam’s eyes, and his sisters finally stood motionless.
No, check that. Cara had frozen in place, but Cindy had her phone out and held in front of her like a shield. Recording a video, Sydney assumed.
Screw them all. Now that she had Declan to watch her back, Sydney hurried to Nora, who sat on the porch with her arms wrapped around herself. “You okay? Did you get hurt?”
“I’m fine. Maybe some bruises.” She glared at her son. “I’m outraged at your behaviour. What on earth were you thinking?”
“She’s trying to commit elder fraud,” Adam insisted.
“I’m recording everything,” Cindy said. “Cara, call the police.”
“Don’t bother the police,” Nora snapped, getting to her feet with Sydney’s help. “Oh, wait. Unless you want us to call the police for you, Dr. Jeremiah. If you’d like to press charges after my son and daughters deliberately assaulted you.”
“What?” Cara demanded.
The other two shouted over each other.
“She’s tricking you, Mom.”
“Wait until I get my hands on you?—”
The threat from Adam died off instantly as Declan growled his disapproval.
How had this gotten so tangled?
After making sure that Nora was solid on her own two feet, Sydney stepped back slowly. “We don’t need the police, but we should get to the bottom of this. I’m willing to stay and talk if you can all be reasonable.”
“You talk about reasonable when I’m being restrained by a thug. Let me go, you monster,” Adam demanded, wiggling against Declan’s hold.
“I’m working really hard to stay polite,” Declan said softly. “The only reason you and I aren’t taking this somewhere else to have a detailed conversation on our own is because Dr. Jeremiah just offered to speak with you. So it’s your choice. Stand down and step away so we can discuss this like rational adults, orI’llcall the police.”
“You’re the one threatening our brother.” Cindy raised her phone higher. “I have proof.”
Declan stared at her. “Go ahead. Post it on social media. See how long you last before they rip you to shreds, Karen.”
The woman looked confused for a moment, but when Adam relaxed his stance and Declan let him go, she finally put down the phone.
Sydney had no objection when Declan casually walked to her side and stood there looking all big and intimidating. Her face throbbed where she’d been hit, and her hands were still slightly shaky, but her words came out steady and calm. “Then let’s have a discussion.”
Even though theshouting didn’t start up again, things didn’t improve much. Declan somehow kept his cool until the accusations were done, because Nora then made a few choice comments and kicked her children out.
Sydney looked Nora over one last time and promised to check in again soon, then she and Declan went to their separate vehicles.
When Sydney pulled off the road a mile down the hill into a small clearing, Declan didn’t hesitate before following.
She didn’t wave him down—but she wouldn’t have stopped if she wanted to be alone.
