Against the Edge (The Raines of Wind Can - By Kat Martin Page 0,119
out of it. Silas was against it, too. Even Mace thought it was a bad idea.”
“Tell us where they are,” Alex said, “so we can bring them home.”
“I can’t do that. They’re my brothers, my friends. We took an oath.”
“Did your oath include kidnapping an innocent boy and a woman?” Ben asked.
“I told you it wasn’t me. It was Troy and Duke. They stirred everyone up.”
“Why’d they take the woman?” Jake asked. “What do they plan to do with her?”
“Nothin’ that’ll hurt her. They’re plannin’ to marry her off to one of my brothers. Nate’s a preacher, and it ain’t like she’s never had a man between her legs.”
Ben’s fist shot out and slammed into Jesse’s face, knocking over the chair and sending him crashing to the floor.
Jake grabbed Ben and dragged him away before he could lift up the chair and hit him again.
“Take it easy,” Jake warned, but his hard look said he wouldn’t mind punching the guy himself.
Unclenching his fist, Ben pulled himself under control. They needed information. That was the reason Jesse was there.
“I’ve had enough of this,” Ben said as Jake set the chair upright with Jesse still in it. “Let’s go get his wife and kids, bring them back here. We’ll have a little fun with the woman—just like your brother is planning to do with mine. We’ll let Bragg watch while we’re at it. Maybe let the kids watch, too.”
He’d bring them back if he had to, but only as a threat. Hurting women and children wasn’t part of his plan.
Alex shoved himself between them, playing good guy again. “We all know how you feel, Ben, even Jesse.” He turned. “You’ve got to tell us, man. Ben’s tied up in knots over this. He’s going to find your bug-out spot whether you help us or not. In the meantime, your wife and kids are going to be the ones to pay.”
Jake moved in for the kill, giving Jesse the out he needed. “If your friends give you any trouble, you tell them we threatened your family, your wife and kids. Tell them you had no choice.”
Jesse surveyed the four hard men standing around him. He moistened his lips. “You go in there...you aren’t gonna kill them?”
“We’re going in and bring out my lady and my son,” Ben said. “We won’t hurt anyone unless we have to.”
“Ben’s a SEAL,” Jake added. “He’s done dozens of extractions. No one has to get hurt.”
Not unless they tried to stop him. If they did, he’d do whatever it took to get Claire and Sam out of danger. But he didn’t say that.
“This is your last chance, Jesse,” Alex said. “You need to tell us. You need to do what’s right.”
Jesse hung his head. Seconds ticked past. No one said a word. Finally, he looked up. “There’s a way in off the road.”
“Which road?” Ben pressed.
“Same road outta Egansville that led to our first camp. The turnoff’s ten miles south of the one you take to Bushytail Bayou. You can get there through the swamp, but you’d have to know the way and you couldn’t make it in at night.”
“Go on,” Ben said.
“Road’s hard to find. The turnoff’s completely overgrown. You have to know where it is to find it.”
“How many men are in there?” Ben asked.
“Ten, maybe twelve. Too hard getting in and out, and it’s harder livin’ that far from town. You can make it with a four-wheel drive, but it’s real rough goin’.”
Trace leaned down and cut the man’s bindings. “You’re gonna make it easy, Jesse. You’re gonna show us the way.”
Jake jerked him out of his chair. “You’re going to do what’s right. And you’re going to keep your family safe.”
* * *
“Make her take off them clothes, Mace. Man don’t buy a pig in a poke. Gotta sample the goods a little first.”
“Get away from me!” Claire slapped Pete Bragg’s hand away as he reached out to touch her cheek. Since the men didn’t approve of a woman wearing jeans, she was dressed in a worn cotton print dress that Aggie had loaned her and she had taken in by hand to fit.
Mace reached out and roughly caught her chin, forcing her to look at him. “What’s the matter? You don’t like Pete? You think you’re too good for him?”
“I— I’m already engaged to be married to another man.”
“Yeah, well, your man ain’t here, and he ain’t gonna be.” He turned to his brother. “You need to give her a day or two.