Belonging to Them - By Brynn Paulin Page 0,28

Jamie knew that as clearly as he knew he had to follow her wherever she’d gone. He couldn’t just let her go. But how would he find her?

However he had to.

Determined, he went upstairs to get dressed. When he returned, the sheriff was in the front hall talking to Patrick while Sean and David stood nearby, listening and drinking coffee.

“Jay, you’re not gonna believe this,” Patrick said.

“What? Is Rayna still here?”

Sadness filled Patrick’s eyes as he shook his head. “It’s this Antonio guy. That’s not even his real name. Joe’s been running stuff, and I guess the jerk’s real name is Mick. He’s wanted for murder and a host of other things.”

Jamie’s blood ran cold. Murder? Dear lord, he could have killed Ryana—

God, he can’t touch her now. Please don’t let him find her.

“Have you seen anything suspicious?” Joe asked.

They all told him no. After they’d promised to contact him if Mick/Antonio showed up or anything strange happened, Joe left to patrol the town and check out the ranches as he did every morning.

Jamie went into the kitchen to get some coffee. Patrick followed.

“What are you thinking?” Patrick asked.

Jamie just looked at him for a few minutes, then poured the brew into his mug. “I’m thinking I’m an idiot. That she couldn’t feel anything for me then take off like this. And I’m thinking she must love me like she said, and that’s why she took off. And I’m desperately trying to figure out how I’m going to find her.”

“Maybe Joe’s contacts…”

He hadn’t thought of that. If Joe could find out this Antonio guy was a murderer, surely he could find out where Rayna’s family lived. A smile had just curled his lips when a pounding rattled the front door.

“Where is she!” an unfamiliar, male voice bellowed.

He and Patrick looked at one another. “Call 9-1-1,” Jamie said, already heading out of the kitchen. This man wasn’t leaving this house unless he was in handcuffs.

“What do you want?” he asked coldly as he glared at the man by the front door. Antonio had a weaselly look about him, slick and underhanded, but perhaps that was just Jamie’s impression of the man because he hated him on sight. Well, before then truthfully. Any man who’d hit a woman—

“I want my fiancée, scarface,” Antonio sneered.

Jamie let the insult slide as he stepped into line with his cousins to block the way. “She’s not your fiancée.”

“Like hell she’s not!”

“What planet are you from, man?” Sean asked. “She broke up with your ass when you kicked the shit outta her. Truthfully, I think she shoulda cut off your dick, but she’s too sweet for that. I wouldn’t count on that kindness from us.”

“Oh, so you’re tough guys? A bunch of fags, the lot of you, and one of you is a cripple.” He stepped toward Jamie as Patrick joined the line.

“I wouldn’t, man,” he warned quietly.

“What the hell is your problem?” Antonio demanded. “Just send my bitch down here to me, and we’ll be out of your face.”

Jamie almost cold-cocked him right then and there. His hand clenched into a fist. A few more minutes and Joe would be here to collect this piece of shit.

“She is not ‘your bitch’,” Jamie growled. “She’s ours. Our woman. You got that! She belongs to us now, and you can just go to hell.”

“Why you—” He never got any further than that as he lunged at Jamie. Jamie’s fist planted in Antonio’s nose a second before he was shoved backward by the felon. Jamie reeled, but David caught him just before a sickening crack echoed through the room, followed by Antonio’s screech.

“I warned you not to,” Patrick rasped. He held the offensive man in a relentless grip, his fingers biting into the arm he’d just broken. Behind them, Joe and Rayna filled the doorway.

“Geez, O’Keefe,” Joe sighed, taking custody of the injured man. Jamie only had eyes for Rayna.

She’d come back.

She’d come back. Rayna had made it to Gillette, sobbing the whole way. By the time she’d gotten there, she was sure she’d made a mistake. Jamie said he could protect her, that she would be safe. He’d asked her to trust him. She loved him; shouldn’t she believe him?

Not trusting her car to make the trip back, she’d rented a vehicle as soon as the shop had opened. Armed with a GPS and rehearsing apologies, she’d driven back as fast as possible.

Horror had filled her when she’d pulled down Main Street. The sheriff’s cruiser was parked in