Flash Bang (12 page)

Outside, Ro ducked around the side of the building and took a look around. The whole area seemed to be enclosed in the shape of a hexagon. The twelve-foot corrugated steel walls topped with wicked looking razor wire were impressive. Very twenty-first century, barbarian stronghold chic. And not what she’d expect from a simple, rustic hunting retreat. She surveyed her surroundings and racked her brain to figure the best way to get the hell out. Graham was undoubtedly right that none of his guys were going to be opening the door for her to leave.

A few of the giant oaks that shaded the interior of the compound had platforms built into the high branches, forming covered camouflaged lookout posts that probably gave a good view outside the walls. If she hadn’t known to look for them, she wouldn’t have even noticed they were there. It was possible someone was using one for watch. She didn’t see anyone, but it didn’t mean someone wasn’t there. On the far side of the compound, she could see the goats Zach mentioned munching away at the grass growing in a wire-fenced pen. A lean-to type barn provided shelter from the elements, and a large chicken coop sat off to the right of the goat pen. Rowan couldn’t count how many chickens fluttered around, but she estimated a few dozen. What looked to be some type of vertical garden, with plants growing out of pallet-like wooden shelves and metal mesh arches flourished not far from the livestock. A greenhouse about thirty feet long ran alongside the vertical garden. And a decent size stream ran across one corner of the camp, snaking under the walls to make its way in and out.

Bingo.

If she tried to scale the wall somehow and make her way over the razor wire, she’d end up sliced to ribbons, but the stream had definite potential. She just needed it to be a few feet deep, and she could swim right under the wall and out of Graham’s little kingdom. She didn’t look forward to starting her hike soaking wet, but it was better than bleeding from razor wire. She didn’t allow herself to consider the possibility of staying. Family first. That had become her mantra. And one added bonus: she’d be proving Graham wrong. Something Ro figured didn’t happen very often.
Humility. Learn it, Conan
. Checking the trees again for lookouts and coming up clear, as far as she could tell, Ro made her decision and hefted her bag. She hobbled toward the stream and the wall it flowed under, careful to keep as much weight off her now-burning ankle as possible. A pine tree offered decent cover, so Ro dropped her bag and started to unlace her boots. Might as well keep as much of her stuff dry as possible. She peeled off her socks and then stripped off the borrowed sweatpants and hoody. She kept the t-shirt on because otherwise she’d be skinny-dipping. She tied her hiking boots onto her backpack and shoved the clothes inside. She heaved the pack upward as hard as she could, watching it sail over the razor wire. The thump on the other side meant she was committed. Ro studied the stream. She really, really hoped it was deep enough.

Ro took a steadying breath and looked around the branches of the pine to make sure no one had noticed her. Not seeing anyone paying attention to her or her impromptu strip show, Ro stepped barefoot into the stream, shivering at the icy cold and—hell, yes!—hip-deep water. She slipped on the rock bottom and winced as a jagged edge gouged into the side of her right foot. Another tentative step toward the wall and Ro almost lost her balance on the moss-covered rocks. She felt a sharp stab of pain as her ankle rolled and swallowed her curse. Fuck it, she was determined. Taking a deep breath, Ro slid beneath the surface and pulled herself under the wall.

Graham’s radio squawked. “G-man, I think your pretty little chick has flown the coop.”

Graham jerked his head away from the wiring diagram he’d been studying and reached for his radio. “Say again?”

“I’ve got a bead on a half-naked girl just outside the wall pretending to be a mermaid.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Graham roared into his radio.

Zach burst into the command post.

“Ro’s gone. I went to take a leak and she wasn’t in the mess hall when I came back. She’s not in the cabin. She’s not in the bathhouse.”

Graham gripped the desk to keep from throwing his radio across the room.

“G-man, I suggest you get outside the wall right fucking now.”

Graham glared at Zach and shoved to his feet.

“Go get a fucking towel. And get someone to cover my shift.”

“No way in hell, huh?”

Graham didn’t reply as he shoved the door open and headed for the bolt hole.

He reached the stream on the outside of the wall just as Rowan was trying to pull herself out and onto the bank. He stopped next to her bag and watched as she stood, eyes closed, wiping the water from her face. The wet black t-shirt was like a second skin, outlining her generous breasts and the nipples jutting out from the cold water. The fabric stuck to her stomach, and Graham’s fury evaporated as he realized that she was nearly naked, and her movements flashed him a peek at her completely bare pussy. His cock twitched, and it was all he could do to stop himself from dropping to his knees to lick every drop of water from her skin. Instead, he reached for Rowan. She blinked, eyes widening as she caught sight of him, but Graham had her settled over his shoulder before she had a chance to open her mouth.

“Hey! Put me d—” Rowan’s words became a screech as Graham’s heavy hand came down, smacking her on her cold, wet, and very naked ass.

“What—” Another
smack
connected.

“Stop—”
Smack.

Ro gave up on trying to talk and began to struggle instead.

“What did I tell you about following orders, little girl? And what part of ‘
You aren’t going anywhere’
did you misunderstand?” she heard Graham say over his shoulder. “Although,” he said, “I can’t say I haven’t wanted you soaking wet and ready for me.”

Speechless at the abrupt change in the direction of Graham’s thoughts, Ro didn’t respond.

Graham’s hand smoothed over her ass and damn near brushed her girly parts.

Before Ro could come up with any type of suitable reply, Graham’s hand stilled and flipped her off his shoulder and re-situated her in his arms. Thankful that her ass was no longer bared to the world, and whoever must have spotted her attempted escape, she stayed silent.

Graham carried her along the wall to the front entrance, which swung open as they approached.

Zach met them with a towel as Ro’s teeth started to chatter.

“She’s going to need more than a towel,” Zach observed.

“Back to the showers, I imagine.”

Zach lifted her foot. “Back to Beau first, I think.”

Rivulets of crimson dripped down the side of Ro’s right foot.

“Goddammit, Ro,” Graham said. “You are going to stay put this time, even if I have to tie you down myself.”

He hefted her higher in his arms and headed toward the clinic, radioing Beau on his way.

Beau had once again okay-ed the shower, leaving her ankle unwrapped and covering her stitches, which had hurt like a mother without local anesthetic. Graham had glowered at her the whole time, squeezing her hand tighter each time she flinched as the needle cut into her skin. At least she had only needed six. Any more and she might have lost a hand. Zach held her other hand, and rather than squeeze, he’d spent the entire time rubbing his thumb back and forth across the back of it and playing with her fingers.

This time both Graham and Zach waited just beyond the shower room for her to finish, holding up the tiled walls like sentinels standing guard. Ro shut off the water and reached for the towel that Zach held out. He didn’t even pretend to look away as he handed it to her. She was pretty sure they’d both taken more than one glance at her during her shower. Just the thought of them watching her had heated her more effectively than the hot water. She didn’t give herself the luxury of enjoying the shower too long, though. She was focused on hiding her hardening nipples and trying not to clench her thighs to assuage the building ache.

“Done?” Graham asked.

Ro nodded, pushing herself from the seat. Before her feet made contact with the floor, she found herself in Zach’s arms, Graham right behind him.

“Forgetting something, doll?” Zach asked.

Ro’s short bark of laughter bounced off the tiled walls. “I guess so.”

Zach sat her on the bench and Graham held out a t-shirt. Gratefully, Ro slipped it over her head and shoved her arms through the sleeves.

Then he crouched at her feet, holding open a pair of gray sweatpants.

“Leg.”

Ro complied, sticking first one leg and then the other into the warm cotton pants. Being dressed like a child was new. And then she realized her lack of panties meant Graham had a front row seat to check out her goodies.

“Hey!” She scooted the pants up her legs and glared at Graham.

“Babe, I saw every naked inch of your pussy while you were dripping wet and climbing out of the creek.”

Ro’s gaze shot to Zach, who looked intrigued.

“Did ya now?” Zach drawled.

Ro’s cheeks burned.

“Do you have to be such a dick?”

“Baby, you have no idea.”

Ro decided studying the floor was the better alternative, but Graham’s hand shot out, lifting her chin.

“We need to talk.”

“I’m really not interested in anything you have to say.”

“You sure ‘bout that?”

“Pretty damn sure.”

“What if I offered you an armed escort home?”

Ro’s gaze darted from Graham to Zach, who looked a bit confused.

“Are you serious?” she asked.

“Completely,” Graham replied.

“What’s the catch?”

“You nix the escape attempts for a few days and let yourself heal up.”

Ro considered the offer. It would mean a slight delay in her plans, but she’d be giving herself a chance to recuperate, and she wouldn’t have to face whatever craziness was outside these walls by herself. That was a hell of an incentive. And being smart about this didn’t mean she was putting her family last.

She looked from one man to the other and started to nod.

Then Graham added, “And you’re in our bed until we leave.”

“What the fuck, man?” Zach held it together until he and Graham had dropped a strangely silent Rowan back in their cabin. She’d probably never speak to them again after Graham’s ultimatum. As soon as they were out of earshot, he shoved Graham back against the side of a cinderblock storage shed painted a deep forest green. “You’re going to force her to sleep with us? What the fuck is wrong with you? I’m no fucking rapist. Didn’t think you were either.”