An Unyielding Desire (After The End Book 2) Page 23

  “Mina, slow down—”

  “Holly’s nice.”

  He blinked, clearly perplexed by what he perceived to be a change in topic. “Yeah. Kaden’s a good kid too.”

  She nodded in full agreement. The six-year-old was sweet and well mannered, a credit to Holly’s motherhood skills. No doubt, she would give Coop many more well-behaved children. That thought made it hard to breathe, and she knew she had to get this over with. “You should be happy with her.” She ignored Coop’s voice calling after her as she turned and darted from the building.

  Mina ran until she was far enough away from Coop to let tears streak down her cheeks. Inadvertently, she had ended up near the grave of her mother, and she sank down onto the cold ground, glad the last of the snow had melted, and no more had fallen yet to replace it. “I did it,” she whispered, feeling silly talking to her mother’s corpse. “I did the right thing, but it sure sucks.” Sniffing, she wiped her cheeks and stared at the simple stone grave marker Owen had engraved shortly after Janie’s passing. Mina hadn’t seen it before, and tears sparkled in her lashes again as she read the stark facts of her mother’s name, date of birth, and date of death. “I’m sorry.”

  Reaching forward, she touched the rough stone, wishing it was her mother’s warm hand instead. “I don’t think I could have stopped him. I never could have given everything he would have wanted from me, unless I’d followed through with killing him, but I’m so sorry, Mom. I’m sorry he came into our lives. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to keep him happy.”

  “No.”

  Mina startled with surprise at the harshly spoken word. Lifting her head, she observed Lia through tear-blurred eyes. She stared at her sister without speaking.

  “You couldn’t have made him happy, Mina.” Lia licked her lips. “I was wrong to leave you at his mercy. It’s my fault Mom died, not yours.”

  Mina personally thought there was some truth to that, but she didn’t want to reject the perceived olive branch. “Shane’s the one who shot her. No one could control him.”

  Lia shivered. “He was a force of nature.” It was mostly fear that underscored her words, but just the tiniest hint of longing.

  She frowned, wishing she could understand her sister’s feelings for the other man. She wasn’t unsympathetic, having been at the mercy of his machinations and turned inside out with confusion. “At least he’s gone.”

  Her sister nodded, hugging herself. “He can’t hurt us again. He can’t hurt Ty.”

  Mina looked back at her mother’s grave. “He wouldn’t have hurt Ty, but he would have killed the rest of us. He still would, if he had the chance.” She shuddered at the thought.

  “No, it’s like you said. He’s gone. With any luck, Emme’s bullet killed the bastard. I hope he died slowly and in great pain.” There was no confliction in Lia’s tone that time. Pure loathing throbbed in her voice. “If he ever came back, there isn’t one of us who would hesitate to kill him.”

  Except Tony. Mina left the thought unuttered, trying to draw comfort in Lia’s words. She was right. Shane was gone, and he’d be a fool to try to return. He’d be a dead fool if he set foot on the farm ever again.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Shane cursed under his breath as the figure came into sharp focus with the assistance of his rifle’s scope. Cooper Fucking Tidwell, et al. What the hell were they doing here, and with that massive black guy Les had a hard-on for torturing before murdering because he’d killed Dingle and injured Antaya?

  Shane wanted to give the guy a medal, since he had eliminated one more psycho from the group, though he hadn’t succeeded in killing Antaya. The black-haired woman who had been at that guy’s side during the standoff had shot Spam and Bott, a scumbag they’d picked up at a dive bar near Elk Mountain, along with his five shifty associates. Only Bott was gracious enough to die from the bullet wound. Unfortunately, Pardons had kept Spam alive, though minus two fingers on his left hand. And Mrs. Sociopath still lingered, though she had suffered the loss of the next generation of Psychos.

  “How many?” Les had addressed the question to Spam, who held a pair of military binoculars.

  “Five. Three men, two women.” Spam let the binoculars drop onto his chest, where they dangled from the strap. “That big black bastard is with them.”

  “The one who shot Antaya and killed my baby?” At Spam’s nod, Les licked his lips, though his eyes burned with rage. “Our night just got more interesting, boys.” Antaya was back at their camp with Pardons, still recovering from her gunshot wound and subsequent miscarriage. The other five had been too drunk to participate in a run, and Les had let that slide for some baffling reason.

  That left Hardy, Les, and Spam to face down Coop’s team. And Shane himself. He had no true loyalty to Les, but had even less reason to align with Coop and the others. Shane’s finger tightened reflexively on the trigger as he contemplated how easy it would be to take Coop out of the equation right then.

  He cursed again as his resolve wavered. What the hell were they even doing here anyway? The farm was hours in the opposite direction. Their presence, in the company of the black man Les wanted dead with a passion, could bring misery down on the Marsden place if they caught his attention. The thought of Ty and Mina being in harm’s way made his blood run cold.

  “Shoot the rest of them, but save that black bastard for now. I want him to suffer.” Les licked his lips again. “She’s going to want her pound of flesh.”

  No doubt, Antaya would take that literally and carve the other man up with her knife. His stomach turned at the thought, and a dart of empathy for the other man shot through him.

  Shane glanced up in time to see Hardy aligning his scope, his sites narrowed on Cooper. Either he had instinctively guessed Coop was the leader of the scouting party, or he’d just had blind luck. Considering how dumb Hardy was, it was likely luck.

  For a second that seemed like eternity, Shane considered aiming his scope elsewhere and ignoring the situation. Right now, Coop’s team remained unaware of their presence, so Hardy would have a clear shot. Coop would be dead, and the others might or might not make it out alive.

  “Fuck,” he said to himself, swinging his rifle slightly to adjust his aim. He fired a scant second before Hardy. His bullet hit Coop in the shoulder and sent the other man reeling backward. “Fuck,” he said louder. “I was aiming for his head.”

  Suddenly aware of attack, the others took cover, and the sound of gunshots ricocheted through the air. Shane was careful to keep his shots nonlethal, hating to wound Hector with the risk of infection, but not wanting to reveal his deliberate attempts to keep the others safe by having no hits. He couldn’t decide if he cared if Coop wasted away from septicemia though.

  The exchange of gunfire faded away a couple of minutes later. Les cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. “We don’t want to fight you. Just surrender that big black bastard, and the rest of you are free to go.”

  “What do you want with him?” demanded Chelle just as loudly.

  “He shot my woman and killed our baby. I just want justice.”

  “You tried to rape my friend and kill me and her kid,” yelled the man. “I didn’t mean harm to your baby, but your woman was trying to kill us.”

  “That doesn’t excuse you from justice, fucker. You killed my baby.” Les’s face was red with rage. “Surrender him or die.”

  “Fuck you,” screamed Chelle.

  Shane was careful to stay out of their sight, not wanting anyone to recognize him and reveal he knew them. Nor did he want one of them to come up with the brilliant idea of trading Shane for the black guy, so he could face justice for what he’d done to Mina.

  “Kill them all.”

  Shots resumed, but it was soon obvious they were evenly matched. Shane pretended to be fighting with all his focus as he purposely missed shot after shot. It was a relief when the other group finally made it into the Humvee and peeled out of the lot with the screech of rubber. He was
unsurprised when Les ran for the other vehicle, Spam in tow, and tore out after them.

  He traded a look with Hardy. “I guess we’re walking,” he said sourly, slinging his rifle over his shoulder and scooping up the duffle bag of miscellaneous crap they had scavenged from the surrounding area. He found himself hoping Coop’s troops evaded Les and didn’t do something stupid, like lead them back to the farm.

  *****

  By the time they arrived at the farm, near dusk, Coop’s shoulder burned like fire. He was half-convinced the jostling ride would leave him with permanent nerve damage, but it couldn’t be helped. Chelle had taken a twisting way back, full of backtracks and sudden turns, to throw off the other Humvee that had been following them. Only when she was sure they hadn’t kept up had she finally headed home.

  He got out of the Humvee with a grunt, leaning against Owen for support, and Dana and Chelle assisted Hector. Desmond’s ankle was still too sore for him to be much help in getting in the wounded. At least he was fully ambulatory and didn’t require their assistance.

  Coop collapsed gratefully onto a hard chair while Hector did the same on one nearby. Emme was there in seconds to triage them, tending to Hector first, because his wound was more severe. Yu arrived a moment later and appeared to be on the edge of hysterics.

  “Enough,” snapped Emme. “He’s going to be okay. The bullet went straight through. I’ll clean him up and treat him with herbs to prevent infection.”

  “Don’t let him die.” Tears welled in her almond-shaped eyes, and she scrubbed impatiently at his face.

  “Hey.” Hector took her hand with a grimace of pain at the motion. “I’m not going anywhere, mamacita. Let Doc Emme do her job.”

  Yu sniffled, but calmed down, though she still clung to her lover’s hand. Emme had him patched up in no time, and he was soon holding Yu on his lap, her face pressed against his chest.

  Coop’s chest ached at the sight, purely from envy, not his wound. He wanted Mina to be there with him, sitting on his lap so lovingly. Since he still had no clue what she’d been trying to tell him that morning, other than something about him being with Holly, he didn’t expect her to come rushing to him. His stomach twisted as he recalled his earlier suspicion that she had been cutting him loose before the run. Had Mina discovered she didn’t really love or want him? Was the fear he’d once confessed to Emme now realized?

  Emme’s ministrations soon turned his thoughts as pain spread from his shoulder, radiating outward. He gritted his teeth to keep in a shout as Winn and Owen stepped into the kitchen. Tony followed a moment later, Ty on his hip.

  “What happened?”

  He gestured to Desmond, letting the other man fill them in as he focused on not screaming or moaning.

  “Did they follow you?” Winn looked alarmed, and his grip on the shotgun he’d brought with him tightened.

  “I don’t think so.” Chelle sounded exhausted. “I’m pretty sure I lost them.”

  “Pretty sure or damned certain, Ms. Johnson? I need to know if my family is at risk.”

  Chelle lifted her chin. “I can’t guarantee it, sir, but I am pretty confident I lost them. All we can do is be prepared.”

  He sighed after a moment. “Of course.”

  The screen door slammed, and they all looked up as Mina came running into the house. She clapped her hand to her mouth and swayed sickly when she locked gazes with Coop. A small moan escaped her, and she approached slowly, looking as though she would take a step or two before trying to make herself stop, only to keep moving forward.

  Completely confused, Coop didn’t have the strength left to try to decipher her behavior. He held out his hand, making no attempt to hide his pleading expression. “Mina?”

  With a small sob, she closed the difference between them, clasping his hand between both of hers as she sank to the kitchen floor. Her tears wet Coop’s pants as she laid her face against his thigh. He wanted to pet her hair and whisper words of comfort, but the bite and tug of the needle and thread Emme was using on his raw flesh made it impossible to form further syllables. He had exhausted his reserves by the time she moved around to stitch up the exit wound, and Coop gladly surrendered to the encroaching wave of blackness that swept over him.

  *****

  He woke in Mina’s room, not the bunkhouse. She was in a chair near him, and he frowned when he realized it was pitch black outside. She should have been lying beside him on the bed, not curled up in that uncomfortable chair. “Mina?” His voice was hoarse, but it carried enough to rouse her from her shallow rest. She bolted upright immediately, rushing toward him.

  Mina leaned over him, her expression the picture of concern. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain? Do you need something?”

  “Water,” he rasped. Seconds later, the cool liquid met his lips, and he took it in greedily until she pulled it away.

  “Emme left some willow bark tea. Do you want me to brew you a cup?”

  He shook his head. “No. The taste is worse than the pain.” Her small smile cheered him slightly, and he found the strength to lift his uninjured arm, cupping her face with his palm. “Why aren’t you beside me?”

  Her expression went neutral. “It didn’t seem appropriate.”

  He grinned, trying to coax one from her. “Trust me. I wouldn’t have cared if you’d knocked against my injury as long as the tradeoff was getting to hold you.”

  “Holly wouldn’t have liked it,” she snapped.

  Coop frowned. “What does she have to do with anything?” When Mina didn’t answer, though her blue eyes blazed with anger, he had to fight the twitch of his lips. “Holly is just a friend, Mina.”

  She shrugged, not quite meeting his eyes. “It could be more.”

  “It could be, but it won’t. I have no interest in her, because I’m completely, madly in love with you.”

  Mina’s eyes widened. “What?”

  Coop scowled. “You seem surprised. Haven’t I told you all this before?”

  Her lips compressed. “Yes, you have, but then you made it obvious you had second thoughts.”

  He cocked a brow. “I didn’t have second thoughts.”

  “You haven’t come near me for more than a few minutes. I’ve spent the past two weeks alone at night. It seems very obvious that you are disgusted by what I told you, and I wish you would just admit it.”

  “Okay.” Coop hated the way she flinched. “I was angry and a little repulsed.”

  Something close to triumph gleamed in her eyes before giving way to despair. “I knew you weren’t being honest. No one is that understanding.”

  “It took me a little bit to accept it. I wanted to keep believing you had just been manipulated. The idea of you actually caring for Shane after everything he’d done was repellant.” He forced himself to ignore the tears in her eyes. “It didn’t take me long to get past that nonsense, Mina.”

  She looked up, confusion clear in her expression. “I don’t understand.”

  “I soon realized I was being an ass.” He rubbed his rough knuckles self-consciously against the blanket, remembering his spectacular temper tantrum with the tree and cringing from the shame. “I understand I have no right to feel threatened or angry that you had cared for him, regardless of why you did. He is in your past, and I want to be your future. I don’t care what went on between the two of you beyond the fact that he hurt you. I said it before, but I truly mean it now. It doesn’t matter, and I don’t feel any traces of disgust or anger. I love you, Mina.”

  Hope flared in her gaze, but flickered away almost immediately. “If that’s true, why have you been avoiding me?”

  He managed a small smile. “At first, it was so you wouldn’t see the mess I’d made of my knuckles on the losing side of an argument with a tree. It wasn’t a fitting substitute for Shane’s face.” He laughed. “And then it was because I knew I couldn’t trust myself around you. After I’d nearly ravished you while half-asleep, I knew I couldn’t risk being alone with you until I knew you were co
mpletely ready for lovemaking.”

  Mina scowled. “I was ready to make love with you that morning, until you freaked me out with your love declaration. I have been waiting since our last talk.” Her voice dropped to a shy whisper. “I’ve been impatient for you to come to me, but when you didn’t, I was sure you didn’t want me any longer.”

  He groaned, both from a sharp stab of pain in his shoulder as he shifted to hold her awkwardly and from the way he’d behaved. “I’m sorry. I never intended to make you feel that way. I didn’t want to rush you.”

  “You could have just told me,” she muttered, glaring at him.

  He nodded. “I should have, but I was trying to protect you. I’m sorry.” He held his breath while she considered his words, relief rushing through him when she nodded and relaxed into his embrace. “Speaking of conversations, what the hell were you trying to tell me this morning?”

  She buried her face against his chest, making her words difficult to discern. “I was giving you permission to move on with Holly. I didn’t want you to feel guilty for leaving me when you clearly didn’t want me. I just wanted you to know I wasn’t suicidal or anything.”

  “I know that.”

  She looked up at him, her chin resting on his chest. “I had decided I deserve to be happy, and that you’d have to be willing to accept everything that had happened, or you weren’t the one for me.” Her lips twisted ruefully. “All that drivel went out the window as soon as I found out you were hurt. I just wanted to be with you so badly, even if you didn’t want me.”

  “I do want you though. I want you so much it hurts.” He gestured at his shoulder. “If it wouldn’t hurt more to show you, I’d spend the rest of the night doing so.” Coop cupped her cheek again. “As soon as I’m able to, I’m going to keep you in this bed and make love to you until neither one of us can walk right for a week. Maybe two.”