STORY EXCERPT

Jeremy made sure Garrett had the woman secure behind him as he waited for the massive bastard to round the rock behind her. He didn’t want the woman to end up hurt because she was in the way. The bastard who had her hadn’t been taking care of her, that was for sure. Anyone who tied up a woman didn’t deserve her and sure hadn’t cared for her.

He and Garrett had decided they’d take her away from the man when they’d watched him shoving her earlier the day before. Once he’d tied her up that night, they’d cemented their plans. She wasn’t with the man by choice, so taking her from him wasn’t wrong in their eyes. They’d give her the choice of remaining with them or going back to wherever she’d come from. It would cut if she wanted to go back, but they’d take her back. They weren’t thieves.

It had been her pretty strawberry-blonde hair that had attracted her to them in the first place. It stood out among the dying foliage of the forest. It was a little longer than her shoulders and was thick and, though tangled at the moment, looked amazing framing her oval face with those amazing blue eyes. She was an appealing curvy woman who looked young and inexperienced to him. He doubted she was much over twenty, if that. She certainly didn’t need to be in the hands of a man such as the one who had her now.

He heard the rocks beneath the big man’s feet as he walked around the big rock. The moment he appeared, Jeremy hauled back and hit him square in the nose then followed it up with a hard kick to the gut. The man fell to the ground, holding his nose. Jeremy was on top of him immediately and hit him again and again. The big man managed to get in a few shots of his own, but it didn’t take Jeremy long to knock the man out.

He pushed himself up and wiped the blood off his face with the back of one hand then grimaced at the cuts on his knuckles. More scars. He huffed out a breath.

“Here.” Garrett handed him a cloth. “Better clean up before you scare the woman to death. She’s shaking like a leaf.”

Jeremy nodded and wiped the blood from his face then his knuckles. He looked over at the woman, who was curled up sitting next to the other side of the rock with her head resting on her arms. He winced. She looked like she was in shock. No doubt she’d suffered these last few days, and this hadn’t helped any.

He glanced at his cousin. Garrett shrugged. He didn’t have a clue what to do either. They hadn’t been around women much in the last twelve to fifteen years. Not since the world had come crashing down around them. Once that happened, it had been them against the world. They’d survived.

Jeremy walked over to where the woman was sitting and squatted next to her. “Hey. My name is Jeremy, and that’s my cousin, Garrett. What’s your name?”

She rolled her head a little to look at him. She bit her lower lip then sighed. “Amanda.”

“Hey, Amanda. Are you hurt anywhere that we need to see about? Did he hurt you?” he asked.

“No. Just tired. I’m just tired,” she said. “I want to go home.”

Jeremy’s hope that she’d want to stay with them hit bottom. He sighed. Naturally she’d want to go home. What had he been thinking?

“I’m sure you do. We’ll take you home, honey. Where do you live? Do you know which direction to go?” he asked.

She just stared at him, and a lone tear escaped her eye. “No. He kept taking different paths in the woods. I don’t know where to go to get there.”

“Aw, honey. Don’t cry,” Garrett said. “Let’s get you to our place and you can rest. Then we’ll see if we can figure out where your place is.”

Jeremy stood and held out his hand to her. She looked at it then put her hand in his and let him help her up. She had a rocking-hot body despite the shape she was in. She was curvy and round in all the right places. Even in need of a bath and a good night’s sleep, she looked great.

“Would you like something to drink, Mandy?” Garrett asked.

She smiled. “No thanks.”

“Let’s get going then. It’s a few hours away,” Jeremy said.

Jeremy watched Amanda closely as they walked toward their place for any sign she needed to stop. He didn’t want to push her too hard. She’d already been pushed far enough as it was. When he saw her falter an hour into their walk, he called a halt and helped her sit on a fallen log and handed her his water to drink from. Then he handed her some dried berries and nuts to eat.

“Thanks.” She handed the water back to him.

“How are your feet and legs holding up?” he asked.

“I’m okay. Just a little sore, but I’ll be fine,” she insisted.

“Be sure to let us know if you need to rest again. We don’t want to overdo it, Mandy,” he said.

She smiled at him. It was obvious she liked the nickname they’d given her. He liked that. Liked that she could smile for them. Her smile was like a ray of sunshine on a bleary day.

“Thanks for saving me. I never did say thank you,” she said.

“No need. It was obvious that you didn’t want to be with him. No one should be a captive of another human being,” Jeremy said.

She just nodded and continued chewing on her snack. When she’d finished, she stood and flexed her legs a few times. “I’m ready to get started again when you guys are.”

STORY EXCERPT

Jeremy made sure Garrett had the woman secure behind him as he waited for the massive bastard to round the rock behind her. He didn’t want the woman to end up hurt because she was in the way. The bastard who had her hadn’t been taking care of her, that was for sure. Anyone who tied up a woman didn’t deserve her and sure hadn’t cared for her.

He and Garrett had decided they’d take her away from the man when they’d watched him shoving her earlier the day before. Once he’d tied her up that night, they’d cemented their plans. She wasn’t with the man by choice, so taking her from him wasn’t wrong in their eyes. They’d give her the choice of remaining with them or going back to wherever she’d come from. It would cut if she wanted to go back, but they’d take her back. They weren’t thieves.

It had been her pretty strawberry-blonde hair that had attracted her to them in the first place. It stood out among the dying foliage of the forest. It was a little longer than her shoulders and was thick and, though tangled at the moment, looked amazing framing her oval face with those amazing blue eyes. She was an appealing curvy woman who looked young and inexperienced to him. He doubted she was much over twenty, if that. She certainly didn’t need to be in the hands of a man such as the one who had her now.

He heard the rocks beneath the big man’s feet as he walked around the big rock. The moment he appeared, Jeremy hauled back and hit him square in the nose then followed it up with a hard kick to the gut. The man fell to the ground, holding his nose. Jeremy was on top of him immediately and hit him again and again. The big man managed to get in a few shots of his own, but it didn’t take Jeremy long to knock the man out.

He pushed himself up and wiped the blood off his face with the back of one hand then grimaced at the cuts on his knuckles. More scars. He huffed out a breath.

“Here.” Garrett handed him a cloth. “Better clean up before you scare the woman to death. She’s shaking like a leaf.”

Jeremy nodded and wiped the blood from his face then his knuckles. He looked over at the woman, who was curled up sitting next to the other side of the rock with her head resting on her arms. He winced. She looked like she was in shock. No doubt she’d suffered these last few days, and this hadn’t helped any.

He glanced at his cousin. Garrett shrugged. He didn’t have a clue what to do either. They hadn’t been around women much in the last twelve to fifteen years. Not since the world had come crashing down around them. Once that happened, it had been them against the world. They’d survived.

Jeremy walked over to where the woman was sitting and squatted next to her. “Hey. My name is Jeremy, and that’s my cousin, Garrett. What’s your name?”

She rolled her head a little to look at him. She bit her lower lip then sighed. “Amanda.”

“Hey, Amanda. Are you hurt anywhere that we need to see about? Did he hurt you?” he asked.

“No. Just tired. I’m just tired,” she said. “I want to go home.”

Jeremy’s hope that she’d want to stay with them hit bottom. He sighed. Naturally she’d want to go home. What had he been thinking?

“I’m sure you do. We’ll take you home, honey. Where do you live? Do you know which direction to go?” he asked.

She just stared at him, and a lone tear escaped her eye. “No. He kept taking different paths in the woods. I don’t know where to go to get there.”

“Aw, honey. Don’t cry,” Garrett said. “Let’s get you to our place and you can rest. Then we’ll see if we can figure out where your place is.”

Jeremy stood and held out his hand to her. She looked at it then put her hand in his and let him help her up. She had a rocking-hot body despite the shape she was in. She was curvy and round in all the right places. Even in need of a bath and a good night’s sleep, she looked great.

“Would you like something to drink, Mandy?” Garrett asked.

She smiled. “No thanks.”

“Let’s get going then. It’s a few hours away,” Jeremy said.

Jeremy watched Amanda closely as they walked toward their place for any sign she needed to stop. He didn’t want to push her too hard. She’d already been pushed far enough as it was. When he saw her falter an hour into their walk, he called a halt and helped her sit on a fallen log and handed her his water to drink from. Then he handed her some dried berries and nuts to eat.

“Thanks.” She handed the water back to him.

“How are your feet and legs holding up?” he asked.

“I’m okay. Just a little sore, but I’ll be fine,” she insisted.

“Be sure to let us know if you need to rest again. We don’t want to overdo it, Mandy,” he said.

She smiled at him. It was obvious she liked the nickname they’d given her. He liked that. Liked that she could smile for them. Her smile was like a ray of sunshine on a bleary day.

“Thanks for saving me. I never did say thank you,” she said.

“No need. It was obvious that you didn’t want to be with him. No one should be a captive of another human being,” Jeremy said.

She just nodded and continued chewing on her snack. When she’d finished, she stood and flexed her legs a few times. “I’m ready to get started again when you guys are.”