Slate started to reach for his gun, but then he froze as another dog came out of the woods, close to his side.
“I wouldn’t try for it, Slate. Moses trained Lobo to attack anyone with a gun. You wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger with a stump for a hand,” Ginny advised. “Even if you take out Lobo ….” Ginny gave a low whistle that brought out four more dogs from their hiding spots, with their fur raised and their teeth bared.
“I have enough bullets to take them out,” Slate threatened, yet he didn’t make a move for his gun.
“Let’s go, Slate.”
“Shut up, Butcher. We have enough bullets to take them,” Slate insisted. “Take your gun out first. Then I’ll take mine.”
“You go first..”
“I hate to interrupt you cowards making fools of yourselves, but the dogs are the least of your problems.” Ginny raised her hand in the air, having no need to look to see who came out of the woods behind. Slate had no idea who he was dealing with, thinking he could outmaneuver her family.
Slate’s eyes widened as Tate Porter halted next to her, carrying a shotgun pointed at him. Butcher was greeted by Dustin Porter with the muzzle of his rifle planted in his cheek.
“In case you didn’t hear me cocking my rifle, I’m right behind you, ready to blow your fucking head off if you so much as twitch,” Greer Porter told Slate. “Please twitch.”
“You can’t touch me … All of you will go to jail.” Slate slowly raised his hands in the air.
“You must have missed the signs when you cut across Porter land,” Greer lied, berating him.
“What signs?” Slate started to turn his head to look over his shoulder at Greer, only to have his head crushed with butt of Greer’s rifle, sending Slate to the ground.
“The fucking ones that say trespassers will be shot.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Reaper saw the car coming around the corner just as he was about to make the turn into the Colemans’ driveway. The speed he was traveling, he could keep going in the lane he was traveling in and turn around when he had an opportunity, which was what any sane person would do, or do what he was going to do, which was speed up and hope he made it alive through the oncoming lane, which was totally insane.
He took the insane route. It was quicker.
Veering off, the side of his jacket rubbed the pavement before he managed to straighten the bike. Going up the steep driveway, he then nearly plowed into a car that had the trunk up with the emergency lights blinking.
Reaper’s already pounding heart went into overdrive. He didn’t recognize the car, and if the car had been broken down, it would have been the bottom of the driveway, not near the steepest part of the driveway.
Parking his bike and getting off, he pulled his gun out in one motion as he ran up the steps of Silas’s home. Instead of barging inside, Reaper went to the side of the door and gently turned the door handle. He mocked himself for being careful now, instead of when he came charging up to the house. Anyone inside could have taken him out from a window at his lack of caution.
When his phone vibrated, he was tempted to ignore it, but he wanted to make sure it wasn’t Ginny.
It was a text from Ginny.
I’m at Matthew and Isaac’s workshop.
Jumping off the porch, he started toward that section of property, not bothering with the steps. As his feet hit the ground, Knox’s squad car pulled into the driveway. Knox and Lucky were still getting out of the car when Viper, Rider, Razer, and Shade roared up behind Knox’s car.
“After I find out what the fuck is going on, I’m going to beat the fuck out of you for pulling in front of that car, and you know better than to run up to a house without backup.” Huffing his words out, Knox ran behind him, coming to a standstill when they saw Greer Porter bashing Slate in the face with the butt of his rifle.
“The fucking ones that says trespassers will be shot.”
Cold fury encased him when he took in what had gone down before he arrived. Then horrific visions of what the two monsters had planned for Ginny had shards of ice running over him.
Butcher and Slate had planned to kidnap Ginny, which was why they had left the trunk of their car open, but the Porters derailed their plan. The Porters weren’t the only ones who had impeded their success. He counted eight dogs circling Butch and Slate, their ferocious appearances made them look like Cujo on steroids.
If these dogs had been like the ones that attacked him and Ginny, they wouldn’t have stood a chance. The way they were grouped strategically around Ginny, blocking her from the two monsters, would have given her ample opportunity to escape.
While in the military, he had witnessed several highly trained dogs in action, preforming a variety of duties. These dogs appeared to sense Slate’s and Butcher’s evilness, and with cunning awareness they were protecting Ginny as if she were one of their pack.
Moving as if in slow motion, Reaper stood in front of Slate. There was no satisfaction at seeing him on his knees in front of him. No, what Slate had done to him, and what he tried to perpetuate on Ginny, didn’t allow for any emotions. Slate had dehumanized him to the point that there wasn’t anything left, and that was exactly why Reaper wasn’t going to retreat from him.
“Be careful. He has a gun tucked in the front of his britches,” Greer warned when Reaper knelt down beside Slate.
“Thank you for making this the happiest day of my life.”
“You’re welcome.” Using the butt of his rifle to bash Slate on the back his head, Slate would have fallen forward if Reaper hadn’t put out a hand to push Slate’s forehead back.
“I was talking to Slate.” Scowling up at Greer, Reaper reached out to take the gun away from Slate to give to Viper, who came to his side.
“Why you thanking this sack of shit for?”
“Because it will be the last day he spends on earth.”
“I reckon that’s okay, then.” Greer raised his rifle to butt Slate again. “I’m about to make your day really special.”
Reaper rose to take the rifle away from Greer.
“Why you do that for?”
“He’s mine.”
“Fuck.” Unhappy, Greer indignantly turned from Slate to Butcher. “Can I have him?”
“No, he’s mine too.”
“Fuck.” Greer raised his knee to kick Slate’s head. “I don’t suppose you have anyone else hiding around here I can have?” Greer addressed Slate.
“Cut it out, Greer. You know it’s just the two of them,” Tate admonished his brother.
“Doesn’t hurt to check.” Greer spitefully kicked Slate in the head again. “I reckon our job is done. I’ll be taking my rifle back.” Greer held his hand out impatiently for his weapon. When Reaper didn’t immediately give it back, Greer moved away from Slate. “I won’t touch the motherfucker. Give me.”
Reaper gave his rifle back.
With his free hand, Greer pulled up his sagging jeans. “Our job’s done, boys. I reckon they don’t need our help anymore.” Greer turned a calculating look at Ginny. “You can tell Silas when he gets here—”
“I’m right here, Greer.” Silas moved around Knox so that Greer could see him.