Finding Home (Finding Series, Book 1) (13 page)

“I said that was what was in the ME’s report,” Jaxon said with the faintest hint of a smile. A chill went through Rhys as he realized what the man wasn’t saying. Jesus, was he standing in front of the man who’d done what Rhys had dreamed of doing for so long?

“Was it you?” Rhys asked without preamble.

Jaxon studied him for a long time, then turned and opened his car door. He handed Rhys a manila envelope. “Give that to your attorney.”

“What is it?” Rhys asked as he opened the envelope, though he didn’t need an answer once he saw what was on the pages that spilled out into his hand. A CD slipped out too.

“Rhys?” Callan asked as he examined the pages.

“Money transfers, transcripts of wire taps, surveillance,” Rhys said in awe as he flipped through the pages. He stopped when he saw his name on one of the transcripts. “They caught him on tape admitting to stealing the location of the safe house from me,” he whispered as the truth hit him. Was it really going to be this easy? He looked up at Jaxon. “How did you get this?”

The man again evaded his question and said, “The DA that prosecuted you has already started the processing of having the charges dismissed, but you should still have an attorney take a look at those. I think you’re looking at a pretty hefty settlement from the city of Chicago. They’re not going to like having to explain to the public why they sent an innocent cop to jail.”

Rhys looked up at Callan and smiled. “It’s over, Callan. It’s really over.” An overwhelming sense of relief flooded through his body as Callan pulled him into his arms. He didn’t give a shit that the other man was watching as he kissed Callan hard.

The sound of several neighing horses had Callan tensing in his arms, then suddenly releasing him as the noise from the barn grew. Callan was already running toward the barn when the scent of smoke filled Rhys’ nostrils. “Oh God,” he said as he took off after Callan.

“Wendy!” he heard Callan shout as he neared the barn. Black smoke started to billow between the slats of the wooden roof as the sound of panicked horses filled the air. Rhys’ heart stopped as Callan raced into the barn. He felt Jaxon right on his heels and they both reached the building just as flames began ripping through the ceiling. The hayloft.

“Callan!” Rhys shouted as he tried to see through the thick, black smoke that was drifting down from the ceiling.

“I’ve got her!” Callan shouted and Rhys felt a punch of relief as Callan carried Wendy past him. Blood trickled from an injury on her forehead.

The sound of terrified horses over the roar of flames had Rhys racing into the barn. He heard Callan screaming his name, but ignored him and tore open the first stall door. West flew past him the second he opened the door and he saw that Jaxon had managed to free Kirby from the opposite stall. Getting Callan’s gelding and two more horses out took only seconds, but the rescue horse clung to the back of its stall and refused to budge. Rhys’ eyes burned as he shouted at the horse, but it just reared up and slammed its body into the back of the stall as if trying to break through it. Flames rolled over his head and he heard wood cracking as the support beams started to weaken. He guessed that he had less than a minute before the roof came crashing down.

“Rhys! We have to get out now!” Jaxon shouted from somewhere on the other side of the barn. Rhys glanced at the barn doors which were both nearly obliterated from the black cloud of smoke that plunged the barn into darkness. Decision made, Rhys rushed into the stall and waved his arms at the huge horse. The panicked animal lunged at him, then slammed into him with its huge body as it raced past him. He hit the floor hard and sucked in a mouthful of smoke, then started choking.

“Rhys!”

“Here!” he shouted, then strong arms were lifting him. Callan.

He felt himself being half lifted, half dragged as another set of hands grabbed him and Callan and Jaxon pulled him out the door. The oxygen burned his lungs as it mixed with smoke.

“Jesus,” Callan said as he clung to Rhys. “You fucking son of a bitch!” he snarled as he clutched Rhys to him. Then his voice softened, the words so quiet among the popping, crackling sounds of the fire that Rhys barely heard them. “God, I thought I’d lost you.”

***

Callan couldn’t hold on to Rhys tight enough. He’d watched as horse after horse had come flying through the doors, but no Rhys. Jaxon had managed to get out, but hadn’t hesitated to go back in with Callan when they realized Rhys was still in the burning building. Pieces of the roof had started to fall around them as embers rained down on their shoulders and lit up the hay that was strewn around the aisle and stalls. They’d managed to get Rhys to his feet, but the back door was engulfed in flames so they’d had to work their way back to the front of the barn.

“I’m okay,” he heard Rhys say against his chest, his voice hoarse from the smoke. “Is Wendy okay?” he asked.

“Callan!” he heard Jaxon calling out to him. The man was kneeling next to Wendy, examining the gash on her head. “She’s waking up.”

Callan helped Rhys to his feet and then hurried over to Wendy’s side. “Wendy, honey, can you hear me?”

The sound of an approaching vehicle had them all looking up as a black SUV tore up the driveway. It screeched to a stop at the point where the driveway widened. Dane climbed out of the driver’s side and hurried around the front, a black bag in his hand. He ran straight for Wendy.

Finn clamored out of the passenger side, his wide eyes taking in the barn, then finally finding them and Callan saw the relief flood through him.

“Finn, can you get Emma?” Dane shouted and Callan could see Finn was torn between getting to their sides and getting the baby.

“We’re okay, Finn!” Callan yelled, then nodded. Finn hesitated, then opened the backseat of the SUV.

“What happened?” Dane asked as he dropped to his knees next to Wendy. The young woman was waking up but seemed groggy at first. Suddenly she struggled against Dane as he examined her injury.

“Men! There were two men in the barn!” she said in a rush. “I heard them in the hayloft. I started to climb the ladder and then they came down and they hit me and I fell-”

“Shhh, it’s okay Wendy,” Callan said just before a gunshot shattered the air around them.

“Finn!” Callan heard Rhys shout and he turned just in time to see someone jump into to the passenger seat of Dane’s SUV. Finn lay crumpled in the dirt, blood staining his chest. The SUV roared to life and leapt forward.

“Finn!” Callan screamed as he began running, his heart in his throat as he realized Finn wasn’t moving.

“Emma!” Dane suddenly shouted from behind him and Callan realized the baby was still in the car. He made a grab for the door handle as the SUV barreled past him as it was turning in the driveway, but the impact knocked him to the ground.

“Rhys,” he heard Jaxon say calmly as the man stood and pulled both guns from his holster and handed one to Rhys. “Back tires,” he said simply, then raised the gun. The driver of the SUV had managed to get the vehicle turned around and was picking up speed as both Jaxon and Rhys took aim and fired simultaneously. Two loud claps reverberated through the air as the back tires blew out. The vehicle swerved but stayed upright as it veered off the road and came to a jerky halt in the pasture.

Callan ran to Finn and dropped down next to him. “Finn,” he shouted as he shook him hard, then felt for a pulse.

“Emma!” he heard Dane screaming again and saw Jaxon push the vet back and shout at him to stay put. Rhys was already running towards the passenger side of the SUV where the baby’s car seat was. Jaxon was approaching the driver’s side. Jaxon fired two shots into the driver’s side window, shattering the glass with the first bullet, hitting the driver with the second.

“Clear!” Jaxon shouted.

“Clear!” he heard Rhys shout and saw that Rhys had yanked the passenger from the SUV and thrown him to the ground. The man was screaming in fear with his hands above his head.

Callan looked down at Finn and shouted for Dane. The vet looked at him, then the SUV, clearly torn.

“She’s good!” Jaxon shouted as he opened the back door. “She’s safe!” he said, his eyes on Dane. Callan saw relief go through Dane, then he was running towards him and Finn.

“Get his shirt open!” he yelled as he began checking Finn’s vitals. Callan tore his shirt open and froze at the sight of the blood drenching his chest. Rhys dropped down beside him, his hands reaching for Finn’s.

“Jesus,” he heard Rhys whisper. Rhys’ hand closed around his upper arm hard as if looking for an answer that Callan didn’t have.

“Breathing’s labored, but good. Pulse is strong,” Dane murmured as his fingers worked their way over Finn. “Finn, can you hear me?” he said as he pushed the shirt off Finn’s shoulders to reveal a gaping wound just under his collar bone.

“Help me lift him,” he said to Callan and Rhys and they both carefully leaned Finn forward.

“Through and through, that’s good,” Dane said as they lowered Finn back down.

“Callan!” he heard his aunt screaming and looked up to see her running down the driveway from the main house. “Oh my good Lord,” she said as she saw Finn. “I called for help!”

“Cal?”

Everyone snapped their eyes down to Finn whose eyes fluttered open, then closed again as pain lanced through his features.

“Finn, baby, open your eyes,” Rhys pleaded as his fingers skimmed over Finn’s cheeks.

“Finn, talk to us,” Callan whispered.

“Coming home…saw smoke,” he managed to say as his eyes finally opened again and focused on them. “Emma!” he said suddenly and tried to lurch up.

“She’s safe,” Dane said as he glanced up to check on Jaxon who was carefully holding the baby against his chest as he kept his gun trained on the man lying cowering in the dry grass.

“I’m sorry, Dane. I didn’t see them. I tried to get her!”

“It’s okay, Finn. She’s okay,” Dane said as he reached into his bag and pulled out some gauze and pressed it to Finn’s wound. “Hold that there,” he said to Callan.

“Aunt Dolly, can you go check on Wendy?” Callan asked as he motioned to the young woman who was sitting on the edge of the driveway, her hand cradling her head.

“Of course,” Dolly said as she hurried away.

“Who were they?” Finn asked as his eyes drifted to the barn as it began to buckle in on itself as the flames consumed it.

“Deputies Rollins and Hargove,” Rhys said angrily. “Rollins is dead.”

Callan felt rage consume him and he actually started to stand before Rhys grabbed his hand. “Callan, don’t. It’s over.” Rhys was right, but the need to wrap his hands around the scrawny deputy’s neck and wring the life out of him had him shaking. Callan felt Finn grab his hand and he instantly redirected all his attention to the younger man.

“Cal, I’m home on one condition,” Finn said quietly, the word “home” taking away all the fury he was feeling and replacing it with hope.

“Anything,” he said as he leaned down so he could hear Finn better.

“We need to get a bigger bed. You guys take up a lot of fucking room.”

Callan stared at the charred ruins in silence as soft footsteps came up behind him. He turned to see his aunt approaching. She came to a stop next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“You can rebuild it, darling,” she said softly as he draped his arm around her shoulder.

“I can’t do it anymore,” he said quietly. “They’re just going to keep coming for us.”

His aunt patted his back softly. “This town’s been asleep a long time, Callan. They’re just starting to wake up. Give them a chance to finish opening their eyes before you make any big decisions.”

Callan wasn’t so sure. The one thing he was sure of was that he wasn’t going to risk the men he loved again. His eyes drifted to where Rhys was moving Finn’s stuff from his house to Callan’s – well, their house now. He’d ordered the king sized bed he’d promised Finn this morning, though he wasn’t sure how the hell they were going to get it in their room. Their room - God, he liked the sound of that.

“How would you feel about moving somewhere else?” he asked Dolly as he turned to face her. “We might be able to get enough for this place to start over.”

“Unless starting over is in Boca Raton, count me out,” she said with a sly smile as she handed him a sheaf of papers he hadn’t noticed her carrying.

“What is this?” he asked as he skimmed it.

“It’s a transfer for Power of Attorney. It gives me the right to make all decisions for your father’s care and finances. I want you to sign it,” she said as she produced a pen.

“I don’t understand,” he said, completely lost.

“It’s time for you to let him go, Callan. He needs more than either you or I can give him.”

Callan flinched as he realized what she was saying. “You want to put him in a home?”

“It’s a place that helps people like him live as independently as they can,” she countered. “I’m going to be nearby, Callan. I’ll see him every day.”

“Where?” he said.

“I already told you. Boca.”

“Florida?” He couldn’t believe this. “You want to move to Florida?”

“You remember your Uncle Stan’s sister, Regina?” He did, but barely. Dolly’s husband’s side of the family had lived in California and he’d only met them a few times before Stan died and Dolly had moved to Montana to care for his father.

“She lost her husband a few months ago and has asked me to come stay with her for a while. The place your father would be living is only five minutes away and Regina’s daughter runs it.”

“Aunt Dolly, I can help out more,” he began.

Dolly reached up to grab him by the face. “You listen to me, Callan Bale. This has nothing to do with that and you know it. You’re a good man and you’ve made your mama proud with how well you’ve watched out for your father. Carter couldn’t have asked for a better son than if he’d been standing in front of God when he did it.”

Callan felt tears sting his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you too,” he admitted.

“Oh my boy,” she cried as she hugged him. “You won’t.” She pushed back from him and said, “Build a life with your men” as she glanced over at the house. “Whether it’s here or someplace else. As long as you’re together, you’ll always be home.” Callan squeezed her until she squeaked, then she held out the pen expectantly. His hand shook as he signed, but in his heart he knew it was the right thing.

“Now give me a dollar,” she said as she took the pen and papers back, then held out her hand.

Since arguing with Dolly rarely worked out well for him, he fished a dollar from his wallet and handed it to her. “Congratulations, you just bought yourself a ranch,” she said. “I’ve got some cookies cooling up at the house. Finn’s favorite,” she called over her shoulder as she waved to Rhys as she walked past their house and began the trek back up the driveway.

He looked back at the burned out barn, then headed for the house. His family had some decisions to make.

***

“Careful with that.”

Rhys cast a dark look at Finn as he sat comfortably in the porch swing while Rhys carried Finn’s hulking TV into the house. He dropped the thing on the kitchen table, then grabbed a couple bottles of water from the fridge and went back outside to sit next to Finn.

“Why do you need the damn thing?” he muttered as he handed one of the bottles to Finn and took a long drink from his own. “Callan’s already got a TV that was actually built in this decade.”

“Thought it might be nice to have a TV in the bedroom,” Finn said with a shrug, wincing slightly as he jolted the arm that was still in a sling.

Rhys reached down and let his lips hover over Finn’s. “Baby, I can guarantee you that you are never going to have time to watch that TV while you’re in bed.” He covered Finn’s mouth with his and groaned when Finn instantly opened for him. It had been too fucking long. Less than twenty-fours ago he’d nearly lost all of this.

Finn moaned and Rhys felt an arm lock around his neck. But then Finn grunted in pain and Rhys pulled back. He dropped his forehead against Finn’s. “I suppose maybe you will be able to watch TV in bed for a while. At least till that comes off,” he said as he glanced at the sling.

“Or I could watch you and Cal instead,” Finn suggested.

Rhys’ body responded instantly to the other man’s comment and a whole slideshow of images flashed through his mind. The sound of boots on the porch stairs was a blessed distraction. He leaned back against the swing and put his arm around Finn’s shoulders, careful not to touch his injury.

“You okay?” he asked Callan as the other man leaned across from them against the porch railing. Rhys handed him his water. It had been a long twenty-four hours since the fire and shooting. Rhys had spent much of it at the hospital with Finn who’d been admitted for observation, along with Wendy who’d ended up with a concussion while Callan had stayed at the ranch to wrangle up the horses that had scattered all over the property.

Sheriff Granger had arrived within a matter of hours to question Rhys about Rollins and Hargrove, who it turned out had been fired after the incident with his drug screening at the station. Rhys had felt sorry for the sheriff who was clearly wracked with guilt that the men had come after them as a result. Hargrove had admitted that he and Rollins had been the ones cutting fences and even poisoning the water supply that had killed so many of Callan’s herd. Although it had been Rollins who’d shot Finn, it was Hargrove alone who would be spending the foreseeable future behind bars. Jaxon’s bullet to Rollins’ brain had seen to that.

“Dolly’s taking my father to Florida. She found a place that can take care of him and she’s going to move in with her sister-in-law. The ranch is ours,” he said.

Finn stood and put his arms around Callan. “I’m sorry, Cal. I know how much she means to you.” Callan held Finn close and dropped his chin on the other man’s head.

“We need to make a decision about what to do with the place,” Callan said. “We’re not going to hide, but I don’t want us to keep having to look over our shoulders either.”

Rhys remained silent as did Finn.

“We could leave,” Callan said. “Go someplace where people don’t give a shit about what we are to each other.”

“Is there such a place?” Rhys asked.

Callan stroked his hand up and down Finn’s back as he fell quiet. Rhys wanted to laugh at how things had changed since his first day when he’d arrived at the ranch. He’d hated everything about the place the second he’d set foot on it, but now he couldn’t imagine a life anywhere else. He looked up to make sure he had Callan’s attention. “Callan, we’ll follow you anywhere, but this is your home.”

Callan shook his head. “This is just a place. My home is with you.”

***

Finn closed his eyes as Cal’s fingers kept moving up and down his back. The pain pills the doctor had prescribed for him had taken the edge off, but they had nothing on what Rhys and Cal were making him feel. Had it really only been three days since Cal stalked onto Dane’s property, kissed the shit out of him and then told him he loved him and Rhys too? Part of him had wanted to run after the truck as it sped away that day, but the effect of Cal’s betrayal had lingered and he’d spent three days torturing himself both for wondering if he should take the men back and waiting so damn long to do it.

Dane had stood quietly in the wings as Finn waffled back and forth, but the instant he said he was ready to go home, Dane had packed up Emma within minutes and they’d been on their way. It had been Dane who noticed the cloud of smoke first and by the time they reached the barn, a wall of orange flame had been shooting high into the sky. The fear that had overcome him at not knowing the fate of his men had been amplified by the undeniable regret that he’d waited too long. The sight of Rhys and Cal alive and well had stolen the breath from him and he’d actually struggled with Dane’s request to get Emma out of the car, his need to touch his men that strong. After that there had been an explosion of sound and searing pain as he was hurtled backwards into the dirt. Then everything had gone dark.

“You okay?” Cal asked him and Finn knew the other man must have felt the shudder that had run through him. He nodded. “What do you think we should do?” Cal asked him.

Finn reveled at the way Cal said “we.” He sighed and pulled back from Cal, then kissed him. “I love you,” he said. Cal smiled and a look of peace came over him that Finn hadn’t seen since the night the three of them had made love. “Rhys?” he said as he dropped his head back against Cal’s chest, his body suddenly feeling weary as the pain medication began to draw him further under.

“Yeah, baby?” Rhys said, his big body settling at Finn’s back, enveloping him in warmth.

“I love you.”

“I know. I love you too.” Lips caressed his temple as a set of hands closed around his waist. “Why don’t you go lay down for a bit?” Rhys murmured in his ear.

Finn was about to say yes when his eyes caught on something on the horizon. Vehicle after vehicle was headed up the driveway. Finn smiled as he realized what he was seeing. “I can’t. We have guests,” he said softly.

“What the hell?” he heard Rhys say behind him. Cal shifted to look over his shoulder, but didn’t release Finn, obviously not caring who saw the three of them wrapped around one another.

Truck after truck laden with lumber pulled up in front of the scorched pile of wood where the barn had sat. Finn saw Wendy climb out of her little sedan along with several other people and she waved at him. Sheriff Granger’s patrol car pulled up and the man, dressed in everyday clothes, got out and started directing people. Mrs. Greene appeared and began arguing with the sheriff.

A black sedan trailed at the end of the caravan and Finn saw Dane get out and pull Emma out of the back seat. He recognized the guy with Dane as Jaxon Reid and the heated look that passed between the two men made Finn wonder what was going on with his new friend and the mysterious man who’d given Rhys his freedom back.

“It’s a barn raising party,” Cal said in disbelief.

“A what?” Rhys asked.

Finn pulled back from Cal and smiled as he watched the crowd of people start throwing debris into a huge trailer attached to a pick-up truck. “They’re rebuilding our barn,” Finn said. He looked up at Cal and Rhys who were both standing in stunned silence at the sight. He stepped past them and said, “Come on, let’s go welcome our neighbors.”

Cal and Rhys caught up to him by the time he reached the bottom of the porch stairs and he smiled when Cal’s fingers twined with his and Rhys’ arm carefully settled around his shoulders. It felt good to finally be home.