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Keane and I tied up our horses, as did the others, then worked our way through the trees to our cabin.
When we got close enough to catch a glimpse of our home, I had to stop myself from crying out. Next to me, Keane swore then immediately silenced himself.
Lily, our sweet Lily, was tied to the porch of our cabin. And that man she used to work for walked around her, sprinkling something around her feet.
Fucking hell. Did he intend to set her on fire? What the fuck was wrong with him?
Once he emptied the can, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He was too far away for me to see what it was.
But, the next instant he struck it across the post near Lily’s head, the flame at the tip visible from a distance. A match!
Keane reached for his gun. I put my hand on his arm to stop him. "If you shoot him and he falls, that match will start a fire before we can get there to save Lily," I hissed.
"You go and get him talking, stall him. I’ll take care of the rest." His gaze held mine for a long moment. Of all the things we’d been through in our lives together, nothing was more significant than the next few moments.
We didn’t dare shoot into the air to call the others back to help. It would alert the lunatic who had our Lily captive that we were nearby.
Keane took off through the woods. I’d have liked to give him a few minutes to get into position, but we didn’t have any time to spare. I strode into the clearing in front of our cabin.
"You there," I called. "What do you think you’re doing?"
"Rye!" Lily cried out. Her voice was strained, and every cell in my body yearned to rush to her, but until the threat to her was neutralized, it was too dangerous. I kept my gaze on the flame on the end of the match.
It was only a matter of seconds before the flame would reach his fingertips, and he’d throw it for sure then.
I stared as it burned.
"I’m going to set this Jezebel on fire. Burn away her sin and the sin of everyone here." He held the match close to her face. So close I feared her hair would catch fire.
Lily blew it out.
I nearly laughed. Good girl.
"Bitch." He slapped her across the face then struck another match, holding it out in my direction. "See this? This will be the end of all of you. Fire purifies."
A shot rang out.
The match extinguished.
Before Lily’s captor could strike another, I dove for him and took him to the ground, pummeling his face with my fists.
"Rye! Stop!" Lily’s voice reached me through the red haze of my fury, and I paused to look at her. Keane leapt onto the porch and worked at the ropes on her wrists. The other Bridgewater men surrounded us, and I left her former employer for them to deal with as a I ran to Lily.
LILY
* * *
My
whole body quaked, and I collapsed into the arms of Rye and Keane. "Tighter," I cried. "I can’t feel you."
"Hush, kitten. We’ve got you." Keane’s deep voice rumbled over me like a warm blanket.
In a rush, I was inside, crushed between my two men who were peppering me with questions.
"Are you hurt?"
"What did he do to you?"
