AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Through the open doorway, she spotted her brother Chase staring at one of her pictures. She could barely hear what was being said, but she saw Jack come stand behind him and heard his soft voice say, “Your sister is amazing.”
Chase’s head bobbed. “Yeah, I think I’m starting to get it.” Chase turned to Jack and extended his hand. “I’m really sorry about how I behaved.”
“No need. Had I been in your shoes I would have reacted the same, maybe worse.”
For a second Siobhan forgot about the photos she was taking, about the sandwich board on the sidewalk, her name—Siobhan Baron, Photographer—on the sign, her photos on the walls inside, and the show that would be starting in only another hour or so. All she could think about was how much she loved the two men now laughing inside at who knew what.
Her gaze frozen on the unfolding scene inside, the camera rested on her chest. The weight of it something she’d become accustom to. Like an extension of who she was.
Plenty of people had been walking along the sidewalk, but all had steered clear of her as she’d been snapping away. Except one man who bumped into her, almost knocking her off her feet. Instinctively, her fingers tightened on the camera seconds before the strap pressed hard against the back of her neck.
Her gaze dropped to the camera and the beefy fingers folded around the sides, yanking it away from her. Spinning around and practically slamming into another man in her vain effort to escape Beefy Fingers, her mouth fell open about to yell at the inconsiderate oaf when her gaze landed on the second man’s face.
“You sure this is it?”
“I’m not sure of anything. It’s a camera and she’s using it so this has to be it.”
Again her mouth opened, only this time a strong arm pulled her hard against a wall of human flesh as another hand slammed over her mouth. Her muffled moan barely coming through.
“Keep your mouth shut and you won’t get hurt.”
Through his tight grip, she somehow managed to nod. A whole different kind of panic seized her. This was the face she’d photographed. Who the heck were these guys, and more frighteningly, what did they want with her?
“Rather bold tie for you, isn’t it?” Chase tipped his head at Jack as if that would dull the bright colored tie.
“Siobhan talked me into it.”
Lips pressed tightly together, Chase nodded as he stared at the tie, then looked up at Jack. “You’re really serious about all this, aren’t you?”
He bobbed his head and resisted the urge to respond with the old come back as a heart attack.
Chase blew out a small sigh and gave a curt nod. “Okay. Maybe I get it.” Then he turned and walked away without another word, leaving Jack staring after his back.
Had anyone asked Jack even an hour ago if he thought the Baron brothers would be coming around to accepting him with Siobhan, he would have thought no way. When he descended on the ranch after the break in, Kyle had actually told Jack to back off and stay away. Only the Governor’s intervention that night had convinced Kyle to not break both of Jack’s legs. Then there was Mitch. The sensible one, who had the audacity to ask Jack what would it cost to make him go away. That particular little conversation had him so dumfounded, he didn’t think the Governor’s or Eve’s efforts would be enough to bring Mitch back to reality, and yet, somehow, all the brothers had been less volatile the last week. Yes, they’d been surprisingly civil. No sneers, no muttering, no more bribes, but no one seemed truly at ease with the idea of him dating their baby sister. Until now.
“Oh my God!” Paige’s voice shouted from the back of the gallery by the temporary bar.
Every head in the room turned, following the direction of her finger. A collective gasp could be heard as each person registered what they were watching. Two men hovered around Siobhan, one tugging at her camera, the other walking away backwards from the gallery with Siobhan clamped tightly in his arms, his hand over her mouth. It took a second, but he’d recognized the man as one of the two men in the park that day. Damn it! He should have been more careful.
Acid churned in Jack’s stomach and rose to the back of his mouth as he turned and raced across the gallery, Chase on his heels.
Paige already had her phone open and her voice, several nervous octaves higher than usual, was shouting at the person on the other end, “My sister is being kidnapped!”
Kidnapped. Already out of the line of sight from inside the gallery, Jack’s heart nearly stopped at the thought of what those two hoodlums might do to her. He had to get to her in time. Bolting out the door, he could hear footsteps stomping after him.
Sheer panic, mixed with something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, danced in Siobhan’s eyes.
“Let her go!” he shouted as loud as he could, hoping to startle the men into letting go, or like they’d done in the park, walking away. Only this time, he hoped the police Paige had called arrived in time to catch them.
“All we want is the camera and no one will get hurt,” the man with his filthy hands all over Siobhan spat at him.
“Fine. Let her go.”
Now Chase stood beside him, his fists clenched at his side.
Jack had to wonder if these men even knew Siobhan was a Baron. If they’d been the same ones to break into the house, they had to. Either way he needed to stop them.
Neither of the two men seemed to notice the red sports car that had pulled up and parked a few feet away from them. Jack had never been happier to see Kyle in his entire life. Now if only Kyle figured out what was happening before the men realized they were outnumbered.
