Dominic was right, and Riley knew damn well just how fast a woman could turn on them.
The tablet next to Law chirped, and all three heads snapped toward the device.
“Is that our security system?” Dominic asked.
“Stay calm.” Law was always cool under pressure. “None of the locals know we’re here. Riley, you deal with this thing.”
He took the tablet from his brother’s hand. Well, thankfully they still needed him for something.
Mind racing and fingers flying, Riley tapped in the passcode. He’d modified the tablet to meet their needs, connecting it to the wide band of security cameras he’d placed throughout the house. They all fed into Riley’s computer, which then communicated with the tablet.
He moved swiftly through the protocols and discerned the issue. “Someone tripped one of my motion detectors on the west side of the house. Probably an animal.”
There was always something walking around the grounds since the forest wasn’t far away.
“Or Butch, I let him out a couple of minutes ago. He’s been scratching at Kinley’s door all morning.” Dominic leaned in, looking at the screen. “Can you bring up the cameras? Kinley’s room is on the west side. I just want to be sure…”
He quickly brought up the perimeter camera. “What the hell is that?”
Dominic squinted, his brow furrowing as he peered at an unfamiliar, out-of-place brown square on the grass, visible on the tablet screen. “I think that’s one of her roller bags.”
Another item dropped, hitting the roller bag, then listed to the side.
“Is that her purse? How is she getting out?” Law demanded.
Riley forced himself to remember every inch of the suite they’d put her in. He’d checked it over himself. And then he remembered… “Shit. The bathroom window!”
When the owners of the house, the James brothers, had given them a tour, their wife Hannah had mentioned they’d had the window specially placed there. It had come from her great grandmother’s home. Hannah had wanted a piece of her history here, so her men had made it happen. Because it wasn’t hurricane glass, it actually opened. And Kinley had figured that out.
“That window is supposed to be decorative. It’s eight feet up,” Riley said.
The biggest grin lit up Law’s face. “Damn, she’s resourceful. I appreciate that in a woman. How is she going to get the dog down?”
Gigi’s body came into the frame, her eyes bugging out and those little paws shaking as she was lowered down.
“Did she tie a sheet around the rat thing?” Dominic asked.
“Don’t talk bad about your dog’s baby mama. Oh, look she’s got her bow back on straight.” Law didn’t seem upset that their prisoner was attempting escape.
The minute the dog hit the ground, Butch came into view as though he’d been sitting just outside the camera’s edge, waiting for his true love.
As Butch rather clumsily attempted to mount Gigi, Dominic cursed. “Goddamn it. I’m going to get his ass fixed.”
“I don’t think his ass needs fixing. His dick on the other hand seems really interested in Gigi. Aw, look. He’s frustrated. He can’t get it in there with that sheet wrapped around her.”
“Well, aren’t you a fucking comedian?” Dominic groused.
Law sent him a deprecating shrug, then shot to his feet with a frown. “Damn it, how is Kinley planning on getting out? That window is too high. She’s going to break her neck. I’ve got to stop her.”
“Wait.” Dominic stayed Law with a tap on the arm. “Would you look at that? I’ve got to hand it to her.”
“How did she manage to not only get herself through that window, but fashion a rope from the rest of the bed sheets?” Riley was stunned. “Shit! She’s rappelling down the side of the house in heels.”
She was trying to run away from her kidnappers in stilettos. Riley couldn’t see their color on the black and white feed, but he imagined them as fire engine red. And damn, he couldn’t focus on anything but those heels. They would make her legs look a million miles long as he spread her wide for his cock. Well, when someone else did all that. He wasn’t touching her.
“Yeah, and look at that ass in those jeans. Damn.” Law sighed and adjusted his fly.
His brother was right.
On the screen, Kinley hit the ground and immediately tried shooing Butch away from Gigi. She scooped her dog up, but Butch just barked happily like it was all a game. They could hear the commotion coming from around the side of the house.
“Be quiet,” Kinley hissed in a whisper that he heard clear as a bell. “Nice dog. Hush. Go find your master.”
Dominic groaned. “Does she know what that word does to my cock? Fuck, yeah, I could master her.”
Riley had kind of thought the same. Except he refused to be led around by his dick like the dog and his brothers by some female destined to leave them. He was too smart for that. “Are either one of you going to stop her?”
Dominic and Law just stared at the tablet like it held all the secrets of the world.
“Soon. I want to see what she’s going to do. I’m at a complete loss with this girl,” Dominic admitted.
“She’s going to get away,” Riley pointed out.
“Dude, she can’t even get rid of Butch. I doubt she’s going to make it very far, especially in those heels. They’re sexy but fucking impractical.” Law pointed to the screen where she was shoving Gigi into her oversized purse and pulling at her roller bag as she pleaded with Butch to stay. “Do you see her trekking miles to civilization in those shoes?”
“And that’s if she even knows where to go.” Dominic started around the end of the porch. “But it looks like she’s trying to head north. Why is she going toward the forest?”
Riley followed him with Law trailing after. “Maybe she just wants to find cover.”
Law snorted. “She should want to find a road. I don’t think she really believes she’s in Alaska. I bet she thinks she’ll walk a mile or two and find a town.”
“We’re not going to let her get that far, right?” Riley prompted.
Kinley wouldn’t do well out in the wilderness. She would be all alone, and he’d bet she had zero outdoor skills, like starting a fire or building shelter, much less knowing what plants were safe to eat. In fact, she might have negative skills since she seemed to think that her heels were proper footwear for mountainous terrain.
Law left the porch as she hobbled to the side of the house, giving them a clear line of sight. Kinley shoved her hair aside with one hand and tried to shoo Butch using her roller bag with the other.
“Nah, I just want to see how far she’ll go before she runs back here,” Law said finally. “She’s being impulsive. She does this a lot. In the end, she’s always sensible. Trust me.”
Law was the subject matter expert when it came to Kinley Kohl. Just as he said the words, she stopped, and Riley watched as her shoulders rolled and she drew in a deep breath. She seemed to be having an argument with herself.
“See, Kinley is telling herself that she’s being stubborn,” Law explained. “She did the same thing when she went to the spa to get a bikini wax earlier this week. She stood outside that damn building for twenty minutes telling herself that she was being dumb and that most women didn’t shape their pubic hair into a style. Finally, she made the right decision and got a full Brazilian.”
“How the hell do you know that?”
“I listened in on her conversation with Annabelle,” Law explained. “There’s a coffee shop right next door. She sat down at one of the tables. I was beside her. At first, I was pissy that she waxed for that douchebag, but then I didn’t care why her pussy was soft and ready to eat. I just appreciated that it was. She might have been thinking of him when she did it, but I’ll be the one reaping the reward. Oh, look, she’s not ready to make the right call yet.”
She started walking again. Butch was still following along, but now Gigi had decided she wanted dick more than designer luggage since she was trying to climb free of her carrier.
Kinley’s blonde hair bounced with every wobbling step she took. Heels in soft earth just didn’t make a stride easy. She’d put on a sweater, but it didn’t cover her ass. That luscious, gorgeous backside swayed, and Riley couldn’t seem to pry his stare from her juicy cheeks. That was an ass made for a man’s hands. The rhinestones all over her butt glittered in the sun, a veritable Get It Here sign right across her tush.
She turned slightly as though she felt eyes on her, but she didn’t see them under the shadow of the porch.
God, she was an adorable bundle of chaos, Riley admitted. Definitely not someone who overthought everything, the way he tended to. Kinley lit up a room with just her smile. She fucking glowed. Okay, so she was naïve and didn’t always make the most rational choices when she let her emotions rule. Because she used her heart far more than her head.
Riley stared with a thoughtful sigh. She needed a man. Or two. Or three.
Damn, but she was getting to him.
“Oh, shit.” Dominic pointed to the edge of the tree line where the forest started ahead.
A massive moose lumbered along. Kinley focused on Butch barking behind her.
“Kinley! Baby, watch out!” Law yelled as he jogged toward her.
Butch started growling at the moose. Kinley finally turned around—and her whole body went rigid. She gasped.
“It won’t hurt you!” Law yelled.
It wouldn’t charge her, but it might kick her if she got too close.
“It’s an herbivore!” Dominic promised, laughing. It had been months and months since Riley had seen Dominic even crack a smile. “Do you think the moose likes designer luggage?”
Kinley let out a little scream, then turned and staggered as fast as her heels would take her. She didn’t just run from the moose. She darted straight toward Law, dumping everything on the ground except Gigi and her carrier, then practically jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around him.
Law’s whole body shook with the force of his laughter, but he held her like he meant to protect her, no matter what. He didn’t even seem to mind that Gigi’s head poked out of the purse and that she seemed intent on licking every inch of his arm.
“Law is in love with her,” Riley muttered. “Fuck.”
“Yeah.” Dominic sobered. “And Law’s only going to fall once. If this doesn’t work out, he’ll mourn her for the rest of his life. I can’t fix it, man. If this was another time, another place, I would be all in. I like her. She’s a little impractical and stubborn at times, but she’s also loyal and so damn sweet that I almost can’t help myself.”
“But we have to help ourselves because this isn’t going to end well.” Riley couldn’t stand the thought of his brothers being hurt. But unless Law changed course, it was inevitable. And if Dominic hopped on the bandwagon, too…shit.
And Riley hated the ache that split his chest as he watched Law turn and head back to the house, still carrying Kinley. His brother’s face was completely open and happy. She said something, looking both terrified and animated. Law howled again, then leaned in to brush his lips against hers. She met him halfway. When the kiss was over, she didn’t try to retreat, but simply buried her face in his neck and held on.
“You’re right. It probably won’t end well,” Dominic admitted, his prior joy draining from his face. “But I think you should be ready to let Law make his own mistakes. If she wants him, then let him be happy for however long it lasts. Not every woman plays with a man like Simone,” he reminded. “I’m going to go grab her bags before the moose decides to take a dump on them. We need to get a lock on that window.”
“There’s so much nature, Law. It’s everywhere!” Kinley insisted as Law carried her to the porch. “Why is there so much of it?”
“It’s Alaska, baby. Nature is a big selling point here. No one comes to this part of the world expecting a Neiman’s around the corner.” Law glanced his way. “I’m going to sit her down and feed her some breakfast. Do you want anything?”
Riley didn’t want food. He was shocked to realize that, deep down, he wanted to feel the way Law felt now. Some dangerously yearning spot inside him railed that she didn’t cling to him—or even look his way. He wanted to know her, feel like he had a place beside her.
He had to stop thinking this shit.
“No. I’ve got some work to do. Come on, Butch. Let’s go look at that window.”
The dog utterly ignored him, following Law, Kinley, and Gigi inside.
Everyone had a crush it seemed.
He watched through the window as Law sat Kinley at the table and poured her a cup of coffee. She peeked at Law from beneath her lashes and bit her lower lip, her eyes downcast until he handed her the mug. Then her brilliant smile damn near lit up the whole house.