22. Crew

22

Crew

" I t's too quiet," Ford shifts uncomfortably beside me with his gun propped between his knees, the old cowboy hat he always wears is tugged down over his brows. The truck's engine was off as we watched the cabin, waiting for any sign of Tommy or Ash.

"Back room lights are on." Bode says and points from the back seat as Cam's voice crackles over the radio.

Before we pulled up to the house he made the decision to sit back on the highway in his patrol car. As much as he wanted to be there, watching our backs, I couldn't and wouldn't risk everything he's worked for.

"Road's blocked, don't make it messy."

Ford grumbles and pushes his wide brim cowboy hat down over his eyes even further with the palm of his hand before climbing from the truck and moving west of the long, shabby cabin. Darkness had set over the grassy hills and the town had long gone quiet when we'd rolled up. Luckily there weren't many folks that lived out this far. Tommy had made one mistake. Seclusion.

The siding on the cabin was cracked and damaged, soaked in dirt, mold and moss. It's a wonder the house is still standing. A few years back it was raided, and it hadn't been the first time. This location is a known criminal hangout. Tommy's more of an idiot then I expected, bringing Ash up here.

Unless he wants to be found. The idea churns in the pit of my stomach.

"Watch for surprises," I warn Bode, who takes up my rear.

Out of the three of us, he has the least training but he's a quick learner as his gun sweeps across a dirty window checking for bodies inside the dark room on the other side.

His steps are light and quick as I take a more head on approach to getting inside. It would take a lot more than Tommy to stop me from getting Ash back.

"That's trouble." Bode points to the unlocked gun locker against the back wall It's a surprise the thing is even there, let alone stocked. We have no idea what they're equipped with inside.

"Ford," the radio crackled, "we got an open gun locker, be careful," Bode instructed, before shoving the radio back on his belt loop.

Cammy had told Logan channel three; we were operating on channel seven.

She needs to feel involved without being scared to death with constant updates.

I need to right this wrong.

Logically I know that Tommy going off script and taking Ash isn't my fault but there's that little voice in my head that tumbles around with the notions of what if. What if I hadn't hit him that night? What if I had just left well enough alone? What if I had stayed away from Logan?

At the thought of her my heart squeezes uncomfortably beneath the tight Kevlar vest. It beats too quickly and it's clear that staying away from Logan Shepard has never been an option.

I need her like my lungs need air to breathe, like the grass needs rain to grow, and like the moon needs the sun to rise each morning.

"Crew." Bode snaps me from my thoughts and looks down the barrel to where Ash is curled up on the couch with a terrified look in his eyes. "No eyes on Tommy."

"He's in the back room," Ford cracks over the radio. "Three voices, all male."

The look on Ash's face tells me everything I need to know. Tommy doesn't give a shit if it's Logan or his son. He'll hurt whoever he can to get what he wants. This is about punishment. Tommy's pissed off that Logan isn't scared of him any more. He can't stand that she's out from beneath his boot.

"What's the plan?" Bode hisses as he looks from me to Ash.

"Ford, can you see Ash from the backroom?" I say over the walkie as I stop at the rotted wooden door.

It feels like the moment stretches forever before he responds with, "no."

"Stay put, light up the stragglers."

"Copy."

I look at Bode knowing we have one shot to get this right without Ash or my brothers getting hurt. "I'm going in. You stay here, I'm going to get Ash to you."

Bode nods and I grab onto the collar of his vest. "You haul ass back to the truck Bode. Throw him over your shoulder if you have to, but don't stop until you get him to Cammy."

"I ain't leavin' you and Ford." His big blue eyes glisten with discontent.

"You will do what I tell you to do. Ash comes first."

I can tell he wants to argue. He gets that same look in his eye Logan does when I can tell he wants to say something. This time, he doesn't. Bode nods once more and plants his back to the side of the front door and waits.

Carefully I open the door, slow enough that it doesn't make a sound, and just enough that I can fit my head through and check around it in case there was anyone else we missed. As soon as I see Ash, I push the door open further. His cheeks are red and tear-stained and he's curled his knees into the Spiderman jacket he always wears.

"Ash," I whisper, trying to get his attention without drawing out the other men.

Tiny stormy blue eyes flick to me instantly and go wide. I put my finger up to my lips to tell him to be quiet and motion for him to come to me. Those little brows furrow together as if he's not sure if he can trust moving at all.

"It's okay buddy, come on."

He peeks back at the hallway that I assume leads to the back room before slowly climbing off of the bullet laden couch. The moment his feet hit the dirty wooden floor he sprints to me and I crouch to meet him. His arms wrap around my neck and I swear I hear a quiet sob come from him.

Without wasting any time I lift him into my arms. "You're okay Ash," I whisper against his cheek. The words are thready and strained as I force myself to keep my swirling emotions at bay.

"Daddy said we were going away," he says into my neck before lifting his head, "I didn't want to go without mama."

"You aren't going anywhere, kiddo." It's a promise I'll keep for as long as he's in my life because even getting him back to Logan, I'm still unsure if she'll hate me.

The walkie on my vest crackles with Ford's voice.

"Incoming." Is all the warning I get before Tommy enters, along with two other men I recognize from Devil's Backbone. A dingy bar that seems to collect men like these ones and rodeo clowns, including Bode's brother. The first of them circles around and leans against the crumbling counter in his jean vest and bandana. His dirty brown hair curling behind his ears and a nasty scowl on his face. His eyes unfocused a little as he stares and his foot slips over an empty beer can.

"Well now, look at ole Crew Cassidy tryin' to play hero!" Tommy's arms open wide and at the sound of his voice Ash tenses in my arms. His face is dark with bruises and his broken nose is braced on either side. A sick satisfaction washes over me seeing him like that. "You think you can just waltz right in here and take my son?"

"That was the plan." My voice is even and my eyes are focused on Tommy. I see the glimpse of Ford's hat flicker under the window and square my shoulders, keeping Ash close to me. The second stranger stands close to Tommy. His fiery red hair is tucked under a dirty frayed cowboy hat and his arms are covered in track marks. I recognize him from the trailer park. Always high and beating up on his sister. The advantage is clear because neither men are in any condition for a gun fight.

"Pretty stupid fucking plan if you ask me." The two other men reach behind themselves and in a flash I have two pistols pointed right at me and too close to Ash.

"Out of the five of us here, Henry, the only stupid one is you."

The red head laughs.

"You ain't leaving here with my boy," he snaps. "That bitch ain't getting her son back either!"

That familiar anger starts to ignite in my chest, extinguishing any other emotion I had floating around.

"You remember what happened the last time you called her that?" I warn.

"You're out gunned, Cassidy. I'll call that stupid whore whatever I want."

"I won't tell you again."

Tommy takes a step towards me and I match his step but backwards, the floor creaking beneath my weight. We repeat this until I can see Bode out of the corner of my eye, crouched next to the doorway and ready to run.

"I'm going to put you down, Ash, and I want you to run to Bode." I swallow hard because the number of things that can go wrong the moment I let him go far outweighs the good ones. "He'll get you to your mama okay? You see him just there in the door?"

"What the hell are you saying to him!" Tommy yells as I turn my back towards the door so he can look over my shoulder.

I feel him nod.

"Ash! You let him go and get your ass over here." Threat after threat starts to fly from Tommy's mouth the muscles in his neck strain and his cheek flush red with anger. My vision begins to turn red on the edges with each piece of shit he spews. Vile, evil shit that makes me wonder how such a good, kind kid could have come from Tommy Henry.

But then I remember his Mama.

I let Ash go, sliding him down my body. "Fast as you can."

Turning my back to Tommy, I shield Ash from the small space between us and the door so he can get out. The gunshot rings in my ear and I feel the burn across my bicep as Ash crosses the threshold into Bode's arms. As long as he gets out.

"Get back here Ash!"

Tommy marches towards the door with his gun raised and before he can get sight of Ash, I spin and snatch him by the collar again only this time I don't wait to toss him back. He hits the opposite wall with a thud, his gun firing off again but this time into the ceiling as his two buddies storm towards me.

The sound of a shotgun fires between the four of us as Ford lets off a warning shot from outside, shattering the window and freezes the men in their tracks.

Reaching for my own gun from my waistband I watch them both trying to decide if it's worth fighting their way out of here. It's not. They'll both be flat on the ground before they even reach the door.

"I suggest that if you two want to make it out of here alive, you drop your weapons and leave."

The idiot in the vest narrows his eyes at me and squares his shoulders like he doesn't believe me. "You think you can get past us?"

"I already have the kid." I grin. "Now I'm just proving a point."

The smile falls from my face and I wing him in the shoulder with my pistol. He stumbles back with a howl and drops his gun. "What the fuck?!"

The second man tosses his weapon at my feet. "Henry ain't worth dyin' over, man."

"Get the fuck out of here." My last and final warning.

He grabs the man still groaning and trying his best to stop the blood pouring from his shoulder, tugging him past me. The only way in and out of this place is the road Cam blocked off and knowing that they'll have to get past him gives me a sick sense of satisfaction.

I turn my attention back to Tommy, who's clambering up from the ground searching for his own gun.

"I wouldn't do that, Henry."

He spins to look at me with nothing but pure venom in his eyes. "You think you can just take my kid, play that whore's white knight and I won't come after you?"

"I know you won't come after me."

Tommy tilts his head like a dog trying to figure out what my words mean. His hands ball at his side and I know the signs of a man preparing to fight. I shove the gun back in my pants and swing.

Tommy hits the wall hard but stays on his feet ready for the fight. I admire his confidence but I'm twice his size and when he takes his turn to throw a punch he drives hard and misses me completely.

I step forward, pulling my left leg back and strike. My boot slams into Tommy's knee with a loud crunch. He yelps, stumbling forward on his other knee, his head drops. I grab the back of it, fingers laced into his greasy hair and force his face downward as I ram my knee upward into his face. He curls in on himself, blood dripping from his broken nose and spit a clump of blood to his left as he pushes off the floor.

It's almost admirable as he squares up again.

"Because if you have any love for your boy in that putrid heart of yours, you'll leave. Tonight. And you won't ever come back to this town."

He stares at me for a moment before a loud cackle leaves him, teeth stained pink from the blood that pools around his lips. "I knew Logan had a decent pussy but, man, it ain't that great."

My fingers itch at the gun in my waistband.

"That whore will force you to stray just like she did me and trust me she ain't worth all this. No matter how much she tried to change, she's still some no-good, white trash just like her dad—"

Before he can finish I fire. The room fills with the sound of his body hitting the old wooden floor and the smell of black powder and copper. Stepping over him I kick the gun near his hand away. "I told her I'd kill you."

I stare at him for a long moment until I hear the thud of Ford's boots on the porch.

"Don't." I chance a look over to him.

He shakes his head. "Wasn't gonna, you were protecting the ranch." Our eyes meet and I nod, a silent thank you passing between us as Ford's eyes flick down to my arm where my sleeve is soaked with blood. "You good?"

I glance down at it. Tommy's shot grazed my arm but if he would have missed even by an inch, Logan would have very well been childless. "Ash?"

"With Cam on their way back to the ranch."

I nod and glance back down at Tommy.

Any ounce of soul he had left in his eyes is gone. The satisfaction I thought I'd feel lifting this weight off of Logan's shoulders for her isn't there. On one hand, she won't have to worry about Tommy's abuse anymore. On the other she might suffer the blow back from what I've done tonight.

"He had it coming," Ford finally says, breaking the tension.

It's the closest thing to I was wrong , that I'll ever get and I'm fine with that.

"Where's Bode?" I ask.

"He handed Ash off and went after the other two. Wanted to make sure they were tucked safe for the Sheriff for later. It's over Crew."

I look up at him and shake my head. "It's far from over."