Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

A very flew them straight down the Colorado River headed for the site that Zara and Finn had chosen for their wedding, the famed Phantom Ranch on the floor of the Grand Canyon. It would be an intimate, all-day event with Willa and her team supplying the food.

“There they are!” called Zara, pointing to the three women, mounted on two horses and one mule. They’d obviously thought ahead. They also had two extra saddled horses with them.

“Why is it I don’t think we’re going to talk about campfires and ceremony sites?” laughed Avery as she touched down in a clearing.

“Because you’re a bright girl… although, depending on your night last night, maybe a horseback ride in the canyon isn’t high on your list of enjoyable activities. Seriously, we just thought it would be fun for the five of us to meander along the river.”

A not-so subtle squirm on her seat told Avery everything she wanted to know about how comfortable bumping along on a hard saddle was going to be. “I think I’ll be fine right here…”

“We can stay here,” Zara soothed, reading the reluctance in her tone. “I’ll tell them it’s me. Trust me, Finn especially will have no problem believing I’d pissed Noah off to the point where riding a horse is not my idea of a good time.”

The last thing Avery wanted to be was the reason all her friends bowed out of their most favorite activity. Still, the things she had to admit were awfully personal. “I am among friends… right?”

Pausing in the midst of unbuckling herself from the chopper, Zara reached over to touch her hand. “You know you are. But more than that, not one of us is hooked up to some nice, easygoing special ops guy. There isn’t a man in this company who doesn’t believe that part of how they show their love and devotion is keeping his woman safe and happy. And when she doesn’t go along with it, none of them would think twice about turning their girl’s backside bright red before he gets between her legs and makes her cry uncle.”

“Actually, Thom likes Daddy… so do I,” Avery said. “Surprised though I am to admit it.”

Zara shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that. Come on, let’s go be footloose and fancy free. Depending on how bad the next few months get, it might be a while before we get another chance.”

“Hey, you two!” called Finn once Avery powered down the chopper and they climbed out.

“Finn, what is it with you and that stupid mule?” asked Zara, moseying out to meet them.

“What can I tell you, he’s hung and great in the sack. Oh,” Finn said in mock surprise, “you mean Jasper?” Reaching down, she rubbed the big mule’s neck while everyone laughed. “He’s just my buddy and he got me up and down some of the toughest trails in the canyon.”

Zara and Avery swung up and the five women began to ride along the sun-drenched sandy beach beside the river. Willa, Mandy, and Finn demanded to be caught up on the change in Avery and Thom’s relationship.

“You were Casey the Clown?” Willa asked, laughing in surprise. “Oh, my God, Avery, I saw you several times. You were really good. I can’t believe that the only one who figured it out was Zara.”

“In all honesty, it took me a while to put it together and then it was just too damn funny.”

“You do know there’s no way in hell Thom is going to let you keep doing that, don’t you?” asked Willa.

“So he tells me. But he rodeos so I don’t see why I can’t if he can,” Avery replied, prompting gales of laughter from the other four women.

“Same reason they stand up to pee… ‘cause they’re guys. I swear, one of the boys gets a speeding ticket in a company car for doing over one hundred miles per hour and John doesn’t even bat an eye, but if I get caught doing more than ten? I can’t sit down for two weeks. And over twenty or in bad weather, John takes off his belt and I end up with a set of stripes,” said Mandy.

“I once pointed out to Mac that what was sauce for the goose was sauce for the gander. He asked me if I wanted my rump roasted before or after I got his creamy sauce spilled all over it.”

“And here I always thought the boss was such a nice guy,” said Avery.

“Oh, he is. Right up to the point where I piss him off and break some arbitrary rule… then like the rest of you, I don’t sit down so good. What pisses me off is that the first time we were a couple, we only kind of played at slap and tickle. When the hell did he get all Uber-dom on me?”

“I remember when you came back into his life. John said he’d jerk a knot in your tail and make you settle down.”

Willa smiled. “I remember. Initially, when I’d get pissed, I could storm out of the house and be gone for days. The first time I tried that when we got back together, he striped not only my ass, but the backs of my thighs. I, quite literally, couldn’t ride for a week.”

“You know the most annoying thing? It’s when they’ve explained just how displeased they are with your behavior and mount you from behind… and then every time they remind you of the level of pain they can inflict, their hips hit all the sore spots as they’re surging into you and you go”—she shivered—“all gooey inside.”

“Thank God,” said Avery. “I thought I was the only one. Yesterday after Thom spanked me, he made me stand in the corner…”

“And seriously, what the hell is up with that?” said Zara. “I mean, I know they think it’s humbling…”

“No, that’s when they take your ass,” laughed Finn.

“That too, but do they really think we stand there and contemplate the wrongness of our deeds?”

“John says beforehand, it’s to put me in the right frame of mind for a spanking. Afterwards to reinforce the lesson in dominance. All I know is that it makes me incredibly aroused.”

They all laughed and agreed. They’d ridden for a couple of hours, crossing the river several times to stay out of the glaring sun as it rose high in the sky.

Avery pulled up her horse, listening intently. “Does anyone else hear that?”

“What?” asked Finn.

“I don’t know,” said Mandy.

At the same time Willa cut in, “I do.”

Avery cocked her ear, trying to hear the subtle sounds over the watery burble of the river. “It’s a helicopter.”

“There’s no reason to be concerned about that,” said Willa, turning her horse back toward Phantom Ranch.

Avery shook her head. “You’re wrong. That’s not a private or sightseeing chopper. It’s military and sounds heavily armed.”

“How can you tell that?” asked Finn.

“The sound of the rotors and engines.” Avery shook her head again. “I don’t like this. That chopper is coming fast and low. Ladies, if the boys are right, that could be Fariq. We need to get to the canyon wall and if there’s an overhang or cave even better.”

“This way,” called Willa as she spurred her horse into a run.

The other four women fell in behind her, galloping in the opposite direction of the approaching aircraft. Willa reined her horse to a stop under a sparse tree coverage, and Avery and the others drew alongside her. It wasn’t until then that Avery realized her saddle was one of only two with a rifle in the scabbard. Both she and Willa looked at one another as they each withdrew their firearms to ensure there was a round in the chamber.

Slipping hers back into the scabbard, Willa said, “There are two cavern systems near here. One just north of here on the other side of the river, and one south of our position.”

Since Willa knew the Grand Canyon better even than most of the local tour guides, Avery didn’t argue. “Let’s split up. You take Mandy and Zara with you and go north. The chopper is coming from the southeast. Finn and I will get to cover and let them pass. If they look like they’re after you, we’ll come up behind them and you and I can catch them in a crossfire.”

“Aim for the rotor blades?” asked Willa, deferring to Avery’s expertise regarding helicopters.

Avery shook her head. “The rotor blades themselves would be difficult, but the hub where it attaches to either the tail or main body are vulnerable. You can also aim for the engines and fuel tank, which will be inside toward the back of the aircraft or the cockpit, specifically the pilot if you see him. Now ride!”

The five women split with Finn and Avery trying desperately to get out of sight before the chopper appeared so they could get behind them. They were able to accomplish that by ducking into a large cavern created by a rock outcropping.

The helicopter flew past, bearing down on Willa’s position.

Turning to Finn, Avery said, “You stay here. If I don’t come back, hightail it out of here and get help.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, if I can’t get them stopped, someone needs to tell the guys what happened.”

Not waiting for an answer, Avery withdrew the rifle again and galloped out to chase down the chopper. She followed the river, winding with the red rock canyon walls, sticking as close to easy cover as she could until she found the chopper. Not only had they not exaggerated the situation, but the armed aircraft had Willa, Zara, and Mandy already pinned in the narrow mouth of a natural cave. It was firing, the bullets bouncing off the canyon walls because Willa had managed to get them behind enough rocks to be out of the line of fire. That didn’t mean they were out of danger, though. Especially not when the helicopter landed and two armed men stepped out.

Twin shots rang out from Willa’s position and both men fell, one snapping over backwards onto the rocky ground, the other grabbing his arm with a shout. Mac was right; Willa was an excellent shot. The men still in the chopper returned fire, giving Avery the only excuse she needed to make good on her threat to catch them in a crossfire. She slid her horse to a stop and dismounted in order to take better aim. She hit at least one, the man crumpling out of the aircraft onto the ground where his companions left him. The whir of the helicopter engine picking up speed betrayed their retreat a half second before the aircraft lifted off the ground.

Willa fired repeatedly, desperately trying to provide cover enough for Avery to get to safety, but the chopper was turning her way and its onboard rifle was already taking aim. Avery fired first directly into the fuel tanks. She wheeled away, barely taking cover behind the same rocks as her horse when it exploded. The sound was deafening, the heat of the resulting fireball scalding, even from this distance. Pieces of metal, men, and shattered electronics rained down everywhere, bouncing off the rocks and splashing into the river.

Her ears. She shook her head, the ringing every bit as deafening as the explosion had been.

“Avery!”

Leaning out from behind her rocky cover, she saw Willa, Zara, and Mandy dodging the wreckage and galloping back toward her. At least they all looked unharmed. Which could only help their case when it came time to explain this mess to the guys.

“Good shooting,” said Willa, seeming every bit as relieved as Avery had been to see everyone was fine.

“You too,” Avery replied, just before the gallop of fast-approaching hoof beats had her whirling toward to face this newest threat, bringing her rifle to bear.

It was Finn. “Oh, thank God!” she exclaimed, as she joined them. “My heart was in my throat when I heard that explosion. Is everybody okay?”

“That depends,” Zara answered. “Can anyone think of a way we might be able to explain what we were all doing this far away from the venue?”

They looked at one another.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” she muttered, when no one said anything. “Noah has had me on a short leash and the only reason he was willing to let me out of his sight today was because I convinced him it was all wedding frou-frou stuff.”

“What is up with that? Croft gives me no choice about marrying him, but once he had his great-grandmother’s ring on my finger, he figured his part was done.”

“As I recall both John and Mac were that way as well,” said Mandy with a grin. “As to some kind of credible story for why we’re not where we said we’d be… yeah, not likely.”

“Oh, well, we may as well get comfortable. I would imagine the rangers should get here fairly quickly. One of them should have a sat phone so we can call and talk to the boys.”

Moving away from the still burning wreckage of the helicopter, the women each found a place to sit in the shade provided by the canyon walls. While her friends whittled away the time finalizing the last few details for their dual weddings, Avery watched what was left of the helicopter, making sure the threat was truly neutralized.

“You know, we could make it a triple wedding,” Mandy said brightly. “Thom and Avery could get married in the early evening.”

Avery snapped around to stare at her. “M-married?” she stammered, shocked. “It’s been one day!”

“Oh, don’t kid yourself. If Thom’s finally made his move, he’s going to be looking to close the deal in a permanent, legal way.”

“He hasn’t said word one about permanent any—” She cut herself off. Actually, he had. He’d said he loved her. But that, in and of itself, certainly didn’t say ‘hey, let’s get married,’ and especially not after so short a time.

“Mhm,” Zara said knowingly. “Girlfriend, your days are numbered. He probably doesn’t want to say anything until he has an actual ring.”

“Whatever you’re smoking,” Avery said, covering her unease with a laugh, “you guys need to stop.”

“Avery,” said Willa gently, “if he’s spanked your ass and made himself at home between your legs, he’s planning to marry you. The rest of them were that way with us, and unlike you, we didn’t have the benefit of a long-standing working relationship with them.”

“I am not ready to think about marriage!” She tried to laugh again.

“Avery,” Willa said even more gently. “I don’t think you’ve got much choice.”

“I could leave the firm and move away.”

“Like he wouldn’t track your ass down, drop a lasso around you, and haul you home again.” Grinning, Finn turned to the other ladies. “Who wants to take bets with me on how long before she’d be able to sit again if she did that?”

Mandy raised her hand. “Put me down for at least a week.”

Zara was more realistic. “Put me down for two, because with whoever’s after us still on the loose, I say Thom’s going to be doing some heavy-duty ring shopping. Maybe we should plan a girl’s weekend in London, New York, or Paris to go dress shopping.”

“You guys are serious,” Avery exclaimed, unsure if the idea thrilled or terrified her more.

Her mind was racing. Marriage, she couldn’t… she just couldn’t wrap her head around that right now. It was ridiculous and she didn’t have time for ridiculousness. They had just been shot at, blew up an aircraft, had bad guys chasing them, and were now facing down a pretty serious (if she was lucky) lecture (although she already knew she wasn’t that lucky). With all that swimming around in her head, small wonder she never heard lead park ranger, Kurt Manderlay, approaching them until he said, “Ladies, everyone okay here?”

Startled, they all swung around. Avery didn’t know whether to be happy or disappointed to find Thom and the guys not with him. “We’re okay,” she called.

“For now,” quipped Willa.

“Thank God for binoculars. When we heard the explosion, I was about to spot you all from the top of the canyon. I’ve already talked to Mac and assured him you were fine.” Kurt smiled. “He said, and I quote, tell them to wait for us at Phantom Ranch, end quote. He did not sound too pleased. I will say, in his defense, this was after we told him you had pretty much handled it yourselves.”

“That ought to really piss them off.”

His smile turning bewildered, Kurt watched the five women mount up and head back to Phantom Ranch to rendezvous with the men in their lives. It was a long and mostly silent ride, with each lost in her own speculative thoughts about what the immediate future might hold. And to think, if only Thom had waited a day to profess his undying love and his dominance over her, then she wouldn’t right now be in this mess.

They were met at the lodge by staff members who took possession of the horses and mule. Their men had arranged for each couple to have their own private cabin and access to the public showers. They were, as they were diplomatically informed by the wranglers, ordered to make immediate use of them.

Looking at one another, the women headed to the communal women’s shower. Pushing open the door, Zara was the first to enter. “Why do I feel like the condemned being given her last shower and meal before execution?”

“Because with the exception of your penchant for stupid, reckless stunts, you’re generally quite bright,” growled Noah Taylor from just behind the door. Startled, Zara squeaked when he grabbed her, but there was no resistance when he yanked her against his hard body for another fiery kiss.

The last to enter, Avery found herself treated no differently than any of the others. As soon as she was inside, she was hauled into Thom’s embrace.

His mouth descended overs hers in a hungry kiss designed to assure him that she was fine and allay any doubt in her mind as to whether or not he was angry with her. He was. But he was also glad she was safe. She wasn’t sure if that made it easier or worse when he at last let her go. The look he gave her before he walked away, joining the other men in waiting for them just outside, said clearly she had some explaining to do and they were going to get to it.

“Nice knowing you guys,” Finn said, taking one of five sets of guest slippers and robe that had been left out for them.

One by one, they all did the same. Claiming an empty shower stall for herself, Avery reluctantly indulged in one of the longest showers of her life. It didn’t help. Her stomach was still in knots and Thom was still waiting on the porch to escort her to their sleeping accommodations.

Thom was quiet as he held the door for her to enter their cabin. She was just slipping past him to cross the threshold when his hand snaked out to deliver an angry swat to her backside. Avery yelped, skipping the rest of the way inside.

“Naked, corner, now,” was all he said, shutting the door behind him.

“Thom…”

“Thom, is it? What’s the first rule?”

She worried her hands. “That when I’m in trouble I’m to call you Sir or Daddy.”

“Are you laboring under the assumption that you aren’t in trouble? Because if you are, little girl, let me hasten to assure you that you are very wrong.”

“Daddy?” she said quietly.

“Damn straight, Daddy. I don’t like having to repeat myself, little girl. You get yourself naked and get your nose in that corner.”

Stripping out of her robe, she could only hope he might attribute her beaded nipples to the chill in the air-conditioned room. She wasn’t sure what, besides the unwilling arousal now coursing through her entire body, she could say to explain the cause for how wet she was. How very, incredibly wet. Avery walked to the corner and stood quietly. She couldn’t decide whether or not she ought to dread what she suspected was going to be a fairly harsh discipline session or welcome it as a way for Thom to express his anger with her and for her to acknowledge and atone for what she was sure he considered her bad behavior.

“Turn around, Avery.”

She turned slowly to find him rolling up first one sleeve and then the other. Her entire body pulsed with the same need and desire she could feel spasming in her sheath. Her breath became shallow and thready. There was just something so mesmerizing in the way he did it and she knew he was well aware of the effect he was having on her.

“Avery?”

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him as he revealed his strong forearms.

“Did I not tell you that I wanted you to stick close to home and that Fariq might be planning something?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Did you do what Daddy told you to do?”

“No, Sir.”

“Did you lie to Daddy about what you and the girls were up to?”

“Not exactly. I didn’t know they were planning to go for a ride until we got there, but there were five of us.”

“And they had one very well-armed gunship.”

“But we won,” she said meekly.

“What you did was keep your foolishness from getting the lot of you killed. And I’m proud of you that you could do that, but if you’d minded me from the start, then it wouldn’t have been necessary, would it?”

“No, Sir.”

He’d finished rolling up his sleeves, but she still couldn’t meet his eye. Instead, her gaze traveled to the pronounced bulge in the front of his jeans. She shivered. She knew Thom planned to punish her, but only until he was satisfied that she regretted her actions. Once she apologized, she knew he’d forgive her. Even better, he’d mount her, using that divine cock of his to make her scream with need and satisfaction.

Thom reached down and unfastened his belt buckle. Avery wondered if he was planning to open his fly and have her service him orally. She licked her lips in anticipation, only to catch her breath when he pulled his belt from its loops.

“Face the corner, Avery. I want you to get in position like you do after Daddy’s spanked you.”

“Thom?” she squeaked.

“That’s the third time you’ve used my name when you are in trouble, and you lied to Daddy and you put yourself at risk. I don’t think a mere spanking is enough to deter you from doing this again. Tonight, baby, you’re getting the belt.”

“Without any warmup?” she asked with trepidation as she turned to face the wall and do as he’d ordered.

“I don’t think you deserve a warmup. I’m going to teach you a lesson you won’t forget anytime soon. Once Daddy’s laid some stripes across that pretty bottom, he’s going plow your pussy and then punish your bottom inside as well.”