“Thank you,” he said, leaning back to get a good look at his woman.
“For what?”
“Not running away. For giving me and Caleb a chance.”
“I have nowhere to run. This is where I belong,” she said.
He gave her a kiss on the forehead and then urged her to stand. “You finish up your dinner. I’m just going to tarp the wood outside.”
Damon stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind him. He needed a breather in order to keep behaving himself. Opal drove him crazy, but he’d wait for his brother so they could share her properly.
It had been almost four hours since Caleb left for town. It was just a normal trip, one they’d made countless times, but he had a bad feeling. Ever since those squatters had been on his land, he had a sick sense in his gut. They’d had many trespassers, but these ones were shady as fuck.
He listened for anything out of the ordinary, but it was only the usual calming hush of the forest in winter. Damon looked up at the sky, a hint of color warning of the coming darkness. He took a deep breath, trying to push away his worries so Opal didn’t get scared.
When he opened the door, Bear ran out, barking up a storm, disappearing into the woods. He grit his teeth, getting tired of the old dog acting out of character.
“Baby, I’m going to get the dog. I’ll be right back.”
He zipped his coat up and followed Bear’s trail. Even though he was a pain in the ass, it would tear him apart if he got himself killed. Bear thought he was young and invincible, but it would only take one wolf or wild cat to show him otherwise.
The light from the house faded away the farther he walked. The forest was all dark shadows. He could hear Bear ahead, so he kept trudging through the snow. When he heard a gun cock, he froze. He knew the sound well, having grown up with all sorts of firearms.
He cursed under his breath, pissed off with himself. How had he not noticed someone in the underbrush?
“Where’s your brother at?” asked the man. Damon guessed he was a heavy smoker, his voice raspy. The sound made his skin crawl.
“Gone. Who’s asking?”
“Don’t worry about who’s asking. I need an answer or we’ll have a problem. A real big problem.”
Damon briefly worried if Caleb was already in trouble. His only comfort was believing his brother was safe if this asshole was asking about him. “He’s gone to town. He could be gone for days.”
“Fuck.” The second voice came from his right. “I told you something would go wrong.”
“Shut up already,” said the man with the gun. “We’ll wait for him at the cabin. I’m freezing my ass off.”
A jolt of fear raced through Damon’s veins. He didn’t care about himself, but Opal was alone in the cabin. These animals had at least one gun. How would he protect her from them? The possibilities terrified him.
“What do you want with us? Money? I’ll go to town with you and give you the little we have.” Damon needed to keep them away from the cabin at all costs. He didn’t want to showcase how much money they actually had, but if it came to it, he’d give it all up for Opal. There was no price for a good woman.
“We’re not going anywhere. Start walking.” The first man shoved him, but he didn’t budge. “Now!”
Damon’s mind raced as he complied. He was built larger than most men, and he knew he could take down both men if he had to. But the unknown kept him from acting. He didn’t know what kind of weapons they had, how willing they were to use them, and if there were more than the two of them on the property.
Why couldn’t these lowlifes leave them alone? They lived off the grid because they wanted to get away from people and all the bullshit of society. All Damon knew was he’d take a bullet before he let either of these men put a hand on Opal.
Chapter Nine
Opal didn’t like that Damon was taking way too long. She nibbled her lip and paced the length of the sitting room. Why did the men have to go and do these things? Running fingers through her hair, she tried to think about everything she’d been taught during her trip, the whole survival of the fittest. Moving toward the kitchen, she filled up the kettle, about to make another drink when movement out of the window caught her eye. She gasped. There were a couple of men shoving and pushing Damon al
ong.
“Shit!”
Pulling away from the window, she ran to the bedroom where it was dark. In the past few weeks, she’d found the boards that were creaky. Moving toward the window, she saw Damon walking so slowly. Every now and then, someone shoved him, trying to get him to move faster. There was a small gap in the window, and she could hear them.
“What the fuck do you guys want?” Damon asked. “We don’t have any money here. We just live a simple life.”