Free The Keeping by Nicky Charles Page A

arms.
    “Bring her inside
and we’ll check her out.” Ryne tightened his lips as he turned and
stalked back to the house. They couldn’t have just approached her
like normal human beings and told her she was on private land,
could they? Oh, no. That would make too much sense.
    Once inside, Bryan
laid the woman down on the sofa and Daniel disappeared, only to
return with a damp washcloth and the first aid kit. Kneeling beside
the sofa, Ryne nodded his thanks. Daniel was a good kid, he just
didn’t think sometimes.
    Gently, Ryne
brushed the unconscious woman’s hair from her forehead and probed
the bump on her head. It wasn’t too large, but the skin was broken,
no doubt from contact with the rough bark on the tree. Her skin was
warm and soft to the touch, he noted absentmindedly. Inhaling
deeply, he took in her scent and stored it for later analysis
before proceeding with the first aid treatment. He washed off the
area and applied a bandage then leaned back to study his
patient.
    Her hair, spread
out upon the cushions, was a shade between blonde and brown.
Incredibly long lashes lay against her cheeks and her mouth was
wide and full. The faintest dusting of freckles showed across the
bridge of her nose making her appear quite youthful. His gaze
worked its way down her body and he noted her nice-sized breasts
and slim waist, the way her jeans clung to her shapely thighs
before disappearing into knee-high leather boots. He concluded she
probably wasn’t as young as he initially thought—maybe
mid-twenties.
    Ryne looked back
up at her face and studied it more carefully. She wasn’t strikingly
beautiful, nor blatantly sexy, but there was something appealing
about her. Glancing at her mouth again, he wondered what her lips
would feel like against his own. He frowned. Where had that thought
come from? He didn’t go for the girl-next-door-type; real women who
knew the score were more his style. Women like Lucy, he added. Some
sex, some fun, and then we’re done; that was how he operated.
Giving his head a shake, he decided that his hangover must be
muddling his thinking.
    Something nudged
his shoulder and he looked up to see Bryan gesturing towards their
visitor. Her eyes were showing some movement behind her closed
lids, indicating that she was coming around. While he was relieved
that she didn’t seem to show any signs of permanent damage from her
experience, he started to ponder what he’d do with her, once she
woke up.
    If luck was on his
side, she'd apologize for trespassing and leave. Worst case
scenario, she’d start screaming ‘sue’ and threatening to call the
police about the dangerous animals he kept. The thought of
dangerous animals had him clenching his fists. He stood and moved
to the kitchen next door, indicating that the other two should come
with him. Standing in the doorway, so he could still see the couch,
he began to rip a strip off the other two men.
    “That had to be
the most stupidly, idiotic idea you two have had in ages. Trying to
scare her off? Why didn’t you just say it was private
property?”
    “We didn’t mean
any harm.” Daniel began.
    “I’m sure you
didn’t, but look what happened anyway. This isn’t like back home,
you know. We don’t have people in the right places to help brush
things like this under the carpet. It’s just us three against the
rest of the community, and we have to blend in, not draw
attention...” Ryne listened to himself talk and wondered when he’d
suddenly become the heavy. Hell, he sounded like his foster-father
used to after he and Kane had pulled some stunt or another. The
thought brought him up short and he exhaled gustily. After a moment
of silence he rubbed his neck awkwardly and glanced at the other
two. They were waiting quietly, eyes downcast. “Just...just...don’t
do it again, okay?”
    “We won’t.” They
looked up at him sheepishly and Ryne relented.
    He gave a dry
chuckle and punched Bryan lightly in the arm. “I thought you