Rescuing Her 18+ (Her Series book two)

Levi

Getting the alert on my phone that someone had trespassed onto the south cattle pasture brought a devilish giddiness to me. I know with absolute certainty it's that piece of shit, Brandon. It has to be.

"Did you look into this asshole?" Wilder asks me as we quietly approach the fence line where the signal originated from.

"Didn't need to. Brandon Wells was all over the news when it first came to light that there was a serial killer out there. I recognized the name as soon as she told me. They dubbed him The Phantom because he breaks into women's homes while they're sleeping and butchers them. He doesn't rape them, so they assume it's another motive. He doesn't take anything either, other than a lock of hair as a trophy for his collection."

"Fuck." River snarls. My thoughts exactly.

"What fucking motive could it be if not a sexual one?" Wilder whispers as we duck down and peer out from behind some trees on the property line.

"Who knows? Usually in situations like this it stems from mommy issues. I don't know and I don't care. All I care about is ending his pathetic life once and for all."

"I agree. What's the plan?" River says and Wilder grunts his agreement.

"It needs to look like self defense. So I'll confront him and let him get a good swing or two in so we have "proof", and then I'll pull my licensed pistol out and shoot him."

"That's too fucking easy, Levi. He needs to suffer for everything he's done to sweet Mia." Wilder grumbles.

"Wilder, I would love nothing more than to tie this fucker up and skin him alive while listening to his garbled screams. But this isn't about what we want. This is about ending him while also bringing some peace to all the families of the people he's murdered."

"Whatever. What do you need us to do?" He concedes.

"Stand around him while I confront him so he can't run. Don't get involved though. Not unless it's absolutely necessary." They both grunt in agreement, letting me know they understand.

We silently move out from behind the trees once we see him. He's standing in the middle of the cattle field looking down at his phone with one of the cows nearby. No doubt he followed the tracker and can't figure out why the hell Mia isn't here.

This dipshit is about five foot nine, skinny as hell, and has a feral look about him. My baby girl truly was lonely if this is what he looked like when they were together.

"Brandon Wells." I call his name and he startles. He jumps around to face us with a snarl on his lips.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asks, like he has the right to be here and not us.

"We're the owners of this property. What the fuck are you doing here?" Wilder growls out. I sigh in exasperation. My little brother never could follow directions.

"I'm just waiting on my fiance. She told me to meet her here. Her name is Mia, have you seen her?" He has a friendly mask on his face now, and I can completely see how he's able to trick people into not seeing the real him that lies inside. The monster he truly is. Still, hearing her name on his lips as well as the word fiance has me seeing red.

She's mine, and this fucker doesn't get to even think her name.

I pull my gun out and aim it at his head. His eyes go round when he sees it, but I pull the trigger before he can move. The bullet lands between his eyes and his body drops. The cattle startle and run off from the gunshot ringing out.

"What the fuck, man?" Wilder asks. Yeah, I know.

"He said her name." I shrug, like that's all the explanation needed and makes perfect sense. To me it does. River bursts out laughing but Wilder looks at me incredulously.

"What about the whole self defense thing?" River asks between fits of laughter.

"One of you punch me in the jaw, then we'll hit his hand against something so it bruises. Try and bust my lip and I'll put my DNA on his knuckles in case they swab it." As soon as the words leave my mouth Wilder knocks the fuck out of me. I fall back and land on my ass. Wilder and River both crack up at my expense. Dicks.

"Could have fucking warned me, dick." I grumble.

"Yeah but it's better if it's unexpected. The anticipation is worse than the actual hit, anyway." Wilder's right, but fuck.

"Whatever. Help me with this asshole before I call it in." We get busy planting my DNA and bruising his knuckles against a rock. I'm honestly not worried about this coming back on me. This guy is better off dead and everyone knows it.

Once we're done, we walk back towards the main ranch house so I have a better signal to call it in.

"Have y'all been to the diner lately?" River asks out of nowhere.

"Nope."

"Not since Mia."

"Hmm." River muses. I look at him but his eyes are trained on Wilder. Wilder is oblivious but I know River is up to something. "There's a new server there. She's new in town and she's living above the diner." He narrows his eyes at Wilder but Wilder still doesn't notice. "She has a little boy too. Cutest damn kid I've ever seen. I don't know how old he is, but he looks to be about four or five." Wilder grunts in acknowledgement and I have to admit, I still don't know what the hell River is up to. "The little boy's name is William. He's got dark curly hair and when he smiles he has a dimple in his right cheek." Wilder sighs in annoyance and stops walking. He turns to face River and gives him a bored expression.

"What the fuck are you going on about, River? Are you into this single mom or something?" He asks. River narrows his eyes and purses his lips.

"Her name is Alex. Alex Cartwright." As soon as the name leaves River's mouth, Wilder pales like he's seen a ghost. I swear he stops breathing.

"I've got to go." He barely breathes the words before he's running off at full speed.

"What was that all about, River?" I ask.

"Seems we have a nephew, brother."

Well, shit.