“Cash, go …” Spitting water out of her mouth, Jewell started crying. “Get everyone … off the ice.”
“I’m not fucking leaving you here!” He tried to reach for her again, only to have the ice break apart.
“It’s okay, Cash. Ema’s the one who matters … Save your daughter.”
She lost her strength, and her head went under the water.
Chapter Twenty-One
A firm hand dragged her out from under the water.
Gasping for air, she held on to Cash as both Rory and him pulled her to the ice next to them.
“Ema?”
“She safe. Dr. Price has her.”
Jewell raised her head and saw the line of men to the shore had doubled.
“When did you guys get back?” she managed to croak out, staring at the blue sky above her.
“You mind if we talk about this when we get off the ice?” Rory started crawling alongside her body, shifting them in the opposite direction. Each movement had the ice splitting further.
“When I get back to shore, I’m going to bust Ema’s ass,” Cash swore, using his nails to claw at the slick ice and slide his body forward.
“No, you won’t,” Jewell said through blue lips. “Rachel won’t let you.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that.” Cash pushed her forward with a hand on her ass. “Rachel warned Ema that she would get a spanking if she went near the water without one of us near her.”
“Oh… Then the old bitch won’t let either of you.”
“Mag will tell us to put a belt to her, which is what she’s been saying we should do when she kept asking. Now I’m going to have to listen to her I told you so from here to fucking eternity.”
One by one, The Last Riders managed to crawl off the ice, leaving just Cash, Rory, and her to make their way back.
“Then I’ll take her home with me until you all calm down.” Jewell felt another firm push on her rear end, shoving her forward.
“Good luck getting her away from Rachel,” Cash scoffed.
When she reached the shore, Razer lifted her off the ice and into his arms. Freezing, Jewell found herself enfolded in a thick blanket with Beth holding her from behind.
“Let’s get her inside,” Beth told her husband.
Jewell started to take a step, only to pitch forward. Razer caught her and lifted her into his arms.
“I can walk.” Looking toward Beth, she could only see concern on the woman’s face.
“Shut up, Jewell,” Razer muttered, showing the same concern as Beth.
“Thank God the men showed up when they did.” Rushing ahead, Beth opened the door for them.
Quickly looking back, she searched for Rory to see he was striding behind her, with a blanket wrapped around him. Cash’s long strides beat them to the door as he went in search of his daughter.
“Cash, don’t you dare lay a hand on that child!”
Razer and Beth both looked at her quizzically as they went through the door.
Relief poured through her when she saw Cash holding Ema as if his life depended on it while Rachel wiped tears from her cheeks.
“Razer, carry her to my bedroom. I’ll give her some dry clothes to put on.”
As Razer carried her past the old bitch’s room, Jewell saw her watching her from the bed.
Rachel helped her take a warm shower and change into thick leggings and a chunky sweater. When Jewell would have taken the blow dryer to her wet hair, Rachel shook her head. Removing the towel she had wrapped around her head, Rachel started blow drying it herself.
“Rachel, I can do it myself.”
“I want to do it.” Tears threatened to overflow Rachel’s eyes as she dried her hair.
Jewell didn’t argue again, knowing the mother was using the opportunity to get herself under control after almost witnessing her child’s death.
When Rachel finished, she brushed her hair and started braiding it back for it her.
“They say a woman’s hair is her crown, and as beautiful as your hair is”—Rachel’s tear-filled voice stopped then started again—“it can’t hold a candle to your heart.”
She placed a band around the end of the braid and turned Jewell to face her, pulling her into a bear hug. “My thanks will never be enough for what you did today, but someday, somehow, I will pay you back for what you did.” Bursting into tears, Rachel held on to her tightly as she sobbed.
Jewell stood in her arms, raising a hand to pat her uncomfortably on the back. “You want to pay me back? Don’t let anyone spank Ema,” she said half-jokingly, half-seriously, trying to lighten the emotions Rachel was going through.
Rachel pulled back with a laughing sob. “As much as we want to turn her bottom red, none of us would. Thank God Greer isn’t here. We’ll have to keep him away from her for a spell. He’ll be terrified she’ll do it again. He thinks the best lessons are learned by the palm of his hand.”