The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance Katherine Logan (no david read aloud TXT) 📖

“My son’s not a creep.”

“I didn’t say he was.”

“So you figure out the new code every time you come out here?”

“Hell, no. Kenzie’s the master codebreaker. She breaks Austin’s code every morning with her coffee instead of doing crossword puzzles.” Connor looked back at Kevin. “Hey, Kev. Grab that other saddle and a blanket. The horses are back here.”

Kevin grabbed both. “I’m right behind you.”

“Which brooch are you traveling with?” Connor asked.

“They’re taking ours,” JL said.

“The amethyst? It’s like the diamond and will return us to the moment we leave,” Tavis said.

“It better,” Remy said. “I gotta be back by the weekend. Damn it.” He kicked the hay bale, his pointed-toe boot leaving a dent. “This is my chance to get a regular gig in Lexington. If I doan show up, my name will go on the ‘Doan Call’ list. That sucks.”

“The amethyst will get you back.” Connor slung the saddle over the top rung of one of the stalls. “How d’you plan to get Austin down here?”

“I doubt he’ll follow us voluntarily. I might have to use a stun gun.” She pulled a stun gun out of a holster hidden by her blue jean jacket. “This is on me. I’ll do it.”

“JL, don’t do this,” Tavis said. “There’s a chance he won’t talk to any of us when this is over.”

“That’s a chance I have to take.”

“Are you sure?”

“Stop asking me. I wouldn’t do this if it weren’t necessary. Pops took a chance on me when he agreed to raise Austin as his son. If Pops believes this will help Austin get his act together, I have to trust my dad. He loves Austin and only wants what’s best for him. So”—she took a deep breath and blew it out—“I’ll do it.”

Tavis rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t like changing plans at this stage of the mission, but if that’s the way you want to play it, I’ll go along. But, JL”—he shook his head—“if you freeze, Remy and I will take him down.”

She lifted her hand holding the taser, then seemed to forget where it was going and dropped it at her side. “I won’t freeze.”

Tavis was convinced she would. So he mentally prepared for what that meant for him—and Austin.

“That’s a little extreme. Don’t you think?” Connor asked.

“It’s either a stun gun or Tavis will knock him out.”

“If you use the stun gun to get the desired effect, you’ll have to hold the device against him for more than three seconds. Austin is twice your size. He won’t let that happen.”

“I know how to use it.” The muscle in JL’s jaw ticked. “Remy and Tavis will have to hold him down. We’ll play it by ear.”

“Okay. Say you stun him. Then what? How are you going to get him down here?” Connor asked. “Roll him down the damn hill?”

“Tavis and I both deadlift over three hundred pounds. It’ll only take one of us to handle Austin,” Remy said.

“You’re full of shit,” Connor said. “You’ve seen him on the basketball court. He’s a six-five dominator with legs from here to California. You can’t deadlift him. He’s dropped a few pounds, but he’s still close to two-twenty. If you put him in a fireman’s hold, his feet will drag the ground.”

Remy gave Connor a wry grin. “Then we’ll just put him on a dolly and wheel him out.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “I’ll just bring the horses up there.”

“If Austin sees ’em, he’ll be suspicious,” Tavis said. “That won’t work.”

“Then take my truck and put him in the back,” Connor said. “He knows my truck. It won’t surprise him.”

“That’ll work. Where are the keys?” Tavis asked.

Connor dug into his pocket and handed Tavis the key fob. “Leave it in the cup holder.”

“Get the horses ready. We’ll be back in under ten minutes.” Tavis clapped Remy’s shoulder. “Let’s roll.”

Tavis drove the truck up to the house with JL sitting quietly beside him. Remy rode in the bed, air drumming to a tune no one else could hear.

They entered the house through the basement door. At least Austin hadn’t changed the code on that keypad. They moved stealthily through the finished basement, passing the rec room and bar, en suite bedrooms, and a home office on their way to the theater.

They entered the back of a red-walled room with twenty well-upholstered red velvet seats. Four big armchairs with ottomans formed the front row where Austin sat, watching a shoot-em-up with the sound blaring.

JL signaled for them to stand guard at the rear while she went down to the front. That didn’t suit Tavis. Instead, he followed her down the right side aisle and signaled Remy to do the same on the left.

As she neared the front row, Austin said, “You don’t have to sneak in, JL. I saw you come through the gate.” In the seat beside him was a laptop receiving constant video feeds from security cameras placed all over the ranch, including the barn. He pointed over his shoulder. “The stormtroopers don’t have to sneak in, either. So, what do you want?”

“We’re worried about you, Austin,” JL said. “You’ve cut everybody out of your life. We’re here to help you.”

“In the middle of the night. Get real, JL. Nobody gives a shit what I do.”

Tavis bit back a retort.

“That’s not true, Austin, and you know it,” JL said.

“Why don’t you all take your badassery and get the hell out of here?”

That was all Tavis needed to hear. This was going to go south real quick if he didn’t act now. He moved quickly, winding his right arm around Austin’s neck and catching him under the chin in the crook of his elbow. With his other hand, he pushed Austin’s head forward, knocking him out.

JL rushed to Austin’s limp body. “Why the hell did you do that?”

“Get out of the way, JL. We’ve only got a few minutes.” Tavis slipped his hands under Austin’s armpits, grabbed hold of Austin’s wrists, and pulled them close to his chest. “Remy,