Authors: Karen Lopp
Light spilled out in yellow rectangles onto the porch when Mike and Kathleen rode into the yard.
“Looks like Juan and Hank have taken up residence in your house.”
Kathleen laughed and patted Mike’s cheek. “Then go tell them to leave. I have other plans.”
Mike grinned. “I like the way you think, honey.”
He tugged her off Blackie, clasped her to his chest, and meshed his lips to hers. Kathleen curled her fingers through his hair and pressed closer.
“Umm. Are we going to make it inside?”
Mike slid a hand down her back and cupped her bottom. “Won’t bother me to get caught with my pants around my ankles.”
“Go take care of the horses. I’ll send the hands out.”
“I have a better idea. They can unsaddle the horses.”
Kathleen giggled. She’d taken a huge gamble with Mike, but she was so tired of running and so tired of being alone. In all her dealings with him, he had been the one to rescue her. But when he had walked away and left her standing on the mountainside, she realized she didn’t want him to leave. He made her feel safe, secure, sexy. The sense of security he brought her was something she had missed since her family had died. His calmness gave her a pillar to hold onto is this frightening time. And, somehow, he made her feel as if she could accomplish anything. Then, when he came charging back and had kissed her senseless, she’d melted. When they’d made love, she’d shattered. He’d given her a peek at what the future held. Now, she wanted more.
At the door, Mike tucked her close. “Wait.”
“Why are you whispering?”
“Don’t want to be interrupted.”
She opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about but Mike covered her lips with his and buried his hands in her hair. Kathleen moaned and raked her fingers down his back. Mike lifted his head and winked. “Now you’re ready to go in.”
Kathleen stepped inside and was instantly slammed against the wall so hard her knees buckled and all the air whooshed out of her lungs. She would have fallen but an iron-clad hand clamped around her neck kept her upright.
From the corner of her eyes, she watched, breathless, as Mike tumbled to the floor in a heap. He didn’t move. Hank and Juan were bound, gagged, and huddled in a corner, bloodied and bruised. Their eyes swollen to mere slits.
“Where’s the deed to your land?” The harsh growl from her captor chilled her bones. She swiveled her gaze to him and would have gasped if she had any air left. His eyes, hard as steel and devoid of human compassion, did not waver from hers.
“In New York.” She stared into his cruel gray eyes and didn’t blink at the lie. Four lives depended on her.
“The truth.” He tightened his grip on her throat and the lanterns’ light dimmed.
“Say, boss, if you choke her to death we’ll never find out.”
The pressure eased and Kathleen sucked in air. She sagged against the wall and the brutish man leaned forward.
“I’m waiting.”
“And if I tell you, we’re all dead.”
He slapped her. Hard. Tears blurred her vision.
“Tell me now, and I’ll kill you quick.” He traced the blade of a knife across her cheek.
“No, you won’t.”
The man laughed. “I like a smart woman. Perhaps we can come to an understanding.” He shoved her to a chair. “Which one do I kill first?”
An icy sweat encased her.
“Take your pick. They’ve been holding me prisoner.”
“Boss?”
“What?”
“We don’t want too many dead bodies, or the marshal will come in.”
Kathleen glanced at the stocky, middle-aged man. A hint of gray touched his temples and he carried more weapons on his person than anyone she’d ever seen. Did the man intend to start a war?
“Make sure they can’t get themselves untied.” The boss whipped his scarf off and gagged her. “You come with me.”
He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her up. She had no choice but to stumble after him. Fear pounded her heart against her chest. What would he do to her? She cast a desperate glance at Mike as the other two men roughly bound him. Her captor never slowed his pace, even when she tumbled to her knees.
“Get up.” He yanked on her hair and a burst of pain issued from every pore.
Kathleen clutched his wrist and fought to her feet. Rapid bursts of air flowed up her throat and searched for release around the gag. She doubted her ribs could contain the hammer of her heart much longer without cracking.
The man tossed her onto a horse and tied her hands to the pommel and her feet to the stirrups. The other two men jogged up as flames shot into the sky. Kathleen tried to scream around the gag. Only a muffled gurgle came out. Tears flowed down her cheeks. Three more murders this night, all because of someone’s greed. She sagged in the saddle, misery and grief her companion. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
Mike!
Mike struggled to open his eyes. Grogginess wafted through his mind. He tried to rub the dull ache on his head but something held his arms. Cotton filled his mouth. He licked his dry lips and tasted blood. Smelled smoke. Voices filled with urgency echo in the distance but he couldn’t make out the words.
He eased one eye open, then the other. He blinked to clear the blur and shook his head. Pain drove his eyes shut. Heat licked at him.
“Come on, boss, wake up.”
That voice
. It sounded familiar. He forced his eyes open again but held still.
“That’s it, Mike. Kathleen needs you.”
Kathleen? He smiled. Oh yeah, she wanted him to make love to her again. His sweet, passionate wife. His eyes drifted lower.
“No, Mike, fight it off.”
“Juan?”
“Yes, boss. Get your eyes open and keep ‘em open.”
Mike tried to get up but his legs didn’t work. A frosty chill cramped his gut. Something was terribly wrong. “Kathleen?”
“We need to go get her.”
Mike finally focused on Juan. His face was a bloody mess. “What happened to you?”
“Got the crap beat out of me. So did Hank.”
“Hank?”
“I’m here, boss.” Hank’s hoarse voice came from somewhere behind him.
The fog in Mike’s mind cleared and panic set in. Fire danced up the wall. They had to get out. He realized the scraping sound was Hank and Juan scooting their chairs across the room. They’d never make it in time. A stab of fear shot through him. “Where’s Kathleen?”
“They took her.”
Mike swallowed. Or tried to. He thrashed against the ropes that held him. He rolled toward Hank and shoved his boot to his hands. “Can you get my knife?” As Hank fumbled to grab the knife, Mike forced himself to be still. “Why didn’t they kill us?”
“Said they didn’t want too many bodies lying around.” A cough tore through Hank. “Got it.”
Flames raced across the ceiling and suffocating heat swamped him. “Hurry, Hank.” With a yank, the bonds to his feet loosened and he lunged to his feet. Hank sliced some skin as he cut through the rope at his wrists but Mike didn’t have time to wince. He grabbed Juan’s chair and hauled him out the window. Hank tumbled after.
“Who took Kathleen?”
“Nobody I ever seen before. But the leader sure was mean as a rattler.”
“When I catch up to the bastard, he’s going to die slow.” Juan’s tone chilled Mike.
“What did he do to Kathleen?” He forced the question from between his dry, cracked lips. Images of Kathleen struggling against an unknown assailant flashed through his mind. The unthinkable things men could do to an unarmed, helpless woman.
His
wife.
“He played rough. Don’t be surprised if she has a black eye.”
“He’s a dead man.”
“Well, boss, hurry up and get me loose. They got a good start on us.”
“Any ideas where they were headed?”
“He wanted to know where the deed to her land was. She told him New York.”
Mike made one last tug and the ropes split. New York? She’d had some papers with her in Dodge. A lot of things clicked into place as he sliced the rope at Juan’s ankles. That wasn’t some casual robbery in Dodge. They searched for those documents.
He lunged to his feet and swayed. Mike put a hand on Juan’s shoulder to steady himself.
“You hurt bad, boss?” Juan asked.
“I’ll live.” He glanced at his house, all that he’d worked so hard to build, then let out a low, long curse.
After a few minutes, he faced his hands, grief outlined on their faces. “I fear it’s of no use, but do what you can to stop the flames from spreading. I have to go. Kathleen’s life is more important.”
Juan put a hand on his sleeve. “You need backup, boss. Getting yourself killed won’t help her none.”
“Until I find Kathleen and free her, Hawkins won’t know I’m there.”
Mike glanced at the sky. “Nobody will be awake this late.”
Mike sat hidden in the trees watching Hawkins’ house. Not a soul stirred. He slid off Blackie tossed the reins over a nearby limb, then slipped like a shadow to the back of the house and wrenched off his boots.
Mike eased inside and searched behind every door. No Kathleen. He froze when something white flashed in his peripheral vision. Sally tiptoed down the stairs.
Interesting.
But where the hell was Hawkins? His bed had been empty.
Mike spun and followed Sally to a clearing at the edge of the bunkhouse. Jimmy showed up a few minutes later.
He edged through the darkness toward the unsuspecting couple. “Thought you loved me, Sally.”
“Mike?” Sally gasped.
Jimmy went still and his hands dropped menacingly toward his gun.
“Don’t try it, Jimmy, I’m faster than you.”
Jimmy relaxed his stance and deliberately crossed his arms. “What do you want?”
“How many times have you tried to shoot me in the back?”
Jimmy jerked as if slapped.
Mike caressed the butt of his colt.
“Go ahead, Jimmy. Go for your gun. I won’t mind filling you with lead.”
Jimmy froze and blew out a breath. “I’ll pass.”
“Where’s Kathleen?”
“How should I know?”
“Where’s Willie?”
“Hawkins fired him.”
Mike tossed a glance at Sally, surprised.
“Listen, Baca, I don’t know where your wife is. If you think Hawkins has her hidden here, he don’t. Search around all you want, but I know what goes on under my nose.”
“I doubt that.”
“If you think I don’t know Sally came to see you, you’re wrong. I even know you kissed her. And I ought to shoot you for that.”
Yeah, but did Jimmy know Sally had pointed the finger of blame at him? Frankly, he didn’t give a damn what these two did. Let Jimmy deal with the lying wretch.
Mike’s muscles tightened. Where the hell had Hawkins hidden Kathleen this time? “Do you know Willie tried to kidnap Kathleen?”
“Yes, and that you killed Barney and Jose for trying to nab her. What of it?” Jimmy draped an arm around Sally’s shoulders. “I have what I want. Why would I care if you kill Hawkins?”
Mike frowned. Jimmy made sense. With Hawkins dead, and Sally for a wife, Jimmy would have this ranch. “Just stay out of my way.”
He pivoted and stalked to Blackie. Sally hadn’t even blink at the mention of her father being killed. Mike shuddered. To think he almost married the cold-hearted bitch.
As he mounted Blackie, a hard fist of despair slugged him. Where was Kathleen? And who would Hawkins have sent after him? Right now, the way he figured it, Kathleen would be safe until Hawkins put a wedding ring on her finger.
Mike headed to the hills behind Hawkins’ ranch to an old, abandoned cabin nestled in the rocks on the edge of his spread. A good hiding place. He rode with caution.
Finding the cabin empty, Mike nudged Blackie around and picked a circuitous route toward home. Thus far, he’d come up empty-handed in his search and he didn’t know where else to look.
He figured Sally had played multiple games and lied to Jimmy, her father, and him. What she really wanted he didn’t know and didn’t care. But he did know Hawkins wanted to make Kathleen a widow, and then marry her. He kept to the trees.
All that false friendly advice had been to throw him off. Lull him into believing Hawkins wasn’t a threat. And to think he’d almost fallen for it. He had for too long and Kathleen had ended up hurt because of his stupidity. Now, she was gone again. Damn Hawkins’ eyes.
Hank had coffee on and a rifle across his lap when Mike rode in the up to the bunkhouse. One eye completely closed and the other swollen almost shut, he looked awful. Soot covered his torn shirt and dusted his hair. The stench of acrid smoke hung in the air. Mike glanced at the heap that had been his home and swallowed hard. Hawkins had a lot to pay for.
“No luck, boss?”
“Not a trace of her. And Hawkins wasn’t home.”
“You think they’re taking her to New York?”
Mike scrubbed a hand across his unshaven jaw. “I’m almost certain she had the deed with her in Dodge. Her room was looted.”
“They must not have found it.”
“No, she had it stuffed under her pillow, not in her bag.”