“What?”
“Don’t you even care what my dress looks like?”
“No, princess, I don’t. I know you’ll look beautiful no matter which one you choose, and all I care about is seeing you out of it.” He grinned and winked at her when she blushed.
Isabella beamed at him then flinched, her arms covering her head when the front window shattered. “What…?”
Mont jumped up and ran toward her. “Get down,” he told her as he pushed her behind a chair.
“Is someone shooting at us?”
“It sure as hell sounds like it,” Mont grumbled as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Nathan. His old friend answered on the first ring.
“Nathan, someone just shot the front window out of the house. I’m going to go out and look around,” he said into the phone, and then listened. “Okay, I’ll see you in a little while.” Mont hung up and glanced at Isabella. She was staring at him with tears glistening in her frightened eyes.
“Please don’t go out there,” she whispered, her voice shaking.
Mont blew out a breath. “I need to find out what’s going on. It could be accidental, a hunter, or someone just shooting their gun.”
“I have ten acres here, Montgomery. How could it be an accident?”
Shit! She was too smart for her own good and although he wasn’t going to tell her that, he wasn’t going to mention it wasn’t hunting season right now either. “I won’t go far. I’ll go out the back door and look around.”
“No! I lost you once and I’m not going to do it again,” Isabella begged him.
Mont pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. “All right, princess. I’ll wait for Nathan. He’ll come in silent so I need to watch for him.”
Isabella trembled against him. “Who could it be?”
“Like I said, it could just be an accidental shooting. Out here in the country, stuff like this happens.” He knew by her expression she didn’t believe him. He shrugged and held her tighter. When another shot whipped past them, it confirmed their worst fears, it was no accidental shooting. Isabella screamed.
“I need to get to my babies,” she exclaimed and started to stand. Mont pulled her back down. “I have to get up there, Montgomery.”
“Crawl on your stomach until you get to the stairs, and then run up there. Stay upstairs. Do not come back down here until I tell you to. Understand? I’m going to be right behind you. I need my weapon.”
Isabella nodded and he watched her crawl as fast as she could across the floor to the steps. When she reached them, she scrambled up the stairs. Mont was right behind. While she headed for the babies’ room, he hurried to their bedroom and retrieved the strong box from the top shelf in the closet. He removed his Glock 23 .40 caliber and checked the load. He started to close the box when he saw the other gun, a Smith and Wesson M&P9. He took it out and quickly moved down the hall to the nursery. He glanced around, but didn’t see her.
“Isabella?”
“I’m in here.” He heard her voice coming from the direction of the closet. He opened the door and squatted down in front of her since she was sitting on the floor with the babies cradled in her lap.
“Stay in here with the door closed and take this,” he said holding out the gun for her to take, but she shook her head. “Yes, Bella, please…take it. It has a full clip with seventeen rounds. I’m hoping as much as you that you won’t have to use any of them, but I want you to protect yourself and our babies, if you have to.” He leaned down and kissed her, and then each of his children. “Don’t open this door for anyone, and don’t call out until you hear me. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Isabella nodded but grabbed his arm when he started to get up. “Please come back to me, Montgomery. Please.”
He cupped her face in his hand. “I will, princess. I promise.”
Mont slowly stood, closing the door while saying a prayer that his most precious things in life would stay safe. He hurried from the room and crept down the stairs with his weapon in front of him. The last rays of the day’s sun peeked through the windows on each side of the fireplace. Mont hated to see the sun go down because too many things could happen in the dark. He wanted to be able to see who or what he was fighting. He suspected the son of a bitch would make a move soon enough. He swiftly turned toward the kitchen when he heard the door open slowly, his weapon raised and ready. He sighed with relief when he heard Nathan whispering his name.
“I’m in the living room, Nathan,” Mont told him in a hushed voice.
Nathan cautiously entered the living room. “Any more shots?”
“Yeah, one more after I called you. It must be Stewart Rodgers. I can’t think of anyone else it could be. I just don’t understand why he’d risk getting caught to come after me.”
“Did you have any problems with him when you were undercover?”
“Other than him not liking me for some reason, no,” Mont said shaking his head.
“You don’t know why he didn’t like you? He never said?”
“I only met him once and never saw him after that. He rubbed me the wrong way though,” he told Nathan.
“Maybe you rubbed him the wrong way too,” Nathan whispered.
Mont nodded. “Could be, I don’t know.”
“You can’t think of anyone—” Another bullet ripped through the front window making them both drop to the floor.
“Well, the stupid son of a bitch hasn’t moved,” Mont muttered, getting really pissed off now. “How did you get around the back?”
“I parked on the road down from here and ran over. I didn’t want to drive the car up to the house, and be a moving target,” Nathan said. “Here, take this.”
Nathan handed him a walkie-talkie.
“Smart move. I think we should get outside and go in opposite directions. Maybe we can come up on him from behind. If he thinks he has us pinned down in here, we can get the drop on him.”
They started toward the door. Bullets ripped through the window again, slamming into the interior walls and furniture. Both men hit the floor, covering their heads with their hands as bullets flew over them.
“Damn, we need to stop this son of a bitch. We need to get out there and get him,” Mont called out to Nathan.
“Give him a minute to run out of ammo, and we’ll head out the back when he reloads,” Nathan called back, keeping his voice low enough not to be heard outside.
“We can use the trees on each side of the house for cover.” Nathan nodded his agreement.
Suddenly, it was silent.
“Let’s go,” Mont said, and they ran toward the door.
“Where’s Isabella?” Nathan asked as they reached the back door.
“Upstairs, she’s got the babies, and they’re in a closet. I gave her a weapon. She knows not to call out unless I call for her.”
Mont slowly opened the back door, and he stepped onto the back porch with Nathan right behind him. Just as they were about to move down the steps, they heard another shot hit the interior wall of the living room.
Mont grunted. “Well, he still hasn’t moved. We just need to find out where he’s dug in. Let’s go.”
Mont ran across the yard, using the trees as cover while Nathan took off in the opposite direction. Mont ran through the barn and out its back door. He was thinking the shooter must be across the road using a high-powered rifle. Of course, a rifle like that could shoot from a mile away, but he hoped the shooter was closer. With the sun sinking fast behind the Big Horn mountains, it would be dark soon and if the shooter was closer, they could possibly find him before the sun set completely. The walkie-talkie in his pocket squawked and Nathan’s voice came over it.
“I just saw the sun glint off something across the road—could be our shooter.”
“Copy. How far do you figure?”
“Not quite a half a mile. He’s close. Hold on…” Nathan’s voice disappeared but then he was back again. “I just saw it again. I think he’s up on the old water tower acros
s the road.”
Mont squinted in the direction of the tower across the road, and there it was, the waning sun reflected off something there. “I see it.”
“All right, let’s move in. Slowly Mont. Don’t go in there guns blazing.”
“Yes, sir,” Mont said with sarcasm coating his words.
“Smart ass. Just remember that when I’m your boss.”
Mont smiled. He heard the smile in Nathan’s voice too.
Moving along the trees, he crossed the road down from the driveway to the house. Once he was across the road, he called Nathan to tell him he was on the other side. Nathan called back and told him the same. Mont squatted down and looked up toward the water tower. Sure enough, a man was up there, lying on his stomach with a rifle pointed at the house.
“How do you want to do this, Nathan?”
“I’m going to get in closer and try to talk him down,” Nathan told him. “Keep your gun on him in case he keeps shooting but don’t kill him if you don’t have to.”
“Right,” Mont said.
“I’m not talking out my ass here, Mont. Do not kill the man if you don’t have to.”
“Yes, sir,” Mont grumbled.
Nathan’s chuckle came over the walkie-talkie. “I can see what type of deputy you’re going to be—trouble with a capital T.”
“Trouble’s my middle name,” Mont said into the walkie-talkie.
“Good. I need some tough men on my side. But, as I said, I want him alive if at all possible.”
Mont knew Nathan was right. Dead men don’t answer questions very well. He crouched down and watched Nathan come out from among the trees. He could see Nathan shouting, but couldn’t make out what he was saying. The man on the water tower shouted back. Nathan held his gun up in front of him, aiming up at the man but the man didn’t stand or move.
Pushing slowly to his feet, Mont aimed his weapon at the man. Suddenly, the man swung the rifle in Nathan’s direction and shot.
“Son of a bitch,” Mont swore with anger when he saw Nathan fall. He took his aim and fired his weapon. The man dropped the rifle, crying out when the bullet hit him in the shoulder. Mont ran through the tall grass to Nathan’s side.
* * * *
Isabella flinched every time she heard gunfire. She knew Montgomery was out there and she was terrified he was going to die. The thought of losing him again was incomprehensible. She rocked the babies and hummed to them. It amazed her they were so quiet. Randi gazed up at her with blue eyes so very much like her own. Colt had his daddy’s eyes, and she often wondered if they’d change colors too when he got older.
Thinking about her babies distracted her enough that it took a moment to realize she no longer heard gunshots. She strained to hear, but there was nothing but silence. What was going on? Where were Montgomery and Nathan? Was the shooter still out there? With her heart pounding in her chest, her fear amplified with the unknown, she scooched back further into the closet and prayed for both their safe returns.
Colt started fussing and she tried to calm him, but he began to cry. Isabella reached for a blanket, spread it on the floor, and laid Randi down as she tried to calm Colt. She knew the best thing to do was feed him. After laying him down on the blanket, she unbuttoned her blouse, and opening her bra, she picked him up. He calmed as soon as he had her breast. She didn’t feed him too long, but traded him off for Randi to keep them both content until this horror was over. The continuing silence was unsettling.
Her children slept on the floor as she watched over them. She waited but still didn’t hear anything, and she wasn’t leaving the closet until Montgomery came after her. She listened, suddenly hearing a siren in the distance. She prayed it was coming for the shooter and not Montgomery or Nathan. It wasn’t long after that she heard footsteps outside the door. She held her breath and prayed.
“Isabella?”
With a cry, she opened the door and threw herself into Montgomery’s arms. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she held on to him, not wanting to let go. He carried her to the bed and sat down with her on his lap. She ran her hands over his face, and then over his shoulders, arms and chest, silently taking inventory.
“You’re all right.” It was her hope, not an inquiry.
“Yes,” Montgomery whispered against her mouth before kissing her. “Are you and the babies okay?”
“Yes, we’re fine. We didn’t leave the closet. Lord, how it felt like hours.” She pressed her lips to his. “I heard a siren. Who?”
“I shot the man who was shooting at us. He was up on the water tower and shot Nathan—”
“Oh no! Nathan, shot. The man didn’t… Is Nathan all right?” Her thoughts went to Shelly.
“Yes, he’s fine. Thank God, he had his vest on,” Montgomery told her.
“Oh, I’m so glad. I’d hate for something to happen to him. It would kill Shelly,” she said, hugging him to her tighter. “Oh, Montgomery, I was so afraid. I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to you. All I could think about was how I couldn’t bear to go through it again.”
“I’m fine, princess, and I’m not going anywhere.” She felt him kiss her forehead and smiled.
“Who was he?” Her curiosity finally got the better of her.
“Stewart Rodgers. He was one of Barkley’s men. I met him the day I thought I was going to the cabin for your dad. Seems Rodgers blames me for all of it falling apart. I don’t get it. He stole from Barkley and ran off for over a year, but he blamed me. He swore at me the entire time they loaded him into the ambulance. He also said he came back with the intention of getting back in with Barkley, and starting up a new group. The idiot doesn’t even realize Barkley would have killed him for double crossing him, if he were still alive to do it.”
“How did he know where to find you?”
“Somehow one of his friends had an inside track to what went down at the cabin. Although he obviously didn’t know Barkley was dead, he did know I was in the hospital and it was touch and go,” Montgomery explained with a shrug of his shoulders followed by a squeezing hug. “Rodgers said he kept waiting to hear about me dying and when he didn’t, he checked into it and found out I survived. He also managed to get my real name. I’m sure the FBI isn’t too happy about information leaking out on their undercover agents, and someone, probably at the hospital, will take the fall for that. Anyway, he hunted me down, all the while hoping to impress Barkley.”
Isabella hugged him. “Is it over now?”
“Yes, princess, it’s finally over.”
* * * *
“So where can we get married? I’d like to get married in a church.” Isabella asked him a few days later as she sat on his lap.
“I know just the place. There’s a small church here in town. It’ll be perfect, I promise,” Montgomery told her kissing her.
“I’m going to ask Patsy to be my maid of honor. I’ll need to call her. I haven’t even told her about you being alive. I just haven’t been able to find the time and she’s been so busy with school and work.”
Isabella kissed him again, climbed from his lap, and walked upstairs to get their babies. When Montgomery followed her, and pushed her aside to pick up his children, she smiled at him. He really was her hero.
“Go call Patsy, and I’ll feed the little angels. I’d like to meet this pixie woman who had Micah swearing up a blue streak.”
Isabella laughed as she left him to their children. He had no idea what he was getting into meeting her best friend. She grabbed her cell phone and pulled up Patsy’s number before calling her from the landline in the kitchen.
“Hi Pats,” Isabella said when Patsy answered.
“Bella, hey girl. Wow, I’ve wanted to call you, but I’ve been so busy. School and everything just slammed me this week, and I haven’t had a chance.”
“I should have called you, Pats. So much has happened, you’re just not going to believe it,” Isabella said trying to keep her voice sounding calm.
“What is it I
won’t believe Bella? So much has gone on in a week, huh?” Patsy laughed.
“He’s alive,” Isabella whispered.
“Who’s alive?”
“Mont—Colt.”
Patsy gasped, and then there was silence for what felt like forever but was only seconds. “What? How?”
“He was in a coma for eight months from a bullet wound to the back of his head, which he got while trying to protect my dad. Then when he woke up, it took him two months to get himself in shape enough to come to me, but his real name is Montgomery Bradford not Colt Raines, and Patsy, we’re getting married. I want you to be my maid of honor,” Isabella rattled off her news in rapid fire, not giving her friend a moment to comprehend what she was saying. “Pats?”
“Yeah, yeah, give me a minute. I’m a little in shock here. Oh, Bella, if you’re happy, I’m happy. Hell, I’m so very happy for you.” Isabella could hear the tears in her friend’s voice, and then the other shoe dropped. “But, Bella, he’s a criminal.”
Isabella chuckled, enjoying the truth. “He wasn’t a criminal. He was an FBI agent. He was working undercover all along.”
Patsy squealed in her ear. “Oh my God! How wonderful for you. I can’t wait to meet him. Of course, I’ll be your maid of honor. When’s the wedding?”
“It’s going to be a small affair so it should only take me a couple of months to throw it together.”
“Bella, I can’t tell you how happy I am for you. Let me know what you need help with and I’m on it, although I’m sure Maria will be going a hundred miles an hour getting this wedding ready for you. Are you having it at the mansion?”
“No. We’re going to be married right here in a small church. All of Montgomery’s friends are here,” Isabella explained, and then thought about all those good-looking men. “Wait until you meet them. Five totally gorgeous men and only one is married.”
Patsy groaned. “Oh come on, Bella…please don’t try to fix me up with any of them.”
“See them first before you say nay,” Isabella told her with a chuckle.
“Is—is that agent, you know the one, is he going to be there?”
Montgomery Page 17
