Her Cowboy Daddies: A Secret Baby Ranch Western Cowboy Romance

by Crowne, K. C.

  “Dave!” I said, rushing to the bars and grabbing them. “What’s the word?”

  “Got some good news for you,” he said. “I spoke with the officers and asked for proof that you’d assaulted an officer.”

  “And?”

  “Turns out someone tampered with the dashcam in the car. It’s not enough proof to totally get you off the hook, but it does weaken their case enough that I was able to talk them into setting you a bail.”

  “Fuck!” The word came out on a wave of total relief. “Thank you so much.”

  “Don’t mention it. And I took the liberty of posting it for you. Should be outta here in a half-hour or so.”

  It was about the best damn news I could imagine. The idea of spending the night in that cell, totally helpless while I waited for news about Skye was the worst thing I could imagine.

  Dave let me know he’d be on the case, getting to the bottom of what had happened. And then he was gone. I had no doubt he’d be able to handle it, but at that moment all I cared about was leaving that damn police station and finding Skye.

  Around a half-hour later, a pair of cops arrived and opened the door. “Travis Walker?” one of them asked.

  “That’s me.”

  “Come on. Bail’s been posted – you’re free to go.”

  I stomped past them, furious that it had taken as long as it had. After a little more paperwork, they returned my things and escorted me outside of the station.

  The air was mild and cool, and as soon as the cops were gone, I took out my phone and called Adam.

  “Yo,” he said. “Where are you?”

  “I’m out. Got my lawyer to post bail.”

  “Thank God. Last thing we need is you stuck in jail.”

  I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no cops were around. Couldn’t trust any of those pricks. “He said someone tampered with the dash cam footage when Mayer arrested me.”

  “No shit?”

  “No shit. Thinkin’ there’s some kinda fuckin’ conspiracy goin’ on here.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a second. Bryce could have half the cops in the station on his payroll.”

  More shit to worry about later. “What about Skye? You heard from her?”

  “Not a word, but I’ve been at impound for the last two hours,” he grumbled. “She didn’t try to contact you?”

  “Nope, nothin’.”

  “I don’t like this, Travis. Where was the last place you saw her?”

  “She was in my truck when I got arrested. I told her to go to Rainbow Canyons and wait for me or you.”

  “But she would’ve texted you or left you a voicemail, right?”

  “Or you.” I was getting worried. “Alright. Come pick me up and we’ll go to Rainbow Canyons and figure out what the hell’s goin’ on.”

  “Will do. See you in a bit.”

  I glanced back at the police station before starting off toward the main road. As I walked, I pulled up Skye’s number and gave her a ring. No answer. I didn’t like it one iota.

  I fired off a quick text. “Message me back when you get this – want to make sure you’re OK.”

  No response. Tension tightened in my gut with each minute that passed without a response. After fifteen minutes or so, Adam pulled up in his truck and I hurried inside.

  “Fucking hell,” he said as we drove off. “Can you believe that shit?”

  “Total insanity,” I agreed. “Never thought I’d have to deal with crooked cops in my lifetime. Head to the ranch.” Adam nodded. “Any word from Skye?”

  “Nope. You?”

  “Nope. And I don’t like it at all. Makin’ me nervous as hell.”

  We drove in silence, Adam driving under the speed limit to not attract attention from the cops, who no doubt still had an eye on us.

  “Holy shit.” About halfway to the ranch, less than half a mile from where the cops had pulled me over, I spotted my truck on the side of the road.

  “That your ride?” Adam asked, confused as he slowed down.

  “That’s my ride. Pull over.”

  Adam pulled up behind the truck and we both got out. I hurried over to the truck and looked inside. Nothing.

  “Look at these tire tracks,” Adam pointed out. “They’re carved into the dirt, goin’ at hard angles.”

  “You think she was run off the road?”

  “Looks that way to me.”

  I was pissed, angrier than I’d been in a long, long while. It began to dawn on me that Skye had likely been taken, kidnapped.

  “The cops,” Adam guessed. “Or someone else workin’ for Bryce. They got Skye.”

  I didn’t want to believe it, but it was the only explanation that made sense. Where else would she be? Luckily, the keys were still in the ignition.

  “I’ll take the truck back,” I said. “Meet me at my cabin.”

  “Got it.”

  A short drive later, one that I spent fuming, we were at the ranch. Adam and I came to a stop in front of my cabin and headed inside.

  “What’s the plan?” Adam asked.

  “Far as I can tell, the cops were in on it. And all the bullshit about the arrest was to get Skye alone. Bet they took her as soon as I was gone.”

  “And where do you think she might be?”

  “Not sure, but Bryce’s place is my best guess.”

  “Fuck,” Adam swore, taking off his hat and running his hand through his hair. “Then what the hell are we gonna do? Can’t exactly call the cops and expect them to be on our side.”

  “Nah. I got a better idea.”

  I went over to one of my bookshelves, bracing my back against the side and pushing it out of the way. Behind it was a steel-door safe, one I opened with a few turns of the dial.

  “Holy shit,” Adam said, surprised. “What the hell you got in there?”

  He stepped up to my side. In the safe were a few weapons – long rifles and shotguns and pistols – along with several thousand dollars in cash. It wasn’t the money I was looking for – it was the guns.

  “Load up,” I said, grabbing one of the rifles. “We got a hell of a night ahead of us.”

  Adam

  “Can’t believe we’re fuckin’ doin’ this.” I was in the passenger seat of Travis’s truck, riding through the evening towards Bryce’s place.

  “Not much else we can do,” Travis said, his eyes fixed on the road. “This is one of those damn situations where we’re on our own, can’t count on no one but ourselves.”

  “Not too late to tell the rest of your family. A whole squad of us might be able to do more good than just a pair.”

  Travis shook his head. “Nah. They’ve got our backs, no doubt about it. But we’re not invading Bryce’s place. If we keep to the two of us, we’ll be able to sneak in and not draw attention.”

  “Yeah, but that means if we get into some shit, we’ll probably be outnumbered.”

  “I know. Two options and they both suck.” His scowl deepened. “But this way we can get movin’ now, figure out what the hell happened to Skye.”

  Last thing I wanted to be doing was waiting around for something to happen.

  “There,” I said, pointing ahead. “There’s the ranch.”

  Travis nodded, killing the headlights and pulling the truck over to the side of the road. “We’ll go on foot from here,” he said. “Load up and let’s get moving.”

  I still couldn’t believe we were going in armed. It was like we were a pair of cowboys from the Old West getting ready for a shootout with some cattle rustlers. I put all that out of my head as I climbed out of the truck, sticking a pistol in the back of my jeans and slinging a rifle over my shoulder.

  “What’s the plan when we’re on the grounds?” I asked, our boots crunching on the dirt, the sound filling the otherwise silent air.

  “Keep out of sight. We stick together, look for any sign of Skye. And if we need to break into the main ranch house, we’ll do it.”

  “Good call. I’m not leaving witho
ut knowing what the hell’s goin’ on.”

  “I’m right there with you.”

  We reached the ranch gates quickly. They were locked; we wouldn’t have gotten through in a vehicle. But on foot we were able to climb over. Moments later we were on the main grounds. The last time I’d been there it’d been for legitimate business, and now I was breaking in like a damn crook. But it needed to be done.

  No one was around. The usual bustle of ranch hands and other employees was gone. Off in the distance, I spotted Bryce’s ranch, a few of the windows lit up with lights inside.

  “He’s home,” I said. “And maybe Skye’s there with him.”

  “Right. Probably where we need to go.”

  We moved quietly through the dark, ducking behind buildings when we could.

  “That’s the barn,” I said, pointing to the building up ahead. “The one we built.”

  Travis offered a grin in response. “That’s fine work.”

  I allowed myself a slight laugh. “Somethin’ like that.”

  The barn I built happened to be the one closest to the main ranch. We hid behind it for a moment, catching our breaths and preparing for the final rush. But before we did, one of the barn doors opened.

  “Fuck,” I hissed. “Stay still.”

  A figure stepped out, and I wasn’t able to see his face in the dark. But we hadn’t done a very good job of hiding, as I could see his attention turn to us as soon as he shut the door.

  “Who’s there?” he said, his voice accented. “I know you’re there.”

  Shit – busted. I did my best to stay cool and calm as the figure moved toward us. Were we going to have to fight? Knock this guy out and tie him up or some shit? He flicked on a flashlight, and the light from the beam was enough for me to make out his face. Gael.

  “Meirda,” he said, pointing the beam at me. “Is that you, Adam?”

  I didn’t know whether or not to be relieved. I’d been friendly with Gael, but I sure as hell didn’t know how he was going to react to seeing me breaking into the ranch.

  “It’s me,” I acknowledged. “Mind turnin’ that thing off?”

  “You here to work on the barn or something?” he asked. “Little late for that, I think.”

  “The light, Gael.”

  “Sure, sure.” He clicked the light off and the darkness returned. He stared at us for a moment, then said, “Come in,” gesturing to the barn.

  Travis regarded me for a moment, silently asking if we could trust this man. I nodded, sending the signal he was on our side.

  Gael entered the barn and the two of us followed him in. The lights went on as I shut the door behind us. Gael looked us up and down, worry forming on his face when he saw the guns.

  “What the hell is going on here?” he asked, fear in his voice. “What are you trying to pull?”

  “It’s fine, Gael,” I said, raising my palms. “We’re not here for trouble.”

  I’d meant the words as I’d said them, but I realized they weren’t the truth. We were there to start some shit, get Skye back. But it felt like the right thing to say.

  “You’re armed,” he observed. “Doesn’t look to me like you’re not here to start trouble. Tell me what’s going on, now.” He gestured to Travis. “And who’s this?”

  “Gael, this is Travis Walker. Travis, this is Gael.”

  “Pleasure,” Travis said, extending his hand.

  Gael’s eyebrows were raised as he took Travis’s hand. “Travis Walker? As in, Rainbow Canyons Walker?”

  “The one and the same,” Travis acknowledged, releasing Gael’s hand.

  “What’s one of the Walkers doing here?” Gael asked, glancing at me again. “Adam, tell me what’s going on.”

  I didn’t know where to begin, so I cut right to the chase. “Gael, we’ve got good reason to believe Bryce might’ve kidnapped a friend of ours.”

  “What? Are you serious? Who?”

  “You remember that girl who was here a bit back, the one who led the protest?”

  “Oh yeah,” he said. “Muy linda. You know her?”

  “Yeah,” Travis answered. “We both know her. And we know she’s been on Bryce’s shitlist for a while. We’re thinkin’ Bryce might have her.”

  Gael shook his head, trying to process what he was hearing. “You think…Bryce is capable of something like that?”

  “He’s a real piece of shit,” I said. “And I’m sure that ain’t news to you. She’s been a thorn in his side for a while and I don’t doubt for a second he’d pull somethin’ like that to get rid of her.”

  “You know, I saw a van pull up a little while ago. Bunch of guys got out, real mean-looking gringos I’d never seen before. But was working, didn’t hang around to see what was going on.”

  “You think that might’ve been them?” I asked Travis.

  “Hard to say. But if I were gonna kidnap someone, a van’s the kind of vehicle I’d do it in.” He thought the matter over. “And where we found my truck, there were two sets of tire tracks.”

  “Could be them,” I said, nodding. “Gael, you know anything else?”

  He furrowed his brow, focusing. “Wait…Bryce had some weird work done to the ranch not too long ago.”

  “What kind of weird work?”

  “For the basement,” he said, and my stomach clenched. A basement was a rare thing to have in Texas. “He had some guys come in and soundproof it. It was strange, but I didn’t ask questions. I guess I thought it was so he could play his music loud or something like that, you know?”

  Travis and I turned to one another. “Soundproofing,” he said. “Perfect if you want to keep someone down there where no one can hear them.”

  “Maybe he’s been planning this for a while,” I said. “Sick fuck.”

  “You two are…going to break into the house?” Gael asked.

  “That’s the plan,” I said. “If she’s there – and I got good reason to think she is – then we’re gonna find her.”

  “Then I want to help,” Gael said. “I’m not much in a fight or anything like that, but there’s an entrance to the basement that I know about. You can go in through there, not have to break in through the main entrance.”

  “And what do you get out of this?” Travis asked, still suspicious.

  “I saw the way Bryce treats his animals,” he said, anger coloring his words. “And if he’s moved on to people…I’m not going to stand around while it happens, you know?”

  “Right,” I said. “Then let’s move out.”

  Gael flicked the lights off in the barn and we were on our way. He led us through the dark toward the house, the three of us staying low to the ground, making sure no one took notice. Gael led us until we reached a solid-looking steel door.

  “This goes into the basement,” he said. “I have to open it for you. But if I do…I don’t know…Bryce will know someone did, and I’m the only one with the key who’s still on the clock.”

  “Don’t you worry about that,” Travis told him. “Bryce is goin’ down for fuckin’ sure. If you somehow end up without a job after all this, there’ll be one waiting for you at Rainbow Canyons. You’ll be taken care of.”

  A small smile formed on Gael’s face. “Thank you, Travis. That’s no small comfort, you know?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. One went into the heavy bolt of the lock, and with a turn it was opened. Inside was a dimly lit hallway.

  “This is as far as I can go,” Gael told us. “I hope your friend’s okay.”

  We thanked him for his help and he was left as quietly as he’d led us.

  “Nothin’ left to do but do it,” Travis said, sucking in a deep breath. “You ready, bud?”

  “Ready as all hell.”

  We stepped into the hallway and slowly shut the door behind us. There were several doors lining the walls, and any one of them could have Skye behind it. But we didn’t get too far before one of the doors opened, and a big, burly man stepped through.

  “H
oly hell,” Officer Mayer said, shocked. “It’s…you two fucks!”

  Any doubt that there was a connection between the cops and Bryce was gone as soon as I laid eyes on him.

  “Fucking criminals,” he growled, putting his hands on his hips. “Movin’ on to breakin’ and enterin’, I see.”

  “Travis,” I said. “I’ll hold him off. You go look for Skye.”

  “Got it.”

  “Come on, fucker!” I said, putting up my fists.

  We rushed each other, his body slamming into mine hard. Travis slipped past, and then it was just me and Mayer.

  Skye

  I was tied to a chair in Bryce’s basement. And he was with me – him and two of his goons, some of the guys that had loaded me into the van and brought me to his place.

  My mind was racing in fear, the adrenaline spiraling through my body. I couldn’t think straight.

  The room was huge – big enough to fit my little place inside a few times over. It was some kind of multi-purpose rumpus-room kind of space, with lots of couches, a bar, and a TV screen bigger than any I’d seen before.

  Bryce paced back and forth, a silver pistol in his hand. The fucker had gone to the length of kidnapping me, but he was nervous.

  “Alright,” he said. “How the hell are we gonna do this?”

  One of the goons, a beefy, tall guy in denim with a shaved head, spoke. “That’s your call, boss. You wanted us to bring her to you, so that’s what we did.”

  “Yeah,” said the other goon, a shorter guy with stringy black hair. “What happens next is up to you.”

  Bryce turned his attention to me, as if looking at me would answer his question. “We have to get rid of her. That’s the only solution. Cops are on my side, but if we let her go, she’ll just head to the next town over and tell them what we’ve done.”

  “What you’ve done,” the shorter guy emphasized.

  “Hey,” Bryce interjected. “You helped me kidnap her – you’re just as much on the hook for this as I am.”

  As worried as I was, I could see this wasn’t any kind of evil-genius sort of operation. Bryce had clearly never done anything like this before – he was the sort to give orders from afar and let his men handle all the dirty work.