Soon, the couple fell asleep in the cool shade of the grass. When Colton woke up, he turned to tell Suzanna how much he loved her, only to discover she had gone. Within a few moments, he discovered that she had taken his horse, too. Cursing at the horizon, Colton berated himself for being such as fool. He had a bad feeling that he knew where she had gone and it could only mean danger and trouble.
***
Chapter Six
Colton trudged through the tall grass, muttering loudly to himself. She’d taken his horse, his rifle, his shirt. Hell, he supposed he was lucky she had left him his jeans and his boots. She’d even taken his hat.
“Freeze, right there!” a voice shouted from behind and Colton stopped mid-stride. He raised his hands in the air and turned slowly around with a wry grin on his face. Suzanna stood behind him, mounted on his horse and carrying all of the items he’d left behind at the picnic site when he first went chasing after her. She’d changed back into her dress and tossed his shirt back down to him. He noticed that she still wore his hat, but she looked so beautiful in it that he didn’t mind.
Smiling happily at the man she loved, Suzanna helped him mount the horse behind her and said, “I woke up first and decided to go back for our stuff. I needed my clothes and I was hungry, too. I figured I’d make it back before you ever woke up, but it looks like I was wrong.”
“You scared the hell out of me, disappearing like that!” Colton chastised but his voice was relieved and not angry. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and held her tight.
She craned her neck around to kiss him and said, “I gave you my word that I wouldn’t go investigating alone and I never break a promise. Now, let’s get going.” She spurred the horse forward and started heading up hill toward the old abandoned shafts of the Groghan mine.
“Going where? The ranch is the opposite direction.” Colton objected.
“Well, to find Daddy’s cattle herd of course!”
“What happened to never breaking a promise?” Colton asked and Suzanna laughed.
“I promised not to go alone. That means you have to come with me. Now let’s hurry. The sun will be getting low soon and I think I know exactly where they are.”
“What makes you think we’ll find anything this direction?” Colton asked.
“This does,” Suzanna said confidently. She reached into her pocket and handed Colton a small stone that she’d found on her bedroom floor. She’d given most of them to Deputy Larson, but she’d kept one for herself and she was glad she had.
Colton looked at it and shrugged indifferently. “It’s a rock.”
“Not just any rock; look at the coloring. I couldn’t remember where I’d seen such a rare stone before, so I went to the place where we’d first seen the poachers and there was nothing.”
“Well, you’re right! That’s a clue for sure!” Colton teased lovingly and Suzanna elbowed him playfully in the ribs.
“Okay, wise guy. There’s more to the story. Last night, I finally remembered where I’d seen this type of stone. They’re all over the ground at Groghan Mine. The miners dug them out of the earth by the ton when they were searching for gold ore. Don’t you remember when we used to go there when we were kids?”
Colton looked at the rock again and a long-forgotten memory came flooding back to him. Suzanna saw his eyes light up and she knew that he knew she was right! Colton furrowed his brow and said, “Why don’t you just go to Sheriff Newman with this?”
Suzanna frowned and said, “Because I think Deputy Logan is in on it.”
“That’s a serious accusation to make,” Colton said softly. They’d come to the fence that sectioned off the mining territory. Huge signs reading Keep Out and Danger hung askew from the broken fence posts. They dismounted the horse and tied the animal to one of the posts. Colton grabbed his rifle and they surveyed the area from the cover of the trees. After a while, Colton asked, “What makes you think the deputy is against us?”
“It’s the only explanation for the lack of progress. I gave him all the same evidence we have and they haven’t come up with anything. Yesterday, I called Sheriff Newman personally and asked him about the tire tracks and the stones and he didn’t know anything about them. That can only mean one thing; Deputy Larson buried the evidence. So, if he’s in on it, it’s up to us to catch the rustlers ourselves.”
“So close, and yet so wrong!” an unfamiliar male voice said from behind them, followed by the clicking sound of a gun being cocked. “Put your hands in the air and turn around real slow or I’ll fill you both full of bullets.”
Suzanna and Colton did as they were told and turned to look into the face of Vernon Hillman. His broken nose had finally healed, but it was more crooked than ever, making him even uglier than before. His skinny partner, Lee, was with him and each of man had a riffle, ensuring that the couple had no chance of escape.
They guided Suzanna and Colton into the opening of the abandoned mine. Once their eyes adjusted to the darkness they saw that it was a vast and wide area just a few feet underground, large enough to hide hundreds of cattle.
“Daddy’s herd!” Suzanna cried out happily at the sight of the cattle with the familiar brand on their flank. “I knew they were here! I just knew it!”
“Yeah, but you weren’t right about everything.” Jasper McElroy, the leader of the gang of rustlers stepped forward and grabbed Suzanna by the chin. He said, “You think you’re just so smart don’t ya, but there was one piece of the puzzle you got completely wrong.”
“What’s that?” Suzanna said with brave defiance.
Jasper turned and welcomed his partner to step forward into the light. Colton and Suzanna both gasped in surprise and horror. Suzanna wondered how she could have been so terribly wrong to suspect that Deputy Larson had been burying evidence. He wasn’t the one in league with the rustlers, it was Sheriff Newman himself!
***
Chapter Seven
“Sheriff! You helped these thieves steal Daddy’s herd? How could you?” Suzanna cried out with all the pain and betrayal she felt in her heart.
“Your daddy is a powerful man in this county and it’s no secret that he plans to support my opponent in the upcoming election,” Sheriff Newman justified as he paced in front of the captured couple. “Since he lost his cattle, he won’t have the funds or the power to upset my campaign when the next election comes around.”
“He doesn’t need money to ruin your election!” Suzanna shouted out angrily. “The whole county will know that you’re a terrible Sheriff simply because you couldn’t solve this crime! Unless you plan to turn in your partner here!”
Jasper laughed easily, clearly not the least bit worried that the Sheriff would turn on him. Putting an arm around her shoulder, he said, “Don’t worry, little filly. The Sheriff wasn’t able to get back your daddy’s cattle, but he was able to solve a much bigger and more heinous crime. A crime so awful that all of the county is sure to support the Sheriff and re-elect him, even your daddy.”
“What crime is that?” Suzanna asked bitterly.
“Why, the crime of your murder, of course!” Jasper laughed meanly at the look of fear that crossed Suzanna’s face at the words.
Colton balled his hands into fists and shouted out, “You can’t kill her! You’ll never get away with it!”
Jasper put an arm around Colton’s shoulder as if they were buddies and said, “I’m not going to kill her; you are. That’s the crime the Sheriff is going to solve. I’ve got a buyer coming tonight to pay these cattle. Once I’ve got my money, the Sheriff is going to track you here, where you’ll be sitting with a few remaining cows, some marked money, and your little girlfriend. You’ll use her as a human shield when the Sheriff comes to arrest you and end up killing your own hostage. The Sheriff will arrest you for cattle rustling and murder, she’ll be dead and you’ll end up spending the rest of your life in prison.”
“No one will believe that!” Suzanna cried out in Colton’s defense.
�
��Oh, who are they going to believe; the accused murderer? Everyone knows that he’s been fighting with Jeremiah Wheeler. The old man caught him sleeping with his daughter and threatened to fire him. Since then, Colton was plotting to get all the old man’s money and run away with his daughter, only things went sour and he killed her. Luckily, our good Sheriff will be able to see that justice is done.”
Suzanna and Colton both wanted to say something in the face of this hideous plot, but no words would come. They were surrounded by Jasper’s gang, armed with rifles, and their only hope—the Sheriff—was in on the plot.
Jasper looked at his watch and said, “My buyers will be arriving soon. Let’s tie these two up somewhere out of the way until I get my money.”
“Why not shoot the girl now?” Sheriff Newman asked, and Suzanna felt her heart pounding with fear.
“Because I want my money first!” Jasper said. “That’s the deal. I get my money for the herd and you get the election in your pocket afterward. Don’t try and screw up the plan now.”
The Sheriff made a face indicating that he didn’t like being talked to in that way by a mere criminal, but he had too much riding on this next election to argue, so he clamped his jaw shut. Waiving his rifle at Colton and Suzanna he said, “Come on you two, down the mine shaft. We’ll let Jasper have his way for just a little longer. As soon as he gets his money for the herd, he’ll be gone and the rest is history.”
Suzanna and Colton had no choice but to climb into the rickety old elevator and let the Sheriff lower them into the mine shaft. He placed it about twenty feet down then locked the elevator into place, keeping them trapped in the tiny space deep in the earth.
When they heard him walk away and knew they were alone, Colton took Suzanna into his arms and she buried her face in his muscular chest.
“Oh Colton, what are we going to do?” she sobbed.
“I don’t know, but I’ll tell you one thing; we’re not going to die like this! You’ve got more brains than anyone I know. Pull yourself together and we can think of a way out of this.”
Suzanna drew in a breath and tried to clear her mind. Colton was right, there had to be a way to escape, to stop Jasper from selling Daddy’s herd, to save her own life, and to keep the Sheriff from wrongfully imprisoning Colton. As hard she tried to think, no solution would come to mind.
Suzanna sighed with frustration and wrapped her arms around Colton. She kissed him deeply and said, “It’s no use. I’m just glad I had the chance to love you before I die.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Colton said tenderly and kissed her back. She knew that he loved her, too.
Tears came to her eyes and she said, “I just feel awful that loving me is going to land you in prison for the rest of your life.”
Wanting to cheer her up and make light of the situation, Colton said, “Well, I always knew you were a naughty girl.”
Suzanna was too scared to laugh at the silly joke, but her mouth did curve into a smile. Colton ran his fingers over her delicate lips and kissed her with all the love he felt in his heart. She opened her mouth to him and they drank each other deeply, clinging to each other desperately and running their hands over each other’s bodies.
To her surprise Suzanna felt Colton’s erection on her thigh. She pulled away from his embrace and said teasingly, “You’re the naughty one now. Perhaps I should tie you up like you do to me.”
Suddenly Suzanna’s eyes lit up. She grabbed Colton by the hand and excitedly told him her idea.
“Do you think it will work?” she asked worriedly.
Colton grinned. He knew she was the brightest girl in the county and this proved it. “I know it will! Those jerks won’t know what happened until it’s too late. I love you Suzanna Wheeler, and whether your father ever gives us his blessing or not, I want you to be my bride! When this is over, will you marry me?”
“I love you too, Colton Stevens,” she said happily. “And my answer is yes!”
Sheriff Newman and Jasper waited above for the buyer to pay them for the herd, completely unaware that everything was about to change.
TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK THREE: Freeing Suzanna - Volume 3
***
Freeing Suzanna
***
Chapter One
Suzanna Wheeler closed her eyes and kissed Colton Stevens with all the love she felt for him in her heart. He embraced her tightly, pressing her against him with such passion; she knew that he felt the same way about her. She could feel his hands running through her hair, pulling her closer to him as their tongues intertwined. They clung to each other like two people drowning, neither one willing to let the other go. They both knew this could be the last time they ever kissed each other and soon they could both be dead.
Finally, they forced themselves to break away and set themselves to carrying out the task at hand.
“I hope this works,” Suzanna said and Colton could hear the tremble of fear in her voice. She looked up the mine shaft, where she and Colton were both trapped in an elevator car in the Groghan Mine. She estimated it was at least twenty feet to the surface. Even if they could climb to the top, a gang of armed cattle rustlers waited to kill them.
With more confidence than he felt, Colton said, “I know your plan will work. Those bastards think they can sell your father’s herd. They’ve seriously underestimated who they’re messing with! You’ll see they all spend the rest of their lives in jail!”
Suzanna smiled at his reassuring words. “That’s just because they started messing with my boyfriend! I may have let those cattle rustlers sell Daddy’s herd and I may have even let them kill me like they plan to do when they’re done with the sale. However, when we found out the rustlers were teamed up with Sheriff Newman and that he was going to frame you for everything—well, I couldn’t let them get away with that! No one messes with my man!”
Colton was glad to see the sparkle back in Suzanna’s eyes and immediately started unlacing his hiking boots. He normally wore cowboy boots and realized it must have been the hand of God that made him put on his hiking boots that morning. The laces were 63 inches long each and made of strong fibers woven into thick, durable cords.
Suzanna had always admired Colton’s skill with rope. He could create the most complicated knots within the blink of an eye, securing runaway cattle, lifting fallen trees, hauling objects, and most recently, binding her to the bed in exciting sex games. Today’s rope trick, however, would be a matter of life and death. Suzanna could see the pressure he felt from the furrow of his brow. She raised her hand and delicately wiped away his beads of sweat with the tip of her finger as he wound the sturdy bootlace around her and secured the knot.
“How’s that feel?” he asked, tugging on the cord to make sure the knot wouldn’t slip.
Suzanna smiled reassuringly and said. “It feels fine; not too tight and not too loose.”
“Good. This mine shaft goes down for miles. If I haven’t done this right, you’ll fall to your death.”
Suzanna kissed him gently on the lips and looked deep into his eyes. “I trust you. I know you won’t let me fall. Now let’s hurry. They’ll be done selling Daddy’s cattle soon and then they’ll come back for us. We want to be gone before that happens.”
Colton nodded in agreement. He checked the harness he’d created around Suzanna one last time, and although it was only made of bootlaces, he felt confident that it would hold. Hoisting her up into the air, he shoved the woman he loved out of the elevator car. He held his breath, waiting for the sound of her falling to her death. When he heard her voice, he sighed deeply, releasing all his fears along with the air from his lungs.
“I’m okay,” Suzanna said from where she hung suspended to the outside of the elevator car. “Come join me. It will be like a romantic date in a dark restaurant.”
“I’m coming!” Colton called to her. “I just need to finish tying my harness.”
The bootlace fit relatively well over Suzanna’s slender body, but Colton was fi
nding it more difficult to stretch it around his bulkier, more muscular frame. Plus, he had the disadvantage of not being able to maneuver around his own body like he had Suzanna’s to see the harness from all angles. Tying the bootlace around himself, he was basically working blind.
As soon as he had the harness safely secured, he would have to hoist himself out of the elevator car. When the cattle rustlers and the Sheriff came to get them, they would discover they were gone. While they were out searching for them, it would give them a chance to climb out of the mine shaft and escape. It wasn’t a fool proof plan, but it was the best they had. They each had their doubts that it would work, but they each put up an optimistic front for the other.
“Okay, I’ve got it! I’m coming to join you!” Colton called down to Suzanna. She was about to shout out some words of encouragement to him when suddenly there was a loud noise and the elevator began to move. It was rising up! The rustlers were bringing them back to surface too soon!
“Climb out quickly!” Suzanna cried out to Colton.
“It’s too late! I’ll never make it over the side of the car without being seen. You stay where you are! Don’t make a sound!” Colton shouted down to her. He frantically pulled at the knots of his harness, struggling to remove it. As the elevator crested the surface, he removed the last of the cord from around himself and tossed it out of the elevator car. Suzanna managed to catch it as it fell clutched it to her breast. She wondered if it would be the last thing she ever held from him.
“Well, what have we here?” one of the cattle rustlers taunted, as the elevator came to a stop level with the ground. His eyes grew wide with alarm as he saw that only one person was there when there should have been two. Frantically, he called for the leader of the gang, Jasper.
Passion on the Ranch: Books 1-4 (4-Book Bundle) (Erotic Romance - Western Romance) Page 6
