by Smith, Bobbi
ROMANTIC TIMES PRAISES BOBBI SMITH, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR!
HALFBREED WARRIOR
“Smith is the consummate storyteller. The pacing is quick, with snappy dialogue moving the story forward at breakneck speed.”
BRAZEN
“As sexy and gritty as [Smith] has ever written.”
HALF-MOON RANCH: HUNTER’S MOON
“Bobbi Smith is a terrific storyteller whose wonderful characters, good dialogue and compelling plot will keep you up all night.”
FOREVER AUTUMN
“Forever Autumn is a fast-paced, delightful story.”
LONE WARRIOR
“Fast paced, swift moving and filled with strong, well-crafted characters.”
EDEN
“The very talented Bobbi Smith has written another winner. Eden is filled with adventure, danger, sentimentality and romance.”
THE HALF-BREED (SECRET FIRES)
“Witty, tender, strong characters and plenty of action, as well as superb storytelling, make this a keeper.”
BRIDES OF DURANGO: JENNY
“Bobbi Smith has another winner. This third installment is warm and tender as only Ms. Smith can do. . . . Ms. Smith’s fans will not be disappointed.”
BRIDES OF DURANGO: TESSA
“Another wonderful read by consummate storyteller Bobbi Smith. . . . Filled with adventure and romance. . . .”
MORE ROMANTIC TIMES RAVES FOR STORYTELLER OF THE YEAR BOBBI SMITH!
BRIDES OF DURANGO: ELISE
“There’s plenty of action, danger and heated romance as the pages fly by. This is exactly what fans expect from Bobbi Smith.”
WESTON’S LADY
“Bobbi Smith has penned another winner.”
HALF-BREED’S LADY
“A fast-paced, frying-pan-into-the-fire adventure that runs the gamut of emotions, from laughter to tears. A must-read for Ms. Smith’s fans, and a definite keeper.”
OUTLAW’S LADY
“Bobbi Smith is an author of many talents; one of them being able to weave more than one story. . . . Ms. Smith creates characters that one will remember for some time to come.”
THE LADY & THE TEXAN
“An action-packed read with roller-coaster adventures that keep you turning the pages. The Lady & the Texan is just plain enjoyable.”
RENEGADE’S LADY
“A wonderfully delicious ‘Perils of Pauline’ style romance. With dashes of humor, passion, adventure and romance, Ms. Smith creates another winner that only she could write!”
THE TASTE OF TEMPTATION
“You are a very tempting woman, Rachel Hammond,” Clint told her, putting her from him.
She was puzzled. She didn’t know why he’d stopped kissing her. She wanted to go back into his arms and stay there, but his next words stopped her.
“But you are the preacher’s daughter.”
His words jarred her back to reality.
“Oh—”
A mixture of conflicting emotions assailed Rachel as she stood there, momentarily lost in the confusion of the battle between her emotions and logic.
Clint knew they both needed a distraction, so he went to his saddlebags and rifled through them.
“Since we’re going to be stuck here a while longer, you want to have a little fun?” he asked her as he finally found what he’d been looking for.
“I thought we were having fun—” she said, feeling a little wild as she said it.
Clint bit back a groan at her remark. In her innocence, she was the perfect seductress. He could only imagine what she would have been like if she’d known what she was doing and the effect she had on him.
Other books by Bobbi Smith:
HALFBREED WARRIOR
BRAZEN
BAYOU BRIDE
HUNTER’S MOON
FOREVER AUTUMN
LONE WARRIOR
EDEN
WANTON SPLENDOR
SWEET SILKEN BONDAGE
THE HALF-BREED (SECRET FIRES)
WESTON’S LADY
HALF-BREED’S LADY
OUTLAW’S LADY
FORBIDDEN FIRES
RAPTURE’S RAGE
THE LADY & THE TEXAN
RENEGADE’S LADY
THE LADY’S HAND
LADY DECEPTION
The Brides of Durango series:
ELISE
TESSA
JENNY
Writing as Julie Marshall:
MIRACLES
HAVEN
BOBBI SMITH
DEFIANT
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Text copyright © 2006 Bobbi Smith
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance
P.O. Box 400818
Las Vegas, NV 89140
ISBN-13: 9781477835043
ISBN-10: 1477835040
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
CHapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Epilogue
This title was previously published by Dorchester Publishing; this version has been reproduced from the Dorchester book archive files.
This book is dedicated to Mason Ryan, my third perfect grandson!
“Hi” to all my friends at Dierberg’s—Jessica Lister, Jeanne Velders, Debbie Peirick, Charlene Climer and Bobbi at the checkout. And “Hi” to the real Michelle Lofton at Emmis Radio in St. Louis. You’re wonderful!
DEFIANT
Chapter One
Texas, Late 1870’s
It was getting late as twenty-five-year-old Clint Williams walked out on the front porch of his family’s ranch house to find his father sitting alone on the top step, staring off into the night.
“I thought I might find you here,” Clint said as he sat down next to him. He’d noticed how quiet his father had been during dinner and wondered what was troubling him.
“I needed some time to think,” Frank Williams answered, his tone worried.
“What’s wrong?”
“This Tucker Gang I’ve been tracking is trouble—bad trouble,” he told him.
“I’ve seen the wanted posters. How close are you to catching them?”
“I’ve been on their trail for several months now, and I think I’m finally closing in.”
“Good.” Clint knew what a fine Texas Ranger his father was. Frank Williams was the reason Clint had become a Ranger, too. Clint knew that if anyone could catch this gang, it would be his father.
Frank went on, “These men are the most cold-blooded killers I’ve ever seen. There’s got to be more going on here than just robbery. Glen Tucker and Ax Hansen seem to be the leaders, but I’m beginning to think they’re not really running thing
s. I’ve got a few ideas, but nothing I can prove—yet.”
“You’ll do it. You’ll stop them.”
Frank looked over at his eldest son. “I have to. Too many innocent people have died.”
They shared a look of understanding.
“Well, I’m just glad we both happened to show up here at the ranch at the same time.” Clint said. “It’s good to have this time together. How long can you stay on?”
“One more day, unless I get word that something new has happened. What about you?”
“I have to ride out first thing in the morning,” Clint answered.
“It’s always good to get home, even if only for a short while.” Frank loved his family and their ranch, the Lazy W. He planned to retire there eventually, but not yet—not while evil men like the Tucker Gang were still on the loose. “Your brother’s keeping things running smooth around here.”
“Yes, he is,” Clint agreed, proud of Jason.
“What are you two doing, sitting out here in the dark?” Kate asked as she came outside to find her husband and son deep in conversation.
“Just relaxing in the peace and quiet,” Frank told her. “Come on and join us.” She was the love of his life, and he missed her when he was away.
Kate sat down between them. She loved having her whole family together. It didn’t happen often, so she treasured every minute. It was always hard for her to watch Frank ride off on his assignments, for she never knew if he’d come home again, and since Clint had followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Rangers, she had him to worry about, too.
Kate looked over at her handsome eldest son with a mother’s love shining in her eyes. Many times, she’d wanted to try to stop her husband and son from leaving, knowing the danger they faced, but they were Williams men, and once they were determined to do something, they did it. She prayed a lot while they were gone and always gave thanks when they made it home safely.
“Are you sure you have to leave tomorrow?” she asked Clint.
“Yes, I have to report to Captain Meyers by Wednesday,” he told her.
“Well, let’s hope your captain gives you an easy assignment this time.”
“I’ll tell him you said so,” Clint chuckled, “but I don’t think he’s got many ‘easy’ assignments.”
Jason returned from the stable then to join them, and they spent the next hour enjoying each other’s company before calling it a night.
It was a few hours before sunup, and the outlaw gang was ready to take action.
The boss had sent word to Tuck that Frank Williams was back home at the Lazy W. Williams was the Ranger who’d been tracking the gang so relentlessly, and the boss believed he was getting too close to them. That was why he wanted him taken care of—now.
The gang had ridden hard to get to the ranch while Williams was still there. They’d reached the Lazy W late that night and had hidden out to plan their strategy.
And now it was time.
They were going to strike with lethal force and take care of Ranger Williams once and for all.
It didn’t matter that the Ranger’s family was there with him. The boss wanted Williams dead, and what the boss wanted, the boss got. If any of Williams’ family happened to get in the way, they’d be killed, too.
“Tuck—when do we make our move?” Ax Hansen asked Glen Tucker in a quiet voice as they crouched with the other men in the brush on the hillside overlooking the house and outbuildings.
“Now.” Tuck knew the men were anxious to set their plan in motion. “His wife and son should be the only ones in the main house with him. There are a few ranch hands in the bunkhouse.”
“Isn’t one of his sons a Ranger, too?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think he’s around, and even if he is, it won’t matter. They’re not expecting us. We’re in control here. We’ll set the fires and be waiting for them. Just make sure you shoot straight and fast when they come running out.”
Tuck knew what a formidable foe Frank Williams was. Williams’s reputation among the Rangers was almost legendary, and if Tuck had his way, Williams really was going to be a legend after this night. A dead one.
Tuck turned his attention back down to the buildings, studying the lay of the land. He told the other gunmen, “Ax, you and Rick take the bunkhouse. Walt, you and John come with me. We’ll take the main house.”
“What about the stable? Do you want us to burn it down, too?” Ax asked.
“Don’t worry about the stable. Nobody’s out there,” he said. “Now go. I’ll signal you when we’re in position.”
The killers started down toward the buildings with only one thing on their minds: murder.
When they were ready, Tuck gave the signal. They set fire to the main house and the bunkhouse, then ran to position themselves so they would have full coverage of all the doors and windows. The moment people ran from the burning buildings, they would be easily gunned down.
It didn’t take long for the killing to begin.
Tuck and the others were set when they heard the shouts of horror coming from those trapped inside. They watched as the doors were thrown open and the Williams family and their hired hands came rushing out of the buildings.
Tuck noticed that a few of the men had been smart enough to grab their guns as they’d fled, but that didn’t matter. Silhouetted against the blaze as they were, they made easy targets.
And the gang took full advantage.
Tuck recognized Frank Williams and took careful aim. His shots rang out with deadly accuracy, killing the Ranger instantly. Not even the screams of the horrified woman running to her fallen husband’s side deterred the gunmen. They all kept firing, and the woman was shot down in cold blood, too.
Tuck was surprised when two more men came running out of the main house and tried to go to her aid. He’d expected only one son to be there, but that didn’t matter. If this was Frank Williams’s other son, that meant they would be killing two Rangers tonight instead of just one.
The thought made Tuck smile.
The gang kept firing, driving the two men away from the woman’s body with their unending barrage. The two made a run for the stable. They had their guns and tried to return fire as they ran, but Tuck and Ax took careful aim and brought them both down.
The gunmen continued to shoot at the emerging ranch hands until they all lay unmoving on the ground.
Then the gunfire ceased.
The scene before Tuck and Ax was eerily quiet. The only sounds in the night were the deadly roars of the fires.
Tuck and Ax carefully made their way down to the front of the burning house to check on Frank Williams. They had to make sure the Ranger wouldn’t be causing them any more trouble. The other gunmen followed.
Ax knelt down and turned Frank Williams over to get a look at him. “Tuck, he’s dead.”
“Good shooting, boys,” Tuck complimented them. “The boss is gonna be real proud of us, Ax.”
“Too bad he couldn’t be here to see it.” Ax smiled at Tuck as he stood up.
They took one last look at the deadly havoc they’d wreaked and felt satisfied with their work. The flames cast a hellish red glow on everything and everyone.
“We’d better get out of here. It’s almost daylight,” Tuck told the men.
“Do you want to split up? The Rangers are going to be tracking us.” Ax didn’t want to take any chances.
“Yeah, you stay with me. Walt, Rick, and John, you ride out together. We’ll arrange to meet up later.” They had ways of staying in touch, so he wasn’t worried about getting the word out when the time was right.
“Sounds good. Let’s go.”
The outlaw gang returned to where they’d left their horses and mounted up.
It was over.
They rode quickly away, wanting to put distance between themselves and the ranch as fast as they could.
Tony Villigram and Paul Taylor, two of the Lazy W’s ranch hands, had been working the herd and had camped out overnig
ht. They’d been sleeping soundly until their horses began to stir and the herd grew restless in the predawn hours. Tony got up to take a look around. It was then that he saw the strange glow in the night sky in the direction of the house.
“Paul! Wake up! We got trouble!”
They broke camp and rode as quickly as they could back to the ranch house. With every mile they covered, they realized more and more the seriousness of what they were about to face. It was light when they finally topped the low rise that overlooked the buildings and discovered the death and devastation below. The large ranch house and bunkhouse were smoldering ruins, and many bodies lay motionless scattered on the ground. Tony and Paul raced down to the scene.
“Who could have done this?” Tony was horrified by the carnage.
“It wasn’t Comanche.”
They knew the signs of an Indian raid, and this definitely hadn’t been one.
Tony and Paul had worked for the Williams family for many years and considered them friends. It was a gruesome and heartbreaking task to search for survivors. They found Frank and Kate both dead, and all the ranch hands, too. Then they spotted Clint and Jason by the stable, which was still intact, and they ran to check on them.
“Jason’s dead,” Paul called out to Tony.
“Oh, my God! Clint’s alive!” Tony shouted when he discovered Clint was still breathing.
Paul rushed to Clint’s side and saw how badly he’d been injured. It was a miracle he’d survived. He’d been shot several times and had lost a lot of blood.
“We gotta get him over to the Anderson’s place. It’s closer than trying to take him into town,” Paul said. “As bad as he is, I don’t think he could make it to town.”
They quickly did what they could to bind Clint’s wounds, then rushed to hitch up the buckboard. With great care, they lifted Clint into the back and cushioned him there with horse blankets.
“What should we do about the others?” Paul worried.
“You go ahead and take Clint to the Circle A,” Tony told Paul. “I’ll stay here and bury them.”
“What should I tell the Andersons about what happened?”
“I don’t know.” Tony paused and looked around at the carnage again. “Whoever did this wanted everybody dead.”
