by Lana Dare
Seeing no one else, Blade straightened, pressing his side against the chow shack in an effort to remain in the dark shadows. Easing away from the wall, he saw Phoenix and Sarah heading right, toward their cabin.
The man watched them, lifting his guns.
Blade rushed forward, his moccasins enabling him to cross the distance between him and the stranger without a sound. “Drop those pistols.”
As the other man started to turn, Blade pressed his gun against the stranger’s back, his knife against his neck. “I wouldn’t. Drop them.” He felt a presence behind him, but didn’t bother turning.
Duke stepped forward as the other man tossed his guns to the ground, and flipped his knife around, hitting the other man in the head with the heavy handle, knocking him out.
Sparing a glance toward the open yard where he’d last seen his brother, Blade swallowed a curse when he saw that Phoenix and Sarah had reached the front porch of the cabin.
“You got him?”
“Of course. Go warn—”
“Hell! Get down!”
Blade’s stomach lurched at the sound of his brother’s voice, followed by a gunshot.
And then more.
Blade was already at a dead run by the time Phoenix started to fall.
* * * *
Sarah froze at Phoenix’s shouted warning, staring in horror when an explosion sounded from inside and knocked Phoenix back.
Not until Phoenix shot back did she realize it had been a gunshot.
“Phoenix!” She ran toward him, horrified when he shot again and slid to the ground.
“Stay back!” Another shot rang out, and then another, which he answered with two more of his own.
The sudden silence terrified her, and with a sob, she grabbed the lantern and ran toward him, her heart in her throat when she saw the blood coating the front of his shirt. “Phoenix!”
Smoke and the scent of gunpowder filled the air, but she blocked them out to focus on Phoenix. “Phoenix! Oh, God. You’re bleeding. You’ve been shot!”
“Damn it, Sarah!” He shoved her, knocking her away from the doorway. “I told you to stay back!”
What felt like bands of iron wrapped around her from behind, and she found herself yanked against an equally hard chest. Before she knew it, her feet left the ground and she found herself upside down over a wide shoulder, bouncing as Blade ran across the yard back to the chow shack.
“Put me down! Phoenix is hurt.”
Blade’s strides never slowed. “Phoenix is being tended to. Be still, damn it!”
Stilling at the panic in Blade’s ragged voice, she gripped his shirt. “Blade? Oh, God! What happened?”
Suddenly, Duke was at her side, running alongside Blade. “Is she hurt?”
“I don’t think so.” Blade ran into the chow shack and set her on her feet so fast that her head spun.
Clutching him to steady herself, she looked up, struck by the change in both men.
Blade’s features appeared to have been carved from stone, the rage and fear in his eyes giving him a savage appearance that left her shaking. He searched her features before lowering his gaze to rake over her, his hands moving over her arms and legs with a gentle thoroughness that was a sharp contrast to the wild look in his eyes. “Do you hurt anywhere, honey?”
He knelt in front of her, reaching under her skirt to run his hands up and down her legs. “I can’t find anything. Sarah, look at me. Do you hurt anywhere?”
“No.” Shaking her head, she looked from Blade to Duke and back again. “No. It happened so fast.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Please. Phoenix is hurt. I want to go to him.”
Duke looked furious enough to spit nails, his scar even more pronounced as anger hardened his features. “They’ll be bringing him in here. Damn it, we need a full-time doctor.”
Blade ran a hand over Sarah’s back. “He’ll be fine. Gideon went to find Will Prentice. He knows how to remove a bullet.”
Just then, Hawke burst through the door, followed by Jeremiah and several others. Rushing to her side, Hawke gripped her by the shoulders, the storm in his eyes terrible to see. “Are you hurt?”
* * * *
Hawke had never been so scared in his life.
His heart still pounded nearly out of his chest and his hands shook, the realization of how important she’d become to him hitting him hard.
Running his hands over Sarah again, he glanced back to see Phoenix trying to shake off Eb’s hold.
“Let go of me, damn it! I was shot in the shoulder. I sure as hell can walk on my own. I want to see Sarah.”
Hawke stepped aside, knowing that he and the others would have a hell of a fight on their hands until Phoenix saw that Sarah was all right. “She’s not hurt. You shoved her away from the door just before he fired again.”
He didn’t want to think about how close Sarah had come to being shot, or how many shots he and Eb had fired into the room to keep that from happening.
The intruder lay dead on his mattress—in the very spot Sarah had slept so trustingly the night before.
Clenching his jaw, he wrapped an arm around Sarah, wondering if he’d ever be able to let her out of his sight again.
“I need you to come with me, little one. You can see for yourself that Phoenix is all right.” He’d already asked Jeremiah to bring the dead man out of the cabin, not wanting Sarah to have the memory of seeing him in the bed he shared with her.
“But I want to stay with Phoenix.” The tears in her eyes broke his heart.
Wrapping his arms around her, he shot a meaningful look in Phoenix’s direction. “We’ll be right back. I need you to take a look at these men. I need to know who they are.”
Phoenix made his way to one of the benches and sat, grimacing when Will walked through the door. “I’d be willing to bet that neither one of them was Willy. Sarah, honey, you know what Willy looks like. Are you strong enough to go check for me?”
Sarah lifted her chin. “Of course.”
“Good girl.” Blade inclined his head, silently saluting Phoenix. “I think you’re right. I’d bet that Willy’s still out there. He’ll strike again.”
Hawke kept an arm around Sarah, leading her outside, his insides clenched into hard knots. “We’ll be ready for him.”
Still shaken at how close he’d come to losing the woman he loved, he started toward the door, pausing when Duke stepped in front of him.
With a glance at Sarah, Duke clenched his jaw, his eyes screaming with grief. “I’m glad your woman’s all right. I wasn’t so lucky.” A sad smile curved his lips. “I see that you’ve realized just how much she means to you. That happened too late for me. Keep her close.”
He hadn’t fully understood why Duke had become so hard and cold until now.
He hadn’t understood the other man’s anguish.
Looking down at Sarah, he took in her tear-stained cheeks, and the trust and love shining in her eyes. “I will. Very close.”
She was everything to him—as vital to him as breathing—and he’d kill to keep her safe.
Chapter Thirteen
Lying in the darkness on the pallet his brothers had made for him in the yard, Phoenix looked up at the stars, struggling to keep his eyes open. A low fire burned several yards away, providing just enough light for him to see his surroundings.
If he could only keep his eyes open.
His brothers had cleaned up the blood inside the cabin, but the scent of whiskey and gunpowder still lingered in the air. Leaving the cabin open to air out, they’d decided to sleep outside.
The mattress from the bed burned in the fire.
“Do you need anything?”
Phoenix forced a smile at the question Sarah had already asked in one form or another for the past hour, the pain in his shoulder making it difficult to get comfortable. “Just for you to go to sleep. You’re wiggling all over the place.”
“I’m sorry. It must hurt your shoulder.”
Chuckling at tha
t, Phoenix turned his head to meet her gaze. “Among other things. How do you expect me to sleep when you’re wiggling your ass against me?”
He hoped by teasing her, she’d relax enough to get some sleep.
Blade turned from where he stood talking to Hawke several yards away. Approaching, he stood over Sarah, the tension at learning that Willy hadn’t been one of the intruders pouring from him in waves.
“Go to sleep, honey. You’re safe. There are men stationed all over the place.”
Phoenix tried to sit up, but the laudanum they’d managed to pour down his throat left him too dizzy and weak to try. “Did the other guy wake up yet?”
Blade nodded grimly. “Yeah.” Scrubbing a hand over his face, he glanced in the distance and sighed. “He didn’t want to talk at first, but Duke changed his mind. Enjoyed it, too. Willy’s out there, about a mile north. The plan was to kidnap Sarah and get her to lead them to the gold.”
Blade held Phoenix’s gaze for several long seconds, the message in them clear. “Said Willy’s got a burr under his saddle because he had to ride here on horseback, and didn’t like being in strange territory.” His lips twitched. “Pity.”
Phoenix glanced at Sarah, who sat staring north. “Yeah, a real shame.”
Willy wanted more than just the gold. He wanted Sarah, and most likely wanted to get even with her for inconveniencing him.
Phoenix didn’t even want to think about what Willy would do if he got his hands on her.
Forcing a smile in Sarah’s direction, he ran a hand over her arm, not liking the look in her eyes, or how she kept avoiding their gazes. “Don’t worry, honey. You’re safe here. Go to sleep.”
Sarah frowned, shaking her head. “I’m not scared for me. I’m worried about you. In case you’ve forgotten, you were shot just a few hours ago. You shouldn’t be lying on the ground outside.”
Phoenix smiled. “Well, I can’t lie on the ground inside, now, can I?”
Whipping her head around, she slapped at his leg. “I’m serious, Phoenix. Please don’t make fun of me, or make me feel stupid for caring about you. For the first time in my life, I feel cared for, and a part of something. Please don’t take that away from me.”
Blade raised a brow, chuckling softly. “You can’t argue with that without sounding stupid, little brother, especially with that laudanum in you. Just shut up and let her fuss a little. It’ll make you both feel better.”
“I hope you remember that if you ever get hurt.” Phoenix reached out and pulled her closer. His cock stirred briefly, but the laudanum kept his arousal at bay. “I’m not used to being fussed over. I’m fine. I don’t want you to worry.”
“Well, I am worried.” She placed her hand lightly over his shoulder wound, her eyes dark with remembered horror. “This is my fault. I knew I would bring trouble here. I told you that Willy’s dangerous. I really think I should just get the gold and go give it to him.”
“No.” The menace in Blade’s tone sent had Sarah whipping around to face him. “You’re not getting anywhere near him. No one can get to you here.”
Sitting up again, Sarah leaned back to look up at Blade, her hands braced slightly behind each hip. “I know that.” Averting her gaze, she shrugged, a delicate lift of her small shoulders. “It’s probably stupid to say this under the circumstances, but I love this feeling.”
* * * *
Kneeling beside her, Blade glanced at his brother, who’d finally lost the battle with the laudanum. “What feeling, love?” He reached out to run a hand over her braid, which had become loose and tousled. The knots in his stomach hadn’t loosened since he’d heard the first gunshot, and he found he couldn’t stop touching her, reassuring himself that she was safe.
Sarah smiled, leaning into his touch. “I feel so safe here. With you. Phoenix. Hawke.” She glanced in the distance, her eyes lingering on Hawke, who accepted a cup of coffee from Duke, the two men deep in conversation.
As if sensing her attention, Hawke turned, meeting her gaze, every line of his body tensing. He scanned the area around her, and met Blade’s gaze with a raised brow before looking back at her again with a faint smile of reassurance.
Sarah smiled and leaned against Blade’s chest, her eyes brimming with tears—and trust—as she looked up at him. “I feel so safe here—as if nothing can get to me. No drunks can barge into my room by accident and try to crawl into bed with me.”
Blade gritted his teeth at the shiver that went through her, pulling her tighter against him. “No, love. The only men in your bed will be us. No one can get through us to get to you.”
Sarah nodded, the single tear trickling down her cheek making his chest ache. “That almost cost Phoenix his life.”
“My brothers and I would die to keep you safe. Without hesitation. Without regret.” Cupping her cheek, he lifted her face for his kiss. “We’re better able to handle danger than you are. I’ll make you a deal. You let Hawke, Phoenix and me deal with the danger, and you concentrate on dealing with us.”
He kissed her again, his chest swelling with pride that such an adorable and sweet woman belonged to him. “Go to sleep. We’ll be close by, and if you or Phoenix needs us, just call out. We’ll hear you.”
* * * *
From the other side of the chow shack, Hawke sipped coffee, watching his wife over the rim of his cup.
The dark circles under her swollen eyes, proof that she hadn’t gotten much sleep, made her appear even more fragile and delicate.
He and Blade had spent the night watching over her while watching out for Willy to make an appearance, and a sleepless night hadn’t helped his temper at all.
Every man on the ranch worked in shifts, riding in wide circles around them, the tension on the ranch thick enough to cut with a knife.
Hayes and Wyatt had raced to the chow shack as soon as they heard gunshots, rushing back to get Savannah as soon as they realized what happened.
After settling their pregnant wife in the big house and under guard with Adam Marshall and Conal Jones, the two lawmen focused their attention on the outlaw Blade and Duke had captured. Once they’d gotten all the information they could, they’d loaded him and the dead man onto the backs of their horses and headed for Tulsa to turn them over to the sheriff there.
Out of the corner of his eye, Hawke watched Blade approach, his brother’s attention on Sarah.
Frowning, Blade strolled to Hawke’s side. “She looks exhausted.”
Hawke sighed, watching her stare at the far wall. “She does.”
“She didn’t sleep much.”
Not taking his eyes from Sarah, Hawke inclined his head. “She didn’t.”
She’d tossed and turned all night, alternately checking on Phoenix and staring into the fire they’d built. Even now, she stared at the far wall despite Maggie’s and Savannah’s efforts to get her attention.
Not even the baby seemed to interest her.
Blade set his cup down and crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s got something on her mind.”
“Or she’s planning something.” Hawke hoped his suspicions proved to be wrong, but he’d begun to understand his wife’s daring, and her heart.
Glancing at him, Blade clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing. “Damn it. She feels guilty for Phoenix getting shot. She’s planning to take the gold to that son of a bitch!”
“Yeah.” Hawke set his cup aside and straightened, something inside him warming with satisfaction when she turned her head to look in their direction.
He didn’t look away, holding her gaze for several long seconds before she averted hers, the combination of guilt, fear, and sadness in her eyes, visible even from this distance, confirming his suspicions. He lowered his voice even more, despite the fact that the conversation in the shack and their distance from the others prevented anyone from eavesdropping. “I’m gonna take her back to the cabin and have a little talk with her, and let her know she’s not going anywhere.”
Blade straightened and set his cup on t
he table with a thud, his eyes alight with anticipation. “I want to be a part of that conversation.”
Hawke moved toward Sarah, unsurprised that she looked up when he took his first step toward her.
There’d been a connection between them from the first time he’d laid eyes on her—a connection he had every intention of using to keep her safe.
He loved her—more every day—and could no longer imagine a life without her.
She wanted to protect them, which made him love her even more.
He couldn’t allow herself to put herself in danger to protect them, of course, something he would make very clear to her.
* * * *
Sarah stared at the far wall, letting Maggie’s and Savannah’s conversation wash over her as the scene that had taken place the previous night played over and over in her mind.
The sound of gunshots.
The image of Phoenix falling, his shirt soaked with blood.
The very real fear of someone getting hurt because of her had become a reality.
Phoenix was lucky. It could have been much worse.
The change in him had been phenomenal.
He’d gone from being a playful, fun-loving man to a hard-edged gunslinger in the blink of an eye. He’d stopped to check on her earlier, but seemed distracted, the glitter of anger in his eyes convincing her that getting shot had changed his mind about her.
He’d left over an hour earlier to go to the cabin, the need for sleep after losing so much blood plainly visible.
Hawke watched her from the far side of the building, his gaze following Phoenix as he left, his eyes unreadable. He didn’t even look up when Blade walked up to him.
She could tell he was also tired, and heard from the others that he and Blade had been up all night, watching over her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah watched Hawke approach, followed closely by Blade, the determination and anger in their eyes making her stomach clench.
