by Piper Stone
“Sugar, then I think you need to bag this entire event. That’s my advice.”
I was beginning to think the same thing. The cowboy had me captivated, but not because of his imposed rules and promises of punishment, but because of the man himself. I wanted him. I craved him.
And his firm hand.
I also wanted to live.
As a cold shiver trickled down my spine, I heard the sound of my phone ringing. Hesitant, I finally grabbed it out of my pocket. This time, the number was from out of state and one I didn’t recognize.
“Another fan?” Julia asked, her grin full of mischief.
I took a deep breath, deciding to answer it. “Holland Kennedy.”
“Ms. Kennedy. We have a collect call from the Ohio State Penitentiary. Will you accept?”
My mind was ready to shut down, my head spinning. This was definitely no coincidence. “Yes, I’ll accept the call.”
“Holland?” his gruff voice asked. “I hope you’re protecting yourself like I taught you. Things have changed. You need to be very careful.”
“Hello, Father.” My entire world wasn’t just on shaky ground, it was ready to collapse.
* * *
Montana
Damn the woman. Against my direct orders she was going to ride tonight. Was she flat out of her mind or just continuing to test me? I resisted stomping away like some stupid kid, but the anger pitting my stomach was a reminder of the complicated feelings I’d developed for her. I wanted nothing more than to keep her locked away, safe in my arms. I’d seen the terror on her face, paralyzing in every fashion.
And I’d heard the words the asshole had said.
Whoever was threatening her knew I was in her life. His threat seemed almost personal.
I walked toward the fence, staring out at the arena. The crowd was rowdy tonight, expecting to see one heck of a show. The day hadn’t turned out like I expected. Thank God the surgery had gone well, even if my concentration was off. Even though I asked Garland to find out as much as he could, I’d had plenty of time afterwards to begin my search on Holland and on her father. What I’d found had been disturbing.
There was no Holland Kennedy listed anywhere as graduating from a veterinarian school anywhere in the country. In fact, as far as I could tell, Holland Kennedy didn’t exist. At all.
I had no desire to ride a damn bull. I only wanted answers and the woman who’d broken into my house and stolen my heart was going to open up to me.
“You’re up just before Holland.”
I heard Dan’s voice. I almost didn’t acknowledge him. “Why was I invited to participate?”
“Why? I don’t understand the question.”
I tipped my head, my gaze heated. He knew exactly what the hell I was talking about. “You know my history with Walter and I highly doubt the man has had a change of heart.”
Dan seemed antsy, as if he’d been caught in a lie. “He needed the best to perform tonight. Your name came up and there was no one else who could fill the shoes.”
“I see. He was coerced. Makes me feel better. The question is, what the hell is this event really about?”
“I... I’m not at liberty to talk about it.”
“So the rumors are true. He’s trying to buy up several ranches in town, form a monopoly on the circuit.”
I’d never seen him look so uncomfortable in his life. I’d known Dan since the day I walked into the rodeo, trying out just for the hell of it. I’d always believed him to be an honest man, even though I knew he had certain ties to Walter.
“He’s a businessman, Montana. Just like you are. He has an opportunity that he’s exploring. The folks around here love a good exhibition. Besides, the money is going to charity. I mean, you boys are all getting paid, but that’s coming from Mr. Gammon himself.”
“I don’t want his money, Dan. Not a freaking penny. Make certain of that. After this event, I’m taking a break from the circuit for a while. I have other things to do in my life.”
“What? That’s crazy.”
“You heard me.” I was more vehement than I should have been, but the red flags were flying high. Whatever darkness had this town in a noose, I wanted no part of it.
“Like spending time with Holland?” he asked under his breath.
I was on him in a flash, my fist wrapped around the collar of his shirt. “What I do in my personal life is none of your business. You understand me?” I couldn’t imagine he had it in him to issue threats. Then again, people generally had two sides.
He held up his hands, already sweating like a pig. “I get it. I’m sorry. Okay?”
Several of the other cowboys were paying far too close of attention. I dropped him but not before issuing a raspy snarl. “Just stay the fuck out of my business. How long until I’m on?”
“Ten minutes. Maybe. We’re doing the bull riding first tonight. The bulls are antsy. Even the horses are out of sorts.” He genuinely seemed concerned.
I stormed away, heading toward the bucking chute. Whether or not I was beginning to buy into Holland’s paranoia was difficult to say, but there was something dark and sinister going on.
Damn it.
I stood in the shadows, avoiding the reporters until I was called over. Holland was nowhere to be seen. Now I was antsy as fuck, my hands clammy. I grabbed my gloves, taking several deep breaths. This was going to be a shit experience.
“You ready, Cobra?”
I glanced at the ranch hand before eyeing the bull, who was bucking hard against the steel rails. “As I’ll ever be.” I took one last look around for Holland before donning my position. Even the handlers were more anxious than normal.
“Ladies and gen-tle-men...” The announcer elongated the words, jazzing the thousands of spectators.
“Co-bra!”
Everything seemed in slow motion as I barreled out, my body jerking as the massive and powerful bull tossed me around. I’d done this a solid fifty times, maybe more, but the power of this animal seemed exponential, almost tossing me within two seconds. I managed to hold on, but when then the buzzer sounded, I was off like a rocket, tumbling several yards.
And I couldn’t seem to get over the fence fast enough.
I wasn’t a man who was terrified of the action or the danger, but the bull was much more driven tonight.
To kill...
The applause was thunderous, rocking the entire arena.
“Cobra. Cobra. Cobra.”
The chanting was even louder.
It took much longer to remove the bull, allowing me to take an appropriate bow. As I swung my hat, turning in a full circle, I could see Holland moving into position.
I also noticed the damn bouncer hovering in the distance. The coincidence was too great.
My throat cinched, my heart racing as my instinct kicked into overdrive. She shouldn’t be attempting to ride, and it had little to do with her recovery. I could feel that something was off, every animal in the various stalls acting out of character. What the hell was going on? I jogged out of the arena, clamoring to get to her.
To stop her from performing.
“Cobra, just a few questions.”
“Cobra, one picture over here.”
Cobra. Cobra.
The cameras and screams drowned out the announcer for a few seconds.
A few seconds too late.
“And now, one hot lady cowboy. Let’s give it up for Hol-land... Kennedy!”
Once again, the crowd was on their feet, drowning out the thunderous noise that the bull made in his effort to toss his rider. I shoved and pushed, a hard punch against one invasive reporter finally allowing me to pitch forward.
Another time stop.
Another catch in my breath.
Another ache in my loins.
Her performance was brilliant, more so than I’d either anticipated or in truth wanted to see. There was no jealousy, just an insane as well as a palpable desire to keep her safe. From everything. And everyone.
T
he buzzer sounded and I could swear to God she wasn’t going to end the ride, but her dismount was flawless. At least at first. The bull immediately turned, the rodeo clown unable to draw the beast’s attention. Holland had difficulty getting away, stumbling once before catching herself, only a split second before the bull rampaged.
The crowd was going wild, whistling and clapping until they realized that she could be in peril.
I raced toward the fence, hopping up on the first rung, ready to jump over when she began to race in my direction, her legs pumping. She took one giant leap, the bull only inches behind. The force tossed us both over the railing, my body hitting the ground with a hard thud.
There was no sound, no focus. Only the fact that I had her shaking body in my arms, her breasts crushed against me. Maybe I just wanted to block out the world, have her all to myself.
“Oh. Oh. Oh,” Holland muttered, the sound muffled against my chest.
“I’ve got you. Everything is going to be all right. Shhh...” I smoothed down her hair, hissing as dozens of people surrounded us, the questions coming fast and furious.
But I didn’t give a shit.
She finally lifted her head, her smile bright, but I was able to catch the glimpse of fear in her eyes. “I’m fine.”
“Are you really?” I asked, keeping my tone low and husky.
As she bit her lip, wiping dirt and perspiration from her face, she lowered her head until our lips were centimeters apart. “As good as I can be, cowboy.”
Another round of applause echoed, only this time for our combined performance. I heard the announcer calling another event. No time to worry about injury. Not with Walter Gammon as the master of ceremonies.
“You and I need to have a discussion,” I growled.
“Just a discussion?” Her lips were dangerously close to mine, her hips grinding back and forth. The temptress hadn’t missed a beat, performing for the crowd as if the bull hadn’t almost ripped away her life.
“And punishment,” I finally whispered.
Her laugh was genuine.
“Jesus. You two know how to make a show complete.” Dan was grinning as he helped us to our feet.
“What the fuck is wrong with that bull?” I snapped, rubbing dust off my jeans.
“I don’t know. I told you they were antsy today.” His response garnered a look from Holland, her eyes riddled with concern.
“Antsy? That’s something else entirely,” Holland huffed. “I was lucky to hold on at all.”
“You did great, sugar. The press box is going wild,” Dan said far too casually.
I almost popped the man in the mouth. “Are these animals being drugged?”
“What the hell is wrong with you? Making an accusation like that.” Dan appeared incensed, but I could swear he also held a sheepish expression, if only for a few seconds.
Suddenly, there was a loud commotion, gasps coming from the spectators.
“Don’t look now, folks, but we have a horse down,” the announcer bellowed.
With no hesitation, Holland ran toward the fence, almost jumping over in her effort to see what was going on. As I flanked her side, I could see the rider’s desperate concern as he knelt down by the fallen stallion.
“What the hell?” Dan chided.
Jerking off her gloves, Holland jumped the fence, racing toward the horse. Several of the trainers had already headed in the fallen horse’s direction.
“Fuck!” I moved after her, dropping to my knees beside her. “What is this?”
“The horse is having trouble breathing. I need oxygen! Now. I also need some water, tubes, and...”
As she barked out orders, I glanced around the crowd, catching sight of Walter standing on the sidelines. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he had a smirk on his face.
One I was going to wipe off personally.
“Oh, baby. Hold on. You’re going to be fine,” she whispered, rubbing her hand on the horse’s muzzle. “This horse has been poisoned.” Her voice was loud enough for the majority of those clamoring around us to hear.
And suddenly, the majority of them backed away.
“Can you do anything?” I asked gently.
“I don’t know. The horse is dehydrated. I need to intubate fluids. I need to get the baby out of here. Where the fuck are his owners?” Her bellow was shrill, riddled with vibrant anger.
Within the next several minutes, a flurry of activity created an eerie silence within the crowd as they watched, hoping, perhaps even praying for the horse’s recovery. Through the help of several of the cowboys and a lot of muscle, we were able to get the horse to a more secure location.
And out of the reporters’ lines of view.
I stood outside the stall door, keeping any of those who had no business being involved away, listening to Holland’s soft cooing sounds as she worked.
“What the fuck is going on here?”
I would recognize the man’s voice from anywhere. “If it isn’t Walter Gammon.” I purposely took a look at my watch. “Nice of you to show after almost a half an hour.”
“Cut the crap, Montana. I have an entire show to run,” he snarked.
“Yeah, of course. You can’t be bothered by one poisoned horse now, can you?”
He thumped toward me, pointing his plump finger in my face. “Don’t you dare go spouting off that shit. Do you hear me? I run a tight ship around here.”
“Uh-huh,” I countered. “One that involves taking bribes or should I say learning about the punishment for not paying your bills.”
My words weren’t just shocking to the pompous asshole standing in front of me.
“Montana. What the fuck?” Dan moved almost in between us.
“He knows what I’m saying is true. So which is it?” I asked again.
“How fucking dare you!” Walter was more than just startled or furious, he was overwrought, sweat beading along his fading hairline. He was under severe duress.
“Stop, all of you,” Holland harped. She moved into the entranceway, glaring from one to the other. “I need to get this horse to an animal hospital and more than just my clinic. He’s stabilized for now, but tests need to be run. Can you do that?”
“He’s my horse,” Walter huffed. “I have a veterinarian. He’ll be taking care of Skywalker’s care from now on.”
“Then why wasn’t your damn vet standing by as required by the American Professional Rodeo Association? I could not only report you to them, which I’m certain you would receive a hefty fine, I could also make certain the local law enforcement is aware of this.” Holland had no fear of the man or his wealth as she got in his face.
“You’re a bitch,” Walter said under his breath. “I suggest you learn who I am, missy.”
“That’s it!” I snarled.
“Whoa. Whoa! Need I remind you that there are reporters here?” Dan asked through clenched teeth. He swiveled his head in Holland’s direction. “The veterinarian assigned had a last-minute emergency. I assure you that he was here earlier and will be back. In the meantime, can you keep Skywalker comfortable and not risk his health?”
She clenched her jaw, darting another glance in my direction. “I’ll do my best.” She shot Walter another nasty glare before walking back into the stall. But not until after she gave him her middle finger.
“I don’t know you think you’re doing or what game you’re playing, but I’m determined to find out what. Too many animals are being poisoned, several dead and if those deaths are on your hands, so help me God.” While I kept my voice low, I could already see the number of reporters clamoring around, looking for another infamous story.
Walter smiled, regaining his composure. “I suggest you remember who you’re talking to, boy. I could ruin you with a single phone call.”
“Go ahead,” I whispered as I moved within two inches of him. “I’m finished with hiding, pretending. You will not use the past against me.”
“We’ll just have to see about that now, won’t we?”
The threat was real.
And the man was running scared.
Chapter Fourteen
Montana
Asshole.
I couldn’t believe I’d allowed the fucking bouncer, Brody whatever his name was, to slip out of the arena without confronting him. There was no way I would believe his appearance at the rodeo was coincidental. Besides, the moment I’d caught his eye, he’d all but disappeared.
Telling.
The fucker was up to something.
My nerves were on edge, my senses on high alert, and every protective instinct I had was on overdrive. If the little filly thought I wasn’t going to get the real truth out of her, she had another think coming.
Just like another hard spanking.
Ah, what the hell was I thinking? The deal made with Holland had crumbled, perhaps along with our trust. What little there had been. We were like oil and water.
“Great ride tonight, buddy.”
“Thanks, Chip,” I said absently as the cowboy patted me on the shoulder. Broken out of the spell, I took a second to glance up at the full moon, the sky full of dazzling stars.
Star light, star bright...
The words almost brought a chuckle. I stood in the distance, watching as Holland demanded that she participate in every aspect of loading up the stricken horse. It was late, well after eleven with mostly the janitorial crew remaining at the arena. She’d been hot as hell that the horse’s veterinarian had taken so long to provide his own care, even more furious that the horse hadn’t been removed from the premises for hours.
I kicked my boot against the dirt, marveling in the way she looked in the moonlight. Hell, I was acting like this was some romance, when there were far too many questions that needed answers.
Still, I adored the woman in every way, her spunk a reminder that life was worth fighting for.
After another ten minutes, I watched as the truck finally pulled away, leaning against a pole and trying to figure out what to say to her.
She stood with her arms folded, no doubt glaring at the cowboys as they left. I had a suspicion that after she’d managed to save the horse, the phone at her clinic was going to start ringing off the hook. There hadn’t been an official, a participant, or the press who hadn’t been interested in that almost tragic situation. I heard several of the horses whinnying as they were being loaded up. I did love the rodeo, perhaps more than my insurance agent would like, the hobby considered dangerous to my profession. At this point, riding a bull seemed tame in comparison to whatever cloud of danger was hovering around the entire city.
