Cameron, Paige - Commando Cowboys Rescue Their Bride [Wyoming Warriors 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) (25 page)

* * * *

Ethan and Justin had just come back to the barn from helping move some of the cattle into pens to go to the market.

Sweaty and tired, they had started to remove the saddles from their stallions. Ethan’s phone vibrated against his side. He pulled it out and looked at the number.

“Shit, put the saddle back on,” he said to Justin. “Morgan just sent an emergency beep from her ring. Something has happened. I’ll call Mitch.”

“Can you locate her on your GPS?”

“Not in here. I’m going outside.” He refastened his cinch on the saddle and led his horse out. Here the reception was better. They had a tower on the ranch, which helped.

Justin rode out of the barn. “Have you located her?”

“Yes, heading due west.” He pushed the number to phone Mitch. “Mitch, we have a problem. Morgan has been taken, and they’re heading west. I think you’re right. Good. We’re leaving now.” He shut his phone and sprang onto his horse. “Let’s go.”

“What did Mitch say?”

“From the information Sahale got from Bill, there weren’t any other civilians that knew about us and the ranch. That means whoever has her is one of us.”

“I thought so.” Their heads went down over the horses’ manes, and they sped across the open prairie, praying they’d get to Morgan in time.

Ethan’s phone buzzed again. He reached for the phone without slowing. “What?”

“We have the other man.” Sahale spoke from the other end. “I was near the west fence and found him. He tried to pretend he didn’t know anything, but he came around with persuasion.”

“I’m glad you’re there. We’re coming up behind whoever has her. He won’t get away.” Ethan slipped his phone back into his pocket and yelled the information across to Justin, who slowed slightly to ride beside him.

“It’s getting dark,” Justin said. “We don’t want him to see us. He’s liable to go in another direction. I hope he plans to hold up and wait for dawn. We can’t be far behind. He isn’t moving as quickly as we are, not carrying Morgan. Let’s slow a bit, and as soon as we see them, we’ll sneak up and take him by surprise.”

“I see a dust cloud straight in front of us.” Ethan pointed it out.

“You’re right. Thank goodness for your eyesight. I wouldn’t have spotted it, it’s so faint.”

They slowed, but gradually moved closer. “They are stopping. The dust is settling.”

“Let’s move, it’s almost dark.” Justin urged his stallion a little faster.

“All right, but when I signal, slow down. He’s on the other side of that boulder. You head left, and I’ll go right.”

When Ethan gave the signal, they slowed and began to move apart. It was full dark now, but the moon and stars gave off light.

Ethan tied his horse far enough away that the kidnapper wouldn’t hear him. He crept to the side of the small boulder.

He heard the voice and knew immediately who had Morgan.

“Yes, ma’am, I’m going to make a lot of money for you. You’re so important the big guy is sending a helicopter to land on the other side of the west fence.

“Once we give you to them, old Buck and I are leaving for parts unknown. What’s the matter, you don’t have nothing to say? Cat got your tongue.” He laughed when she tried to mumble around the gag tied across her mouth. “Not so smart this time. You didn’t get to do any fancy tricks on me. They probably know you’re missing, but it’s a big ranch. You’ll be long gone before they figure out where to look.”

He pulled out a piece of dried meat. “Hungry? No, I guess this wouldn’t do for a fancy lady like you.”

Fury boiled in Ethan listening to the man’s words. He crept along against the wall of the boulder. He could see them best. Justin would wait for him to jump out, and he’d cover his back.

He was almost there when a small pebble rolled under his boot.
Shit
.

The kidnapper’s head whipped around. He grabbed Morgan and put the gun to her head.

“Who’s there? Come out or I’ll shoot her.”

Ethan dropped his gun and stepped forward. “Well, Jake, so you are one of our traitors. I’d never have suspected it. What did you do, meet with your boss while we were in California? Is that why you were so anxious to pilot the plane? You should have tried something then, when I never suspected you.”

Jake dragged Morgan around in front of him and faced Ethan. “I wanted to, but the big man said no. Too big a chance of failure. Patience, he said. Hit you at home. He wanted to make you all feel threatened. Too bad, now I have to kill you.” He turned the gun toward Ethan and a shot rang out. Jake held his hand and screamed in pain.

Running at full speed, Ethan knocked him down. He grabbed his shirt collar and held his head up, then punched him in the nose.

“I’d like to kill you, but we need the information you have stored in that rotten head of yours.”

Justin grabbed Morgan and removed the gag and mask. “It’s all right, baby. We have you safe and sound.”

Ethan nodded to Justin. “I may have the best eyesight and hearing, but no one beats Justin in accuracy when he shoots.” He turned his prisoner on his stomach and tied his wrists together, then yanked him up.

“Mitch and the troops are almost here,” Ethan said. He looked back at Jake. “The irony is you might have made it, but you were too confident. See that diamond on her right hand? She activated the GPS. You never had a chance after I got her call.”

Jake scowled at Morgan. “He’ll get you yet,” he sneered. “They can’t protect you all the time.”

“That’s it.” Ethan pulled back his fist and hit him twice in the head, knocking Jake out. “He won’t be talking for a while.”

All three of them heard the horses. They saw Mitch come flying around the boulder. He slowed and dismounted beside Justin and Morgan.

“I see you have everything under control. Are you all right, Morgan?”

“Yes, thanks to Justin and Ethan.”

Mitch walked over to Ethan and looked down at Jake. His eyes narrowed. “You messed up his face and knocked him out?” he asked Ethan.

“I did. I’d like to have done more.”

“Good for you. I’d like to have seen you do more, but we need to get him underground and work on him. He has valuable information we can use.” He thumped Ethan on the shoulder. “You showed good control. If he’d kidnapped Sara, I’d have had a hard time not killing him.”

Several of the other men that had come with Mitch came forward. They smiled at Morgan. One of them said, “You did well, little lady. You didn’t lose your cool.” He tipped his hat at her.

“Yes, she did,” Mitch conferred. “Let’s go. We have a wedding to attend early tomorrow.”

The cowboy who had spoken tied Jake to the back of his horse. Justin got on his horse and Ethan placed Morgan in his arms. They all turned toward home.

* * * *

“Are you really all right?” Justin whispered in her ear.

“Much better now. He threw me over his horse, so my middle is sore, and I thought for sure I’d be sick.” She forced herself to smile. “That gag made my mouth so dry. Do you have any water?”

“Sure.” He slowed and handed her his canteen. “Sip just a little at first to wet your mouth. We’ll ride slower to keep you from bouncing too much.”

“Not too slow. I want to get home.”

Justin screwed the top back on the canteen. “All right.” He let his stallion move a bit faster. “Lean against me. Try to rest.”

Every movement hurt, but she didn’t tell Justin. She just wanted to sink into a tub of warm water and let all the aches and pains go away. Her heart had jumped into her throat when Jake pointed the gun at Ethan, and then the shot stunned her. At first, she wasn’t sure who’d been hit by the bullet.

She let her body sink against Justin’s. Whenever Ethan or Justin held her she felt safe, secure, and never wanted to move. She turned and snuggled into his arms. Her head rested against his chest and the beat of his heart made the most beautiful music. Her body relaxed and she closed her eyes. Just before the darkness overtook her, she felt him kiss her hair.

“My cowboy,” she whispered.

“Always, my love.”

Chapter Fifteen

Morgan awoke to find Justin carrying her into her cabin. She heard the water running in her tub.

“How did you all know that’s exactly what I need, a hot bath and a cup of tea?”

“We’ve come home tired and sore from riding. It didn’t take much for Ethan to figure that out.” He carried her into the bath and let her feet down. “I’m leaving her in your care,” he said to Ethan. “She wants a cup of tea. I’ll bring it in a moment.”

She swayed and Ethan put his arms around her. “Easy does it. Let me undress you. He made quick work of removing her dirty clothes, and then lifted her into the warm water. She sank up to her neck under the warmth.

“Feel good?”

“Wonderful.”

Ethan took a wash cloth, made a suds with her soap, and gently ran the cloth over her body. She lay with her head against the back of the tub, eyes closed, letting him clean her body and help clear her mind of the ugliness from her time spent with her captor.

His fingers brushed her midriff. “You’ve got some bruising where you bounced against the horse. I wish I’d punched him out again.”

Morgan smiled. “The main thing is I’m safe and well thanks to you and Justin.”

“I heard my name. Here’s your tea.” Justin sat on the side of the tub. “I’ve got news. Do you think you’ll be able to attend the prewedding dinner tonight?”

“I most certainly will. I have that new dress that I never did get around to wearing.”

“Ah yes, the dress from California,” Ethan teased. He’d stepped back and leaned against the bathroom doorframe.

“What’s the news?” Morgan asked.

Justin put the teacup in her hands and straightened. “Mitch called. We didn’t think our parents would get here in time. They’ve been touring Europe. We told them not to cut their trip short, but they did. They’ll be arriving”—he glanced at his watch—“right about now, and plan to be at the dinner party.”

“I hope they aren’t disappointed.”

“In you?” Ethan asked.

“Yes.”

“Darlin’, they are going to love you on sight. Trust me,” Justin said.

“Absolutely.” Ethan added.

Morgan sat up in the tub. “Go away. I have a lot of preparation to make myself look presentable after this afternoon. The dinner is going to be late. I thought maybe they’d cancel it.”

“They would have if you weren’t able to attend. But I told them I was pretty certain they could count on our gal,” Justin said. “Sure we can’t stay and help you dress?”

“No, then we’d never get there.” She made a shooing motion and they moved out of the bathroom.

Ethan hollered back. “We’ll be picking you up in thirty minutes.”

She shook her head as she gingerly stepped out of the tub. Muscles she didn’t know she had were beginning to ache, but she was going to her party. No one was taking that away from her.

Finally she’d get a chance to wear her dress. She’d bought matching underwear, a lacey bra and panties. She pulled the creamy yellow dress out of the closet. The material clung to her every curve and fastened on the side. Her guys would go crazy because they had no chance of taking her home tonight. She was staying with Sara.