Stone Cold Cowboy (5 page)

“Dr. Bowden, so nice to meet you. I heard this one got married.” She turned to Dane. “You look so happy.”

His smile kicked up another notch. “I am. I see you've met our little girl.”

Kaley planted her hand on Sadie's thigh, jumped up on the bed, and ran for her dad. “Ancakes,” she shouted.

Sadie tried to squelch the yelp of pain, barely. Her eyes rolled back and she pressed her hand to her throbbing leg.

Dane's hand settled on her calf. “Sadie, I'm sorry.”

“It's okay.” She hissed the words out, wishing the pain away.

Rory took a step toward Dane, glaring at him like he wanted to kill him. Sadie didn't know what was going on here, but she wanted to go home. She needed to find her brother. If the devil dude did this to her, no telling what he'd do to her brother if Connor didn't deliver on whatever drug deal they had going. She needed to stop
Connor and get him to turn himself in before it was too late.

“How did I get here?”

“Rory brought you in last night,” Dr. Bowden said, pulling her chart from the end of the bed and reading over it.

Sadie turned to Rory. “It wasn't a dream.”

Rory scrunched up one side of his mouth and shook his head. Weariness filled his eyes and the sigh he released from his wide chest. He'd been through a lot to save her.

Dane shook his head and pulled his wife into a hug. “I'll let you finish here, then we're going to breakfast. You need to eat.” He kissed her on the forehead, then glanced at Rory. “It's not what you think.” Dane released his wife and walked to the edge of the bed and laid his hand over her handcuffed one. “Did Connor steal those cattle?”

She stared at the handcuffs and sighed out the answer she didn't want to be true, “Yes.”

Dane gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Connor's the one who deserves to be in handcuffs. You've done all you can up to this point. You need to let him go before he really does get you killed.”

She stared up at him, holding his beautiful daughter, a girl he'd taken in because she needed a family. Dane would do anything for family. “If it were one of your brothers, would you let them go?”

“He left you out there, didn't he?” Dane asked.

“You don't understand.”

“You've been the cleanup crew since your mother died. You've held everything together. You've lived for
them. When will you start living for yourself, Sadie? Do it now before it's too late.”

He rattled the handcuffs to point out that she might end up in jail, an accessory for stealing Rory's cattle.

“Rory saved you last night. If he hadn't come along . . .” Dane left the rest unsaid.

She'd be dead right now.

Dane leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. He hovered over her and whispered, “Your life has been one hard choice after the next. This is something you have to do, Sadie. Save yourself.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes. She knew he was right, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Connor was her brother. He needed her. She'd get through to him, make him see reason. A small voice inside, the one she never listened to, whispered,
He'll never see reason. He'll never change.
She turned her face into the pillow and wept.

Dane brushed his hand over her hair. “You call me if you need me.”

“I've got this,” Rory said behind her.

Which could only mean that he meant to make her and her brother pay for what happened. That, or he really did believe she wasn't the bad guy and he pitied her for all her injuries and what happened. She didn't know which was worse.

Sadie wiped her eyes. She didn't have time for self-pity or crying over what couldn't be changed.

Dr. Bowden took Dane's place beside her after he walked out the door. Sadie stared up at the beautiful woman and sucked it up, mustering what little strength she had left.

“Congratulations on the wedding and the new baby.
Kaley is amazing. She got that one to smile.” Sadie cocked her head in Rory's direction.

“He's a sucker for her.”

“I see Dane is, too. So, Dane finally found you again. You're her, right?”

Dr. Bowden sucked in a surprised breath. “You know about our meeting by the river?”

“Though I haven't seen Dane in a good long while, since he ran off to ride the rodeo circuit, he and I have been
friends
forever. When I really needed one, he was there for me. I've been so busy lately, seems I keep up with my friends more through the town grapevine than in person.”

“Life gets in the way sometimes.” Dr. Bowden touched her arm, understanding in her eyes. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore. Everything aches. My wrists, shoulders, and ankles are the worst. I can feel the stitches at my side and on my legs.”

“Yeah, sorry Kaley got you.”

“She didn't mean it.”

“Considering what you went through, your injuries aren't too bad. I'll take the stitches out in seven to ten days. The cuts were deep. Your wrists and ankles are cut, scraped, and raw. That will take the longest to heal. I'll prescribe some antibiotics to stave off infections. Right now, you're getting them through your IV.”

“Did you call my dad?”

“A sheriff's deputy contacted him by phone, then Rory's brother went by to see him.”

Rory stepped close. “My brother Colt stopped by your place last night. He packed you some clothes and talked to your dad. He found your horses saddled and
in the pasture. He took care of them and put them back in their stalls, fed and watered all the horses.”

“Damnit, Connor just left them like that.”

“He left you hanging from a tree,” Rory snapped out, his voice laced with pent-up rage.

“The deputy is waiting outside to speak to you,” Dr. Bowden said. “I'll be back later to check on you.”

“I want to go home.”

Dr. Bowden's eyes went to the cuffs on her hand. “We'll see.” She left the room.

Sadie rattled the cuffs, frustrated, pissed, and overwhelmed.

“Stop. You'll hurt yourself.”

“I don't see how it can get any worse.”

“It can always get worse,” Rory said.

Deputy Foster stepped into the room.

“Hello, Mark.”

“Sadie. We meet again.”

“No offense, but I'm tired of seeing you.”

“None taken. How about this time you give me some straight answers without trying in vain to make me believe your brother didn't mean for this to happen and isn't responsible for stealing nearly a hundred head of cattle.”

Sadie stared up at the ceiling wishing she was anywhere else but here. How the hell could she protect her brother when everything led straight to him? Did he really think he'd get away with this, or that she could get him out of it? Why did she even bother to try anymore?

Because she couldn't live with herself if she didn't.

“So, what's it going to be? Straight up, or the merry-go-round ride we've been on these last ten years.”

“You're the longest relationship I've ever had. I hate to end it now.”

“Since I never get to see you naked, and I don't want to see you behind bars, let's play this straight. This is serious, Sadie. Your brother is going down for this. Nothing you say or do will get him out of it, but what you say may land you in a cell, so tell the truth for once, so I don't have to read you your rights and arrest you.”

Everything he said was true, but she didn't want to face it. She didn't want to believe it had come to this.

Needing a minute to collect herself, she moved her hand. “Can you take these off so I can at least pee before we do this?”

Mark unhooked her and stepped back. Sadie sat up, pressing her hand to her side when the stitches pulled. Rory kept a close eye on her. She owed him an explanation and a huge sum of money for those damn cows. The thought of how she'd repay that debt weighed heavy in her heart.

She threw the covers off her legs and stared down at the bruises and cuts, the bandage wrapped around her thigh and ankles. The image of the devil dude wrapping the wire around her as tight as possible came back and stopped her breath. She couldn't take her eyes from the gruesome injuries marring both her legs.

The fear washed through her again. “He said, ‘I like it when you bleed. It gets me off.'”

Rory swore beside her.

“Who, Sadie?” Mark asked, leaning forward, anxious to know who needed to be locked up.

“The devil.” She finally broke from staring at her injuries and looked up at Rory. “I swore to him he'd be sorry. You'd find him and make him pay.” She swung her sore legs out of bed, grabbed hold of the IV pole, used it to support herself on her aching feet, and
hobbled the short distance to the restroom. She turned back to Rory. “For the cows,” she clarified.

His intense gaze met hers. “For you, the devil will get his due.”

Rory waited for her to close the bathroom door. He hated seeing the pain etched in her face and filling her eyes with each step she took. He breathed a sigh of relief that she really didn't think him the devil. He hated to think he'd been the torment of her nightmares all last night.

“Do you know who this fucking devil is?” Rory asked Mark, the deputy Sadie obviously knew well. First Dane, now this guy.

“Sounds like her brother's stepped up from small time to big time. If she's talking about Derek Pete, he's a known drug trafficker. Runs things out of Smithy's Bar. He's been busted for any number of things. Served time for assault a couple of times. Likes to use a knife and has a very distinct devil tattoo on his neck.”

Rory nodded, finally understanding her reference and the fear in her voice last night when she mumbled about him.

Sadie stepped out of the bathroom. “You two compare notes and condemn me?”

“You didn't do anything wrong. Sticking up for your brother is admirable, but useless at this point.” Rory shook his head when she stared at him, shock and fear in her eyes. “I know you didn't have anything to do with stealing the cattle. I tracked your brother and his three buddies from my place to where you showed up on a fifth horse.”

“You could tell all that by the tracks.”

“And where the fight broke out and Derek decked
you.” He cocked his head, indicating the bruise on her jaw.

Sadie placed her hand over her swollen face. “It hurts like hell.”

“I bet.”

“Derek?” she asked, confused by his earlier statement.

“Derek Pete. Devil tattoo on his neck. Long, shaggy brown hair. Mean dude with a wicked sharp knife,” Mark filled her in.

“I guess that's him. I didn't get his name.” Sadie lowered herself into the bed like an eighty-year-old woman with arthritis. Every bit of pain that showed on her face tightened Rory's gut. He helped her with the covers and IV line.

“So, we've got the usual suspects. Connor, his two buddies Scott and Tony, and the newest and most lethal addition to his cohorts, Derek. Your brother's been dealing marijuana and prescription pills for years. What's he into now? Meth?”

Sadie didn't say anything, just stared down at her hands.

“Keeping what you know to yourself isn't going to help your brother,” Mark pointed out. “Derek is the worst person your brother could have gotten mixed up with, Sadie. If he's in with Derek, the only way he's getting out is in a pine box.”

Sadie flinched, but she still held her tongue.

“Where is he?” Mark demanded.

“I don't know. He hasn't been home in two weeks. When I discovered the horses missing, I went after him.”

“Why? Because you knew he was going to steal the cattle?” Mark asked.

Rory hoped she didn't know ahead of time. If she did, she'd be charged with the crime.

“I wanted my horses back. I was afraid he'd sell them for quick cash, or worse, leave them somewhere to fend for themselves.”

“How'd you know where to find him?”

“I didn't. Like Rory, I followed the tracks. When I saw where he was headed, I veered off for the hills that overlook the valley. I thought I could head him off. I was too late.”

Too late to stop Connor and turn him back and return the cattle before the theft was discovered. Rory swore.

“I'm sorry. I tried to stop them. They wouldn't listen. Connor owes this guy money. Even the cattle weren't going to be enough. I don't know how much he owes or for what.”

“Probably for the supplies to cook the meth, or a deal gone bad. Your brother thinks he can cash in on a big payday, but Derek is never going to let that happen until your brother proves himself a reliable cook and distributor.” Mark jotted down notes like Sadie's world wasn't falling apart.

Rory saw it written all over her face. She'd tried for years to stop this from happening, stop her brother from taking things too far until there was no going back.

“You don't know that,” she said to Mark, another effort to save her brother or just pure denial.

Rory wondered if she'd ever give up. Dane told her to save herself. She'd almost gotten killed trying to make her brother do the right thing. Would she stop before it really did cost her life?

Rory swore he'd never let that happen, but how could
he make good on that when she wasn't his to protect and probably wouldn't listen to him anyway?

“Where are they cooking, Sadie?” Mark demanded.

“I don't know.”

“Look, he's already got you mixed up in cattle rustling, now he's associating with a known drug trafficker and got you covering for him. I can't keep protecting you. Tell me where he is.”

“I don't know where he is.”

“You do, you're just not saying. Look at you. You nearly died last night. What's it going to take for you to see he's no good, and he's going to take you down with him?”

Tears ran down her cheeks. Each one lashed at Rory's heart. He got that she didn't want to rat out her family, and this was tearing her apart, but she needed to speak up.