Melody's Six

Dean didn’t really care which choice they made. He wanted Atwell, the bastard who’d imprisoned the woman he planned to spend the rest of his life with.

“Dean!” He turned at Mel’s shout. She was outside the paddock, on her horse, her gun aimed at Atwell.

Dean raced over to find Atwell holding a knife to Maria’s throat. He reined in and drew the rifle he’d taken from Atwell’s guard. “Drop it,” he ordered.

“I’m walking out of here,” Atwell insisted.

“You’re not,” Mel stated. “Drop the knife or I shoot.”

Spalding jumped up. “Stop this right now!” He threw himself in front of Mel’s horse. The animal spooked, rearing a little. Mel kept her seat, but Spalding tripped and fell in his panic to avoid the kicking hooves.

Atwell tried to capitalize on the distraction, shoving Maria away to make a run for it. But Maria caught his boot as she fell and Mel came off her horse, right on top of him.

Dean saw the knife fly out of Atwell’s hand, but somewhere in the tangled heap, the gun went off.

Both Mel and her nemesis stopped moving. Dean’s heart stopped as well.

“No. No, no, no.” Lacy lunged forward, tears streaming down her face. Andrew caught her around the waist, turning her away from the grisly scene.

Dean forced himself off the horse, forced his legs to carry him forward. The scent of blood charged the air. As he closed in, he saw it soaking into the dirt.

“Mel.” She couldn’t be dead. Just couldn’t be. He reached down to touch her. “Mel?”

She shoved herself off Atwell’s body, her bloodstained shirt clinging to her torso. “Not hurt,” she said through panting breaths. She went to sit up and he saw the gash on her forearm. “Well, not bad anyway.” She glared at Atwell. “Not sure if he’ll make it or not.”

Dean didn’t care. He dropped to his knees and pulled her in for a fierce kiss. “Don’t do that again.” He ripped off his shirt and tore it into smaller pieces to put pressure on the wound.

“You had my six.”

“Still. Not again.” He sounded like a madman and didn’t much care right now.

“Afraid I can’t make any promises, if this is my reward.”

He looked up to catch her ogling his bare chest. “I’ll strip for you anytime, sweetheart.” He tied the fabric firmly over the makeshift bandage. “And I’ll guarantee it’ll be more fun when we’re alone.”

“You mean it?”

People were swarming now, checking on the others, moving them back from Dean, Mel, and Atwell’s body. Several faces were familiar from the Brotherhood Protectors and Athena Project, but many more he didn’t recognize beyond the letters on their tactical gear.

Heedless of the activity, he had to tell her. “I love you, Melody.” She stared up at him, her eyes swimming with emotions he couldn’t decipher. “Don’t tell me I’m too late. I wanted to tell you earlier—”

“But hearing it was a shock,” she finished for him. “I get it.”

Of course, she understood.

“Good lord,” Walker said, joining them. “Cover yourself before you start a riot.” He tossed a jacket at Dean, then crouched down, a big knowing smirk on his face. “Take the two-seater UTV and get yourselves back to the lodge. Paramedics are waiting.”

Dean took the lifeline Walker offered, but halfway down the trail, he stopped and turned to her. “Say it again, please?” He wanted another chance to handle this the right way.

“I love you, Dean.” Her smile was the prettiest thing he’d seen, despite the smudges of dirt on her face and her tangled hair.

“I love you too, Mel.”

And as he drove them back to the dude ranch, he started plotting how to make sure she never had reason to doubt him again.