Marly's Choice (Men of August 1)

Cade well admitted the stupidity of even trying to catch the crazy bastard, but he was pissed. Those pictures of Marly had sent his rage level out the roof. He wanted to kill the man who dared to violate her in such a way.

Moving stealthily, Cade neared the bench, his eyes narrowed in the darkness, searching for any sign of movement that would indicate the stalker’s location. There was nothing. The wildlife in the surrounding trees and brush were silent. Not even a birdcall, or the click of a cricket.

Stepping carefully, he moved along a small stand of trees perpendicular to the bench, straining to catch a glimpse of movement. Anything. There was nothing. Moving carefully, Cade turned to try another angle when wood flew from the tree behind him. Almost instantaneously, the sharp retort of a rifle followed.

Cade dropped to the ground as he brought his own rifle up, scurrying to find cover among the trees and small boulders that littered the lower end of the bench. The shots kept coming, followed closely by rounds being returned from the cowboys below.

But that didn’t keep the bullets from coming his way. Another sheared off rock above his head, causing pebble-sized pieces to fall around him. Aiming haphazardly into the area the shots were coming from, Cade fired off several rounds of his own, then jumped to his feet, heading for a larger tree several feet in front of him.

He was almost there when the bullet hit him. It flung him backwards as it punched into his shoulder, causing him to land heavily on his back. He shook his head with a tight movement, fighting the pain as he raised his gun and fired again.

“Boss, he’s moving,” one of the cowboys called out.

Cade fired again as he came painfully to his knees, following the swift running shadow disappearing around the rise.

“Dammit, he’s getting away,” Brock’s voice was filled with fury.

Lumbering to his feet, Cade held the rifle in one hand and moved as fast as he could push himself, to follow the assailant. Son of a bitch, he cursed. He couldn’t believe the bastard had actually managed to shoot him. But his shoulder and chest felt like a boulder was resting on it, and fire was laid to it. Oh yeah, the bastard had definitely managed to shoot him. The pain of it was like an animal gnawing on raw flesh.

Breathing harshly, adrenaline and rage surging through his body, Cade grew closer to the assailant, his legs pushing him further, faster, despite the wrenching agony in his shoulder. When he was only mere feet from him, Cade launched his body at the man in a rolling tackle that would have done him proud ten years before, but he swore was killing him the minute he collided with the big body.

There was no time to enjoy his success or moan over the agony. With his arms gripping the long legs, Cade took him down. But one powerful kick from boot-covered feet into his wounded shoulder had him releasing him just as fast as the pain ground into his brain with sickening force. A sharp kick to his ribs didn’t help matters.

“Bastard,” a voice growled above him. “You touched her. Now you die.”

Cade blinked up at the pistol aimed at him.

“Cade!” Brock’s voice echoed from the darkness, a gunshot reverberated around the hillside, and the assailant, deciding to use caution rather than fury, ran again.

“Boss, you okay?” One of the cowboys was quickly at his side.

“Dammit, Cade. Are you hit?” A flashlight was quickly turned on, the brilliant light blinding him. “A couple of the boys followed him, but he had a hell of a head start on us.”

Brock knelt at his side, his fingers probing at the gunshot wound.

“It went on through,” Cade wheezed, still clutching his ribs. “But I swear the son of a bitch must have busted my ribs with that kick.”

“Damn. Marly will be pissed over this,” Brock swore darkly. “Just you wait, she’ll chew you’re ass for sure.”

Chapter Eighteen

Marly was silent as Dr. Bennett treated Cade in his bedroom. She sat in the large, overstuffed chair by the bed, watching as the bullet wound was cleaned and bandaged, and his ribs poked and probed at.

“No breaks,” Bennett grumped. “Maybe a crack or two. Take it damned easy and I still say you should come into the hospital for x-rays.”

“No x-rays, Doc.” Cade shook his head, his face still pale from the exam. “I’ll just rest up here for a while.”

Dr. Bennett shook his graying head and Marly’s eyes narrowed as she looked from Cade, to Sam and then to Brock.

Dr. Bennett scratched his head, messing his frizzled gray hair further as he stared down at Cade.

“Hell of an accident,” he murmured, shaking his head. “I thought you were smarter than that, Cade.”

At least he had the grace to look ashamed, Marly thought coolly. As though the lie these three men had conspired in was actually believable.

“Yeah, well—” He met Marly’s gaze and she almost smiled as she saw the worried expression on his face. “Shit happens, ya know?”

Dr. Bennett merely grunted.