“So, where are we riding today?” she asked as they set out toward the east.
“I’m taking you around our lake. With luck, we might see an elk or a few of our bison. You look good, sweetheart. Not nervous?”
Kurt eyed her with those dark eyes and she was sure the nerves that look stirred up weren’t what he was talking about. “No, not as long as we keep it to a walk.”
“We can do that. It’ll take us a lot longer, but we have a few hours before the temperature drops. Tell me more about your life in Reno.”
Clayton Mahoney hunkered down as he worked to disarm the security system along a line fencing where there were no visible cowpokes riding around. He’d taken two days to scout as much of the perimeters of the Wilcox spread as he could without drawing notice, but, fuck, their land went on and on and on. It was a good thing luck was on his side when he’d spotted his prey through the high-powered binoculars he’d forked out a wad for. The big man she rode with had given him pause, but if he was forced to take them both out then so be it. That extra hundred grand Glascott bribed him with was too damn tempting to back out now.
Disabling the alarm wouldn’t be a problem, he figured, but not knowing if there was a back-up system that would send out an alert was an issue. He’d picked a spot as close to the house as he dared, hoping to catch her if she rode out again today. All he had to do was hop on the ATV he already unloaded from the back of the truck he rented and drive around until he spotted her. As soon as he could get a shot off, he could be back at the truck and speeding away before anyone was the wiser.
Working on optimism, he took a deep breath and snipped the last few connections wiring an alarm along this section of fencing. Wasting no time, he pulled up the bandana to cover his lower face, adjusted his hat and drove the ATV through the gate, pushing it shut behind him before taking off.
“Damn, I’m good,” he boasted aloud less than five minutes later when he lifted his binoculars and verified the woman riding alongside the same man was his contract. He was still too far away to get off a shot, but it wouldn’t take long to cover enough distance to close the gap. Riding high on his anticipated success, he put the idling all-terrain vehicle in gear and sped across the prairie field, staying as close to a herd of cattle as he dared to aid in his cover.
An itch between Kurt’s shoulder blades warned him first, just seconds before his phone beeped with the security breach alarm code that went out automatically to every employee on the ranch. He should’ve known the day and his relationship with Leslie was going too well. Fury and gut-clenching fear rolled through his tense body as he pulled his rifle out of the scabbard and pointed toward the woods several yards away.
“Head that way, now!” he commanded, glad Leslie didn’t hesitate. Keeping glued to her side, he checked the message, his alarm escalating as he read how close they were to the downed security line.
Leslie cast him a frantic look, her hands gripping the reins, her face draining of color as Kurt slapped the mare into a trot. “What’s wrong?” she gasped, swiveling her head around, searching for trouble.
“Security’s down…” Kurt swore as he saw the ATV and the driver aiming a gun their way too late. He yanked on the reins as the gun rapport echoed in the air. Atlas reared with a high-pitched neigh of pain as the bullet skimmed his flank, but obeyed his sharp commands of control. Lifting his rifle, he let loose with three rounds then jumped across the mounts to grab Leslie and throw them both to the ground on the other side of Anna Leigh, rolling fast to keep them away from the horse’s pounding hooves.
Other than a soft startled cry as they hit the ground, she kept quiet, her slender body quaking under his as he said harshly, “Stay down, crawl into the woods and get behind a tree. Move!”
Kurt followed her, firing two more shots as he shouted to his stallion, “Atlas, home!” He breathed a sigh of relief as both horses took off back toward the stables as he reached the temporary safety of cover in the trees with Leslie.
“Now what?” she asked, her voice shaky as she gripped his forearm.
“Now we wait for backup.”
Mahoney cursed and did a mental calculation of how long he dared try to pick them off before hightailing it out of here. No more than five minutes, and then he was gone. Staying behind the ATV, he peered through the binoculars and caught a glimpse of them inside the woods. Now, if one would just inch out enough, he could end this and be on his way.
Leland, Roy and Cory were sitting on the front porch when the alarm came in. Within seconds, every cowhand working around the stables was rushing toward trucks or horses, the drills they bemoaned practicing every other month paying off.
“Sit tight. I’ll be right back,” Roy said, jumping up and shouting orders as he sent the men off in different directions.
“Where’s Kurt?” Leland tried not to panic as he cast a wild look around the bustling yard for his son. Before Cory could answer, he watched in alarm as Atlas and another horse came barreling in from the pasture, icy tentacles of fear squeezing his chest when he saw the bright red splotch on the stallion’s flank.
Fighting back the panic welling inside him, he called out to Roy who was sprinting toward the truck parked in front of the house. “Get the passenger door open. I’m going with you.” Turning to Cory, he snapped, “Give me your arm.”
Puzzled, Cory held out his arm, surprise spreading across his and Roy’s faces as Leland stood showing more strength in his left arm and leg than they’d witnessed before.
Leland didn’t spare them time for explanations. “Quit gaping and help me down the steps.”
“You’ve been holding out on us,” Cory accused, assisting him down the steps and over to the passenger side of the truck. “Why?”
“Not now. My boy is in trouble, and by God, I’m not sitting on my ass while everyone else runs to help him.”
Enlightenment dawned on his employees’ faces at the same time as Leland maneuvered with little effort onto the seat. But it was Roy who said, “You kept your progress quiet and fought against therapy to keep Kurt here, didn’t you?”
“Talk later, drive now,” he ground out, impatience snapping at his heels. Cory shut the door as Roy dashed to the driver’s side and slammed the truck into gear.
Casting his friend and employer a disbelieving glance as he sped east, Roy muttered, “Why the hell didn’t you just ask him to stay?”
Guilt settled like a heavy weight on Leland’s chest, his eyes shifting out the window at the land he loved so much. “I couldn’t, not after the way I turned on him when we lost Brittany.”
“You were grieving, Leland. The injustice of losing two family members so close together would drive anyone into lashing out at those around him.”