by Cahill, Cat
“Is he bringing Adelaide?”
“No.” A wave of rage flashed through Ben as he remembered the man’s words. “If everything goes as he asks, he’ll tell me where to find her.”
“I don’t trust him,” Penny said, her voice soft. She turned toward the dark tree line, searching as if she’d find Adelaide out there in the distance.
“Me either.” Ben turned too, resisting the urge to step closer toward her. “But I have no choice.”
Penny glanced up at him through her long eyelashes. “Let me go for you.”
“No,” he said immediately. What was she thinking? “That’s impossible. And foolish.”
“Hear me out.” She dropped a hand from her coat and laid it on his arm. The heat from her hand seemed to warm his entire body, even through the layers of fabric that separated them. “What if this is an ambush? What if he wants more than just his money? Maybe he wants you dead. If I go, that can’t happen.”
“What’s to stop him from taking you and keeping Adelaide too? He’s already threatened to find you.”
“Only because he’s afraid I know too much. But I’ll tell him he can’t get his money until he tells me first where to find Adelaide. Once he does that, he gets his money for her. And then we can all walk away from this.”
“No. Absolutely not.” Just the thought of her near Hagan incinerated his heart. Having his sister in danger was terrifying enough. He couldn’t live if anything happened to Penny too. “What if he decides two women are worth more than one?”
“But here’s the trick!” She gripped his arm harder. “You and your men will be lying in wait. If he takes me, you follow him, free me, and get your prisoners.” She looked at him, triumph written across her face.
He shook his head. “Nothing in this world would make me risk your life like that.”
“It’s my life to risk. And I want to do this.”
“We’re not discussing it any further.” He pulled his arm from her grip. This was another reason he shouldn’t get too close to her. How could he do his job if his heart was involved every time? He never should’ve agreed to allow Adelaide to come here. And if Hagan knew his feelings for Penny . . .
She looked up at him, a mixture of hurt and anger marring her beautiful features. “You can’t order me around. I’m not your sister or your wife.”
“I am the sheriff of this county, which makes me the law here. So yes, I can order you to stay here, where you’re safe.” I can’t lose you, he thought. He ached to say it out loud. To make her understand. But that would be baring too much of his heart, and if he did that, he was done for. “You shouldn’t have even been outside by yourself. You’re far too brash for your own good sometimes.”
Penny recoiled as if he’d hit her. She gave him one last good glare before turning, her coat swishing out around her, and stalking back into the hotel.
She was angry with him, but at least she’d be safe. He could deal with her anger later, ask for her forgiveness again, once he’d gotten Adelaide back. And he’d deal with his own heart then too.
Chapter Twenty-two
Tears blinding her eyes, Penny ran up the stairs as fast as she could. Most of the girls were in their rooms for the evening, and the few she passed she didn’t know well. Once in her room, she peeled off her coat and hood and threw them against the wall.
The man was so infuriating! He didn’t even give her plan a second thought. Instead, he was going to ride in there and martyr himself for the sake of his sister, who wouldn’t be released at all once Ben was dead. Hagan would win, and only God knew what would happen to Adelaide then, once the man had his money and there was no one waiting for her release.
Penny threw herself onto her bed and stared at the wood-beamed ceiling, catching her breath. Perhaps he truly didn’t think she could take care of herself. No, that couldn’t be it. He’d told her time and again how brave he thought her to be.
He said he couldn’t put her in danger, and while he’d asked for her forgiveness, he’d said nothing of any other feelings for her. He hadn’t even tried to hold her hand, and had just stood rigid when she’d held on to his arms. Her Ponderosa, but completely unyielding. What did that mean? He said he hadn’t meant to hurt her. Was he trying to let her down gently? Perhaps she really was too brazen for his taste. After all, she had yet to run into a man who liked that aspect of her personality enough to want to marry her.
Maybe it was best if she distanced herself from him. After all, she didn’t want to be one of those girls who mooned over a man who had no interest in her. Although even the thought of it shredded her already-hurting heart.
But no matter what he thought of her, she couldn’t let him ride into an ambush. She cared far too much for him to allow that to happen. Even if she wasn’t meant to be his, she still wanted him to be alive and happy. His sister needed her brother, and Penny needed to know he was all right.
She sat up straight in bed. What if . . .?
No, it was crazy. It would never work, not without his cooperation. But what if it did? If she thought it through just so, then maybe she could free Adelaide without Ben putting his life at risk.
Her mind made up, Penny hummed as she undressed for the night. She’d save Ben’s life, whether he liked it or not.
“ARE YOU GOING TO LET me know what has you so preoccupied?” Millie demanded as she handed Penny the water pitcher at dinner the next evening.
“It’s nothing.” Penny kept her face as impassive as possible. No one needed to know about her plans for that night. Even though Penny knew she was doing the right thing, she was certain Millie wouldn’t agree.
“Mmhmm.” Millie batted her eyelashes at Penny before heading back to her own tables.
Ben was seated in another girl’s section, and for once, Penny was happy about that. She hadn’t spoken to him since he refused to consider her plan last night, and her feelings for him were all twisted up. Just looking at his handsome face made her heart flutter, though he’d acted as if there were a canyon between them last night instead of a foot of empty space. Plus, she wasn’t certain she could even hold a water pitcher in his presence knowing she would be directly defying him tonight.
She was cleaning a spill from one of the serving stations near the wall when someone stopped behind her. She turned, and there he was. Her traitor heart danced a jig, even as her head nodded a greeting. “Sheriff.” Her voice shook just a little bit, and she prayed he didn’t notice.
If he did, he made no sign of it. “Miss May.” His eyes were on the waitresses and other guests walking to and fro behind them. He’d smoothed down his dark hair, and the star on his chest glinted in the lamplight. Penny gripped the cloth in her hand and tried not to get lost in his eyes. “I wanted to let you know that my men and I are headed out tomorrow morning so I can meet Hagan.”
“I hope it goes well,” she said, as polite as pie even though her insides were anything but. She lowered her voice. “Please, be careful.”
He inclined his head and gave her the ghost of a smile. “I always am.” With that, he was gone.
Little did he know, she’d be claiming the situation as her own, and tomorrow would find him waiting for her instead.
After the last guest retired to his room, Penny grabbed the spare coat that hung by the kitchen door and offered to take the table scraps outside. After working so hard—the dining room had been completely full for most of the evening—and after keeping her secret from Ben, she was more than ready for some fresh air, even if that air burned her nostrils as she breathed.
She emptied the scraps carefully but quickly into the bin in the smokehouse, where they’d be stored until they were fed to the hogs Mr. McFarland had recently purchased. Holding the empty bag in one hand and clutching the front of her coat closed with the other, Penny was in no hurry to walk back. She still had a few hours before she could put her plan into action. As she approached the terrace, the snort of a horse made her stop still. The stables were a ways off, past the
far end of the hotel. The sound must have carried on the wind.
Except there wasn’t really a wind. Penny shook her head and started moving again. Until yet another noise made her stop.
This one was more of a rustling. Like a bear pawing through bushes for berries. Or a man creeping through the underbrush.
The last thought made Penny’s entire body go even colder than the air around her. She felt along her skirts for the gun Ben had given her. It was there, at the very bottom of her pocket. She bent her knees and dipped her hand down even farther to reach it.
There it was. She wrapped her fingers around the handle, the scraps bag still looped around her other hand. She took another step forward. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and covered her mouth, muffling the shriek that instantly erupted.
The bag fell to the ground as Penny drew Ben’s revolver from her skirts. She didn’t know who this man was, but she wouldn’t let him grab her without a fight. All of Ben’s advice about shooting raced through her head at the same time, but none of it would work if she couldn’t turn around and aim. The man dragged her backward. Her heart pounded uselessly. She needed to get this person to let her go, just for a moment.
He had pinned her arms to her waist. That left her feet. Thinking fast, she stomped down onto his right foot. The man groaned and let a few choice words escape. But he loosened his grip.
Seizing the opportunity, Penny whirled around and pushed against his chest, forcing his arms to drop. She raised the heavy revolver.
“She’s got a gun!” a deep voice whispered from nearby.
Penny didn’t turn to find the second man. “Leave me be or I’ll shoot.” Her voice shook, but she held the Colt’s aim right at the first man’s chest.
He was a bear of a man, she could tell in the moonlight, with a face full of midnight-colored beard. He grunted, and in less than a second, he’d slapped her hands to the side and pried the gun right out of them.
Sheer terror took control of Penny’s mind. She opened her mouth to scream just as the bigger man covered it again with one of his paws. He yanked her to him again. She bit down on his fingers. He cursed. Just as she drew in a breath of fresh air and was about to scream again, he shoved a wadded-up neckerchief in her mouth.
It tasted of smoke and dirt and made her gag. Tears coming to her eyes, Penny slammed an elbow back into his stomach. But all that seemed to do was make him grunt and move even faster, dragging her feet across the ground. This wasn’t her plan. She needed to rescue Adelaide first, but she couldn’t do that if Hagan’s men abducted her like this.
He pulled her into the trees, and she fought the whole way, kicking at his legs and scratching his arms. He stopped at three horses tied to a tree. “This one’s a wildcat,” he said to his companion, out of breath.
I’ll show you a wildcat, Penny thought. She dug her nails even harder into his arm. But it was useless. The man was seemingly immune to pain.
“So’s the other one,” the smaller man said. “Tie her to the saddle, and let’s get out of here.”
The big man lifted her onto the horse. Penny tried to kick his face, but he ducked out of the way. He lashed her hands to the saddle horn and used the rest of the rope to secure the neckerchief in her mouth.
“That oughta hold you,” he said with a grin.
Penny kicked out at him again, but he’d already moved out of her reach. The other man untied the horses, and the big, bearded man kept hold of her reins, leading her horse behind his.
She pulled against the ropes, but he’d tied them so tight that all it did was cut into the skin under her sleeves. She had no gloves, and her fingers quickly went numb. Tears stung her eyes and fear slowly replaced the primal urge to fight.
She knew exactly who these men were. Hagan had made good on his promise to find her. But what was he going to do with her?
Chapter Twenty-three
“Sheriff!”
Ben turned in the lobby where he stood with his men. A distraught Mrs. Ruby walked more quickly than he’d ever seen her move. Mr. McFarland followed, along with his wife and one of the waitresses. Behind them, a dining room full of breakfast patrons echoed into the lobby, where a few hotel guests milled about.
“What is it?” They’d been headed out to the stables. His appointment with Hagan was late this afternoon, and if God had heard his prayers, he’d have Adelaide back tonight.
“It’s Miss May,” the older woman said when she reached him. “She’s missing!” She gestured helplessly at the girl behind her as she pressed her other hand to her stomach, trying to catch her breath.
“She didn’t come down for her shift this morning,” the dark-haired girl said in a quiet voice. She was a friend of Penny’s, Ben remembered. “It’s our Sunday to work the dining room. I went to check on her, but her room was empty. Her bed was made too, as if she didn’t sleep in it.” The girl kept her voice even, but her fear was evident in her eyes.
A sick feeling rose in Ben’s stomach. “Has anyone seen her since last night?”
Mr. McFarland shook his head. “Mrs. Ruby asked the girls. No one’s seen her since right after the dinner service yesterday evening.”
“Did—” Ben paused when another one of the waitresses stopped next to them, a little out of breath.
“Pardon me,” she said. “But one of the kitchen boys just found the scraps bag lying on the ground behind the hotel.”
“Penny often took those out,” the girl with the soft voice said, clutching her hands. “She enjoyed the fresh air.”
Ben didn’t waste another minute. He charged through the lobby to the nearest back door at the end of the hallway. The others followed him as he crossed the garden, past the spot where he’d stood with Penny just the other night to apologize and hear her ridiculous plan. He flew down the stone steps to more frozen ground. There, several yards from the door to the kitchen, stood a small outbuilding, smoke drifting from it heavenward. He pointed at it wordlessly.
“That’s the smokehouse,” Mr. McFarland supplied. “Scraps for the hogs are kept there too, so wild animals can’t get them.”
Ben would have responded, but just then he caught sight of a large, rumpled piece of cloth lying on the ground in front of the smokehouse. A wave of nausea rushed through him, and he shut his eyes, waiting for it to pass.
It was Hagan. Ben had no doubt. He’d made good on his threat to find Penny. Hagan had set him up, just as Penny had suggested, although a lot earlier than she’d suspected. Hagan would insist on more money, now that he had two women. Two women who meant something to Ben, although the outlaw had no way to know that about Penny.
Ben clenched his fists, the anger roiling through him. Hagan thought he’d won. And maybe he had. Ben couldn’t see a way out of this, although to be truthful, he was so angry and scared he couldn’t see much of anything except his own faults. He couldn’t keep Adelaide safe. He couldn’t protect Penny. He’d been right, keeping Penny at a distance in the garden the other night. His feelings for her were too much; he cared too much. And when he cared, bad things happened.
Ben stalked toward the smokehouse, scanning the ground for some kind of clue. He should’ve reiterated his insistence she stay inside the hotel at all times. Or better yet, inside her room at all times. But the past was the past. He couldn’t change it now. Blast Hagan. Blast Ben’s blind trust that all would be fine here, at this hotel in the middle of nowhere. Blast his feelings that got him into this mess to begin with. He raised a fist and slammed it into the smokehouse.
Blood rushed his ears, and he could barely hear the women’s gasps. It pooled into the cuts on his knuckles, but he felt no pain.
“Boss?” Harry’s voice sounded as if it were coming from underwater, the way Ben and his friends used to try to speak to each other in the ocean back home when they were kids. “Hey, Boss?” The man’s hand landed on his shoulder, shaking him just a little.
Ben started, the world coming back into focus.
“You all right?�
�� Harry stared into his eyes.
“Fine. I’m fine.” He shrugged the man’s hand off his shoulder.
“Hagan?” Harry asked.
Ben nodded. Walking back toward the others, he flexed his right hand. Drops of blood dripped down his fingers. They’d rushed outside so quickly, he hadn’t grabbed his coat, which now made it easier to pull the handkerchief from his pocket. He wrapped it around his wounded hand and tried to figure out where to start.
“You don’t suppose someone took her?” Mrs. McFarland’s hands were clasped tightly in front of her, and despite the freezing air, her face was as white as the snow that threatened to fall again.
“I fear that’s exactly what happened,” Ben said. He tucked his injured hand into his pocket. “The man who has my sister threatened Pen—Miss May—that day near Cañon City. Do you remember?”
The others nodded. Mr. McFarland took his wife’s arm and patted it. Mrs. Ruby wrapped her arms around herself, her face creased and her lips pushed into a line.
“My men and I were headed south today to pay the ransom and set up an exchange for my sister.” It had nearly killed him that he had to capitulate to Hagan’s demands. But he’d tried every other way, and the man still had Adelaide.
And now it looked as if he had Penny too. His dragon.
“Why would he take Penny now?” her friend asked, her olive-toned face looking almost green. Mrs. Ruby moved toward her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The girl leaned into her embrace.
“To set me up.” Ben nearly growled out the words. “I’m bringing him the money for my sister. Now he’ll demand more for the both of them. He has so much leverage over me at this point . . .” He couldn’t even say the words. It was possible Ben would show up to the rendezvous point, conceding defeat, only to have Hagan refuse to give him either girl.
“I need to send a telegraph to Mr. Gilbert,” Mr. McFarland said.
“Perhaps we should let Miss May’s family know,” his wife said.