Chapter 36
Darren, alongside the two cowhands who’d accompanied him, chased after the outlaws. He was almost certain they were the same men who had killed his brother.
He felt torn between his need to hunt down the men responsible for tonight’s mischief and his need to be back at the ranch with Ethan. Ethan. Please be all right. I can’t lose you. Not now.
“This way,” he told the men riding with him. The outlaws were more intent on getting away than concealing which direction they were going. He was able to track them for another mile, but when they headed down into a small ravine and under the cover of darkness, he lost their trail.
He looked up, wishing there was more of a moon tonight to help him. Clouds kept moving across the sky, changing the landscape and causing the shadows to move.
“Boss?”
Darren dismounted and examined the surrounding brush for evidence of broken branches or hoof prints. When he found nothing, he kicked a rock and then shook his head in disgust.
“It’s no use, boys. We’re just going to end up chasing our tails. We’ll have to wait until first light to try and track them. Let’s head back to the ranch. I need to know how Ethan is doing.”
They rode back to the ranch in silence. The minute they arrived at the yard, men poured from the buildings. They’d put most of the fire out, but the barn would need to be torn down and rebuilt.
His pa came running from the house.
“Darren. Are you okay?”
“Pa, I’m fine. How’s Ethan?” he slipped from his horse, gladly handing the reins over to one of the other men. Darren strode for the house and then stopped in the middle of the yard. “Where is he?”
“Lorna and some of the men took him into town. One of the hands just returned and said they think Ethan is going to be fine. They were able to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding.”
A sense of relief came over him. He took a moment to survey the blackened barn. The sun was just beginning to come up. “At first light, the men need to start sorting through the wreckage and see what’s salvageable.”
Brian nodded. “I’ll make sure they get to it. Did you find the men? The outlaws?”
Darren shook his head. “No. We lost their trail. We’ll go back out once the sun’s up.”
“Darren!”
Darren turned and watched as June rushed toward him. She enveloped him in a warm embrace, tears in her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re back safe. We were so worried.”
Darren returned her hug and regretted worrying her and his pa. “I’m fine.”
“Go get cleaned up and I’ll make breakfast.” June patted his cheek and then turned back toward the house.
He shook his head. “I want to ride into town.”
“You and the men have been up most of the night. Today’s going to be a long day for all of us. We all want to see Ethan. We’ll go together right after breakfast.”
Darren nodded and then headed for the water pump at the side of the house. He splashed his face and rinsed the dust off, using his bandana to wipe his neck and behind his ears.
He headed inside and joined everyone at the table. June had breakfast ready in short order. Everyone ate, mostly without speaking, their thoughts on Ethan.
Everyone was almost finished when a loud knock came from the front door. Darren exchanged looks with his pa. “Wonder who that could be?”
“Maybe one of our neighbors? It’s still very early for anyone from town to come calling,” June suggested, standing up to go answer it.
Darren shook his head and gestured for her to sit back down. “I don’t think so. Stay here.” He pushed away from the table and grabbed his rifle from the corner where he’d left it.
He quietly walked to the door and asked, “Who’s there?”
“Open up, Wilson.”
Darren’s brow rose as he recognized the familiar, grating voice of Leroy. He flung the door open, keeping his rifle by his side. “What do you—”
Darren’s heart sunk when he saw that Leroy wasn’t alone. The same man with the icy blue eyes who he’d confronted at the festival was with him. He had his gun drawn and was pointing it straight at Darren’s chest.
“Hand over the rifle,” the man told him.
Darren looked at Leroy, who simply shrugged and then chuckled. “Darren, this is my brother, Claus. He has a small anger problem, so if I were you, I’d do as he says.”
Darren tightened his grip on the rifle for a moment, considering bringing it up and firing at the man. But then he thought about June and his pa. They would be defenseless.
He handed Leroy the rifle and tightened his jaw. “What do you want?”
Leroy gave him a sardonic smile. “It’s not about what we want. It’s about what you want. Follow our directions and no one needs to get hurt.”
Leroy looked over Darren’s shoulder. “It’d be a shame if something happened to one of them.”
Darren glanced over his shoulder to see his pa and June standing a few feet behind him. He looked back at Leroy and clenched his fists by his sides.
Leroy saw the motion and chuckled. “I’d think twice about acting on that anger I see in your eyes. One false move, and Claus here will help you join your brother.” Leroy leaned forward and lowered his voice. “He’d shoot you between the eyes and not even shed a tear.”
Darren looked at the other man and felt certain that this was the same outlaw who had shot and killed his brother. The urge to avenge his brother’s death burned brightly inside his chest. He couldn’t act right now, but somehow, this man was going to pay – if it was the last thing Darren did.
Leroy gestured for Darren to step out of the house. Claus kept his gun drawn. “Get on the horse,” Leroy told him, gesturing to the unfamiliar horse they’d obviously brought with them.
“Where are we going?” he demanded.
“Not that you are in any position to be making demands,” Leroy told him, “but someone wants to see you.”
Darren climbed up into the saddle. “Who?” he asked.
“Lorna.”
Darren’s heart stopped for a minute. “What did you just say?”
Leroy smirked as he mounted his own horse. He set his horse moving and then answered Darren casually. “It seems the young woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She saw too much and is currently enjoying the hospitality of someone who very much wants to speak to you.”
“Tell me where we’re going,” Darren demanded.
“Don’t look like that,” Leroy advised him. “I’m sure she’s fine. For now. My boss wants to have a little chat with you.”
Darren pushed his horse up beside Leroy’s. “If he hurts her, you will all pay.”
“Do what he wants, and you won’t have anything to worry about.”
Darren clenched his jaw as Leroy gestured with a piece of twine. “Give me your hands,” Leroy ordered.
Darren wanted to refuse, but Leroy’s brother was still pointing a gun at him and the man looked all too eager to pull the trigger. Leroy tied Darren’s wrists together and then produced a red bandana and tied it over his eyes.
“I can’t ride like this,” Darren told him.
“Guess you’d better figure it out, or we’ll be dragging you along.”
Darren felt a shiver of fear move down his spine for the first time since he’d opened the door. He squeezed the sides of the horse with his thighs and gripped the pommel on the saddle with both bound hands. It took all of his concentration to stay upright in the saddle as they moved along.
No matter where they were taking him or who wanted to speak with him, Lorna was involved. He could see her smiling face behind the blindfold and knew that somehow, he had to not only save himself but her as well.
Mark had been right when he suggested that someone was behind the outlaws and directing their actions. It was time to find out who that individual was and what they wanted. Hopefully, he could stop them and save both himself and Lorna.
Cha
pter 37
Lorna kept looking toward the doorway, wishing Orvis would leave her alone for just a minute. He kept going on and on about the new railroad and all of the things it would bring. Mostly, he talked about the things he was going to gain, with no consideration for how the new railroad would affect the rest of the town.
Lorna did her best to keep calm in the hopes that Orvis would see reason and let her go. “Are you even listening to me?” he demanded when she failed to respond to his latest statement.
“Yes,” she told him. “Mayor—”
“I told you to call me Orvis.”
“Or…Orvis…let me go. I don’t have any land to sell so you don’t need me.”
“On the contrary. By having you, I’ll be able to force the Wilsons to sell.”
He turned to leave, and she reached out a hand to stop him. “Please…could I get some water?”
Orvis looked at her and then seemed to come to a decision. “If you promise to behave, I will allow you to join me downstairs for some breakfast.”
Lorna nodded and preceded him down the stairs. Orvis directed her to his dining room and insisted she sit down at the table. “Coffee?”
“No, thank you.” Lorna clasped her hands in front of her, wondering how Ethan was and whether or not anyone at the ranch knew what was happening here. Doc had said that the young man was going to be just fine, but he’d lost a lot of blood, which worried her. A lot.
She wished she’d gotten to see Darren before he’d taken off after the outlaws. The man who’d grabbed her had been gone when she awoke. She wasn’t sure where he’d gone, but Orvis appeared to be waiting for his return.
Orvis sat across from her, a glass and bottle of whiskey before him. It was still very early in the morning, but that didn’t seem to matter to the pompous man.
“Won’t be long now,” he taunted her.
“Until what?” she asked. So far, she’d not been able to figure out what Orvis was up to. He’d talked about the new railroad line and the land that was needed for its construction. He’d also talked about the Wilson ranch and how Darren and his pa were to blame for the recent shootings and fires.
The sound of horses outside grabbed his attention and he gave her an evil smile. “Seems your wait is over.” He turned in his chair and watched the door, rubbing his hands together as if he was about to be given something wonderful.
Lorna didn’t like how he was acting, and she watched the door with trepidation. She let out a loud gasp when it opened and Darren was pushed inside. His eyes were covered by a blindfold and his hands were bound in front of him.
Darren was followed in by the man from the festival and the outlaw who had grabbed her. The man with the cold eyes had a gun pointed at Darren’s back.
“Darren!” She stood up, but one look from Orvis had her sitting back down with a thump.
“Lorna?” Darren struggled against the other man’s grip, but stopped when he felt the barrel of the gun press against his temple.
“Stay put, missy,” Orvis said to Lorna as he approached Darren and pulled the blindfold off. He gave him a minute for his eyes to adjust and then stepped back and gestured toward an empty seat.
“Welcome to my home. Please…have a seat.” Orvis sounded pleasant and accommodating, but it was all an act.
Lorna wanted to warn Darren, but there was no way she could without incurring the wrath of her captor. Darren glanced at her, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. His eyes were cold and hard, and his jaw was clenched tight.
Darren sat down, placing his bound hands on the table in front of him. Orvis did the same, and the two men stared at one another for several moments before either spoke.
“So, I will get right to the point,” Orvis began. “The way I see it, you have two choices.” Orvis reached for a piece of paper and a pen. He slid them across the table to Darren and nodded at them.
“Before you say anything, let me remind you that I could have just ordered my men to kill everyone on the ranch. As the mayor of Virginia City, I could have then given your land to the railroad. But that would have raised lots of suspicion. People would have begun to ask questions, and I enjoy living here.
“That forced me to look for other ways of getting what I want. Then Lorna arrived in town, and the ranch became her home. She’s a stranger here.”
“Leave Lorna out of this,” Darren told him through clenched teeth.
Orvis appeared to consider the request and then shook his head. “Sorry. That I can’t do. While your entire family dying a tragic death might cause the townsfolk to ask questions, her death will not. So, you can either sign that offer, agreeing to sell the Wilson land, or the woman dies. It’s very simple.”
Lorna swallowed and looked at Darren, willing him to glance her way. He picked up the pen and then did just that, meeting her eyes briefly. She shook her head, and he gave her an imperceptible smile before dropping the pen to the table with a clunk.
“I’m afraid I couldn’t sign that paper, even if I wanted to. That ranch belongs to my pa.”
Orvis chuckled. “I knew you’d say that, which is why your ranch is currently surrounded, even as we speak.”
There was an uneasy silence while Darren stared at Orvis. After a long moment, Darren shook his head. “You’re bluffing.”
Orvis sat back and steepled his hands on the table. “Are you willing to take that chance?” Orvis paused and then pushed the paper toward Darren. “Forge your father’s signature, and we can all be about our business. Fight me on this, and the town will be mourning more than just your and Lorna’s deaths.”
“Let her go and then—”
“And then nothing!” Orvis’s patience seemed to be gone. He stood up and drew his own gun, laying it on the table for all to see.
Lorna felt her breath stall, fear gripping her tight. Orvis wasn’t bluffing. He seemed to be enjoying the fact that he held all of the cards in this moment.
Darren was reaching for the pen when gunshots rang out from the street. Leroy and Claus rushed from the room with their guns drawn. The sound of more gunshots came from outside and Orvis became agitated. He picked up his gun and rushed to the nearest window.
Orvis let out a string of curses that would have made Lorna blush in other circumstances. When he turned around, he had a wild look in his eyes.
“Lorna,” Darren whispered urgently to her. “Get under the table.”
Lorna nodded, but when she turned to see where her captor was, she found herself staring into the barrel of Orvis’s gun.
“Sign the papers or she dies,” Orvis told Darren, his finger resting lightly on the trigger.
“Orvis, you don’t have to do this,” Lorna pleaded with him, struggling to keep her tears from falling. “Please…”
“Orvis, I’ll sign the paper,” Darren told him. “Just put the gun down.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Orvis growled back.
New gunshots rang out from outside, accompanied by a shout:
“Orvis! Mayor Orvis! Come out with your hands up!”
Lorna felt a small glimmer of hope until Orvis pulled the hammer back on the gun. “You are out of time.”
Lorna turned her head and found herself looking into Orvis’s eyes. In that moment, she realized the man truly intended to shoot her.
Lorna had never been so afraid, not even during the war when the sound of the fighting had seemed to be right outside the makeshift hospital. A tremor rushed through her body, and she gripped her hands together until her knuckles were white.
She looked at Darren, and her breath caught in her lungs. Orvis pressed the barrel of the gun against her temple and she barely contained her cry of alarm.
She turned her head slightly and her eyes widened in horror as she watched Orvis’s finger move. She instinctively moved backward, the chair tipping as she scrambled to save herself. She felt her chair start to tip and Darren yelled as he lunged toward her.
So many things seemed to happen all a
t once. Darren collided with her, knocking her off balance. Her chair crashed backward as a gunshot rent the air inside the small room. Lorna screamed and then pain exploded in her skull.
The last thing she remembered was a crushing weight on her body, and then everything went black.
Chapter 38
Darren watched Orvis peer out the window. Since arriving at the man’s home, his fury had only continued to build. He wasn’t sure who had come to their aid, but the gunshots coming from outside were encouraging.
When they’d first arrived in town, Darren hadn’t known where they were. At their destination, Leroy had instructed him to dismount. The blindfold had him completely disoriented and he stumbled several times as he tried to find his footing, which Leroy had taken great joy in watching.
A Bride to Heal His Broken Heart Page 23