Poked

by Naomi Niles

  She obeyed, and I whispered a quick prayer – then fired.

  My aim was true. The rattlesnake exploded in a shower of blood and flesh, and it fell dead onto the floor. I dropped the revolver and ran over to her.

  “Did you get bit? Cassie, did you get bit, tell me, girl, tell me!” I demanded, my heart pounding.

  “No, Daddy, I didn't. I woke up when I heard a big bang downstairs, and then I saw the snake on my bed. I screamed... then you... then you came...”

  She started sobbing and crying, and I held her close, whispering soothing words as I stroked her hair. Andy had come up behind me and squeezed my shoulder.

  “I'll go through the house and make sure there ain't no more rattlers in here,” he said. “You just keep her calm.”

  “Check my room first so I can take her in there,” I requested. Andy nodded.

  I put Cassie down on her favorite chair she always read in and took the flashlight off her bedside table to shine around the darker corners of her room to make sure that there were no more snakes. After that, I picked her up and hugged her tightly.

  “Don't worry, Pumpkin, you're safe now,” I said as I stroked her hair and held her close. “There aren’t any more of those nasty critters in here. There ain't nothin' bad gonna happen to you. Daddy will keep you safe...he always will, now and forever.”

  “I'm scared, Daddy. I don't like snakes, I don't like 'em at all,” she said as I carried her to my room to sleep. We’d clean up the mess in her room before I let her back in there.

  “I don't like 'em neither, sweet angel. But you don't need to worry now. You understand? Everything is all right. You're safe.”

  I held her close and whispered calming words to her as I carried her with me toward the living room. When I arrived, the front door was open and I saw that Andy was waiting for me outside on the porch.

  “The rest of the house is clear,” he said. “I've checked every nook and cranny. Ain't no more snakes in there.”

  “Good to know,” I responded. “Regardless, I would feel better if we don’t stay here tonight. Just to be on the safe side.”

  “Can’t say as I blame ya,” he replied. “Ya’ll can come stay with me. You know there’s more than enough room.”

  I decided to take him up on the offer. He only lived about a half-mile across the ranch in the house I’d used to live in before my father passed on and left this house for me. For that reason, he already had a room for Cassie since she’d stayed with him when I had to go out of town for business. We headed over and I got Cassie settled in. She was fast asleep in no time. Thankfully, she was unaware of what exactly had happened. To her, there was nothing more than a snake in the house. To me, it was a threat that reached further than just my daughter and me. I couldn’t help but wonder just how far their reach would go. I couldn’t help wondering if maybe the reason Mackenzie wasn’t answering my calls was that something had happened to her too.

  I looked at my watch. Just after ten p.m. I knew I should get some sleep, but there was no way I was sleeping. I had too much on my mind. And the more the idea raced through my head, the more I realized I had one more thing that I had to take care of tonight. One more thing that couldn't wait. After a quick chat with Andy, I knew I had to make sure Mackenzie was okay one way or another. I took out my phone and called the airline I always flew with.

  “Hey, are there any flights going to Austin, Texas tonight?” I asked as someone answered.

  “There's one more, but it'll be boarding in thirty minutes.”

  “I'll take whatever seat you've got on that flight.”

  “Are you able to get here in twenty minutes?”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Mackenzie

  I sat alone in a dark corner of the bar for a while. I really didn't know what to do. I looked around the bar until I saw a glowing neon clock on the wall near the pool tables. Almost two in the morning and I was alone, a little on the lost side, and had no means of finding anyone who knew me. I figured I could maybe hop into a taxi and ask to be taken to the Buzz Bar. Yeah, that would be the best option, as I had no idea where I was now. I reached into my handbag and took out my purse, and checked to see how much I had. We hadn't gone too far from the Buzz Bar, so I figured that a taxi ride wouldn't be very expensive from where I was. In fact, it really couldn't be more than a few dollars.

  I smiled. I wasn't in such trouble at all! All I had to do was go outside, get in a cab and ask to be taken to the Buzz Bar. There, done!

  All right, so I just needed a few dollars, that was all. I opened my purse, thinking I should have had a few tens in it – and saw that they were all gone. With a growing sense of worry, I scrounged through the coin compartment and then fumbled around in my bag. I found a few coins, and the total was... one dollar, thirty-seven cents. That was all I had on me. Somehow, with all this drinking I'd done with Jake, I'd blown all the money in my purse. And now the pay I'd get from the evening's performance was back at the Buzz Bar.

  This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all.

  I sat in the corner, biting my nails as I wracked my brain for a solution to this problem. As I was sitting and pondering, a friendly voice interrupted my thoughts.

  “Excuse me, aren't you Mackenzie Shea?”

  I looked up to see a young, kindly-looking, well-built man looking down at me. He was dressed stylishly in a button-up shirt and jeans, although his cowboy boots and big steel belt buckle, in the shape of an eagle, marked him as an old-school Texan type, as did his heavy accent.

  “I am,” I said, feeling a little self-conscious about how tipsy I currently was.

  “You're an amazing singer. I saw you at the Buzz Bar earlier this evening. You seriously blew me away – and probably everyone else who was at the bar as well.”

  I couldn't help but blush. “Well, thank you so much…”

  “Nate. My name's Nate Mitchell.”

  “Thank you, Nate Mitchell. I do appreciate that.”

  “Forgive me for askin', but why are you sittin' all alone in here in this here corner? Shouldn't you, you know, be partyin' with the other musicians or somethin'?”

  “I would be, but, I uh... I came here with someone else, who just up and left me here. And, uh, now I can't get back to the Buzz Bar because I don't know how to, and I lost my phone, and my money, and...”

  I paused mid-sentence, realizing that I was getting all emotional and pouring my heart out to some stranger I had just met. The alcohol was really talking now, I thought, feeling pretty embarrassed.

  Nate smiled, however, and nodded.

  “Ah, well, that ain't no situation for a lady to be stuck in. Don't feel too bad; it happens to the best of us.”

  I smiled and almost started to pour my heart out about the whole thing with Chance as well but decided against that. After all, I had only just met this guy, and even though I got the vibe that he would likely listen politely, that was most likely the alcohol talking.

  “Yeah, I guess it does. I, uh, I had such a good show earlier that I guess I just got a bit carried away with celebrating and let my heart out rule my head. And now look where that's gotten me.”

  “Alone and lost in a bar in downtown Austin well past midnight?” Nate said with a sympathetic chuckle.

  “That's right,” I replied.

  “So, do you need some help then?”

  I was relieved to hear those words. I hadn't wanted to ask. Even in this tipsy state I was in, I felt bad about asking strangers for help. But the fact was, I was definitely in a situation where I needed some help. Lost, no phone, no money, no friends... I was in a spot all right.

  “I, uh... yeah, actually I do, Nate. I really do.”

  He nodded. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing you and I happened to cross paths. I'd never leave a damsel in distress on the side a' the road, so to speak. So you need t' get back t' the Buzz Bar, you say?”

  “Yeah. The manager there has my pay for the evening, not to mention my suitcase, and he's gonna c
all me a car to pick me up and take me to where I'm staying. Um, if you could just pay for my taxi fare from here to there, I'll give you double whatever the fare costs, and pay for your fare to get back here, or home, or wherever you're going after this.”

  He grinned. “Sounds like a great deal to me, but I've got an even better one: you can ride with me in my truck for free.”

  “I don't wanna be any trouble or make you drive out of your way or nothing.”

  “Not a problem at all! I'm a fan, Mackenzie Shea. Let me show you how much I appreciate your talent by allowing me to help you in this small way.”

  “That’s very kind of you. Thank you! I really appreciate this!”

  “No problem! Are you all settled up at the bar? Need me to pay for your tab or somethin'?” he asked.

  “No, the drinks are all paid for, but I appreciate it.”

  “All right, then. Right this way, Miss Shea, and I'll get you back to the Buzz Bar.”

  “Thank you so much, Nate. I really owe you one.”

  “Follow me,” he said, leading me through the crowded bar. We headed out into the street, and walked for a short distance to a parking lot with only one or two cars in it. He pointed to a truck at the far end of the lot.

  “That's my truck,” he said.

  We started to walk over to it, and that's when I began to feel it — a sensation of unease, sort of a sixth sense warning me that something wasn't quite right. I stopped and had a sudden urge to turn and run. I couldn't explain it, and I tried to shake it off and blame it on the ridiculous amount of alcohol I’d consumed. I didn't go with that gut feeling, and instead continued to follow him to the truck.

  “All right, here we are,” he said as we reached the truck.

  He unlocked the doors with his remote, and I climbed into the passenger side as he got into the driver's side, only he didn't start the motor. Instead, he stared at me with a strange smile on his face. It sent a shiver through me.

  “There is a way you can repay me for my generosity,” he said. “But it doesn't involve money.”

  “Um, would you like an autograph?” I asked, feeling increasingly uneasy.

  “No. I'd like a kiss.”

  “I don't think I can give you one, Nate.”

  “You're going to give me a kiss, and more.”

  I reached for the door handle on my side, but he grabbed my arm suddenly and yanked me back. With one hand, he held me and started unzipping his jeans with his other hand. Panic tore through my veins, and I screamed, but he reached up and clamped a powerful hand over my mouth.

  “Don't do that again if you want to keep all them pretty teeth in your mouth,” he snarled, his eyes full of lust and cruelty. “You’re going to be quiet now and take what I'm gonna give you, and—”

  The driver's door flung open behind Nate, and all I could see was a blur of big, strong hands ripping him out of the truck.

  “What the—” he gasped in shock just as one of those heavy fists slammed into his stomach. He buckled over, gasping for air as another one smashed across his jaw, knocking him out cold. He fell into a crumpled heap, unconscious, on the pavement of the parking lot.

  “Fucking scum,” a familiar voice growled. “I should kill you... But you'll be spending a good few years in the slammer. I can promise you that.”

  I scrambled to get out of the truck, certain that my drunken mind was playing tricks on me. When I made my way around to the other side, I saw my rescuer standing over the unconscious body of Nate: my Chance.

  “Oh my God, Chance, what are you doing here?” I asked, my jaw dropping with surprise.

  “I flew in to find you – and good thing I did; looks like I got to you just in time. I went to the Buzz Bar and started asking people if they’d seen you. Someone said you were last seen at that bar across the road, so I got here as quickly as I could.”

  I fell into his arms crying, and he held me tightly. I explained how everything had fallen apart this evening, and he told me how badly it had gone for him as well. And he told me straight up about what had happened with Tina, without even asking if I'd seen the picture. As he wrapped his arms around me, I could feel how much love flowed between us.

  “All right, sweet thing,” Chance said eventually. “I think we need to find somewhere to spend the night.”

  “If we just go back to the Buzz Bar, I can get the manager to call a limo to take us back to the Regent Records ranch. I'm sure they'll be fine with you staying there too.”

  “All right, I'll drive you over there in the rental car. Let's go.”

  ***

  I was still tipsy from all the drinking I'd done earlier, but I was feeling so much better than I had before Chance had shown up. Just the thought of him being there made me feel better. I watched the shower door open, and a cloud of steam pour out. He stepped out, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Damn the man was beautiful with his hard, sculpted muscles glistening and shining from the hot water. He smiled at me, and I swear I felt my knees go weak beneath me.

  Desire flooded through me with the suddenness of a summer storm. I stood, clad only in my nightgown, and walked over to him as seductively as I could. We took a moment to stare deeply into each other's eyes, and then I leaned in and parted his lips with mine. My tongue found his, and a sensation of raging bliss exploded through me as his mouth explored mine fervently.

  I slid my hand down his chest, tracing the muscles of his stomach with my fingertips until I reached the towel and at it until it dropped into a pool on the floor. His hands slid beneath my gown and gently pulled it over my head, leaving nothing between us. He pulled me tightly to him, pressing our bodies together. For a long moment, he just held me. It was the most intimate moment I had ever shared with anyone.

  He slipped a finger under my chin, tilted my head up until he was looking down at me again and smiled, placing the warmth of his kiss over my lips once more. I started moving my hand in rhythmic strokes along his massive manhood which elicited gasps and moans of pleasure from him. In turn, he reached down between my thighs and found a welcoming heat and wetness there for his eager fingertips. The gentle strokes of his finger sent ripples of bliss through me.

  I pulled him toward the bed and then collapsed down onto it with a laugh, lying flat on my back with my legs dangling over the edge. Grinning audaciously, Chance knelt down at the side of the bed and gently eased my legs apart, exposing my hot, swollen opening completely. Then he leaned in and kissed his way up the inside of my thigh until his tongue found its intended target.

  His touch, his mouth was pure magic. I immediately felt blasts of pleasure shooting through my body from my very core, and I slipped my fingers through his hair and gripped it tight, pulling his face deeper into me. He began to increase the intensity and fervor of his tongue strokes, and I could feel an orgasm starting to build within me like storm clouds gathering dark and thick behind a mountain range.

  “Oh God, Chance, that's so good, so incredibly good,” I moaned.

  As he continued to devour me, he reached up with his hands to start caressing my breasts, his eager fingers working my nipples as they got harder and more swollen with arousal and pleasure, adding to the sensation of ecstasy coursing through me. The force of my budding orgasm grew with a pressure I knew I couldn't contain for much longer.

  Chance began to increase the pressure and intensity, and I felt surge after surge of unbelievable frenzy ripping through me as he continued to lick and suck on the most sensitive spot my body knew, and massage and caress my breasts with a pleasurably intense force.

  “Keep going, Chance, oh my God, keep going, don't stop, don't stop, I'm gonna, I'm gonna...”

  And then it happened. The orgasm was unleashed. It tore through me in glorious waves, sending blasts of pure pleasure through my body. I cried out and bucked and writhed with the intensity of it. Chance held me tight as the force of it took hold of me and gripped me in its jubilant storm. After it had subsided, I hugged him tight and kissed
him deeply and slowly.

  “Oh my God Chance, that was just... that was just incredible. Now, it's your turn,” I said, reaching down to grip his long manhood.

  “Hold up there,” he said, stopping my hand. “I'm not done yet. You think that was the only one you're getting tonight? No way, ma'am, hell no. I'm just getting' started. It's gonna be a long, fun night.”

  And with that, he moved back down between my thighs and started again.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chance

  As I lay wrapped in warm bliss after our morning lovemaking session, it was easy to get lost in the happiness of the moment and forget about the drama of the night before. But despite how I was feeling now, I knew that I had to think about these things – and tell Mackenzie about everything too.

  She stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, and it was hard to resist the urge to take her in my arms and make love to her again. But I knew that I couldn't stay enveloped in this paradise forever. I had to face reality, and what had happened last night had turned things around in a big way.

  “Mackenzie, we have to talk,” I said. I knew she could tell from the tone of my voice that it was serious.

  “What's wrong, Chance?” she asked.

  I sighed and shook my head. “A lot, Mackenzie, a lot. I might... I might have to give in to Circle B and sell the ranch.”

  A look of shock passed over her face.

  “But... why? How? That land is your birthright! You've said that so many times, and with such conviction? How can you change your mind about it?”

  “Last night, the saboteurs took things up a notch – a dangerous notch. They let our cattle out and used that as a distraction.”

  “A distraction for what?” she asked.

  “To put rattlesnakes in my house, including Cassie’s bedroom.”

  Her face went pale. “What the . . . is Cassie all right?” she blurted out then answered herself before I could. “Why did I ask that? Of course she is if you’re here”

  “Yes, she's fine, thankfully. Shaken and scared, but she didn't get bit. I almost did though – my right ear is still ringing from the shot Andy took that saved me. And I got to Cassie just in the nick of time. But now . . . now, the game has changed. They're no longer threatening just my animals – they're threatening my child's life. And that's something I won't play around with. I've got my pride, yeah, but it ain't worth getting my child hurt over. I might just have to give in and sell the land. I can't afford to gamble with my daughter's life. Nothing is worth that, not even my land.”