Stone Cold Cowboy

by Jennifer Ryan

  Because she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t.

  “So, what’s it going to be? Straight up, or the merry-go-round ride we’ve been on these last ten years.”

  “You’re the longest relationship I’ve ever had. I hate to end it now.”

  “Since I never get to see you naked, and I don’t want to see you behind bars, let’s play this straight. This is serious, Sadie. Your brother is going down for this. Nothing you say or do will get him out of it, but what you say may land you in a cell, so tell the truth for once, so I don’t have to read you your rights and arrest you.”

  Everything he said was true, but she didn’t want to face it. She didn’t want to believe it had come to this.

  Needing a minute to collect herself, she moved her hand. “Can you take these off so I can at least pee before we do this?”

  Mark unhooked her and stepped back. Sadie sat up, pressing her hand to her side when the stitches pulled. Rory kept a close eye on her. She owed him an explanation and a huge sum of money for those damn cows. The thought of how she’d repay that debt weighed heavy in her heart.

  She threw the covers off her legs and stared down at the bruises and cuts, the bandage wrapped around her thigh and ankles. The image of the devil dude wrapping the wire around her as tight as possible came back and stopped her breath. She couldn’t take her eyes from the gruesome injuries marring both her legs.

  The fear washed through her again. “He said, ‘I like it when you bleed. It gets me off.’”

  Rory swore beside her.

  “Who, Sadie?” Mark asked, leaning forward, anxious to know who needed to be locked up.

  “The devil.” She finally broke from staring at her injuries and looked up at Rory. “I swore to him he’d be sorry. You’d find him and make him pay.” She swung her sore legs out of bed, grabbed hold of the IV pole, used it to support herself on her aching feet, and hobbled the short distance to the restroom. She turned back to Rory. “For the cows,” she clarified.

  His intense gaze met hers. “For you, the devil will get his due.”

  Rory waited for her to close the bathroom door. He hated seeing the pain etched in her face and filling her eyes with each step she took. He breathed a sigh of relief that she really didn’t think him the devil. He hated to think he’d been the torment of her nightmares all last night.

  “Do you know who this fucking devil is?” Rory asked Mark, the deputy Sadie obviously knew well. First Dane, now this guy.

  “Sounds like her brother’s stepped up from small time to big time. If she’s talking about Derek Pete, he’s a known drug trafficker. Runs things out of Smithy’s Bar. He’s been busted for any number of things. Served time for assault a couple of times. Likes to use a knife and has a very distinct devil tattoo on his neck.”

  Rory nodded, finally understanding her reference and the fear in her voice last night when she mumbled about him.

  Sadie stepped out of the bathroom. “You two compare notes and condemn me?”

  “You didn’t do anything wrong. Sticking up for your brother is admirable, but useless at this point.” Rory shook his head when she stared at him, shock and fear in her eyes. “I know you didn’t have anything to do with stealing the cattle. I tracked your brother and his three buddies from my place to where you showed up on a fifth horse.”

  “You could tell all that by the tracks.”

  “And where the fight broke out and Derek decked you.” He cocked his head, indicating the bruise on her jaw.

  Sadie placed her hand over her swollen face. “It hurts like hell.”

  “I bet.”

  “Derek?” she asked, confused by his earlier statement.

  “Derek Pete. Devil tattoo on his neck. Long, shaggy brown hair. Mean dude with a wicked sharp knife,” Mark filled her in.

  “I guess that’s him. I didn’t get his name.” Sadie lowered herself into the bed like an eighty-year-old woman with arthritis. Every bit of pain that showed on her face tightened Rory’s gut. He helped her with the covers and IV line.

  “So, we’ve got the usual suspects. Connor, his two buddies Scott and Tony, and the newest and most lethal addition to his cohorts, Derek. Your brother’s been dealing marijuana and prescription pills for years. What’s he into now? Meth?”

  Sadie didn’t say anything, just stared down at her hands.

  “Keeping what you know to yourself isn’t going to help your brother,” Mark pointed out. “Derek is the worst person your brother could have gotten mixed up with, Sadie. If he’s in with Derek, the only way he’s getting out is in a pine box.”

  Sadie flinched, but she still held her tongue.

  “Where is he?” Mark demanded.

  “I don’t know. He hasn’t been home in two weeks. When I discovered the horses missing, I went after him.”

  “Why? Because you knew he was going to steal the cattle?” Mark asked.

  Rory hoped she didn’t know ahead of time. If she did, she’d be charged with the crime.

  “I wanted my horses back. I was afraid he’d sell them for quick cash, or worse, leave them somewhere to fend for themselves.”

  “How’d you know where to find him?”

  “I didn’t. Like Rory, I followed the tracks. When I saw where he was headed, I veered off for the hills that overlook the valley. I thought I could head him off. I was too late.”

  Too late to stop Connor and turn him back and return the cattle before the theft was discovered. Rory swore.

  “I’m sorry. I tried to stop them. They wouldn’t listen. Connor owes this guy money. Even the cattle weren’t going to be enough. I don’t know how much he owes or for what.”

  “Probably for the supplies to cook the meth, or a deal gone bad. Your brother thinks he can cash in on a big payday, but Derek is never going to let that happen until your brother proves himself a reliable cook and distributor.” Mark jotted down notes like Sadie’s world wasn’t falling apart.

  Rory saw it written all over her face. She’d tried for years to stop this from happening, stop her brother from taking things too far until there was no going back.

  “You don’t know that,” she said to Mark, another effort to save her brother or just pure denial.

  Rory wondered if she’d ever give up. Dane told her to save herself. She’d almost gotten killed trying to make her brother do the right thing. Would she stop before it really did cost her life?

  Rory swore he’d never let that happen, but how could he make good on that when she wasn’t his to protect and probably wouldn’t listen to him anyway?

  “Where are they cooking, Sadie?” Mark demanded.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Look, he’s already got you mixed up in cattle rustling, now he’s associating with a known drug trafficker and got you covering for him. I can’t keep protecting you. Tell me where he is.”

  “I don’t know where he is.”

  “You do, you’re just not saying. Look at you. You nearly died last night. What’s it going to take for you to see he’s no good, and he’s going to take you down with him?”

  Tears ran down her cheeks. Each one lashed at Rory’s heart. He got that she didn’t want to rat out her family, and this was tearing her apart, but she needed to speak up.

  “Where is he?” Mark pushed.

  “I don’t know. He left me there. I begged him to help me, and he just left me there.” The softly spoken words punched Rory right in the gut. She’d tried so hard over the years to help her brother, only to have him turn his back on her when she needed him to save her.

  The deputy shook his head, as disgusted as Rory about this whole damn thing.

  “You know the drill. If you hear from your brother, or find out where he’s hiding, you need to call me. If you don’t, if you give him money or any other kind of help, you’ll be an accessory. Don’t let that happen, Sadie. You can’t help him this time. You’ve already found out the hard way that Derek Pete is not a man to be messed with. Unless Connor turn
s himself in, he’s going to find the path he chose only leads to hell.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Sadie woke up, staring at the window who knew how long after Mark left, leaving her with those ominous words about her brother heading straight for hell. Well, she felt like she’d been living there a long time, her brother’s mistakes setting flames at her feet, making her dance to get out of them, and him out of whatever trouble he got into. This time, he’d tied her hands. Literally and figuratively. She tried to raise her hand to look at her swollen fingers and the bandages around her wrist to remind herself that he’d left her without even trying to help. Someone held her hand still. She glanced down and straight into a pair of bloodshot hazel eyes. Rory sat beside her bed, holding her hand, waiting for her to wake up and . . . what? What did the man want from her?

  “You were having another nightmare.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again without thinking of what happened,” she admitted.

  “Me either.”

  She eyed him, wondering what he meant by that.

  “When I found you, I thought you were dead. I’ve never seen anything so gruesome and cruel. I never got a chance to ask before . . . Are you okay?”

  He’d seen her hanging from that tree, the damage inflicted to her body. He asked about something deeper. He wanted to know about her mind and heart. Her mind wanted to deny what happened. Her heart broke the minute she’d seen her brother stealing the cattle and shattered into a million pieces when he turned his back on her.

  Tears welled in her eyes. She wondered if she’d ever think about what happened and not cry for all the reasons, all the wrongs.

  “I will be fine,” she vowed. “I always am.” She’d held it together through all the tough times in her life. Losing her mother. Trying to raise her brother the best she could and feeling so inadequate for the task every time he chose to do the wrong thing. Begging her father to see a doctor when what seemed like nothing more than a bug and fatigue turned into a way of life that got progressively worse these last months. She barely recognized her father now. His mind and body deteriorated with each passing day.

  “I know you will. To survive what you’ve been through . . . takes guts and determination.”

  “Thanks. What are you still doing here? You look wrecked. Go home and get some sleep.”

  “I’m not leaving without you.”

  “Look, if it’s about the money I owe you, I’m good for it. I won’t run off. I pay my debts.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. It’s not your debt to pay. I’m not worried about you running off, but I am concerned about how you’ll get home.”

  “I’ll give Luna a call and see if she can take me home.”

  “I’m here. I found you. I’ll take you home.”

  “You found me, so you’re keeping me?” She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure him out.

  “Sounds good.”

  “But you don’t even like me. Every time you see me, you glare a hole right through me.”

  “What? No I don’t.”

  “Yes you do. You’re doing it right now.”

  “I am not,” he snapped.

  “Are you always this grumpy?”

  “No. I barely slept last night. I saved your ass, and now you’re giving me grief.” His deep frown and narrowed eyes showed his annoyance, but the way he held her hand, his fingers lightly tracing her palm, said something else entirely. Over the last few years, she’d caught him watching her on occasion. She always thought it had something to do with her brother. That Connor had pissed Rory off about something and he’d been looking for a way to get back at Connor, or for her to make things right. She’d left it alone, hoping to never have to confront this huge, kinda scary guy. But now, looking closer, he wasn’t really scary at all. Just gruff, to the point, and, dare she say, shy. While he had no problem looking at her, he had a hard time holding eye contact. He groused at her instead of really talking. He seemed perpetually perturbed. But maybe she’d read him all wrong. After all, she didn’t even know him.

  Sadie grabbed his hand and gave it a firm shake, ignored the pain in her wrist, then held it. “We’ve never actually met. You graduated before I got to high school. I’m Sadie Higgins. I owe you my life. Thank you for finding me and getting me to the hospital. I owe you a debt of gratitude I can never repay, but I’ll sure try.”

  “Uh, Rory Kendrick. I’m glad I found you when I did. You don’t owe me anything.”

  “Yeah, I do.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she squeezed his hand. “I’m just as stubborn as you, so don’t try to convince me otherwise. It’s useless and will only make you frown more.”

  His sour face deepened until a touch of temper showed through.

  “We need to get Kaley back in here. Seems you only smile for her.”

  His mouth softened. He did not smile. “She’s a sweet girl.”

  “Yeah, and I’m a pain in your ass because I can’t tell you where my brother is, or what happened to your cattle.”

  The frown came back. “That’s not why I’m here.”

  “No. You don’t care where he is?”

  His eyes narrowed with determination. “Oh, I will find him, but I’m here for you.”

  Surprised, she blurted out, “Why?”

  He stared down at their joined hands. She had yet to pull hers free. She didn’t really want to, because as long as he touched her and the buzz crept up her arm, she didn’t have to think about anything but the warmth of his skin against hers.

  “I want to help you,” he whispered. “Your brother, I want to kill.” He cocked up one side of his mouth, like, Obviously.

  “Well, if you think he’s coming here to check on me, you’re wrong.”

  “Exactly the reason he should be shot. You don’t turn your back on family.”

  “Another thing I’ve tried and failed to teach him.”

  “I’m happy to do so for you.”

  Sadie stared around the room. She hated hospitals. “I really need to get home to my father. He needs me.”

  “You’re in no condition to go anywhere right now.”

  “Did Dr. Bowden say I had to stay?”

  He frowned. “Bell stopped by while you slept. She’d like you to stay another day.”

  “I can’t leave my dad for that long. He’s sick. I’m fine. Nothing that won’t heal on its own.”

  The deep frown came back. “Hang tight, let me go see what she says.” Rory walked out of her room and returned a few minutes later, looking grim. “Bell said that since the cops aren’t arresting you, I can take you home to finish recuperating, though I don’t agree.”

  Sadie sat up, wincing when she hit a particularly bad cut, proving that Rory might be right about her staying at the clinic longer, but she needed to get home to her dad.

  “You okay?” He squeezed her hand.

  “I think it’s going to be a few days until at least a few inches of me feel better. The rest will take time. Mind handing me my bag?”

  Rory let go of her hand, but didn’t move away. He stared down at her. She stared back, waiting to see if he’d speak his mind.

  “You’re beautiful.” He reached out and traced a lock of her hair, tucking it behind her ear.

  She didn’t move, didn’t breathe, didn’t know what to say. His softly spoken words went in through her ears and dropped straight down into her heart. She held on to the warmth that settled there.

  He turned to get her bag from the set of drawers across the room, but she snaked her hand out and grabbed his forearm. His very thick arm.

  “Thank you.”

  He turned back and stared down at her, this time looking her right in the eye and holding it. She read so much in that look. A deep longing. A truth that went beyond words. Sincerity to match the depth of emotion he put in those simple words. She saw deeper to the part of him that wanted to say more, share more, but held back for whatever reason, so all he said was “I mean it.”

  His gaze w
ent to her hand on him. She thought he might have growled under his breath, but let it go as just her imagination. He saved her. They shared a traumatic experience in different ways, but still the same. He felt something for her because he’d seen her vulnerable. He’d seen her injuries up close and personal. If what happened to her affected her this deeply, seeing her bloody had to touch something inside him to make him stay by her side this whole time. He had a ranch to run, a family of his own, he didn’t need to be here with her, but he’d stayed anyway. It touched her deeply that this strong, stoic, keep-to-himself man cared enough not to leave her alone during the worst time of her life.

  “Where’d you go?” His rich voice resonated through her and connected to something deep inside she couldn’t name.

  “You stayed.” It hit her all at once. The fog from the pain meds cleared enough for her brain to start putting things together beyond the events that landed her in this hospital bed. Her brother left her to die, but this stranger, this man she didn’t know at all, not only saved her but stayed. He held her hand through the night and today. He might not be the best communicator, but he’d comforted her to the point that up until this moment she didn’t realize her own family hadn’t come to be by her side.

  She didn’t blame her father. His health prevented him from doing what he wanted. The stress of what happened probably made him feel worse. Still, it would have been nice if for once he’d come to take care of her instead of it always being the other way around.

  “I couldn’t leave you,” Rory whispered.

  Sadie fell back onto the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. “Why not? Everyone else has.”

  Rory planted his hands on either side of her shoulders and leaned over her, staring down into her tear-filled eyes. “I’d never do that to you.” He quickly pulled away and stood up. “Sorry.”

  For what? Pointing out that a near stranger would do something her own family wouldn’t or couldn’t? Or that he’d gotten too close? She actually wished he hadn’t backed off, but wrapped her in his thick arms and held her. She’d like to be wrapped up in all that strength. Stupid. Silly. She didn’t need a hug; she needed to figure out how to repay this man for all he’d lost and all he’d done for her.