To Kiss A Cowboy (Hunks and Horses Book 1)

by Maggie Carpenter

  "After we've dealt with whoever that is, then what?"

  "Then we take the bitch back to my island paradise and keep her there for fun."

  "That fun will be exclusively yours. It was bad enough having to watch her masturbate for as long as I did. I have no desire to see her naked ever again."

  "I want her to suffer," Jerry growled. "Then I'll toss her to some hungry sharks."

  "Now that's something I want to see. What about Martha?"

  "I'm going to shoot that cow tonight. I can't stand that woman."

  "I know what you mean. All that mother hen stuff. Ugh."

  "Maybe I'll shoot her in the knees first," Jerry muttered. "That'll make Connie pay attention."

  But killing Martha was solely for his own satisfaction. Jerry knew once Connie's horses were in the van she'd tell him anything, and do anything, to save them. He'd have her money back, her horses would be on their way to a sales yard across the country, and she'd be drugged and tied up in the back seat of the Rover.

  The evening would be very satisfying.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The wind whistled through the ranch. Leaves falling victim to the coming autumn danced merrily across the ground. The moon, now high in the sky, had lost its yellow tint, and the bright silver glow cast eerie shadows across the lifeless scene. The house sat dark, as did the cabin and barn.

  On a high branch in the thicket, the mountain lion's sharp eyes surveyed his domain.

  "Magnificent creature," Spike murmured, standing next to Caleb at the back of the barn. "What do you think he's doing up there?"

  "Keepin' his eye on us and the property. There's something I should tell you. I finally took a minute to enter the name Hania in a search engine. Call me crazy, but I think you were right about him bein' a Totem. At least, I think you are. Hania means Spirit Warrior."

  "Fuck. I just got the shivers."

  "I reckon he's here to help me keep Connie safe."

  "I'm not calling anyone crazy," Spike said solemnly. "I have too much respect for the unknown to mock it. What's the time?"

  "Just gone one," Caleb said, pulling his phone from his jacket pocket. "They should be here any minute."

  "I love this feeling."

  "You mean the adrenaline?"

  "Yeah, the adrenaline. I've been in some pretty hairy situations, but I never thought I'd be standing at the back of an empty barn in the middle of nowhere, staring at a full moon, with a spirit warrior mountain lion for company."

  "When you put it like that, I guess this moment is pretty wild. I'm gonna check on the girls."

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Inside the house, Connie and Martha were at the window of the upstairs guest room keeping watch over the driveway.

  "Doesn't this place belong in a ghost story right now?" Martha said softly. "The moon and the weird shadows. And the wind! I've never seen gusts swirl like that."

  "I haven't either, and I agree. The picture we're looking at would fit a ghost story perfectly. Mind you, we probably feel that way because we're up here in the dark with our hearts racing. Caleb!" she declared, feeling her phone vibrate. "I'm so glad you called. Is everything okay?"

  "Yep, and our four-legged friend is with us."

  "The lion?"

  "You bet. He's sittin' on a branch in the thicket."

  "Really? I think I'm falling in love with him."

  "I know what you mean."

  "Wait. Caleb! I see headlights at the foot of the drive. They just went out. Shit. A horse van is turning into the driveway. There's a car behind it. They're here. Caleb, I'm scared. I'm really scared."

  "Take a deep breath. We've got the element of surprise, and Martha's plan is solid. Just stay calm, do your part, and everything will be absolutely fine."

  "Right. Thanks, Caleb. Good luck!"

  "I love you, darlin'."

  "I love you too."

  Ending the call, she stared at her phone for a minute, then looked at Martha.

  "I wish I could call the sheriff right this minute."

  "I know, but wait for Caleb's text. I'm sure he'll be in touch soon."

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  "They're here," Caleb declared, fixing Spike with a steady gaze as he dropped his phone back in his pocket.

  "Let's get the bastards."

  The huge barn door had been locked, allowing entry only through the regular doorway behind them. Moving into the dark, they gave each other a high-five, then took up their positions. Tires crunching the gravel and the hum of an engine alerted them to the van's approach.

  The motor cut out.

  Feet trudged towards them.

  Subdued voices, at first barely audible, grew louder.

  "Max, the fucking door is closed?"

  "Shit. What the hell? This is always open. We'll have to go inside to roll it up, and that's gonna make a helluva noise."

  "Doesn't matter. Jerry will be in the house any minute now."

  Caleb's heart leapt.

  Jerry was there!

  He was going after Connie.

  "The regular door should be unlocked," Max declared. "Come on, this won't take long."

  Panicked, Caleb reached for his phone.

  STOP!

  The silent command sliced through his brain as the door opened and two silhouettes stepped inside.

  The lights. Hit the lights.

  His arm shot out.

  He flicked the switch.

  The overhead lamps illuminated the barn.

  The two men spun.

  "Don't move, cocksuckers," Spike growled, taking aim with his pistol. "Pull out your phones real slow, and drop them on the ground."

  "I'm within my rights to shoot," Caleb warned, raising the rifle he'd had resting against the wall. "There's nothin' I'd like better than to pull this trigger and watch you bleed out."

  "Okay, okay," Max exclaimed. "Victor, do what he says."

  "Turn around," Caleb barked as the two men tossed their phones on the dirt floor. "Lock your fingers behind your head. My friend here is gonna pat you down. Twitch and you're dead."

  Spike found a gun stuffed into the waistband of Max's jeans, and a switchblade on his muscled cohort.

  "Here," Caleb said, handing Spike two pairs of handcuffs.

  "You got the muzzles?" Spike asked as he cuffed the intruders.

  "Yep. These ball gags should keep them quiet," Caleb replied, pulling them from his pocket.

  "Hey! Fuck, no," Max protested.

  "I'm not taking any chances, scumbag," Spike snapped. "Either the ball in your mouth or a bullet in your head. Your choice."

  "Okay, okay."

  "I thought so," Spike muttered as he deftly secured the gags. "Now move. Get in that first stall," Spike ordered, stepping back and raising his pistol.

  As Spike marched the villains into the makeshift cell, Caleb scooped up the phones, turned them off, then hurried forward and slid the stall door shut.

  "Move against the far wall," he ordered, his rifle pointing through the bars.

  Picking up a length of chain they'd left nearby, Spike looped one end through the blanket bar on the door, the other around the bars of the adjacent stall, and padlocked the links.

  "By the way, when the lights go out, you might wanna watch where you sit," Caleb called over his shoulder as he and Spike hurried away. "That stall hasn't been cleaned. And don't bother tryin' to get into the corral. We made sure you can't."

  Caleb turned off the lights, and stepping outside, he locked the door behind them, sending the prisoners into complete darkness.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  "What's taking so long?" Connie said anxiously. "Caleb should have texted by now. My phone! Shit. He's calling. Why is he calling? Hello? What's wrong?"

  "Take a deep breath, and don't panic when I tell you this," he said in a hushed whisper. "Jerry's here."

  "What? But that's impossible."

  "Apparently not. You and Martha need to hide."

  "Sho
uld I call the sheriff now?"

  "Hide first. Gotta go."

  "Martha," Connie said urgently. "You won't believe this."

  "Jerry's here! We shouldn't be surprised."

  "Caleb said we should hide before we call the sheriff."

  "Let's get into the closet. I've stored the winter comforters in there. We can put them in a heap and hide underneath them."

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  In the back seat of Max's Range Rover, a deep frown hung on Jerry's brow. Connie never had the house in complete darkness. She insisted two lamps be left on downstairs, and one in the upstairs hallway. He'd seen the habit as a waste of money, but in spite of his objections she'd continued the practice.

  "Where the fuck is Max?" he muttered. "He's taking way too long. Dammit. I wish I could see around that fucking van."

  Glancing at his watch, he shook his head.

  "No. It takes two minutes to throw a halter on a horse and lead him out."

  Snatching his phone, he sent a text.

  Max. Where are you? Text me back NOW.

  Thirty-seconds ticked by.

  He placed a call.

  Voice mail.

  The phone had been turned off.

  "What the fuck is going on?" he grunted, climbing from the SUV.

  A ferocious gust caught him off guard. He staggered for a moment, then retrieving his gun from his shoulder holster, he cautiously approached the van. Poncho was sitting behind the wheel staring into space.

  "Fucking moron," Jerry grunted, tapping on the door.

  Poncho jumped, then the window lowered and he leaned out.

  "Get the fuck out of there."

  "Max told me to—"

  "Now!"

  Poncho didn't want to go against Max's orders. His boss had a nasty temper, but Poncho couldn't disobey the kingpin. Pushing open the door, he clambered down from the cab.

  "Mr. Goldstein, Max will be pissed when he—"

  "Max isn't answering his phone, you fucking moron. Something's wrong. Have you got a gun?"

  "Yeah, I've got a gun," Poncho declared, pulling the weapon from his waistband.

  "Keep your goddamned voice down. Go around the other side of the van. See if Victor's okay."

  "Victor went into the barn with Max."

  "Then who lowered the ramp? Who's keeping watch?"

  "Hugo."

  "For fuck's sake. Then go around and make sure Hugo's okay. Ask him if he's seen or heard anything, and keep your goddamned guard up."

  "But if something's wrong, he would have come and got me, or called, or something."

  "He can't do that If he's missing!"

  "Oh, yeah."

  "Get around there and see. Whistle if he's gone."

  "Uh, sorry, I can't."

  "What do you mean, you can't? Can't what?"

  "Whistle. I don't know how. I try, but nothing comes out."

  "Why am I surrounded by fucking morons?"

  "I can make an owl hoot."

  "Fine. If Hugo's missing, make your stupid hoot. Now, move."

  As Poncho walked around the front of the truck, Jerry stared up at the house.

  "The place looks empty. Shit. Is that why all the lights are out? Fuck. They're gone. Goddammit!"

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Moving towards the closet, Martha paused and looked behind her. Connie hadn't left the window.

  "Connie. What are you doing?"

  "Sorry. Something caught my eye. Come and look at this."

  "What do you see?" Martha asked, hurrying back to her.

  "Jerry just got out of that SUV and walked up to the horse van."

  "Has he been sitting in there all this time?"

  "He must have been. Should I call Caleb and let him know?"

  "He was adamant we not use our phones. You might distract him at a really bad time."

  "But he called me."

  "With good reason."

  "Shit. Poncho's climbing down from the cab. Is that a good reason?"

  "I don't know, Connie."

  "We have to do something."

  "Did you call the sheriff?"

  "SHIT."

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Twenty minutes from Connie's ranch, sitting at the counter at Benny's All Night Diner, Deputy Sheriff Joe Pinto bit into his double cheeseburger just as the radio on his waistband blasted. Grunting his annoyance, he grabbed a paper napkin from the dispenser, wiped his hands, and downed a swallow of his soda.

  "That'll be those dang Henderson twins."

  "What's that, Joe?" Benny asked.

  "The Henderson twins. They always kick-off around now. They like stirrin' up a ruckus when the tavern closes."

  "JOE!"

  The dispatcher's impatient voice crackled through the speaker.

  "She sounds none too happy," Benny remarked. "Shouldn't you answer?"

  "I should do a lotta things," Joe said with a grin, pressing the call button on his walkie-talkie. "Yeah, Helen. I'm here. What's up?"

  "Connie Mason. She says some guys have pulled into her property with a horse van. She's scared. She thinks her ex-husband is about to steal her horses. Over."

  "Are you sure? Over."

  "That's what she said. Over."

  "On my way."

  "Roger."

  "That doesn't sound right, but I guess you've gotta go," Benny said with a frown. "You want me to box your burger?"

  "Nah. I'm sure I'll be back right quick."

  Ambling out to his car, the wind whipping around him, Joe looked up at the huge white moon filling the sky. Shaking off a shiver, he climbed behind the wheel and hit the road.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Spike and Caleb were worried.

  Standing at the back of the barn, they'd peered around the corner towards the horse van to take stock of the guard at the ramp, but Max's man had vanished. They had planned to lock him inside the van, then get Poncho down from the cab and do the same with him. The Sheriff would arrive to find all four villains ready to be taken away. But things were suddenly going wrong. Not only had the guard at the ramp disappeared, Jerry was lurking on the property.

  "I need to get to the house," Caleb whispered. "Jerry's probably in there lookin' for Connie."

  "You'll be too visible crossing that open area. Wait! Did you hear that?"

  "Sounded like a bad impression of an owl," Caleb mumbled. "I'm gonna risk another look."

  Crouching down, he peeked around the corner a second time. A tall, heavy-set man appeared to be searching for something.

  "I don't know who that is," Caleb said softly, pulling back and straightening up, "but he's not the same guy who was there before. Wait. Do you hear that?"

  "Someone else is there."

  "Yeah, and I think that's Jerry's voice," Caleb murmured, risking another quick glance.

  "Where the fuck is he?" Jerry demanded, joining Poncho on the other side of the van.

  "I don't know, Mr. Goldstein. I'm worried. He'd never leave. Not Hugo. I know him well. He's my cousin. He wouldn't do that."

  "What about Max and Victor? You haven't heard from them either?"

  "Not since they went into the barn to get the horses. Do you want me to go and look for them?"

  "Shut up. I need to think."

  "Yep, that's Jerry," Caleb whispered, ducking back. "Maybe we should just confront them and put them in the van. We've got our guns."

  "Not a good idea. Too many variables. One of us should circle around and approach from the other side. We'll have a much better chance of controlling the situation."

  "Good plan," Caleb agreed. "I know the lay of the land. I'll go."

  He moved quickly and quietly away, but as he turned the corner and started down the side of the barn, a gentle gust of wind swirled around him.

  He paused.

  It wasn't cold.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  "I wish we could see what's going on," Connie lamented. "Caleb and Spike should be on their way back to the h
ouse by now."

  "I agree," Martha said gravely. "I rarely get edgy, but I'm starting to. I can't just stand around like this."

  "Neither can I, and if Jerry is planning on coming into the house, we're sitting ducks."

  "I'm thinking the same thing."

  "We should get out of here. Hey, I know exactly what I'm going to do."

  "Funny thing, I know what I'm going to do as well," Martha grinned. "You tell me your idea, then I'll tell you mine."

  "You've got yourself a deal."

  A minute later, excited but scared, they left the house by the back door.

  Connie was carrying her rifle, and in Martha's hand was one of her very expensive, very sharp kitchen knives.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Silent on the soft dirt, Caleb crept swiftly down the length of the barn, but as he neared the corner, faint cries of a suffering animal caught his attention. Though conflicted, he hurried into the low brush. Coming from a break in the foliage a short distance ahead, the whimpering grew clearer. He slowed his step, then stopped, shocked by his discovery.

  A man curled in a fetal position.

  Visibly shaking, his clothes ripped to shreds, bloody gashes across his body glinted in the moon's light. As Caleb crouched down to offer help, the man babbled in terror.

  "No, no, no, no. Please, dear God, no more."

  "I'm not here to hurt you," Caleb said gently. "I'm here to help."

  Uttering sounds of fright as he raised his head, he stared at Caleb with horror-filled, wide-eyes.

  "Everything's okay now," Caleb continued. "Can you tell me what happened?"

  "A c-cougar. B-big. C-came outta n-nowhere."

  Caleb scanned his surroundings. The night was quiet and still.

  "Can you walk?"

  "M-maybe. M-my leg. Hurts r-real b-bad."