The Outlaw Takes A Bride: A Historical Western Romance (Bernstein Sisters Historical Cowboy Romance Series Book 5)

by Amy Field

  Bonnie sighed and closed her eyes, “Nate, listen to me. You’re a nice guy, but what happened between us was a mistake and it’s not going to happen again. I’m going to get Dustin back and work on my future with him.”

  It was time for tough love as they say; she was simply going to have to be straight forward with him.

  “I refuse to accept that you would sleep with me only to walk out,” Nate stated bluntly, and this time she got her back up.

  “Well accept it, I was drunk and I wasn’t thinking clearly, do with that what you want Nate,” she spat out.

  She hung up and threw her cell across the room. Her cell broke, and Bonnie began to weep at the mess that she had created in her life. Chances were that Nate would report her to Wilson, not to mention accuse her of borrowing money with the intent to fund criminals.

  This wasn’t what she had wanted. Was there going to be any redemption for her?

  Bonnie opted to go to the office, sitting around at home would simply drive her insane. She half expected a meeting request for her from Wilson after the stunt she pulled with Nate, but there was nothing. They still had the deal, which was a relief. Perhaps Nate genuinely did care about her and was wrong about him, but she was still engaged, and her focus remained on getting Dustin.

  Since her last email to the kidnappers, she hadn’t received any further correspondence. The money was still in her account. The limbo she was in was now a dull pain in the back of her neck that never ceased. All she could do was keep herself busy and try not to mope.

  Every now and again, when she wasn’t focused on work, or on Dustin, her mind drifted off to Nate. She missed seeing him around, but it wasn’t a specific trait that she missed either. By lunch time she caught herself sitting at the coffee shop, trying to analyse her feelings for him. It didn’t help that Nate had left her several messages, asking her how she was. It was utter madness. She shooed the thoughts of Nate from her mind as she tapped on her phone, hoping to see the email she had been waiting for. It’s been three days since she notified the kidnappers that she has the money. She can’t even begin to count how many times she wanted to run to the police, but every time she thought of it, she thought of what they could do to Dustin.

  Back at the office, she threw herself into her work, ever Mark gave her funny looks and she knew that he was well aware that things weren't as peachy as she made them out to be.

  She was going over one of her older contracts when the familiar ping of her email drew her attention.

  101 Derby Avenue, Old factory, come alone.

  Her heart raced as she read the message again. This was D-Day, but could she even trust them not to hurt Dustin, or her for that matter? She was about to walk into the lion’s den, with no protection and no guarantee.

  She glanced at the clock on the wall, the bank will be closing in an hour, if she was going to make a cash withdrawal of that much, she was going to have to act fast.

  Thankfully, despite the confused look on the banking consultants gaze they didn’t make too much of a fuss when she withdrew the money and soon she was on her way to meet with Maria. She had time, and she owed her friend that much.

  “You don’t look good. Are you eating properly?” Maria asked.

  “I do eat,” Bonnie fibbed a bit. “It’s just all this stress.”

  “I guess, but maybe you should go see the doctor,” Maria suggested.

  "I will after this whole fiasco is over," Bonnie said, and told Maria about the email, and the fact that she finally asked Nate to help, what she didn't tell Maria was the whole moment they shared at the office party.

  “I still think you should have told the police,” Maria said. “Now you have this added stress of paying Nate back.”

  “I’ll think of that later, but for now, I am going to get Dustin back.”

  “What happens once he’s back in your life?” Maria asked suddenly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, it’s great that you’re saving him and all that, but usually you are so happy when you are talking about Dustin, but today, you look sad and lost. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

  Bonnie hesitated and picked at the bran muffin on her plate, “No, there’s nothing else.”

  "Mhm," Maria murmured raising a brow, "So what time are you meeting these creeps?"

  “In about two hours, after sunset,” she said and glanced at her watch.

  Maria choked and looked at her, "And you're planning on going alone?"

  “That’s what they expect.”

  “You should call the police, you need backup, what if they decide they want more and they kidnap you too?”

  Bonnie had thought about this more than she cared to admit, every time she had opened her email to see if they have contacted her, she contemplated getting some sort of backup. But in the end, she was making the calls, not only for Dustin but for herself. She knew that if she walked into this situation with a clear and open mind, and it turned for worse, at least it would be with Dustin by her side. And after her cheating on him with Nate, maybe this will be her saving grace.

  It was a chilly darker than usual night, that made Bonnie feel uneasy to start off with. She shivered as she stood all alone with the bag filled with dollar bills beside her. She had arrived ten minutes before the arranged time, and there was no sign of life. For a moment she wished she had given Maria the address, but then again, perhaps it was better she didn’t. Bonnie didn’t want the risk of Maria calling the police for her. There was no way she was going to allow any harm to come to Dustin.

  She wrapped her arms around herself and thought about the kidnappers. What if they changed their mind, what if they never showed up. Worst case, what if Dustin was already dead and the money she hands over to them was simply for his body? She shivered nervously and looked around her for any sign of life.

  She never anticipated the weather, and funny enough tonight was a chilly night and she was definitely not dressed for the occasion. It was too cold to be wearing the clothes that she had on. Bonnie sat down on the curb and pulled the heavy bag towards her. She was going to remain positive, and hope that this would all turn out right.

  Something moved behind her in the dark and she winced. What if someone was going to try and rob her? She had been extra careful when she had come to this bridge, but who knows? She was no sleuth and anyone could have followed her. Instead of a person, a ferret darted from under the brush at the end of the bridge and ran towards the dilapidated factory building.

  She let out a relieved sigh, all she had to do now was to make the swap and take Dustin back. That was all there was to it.

  The crunching sound of approaching car tires made her stand up. As she watched the road a car appeared with its lights turned off, and stopped a few feet from her. The front doors opened and two burly men dressed in black stepped out. She noticed their guns and gulped. They didn’t pay attention to her; they were busy scanning the area. Then they pulled a figure from the backseat of the car whose head was covered with a black bag. She gasped when they pulled it off and she saw Dustin, tied up, looking disheveled. She almost gave way to tears but controlled herself. Dustin looked at her pleadingly and mouthed, “Sorry.”

  One of the men stepped forward and pointed to the bag by her feet.

  “Did you bring the money?”

  Wordlessly, she nodded and picked up the bag.

  “He is okay, right?” Bonnie asked.

  “Hand over the money and you can take him back,” the man said gruffly.

  Bonnie stepped forward, put the bag down, and retreated slowly.

  Bonnie couldn’t make out her assailant’s faces hidden behind their masks, and their voices were gruff with no discernible accent. Both the thugs looked edgy, pointing their weapons at her. One man cautiously came forward and picked up the bag. He stepped back and then knelt and opened it to check if she had brought the money. The other guy kept pointing his pistol at her.

  “It’s all here, let h
im go,” the man who had the bag said, zipping it closed and standing up.

  Dustin looked at her, concern etched on his face. It broke her heart, knowing that she didn’t deserve his concern. She didn’t deserve any of the love that he would give her. The men cut his hands free, and Dustin started toward Bonnie and when he reached her he wrapped his arms around her and she burst out in tears.

  “I don’t like this, boss. The guy saw too much. We cannot leave any evidence behind,” one of the men said suddenly, his gun still pointed at them.

  Bonnie gripped Dustin tightly, and Dustin stiffened. They were going to die here. There was nothing they could do.

  Nate’s face flashed through Bonnie’s mind, she would never get to see him again either. With the rise of conflicting emotions and the fact that she realized that she may very well be in love with two men, she closed her eyes and waited. I’ve wasted so many chances, she thought.

  A single gunshot rang out. Bonnie opened her eyes against Dustin’s chest and frantically looked towards the kidnappers. One of the kidnappers was lying on the ground, and he looked dead. The other two were shooting wildly into the brush as they retreated into the car. She heard the ignition turn and the engine roar into action just as another gunshot echoed, ricocheting off the car. Dustin pulled her out of the way just as the car raced past them a split second later. The next thing she knew, Dustin was on his feet, dragging Bonnie alongside him in the direction of her car. Bonnie was expecting more gunshots any moment, but none came. Dustin bundled her into the passenger seat before getting behind the wheel and racing off. Bonnie held her breath, not daring to breathe until they were surrounded by streetlights again.

  They drove home to their place in a deadly silence. Once they were home, she fiddled shakily with the keys and unlocked the door. Dustin wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug and held her, whispering in her ear to calm her down. Regardless of the warmth behind the gesture, she didn’t feel anything inside. All she felt was emptiness.

  Dustin looked at her. “I am so sorry baby.”

  “Did they hurt you?”

  Dustin shook his head. “They kept me locked in a room, and if I dared talk too much they laid into me, but I kept thinking of getting back to you.”

  “How were you kidnapped?”

  “I was careless. It happened when I walked alone one day. I was a sitting duck. Next thing, I was bundled into a car and blindfolded. Several hours later, we stopped; we were no longer in the same city. When they body searched me, they found your information and called you for the ransom money.” He looked at her appreciatively.

  “Where did you get the money?”

  “I borrowed it,” she said, not volunteering to elaborate.

  “We’ll pay it back,” Dustin said earnestly.

  She couldn't return the smile and instead, she said, "Who do you think saved us back there?"

  “I have no idea,” Dustin said, shaking his head. “It could have been Drake.”

  “Drake?” Bonnie searched her memory and then remembered a muscular friend of Dustin’s who she had met a few months ago.

  “He has a bodyguard agency. I know he was looking out for me. He may have heard what happened and gotten details of the handover.”

  “That makes sense, but why didn’t he contact me?”

  “He probably didn’t want to worry you. It doesn’t matter. I am here now and our life is going to go back to normal.”

  He hugged her again and this time she did not hide the tears. This was the end of her wanting Nate. Dustin was back and he was the only one for her. With the overwhelming rush of emotion that hijacked her mind and the sense of gratefulness that Dustin was actually alive and safe, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. Dustin, too, returned her kiss and snapped her up into his arms, marching straight to their bedroom. They had plenty to be thankful for, and the only way they could celebrate it was showing each other physically, just how much they loved one another.

  This was exactly how she wanted it to be, just her and Dustin, she convinced herself.

  Chapter Ten

  It had been four weeks since the incident, and Bonnie wished that she could say that everything had gone back to normal. All she wanted was to settle down with Dustin and start a family.

  On the outside, it did look like things were moving in that direction. The two of them went back to their routines. Dustin stayed at home most days while she went to work. They met for lunch at the café, and they went out on trips together. It was as if nothing had every happened. Maria accepted Dustin and stopped making snide remarks about him. She only once asked Bonnie discreetly if she had talked to Nate, but Bonnie simply shrugged it off. She knew she had to pay him his money, and she would, as soon as she figured out how. For the moment she just wanted to enjoy having Dustin back. Nate was a thing of the past; there was no way she was going to let him affect her life, but deep down she knew it was a lie. She kept finding herself thinking of him and checking her phone for messages from him. She knew that sooner or later she would have to face him, be it at work or at some social event; he was after all still one of their key accounts.

  Dustin didn’t notice anything, but Bonnie felt a twinge of guilt every time she looked at him. She was the one who had committed a carnal sin, in a sense, but she wasn’t sure if she could ever tell Dustin the truth, not knowing how he would react. Her motto in life was to let sleeping dogs lie.

  It was exactly two weeks since she managed to save Dustin’s life and she was finally settling into her daily routine again. Besides her own occasional guilt trips, she was happy, and so was Dustin. He hadn’t made any further mention of tours, and it finally looked like reality had sunken in.

  She was rushing down to the coffee shop to meet with Maria, who insisted on checking up on her constantly when she felt a sudden wave of nausea hit her. She slowed down her pace and stopped to catch her breath and contain herself. She took a few deep steady breaths and then slowly walked down the road to meet up with her friend.

  “You look terrible,” Maria said. “Are you ill?”

  “Probably the lack of coffee and the fact that I’m swamped at work, Dustin’s nightmares also keep me awake all the time,” she blabbered on.

  Maria observed Bonnie for a moment.

  “Maybe you’re pregnant?”

  “What?” Bonnie asked surprised. “No, I mean, highly unlikely. All the necessary precautions are in place. I’m sure it’s just stress.”

  Maria raised a curious brow and then gingerly sipped on her coffee.

  It had happened out of nowhere. Bonnie was in her office briefing Mark on a new presentation when she began to feel faint. She stopped for a moment and reached for her desk.

  Mark stopped what he was saying mid-sentence and looked at Bonnie.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, concerned.

  “Yes, Mark. I am fine, I am just…” Bonnie didn’t get to finish her sentence as she stumbled to sit down on her couch.

  Her head began to pound and spin dreadfully and as bile push its way up her throat and she hunched over.

  “I am calling an ambulance,” Mark said hurriedly.

  “There’s no need to do that.” She stopped him. “I am completely fine.”

  The feeling of nausea passed, but she was still unsteady on her feet as she straightened up. She didn’t even feel it when the darkness closed over her and she fell onto the carpet.

  Someone was wiping her face with a wet cloth as her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was Mark’s anxious face. He drew back and helped her sit up, handing her a glass of water.

  “How do you feel?”

  “What happened?” Bonnie asked, still dazed.

  “You fainted. Luckily, I caught you or you would have crashed into the coffee table,” Mark said.

  “I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “I think you should get yourself checked out. I already called the doctor and they have an app
ointment for you in an hour,” Mark said.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” she said weakly.

  “It’s my duty as your assistant. I’m taking you there.”

  “I’ll take a taxi, don’t worry.”

  Bonnie got up. She almost fell back and thought that Mark was right. She was under too much stress and she should get checked out. With that in mind, she headed for the elevator, Mark at her side.

  As it was afternoon, the hospital wasn’t that crowded. She was told by a friendly nurse that she would be let in shortly, so she sat down and waited. She rocked back and forth, checking her cell phone to see of Nate had called. She never answered his calls, and every time she had to delete his call logs, she felt a pang in her heart. She didn’t want to do it, but she had to because she couldn’t let herself fall into the temptation. She had chosen her path and she was going to stay on it.

  “Miss Trigson?” the nurse called out.

  Bonnie got up and walked to the doctor’s room. She didn’t know the doctor who Mark had gotten for her. Inside the doctor’s office, a pleasant-looking, middle-aged woman was seated behind a sparse desk. The name plaque on the desk said that her name was Andrea Anderson.

  “Dr Anderson,” Bonnie said, trying to sound cheerful. “Thank you for seeing me at such a short notice.”

  “Oh it’s perfectly fine,” the doctor said and smiled at her.

  Bonnie felt at ease as she sat down. No doubt this will be a routine examination and a prescription. She should be out of there in no time.

  “What seems to be the problem?”

  Bonnie described her symptoms and the doctor noted them down.

  “I think we can start off with a simple blood test, just to rule out pregnancy,” the doctor stated and stood up.

  “You think I’m pregnant?” she asked nervously.

  "Well, your symptoms indicate that, but I would like to be sure."

  Bonnie’s mind went for a loop; this was the last thing she expected.