Before she got the chance to back up and get the hell out of there, yellow bursts of gunfire blasted her truck. Her heart stopped and the engine died. Fuck. The windshield shattered. Fearful for her life, she twisted behind her and grabbed the rifle off the rack. Needing some protection, she opened the truck door and partially hid behind it. The shots kept coming. Christ. She couldn’t see in the dark, but she got off a shot right before heat, and then pain seared her arm. She stumbled backward and her spine rammed against the doorframe. Her knees buckled and her head smashed against metal. Tears streamed down her cheeks and blood poured down her arm. Her mind turned fuzzy, and her world turned black.
* * * *
Wade Watson jerked up in bed. He swore he heard gunfire and jumped into action. He threw on his jeans, a T-shirt, and a jacket. As soon as he stepped into his boots, he grabbed his sidearm from the nightstand and ran out of the room.
“Heath. Get your ass out of bed!” Wade was halfway to his brother’s room when Heath rushed out, armed and fully dressed.
“Where did the shots come from?”
“Fuck if I know, but if it’s rustlers, it has to be from Harper’s Lane.” Given the night sky was relatively clear, the gunshot they’d heard hadn’t been a lightning strike.
They sprinted out of the house toward the barn. He debated taking the car, but if the rustlers had scattered, a horse would allow them to get anywhere on the property. They were saddled and ready to go in less than six minutes. Wade didn’t mind riding at night. He and Heath knew every dip and hollow on their property.
Not wanting to give their presence away, they rode in silence. As far as the noise from the horses’ hooves pounding across the ground was concerned, it was not out of place given the number of wild horses they had. Wade pulled to a stop and pointed toward the lights near the road.
Heath edged close. “You think it’s the rustlers?”
“Doubt it. They’d need large trucks. Look how low that light is above the ground. I’m betting that’s a car or truck.”
“Let’s check it out.”
They cautiously headed in the direction of the seemingly stranded vehicle. One headlight and an interior light shone across the road. When they got close enough, Wade recognized the truck.
“Shit. That’s Sam’s.” The front windshield was blown out, and bullet holes had dotted the hood. Adrenaline coursed through his body.
They raced to the fence, dismounted, and hopped over the wooden barrier. Keeping an eye out for an ambush, he sprinted to the truck. When he spotted Sam’s body on the ground, his heart nearly stopped. Her hand was covered in blood, and there was a hole in her sleeve. She’d been shot.
His gut nearly heaved as he dropped to his knees. “Sam?” He shouted in the hopes of rousing her. She didn’t move. Damn. Answer me. He leaned in closer. “Samantha, can you hear me?” He cradled her in his arms and prayed she wouldn’t die. She was, after all, the woman Heath and he planned to marry.
Chapter Two
Sam opened her eyes and squinted away from the bright light leaking in the window. I’m alive! Next to her bed was a bag of clear liquid hanging from a stand with a tube running into her arm. How did I end up in the hospital? She remembered the barrage of gunfire, and then getting shot. She’d hit her head and passed out. Who found me?
When she tried to press down on the bed to sit up, she met with resistance. She looked at the source of the restriction. “Oh, shit.” Her arm was in a pink cast from her forearm to halfway up to her shoulder. Her elbow was now immobile, making even simple tasks difficult. This sucks.
“You got shot and broke your arm.”
Her heart nearly stopped at the sound of the voice. She whipped her head around. Someone was leaning against the doorjamb, but he was bathed in a shadow. He stepped forward, and she blinked to clear her vision. Her heart lurched. It was Wade Watson, her neighbor who owned twenty thousand acres of the most beautiful, pristine land in Intrigue, Wyoming. “What are you doing here?” She looked down to make sure her gown hadn’t gaped open.
He was one of those guys who had everything—money, a smile that could charm a criminal to go straight, and a body a Chippendales dancer would crave.
As if he could tell conflicting thoughts were swirling in her head, he smiled and seemed to float toward her. He dragged a chair to her bed and sat down. “Heath and I found you, and we wanted to make sure you were going to be okay.”
Not her choice for a savior, but if they hadn’t come by when they did, whenever that was, she might be dead. “Thank you.”
She’d been building up her image for years to be taken seriously, and she certainly didn’t need to be viewed as being romantically linked to these two men, or any man for that matter. Her hired hands, as well as some of her suppliers, would think of her as merely a little woman and not as their equal.
Her mouth tasted like chalk. She reached for the water, but once again couldn’t extend her arm. Wade must have seen what she wanted, for he sprang into action, located a Styrofoam cup, and poured her some water. He held the straw near her lips, but she refused to act the invalid. With her left hand, she took the proffered drink. “Thanks.” Again.
The cool water soothed her dry throat. Given the brightness of the day, she’d been out of it for many hours. “Have you been here the whole time?”
“Heath and I have been in and out.”
He said it as if it wasn’t a big deal to spend a good part of the day watching a woman sleep. Then again, he, Heath, and her two older brothers were good friends.
Now that she got a better look at him, he hadn’t shaved and his eyes were a bit bloodshot. Those facts, however, didn’t detract from his cowboy-calendar good looks one bit.
Her fuzzy brain tried to recreate the event. She remembered the rustlers. “I must have scared them off.”
Wade nodded. “I found your rifle and noticed the chamber was empty. Did you get a good look at any of them?”
She forced her mind back to the last thing she recalled. “No. I couldn’t see a thing.” This was so not good. “Please don’t tell my family. I don’t need it broadcasted that I’ve been losing cattle on and off for the last ten days.” She’d never heard of anyone in her family ever getting rustled.
He leaned forward, his forearms dangling over his knees, looking way too sexy. “Tell me what you do remember.”
She told him about returning home from her parents’ house late last night. “When I turned onto Harper’s Lane, two large trucks blocked the way. As soon as I saw the cattle, I knew these were the men stealing from me.”
His jaw dropped. “You confronted them? Are you crazy?”
“No. I’m not stupid. I put the truck in reverse to back out when all hell broke loose. I was lucky I didn’t get shot before I could grab my rifle.”
“Could you tell the number of men?”
Her head hurt from the interrogation. “No. Everything happened too fast. I told you, it was dark. I saw maybe two figures. There could have been a lot more.” A sharp pain in her head blasted her. “Ow.”
Wade jumped up. “You okay? You want me to get the doctor?”
“No. I must have banged my head when I hit the ground. I’ve got gunshots and jackhammers going off inside.”
“Ouch. I’m not surprised. You were out cold when Heath and I found you. You had a concussion.”
She rubbed the back of her head. “I can tell.”
“When you fired the shot, do you know if you hit anything?”
“I just shot toward the back of the first truck. I wanted them to know I was armed.” She didn’t know how long the rustlers took to load the cattle, or how long before Wade and Heath arrived. “Did you see them take off?”
“No. It took Heath and me a few minutes after we heard the shots to locate you.”
Pushing with her non-casted hand, she succeeded this time in sitting up. Being helpless went against her very nature. “Did the doc say when I can get out of here?”
“No,
but before you can leave, the sheriff will need to talk with you.”
Oh, crap. The gun exchange and resulting wound had to be reported. That meant her dad would find out. “Shit.”
“You always have such a potty mouth?” He chuckled.
What was up with this guy? “I bet you’d swear up a storm if someone raided your cattle then shot you when you were trying to stop them.”
“Fucking A.” He grinned, and his cheeks dimpled.
Her stupid body heated up. The last thing she needed was to be attracted to him, especially since she’d worked so hard these last six months to avoid him and his brother.
Why of all people did the Watson brothers have to find her? She knew what they wanted. They’d made it clear enough over the years they both wanted a wife. And they’d picked her. She surmised their fascination with her was based on their desire to combine both lands. Being good friends with her brothers probably added to their decision.
Someone knocked on the hospital door, and Heath popped his head in. She hadn’t seen him in months, but he must have been working out a lot because his muscles bulged under his tight T-shirt. She wanted nothing to do with either brother, but she had to admit Heath was hot. It was his eyes that did it for her. They were a smoky gray that would darken when he was aroused. Before she was in business to be a rancher, she’d danced with him and learned firsthand just how fast those eyes could smolder.
Okay, Wade was equally attractive, but good looks did not a mate make. Besides, she wasn’t into the ménage lifestyle like they were. She had a cousin who married two men and loved it, but that didn’t mean it was for her. Nope. Marriage just didn’t fit into her plans.
“How are you doing?” Heath tipped his head down and raised his gaze.
He did look concerned. “You got about an hour?” He smiled. “The bottom line is that my head is killing me, and I don’t seem to be able to move my fingers all that well.” She held up her cast.
“The doctor told us you had brachial nerve damage.”
Her heart stopped. Even though she didn’t know anything about that nerve, she needed every body part fully functioning to run her ranch. “Will it get better?”
“The doc said in time you should make a full recovery.”
That was a relief, but she’d be out of commission for too long, which might affect her bottom line. Her next biggest dilemma was how to hide the incident from her family. Telling them she’d run into the rustlers and almost died would freak them out. There was no way to stop them from learning about the broken arm.
“Knock, knock.” Sheriff Sutton stepped in the crowded room.
“Hey, Will.” Now for a second interrogation. Will Sutton was a family friend. While he was only a few years older than she was, he had the respect of everyone in Intrigue.
“Samantha.” He nodded to Wade and Heath.
Wade stood. “I’ll let you have at her.”
“Stay. The doc said you found her. You might have seen something.”
For the next twenty minutes, all three told the sheriff what they knew, which wasn’t much.
The sheriff closed his notebook, and as he stood, Sam reached out to stop him. “Do me a favor, Will?”
“If I can.”
“Don’t tell my dad about the cattle being stolen or about me getting shot. I know I’ll have to let him know about the broken arm. I’m good with that.”
He cocked a brow. “You think he’d hire some bodyguards for you or something?”
She wasn’t sure exactly what he’d do, but she wouldn’t like it, whatever it was. “Or something.” Bodyguards would make her appear weak to her hands.
“You’re no longer a little girl. There’s no law requiring me to tell your daddy anything. But if he asks, I won’t lie.”
“Didn’t expect you to. Thanks.”
Will told them there had been no other gunshot wounds reported.
“I’m guessing that means I didn’t hit anything.” Too bad. Though if she had killed someone, she’d have nightmares for the rest of her life.
The sheriff tipped his hat and strode out. She looked from Wade to Heath. “Do you think one of you could find that doctor so I can get out of here?”
Heath sat in the chair recently occupied by the sheriff. “With that concussion, you know they’re going to wait a good twenty-four hours to make sure your brain doesn’t swell.”
She didn’t need the image. “Right.” Disappointed, she dropped her head onto the pillow. “In that case, how about giving a girl some privacy so I can rest?” No one could sleep with these two hotties watching her every move.
They eyed each other. “We could use some shut-eye, but we’ll be back tomorrow to check up on you. When the doctor gives the okay, we can take you home.”
“I’d appreciate it.” She certainly couldn’t call anyone in her family to come get her without getting everyone in an uproar.
As much as she wanted to be alone, as soon as the two men left, it was a bit lonely. Sure, the nurses came in regularly to check on her, but being in a hospital was so not her style. The food would probably suck, and the pain in her head still throbbed.
Around 7:00 p.m., the doctor entered, picked up the chart at the foot of her bed, and looked up but didn’t smile. “And how are we feeling?”
We? “My head hurts.” She wouldn’t have told him that much except she wanted some sleeping pills for the night.
“That’s to be expected.” He jotted some notes. “I want you to stay another couple of days.”
“I have a ranch to run.” She wasn’t that hurt. She bet if one of the twins had been shot, the doctor would have released him the next day.
“That may be, but you’re too weak to be running around. Gunshots aren’t something to be taken lightly.”
Damn. Maybe she ought to sneak out. The hospital couldn’t make her stay. “So day after tomorrow?”
“We’ll see. Do you live with someone who can help you get around?”
“No, but I can take care of myself.”
“You’ll need to find someone to stay with you for a while. You’ll find it difficult to get dressed with your arm basically out of commission. You won’t be able to drive until the cast comes off.” He held up a finger. “And absolutely no riding.”
Her mind rebelled. “I can’t do that.” Her day consisted of mucking stalls, ordering supplies, and riding the range. She couldn’t afford to hire someone to do those chores. The rustlers had already cut into her profits big-time.
“I’m sorry, but if you want full use of that hand, you’ll need someone with you for a while.”
“I’ll figure something out.” She looked off to the side.
“That wasn’t a suggestion. There could be complications, and I want you watched.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. “What kind of complications?” She’d just gotten a little hole in her arm.
“The bullet nicked part of the bone, which might have been why your arm bone broke when you fell. The surgeon said he tried to get out all of the chips, but no telling if one of the pieces will get lodged someplace else and do some damage.”
If he was trying to scare her, he’d succeeded. “Okay.” She could ask her sister to stay with her, though that would be a tough sell. Better yet, one of her men could check up on her during the day. That should be good enough.
“You’ll have the cast for about four to six weeks, and then you’ll need therapy to get full use of the arm. The nerves might take longer to get back to normal.”
Wasn’t he Mr. Cheer? “Can I have a sleeping pill?”
“No. We want to monitor your concussion.”
Could this get any worse? “Fine.”
The next two days went by agonizingly slow. Wade and Heath stopped by for an hour or two. She understood and appreciated the sacrifice they made by being away from their land for so long. The hospital was an hour away.
On the third morning, the two hunky Watson brothers strolled in, looking refreshed
and oh so clean. “You ready to go home?”
Music to her ears. “Did the doctor give the all clear?” Her pulse sped up. The nurse had been in several times during the night, but not the doctor.
“Yup. Get dressed and we’ll drive you home.”
They both disappeared so she could change. She sat up, and from the quick movement, her head spun. Easing to a stand, she went to the bathroom and groaned at her reflection. If those two had ever entertained getting her in bed, one glance at her appearance this morning would surely make them change their minds. She washed the best she could with one hand then searched for her clothes. As soon as she placed her outfit on the bed, she realized her dilemma. She couldn’t put on a bra with the use of only one hand, but she decided she didn’t need one. Her shirt was thick enough and would cover her tits quite nicely. She did manage to take off the gown, but even putting on her panties took forever. Damn it.
Not wanting to get exhausted before she left, she rang for the nurse, praying the female attendant would be the one to come in. To her delight, she got her wish.
Sam waved her casted arm. “Can you help me dress?”
“Sure, honey.”
Even with the nurse’s help, it took twice as long as normal. How was she going to stay this helpless for four to six weeks? She had to find a way to get back her independence.
Her new jacket, a birthday present from her mom, was ruined, so she threw it out. Not only was there a hole in the sleeve, but blood had stained the inside. Good thing the nurse said it was in the midsixties and she’d be warm without it.
“I’ll be right back,” the bubbly nurse said. “I need to get you a wheelchair.”
She would have argued but knew it was standard procedure. This accident was getting worse by the minute.
“Here we go.” The nurse pushed her out to the lobby.
The men helped her out of the wheelchair. She was about to wave them off when she got another head rush. She stilled for a moment, waiting for her heart to pump faster. Once she was steady, she let them lead her to their car, which one of them had parked at the curb.
Monroe, Melody Snow - Leather and Lace [The Callens 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2