by Kat Martin
Her throat tightened and her eyes burned. She blinked. She didn’t have time for tears. She had to plan, find a way to get the gun away from Damon.
“Hurry up, or we’ll leave the way you are.”
He meant it. He’d drag her out of there naked if she didn’t do what he said.
Fighting not to tremble, she finished dressing in clean jeans and a navy blue T-shirt, grabbed a jacket in case she needed it wherever they were going. Damon motioned with the pistol for her to precede him out of the bedroom.
“The car’s in the barn. Move your ass.”
“I need to check on Ivy before I leave.”
“She’ll be fine. The old lady’s here. She’ll be waking up pretty soon. She’s tied up so we’ll have some time before she calls the police.”
“You aren’t worried about that?”
“I could kill them, I guess, but what’s the point? Your boyfriend would know who did it, so it really wouldn’t do any good. I cut the phone line and disabled the cell phones. Nobody’s seen the car and I’ll take back roads, so finding us won’t be easy. Let’s go.”
Tory steeled herself. Since getting Damon out of the house would be safest for Ivy and Clara, she walked in front of him away from the double-wide while he pointed the gun at her back.
The barn loomed ahead. Stuffing the gun into the waistband of his jeans, Damon paused outside to slide open the doors and she saw a silver Ford Fusion with a rental plate parked inside.
Damon walked back, grabbed her arm, and jerked her forward, shoving her so hard she stumbled and went sprawling in the dirt. Damon jerked her up and slapped her, then shoved her again, pushing her roughly through the open barn door.
As they walked into the interior, she heard a sound like a hammer slamming into boards. Following the sound, she saw Star, his ears laid back, his teeth bared in fury. The stallion kicked the boards of the stall and screamed as if he were in pain.
“What the hell’s wrong with that horse?”
But Tory knew. Her heart began to pound as an idea formed in her head. It was risky, but it was the best chance she had.
“You really think I’m just going to get in that car and let you drive me away?” She moved closer to the stall and Damon followed, a look of fury on his face.
He backhanded her with his fist and pain exploded in her jaw. “You’re going to do exactly what I tell you.” Damon grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her closer. “Get in the fucking car!”
Tory twisted, drew back and punched him in the face as hard as she could, and Damon went insane. She turned to run but he grabbed her and she started to struggle.
“You little bitch!” He slapped her so hard her ears rang. Tory stumbled forward, closer to the stall, near enough to slide the latch open on the door.
She swung the stall door open, screamed at the top of her lungs, and Star shot out of the stall like a wounded wild beast.
Damon pulled his pistol as the stallion charged, the horse knocking him backward into the side of the car. The pistol fired as it sailed out of Damon’s hand and he went down hard, his hands coming up to ward off the big black horse bearing down on him.
“Get him off me!” Damon screamed. Rearing up on his hind legs, Star brought his sharp hooves slamming down, landing with twelve hundred pounds of force on the man on the concrete floor.
Star reared again. Tory ran for the pistol, picked it up, whirled, and pointed the gun at Damon, but it was too late. The horse pounded down, a crushing, killing blow that exposed gore, flesh, and bits of skull. The bile rose in Tory’s throat and she glanced away from the grisly scene.
She was trembling, barely able to breathe, her heart thundering. When she looked back, Star stood over Damon’s body, legs braced apart, shaking all over, dark eyes wild. Blood oozed from a bullet hole in the horse’s left shoulder.
The sound of slow, careful footsteps reached her. “It’s okay, honey,” Josh said softly. “Put the pistol down and just take it nice and easy.” His deep voice echoed through the barn, calming her as nothing else could. She hadn’t heard a vehicle drive in.
Her hand shook as she set the pistol down on the floor and the tears she’d been holding back flooded into her eyes.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” Josh said, closer now, soothing her as much as the horse. “Just take it easy.”
“Ivy’s . . . Ivy’s in the house.”
“Noah went inside to find her. She’ll be okay. He’s calling the sheriff.”
“Damon drugged Clara.”
“Noah will take care of her. You need to focus on Star.”
Tory swallowed, turned back to the stallion, who stood over Damon’s limp, blood-soaked body. Star nickered wildly, tossed his head, and stomped his front hoof, sending a rush of blood down his injured leg.
“It’s . . . it’s okay, boy. It’s all right, Star.”
“Star’s just afraid,” Josh said softly. “He needs you to stay calm, show him everything’s okay.”
She took a deep breath. “It’s all right, boy. Everything’s okay.” Moving slowly, she made her way up next to the stallion, ran her hands along his sleek neck, felt him trembling. “Easy, boy. You don’t have to be afraid.”
“See if you can get him to follow you.”
She kept talking to him, soothing him. Just standing next to the horse eased his trembling, seemed to ease his fear.
“Can you lead him away from Bridger?” Josh asked.
Tory wiped tears from her cheeks. “I think Damon’s dead.” She knew he was. She just couldn’t make herself say it. She pressed her lips together and tried to hold on. “He shot Star.”
“We’ll take care of Star. Can you get him back in his stall?”
It was dangerous and both of them knew it. She silently thanked Josh for having enough confidence in her to let her handle the stallion.
She returned her attention to the horse, rubbed his topknot, rubbed his ears, spoke to him and stroked his neck. Star took a big, deep breath and let it out slowly. When his head drooped down, she took hold of his mane and backed him away from Damon, very slowly turned him around, and led him back into his stall.
Fresh blood oozed down the stallion’s front leg, but the shot had gone wild. A piece of torn flesh hung down, but the injury didn’t look too serious.
“The vet’s on his way,” Josh said, ending the call he’d just made and stuffing the phone back into his pocket.
Tory closed the stall door and walked toward Josh and he enclosed her in his arms. His jaw clenched as he took in the bruise on her face and her swollen lip. He gently wiped a trace of blood from the corner of her mouth.
“Bridger’s dead. If he wasn’t, I’d kill him myself.”
A sound escaped from her throat. There was no doubt Damon was dead. His skull had been crushed into bloody bits and pieces.
She wanted to grab onto Josh, hold on for all she was worth, but she knew he had to be hurting.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” he said, his arms still around her. “You’re safe. Ivy and Clara are with Noah.”
She managed to swallow. “What . . . what about Star?”
“Nunez is bringing something to sedate him. He’s still pretty shook up. We don’t want to take any chances.”
No. Though she didn’t believe the horse would hurt her or Josh, he was injured and upset. They couldn’t afford to take chances.
“Why don’t you go on inside, honey? Ivy needs you. Let me take care of this.”
The lump in her throat ached. She had to go into the house. Her little girl needed her. She looked at Damon and couldn’t make herself move.
She watched Josh disappear into the tack room. He brought out a blue plastic tarp and spread it over Damon’s lifeless body.
He returned to her, eased her back into his arms. “Come on, honey. Let’s go inside.” He glanced over at the lump beneath the tarp. “It’s over, baby. You’ll never have to be afraid of Damon Bridger again.”
Chapter Thi
rty-Six
Noah had called the sheriff and freed a groggy Mrs. Thompson. She sat next to Ivy on the sofa. Noah was on his way out to the barn when Josh led Tory into the house.
“Mama!” The reunion was tearful. Josh was just grateful that everyone was going to be okay.
Dr. Alejandro Nunez showed up right away and for once Josh was glad to see him. The vet gave the stallion something to calm him, then cleaned and stitched up the wound in the horse’s front leg.
Josh still had a hard time believing what he had seen in the barn. The stallion had been willing to die for Tory. Josh thought that he and Star shared something in common.
The sheriff arrived with the medical examiner and an ambulance. Josh gave Howler his statement, then made phone calls while the sheriff spoke to Tory and Clara Thompson. Josh called Detective Larson and Hamilton Brown in Phoenix, then phoned his brother.
“It’s over,” he said to Linc. “Bridger’s dead out in my barn.”
Linc’s voice roughened with worry. “You kill him?”
“Star killed him. The stallion didn’t take kindly to Bridger manhandling Tory.”
“Christ.”
“Hard to believe, I know.”
“Suzy Solomon will be relieved. Maybe the Shane girl, too, if he’s the one who abducted her.”
“For Lisa’s sake, I hope the cops find the connection they’ve been looking for so she won’t have to be afraid anymore.” Standing on the front porch with the phone pressed against his ear, Josh looked up as Howler walked out of the house.
“Sheriff’s still here. I gotta go.”
“Be sure to give the good sheriff my regards,” Linc said dryly.
“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Josh hung up the phone.
“I got what I need from the Bradford girl and Clara Thompson,” the sheriff said. “EMTs checked everyone out and they all seem okay. Little girl’s fine and Clara refused to go to the hospital. Anything you want to add before I leave?”
“If you’re interested, there’s a chance this guy tortured and killed a woman in Phoenix. A detective named Jeremy Larson handled the case.”
“I’ll give him a call. You got that horse locked up good and tight?”
“He’s in the barn,” Josh said.
“I’ll be out with the vet in the morning. I saw a skip loader parked out back. Ought to do to bury the animal.”
Josh froze. “What are you talking about?”
“That horse is a killer. He’s got to be put down.”
“No way,” Josh said. “That horse saved Tory’s life. He killed a man who likely meant to torture and murder her. The stallion’s a hero. No way are you putting him down.”
Something that resembled payback gleamed in the sheriff’s eyes. “I’ll get a court order if I have to, Cain. That horse is a menace. He’s got to be dealt with.”
“Try it and I’ll fight you all the way.”
The door opened just then and Tory walked out on the porch. She took in the sheriff’s puffed-up posture and Josh’s angry stance.
“What’s going on?”
“Why don’t you explain it to her, Cain? As soon as I get that court order, I’ll be back.” The sheriff swaggered off to his truck, climbed in, and slammed the door. The vehicle rolled off down the road. The ambulance would be leaving with Bridger’s body as soon as the medical examiner was done.
“What’s going on?” Tory repeated.
“Howler’s getting a court order to have Star put down.”
“What?” Her gaze shot to the barn. “He can’t do that! We have to stop him!”
Josh caught her shoulders. “Take it easy. We aren’t going to let it happen.”
“What can we do?”
“I’ll call Nate Temple, see if he’ll take the case or recommend someone who will.” He drew her into his arms. “It’s going to be okay.”
Tory pulled away. “Is it? It seems like no matter what we do, nothing is ever okay.” Turning, she went back inside the house.
Clara Thompson came out, said good-bye, and headed for home. A few minutes later, Tory and Ivy came out and went over to their trailer.
Josh wanted to follow them, make certain they were okay, but he wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do. Ivy had been terrified of Bridger. She had to be traumatized by what had just happened.
And watching a man be stomped to death had to have been terrible for Tory.
He wanted to give her the space she needed, the time she needed to heal.
The good news was when Josh called Nathan Temple, he agreed to take the case. Temple immediately filed a petition for a hearing to stop the sheriff from executing the stallion. It was scheduled for the beginning of next week.
Josh figured Tory would shoot the sheriff herself if he continued to insist on destroying the beautiful horse that had saved her life.
In the meantime, Josh needed to talk to her, straighten things out between them. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like that was going to happen anytime soon.
* * *
The day of the hearing arrived. Tory dressed in the black suit and peach silk blouse she had worn to Coy Whitmore’s funeral in Gainesville.
Before they left for town, Josh walked her out to the barn to say good-bye to Star, who nickered softly as she approached, then stood quietly as she fed him an apple, his leg already healing.
“Good boy.” Her throat tightened as she rubbed his ears and patted his glossy black neck.
Every day since the sheriff had made his threat, she had worked to gain support for their cause. She had talked to people, explained what had happened, asked them to write a letter in support of the stallion or at least sign her petition. She had even done an interview on KTEF, Channel 6 Evening News.
She wasn’t sure any of it would work. She slid her arms around the stallion’s neck and nuzzled his velvety nose. She couldn’t imagine the authorities killing such a magnificent creature. Not when she had deliberately incited him and he had only been trying to protect her.
Finally it was time to leave. Josh and Ivy waited for her next to the pickup. Tory had taken her daughter to see a child psychologist in Iron Springs, a doctor named Sharon Melrose. Ivy had liked the woman right away. The little girl was scheduled for a few more sessions, but the doctor had been confident Ivy would be okay.
Josh lifted the little girl into her booster seat and belted her in, then helped Tory into the passenger seat. Ivy was staying with Clara. Tory was happy to see the older woman had recovered well from Damon’s brutal assault.
Like most Texas women, Clara Thompson was tough and she was strong. It took more than a monster like Damon to defeat her.
“Good luck,” Clara said once she had Ivy settled and drawing at the kitchen table. “I’ll be holding good thoughts.”
“Thank you,” Tory said. “For everything.”
It was a quiet ride into town with both her and Josh worried. “You think we have a chance?” Tory asked.
“Temple’s one of the best. If anyone can win, he can.”
But the attorney had warned them that cases like this weren’t easy. Family members of the deceased were determined to make someone pay. In this case, Montgomery Bridger, Damon’s father, was adamant that the horse be destroyed.
The senior Bridger refused to believe his son had meant any harm. Damon had loved Tory, he said. His son just wanted to win her back, that was all. He didn’t deserve to die.
The ridiculousness of the statement infuriated Josh even more than Tory.
The pickup had almost reached its destination when she spotted the first group of people walking toward the big pink stone courthouse. Whimsical arches and towers made the structure, surrounded by manicured lawns, look like something out of a Harry Potter movie.
Another group of people walked past. Tory’s eyes widened as she realized what was going on. “Oh, my God, Josh!”
More people got out of their cars and started toward the courthouse, all of them carrying signs. SAVE STAR. SAVE THE HERO
STALLION. WE DON’T KILL THOSE WHO PROTECT US. There were dozens of signs and even more people. The residents of Iron Springs had turned out in full force.
Tory’s eyes burned. She loved the town almost as much as the beautiful horse that its people were fighting to protect. Almost as much as she loved the man sitting beside her.
She didn’t want to think about Josh, didn’t want to think of the way he’d been avoiding her, how he’d begun to pull away from her, now that she was safe.
Josh parked the truck and helped her down. He took her hand and started toward the courthouse. Making their way through the milling crowd, they climbed the wide front steps and went inside.
Nate Temple stood in front of a long mahogany table looking polished and perfectly groomed, silver glinting in his light brown hair. Carly and Linc sat on the bench behind the railing. Noah and Natalie, Cole and Brittany sat farther down the row. Ty Murphy was doing his part by keeping an eye on the ranch.
Tory spotted Ben Rigby and Wes Turley, the vets from Pleasant Hill who had guarded the ranch at night. Billie Joe Hardie, the waitress from Jubal’s, was there; Cathy Miller and her husband from the mercantile; and Dr. Alejandro Nunez, the veterinarian. Howler and one of his deputies sat in the back row.
Tory and Josh took seats at the table next to Nate Temple, and the bailiff announced the arrival of the judge, a short, stout man with a fringe of hair around his bald head. The audience stood as he walked in, his long black robe fluttering around him as he took a seat behind his massive desk.
When the judge rapped the gavel, bringing the courtroom to order, everyone sat back down, and Josh squeezed Tory’s hand.
“Let me begin by saying this is an informal hearing. In this case, we have received testimony ahead of time from both parties.” He rifled through a stack of papers sitting on top of the desk. “As you can see, there’s been a great deal of local participation. I’ve received dozens of letters from all over the state.”
Representing both sides, she would imagine. Not everyone believed a horse who had killed a man should live.
“With so much input, I’m waiving the need for additional testimony. I have also received additional information from Phoenix that just came to light.”