He reached down and grabbed Pip. She fought and fought .
Jay had no choice. He pulled back his fist and struck her. Dazing her. She fell to the ground .
He made himself a vow, that was the last time he would ever strike her. Ever. But it was necessary. He had to do what he had just done. He slung her over his shoulder; she was so small it was easy to do. Jay ran out the back of the barn .
And straight into that damned director, Rowland Bowles .
61
R owland had had a bit too much wine the night before, once the rest of his production crew had arrived. It was the hangover that made Rowland sluggish that afternoon when they’d driven out to the Tyler Ranch .
Jenny hadn’t, though—apparently his newest assistant was a little teetotaling Puritan. One who had assigned herself the Herculean task of keeping him under control. Rowland wanted to act out, just to give sweet little Jenny something to do with her time. She was so fun in her serious nerdy way. Rowland looked over at her, admiring the way the jeans she wore fit her tiny apple-shaped bottom. Small and curvy and so damned innocent, he’d dreamed of her all night long. Of making her less than innocent .
Jenny screamed. The sound went straight through Rowland’s head .
Someone else screamed and he turned quickly to see what it was that had terrified Jenny .
A madman was coming right toward them—carrying a screaming Tyler twin over his shoulder .
“Bowles! Matt’s in the barn! Fire ! Help !”
The terror broke through his hang-over quickly. Rowland glanced toward the barn—flames were rapidly devouring it. And Masterson was in there ?
Jenny figured it out far faster than Rowland, to his shame .
His scrappy little assistant yelled and jumped at the man holding the twin, trying to free the Tyler sister .
It didn’t happen .
Rowland watched in horror as the sonofabitch swung out—sending his sweet little Jenny tumbling to the ground .
Rowland growled and lunged at the smaller man, fury unlike any he’d ever felt before filling him .
62
P ip had never been so happy to see someone like Rowland Bowles before in her life. Terror filled her when the director dove at Jay, when Jay’s hand loosened around her arm .
Matt .
All she could think about was Matt .
Pip ran for the small barn, hoping, praying she could get to him. Hoping she wasn’t already too late .
Someone screamed her name from the porch. She knew who it was. She’d always know when it was Perci. Always .
Pip didn’t stop. The door was wide open, and flames were shooting out toward the hayloft above .
Matt—Matt had fallen near the back, near Wind Lover’s stall. As she rushed into the barn, that was where she headed. To Matt .
Pip couldn’t see anything; smoke rolled around them. But she knew this barn. She’d been in it every single day of her life. She used instinct and memory to guide her to where she’d last seen the man that she loved .
For Pip trust had had to come first. And it had. There was no man in the world she trusted as much as she did Matt Masterson; and she knew it. Matt had somehow quietly become her world in a way she didn’t fully understand yet .
She wanted to. She wanted to have the opportunity to know .
“Matt! Matt! Where are you ?”
63
M att smelled the smoke the moment he regained control of his senses. It took him a moment to remember what had happened—and he still wasn’t certain of what it had been .
He’d been with Pip .
Pip .
Who was yelling his name. Matt forced his eyes open. Fire and smoke was everywhere. The hay beneath him was engulfed—only a foot of unburned hay remained around his head and arms, his body .
Matt jumped to his feet, clutching his head and trying to ignore the pain in his left arm and shoulder .
It was broken .
He had no doubt about that. But he would deal with that later. He had to find her, had to get out of there .
“Pip! Where are you ?”
“Here!” Small hands wrapped around his left and he bit back a curse at the rush of pain. “Jay Gunderson! We have to get outside !”
“Hang on.” He wrapped his good arm around her and started toward where he thought the door was. “Let’s get out of here together !”
“This way! The back door is closer !”
Matt couldn’t orient himself—not with the pain in his shoulder and head and the darkness of the smoke. “You’ll have to lead the way, baby. I can’t see and I don’t know the way !”
64
P erci heard the screaming only seconds after she got that feeling—the one that told her Pip was in trouble. That Pip needed her. She turned off the shower and grabbed her pajamas—she’d needed a shower and a good cry—and threw them on .
Pip needed her .
And Perci could already smell the smoke .
She ran out the back door, knowing her sister and Matt would be near the horses and Phoebe’s goats if there was something wrong .
Perci ran around the corner of the larger barn toward the small one at the back where the smoke billowed .
Wind Lover was screaming, the fire terrifying the little buckskin and her foal .
But it was the sight of her sister running toward the open barn door and practically diving into the flames that had the same terror freezing Perci to her soul .
“Pip !”
Perci kept running, past the men fighting in her side yard. She recognized them both, but she didn’t stop .
Perci headed toward the small barn right after her sister .
65
F or the first time in a long while, Rowland didn’t know what to do. He lay stunned on the sparse grass for a moment then rolled to his side. He had to do something .
Jenny pulled herself to her feet and looked around wildly. Her hands were on her head and Rowland saw blood. He lurched to his feet and went to her. “Let me see, Jenny. Just let me see .”
“What happened ?”
What happened? She’d jumped a man more than a foot taller than she was to protect a virtual stranger. Brave girl. But maybe not so bright. “Some guy hit you, then jumped me .”
“He had one of those girls with him. He was going to hurt her, wasn’t he? Where is she ?”
Pip. The man, Gunderson, had had her, hadn’t he? Maybe. It could have been Perci. Rowland wasn’t so sure .
But where was she ?
Rowland looked up just as two small women ran toward the burning barn .
“Go!” Jenny pulled at his arm. “Go! You have to help them !”
Rowland looked at her. “I can’t leave you .”
“Please, I’ve been taking care of myself for twenty-five years. I don’t need someone like you . But they just might . Go !”
Rowland went .
66
T hey could see daylight. Matt pushed her ahead of him. “Go!” He coughed, knowing they only had a few more moments before one or the other of them was overcome by smoke. “Get out, Pip ! Go !”
Something slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. Matt jerked when his left arm landed in burning straw. He yelled out .
“You can’t have her! ” the man yelled. Matt knew who it was, though it was hard to see anything in the rolling smoke .
He didn’t waste time talking; Matt drove his good arm into the man’s face. Gunderson went down with a scream .
Matt was at a disadvantage—his shoulder was broken, he probably had a concussion, and his lungs were damned close to collapsing from everything he’d inhaled .
But Gunderson wasn’t going to win .
The man was screaming—screaming for Pip .
The screams of a madman .
Matt grabbed Gunderson’s head in his good hand. He shoved the man with everything he had—just as something slammed into Gunderson from the side, sending them both careening .
&nbs
p; 67
P ip didn’t stop to think. All she knew was that Jay Gunderson was determined to kill Matt. She wasn’t about to let that happen. The pitchfork was in her hands before she even realized it. She slammed it against Jay as hard as she could, screaming as she did. She’d thought to grab her father’s rifle but it was surrounded by flames now .
Useless .
The deputy wasn’t going to be any help—she’d jumped over him when she’d gotten closer to the barn. She didn’t know if Jay had killed him or not .
The fire…the back of the barn was completely engulfed. They weren’t going to be able to make it out the rear of the building, no matter what .
Matt stumbled to the side, almost going down to the dirt floor. He was hurt; she just knew that. The same way she would know if Perci was hurt .
Because she loved him .
Loved him so much .
“Matt! Come on!” She reached for him—just as someone grabbed her and yanked her off of her feet .
Someone strong and male and screaming her name. Screaming his rage .
Jay .
Choking her. Screaming that she was lying whore. A slut . His .
Pip reached up and clawed where she thought the man’s eyes were .
She got lucky. He screamed and knocked her to the ground .
Matt lunged over her, taking Jay to the floor. They grappled, rolling far too close to the growing flames .
They had to get out of there , fast .
Someone else was there, grabbing for her. Pulling her to her feet .
“Pip, come on. We need to get out of here!” Perci; of course, it would be Perci .
“Get out, Perci! Get help! Go!” She wanted to grab her twin, pull her sister to safety. Push her out the door to Rowland Bowles or the deputy who was supposed to be on his way .
But she couldn’t leave Matt. She wouldn’t .
Pip dove at the two men, wrapping her arm around Jay’s neck and tightening. She yanked at his hair. “Let him go !”
She wasn’t leaving this barn without the man she loved .
68
P erci dove for Jay’s legs as her sister dove for his head. Pip went wild, yanking on Jay’s hair and ears, clawing at his eyes and mouth, biting like a feral cat. Anything she could to get him off of Matt .
Matt pulled himself to his feet .
Perci could barely see him, but he was bloodied and covered in soot. And reaching for her sister .
Jay kicked out, catching Perci in the chin. She saw stars for a moment .
It was enough for him to throw Pip off. She landed in a pile of hay—hay that was igniting. Pip screamed and threw the hay off of her arms .
Something crackled overhead, loud and terrifying .
Perci looked up in time to see one of the support beams burning in two. Any moment it was going to fall down .
On her sister below .
Perci yelled and dove for her twin .
69
M att watched it happen; his scream blended in with the twins ’.
He grabbed Gunderson by one arm and shoved the man as hard as he could to the ground. Gunderson’s head bounced off of something hard. The bastard didn’t get up again .
Matt turned toward the sounds of Pip screaming for help .
Something knocked into him and Matt almost went down. This time, though, the man’s hands helped him up .
“Masterson !”
“Get the twins! Quick! They’re hurt!” Matt didn’t stop to question how Rowland Bowles had ended up there; he was just thankful the man had .
He dropped to the dirt floor next to Pip. She was tugging at her sister’s arms, trying to pull Perci from beneath a burning beam. Pip wasn’t able to get any leverage. Her own legs were pinned beneath her sister. Perci was facedown and not moving. The beam was trapping her beneath it, flames getting closer to the twins by the second .
Matt coughed and grabbed for Perci—she’d have to be moved before he could free Pip. How bad were they hurt ?
Bowles wasn’t a stupid man—the other guy had started pulling hay from beneath Pip’s legs, then slid his own arm between Pip’s feet .
Matt switched twins; instead of pulling at Perci—who was now cursing and crying—he wrapped his good hand around Pip’s waist from behind and pulled her from beneath her sister .
Just as Bowles yanked Perci free with a Herculean tug that Matt wouldn’t have believed if he hadn’t seen himself .
The beam crashed to the dirt floor, sending ash and hay and smoke billowing .
“We need to get out of here!” Bowles yelled .
Gunderson screamed, rage and pain and Pip’s name all rolled up into one insane sound .
“I can walk!” Pip yelled. “Just get Perci out !”
“I have her!” Bowles had Perci in his arms. Her sister’s legs were wrapped around his waist and Perci was moving .
“Go!” Matt thought for one split-second of just leaving Gunderson to die. But he couldn’t do it. “Get the girls out! We can’t leave that bastard to die like this !”
Bowles was already moving, carrying Perci to the barn door fifty feet away .
A small hand wrapped around his. “I’m staying with you !”
Matt wanted to yell at her, tell her to run outside, but they didn’t have time to argue. He yanked her closer. “You stay with me !”
“ Let’s go !”
He stumbled over Gunderson. Literally. Matt caught his balance, barely, with help from Pip. He wrapped his uninjured hand around Gunderson’s arm and yanked the man to his feet. “Outside !”
Pip guided him. Matt struggled to drag the fighting man behind him. He was almost ready to say screw it and get Pip out of there instead when Bowles returned .
“Pip! Lead the way!” Matt tried to yell, but the smoke threatened to overtake him .
“Come on, Matt, come on !”
The three of them pulled Gunderson to the door, and to safety .
“Bowles! Don’t let him out of your sight !”
Matt turned to Pip, tears streaming out of his eyes .
She reached for him. Just as he reached for her .
He held her until he couldn’t fight the darkness any longer .
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P ip yelled his name when he practically collapsed in her arms. He was covered with soot and his shirt had charred hole marks all over it. His arm hung awkwardly and his head was covered with blood .
“Matt!” She tried to get him to open his eyes, but he wouldn’t. Pip fought the terror, trying to shove it away. “Perci! Help him !”
Perci was coughing, sitting forward as Rowland Bowles’ assistant tried to wrap her leg in cloth of some sort. Pip looked at her. Some of Perci’s hair had been burned off, and she was covered with evidence of the fire, too. “Is he breathing ?”
“Yes .”
“ Thank God .”
Matt started coughing and his eyes opened. Pip leaned over him .
His hand reached for her. She held him until help arrived .
When the EMTs on the first chopper ran toward her that was when Pip moved, letting them help Matt .
Pip stood, stepped back. Her knees went out from under her. Pip didn’t get up again .
71
R owland had never experienced anything like what had just happened. He and Jenny were bundled up with the rest of the crowd and transported to the Masterson County hospital moments after the medi-evac helicopter had taken off with Masterson and Pip inside .
Perci should have gone with them, but the helicopter hadn’t been big enough for three and she insisted her sister go with Matt .
She’d known the EMTs and flight nurse, and they’d listened when she’d barked out orders at them—around the coughing that shook her small body .
Poor kid looked like she’d been through a war. And some of her hair was missing .
He hadn’t missed the bone sticking out of her calf .
Jenny shocked the hell out of him when she took charge of th
e rest of them. She tied a rope around that bastard Jay Gunderson’s hands—then tied him to a fence. When she was finished, she checked on the still unconscious sheriff’s deputy, and then returned to splinting Perci’s broken leg .
The guy just writhed on the grass, screaming for Pip and cursing Matt Masterson’s name .
He hadn’t stopped, even when the sheriff and two deputy cars pulled in, sirens blazing, with fire trucks behind them .
When had someone called 911 ?
Jenny raced to greet them .
Rowland just stayed where he was, holding little Perci Tyler in his arms as she shook and trembled and coughed .
The sheriff ran to her first . “Pip ?”
“Perci,” Rowland said. And he understood the guy’s confusion. The girl’s face was covered in black streaks. The same that no doubt covered Rowland’s. “Pip went with the helicopter. She and your brother .”
“Joel, we need to get to the hospital. Pip and Matt…they…” Perci stopped talking as more coughing overtook her .
Her brother-in-law cursed. He yelled at one of his deputies to get Gunderson to the hospital under guard—without even asking why the man was there in the first place—and then scooped Perci up into his arms. His curses turned the air blue when he saw the damage done to her leg. “What the hell happened ?”
“Beam fell on me and Pip,” she answered through her tears. “Get me to her, Joel. Just get me there. Please .”
“Hold on, baby. I’ll get you right there. I promise .”
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P ip floated in a haze of confusion as the EMTs rolled her gurney into the hospital. A tall, massive man stepped close to her. A doctor, and one she recognized. “Honey? Can you hear me? Tell me which twin you are so I know you’re in there !”
Discovering the Doctor (Masterson County Book 2) Page 13