Riding for Love (A Western Romance) (25 page)

Chapter 24

Eve yawned. Morning arrived faster than she wished. She didn’t think sleep would ever come last night, but nearly hit the ceiing when her alarm went off. After dressing and grabbing mugs of coffee, she went outside.

She stood next to Denton on the porch and shivered at the drizzly scene before them. “At least we don’t need to worry about anyone wanting to use the trails today,” she said, following him to the barn.

“Al said the rain was better for the raid, too. The men should be held up in the trailer instead of wandering around.” He opened the barn door. “Better for the element of surprise.”

“We only have three hours to find out.” She handed Tom one of the coffee mugs. “I’ll make breakfast when the chores are done. I would have brought something, but my mind’s as muddy as this coffee. Sorry.”

“That’s fine. This will help.” He took a sip and turned to Denton. “Why don’t you start at the far end and fill the water buckets? Eve and I will handle feed.”

“At least we have an excuse not to exercise them this morning,” Eve said, already wishing chores were done and they were back in the comfort of the farmhouse. Doors locked tight. Nice fire in the fireplace. Coffee laced with brandy. Who cared if it was still morning? Anything to calm nerves and warm chilled bones.

“Maybe later this afternoon if the weather clears,” Denton said.

“And this whole mess is done with. Agents gone, drug dealers locked up tighter than an oil drum,” Tom added.

Half an hour later, Eve had finished feeding her last horse when an explosion rocked the building. Rapid gunfire followed. Instinctively ducking, she searched the barn for Denton and Tom. Tom ran toward her, crouching as low as his bowed legs allowed, carrying a rifle in his hand. Denton came from the other direction, holding a similar firearm.

“What the hell was that?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Tom answered. “Get some bales of straw between us and the door for protection. Stay away from the windows and keep an eye on the door.” He thrust the rifle into her hands. “If anyone other than the feds comes through the door without announcing themselves, shoot. Aim for the shoulder or the knee.”

Perspiration beaded on her upper lip and forehead. Her shirt was damp, too. “Dammit, Tom. We’re not supposed to have guns.”

“John said he didn’t want to
see
any weapons. Unless we have to use them as
protection
, they will be out of sight before the feds are back here.”

“Semantics,” she muttered, placing the gun securely into the crook of her arm. A few minutes later, her cell phone buzzed, and she nearly dropped the gun scrambling to get it out of her pocket. After listening for a few seconds, she called to Denton. “Al is coming in.” She hid her rifle behind a bale of hay. Denton set his beside hers, while Tom slid his in an empty stall as the door opened a crack.

Al slipped through, shutting the door firmly, and dropping a board into brackets to brace it shut.

“What happened?” Eve asked, standing to face the agent.

“Get down,” he yelled, running at them. “We’re not sure if they found out about the raid, but there were signs some of them were leaving, so we went in early.”

“What was the explosion?” Denton asked.

“I’m not sure. Probably doing more than growing weed.”

“Meth?” Tom asked.

Al looked over his shoulder then back to the door. “That would be my guess. Things don’t blow up with marijuana.”

Eve opened her mouth to ask why a meth lab would blow up when the barn door rattled.

“Eve, let me in. I need help and the house is locked.”

The agent raised his eyebrows at her. “Snook,” she mouthed.

“C’mon, Evie.” He pounded on the door. “I know you’re in there. We’re family. You’ve got to help me.”

“Stay put,” Al ordered. “He may not be alone. There will be agents following him.”

She nodded and jumped when her cousin pounded harder.

“Eve,” he screamed. “If you don’t open this door, I’ll burn the damn barn down. I swear I will.”

She sat on the floor and leaned against a bale of straw. Denton dropped down beside her and put his arm around her.

“You okay?”

“Eve Dayton, you stupid bitch, let me in. They’re coming after me.”

“Who do you think is after him? The feds or the dealers?” she asked.

Al squatted in front the trio. “He’d better hope it’s the feds because the dealers will surely shoot him.”

“Eve, tell that fed in there to . . .”

“On the ground, scumbag,” someone yelled.

“Shit,” she heard her cousin cry before everything went silent.

“Agent Winters, you can come out now.”

Eve recognized John’s voice and was surprised when, instead of doing what he was told, Winters picked up his phone and punched in some numbers. After a few seconds, he stood, went to the door, and removed the bar.

“It’s safe now. I talked to John and everyone is in cuffs.” The agent motioned for Eve and Denton to stay in the barn and, even though he said things were safe, slipped through a slit in the door, his gun pointed outward.

“What do you think is going on?” she asked, snuggling into the safety of Denton’s arms.

“I don’t know, but it can’t be good for Snook.” He wrapped his arms around her waist.

She grimaced and peered over her shoulder when the barn door creaked open. “He’s just getting what he deserves.”

John stuck his head in. “You can come out now.”

“You stupid bitch,” Snook screamed when she and Denton went outside.

Eve didn’t know what to say to him. He was on his stomach, struggling to rise. An agent grabbed his shackled hands and yanked him up. Even Snook’s grunt of pain didn’t elicit any sympathy.

“Why didn’t you help me?” he wailed. “We’re family.”

Eve crossed her arms over her chest. Denton stood behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders.

“The only time you admit to being family is when you want something. Otherwise you treat me like dirt.”

Snook sneered. “Well, I call them as I see them. You are dirt to me.”

Denton came around and stood in front of Eve. “I’d shut up if I were you, Snook.”

“You stay out of this, Dent. You were the one who made Evie act like she was better than she is. She’s a slut just like her mother.”

“Shut up, Snook.” Denton took a step closer, his eyes narrowed, hands balled in fists.

“This land should have been mine, not hers.”

“So you keep saying, Snook, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. Grandpa gave the farm to Ed, not your dad.”

“Yeah, and he hated that. Dad was the oldest, and while he fought in ‘Nam your old man played ball, screwing women like your mother. If Dad hadn’t been gone, this place would have been ours.”

Denton took another step. Snook backed up into John.

“Keep him away from me,” he squealed.

John chuckled. “Away from whom? I don’t see anyone.”

“So, Snook, you think this place should be yours?”

“Damn right.”

“Maybe it should have gone to your father, but there must have been some reason why it didn’t. We’ll never know. Besides, what would you have done with it?” Eve stood next to Denton. “Raise pot? When I took the farm over, this place was a dump. I worked hard to make this place what it is today.”

“I would have sold this shithole and left this crappy town.” He pulled at the restraints binding his hands. “In fact, if you were smart . . .” His gaze swept over her . . . “which I know you aren’t, you would sell out to the sand company and blow this joint.”

“What are you talking about?”

He chuckled. “You don’t know, do you? Well, I sure as hell won’t tell you. Like I said dumb and a whore, just like your mother.”

Dent took two more steps and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “What did you call Eve?”

“What the hell are you doing, man?” Snook appealed to John. “Get him off me.” Snook’s Adam’s apple jumped up and down and he licked his lips. “Nothing. I didn’t call her nothing.”

Denton let go of his shirt and smoothed it in place. “You’d better not.” He turned to walk away.

“Enjoy prison, Snook,” Eve said, taking Denton’s arm. “Maybe you’ll meet some of Ed’s friends there.”

“Bitch,” Snook muttered.

Denton stopped and hung his head. “Shit,” he said, before he turned and planted a fist on Snook’s face.

John stepped aside, letting her cousin fall to the ground. Denton stood over Snook as he shook the pain from his hand.

“I warned you, Snook.” He leaned over to hit him again.

Eve grabbed his hand. “Don’t, Denton, he’s not worth it. Let the feds take care of him.” Before turning away, she gave her cousin one last look.

Snook shook off an agent’s help and rolled to his knees. “You’ll get yours, Eve Dayton,” he yelled. “I promise that. You’ll get yours.”

She shook her head and followed Denton to the house and the basket of first-aid supplies to once again wash away Snook germs.

Chapter 25

Eve whistled through her teeth as she brushed Tilly’s rump. It took Tom, Denton, and herself a bit to get the horses settled down after all the activity from the day before. Besides the sirens, helicopters, and gunfire, the horses sensed everyone’s nervousness.

After several hours, the feds finally had everyone in custody and carted off to jail. The smell of charred marijuana mixed with burned trailer still hung in the air. Other than a few deputies at the end of her driveway keeping nosy people off her property, she was alone. John said they would be back in the afternoon to collect more evidence at the camp, but, for now, things were quiet.

She wished she could muster up some compassion for Snook, but not one twinge of remorse crept into her. No more surprise visits from him or worry about her father showing up. Both were safely incarcerated. Giving Tilly one last swipe with the brush, she moved to the mare’s head and gave her nose an affectionate rub.

“Well, old girl, tomorrow you can go back outside and life will get back to normal.”

Eve closed the pen’s gate and gazed down the aisle. All the horses were finally fed and watered. Tom went into town to meet with the sheriff and FBI. Denton, after having his hand X-rayed to check for broken bones, went to his mother’s house for clean clothes. Both men would return in time for lunch, with Tom bringing Rose back for a celebration lunch. Eve decided she may even break out a few bottles of wine. Who cared if it was the middle of the day on a Sunday?

The most surprising thing yesterday was learning the ringleaders were Richard Huber and his wife. For all the cussing they did at each other when taken away in cuffs, the lovey-dovey, sappy act had been just that—an act.

During their visit in the spring, no one noticed them sneaking off to check on their crop and organize their drug ring. With ties to Texas and Mexico, they’d brought their own people in to run the operation. It was pure luck they’d set up the meeting yesterday to discuss harvesting and distribution. Their employees had started the meth lab to pass the time while stuck in the woods.

The couple had glared and threatened her when the feds brought them into the yard for identification.

Eve sighed. Why did they all act like this was her fault?

After turning off the lights in the tack room and shutting the door, she turned at a noise coming from a dim area of the barn. Not the usual thudding of horses against stalls, but more of a shuffling sound. She recalled her father hiding in the barn earlier in the summer. Had he escaped from prison?

“Ed? Is that you?” After a moment of silence, she headed to the barn door. She reached for the handle. Someone grabbed her around the waist from behind and smacked a hand over her mouth. “Denton?”

“Be quiet, Eve, and everything will be okay.” A low, muffled voice vibrated against her back. The man took his hand from her mouth.

“Denton, stop teasing me. My nerves can’t handle much more after yesterday.” She tried to turn and face him. “You scared the daylights out of me.”

“Shut up, Eve, and do as you are told.”

She then realized the man couldn’t be Dent. If he were, by now he’d be kissing her senseless. It wasn’t Snook. Even disguised, she’d know his whiny voice anywhere.

Eve tried to place the voice, but she was so scared, she probably wouldn’t recognize her own voice let alone someone she couldn’t see. Had the feds missed someone during the raid? Did one of them get away? But he knew her name, so he was someone she was acquainted with.

“This is what we are going to do, Eve.” The man brought her deeper into the barn’s interior. “You are going to saddle up two horses, one for each of us. I know you’re alone, so don’t bother screaming.”

“What are you going to do?” she whispered as he forced her to Tilly’s stall. He opened the stall door and shoved her inside. Heart pounding in her throat, she couldn’t think of a way to protect herself. A curry brush wouldn’t do much damage to the man.

“Now get Tilly saddled up.”

Eve turned, and her legs nearly went out from under her. “Max? What’s going on?”

Max threw a saddle blanket to her. “No more questions. Get her ready.”

While placing the blanket on the mare’s back and slowly smoothing it, she wondered if she could toss the blanket over his head. Would it give her enough time to make it out of the barn before he untangled himself?

“Hurry up. And don’t get any ideas about throwing anything at me.”

Eve gasped when he removed a pistol from his pocket.

“Try anything and I will use this. Not on you, but Tilly.”

His steely eyes glared at her. How on earth had she misjudged him so badly? Was it because she hadn’t fallen into bed with him? She thought he was her friend and paused before placing the saddle on the mare’s back. “Why, Max?”

He waved the gun at her. “You’ll find out soon enough. Get moving.”

Fifteen minutes later, after Tilly and another horse for Max were ready, they headed down the trail toward the lake. Eve couldn’t help comparing this ride to the last time she rode out here. This was just as scary, but at least then she was with the man she loved. She needed to keep her mind off that day and figure out how to get away from Max and his gun.

While her thoughts ran through various scenarios as to why Max had kidnapped her, she didn’t realize he’d stopped in front of the hidden trail to the small lake. He dismounted. Before he could wrap his fingers around her ankle, she swung her leg at his head. Why hadn’t she taken the time to put on her hard, pointed cowboy boots instead of tennis shoes? He grabbed her leg and squeezed her ankle.

“I’ve already told you not to get any ideas of hurting me or escaping. I still have the gun, and right now, it’s aimed at Tilly’s skull.” He backed up. “Now get down, move the brush away, and lead Tilly through.”

“I don’t think she’ll fit,” Eve said after removing the branches from the opening. “The trail’s seems pretty narrow. She may balk.” Anyway, if she were lucky, Tilly would kick up her back legs and knock Max on his ass.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Eve, don’t even think about getting her to do anything. I’ll be out of range.” He chuckled, the nasty tone sending shivers down her spine. “Besides, I know damn well you’ve taken her through here plenty of time.”

Taking a step back, Eve huffed out a breath. How did he know about this trail?

He laughed again. “Who the hell do you think cut your horses loose? And when we’re done with our little trip, I’m going to take from you what you were so freely giving Johansen.” He waved the gun toward the trail. “Now walk. We’re on a tight schedule.”

She moved down the trail through the brush, trying to think of a way to get Tilly to do something to distract Max and give her a chance to get away. Unfortunately, the trail was too narrow to turn the mare. Besides, she didn’t want Max to use the gun on Tilly. With Tilly between her and Max, she couldn’t see what he was doing, but he was mumbling something. Had he gone off the deep end and was talking to himself, or was he on his cell phone with someone? She hoped it was the phone.

His voice rose, and she heard what sounded like “get her to sign the damn papers.” What the heck was that all about? When they came to the lake, he shoved his phone into his pocket.

“Get on your horse,” Max ordered, sliding a rope from his saddlebag.

Once she was mounted, he tied one of the ropes around her ankle to the stirrups and pulled the rope under Tilly’s belly, tying the other end to her other ankle. He slid his hand up her leg and squeezed her thigh before tying her wrists to the saddle horn.

“That should hold you.”

He got on his horse, grabbed Tilly’s reins, then led them around the lake. He turned on the trail she and Denton had crawled through to the clearing. Did he know about the marijuana? Probably. He knew about the trail, but why not about the raid, or the fact that there was nothing left of the camp?

“Uh, Max.”

“Shut up, Eve.”

“Max, I need to tell you something.”

He turned in the saddle and frowned at her. “I. Said. Shut. Up,” he ordered through clenched teeth.

“If you’re going to the trailer . . .”

Max jerked the reins, making her snap backward. Luckily, her hands were tied to the saddle horn, or she’d have flipped off the saddle and hit Tilly’s rump on the way to the ground. She felt the jolt in her neck and down her spine. A trip to the chiropractor would be in the picture. If she survived.

“Dammit all, Eve. I told you to shut the hell up!”

Fine
, she thought.
If he didn’t want to listen, it would be his problem.
Obviously, he wasn’t aware of the raid or he wouldn’t be heading to the woods. What was he doing coming out to the camp?

Max turned around. “And don’t say a word when we get to the clearing.”

Fine
, she thought again.
Just fine
.

She couldn’t believe he didn’t smell the burned building. She wrinkled her nose when she reached the end of the trail and entered the clearing. Evidently, the wheels had been on the trailer when it blew up because the stink of burned rubber, melted wires, and scorched furniture mixed with the subtle hints of pot attacked her senses. Through her watering eyes, she saw Max ride into the clearing.

She suppressed a smile when he came along side her, opening and closing his mouth, pointing to the burned-out structure.

“What the hell?” He dismounted and strode to the shell of the trailer. He turned in circles, took in the destroyed area and called out a name.

She recognized it as one on the list of arrested men.

Max glared at her. “Tell me what happened.”

She held her breath as he stomped to her and yanked the rope from her feet and hands. “Why didn’t you tell me no one was here and the place had burned to the ground?”

She peered down her nose. “I tried telling you, but you told me in no uncertain terms to shut up. Besides, how am I supposed to know what happened? You tell me, since you seem familiar with the place.”

He helped her from the horse and pointed to the remains of the trailer. “You can’t tell me you weren’t perfectly aware there was a field of pot growing on your property.”

Crossing her arms over her chest and her ankles over each other, she leaned against a tree and relayed the story. Max’s face went from red to purple. She was beginning to worry he might have a stroke. At least it would give her a chance to get away.

He raked his fingers through his hair and stared at the burned-out clearing. “Son-of-a-bitch,” he finally yelled. “That bastard, Snook.” He turned in circles again, seemingly at a loss at what to do next.

“Max, would you please tell me why we’re out here?”

Hands clenched at his sides, he whipped around to face her. “Shut up, Eve. I can’t think with you yammering at me.”

“I’m getting pretty tired of you yelling at me to shut up, Max. Why can’t you tell me what this is all about? Why . . .”

She stopped short when he raced toward her, his hand raised in the air. Her body went into protective mode remembering when her father swung at her. She ducked and his hand struck against the tree trunk. The crunch of broken bones turned her stomach, and his, anguished howl sent shivers down her spine. Without looking back, she took off toward the woods, glad now she wore sneakers instead of boots. If he broke enough bones in his hand, maybe the pain would keep him from following and she could get away.

The crazed look in his eyes when he swung at her burned in her brain. She ran faster, but was no match for his long legs. His labored breath echoed in her ears.

Eve had nearly reached the edge of the woods, when a yank on her hair tossed her face first onto the ground. She grasped at the grass trying to scramble away. Max rolled her over and straddled her waist, cradling his damaged hand against his chest. Eve pushed at him and bucked her hips trying to dislodge his heavy weight. She punched at his bad hand and brought her knees into his back.

“Dammit, Max. Get off me,” she said through clenched teeth. “What the hell is going on? I thought we were friends.” He put his uninjured hand on her breast. She slapped it away. “Stop that! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Taking what you’ve been giving your lover boy. What should be mine.”

Eve shook her head. “I was never yours, Max. I love him. I don’t love you.”

“I knew the bastard would be trouble the first time I set eyes on him.” He squeezed her breast harder. “I could compromise you and make you marry me.”

She would have laughed if his eyes weren’t moving wildly over her breasts and his hand squeezing hard enough to make her eyes water. “Are you serious? What century are you living in? What you’re thinking about doing is rape. And these days, no one forces anyone into marriage.”

A female chuckle came out of the range of Eve’s vision. “Are you sure, Eve? Seems like I forced Denton to marry me, didn’t I?”

Eve looked up to find Marie standing at her shoulder, pointing a gun at her head.

“Get off her, Max. No one is going to compromise anyone,” she said in a sarcastic voice. “However, you
will
marry Max. Now get up.”

“Shit.” Eve grimaced when he gave her breast one last squeeze before rolling his heavy body from her. Her lungs burned and ribs hurt as she took in a breath of air.

“Max, get the papers for her to sign and have Snook come out here to perform the marriage.”

More confused than ever, Eve got to her feet and stared at the couple. “Marriage? Are you two getting married?” She rubbed her hands over her sore ribs. “And what makes you think Snook can perform a wedding?”

“Uh, Marie. We have a little problem. Take a look.” He pointed to the trailer’s skeleton.

“Shut the hell up, Max,” Nostrils flaring, Marie briefly took her eyes from Eve, but kept the gun directed at her.

Before Eve could take advantage of Marie’s distraction, she turned her attention back to Eve and chuckled. “Oh, it wouldn’t be legal, but we only need something on paper to make it seem legal.”

Eve slammed her hands one her hips. “Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on? Are you part of the drug ring?”