Shades of Ménage : A Dystopian Romance Ménage & Post Catastrophic Romance Ménage Boxed Set Series - Ultimate Four-Book Collection (23 page)

She knew she wasn’t thinking straight, but she couldn’t stay trapped in here not knowing who was up there.

“
If we got away, they’d hunt us down within hours. We’d never be able to make it to the farm.” His voice was so cool and calm. It made her even more nervous. “We stay put, Callie. We don’t know how long he’s been there. Could be minutes. Maybe I saw him before he could get a glimpse of me. If that’s the case and we go out there, or if we close this back door he’ll know we’re here for sure, and he’ll know we know he’s here. It’ll be dark soon. Then I’ll slip out—”

“
You’re not going out there!”

“
I have to see what we’re up against. It could just be a hunter.”

“
That’s what I’m afraid of,” she admitted.

He reached out and slid his arm around her waist pulling her close.

“
Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Despite his words, she read the worry in his eyes. He was thinking the same thing she was thinking. More than one man could be up there. And if they were, they wouldn’t waste too much time in coming down to claim her.

* * * * *

It seemed to take forever for the sun to set as Luke peered out the back door watching for any sign of movement. He hadn’t seen a thing since that one metallic glint earlier.

Maybe he’d been mistaken?

Maybe it had just been a reflection off an old pop can or something.

Or maybe someone really was up there.

“
Check how many bullets we have for the guns, would you?” he said to Callie who’d quickly gotten dressed and now looked as if she might bolt at a moment’s notice.

“
There’s two packages of bullets for my gun buried in the flour canister,” she said quietly.

“
Hmm, I guess that’s what I must have sunk my teeth into the last time I ate some of your home-baked bread.”

His attempt at humor rewarded him with a stony smile. His gut clenched as he realized that god-awful hunted look was back in her eyes.

“
Sorry—just trying to see that pretty smile of yours. I kind of got used to it over the past few days.”

“
That’s because I let my guard down. It won’t happen again,” the steeliness in her voice rattled him.

He didn’t want her to be this way. Cold and bitter. Looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life. It was no way to live. When they got out of this mess he needed to think of something to bring back the old, carefree Callie, and if she didn’t agree to the Claiming, he needed to find another way to keep her safe and protected.

“
How are we for food?” he asked.

He’d expected her to go look through the cupboards and do an inventory. It was a desperate attempt to keep her occupied.

His attempt didn’t work. She didn’t move from his side.

“
Aside from a few days worth of canned food in here, I’ve got one week of cans that the preacher brought me. I buried it in a hole in the backyard.”

The backyard which was in full view of whoever might be up there. He sighed wearily and glanced back up at the quickly darkening cliffs, half expecting movement.

He saw nothing.

Impatience gnawed at him.

If they knew there was a woman down here, they wouldn’t wait long. They would come in tonight.

“
It’s dark enough now. I’m going up there,” he said and reached for the gun he kept nestled against the small of his back.

“
We discussed this already,” Callie hissed.

“
No, you discussed it. I didn’t agree.”

“
Luke, no.” She grabbed a hold of his arm and held on so tight he grimaced at the pain of her fingernails digging into his flesh.

Fear flashed brightly in her eyes and he ached for her.

“
Callie, listen to me. I just want to go up and scout around. Maybe I didn’t see what I thought I saw. If that’s the case it’ll save us a lot of anguish. We can’t sit around here and wait for help. My brothers are obviously not coming. The preacher isn’t coming either. I have to go and see what we’re up against. In the meantime I want you to lock yourself inside the cabin and keep both guns.”

He made an attempt to hand her his gun and she pushed it away.

“
No! You’re not going up there unarmed. If you go. I go with you.”

“
C’mon, Callie. Don’t make this hard for me.”

“
Screw you,” she spat and raced over to the kitchen counter.

Lifting the lid to the flour canister, she dug out two flour-covered boxes of bullets and shoved one box in each of her back jean pockets.

When she reached his side again, she had her gun firmly in one hand and a butcher knife clenched in the other.

His gut twisted at the sight. It was the same knife she’d said she would have used on herself the night he’d first come to the cabin and taken away her gun.

“
Ready?” she asked him, determination flaring in her blue eyes.

“
Can we argue about this?”

“
No.”

Shit!

“
Okay, just stay close to me and do as I say.”

She tilted her head slightly in a most endearing way. “Don’t I always?”

He almost laughed but stifled the urge. There were more important things to do right now than to afford himself the luxury of laughing.

* * * * *

The cabin and the surroundings were in almost complete darkness when they sprinted to the cliffs. She half expected to hear the zing of a bullet and see Luke fall to the ground, but nothing happened. As they reached the rocks, pure adrenalin raced through her making her want to sprint up the trail and come out on top shooting at anything that moved. She would have, too, if Luke hadn’t been here with her.

Luke pointed to the eastern horizon where she noted the full moon shining through the trees.

“
We’re going to have to move fast before that moon clears the trees and catches us in the open,” Luke whispered.

She nodded and followed closely behind him as they ascended the dark track that would ultimately lead to the lookout where she’d enjoyed her time alone just this morning.

Gosh, it had been a close call.

What if the person or persons had come along this morning while she’d been up there?

She would have been in big trouble as she’d sat there debating whether to tell Luke her secrets. Anyone could have snuck up on her. As she’d told Luke earlier, she’d let her guard down over the past days. She couldn’t allow that to happen again.

Her fingers tightened around the gun and the knife, and she trudged silently through the cool darkness.

They were almost to the top when she noted Luke’s pace had slowed significantly. It was a good thing they hadn’t tried to make a run for it. He was hurting more than he’d let on, and she wished she could call a halt to this insanity of coming up here. But the moon was rising steadily and it wouldn’t be too long before everything became illuminated.

The urge to grab him and pull him back down to the safety of the cabin was so great she almost did it. But then they hit the crest of the cliff and Luke halted.

A cool breeze blew against her making her shiver as she looked around. Up here the moon-glow had already arrived. Everything was illuminated in an eerie blue glaze that sent shivers rippling up her spine.

“
Look,” Luke whispered.

She followed his pointing finger and barely made out the lone silhouette of someone sitting with his back against a gnarled pine tree, about thirty feet away. The intruder was facing the area where their cabin was located but his baseball cap was pulled over his eyes as if he were asleep. She didn’t miss the rifle cradled in his arms.

Luke had been right. Someone was up here.

“
I’m going over to pay our friend a visit,” he whispered. “You stay here and cover me. If he moves…shoot him.”

Before Callie could mount a protest, Luke had disappeared into the shadows.

* * * * *

Luke gently placed the open end of his pistol to the stranger’s neck.

“
Not one move, mister,” he hissed.

The stranger didn’t so much as flinch, and for a heart-stopping moment Luke imagined he might be dead.

Then he spoke.

“
How’s the shoulder doing?”

Luke tensed as he recognized the voice of Seth Barlow, the man who’d shot him.

“
What are you doing here, Barlow? This is Outlaw land.”

Barlow tilted the brim of his baseball hat off his forehead and smirked, “Noticed you’ve shacked yourself up with an unclaimed woman. Callie Callahan, if memory serves me correctly.”

Dread ripped through him. He’d seen Callie.

“
Hand over the rifle.”

Barlow hesitated a moment, and Luke prepared for a fight. Then the man lifted the butt-end of the rifle and Luke quickly snatched it away.

He pressed his gun harder against the top of Barlow’s head.

“
I asked you a question, Barlow. What do you want?”

“
Been scouting around.”

“
Why?”

“
We’re considering expanding our empire. We’ve got plans for your land, and your brother Tyler’s land.”

Barlow’s blue eyes gleamed with amusement as he waited for Luke’s reaction.

“
Our contract says no foreclosure unless we miss two payments. We haven’t missed any. You have no rights to our land. Get out of here. Don’t come back.”

“
There’s talk about an offer. You want to hear it?”

“
No.”

“
Even if we considered telling you where your brother Tyler is?”

Son of a bitch!

“
You tell me where he is right now and I’ll sign over my land when I have him back here safe and sound. You’ll have to talk to Tyler about acquiring his property. If I remember correctly it’s paid for.”

Barlow pursed his lips. “Your brother is one tough nut to crack. He’s already refused any deal regarding his land.”

“
Can’t say I blame him.”

The urge to strangle the whereabouts of his brother out of Barlow was so great that he almost did it, but Barlow didn’t give him a chance.

Before Luke could so much as blink, Seth knocked the rifle out of Luke’s hands and crashed shoulder first into his injured shoulder.

Pain exploded through him.

His legs gave out and he careened to the rocky ground.

The barrel of the Barlow’s rifle kissed his forehead.

“
You should know by now no one says no to a Barlow. Not even an Outlaw. When we want something, we always get it. And right now I want that pretty little lady you got stashed away down in that cabin. Once I’m finished with you, I’ll be paying her a visit.”

A gunshot blast shattered the night and Barlow’s eyes widened in the moonlight.

A split second later he toppled over, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

“
Luke? Are you all right?” Callie called shakily as she raced toward him.

“
I’m fine.”

“
Is he dead? Who is he? I saw him grab the rifle away from you…” She stopped mid-sentence and recognition rolled into her eyes.

“
It’s a Barlow.”

“
Don’t be frightened, Callie.”

She didn’t say anything as she stared down at the body. With a bullet hole in his upper left back and barely any blood spewing, he’d have to say Callie shot him square through the heart.