Born to Be a Cowboy Read online

  He grabbed his rifle and was out of his truck in an instant.

  Despite the rain battering the trees and pounding the earth, he could make out the rumble of a man’s voice somewhere nearby.

  Moving quickly through the tangle of tree branches, he caught sight of shadowy figures disappearing behind the shack.

  Before he could reach them he heard a woman’s scream, and then a man’s grunt of pain. As he began running toward them, the unmistakable sound of a gunshot reverberated through the night.

  Finn’s heart stopped, and for a moment he nearly went down on his knees with the realization of what he’d heard. He was too late.

  In his mind he could see the monster, Wayne Stone, shooting Jessie and her aunt, and throwing their bodies in a shallow grave.

  Just then Jessie’s voice rang out, urging her aunt to run.

  A feeling of relief poured through Finn. He’d been given another chance. And then a wave of anger, so deep, so dark, took over his mind. His blood froze to ice in his veins, and he knew what he had to do. If necessary he would sacrifice his own life for Jessie.

  His heart was pounding as he rounded the back of the shack and took in the terrifying scene.

  Jessie and her aunt were lying in the wet grass. A man stood over them, taking aim with a pistol.

  Jessie was alive. The knowledge that he was so close gave him a surge of confidence.

  “Drop the gun, Stone.”

  Wayne’s head whipped around, his eyes wide with surprise.

  Instead of doing as he’d ordered, Wayne merely stood his ground. “You picked the wrong time to be out riding, cowboy. I give the orders around here. And unless you drop that rifle and kick it over here right this minute, I’ll pull the trigger. I may not be able to kill both of these whiny little troublemakers, but you can bet one of them will be dead before you can get off a single shot.”

  “Don’t listen to him, Finn.” Jessie’s voice came out in a sob.

  “Finn?” Wayne blinked against the pouring rain. “Oh, this is too good.” He waved his pistol. “One of the Monroe brothers decided to be a hero?”

  His tone suddenly changed to a hiss of absolute fury. “Now you listen, hero. I’ll only say this one time. Do as I say or your pretty little lover won’t be so pretty with a bullet in her head. Drop your weapon now, and kick it over here.”

  While Jessie and Nola watched with matching looks of despair, Finn did as Wayne ordered, tossing down his rifle and kicking it toward Wayne, who scooped it up before taking aim with his pistol.

  Wayne’s face contorted in rage. And then he pulled the trigger.

  Finn was too shocked to react, and suddenly he felt his arm drop uselessly to his side as a spurt of blood gushed from the bullet wound, staining his shirt in ever-widening circles. As the bullet slammed into him, he gave a hiss of pain and pressed his hand to his bicep, hoping to stem the flow of blood.

  “Now you know I mean business. That little gunshot is in retaliation for what your stupid lover did to me. Only she wasn’t aiming for my arm. She was hoping to kill me, but she’s a lousy shot.”

  Finn absorbed a quick jolt of pride at Jessie’s determination. She wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

  And neither was he.

  Wayne waved his pistol. “Walk ahead of us, Monroe.”

  Struggling against the pain, Finn’s eyes narrowed on the man. “Where to?”

  “To my mansion.” Wayne kicked Jessie. “Get up, woman. That little trick you tried to pull will cost you.” He waited until Jessie, tethered to her aunt, helped Nola to her feet. As the two women followed Finn toward the door of the shack, Wayne trailed behind, his pistol aimed and ready.

  Once inside he ordered Finn to lie on the floor, where, ignoring the blood streaming from his own wound, he bound Finn’s wrists and ankles.

  Next he dragged the two women across the room, pushing them down on the filthy rug before binding their ankles.

  When Wayne had assured himself that all three were rendered incapable of escaping, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around his arm to staunch the blood. And all the while he cursed Jessie for causing him so much pain.

  “I should have known you’d try something stupid.” He glared at the two women. “But now, I’ll have my revenge.”

  He walked outside and returned carrying a container of gasoline.

  The sight of it had Nola gasping aloud.

  Hearing it, Wayne’s eyes narrowed on her. “I’d planned a slow death for you by poison, Nolinda. But the meddling of your tiresome niece has me changing my plans.”

  While his three prisoners watched helplessly, he circled the room pouring gasoline along all four walls.

  He began to chuckle. “Now the fun begins.”

  He removed the handcuffs from Nola and Jessie and bound them together with rope.

  “Wouldn’t want to waste a good pair of cuffs,” he muttered. “Besides, years from now, when some cowboy stumbles on your ashes, there won’t be any suggestion of foul play. The authorities will just figure some hikers, or some down-and-out trail bums got caught in a storm, and a fire caused by lightning took them out of this world. With any luck, it could be years before anybody comes this way. In the meantime the authorities will give up the search for you, and you’ll become just another cold case.”

  “How will you explain the loss of your wife without a body?” Jessie cried.

  He merely smiled. “You heard me tell my new best friends, Police Chief Frank and bank manager Mike that the little woman and I would be going off for an extended honeymoon around the world. By the time I return, Nolinda will have taken sick in some faraway land, and I’ll be a broken-hearted widower.”

  Finn spoke up. “Even if it’s in another country, when you return, the authorities will want proof of your wife’s death.”

  Wayne threw back his head and laughed. “I’ve got friends who can give me whatever documents I want, including a death certificate. That’s how I’ve been able to live in comfort all these years, thanks to the goodness of all my poor, deceased wives. And it will be time for me to begin another identity.”

  For good measure he tossed the last of the gasoline around the door before stepping out into the night.

  “Sorry I can’t stick around to watch the fireworks. But I can guarantee that you three will have a hot time tonight.”

  Laughing at his little joke, he tossed a match and watched as a trail of flame began licking its way along the wall.

  He slammed the door shut.

  Inside the cabin they could hear the growling of Wayne’s truck, overloud at first, then growing softer as he made his escape into the depths of the forest.

  And then, with the storm breaking overhead, all they could hear was the sound of the flames and the smell of gasoline as the fire began to feed on the rotten wood of the old cabin. Even the rain battering the roof couldn’t douse the flames inside the cabin as the fire began to burn out of control.

  Ben spoke into his cell phone. “Dad, I’m turning on my flashers so you and the others can spot my vehicle in this rain. I’m on a dirt trail on the northernmost edge of these woods. That’s where Finn said he was before his phone suddenly went silent.”

  Mac slowed his truck and signaled for his passengers to keep an eye out. Within minutes Roscoe pointed, and Mac said, “We’re coming up behind you, son.”

  “What about Sam?” Ben asked.

  A truck’s lights could be seen deep in the woods. “He’s just south of us. I’ll let him know where we are.”

  “I’ll call him.” Mary Pat was already dialing on her phone.

  Hearing the sound of a helicopter overhead, Mac said, “I thought the state police copter was grounded.”

  “It was, during the worst of the storm. Once it blew over their area, they were airborne.” Ben glanced skyward and could make out the sweep of light as the police used powerful searchlights to scan the forest.

  Ben continued, “Since I don’t have any b
etter information, I say we try to find where Finn went.”

  Spotting Sam’s headlights breaking free of the woods and coming up behind him, Mac called, “All right, Ben. We’re all here now. You lead the way and we’ll follow.”

  As their convoy began to move carefully through the dense forest, hoping to spot Finn’s tracks, they heard the sound of an explosion so powerful, the earth trembled beneath their vehicles.

  “Thunder?” Mary Pat asked.

  Just then the night sky lit up with a fireball that could be seen for miles.

  “Not thunder.” Mac’s voice was tight with the horror of what they could all see. “God in heaven. An explosion.”

  “Finn.” Jessie’s voice was choked. “I want you to know how sorry I am that I brought you into this.”

  “I don’t understand.” Her aunt’s voice was rough and scratchy from the smoke. “Who is Finn?”

  “My lawyer.” Jessie felt tears well up and spill over. “At least that’s all he was when I first hired him. But now he’s the love of my life.”

  “Love?” Nola struggled to see the stranger who would have her niece saying such a thing.

  Finn gritted his teeth against the pain of the bullet wound. “You need to know that my only regret is that I couldn’t save you, Jessie. But I’d have gladly given my life in exchange for yours. I love you, baby.”

  The cabin was enveloped in a cloud of smoke so thick it was impossible to see across the room.

  The earth shuddered beneath them, and they were tossed about like rag dolls.

  Finn, his eyes glazed with pain, managed to push himself close enough to the women to see them struggling to free themselves.

  Jessie gave a cry of helpless fury. “It’s no use. I can’t budge these ropes.”

  “Maybe I can.” Forcing himself to endure the intense heat, Finn dug in his heels and backed up to the wall, gritting his teeth as the flames burned through the bindings, scorching his flesh with pain so deep it had him nearly losing consciousness. But he knew that their only salvation now was to escape before this old cabin collapsed in on itself. Already the flames were licking up the wall and quickly consuming the roof.

  Flaming timbers began falling around them.

  With his wrists free, Finn grabbed a burning piece of wood and, ignoring the pain to his hands, used it to free his ankles before turning to the women.

  As he tore away the ropes binding their wrists and ankles, a portion of the roof collapsed, sending up a spray of embers as the fire raged out of control.

  Finn grabbed Jessie’s arm. “Can you stand?”

  With his help she got to her feet and reached for her aunt. “She’s too weak to walk, Finn. I’m not leaving without her.”

  “Run. I’ll carry her.” Finn bent and gathered Nola into his arms.

  Seeing his pain as blood flowed from the bullet wound, Jessie wrapped an arm around his waist to lend him her strength. “I’m not going anywhere without the two of you.”

  Just then the flames reached the door of the cabin; the entire wall and door burst into an impenetrable firewall.

  They turned, hoping for another avenue of escape, but the cabin was now consumed with flames and collapsing all around them.

  Jessie’s eyes widened with a look of absolute terror. “There’s no way out of this, Finn.”

  “We’ve come this far. We’re not turning back now.” With a final burst of adrenaline, Finn was able to rise above the excruciating pain from the bullet in his arm and the burns to his flesh. With Nola in his arms he quickly had Jessie wrap and lock her arms around his waist.

  When she stumbled, he paused. “Hold on, baby. No matter what, don’t let go.”

  She got to her feet and held tightly to him as they made a final dash to freedom through the wall of flames and burning door, while timbers crashed and embers singed their hair and clothes.

  As soon as they were a dozen yards away, they dropped to the wet grass. As remnants of adrenaline rushed through their veins, they lay, faces lifted to the rain, coughing and choking from the smoke they’d inhaled.

  Finn turned and gathered Jessie close and held her as shudders tore through her body.

  “Hang on, babe. We made it.”

  “Are we truly safe, Finn?”

  His arms tightened around her. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to let go.

  “We’re safe, Jessie. Safe and together.”

  He wasn’t certain if it was the rain, or the tears from Jessie’s eyes that were running down his face. He knew only that Jessie was alive.

  Alive.

  And for that, he would have a lifetime of gratitude.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  The convoy of vehicles raced toward the fireball lighting up the sky.

  Finn’s family feared the worst as they watched the remnants of a small building collapse to a pile of rubble.

  They jumped out of their trucks and raced toward the blaze. When they caught sight of the figures in the grass, they gathered around, stunned into silence by the realization that Finn, Jessie, and her aunt had made it safely out of that horrible inferno.

  “Mac, there’s so much blood.” Mary Pat was already slipping out of her rain poncho to wrap it around Nola, whose teeth were chattering.

  “Shock is setting in on Nola.” With quiet competence Ben tied a tourniquet around Finn’s bloody arm. “Looks like you took a bullet, bro.”

  Finn hissed in pain and nodded.

  Ben turned to Jessie. “Were you or your aunt shot?”

  “No.” She was holding tightly to both Finn and Nola, as though afraid to let go or they’d disappear. “But Aunt Nola is very weak from her confinement and because of the poison she was forced to ingest.”

  “Poison? You know that for a fact?” Ben’s hand was at Nola’s forehead, searching for signs of a fever. “Are you certain Wayne Stone was poisoning her?”

  “He admitted it before he left us to burn to death.”

  The family gave a collective gasp of alarm.

  “He did this? Has he escaped, or is he in…there?” Ben’s gaze scanned the fiery remains.

  “We heard him leave. If it hadn’t been for Finn, my aunt and I would already be dead.” The minute the words were out of her mouth, the enormity of what they’d just come through began to set in, and Jessie couldn’t stop her body from trembling. “Finn was so brave. Even after Wayne shot him, he kept on fighting for us.”

  “Don’t listen to her.” Through clenched teeth Finn caught his brother’s arm. “I never would have found this shack if Jessie hadn’t made a courageous attempt to escape with her aunt.”

  “You did?” Becca and Penny knelt on either side of Jessie and her aunt, while Penny wrapped Jessie in her jacket.

  “I was desperate. That monster had weakened Aunt Nola until it was impossible for her to get away from him.”

  Nola looked up at the others, her voice rough from smoke and weakness. “Jessie was so brave. But then, that’s always been her way. My wonderful Jessie is a scrapper.”

  The two women fell into one another’s arms and began weeping softly.

  Finn touched a hand to Jessie’s wet cheek, his voice revealing his pride. “Yeah. A scrapper.”

  A line of trucks and police vehicles raced through the woods and came to a shuddering halt.

  As the officers walked toward them, Finn caught sight of Wayne in their midst. But instead of white hair, he now had a shaved head. And the glasses were missing, as well. But it was, without a doubt, the man they’d known as Wayne Stone. The same clothes. The same fierce scowl. This was the man they’d seen in the photo in Nola’s box of treasures. No wonder he’d taken such pains to destroy both the camera and the film.

  “You caught him. We were afraid he’d get clean away.”

  A state police trooper looked confused. “This man is not under arrest. We found him driving in the forest, and he said he’d spotted a fire and was racing to the spot. He’s done nothing wrong.”

  “Noth
ing wrong?” With a burst of strength that had everyone watching in stunned surprise, Finn was on his feet, crossing the distance that separated them. “You expected to be home free when your police escort found us all dead, didn’t you, Stone?”

  He landed a blow to Wayne’s face that had blood spurting from his nose like a fountain.

  With a howl of pain Wayne cupped his hands to his face shouting, “This crazy fool broke my nose. I’ll sue all of you. You have a duty to protect me.”

  When one of the troopers wrapped his beefy arms around Finn, pulling him aside, Sam stepped up to finish what Finn had started. “You tried to kill my brother, you son of a…” He landed a blow to Wayne’s midsection, dropping him to his knees with a grunt of pain.

  The trooper in charge gave a signal, and two of his officers subdued Sam.

  The trooper turned to Ben. “You need to control these people, Chief Monroe, or we could be in trouble.”

  “These ‘people’ are my brothers.”

  “Then be aware. Your brothers just assaulted a man under our protection. This man hasn’t been charged with any crime.”

  “He soon will be.” Ben turned to the two women lying in the grass. “Is this the man who poisoned you, Miss Blair?”

  Nola nodded. “He is. He’s altered his appearance, but I’d know him anywhere.”

  Satisfied, Ben went on to ask, “This is, without a doubt, the man who imprisoned you, and set fire to this cabin before trying to escape?”

  Nola was crying now. “He’s the one.”

  “They’re crazy as loons,” Wayne said. “I know my rights. It’s their word against mine.”

  “And my word, too.” Finn shrugged off the restraining arms of the trooper. “Check his truck. I’m sure you’ll find a white wig there, unless he tossed it out the window. You should find handcuffs as well. And an empty gasoline can.”

  The officer turned to Wayne. “Because of the allegations made, we have to search your truck. Do we have your permission?”

  Wayne gave one last attempt. “No, you do not! Do you know who I am? I’m one of the richest landowners in Montana.”