Josh Read online

  “Yeah.” Quinn exchanged a knowing grin with his younger brother. “That’s what I call flying by the seat of your pants. Admit it, Pa,” he teased. “Did you close your eyes like a girl when you touched down?”

  “I raised a couple of smart alecks. Trust me. I knew what I was doing every minute of that landing. I was in complete control.”

  “And pigs fly,” Quinn said with a laugh.

  Cole shrugged off their remarks. “There’ll be time to enjoy your little jokes later. Right now, let’s find Josh and Sierra before that helicopter finds another spot to land.”

  Josh carried Sierra into thick brush. He looked around carefully before depositing her on the ground.

  “This is the safest spot I can think of to keep you hidden.” He knelt beside her. “I’m going to leave you here and head back to find Delray.”

  “No.” She caught his hand and held on to it with both of hers. “Don’t go looking for him, Josh. You know he’ll do everything in his power to see that you’re dead. And this time, he won’t trust a single bullet.”

  “I’m well aware of that. But I have to stop him, Sierra.”

  “Then I’m going with you.” She scooped up a handful of snow and began wiping it over her face in a desperate effort to shock her senses and become more alert.

  Josh lay a hand over hers to still her frantic movements. “Listen to me, Sierra. The sedative will wear off gradually. In the meantime, as long as you stay hidden in here, you’re safe.”

  “I don’t want to be safe if you’re in danger.”

  “But don’t you see? One of us has to survive, to testify to what Sebastian did here. Once he sees that I’m still alive, he’ll realize that he has to eliminate me in order to get away with everything else. And once he follows me, you’ll be free to make your escape.”

  Sierra felt tears spring to her eyes, and she struggled in vain to blink them back. “I can’t bear it if you leave me.”

  Seeing her tears, Josh wiped them with his thumbs before brushing his mouth over hers.

  If only, he thought, they had more time. But he had to move quickly if he hoped to save her from the fate this monster had in store for her.

  “I don’t want to leave you, either. But if we stay together, it will give Delray the perfect opportunity to carry out his plan. By separating, we’ll force him to choose which one to follow. I’m willing to bet that he’ll want to assure himself that I’m dead before he comes looking for you. Especially since he knows you’re still under the influence of the sedative. He believes you’re the easier mark.”

  She began to weep softly, knowing that he was right but wanting with all her heart to keep him with her.

  “There’s one more thing.” Josh kissed her again, as gently as a snowflake. “If you hear gunshots, you have to run in the opposite direction as quickly as you can. No hesitating. No turning back.”

  “Josh…”

  He took up his rifle and got to his feet.

  They both heard the sound of evergreen branches rustling as though caught in a stiff breeze. Before either of them could react, a tall figure stepped into the clearing.

  “Well, now. Conway. I wasn’t expecting to see you.” Sebastian’s brow shot up at the sight of Josh.

  The sound of that accented voice scraped over nerves already stretched to the breaking point.

  “I would have sworn that I’d put that bullet straight through your heart.”

  Josh stood facing him, his eyes as dark and dangerous as the ones staring him down. “Looks like you missed.”

  Sebastian lifted his pistol and took aim. “Trust me. I’m an excellent shot. And I have no intention of missing a second time.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Big Jim stared around at the snow-covered terrain. “Has anybody spotted any sign of life out there?”

  “We just got here,” Quinn explained. “I think we ought to fan out and start searching. But first we need to arrange a signal in case we locate them.”

  “Right.” Cole paused when his cell phone rang.

  Reaching into his pocket he withdrew it and said, “Everett. Where are you guys?”

  He listened, then relayed the chief’s words to the others. “The state troopers have picked up a cell phone signal that had previously been blocked by the storm. They’re currently tracking it, but until they narrow down the exact location, they can give us the general vicinity.”

  He listened again, then nodded before signing off. “Thanks, Everett. Get back to us with the information as soon as you can. In the meantime, we’ll start climbing toward the last place you identified. You’ll see my Cessna on the Wolf River Plateau.”

  The others heard the chief’s exclamation, and saw Cole break into a smile. “Yeah, that’s what I said. It was a tight fit, but I landed that son of a—” He glanced at Cheyenne and finished lamely, “—landed on the plateau. I’d say somebody upstairs was looking out for us.”

  He tucked his phone in his breast pocket and turned to the others. “The state boys will hone in on that signal, but for now we’re climbing to that tree line up there. We’re not certain who’s up there, but it’s our best hope.” He hefted his rifle to his shoulder. “One shot means one of them has been found. Two shots means both Josh and Sierra have been found.”

  “And what if we hear three shots?” Quinn asked.

  “Then we start running towards it full speed ahead, ’cause it can only mean trouble.”

  Without a word they fell into step and began the upward hike.

  Josh faced Sebastian’s gun without flinching.

  Sebastian’s face was contorted with wild-eyed fury. It was obvious that things weren’t going the way he’d planned, and now that his carefully arranged abduction was falling apart, he was becoming enraged and desperate.

  That, Josh thought, could be a blessing or a curse. Sebastian could simply kill them quickly. Or, with any luck, he could become careless.

  Josh intended to watch for any crack in this man’s cool façade, which could give him the opportunity to take him down.

  Sebastian waved his pistol. “Drop your weapon.”

  For a fraction of a second Josh’s finger hovered on the trigger, and he briefly considered a shootout before discarding the idea. Not because he was afraid he could lose, but because Sierra would be caught in the cross fire. His only thought now was protecting her.

  Keeping his eyes steady on Sebastian, he allowed the weapon to drop to his feet.

  Sebastian vented his pent-up fury on the object of his obsession, the woman who lay in the snow. “You dared to defy me yet again? For that, Sierra my love, you’ll pay dearly.”

  “What will you do?” She struggled to focus her blurred vision. “Kill me twice?”

  At her bold sarcasm, Sebastian swore and started toward her, propelled by a blinding rage as he brought his booted foot back backward, determined to deliver a painful blow.

  Using that momentary distraction, Josh launched himself against Sebastian, taking him down.

  The pistol fell from Sebastian’s hand as Josh brought his fist into Sebastian’s midsection, causing him to wheeze out a breath before landing a blow to Josh’s jaw.

  Josh shook his head to clear the stars, then smashed a fist into Sebastian’s nose, sending up a fountain of blood.

  Enraged, Sebastian reared back and kicked Josh so hard he fell backward into a snow bank. Before he could clear his head Sebastian was on him like a vicious dog, pummeling him with his fists.

  Josh knew he had to end this soon, before his strength ebbed, and all the effort he and Sierra had put into escaping would be for nothing.

  Sebastian reared back, ready to deliver a killing blow when there was a thud, and he suddenly seemed to stiffen before falling forward.

  Josh scrambled out of the way as Sebastian slumped into the snow and lay perfectly still. When Josh looked beyond the unconscious figure, he saw Sierra standing over him.

  “What did you…?”

  She lifted h
is rifle, which she’d used as a club. “I just grabbed the first thing I could find and hoped I hit my mark. I’m not even sure what I hit.”

  “His head, from the looks of him.” Josh’s smile was radiant as he studied her pale face. “Good girl. Thank heaven. My sweet, brave Sier—”

  He was reaching for the rifle just as a shot rang out. He felt his arm drop to his side, while blood spurted like a fountain and flowed down the sleeve of his parka.

  Only then did he feel the pain radiating from the bullet that had rendered his arm useless.

  He and Sierra were stunned to see Sebastian on his knees in the snow. In his hand was his pistol. On his face was a look of black, blinding rage.

  “Just a little reminder that I’m still in charge, and I’m a crack shot. I missed your heart on purpose this time. I’ve decided that I’m going to enjoy killing you a little bit at a time. All for my pleasure, of course.”

  Sebastian made a bow toward Sierra as he got slowly to his feet. “And also because I know hurting him will add considerably to your pain, Sierra, my love.”

  He took deliberate aim and shot Josh in the leg.

  As if in slow motion Josh felt his leg fail him just before he dropped to the ground.

  Sebastian stood over him with a chilling smile. “Now that’s more like it. I believe I’m going to enjoy this a great deal more than I’d expected.”

  With a cry Sierra started crawling toward Sebastian, determined to stop him.

  He calmly lifted the pistol. “Every time you defy me, I’ll make your lover pay with more pain.”

  He was pleased to see that his words had the desired effect. His threat had Sierra slumping weakly into the snow.

  Sebastian took aim again, this time at Josh’s midsection. “I should warn you. This will result in a fatal loss of blood, but it will happen slowly, so that long before you die, you’ll be begging me to end your life and put you out of your misery. I’ll only comply, of course, if Sierra is willing to beg.” He shot a quick glance at Sierra. “What do you think, Sierra, my—”

  His words died on his lips when he saw her leaning weakly against the trunk of a tree, holding Josh’s rifle aimed directly at him.

  He threw back his head and laughed at the sight. “How pathetic. Do you really believe, when you’re too weak to even stand, and still blind from the sedative, that you can manage to shoot that thing and actually hit anything?”

  Her teeth were chattering so hard, she could barely get the words out. “Put down your pistol, Sebastian, or I’ll have no choice.”

  He laughed harder and turned, taking aim once more at Josh. “Remember that you brought this on yourself. Say good-bye to your cowboy, Sierra, my love.”

  A single shot rang out, which seemed to echo and re-echo across the hills.

  Cole’s head came up sharply. “Dear God. That was a third shot.”

  At the first shot he’d started toward the thicket, with Big Jim close behind. Now they were both racing as fast as their legs could carry them.

  Quinn, Cheyenne, and Jake, who had heard the first two shots and had changed direction, came barreling into the forest from the opposite side.

  Directly overhead they could hear the drone of a helicopter, and prayed it wasn’t Sebastian’s associate. As it descended, the whirling blades flattened the trees and sent snow flying everywhere, nearly blinding them.

  As quickly as it landed, Chief Everett Fletcher and several state police officers were swarming from the helicopter and racing toward the thicket.

  When they arrived at the clearing, they found blood splattered across the ground, its crimson stain against the stark white snow causing their hearts to plummet.

  Josh was lying in a pool of blood, with Sierra kneeling beside him. Not far away Sebastian lay still, as blood slowly spilled from the front of his parka.

  “Josh.” It was the only word Cole could manage as he dropped to his knees beside his son and felt for a pulse.

  Finding it, he sat back on his heels and said to the others, “He’s alive.”

  There was a collective sigh at his words.

  “He’s been shot.” Sierra barely looked up as she continued tearing her shirt into strips to use as a tourniquet.

  She’d removed her parka in order to get to her shirt. Now, in her haste to bind his wounds, she wasn’t even aware that she was shivering uncontrollably in the snow, clad only in her bra.

  Cheyenne was the first to collect her wits. Seeing Sierra’s apparent confusion, she caught the young woman’s hands and eased her into her parka before zipping it up. “Here, honey. You’re freezing?”

  “I am?”

  The others merely gaped at her, aware that she was in a state of shock, but unable to stop her almost manic behavior.

  Josh managed a grin. “Isn’t she… something?”

  Cole clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Yes, she is. And so are you.” He nodded a head toward Sebastian’s still body. “I’m glad you shot the bastard.”

  “Not… me.” Josh could feel himself slipping in and out, and wanted to make his family understand. “Sierra… did it.”

  “Did what?” Jake dropped down beside Cole, before casting a startled glance at Sierra.

  “He’s confused.” Cole squeezed Josh’s hand. “Don’t try to talk now, son. Just lie here and wait for the medics.”

  “Not confused.” Josh found the effort to speak almost more than he could handle. His mouth was refusing to work properly. But his adrenaline was pumping, and he had a need to explain. “Sierra… shot… Sebastian.”

  Sierra seemed dazed as she looked over at Josh. “He’s in a lot of pain.” She looked around wildly. “He needs a doctor. He needs a tourniquet on those wounds. He needs something for pain. Someone get him a doctor. I can’t bear to see him suffering.”

  “The medic’s here.” The police chief quickly took charge, motioning for one of the state officers to fetch a gurney, while another checked Josh’s vitals.

  “Got some nasty gunshot wounds,” the medic said tersely. “Losing a lot of blood. But it appears to be nothing fatal.”

  After giving a thumbs-up, the medic moved to Sebastian’s body, feeling for a pulse. Moments later the officer shook his head, declaring Sebastian dead.

  Chief Fletcher drew in a breath. “Considering the circumstances, we need to evacuate this crime scene and transport everyone to Paintbrush. Josh needs to be treated at the clinic.” He studied Sierra, whose pupils were still dilated. “As does Ms. Moore.”

  “I’m fine.” Her words were slightly slurred. “All I care about is getting someone to help Josh.”

  “I’m sure Doc Walton will take care of those bullet wounds and give him plenty of good drugs,” the chief said dryly. “Then, after everyone’s been taken care of and feeling calm and collected, I’ll get the information I need to fill out the proper documentation.”

  He spoke briefly with the state police, who would remain on-scene and tag all the evidence, before he turned to Cole. “Let’s head to the police copter.”

  Cole shook his head. “Big Jim and I will fly ourselves out.”

  “Not now.” Everett glanced skyward. “The day’s fading. Not a good time to try and take that plane off a plateau with no runway space. You may have had yourself a miracle once, but we’re not tempting fate by trying it again. You’re coming with us. We’ll retrieve your plane tomorrow.”

  Big Jim slapped his son on the back. “The chief’s right. Let’s leave the driving to someone else, Cole. Besides, we need to be with Josh at the clinic.”

  The others nodded in agreement.

  Defeated, Cole agreed.

  The police chief continued giving orders until everyone was herded aboard the police helicopter.

  With a whirr of blades that had snow flying about them wildly, they were soon airborne and heading back to civilization.

  After a lifetime practicing medicine in Wyoming, like her father before her, Dr. April Walton had seen it all. Ranch accidents th
at stole limbs, saloon brawls that left men and even women bloodied and bruised, and gunshot wounds that punctured organs and robbed strong, healthy bodies of the ability to do the simplest things.

  She had the cool, professional demeanor of a healer, and the stern voice of a mother superior.

  She needed both while treating one of the Conways. She’d come to expect a circus of chaos whenever the entire family congregated at her clinic, and this time was no exception.

  An emergency vehicle transported most of the family from the small airport just outside of town to her clinic, where they trooped in and circled the bed in the small examining room. Phoebe and Ela, having been notified by cell phone, arrived with a screech of tires and squeal of brakes in one of the ranch trucks and raced inside to join them. Both of the women took one look at Josh, bloody and bruised, and promptly burst into tears.

  Between the tears and the voices, each one shouting louder than the next, and all of them vying to be heard, it was impossible to maintain any sort of professional decorum.

  Dr. Walton’s voice roared above the din. “You will all wait in the other room. This is a hospital, and you will behave accordingly.”

  “I’m his father.” Cole crossed his arms over his chest, ready to dig in.

  “I’m his grandfather.” Big Jim did the same, looking ready to spar with anyone who dared argue with him.

  “I’m the oldest brother, and I’m not leaving until you tell me how bad it is, Doc.” Quinn planted himself next to the bed.

  “I’m…”

  Before Jake could say another word Dr. Walton silenced him with a look. To the entire group she said sternly, “And I’m the physician in charge, and I say you will all leave the room this minute, or I’ll ring for the police chief to have all of you thrown out and the doors barred.”

  As they fell silent and began filing out, Josh caught Sierra’s hand and held her fast. His grasp was surprisingly strong for someone who’d just been shot.