She gasped.
It was Teal.
Maggie reeled. Between Teal and the burning house, it was like she’d been transported back in time to die with her family.
Teal’s smile was triumphant. “You’re the Dunne girl, the one who got away, the one Sully hired me to kill in the first place, last time I was here.”
His words cut her deeply, removing all doubt. She had caused the death of her family by refusing Sully.
“Good luck on my part,” Teal said. “I was gonna shoot you when you killed Jerry, but then I saw your hair. You’re worth anextra thousand to me alive. Besides, after that stunt your new husband pulled, I might just need you as a hostage before this is all over. The tide seems to have turned.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
She wiped them away… and that’s when she saw Teal’s horse.
Or rather, the horse that Teal was riding. Because that big, beautiful horse could never be Teal’s.
It was Father’s prize stallion. She loved that horse, and he loved her.
“Bastion,” she said.
The magnificent stallion trotted forward, bringing Teal close enough that she could see his scowl when he hauled back on the reins. Then he laughed. “Oh yeah. Guess you would know this horse, wouldn’t you? I got him from your old house. Nice payday, that. This stallion’s worth more than what was in that bank the Weatherspoons hired me to rob, that’s for sure.”
“Bastion, sweetie,” Maggie said, “it’s me, old friend. It’s Maggie.”
Bastion trotted forward.
Teal, more irritated than ever, hollered at the horse, who ignored him, just as he had ignored Father when Maggie was still a mischievous child and would call the horse to her against Father’s will.
“I said whoa,” Teal growled as the horse carried him closer, bringing him within ten yards, five…
“Bastion,” Maggie said, filling her voice with command. “Kick the sky!”
The powerful stallion responded instantly, rearing up suddenly, surprising Teal, who cursed, nearly falling from the saddle.
Maggie yanked the derringer from her dress and rushed forward.
The horse pounded down, jarring Teal again. He leaned hard, almost slipping from the saddle, and his eyes went wide, seeing her extend her arm.
Teal cursed and tried to bring his gun around, but Maggie was on him then, getting close and angling the gun upward so it wouldn’t hurt the horse.
She fired.
Teal screamed and fell hard to the ground with his back to her.
Spewing profanity, he started to rise.
Maggie pushed the two-shot derringer into the back of his skull. “This is for my family,” she said, and pulled the trigger one more time.
CHAPTER 47
Will reached the creek and moved forward cautiously, knowing Sully might be holed up here on the old homestead, hoping to spring an ambush.
Everything was deathly still.
Moonlight showed him the tracks of Sully’s stallion.
Will took his time following them.
