Chapter Twenty-one
The knock at the doorrattled Cole. His eyes flicked from Wade to the man he’d referred to as Duke and back to Wade again.
“Up.” He gestured at Wade.
Wade didn’t move, not right away. “It’s more likely one of your men than mine.” Cole hadn’t brought that many, maybe six or seven from what Wade had counted when he’d looked over Cole’s shoulder into the darkened yard earlier. But they’d caught the entire ranch by surprise, and all of Wade’s men had been out in the open, whether here or out in the pastures, where they’d already rounded up the men on watch.
They all waited in the barn now, holding the ranch hands in one place. Wade almost hoped it was one of Cole’s men at the door, bruised and bloody. He hoped Kristiansen or Stewart or anyone gave them a hard time.
“It’s not a request, brother.” Cole’s voice lowered into a growl.
Wade rose. It was best to get it over with. At least the presence of whomever was at the door bought him some time. He needed to figure out how to get out of signing that document—without finding himself shot.
He reached the door and placed his hand on the knob. Duke stood behind him, revolver drawn, as did the third man—a short but brawny blond fellow—Cole had brought with him inside. Wade glanced back at his little brother, all sharp angles and cool anger in the lamplight. Cole rested a hand on the handle of the pistol he wore in a holster and nodded.
Wade said a quick prayer and opened the door slowly.
His heart fell into his boots.
He didn’t dare say her name, didn’t dare do anything to indicate who she was to him. He stood there, staring at the determined expression on her sweet face, and wondering why she hadn’t been on that train. He wanted to tell her to run. To go as fast as she could, but that would probably end in both of them being shot.
“Well, invite the lady in,” Cole drawled from behind Wade.
Hazel’s eyes flicked to Wade’s brother. A touch of fear raced across her face, but she didn’t seem surprised to see Cole or the others behind him. Instead, she raised her chin as if she’d expected them to be here.
“I don’t wish to come in, thank you, but I’d prefer my husband come out here to speak with me.”
Wade tightened his grip on the doorknob. Hazel had shown bravery plenty of times before, but this . . . He couldn’t decide if it was courage or insanity.
Cole laughed, as if Hazel somehow amused him. Then he stopped abruptly. “Bring her inside, gentlemen.”
In an instant, Duke had pressed himself between Wade and the doorway. He reached out and grabbed hold of Hazel’s arm, proceeding to pull her inside. Hazel shrieked with the sudden movement, her strong expression wiped away completely as her eyes went wide.
The terrified sound of her voice awoke something primitive inside Wade. He wanted to take hold of Duke and tear him apart. “Get your hands off her.” He lunged forward toward the man.
But two hands wrapped around his arms and pulled him backward, yanked him so hard he fell to the floor. His elbows struck the wooden boards, but Wade hardly noticed the pain that shot up each arm. He hardly noticed the broad, blond man standing over him and training his pistol right at Wade’s heart. He didn’t see anything but Hazel.
If they hurt her, he’d see each of them dead—his brother included. And he didn’t much care what happened to himself in the process.
Hazel went still as her eyes took in Wade on the floor with the blond man keeping him there at gunpoint. She stopped fighting Duke, but as he led her to one of the chairs at the kitchen table, she yanked her arm from his grasp with an indignant look that could have melted candle wax.
