The problem with riding and moving cattle was that it gave him too much time to think. To avoid reliving Autumn’s kiss, he went back in time to when Jenny went missing. The medical examiner, Dr. Trina Edwards, had mentioned his sister had been well nourished and otherwise healthy prior to her murder. No sign of torture or mistreatment. Did that mean Jenny wasn’t aware that she was being held solely for her baby? Or had she given up all hope of fighting back?
He wished he knew where she’d been staying during the five months prior to delivering her baby. Or where her baby was now, or if the task force would ever find the missing Mia.
It was troubling to know there were likely other young pregnant women being held against their will.
How many? Five? Ten? More than that?
How big of an operation was this, anyway?
Jordan dug his heels into Durango’s side, forcing the horse into a trot to cut off a cow that had bolted away from the herd. Durango shook his head and whinnied, quickly forcing the stubborn animal to turn around to join the rest. He squeezed his knees tightly in the saddle so Durango wouldn’t try to buck him off.
The horse didn’t like cattle. At times, he couldn’t blame the stallion. This was where having a cattle dog would come in handy. Someday, Cutie would take on the role of chasing wayward cows back to the herd.
He hoped.
The hours passed faster than he’d anticipated. When he had the cattle safely tucked into the south pasture, he secured the gate and watched them for a moment. Hopefully, beef prices would rise and he’d have enough cash flow to last him through the rest of the year.
If they didn’t? Well, he could use Durango as a stud horse again. Thankfully, there were plenty of ranches out there who would pay the stud fee without quibbling. As he’d told Shiloh eighteen months ago, selling the ranch was not an option.
He was determined to make a go of it, no matter what. He’d work longer hours if needed. Find more sources of income, like getting chickens, maybe selling eggs. The ranch was his legacy, handed down by his father, and his grandfather before that. An inheritance he wished he’d been able to share with Jenny.
The thought made him more determined than ever to provide a loving home for Jenny’s daughter.
Heaving a sigh, he climbed back into the saddle, wheeled Durango around and cantered back to the ranch. For the first time in years, he had someone waiting for him.
Autumn hadn’t called, which made him think she hadn’t yet found her guy with the dagger tattoo.
He slowed Durango to a walk, giving the stallion some time to cool off. A car moving down the driveway straight toward his ranch house caught his gaze. He frowned when he realized the car was a black sedan.
The shooter? He was stunned. Had the guy really returned so quickly and without the cover of darkness? That seemed impossible, but then again, the attacks were escalating. He used the reins to turn Durango toward the road, reaching back for the shotgun. Before he could draw the weapon from the pack behind him, the driver abruptly stopped, lowered the window and pointed a gun toward him.
No! Jordan hastily pulled back on the reins, trying desperately to turn Durango away from the threat as a sharp crack of gunfire split the air.
Durango let out a scream, rearing up on his hind legs, front hooves pawing the air. It was all Jordan could do to stay seated, fighting for control of his horse.
Then Durango dropped onto all fours, spun and bolted toward the corral. Rather than veering off to go around back to the cattle pasture as he’d expected, the stallion gathered himself and jumped the fence, kicking his back legs high as he did so. It was a move he hadn’t anticipated and was jarring enough to send Jordan flying off the horse.
For long seconds he sailed through the air until he landed on the half-frozen earth hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs.
Dazed, he stared at the cloudy sky, struggling to breathe. In the dim recess of his mind, he heard the car engine fade away.
Then there was nothing but darkness.
THIRTEEN
“Jordan!” The sound of gunfire had pulled her from the computer. Autumn had jumped up and bolted outside with her weapon gripped in two hands, searching for the source of the threat. Seeing the black car speeding away, she fired two rounds at the vehicle. She thought she heard the metallic ping of bullet hitting metal.
Yet, she must have missed as the car disappeared.
She turned, scanning the area. Had Jordan been hit? When she spotted him lying on the ground in a heap, her heart lodged in her throat.
“Jordan!” Sprinting toward him, she almost cried out in relief when he groaned. She holstered her weapon and raked her gaze over him, searching for blood. Dropping to her knees beside him, she ran her hands over his torso but didn’t find a gunshot wound. There wasn’t any blood that she could see on his arms or legs, either. “Where are you hit?”
He groaned again and rolled away from her. “Fell.” His voice was a harsh croak.
He fell? Glancing up, she noticed the beautiful dark brown horse standing in the corral with a saddle on his back. She dimly realized the gunfire had spooked the horse, causing Jordan to be thrown off.
A wave of guilt hit hard. This was her fault. She’d known it was only a matter of time until the shooter hurt Jordan. The only good news was that he hadn’t been shot. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Can you stand? If you can make it to the SUV, I’ll take you to the Canyon Creek Medical Center.”
