Page 63 of Stud Ranch

He was fast—he had to be to escape pissed-off bulls. He scrambled around a tree top forked with branches and came to a stop as another appeared through the fog. The thick trunk reached his waist.

Planting his hands on it, he vaulted over it like a gymnast and ran on.

“Dylan!”

He ignored Shaw and continued to barrel through the obstacle course. When he spotted the mountain of mud, his heart slammed into his ribs.

“No!” His bellow didn’t even echo in the dense fog. The sound died in the air and on his lips.

He heard Shaw’s footsteps and the huff of air in his lungs as he came up behind him. Together, they surveyed the apocalyptic landscape.

“I hope she’s on the other side of this.” Shaw latched on to Dylan, looking for support. He felt the man sway and reached out to steady him.

“There aren’t even tire tracks. The mud’s too thick.” The hair on his nape prickled.

“We have to look around.” Shaw’s statement brought a new thunder of fear to Dylan’s already hammering pulse.

If she was here…

“We’ll find her.” Conviction rang in his tone, if not his heart. He threw himself forward with Shaw right behind.

“The mud would have wiped her off the road, down over the side of the mountain. We have to look there.”

Dylan rushed over another treetop that filled the road, ducking under branches and leaping over others. His boot caught and he nearly pitched forward. Shaw grabbed the back of his shirt and kept him from face-planting on a branch.

“I like your face without bruises, Dylan. Try to stay on your feet.”

Nodding, he pushed on. When he reached the other side of the tree, he came up against the huge spill of mud and rock. Trees and entire shrubs projected from the mess.

“We can’t go any farther! Check the side of the mountain!” He stumbled to the edge and peered down. The fog thinned in the ravine, but visibility was still low.

Then he saw a flash of red. The blink of a taillight.

“She’s there!” He didn’t wait for Shaw and started down the mountain, skidding as he skirted the mudslide.

Sure enough, the car Sloane had made her getaway in was there, trapped between a huge tree and a wall of mud that climbed high up the side of the vehicle. It oozed around the back and swallowed the bumper, but one of the taillights was still visible.

The sound of muffled country music came from inside.

Dylan’s heart soared. “I found her! She’s here!” Cupping his hands to his mouth, he bellowed her name until his vocal cords strained.

The low noise of her window lowering almost dropped him to his knees. Then came her cry of response.

“Dylan! Shaw! I’m here! I’m okay!”

Out of nowhere, Shaw grabbed Dylan. He hadn’t even realized how close he was until now. When he looked at his lover’s face and saw the emotion blazing there, he couldn’t stop himself from throwing an arm around him and yanking him close. They were both shaking.

Shaw threw his head back and let out a whoop of joy. “We’re coming for you!”

“We’re never letting her out of our sight again.”

Chapter Fifteen

Shaw adjusted the shower temperature and waited the thirty seconds it typically took for the water to heat up. Sloane stood a few feet away, her muddy clothes stripped off and her body wrapped in a towel.

After her ordeal, she looked pale and tired. But she was safe and back on The Boot Knockers Ranch.

At least for the time being.

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