Page 75 of Double Bucked

“Miss Preacher, let’s not make this any harder than it has to be. You’re coming with us now.”

Immediately, Ransom wedges his body in front of mine. His hand touches my waist, holding me back. “What do you want with her?”

That smile sends a shiver through me. “’Fraid there’s a debt that needs settling. Nothing personal.”

I rear up. “Leave before I have the authorities called.”

He takes off his hat and puts it to his chest like an apology. “Darling, they’re not going to get here in time to save you.”

That sends a chill through me.

Who are these people?

Ransom acts first. He launches himself at Black Hat, throwing his weight into the other man. As the two scrabble, Black Hat’s companion locks eyes with me.

I try to move backward, but I only hit the back of the gazebo. Shit.

He rushes forward, grabbing me by the arm. I throw my elbow into his face and get a satisfying yelp. When he loosens his grip, I grab onto the railing, shove my foot in the bottom, and start to leap over it. But I’m not quick enough. He grips my waist and yanks me back. The air wheezes from my lungs when my back hits the ground. He’s on me, but I don’t make it easy for him. I kick and hit, throwing my limbs at him.

He sits on my hips. His weight crushes me, and he grabs my wrists, using his strength to pin me back.

“Settle down, lil’ lady,” he sneers. “You’re damaging the goods.”

The…what?

Limbs bound, I do the other thing left.

I spit at him.

The glob of spit hits him right in the eye. He squints, then gives a low, menacing chuckle. He fits both of my wrists into his hand so he can wipe his eye clean.

“You’re going to regret that,” he says. Then he grabs me by the hair.

The pain is blinding as he uses his grip to yank me to my feet. My scalp is on fire, and I shout, clawing at his wrist.

But I go still when I feel the hard kiss of metal against my cheek.

The hedges rustle. Two more men appear through the maze’s entrance. They surround the gazebo. All of them are holding pistols.

Ransom and Black Hat stop scrambling. Ransom got a couple of good licks in, it looks like, by the state of the other man’s face. But he freezes in place when he sees that we’re suddenly, woefully outnumbered.

Black Hat wrestles out his own gun. He pushes back his hair, smearing his own blood in the process, and points his gun at Ransom.

He pants. “On your knees, cowboy.”

My heart is beating out of my chest. Ransom looks at me, and there’s nothing but calm in his gaze. “It’s okay, Claire,” he says.

“Let him go!” I snap. But when I try to move to him, my assailant wraps his arm around me, binding me tightly against his body.

“It’s you we want.” His breath is hot against my ear. “You should’ve come alone. Now you get to watch your boyfriend die.”

This isn’t happening. That’s all I can think as I watch with a weird, out-of-body feeling as Ransom slowly lowers himself. His knees hit the dirt, and my stomach lurches.

Black Hat aims his pistol right at Ransom’s head. “Any last words?”

Ransom’s jaw goes tight. “Look away, Claire.”

“No.”

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