Page 45 of Cowboy's Sinful Bargain

~ Jos ~

I groaned when I opened my eyes, a sharp pain shooting through pretty much every part of my body. I felt as if I had been run over by a truck...or a herd of cattle.

"Miko!" I shouted when I remembered the stampede.

I groaned for a second time when I shot up, my aching muscles resisting any type of fast movement.

Yeah, that would be a cattle stampede.

I took a moment to breath before glancing around the room. This did not look like the guestroom. I frowned when I realized I was in Miko's room.

How the hell did I get in here? And where was Miko?

I needed to find him.

I staggered to my feet and raced out the door. I checked the room I'd been sleeping in just in case mine and Miko's rooms had gotten mixed up. When I didn't find him there, I hurried downstairs.

I paused at the bottom, my eyebrows drawing together when I realized how absolutely silent it was in the house. There was always a bit of noise coming from somewhere.

It was kind of eerie.

I could see clearly into the dining room and the living room and they were both empty. I checked Monty's office before heading to the kitchen. Except for Miko's puppy, it was empty, too.

Where the hell was everyone?

I walked through the kitchen to the backdoor and stepped out onto the porch. My eyes narrowed when I saw the vehicles parked outside the barn. One of the trucks I recognized as a ranch vehicle. The other truck belonged to the local vet.

I had no idea why the front loader was parked outside the barn until I remembered that Bucky had been injured during the stampede. As soon as that thought came to me, everything else flooded my mind.

I jumped off the porch and then took off running toward the barn as fast as my aching body would allow. I wasn't sure what had happened once I passed out after the stampede, but I was damn sure going to find out.

When I reached the barn, I just stood there listening to the low murmur of voices and watching a small crowd of people staring into one of the stalls as if fascinated by what they were seeing.

What were they seeing?

I walked over until I reached the small crowd and then pushed my way through to the edge of the stall. What I saw inside shocked my speechless.

Miko and the vet were hovering over Bucky, who seemed to be very much alive. His eyes were open and his chest rose up and down as he breathed, but he wasn't moving.

The vet was slowly sewing up the wound on Bucky's backend. He was talking to Miko about what he was doing and Miko was explaining about some...medicinal herbs?

I anxiously scanned Miko from head to toe. He looked okay. His clothes were a little dirty and there was some blood smeared on them, but I couldn't find any signs of injury.

At least not on him. Bucky was another story.

"Miko, you're okay?" I asked as I stepped into the stall, aching to touch him and reassure myself that he was really okay.

Miko gave me a scathing look. "I fine."

Oh, we'd already reached broken English stage and we were just at the first question. This was going to be fun.

"Bucky fine, too." Miko stood up and walked over to Wade, holding his hand out. My eyebrows shot to the top of my headwhen Wade handed him my gun. Miko carried it back over to me and handed me the gun. "You shoot now or when he heal. You choice."

Pretty sure my jaw dropped to the floor when Miko turned and stormed out of the stall, his anger sucking the air out of the room like a vacuum.

What had just happened?

Wade whistled low under his breath before stating, "Guess you're sleeping on the couch tonight."

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