Page 33 of Claimed by the Lawman

Frankie closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. The branding iron pressed against his skin and he jerked as the pain shattered through his body. Sizzling sounds and the acrid smell of burning skin filled the camper. Frankie moaned, his teeth clenched and his body convulsed as the iron melted his flesh. The wetness of his urine covered his legs before everything went black.

~~**~~

Standing in the center of the stage of her theater—her theater—Tyler felt an overwhelming sense of belonging. Although owning a theater in Bohannan, Wyoming had not been on her bucket list, she couldn’t be happier with the way her life was heading. Her acting career didn’t pan out, but she loved drama, loved theater, and she had big plans to restore the historical building.

She’d already contacted contractors to give her estimates, and as she sat underneath the bright spotlights on the stage she jotted notes into her notebook. The sound of the heavy metal front door opening and slamming shut made her jump. “Hello?” she called out.

No answer came.

Dropping her pen and paper, she left the stage, exiting on the right-side set of stairs and started for the aisle when she saw a silhouette standing in the entryway.

“Hello?”

She was met with silence again.

Moving toward the lobby, she stepped in and found that it was empty. The hair on her nape stood and goosebumps scattered her skin. Was she imagining that she saw someone? No way could she have imagined the door opening and closing.

At the door, she pushed it open and looked around the sidewalk lit by a security light on the corner. The street was empty except for her car.

Closing the door, she took several steps back into the theater and jumped when a thudding sound came from upstairs.

She stood at the bottom of the staircase that led to the balcony and listened. Other than the faint buzzing of the overhead lights she couldn’t hear anything. Heading back toward the stage where her phone was, she only made it partway before she heard footsteps behind her. Before she could react, a large hand came over her mouth and a powerful arm snaked around her waist. She tried to scream, but it was impossible. Flailing her arms in an effort to connect with any human body part, her assailant held her steady. He was strong and her attempts were useless. He was also tall and his breathing was heavy in her ear as he dragged her into the shadows, holding her tight against his chest. His breaths came in pants now and his dripping sweat rubbed onto her skin. The strong scent of burnt hair, sweat, and body odor assaulted her senses.

Once he had her against the wall, her cheek pressed hard on the brick, he whispered, “Listen, bitch, you’re not wanted in Bohannan. For a theater lady you’ll understand that the fire was only the first act. You won’t want to stick around for the finale. If you know what’s best, you’ll catch the first bus and get back to Hollywood.”

One tear slid from her eye as fear made her spine tingle. He pulled her away from the wall and gave her a hard shove. She stumbled forward, falling into a stack of chairs. She quickly pushed herself up from the floor, and by the time she turned, the intruder was gone.

Hands shaking and knees weak, she hesitated in the shadows. The alarm sounded, telling her that the man had exited through the back door. Without any more hesitation, she raced up the stairs to the stage, grabbed her purse dumping out all the contents. Reaching for her phone, she could barely control the shaking in her hands as she called a familiar number.

~~**~~

The basketball landed in the hoop.

“That’s it, boys.” Cullen grinned. “Another point and you’ll be buying the beers tonight.”

“Keep dreaming, son,” Briggs wiped his forehead on the arm of his T-shirt.

“Let the cockiness get to him, Briggs,” Riddle said with a grin. “That’ll make our win that much better.”

Kace laughed at the three men having an enjoyable pissing contest. Usually, he would join in on the friendly jabs during their typical monthly basketball game, but this evening he wasn’t into poking fun at his brother or their friends from the Ghost Hawk elite team. Kace dribbled the ball, concentrating on the hoop, then tossed it and the ball bounced off the backboard. “Shit!”

“Damn, Sheriff. What’s wrong with you today?” Briggs patted Kace’s shoulder as he passed by. “I’ve never known you to miss any hole.”

The underlying meaning to those words made Kace smirk.

“It’s a chic thing,” Cullen muttered dryly.

“He’s interested in someone?” Riddle chimed in. “Hell, man. Why didn’t you say so? We would have taken it easier on you. Right, Briggs?”

“I didn’t say anything because it’s not true.” Kace sent Cullen a die-hard look.

Cullen snorted. “It’s true. An old flame is in town and he’s been acting like a lovesick puppy ever since.”

“Just shoot the ball already.” The last thing he wanted to do was discuss Tyler, even with his closest friends and brother.

Cullen shot the ball and it hit the rim, bouncing off. Riddle grabbed the rebound and shot. The ball dropped into the hoop for a score. Cullen’s gritty curse echoed off the gym walls.

Riddle and Briggs high fived, laughing. “What did we tell you boys? Don’t count the Ghost Hawks out until it’s over.”

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