Page 73 of Texas-Sized Secrets

“You know I can’t always be taking orders from a woman.”

“Do it now, Reed.” Tears tumbled down her cheeks. “Do it or you’ll die.”

“Put the gun down, Sheriff.” Deputy Phillips raised his 9mm pistol and aimed it at the sheriff.

Sheriff Lee twisted, placing Mona between him and the deputy. “Shoot and you get the girl.” He shrugged. “Which would play right into my hands. Now, put the weapon down, or she dies sooner.”

Phillips maintained his hold on his gun. “No.”

“Have it your way.” Lee tugged on Mona’s hair so hard tears filled her eyes and her head tipped back. He jammed the gun beneath her jaw.

“No!” Reed lunged forward.

“Drop the gun,” the sheriff warned.

Mona shook her head, her eyes wild. “Don’t do it, Reed.”

Her captor smacked her face with the pistol barrel. “Shut up.”

“I’m dropping the gun.” Reed held his weapon trained on Parker. “Let her go. She didn’t do anything to you.”

“She’s pregnant with my child and she didn’t tell me. You call that nothing?”

“You don’t care about the child.” Reed inched forward.

“I’ll be damned if another man raises him. I won’t let it happen.” Lee’s face contorted, his teeth bared and his eyes shone glassy with unshed tears. “She should have told me.” Lee shook her head so hard her teeth rattled.

“That hurts!” Mona jammed her elbow into Parker Lee’s gut.

He grunted and loosened his hold enough that Mona broke free at the same time his gun went off.

Reed fired, the bullet hitting Parker Lee square in the chest, knocking him backward so hard he hit the cabin.

The sheriff pointed his gun at Reed and pulled the trigger.

Searing pain ripped through Reed’s arm, jerking him away from the sheriff.

Mona bent to the ground and grabbed the weathered two-by-four. When Sheriff Lee tried to aim at Reed again, Mona slammed the two-by-four across his arm.

Lee’s forearm snapped, the gun flying from his grip. The man screamed and fell over, clutching at his arm, blood oozing from the wound to his chest, his face blanching a pale gray. “Bitch. I should have killed you.”

She tossed the board to the side and kicked his gun far out of his reach. “Don’t mess with the people I love.”

“I should have killed you.” Parker Lee’s voice faded along with the color in his face.

“Get on the radio for Emergency Medical Services,” Mona called out to Deputy Phillips. She hurried to Reed, tugging her shirt off her back to press into his wound. “Sit down, or you’ll bleed out before the EMS gets here.”

Reed smiled, dropping to the ground, his head getting dizzy. “Bossy woman.”

“Not like it does me any good. You don’t follow orders.”

“I couldn’t let him kill you,” he said.

She cupped his cheek. “And I couldn’t let him killyou.”

“Guess your cattle rustling has come to an end.”

Her eyes widened, a frown bringing her brows together. “Guess so.”

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