Page 61 of Hiding in Montana

He reached out his hand, almost as if he was about to caress her face when she glared at him. “I would think very carefully before you touch me.”

“I wasn’t going to mar your face. I’m not a monster.”

She never blinked. “Debatable.”

“The plastic surgeon did a wonderful job. He kept the essence of you while enhancing it.” He settled back on the rock and said, “You know, that is one thing I’ve always admired about you—your grit. You never give in, even when it looks as if all is lost. You keep trying to find a window to crawl through. This time, there are no windows, doors, or even a mousehole that will get you out of this predicament. Is there anything else you want to talk about before we leave this cozy little cave and I show you the special spot I’ve chosen for you and that wannabe hero lying in a heap behind you?”

“You never answered my question.”

“Oh, yes. I wondered if you’d get back to that.” He looked away, and when he looked back, in the dim light, he almost looked remorseful. “When we were dating, I cared for you. This idea was faint. It was only after the first anniversary that things changed.”

“If you thought things had changed, why didn’t you talk to me? We could have fixed it.” Her hands were completely untangled from the ropes, and now she was wondering how fast she could get to her gun and get a shot off before he shot her. Or worse, before he shot Jed.

Matthew shrugged. “It didn’t matter that much once I realized I could insure you for millions very cheap. You were young and for a ten-year-term policy, the decision was easy.” He snapped his fingers and got up. “And the policy expires next month.”

She watched as a mask fell over his face and a hardness hovered in his eyes. With the set of his mouth, she knew her time was up. A loud crash echoed inside the cave as the ground shook. Polly feared they were going to be crushed by rocks.

He pointed to her and growled, “Stay put.”

The minute he turned, she ripped open the chambray shirt and felt the butt of the revolver with her hand. She eased it out, not making a sound. The last thing she needed was for Matthew to turn around. Moving as quickly as her tied feet would allow, she got to her knees and took aim at the opening. With any luck, even in these dim conditions, she could take him down and leave enough of him to go to trial all while protecting Jed, who was rolling over, hopefully to get out of the way. He was in no shape to help her and besides, his hands and feet were still bound.

The seconds dragged. Her arms quivered from holding them straight out of her body, but she wasn’t giving in.

In her ear, Jed whispered, “Steady.”

She didn’t dare respond. She waited. A branch crunched under what had to be Matthew’s foot. A silhouette filled the cave entrance. She took aim at his right shoulder and pulled the trigger. He got a shot off before buckling to his knees.

Matthew screamed, “You shot me!”

The sounds of people rushing the entrance had Polly remaining in position. Maybe he had people helping him.

“Polly!” It was Clint’s voice. He had come for her.

She wanted to sob with relief, but she kept her gun trained on Matthew. “In here. Be careful. Matthew has a gun.”

Clint rushed in first, his shotgun at the ready. When his eyes met Polly’s, he called for Linc to deal with Matthew, and he rushed to her side. She sank to the floor as it began to register she was cold and the floor unforgiving.But she and Jed were going to see another sunrise.

“Help Jed first.” She tried to untie the ropes on her feet when Annie reached her. She withdrew a knife.

“Let me.”

Clint said, “Take care of Jed. I’ve got Polly.”

Annie cupped her cheek and smiled. “It’s good to see you.”

She nodded. “It’s good to be seen.”

After making quick work of the rope around her ankles, Clint took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shivering body. Then he scooped her up and took her outside. She looked at Matthew in a heap outside the cave. Even though she wanted to bury her head in Clint’s shoulder, she asked him to put her down.

Matthew smirked. “You’ve lost your touch, Paulina. Back in the day, you would have hit me in the heart.”

The utter hate she felt for him was barely controlled as she said, “No. I haven’t. My aim was true. Not taking your life means you’ll pay for the lives you’ve taken. Rot in jail, Matthew.”

She gave Linc a curt nod, and Annie was helping Jed out of the cave. He had dried blood on his forehead and his eyes were black and bruised, but he, too, was alive.

Without hesitation, she rushed him, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing with all her might. “Thank you for trying to save me.”

He went scarlet. “You deserve all the credit.” He looked at Clint. “They broke the mold with this one. You best be good to her or I’ll, well, I won’t need to do a thing. Polly’s got this covered.” He bent over and kissed her cheek. “Way to go, cowgirl. You’re one of us, you know.”

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