Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 117752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
She recognized Reno from the night before, his rough and hard features concentrated on the largest of the bulls. Her eyes went from him to Star and Harley.
The children had scattered when they had seen the bulls, calling for their mothers and fathers. It was heart-wrenching to see many parents running toward them, risking their own lives for their children.
Sex Piston’s cries had her covering her hand, holding her back.
“Calder and Stud will get them!” she told her, trying to give her hope. She knew that letting Sex Piston go would make matters worse for the two men.
Star had been knocked down by one of the older children. She was lying on the ground, screaming for Stud.
“Daddy!” Her scream pierced Crazy Bitch’s soul as she could only watch helplessly.
Harley bravely helped Star to her feet, only to have the other children push them apart. Harley was being pushed toward Stud and Calder, but Star remained frozen in fear as the bull stomped toward her.
Calder was running so fast he overtook Stud. She heard his yell to Stud to get Harley. Then, with a burst of speed, he darted past the bull, barely missing a flying hoof as Reno ran around the bull, trying to get the its attention away from Star.
It didn’t work. The brightly colored red shirt that Star was wearing had the bull’s focus on her.
Calder didn’t hesitate as he sprinted toward Star without care that his own life was in danger. When he reached her, he didn’t stop, scooping her up into his arms as he continued running.
She couldn’t understand why Calder didn’t run to the fence. Then she figured it out. The bull was too close.
Calder ran toward one of the barrels that hadn’t been stacked onto the truck yet. He practically threw her inside then turned back toward the bull, protecting the child within with his life.
Her breath caught in her throat, her mouth open in a silent scream. It was the same terrified expression that was on Stud’s, Sex Piston’s, and the parents’ faces who were trying to get their children out of danger.
The bull was inches away from him when a rope settled over the bull’s horns, turning it from Calder to Reno.
The screams of the adults and the children faded into the background as two shots rang out, dropping the bulls onto the ground.
Her jaw dropped as she looked around, trying to see where the shots had come from, seeing Shade sitting atop the fence on the other side of the bull shoot.
“Give me that back!”
Shade tossed the tranquilizer gun to the man he must have taken it from before jumping off the fence with an impassive face.
She and Sex Piston climbed down, running toward Stud and Harley as Calder helped Star out of the barrel, holding her tightly as he carried her toward them also. Star was crying frightened tears in his arms.
When they drew closer to Sex Piston, she reached out to take Star. It took a long wrenching second for Calder to release Star to her stepmother’s hold.
It was hard to miss the twisting agony of Calder’s expression, or the fact that he turned away when Star held her arms out for Stud, crying for her father.
Harley’s head was on one of his shoulders, crying, and Star buried her face in the other one, both holding him so tightly that Sex Piston wasn’t able to pry one away.
“I got them.” He moved closer to Sex Piston so she could enfold all of them in a heartfelt hug that moved Crazy Bitch to tears at the love the family felt toward one another.
“Everyone okay?”
Shade’s cold voice broke through the spell of witnessing the family being reunited after they could have lost one of them.
Stud gave Shade a look of gratitude. “Brother, if I can ever….” His clogged emotions had him holding Star closer, burying his face in her hair.
Shade’s eyes shifted from Stud to Calder. “The Last Riders always pay their debts.” His voice was flat and emotionless as he gave him a brief nod before walking away while the cowboys shouted at everyone to leave the arena.
“We need to find Meri and Keri.” Sex Piston walked closely next to Stud as Crazy Bitch and Calder lagged behind them, giving them the opportunity to be alone.
They went through the same door the girls had exited the arena, finding a large crowd milling around. Meri and Keri jumped up and down, waving at them to get their notice. They were standing with Lily, who was holding John’s hand, and Razer and Beth were on the other side of them with their children, Noah and Chance.
“I didn’t know half of Treepoint was inside,” Crazy Bitch said as they approached the small group.
“When Sex Piston told me she was bringing her kids, we decided to make the extra trip and bring ours. Lily and Shade didn’t want John to feel left out, so they tagged along.” Beth kept a firm hand on her twin boys’ shoulders as they talked.