Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 38157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
“It’s my husband,” the woman said. “He’s after me. He’s half-crazed, says I had an affair with another man. I never did, never!” she said. Her wide eyes seemed contrite. “I merely had a neighbor help me when my husband was traveling. He said he would kill me, and I ran. I’ve been riding hard to get to my kinfolk over the river, hoping they’d help me. I thought I’d gotten away, but he’s found me.”
Aida’s breath caught in her throat as the sound of pounding hooves again reached her ears. The men sprang into action. Cole reached his hands for the woman, pulling her down from the horse. He swore aloud as the mysterious fabric on her back squirmed and let out a cry.
“Lord have mercy, it’s a baby,” Preach muttered in his deep, growly voice. Aida gasped as Cole grabbed the woman roughly and shoved her over to Aida.
“You two get behind Preach,” he growled. Aida stood frozen to the spot. Cole reached for her arm and half-shoved her over to Preach. “Now!”
Aida stumbled but obeyed, her arm protectively out to the woman. Preach stood guard in front, as Justice drew his weapon and Junior’s eyes narrowed to mere slits. Doc watched all with calculating eyes.
Seconds later, a second rider came into view, dark hair beneath his hat making him look menacing, a look of fury across his face as he spied the woman.
“You think you’ve found someone to save you, do you?” the man said, ignoring the onlookers. “You’ve done me wrong, and I’ll see you pay for it.”
The woman screamed and got behind Aida. Once again, Aida instinctively put her arms out to protect the woman and her baby. It seemed the man was unshaken by witnesses, and the woman’s fears were not unwarranted. To Aida’s horror, the man reached to his belt and withdrew a pistol. Quick rustles and five clicks sounded at once, as the man faced Cole’s entire crew, each of whom was pointing a pistol at the man.
“No man’ll pull a gun on a woman on my watch,” Cole said in the same no-nonsense voice he’d used to tell Aida to get to cover. “Drop your weapon, or I’ll kill you. You’ve got ‘til the count of three to drop it ‘fore I give my men leave to fire. One…”
The man’s eyes were wild and crazed as his hand shook, pointing the gun first at all of them. Aida’s heart pounded so that she felt strangled by fear, her ability to move or even think frozen on the spot.
“Two,” Cole said, louder this time, and the man still held his gun. Now would be the moment.
“Three.” The man moved to shoot, but shots rang out as Aida pulled the woman to the ground, covering her with her own body, careful not to harm the baby. She could hear shouts and more shots, a sound of a scuffle. Curse words were uttered, and another shot that had a ring of finality to it. Then everything was quiet. She stayed right where she was, panting, while the woman beneath her lay stock still. Had she been shot? In the silence, the wails of a baby rose loud and strong.
“My baby,” the woman whispered. “Lord have mercy, is he all right?” Aida dared to lift her head just a little, and as she lifted her head, her eyes met Cole’s dark gaze. She gasped, jumping up.
“Your husband’s dead,” Cole told the woman simply. “Stand up.”
Instead of reaching for Aida’s hand, Cole put both arms around her waist and hoisted her to her feet, glancing over her body with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. “You unharmed?” he growled.
“Y-yessir,” Aida stammered, confused as to why he was checking to see if she was unharmed when a woman with a child had been just as vulnerable. Preach came to them in three large strides, his enormous hands gentle as he reached to the woman’s back and ever so gently extracted the baby, his growly voice crooning as he hushed it. But Cole hadn’t left Aida’s side. His eyes roamed her body, hands probing to see if she had, indeed, been unharmed. His large, strong hand grasped her elbow, and Aida was reminded that she was no willing member of their party, but a captive.
“Take the body,” Cole barked out to Justice and Junior. “Drag it to the river. You know the routine. Take any money and give it to the woman, any weapons we keep for ourselves.” He turned to Preach. “Check the horse for injury and bring ‘em here.” To Doc, he said, “You check her and the baby over.” The men sprang into action, and Aida watched, mesmerized as Cole gave his final instructions. “Leave the body face down, where he’s unlikely to be found until the face is unrecognizable. Clean well, cover your tracks, and come back here as quickly as you can.”