moved fast enough, he could set up in the woods several yards from the road, cocked, aimed, and ready to fire. This time, he wasn’t taking any chances on failing, and if her bodyguard got in the way, he’d take him out along with Halldor and the threat she posed to his way of life.
Shawn couldn’t recall a time in his life when he’d been so terrified. As he got on the road back to the ranch, he couldn’t keep from checking on Lisa, just quick glances to ensure she was all right. In the split second he’d seen that car coming around the bend into the last row in the parking lot where she stood with Drew and Jen, he only had time to register the threat before leaping from his SUV to rush forward.
Whoever this person was, he was hell-bent on taking her out, for whatever reason had gotten into his warped head. Not trusting anything to chance, he shifted on the seat to reach his cell and press Dakota’s number while maintaining a constant eye out for someone tailing them. As soon as Dakota answered with his usual clipped greeting of “What’s up?” Shawn gave him the rundown.
“Who do you have close enough to the road to watch for a muddy blue sedan?”
“Pete and Casey for sure. I’ll check in with Dave and Scotty. Hang tight.”
Dakota clicked off, leaving Shawn confident he would have their backs if this prick was foolish enough to come after Lisa again today.
“I’m proud of you, Lisa. A lot of women would be in hysterics right about now.” He sped past a herd of buffalo who often grazed on their land near one of the watering holes, one reason why they left the majority of acreage unfenced.
“I’ve had a lot of practice at keeping calm lately,” she returned dryly.
He appreciated her attempt at humor, not at all sure he could handle her tears right now if she fell apart. Reaching across the gearshift, he squeezed her hand, noting the coolness of her skin and pale face. “We’ll figure out who it is and get him. Clayton is still researching your background, and he’s good at digging out information.”
“I’m grateful for his efforts but hate I’ve brought this to you and your friends. This is exactly what I didn’t want in coming here, to impose on you, or become a burden.”
She turned her head toward the window with a sigh that made him want to rip this guy’s heart out. He looked her way again and went rigid when he caught a bright flash from a small, wooded area. Slamming on the brakes, he whipped the cruiser around with a shout.
“Get down!”
With a startled cry, Lisa threw herself to the floor as he came to an abrupt, jarring halt with his side door taking the bullet. Grabbing his rifle from above them, he flung his door open and jumped behind it, taking aim over the window.
“Stay down,” he barked when she started to rise right as the next bullet caught him in the shoulder.
“Shawn!”
“No.” He spared a precious second to address her stricken gasp and reassure her. “It’s just a flesh wound, Lisa.”
Lisa’s stomach churned with nausea from the bright red stain spreading across Shawn’s khaki shirt before a reverberating roar of engines and pounding hooves snagged her attention. Peeking over the dash, she saw two trucks barreling across the field and coming to rest at each end of the clump of trees that hid her attacker. The two cowboys in each vehicle flung open their doors and mimicked Shawn’s stance, crouching behind them, rifles aimed toward the woods.
“Fucking fool,” she heard Shawn mutter.
Cutting her gaze toward the road, she gasped watching Dakota ride toward them, shocked to see him maintaining his seat on the massive, galloping stallion while using both hands to hold his rifle on his shoulder. If she weren’t so head over heels in love with Shawn, she might…her brain stumbled to a halt on that thought, and she had to force down the panic that threatened to come up from that admission.
Huddling back down, she winced at the bullet wound that must hurt like hell, a bullet he had taken for her. How could she help but fall in love? She’d been telling herself her life was back in Phoenix, the only place she’d ever known before coming to Mountain Bend. But did she really want to return to the rat race of the big city and her almost