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“Good.”
He gave me a critical once-over. “I still don’t want you on your feet for long.”
“The doctor said—”
“I said you need to rest your foot.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Rogue looked ready to fight me to make me sit down. “It really is doing better. I’m not going back to bed.”
“Rogue, why don’t I load one of the ATV’s up with straw,” Rhys suggested. “Ghost can take it out to the run-in shed in the west pasture.”
“He’ll have to stand to unload it, and—”
“I’m right here, and I’m capable of unloading straw. I won’t have to be on my foot for long.”
Rogue huffed. “Fine.” He insisted I sit down and prop my foot up while Rhys loaded the ATV. When he was done, I took off, leaving Rogue grooming his horse and Rhys starting a training session. Part of the way there, the engine cut out for a moment, but I got it going again.
I unloaded the straw without any problem. I was looking out over the pasture, remembering the fun Rogue and I had had out there, when I heard something that made me freeze. A car had stopped on the road close by.
I hobbled to the ATV and attempted to start it. The engine whined, then gave out. When I tried again, it wouldn’t turn over. Shit. I was in trouble.
Ignoring the pain in my foot, I pushed the useless vehicle behind the run-in shed and waited, gun in hand. It could just be someone with car trouble or someone who’d decided this was a good place to stop and take a piss, but my instincts told me I wasn’t that lucky.
Car doors slammed. One, then two more. Men were speaking to each other in low voices.
I moved behind the ATV, crouching so they wouldn’t see me if they entered the pasture, then I pulled out my phone and texted Rogue. I didn’t want to put him in danger, but he would find out nearly as fast if I texted one of his brothers for help, and if things were going to work between us, I had to accept that he would be in danger. I just prayed he wouldn’t act as recklessly as he had before. At least three men have stopped on the road by the pasture. They are moving this way. I’m hidden for now.
Almost as soon as I pressed Send, he messaged back. On my way.
Whoever the men were, they had no idea how to move silently. Even someone not trained to listen for the smallest change in their vicinity would have heard them coming. That meant it was likely the idiots who’d chased me out of the loft. I could take them out, even alone with an injured foot, but it would be a hell of a lot easier with backup. I hoped Rogue and his brothers would be there soon, but could they really get to me faster than the men who were already close by? Only if those idiots went in a different direction. If they’d heard the ATV, I’d better be sure every shot I took hit the target.
Then I heard one of them shout. “Isn’t that an ATV over there?”
I crouched lower and pushed all thoughts but survival from my mind.
“Shut up! Are you trying to give us away?” Another man said, talking almost as loudly as the first guy had.
My heart pounded as they moved closer. I risked a glance over the back of the ATV. There were three of them like I’d expected. If they approached the ATV, I’d have to run on an injured foot with no cover. I couldn’t take out all three of them before one of them shot me. I had a better chance of dodging bullets if I was moving, and I could circle the shed to keep some cover.
When they were nearly close enough that I was afraid even one of them could hit me if they tried. I rose up and fired, hitting the man on the right in the chest. He went down, and I ran.
41
ROGUE
“Ghost is in trouble,” I shouted to Rhys. I’m headed to the west pasture.”
“Don’t go alone,” Rhys yelled.
“Call Grant, but I’m not waiting.”
Thank God I’d just finished tacking up Mischief for a ride because she was the fastest way to get to Ghost, considering the time it would take me to get to an ATV and the roundabout way I’d have to drive in my truck.
I took off, riding as fast and hard as Mischief could go.
What I saw when I reached the pasture made my chest tighten. Ghost was running, faster than he should have been able to on his injured foot. and two men were chasing him. They had guns, but for now, they weren’t shooting. Hopefully that meant they planned to take him alive.
