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“Of course,” Logan said beside her. “We’re not in the business of robbing women of their property.” He tilted his chin toward Rufus. “As for wolfboy over there, I don’t think he’s going to turn you in either. He’s your protector, after all. Besides, I get the feeling he’s been doing some hiding of his own.”
Rufus thumped the ground with his tail and woofed in agreement.
Shannon couldn’t believe it. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with joy.
“Thank you!” she sobbed.
“Now don’t go getting too happy just yet,” Tanner said, puffing his cigarette. “We still got one good sized problem to work out. Flarity.”
“You have any idea why he’s following us?” Logan asked.
“The only thing I can think of is that he’s following so he can find the firestone deposit,” Shannon said. “But there’s no way he could know about that, unless… oh shit.”
“What?” Tanner asked.
“When I left you at Rosie’s, there was a man in the hallway right outside your theater box. I bumped into him as I was going out the door. At the time, I was too pissed off to really think much of it, but I bet he was one of Flarity’s men. He probably listened to our entire conversation through the door!”
She blushed as she remembered the last thing Tanner had said to her that night, about sharing her with his brother as payment for their protection. Her blush deepened as she realized his demand had come true last night.
“I was feeling a bit hot that night too,” Tanner said, “which is probably why I didn’t smell the spy. Okay then, let’s assume Flarity’s following us so he can get the firestone. We need to figure out how we’re going to proceed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we could always turn back. Problem is, there’s a good chance we’ll cross paths with our pursuers if we do that, and then there’s liable to be a fight. We’d be going up against two dozen guns, and even for a pair of alphas and a giant wolf, those aren’t the greatest of odds. Plus, they got that alpha with ’em. As soon as he gets a whiff of you, he’ll know what you are.”
Tanner finished his cigarette and flipped it into the fire.
“Option two is we keep on going. Course, if we do that, we’ll lead Flarity right to the firestone. And his alpha’s still going to find out about your little secret as soon as he reaches this here spring. Your heat-scent’s all over it. Me, Logan, and Rufus could set this whole place on fire and put it out with our piss—pardon my French—and it would still smell of you. Either way, the decision is yours, Miss Duffy. What do you want to do?”
The surge of joy Shannon had experienced a minute before was gone, replaced by the bleak realization that she was still probably going to lose her ranch after all. No matter what they did, Flarity’s alpha was going to find out about her secret, and he would no doubt expose her as an omega when they got back to Lamentation.
Ifthey got back.
Briefly, Shannon considered the possibility of setting up an ambush. Flarity’s alpha couldn’t expose her if he was dead. But she quickly scratched the idea. She wasn’t a murderer. And more importantly, she didn’t like the idea of putting Tanner, Logan, and Rufus in harm’s way. She was starting to feel something for them. Something stronger and deeper than the simple pull of her loins.
So that left the two options Tanner had just laid out: turn back or keep going. Shannon closed her eyes and thought.
The decision was simple.
If they turned back now, she woulddefinitelylose the ranch. Even if they could somehow make it back to town without the other alpha discovering her scent, there was still the matter of her debt to Flarity. On the other hand, if they continued on to the location of the firestone, there was a chance, albeit a slim one.
“I say we keep going. Based on what my father told me before he died, the place where the firestone ore is located has more than one way in and out. If we work quick, we can collect the amount of firestone we need, then slip away before Flarity and his men arrive. Once they see all the firestone that’s still there, they probably won’t even bother chasing us.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Tanner said. “How much longer till we reach the firestone?”
Shannon thought for a moment. “If we ride hard today, we can get there sometime tomorrow. We should get a move on.”
“Now just hang on,” Logan said. “If we’ve got a long day of riding ahead of us, we need us some breakfast, and something warmer than the jerky and hard tack we’ve been eating. Do you like beans, Miss Duffy?”
Shannon nodded. She hadn’t realized until now just how hungry she was. It probably had something to do with the previous night’s activities.
“Breakfast sounds good,” she said. “And one other thing…”
Tanner and Logan both looked at her expectantly, and Rufus pricked up his ears and tilted his head.
“Why don’t you guys start calling me Shannon instead of Miss Duffy?” She blushed, but only a little. “After last night, I think we can dispense with the formalities.”
CHAPTER 26
