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He glanced past Shannon at the horses, and his eyes lit up.
“I’ve got an idea.”
He handed Shannon back her shirt and hat and headed for the horses. Shannon slipped her arms back into the sleeves, tied the front, and followed after him.
The alpha dug into one of the saddlebags and brought out three plum-sized chunks of firestone. He kept one for himself and handed the other two to Shannon. Then he raced over to where Logan was crouching.
“Think you can hit one of these if I throw it?” Tanner asked.
Logan gave him a cocky look. “You kidding? I can shoot the wings off a fly from two hundred yards away.”
“Okay then, get ready…”
Shannon watched as Tanner tilted his head and listened, probably gauging the position of the advancing men. Then he reared his hand back and chucked his piece of firestone in a high arc over the top of the dome.
As it came down on the other side, Logan leaned out and shot. The crack of his rifle was accompanied by a second, much larger boom that shook the ground. This was followed by a chorus of screams. From where she was standing, Shannon couldn’t see the explosion, but she could picture Flarity’s men being flung into the air by the blast.
“That takes care of half of ’em,” Tanner said. “Now let’s get the other half.”
He turned to get one of the other two chunks of firestone Shannon was holding, but his eyes suddenly went wide with horror, and his mouth fell open in a shout.
Something’s behind me, Shannon thought.
Before she had a chance to react, a thick arm hooked around her body, dragging her violently backward. Then something cold and round pressed itself against her temple. The muzzle of a pistol.
A voice growled so close to her ear she could feel the speaker’s hot breath.
“Nobody move, or the omega dies.”
CHAPTER 36
Logan turned to face the unfamiliar voice, and what he saw made his blood go cold in his veins. A large man wearing a black hat and matching duster was holding Shannon around her chest, and he had the long barrel of a revolver pressed against the omega’s head. Based on the man’s size and the rough-hewn look of his features, Logan knew he must be Flarity’s alpha, Butch Bartram.
Why the hell hadn’t Logan smelled him sneaking up on them?
Whatever. That was a question for later. Right now, all that mattered was getting Shannon safely away from the enemy alpha. Logan glanced briefly at the omega’s turquoise eyes, which were wide with terror, then he turned his attention back to Bartram’s face and met the alpha’s dark gaze.
“Nice and easy,” the enemy alpha hissed through his ugly brown teeth. “The two of you just set them weapons down on the ground and kick them over thisaway.”
Logan didn’t have to turn and look at Tanner to know what his brother was thinking. They’d been partners for so long now they could practically read each other’s thoughts.
At this range, either one of them could easily put a bullet through Bartram’s head, but the enemy alpha had his finger on the trigger of that pistol, and there was always a chance his death spasm would make the gun go off, killing Shannon. Obviously that course of action was a no-go.
The alternative wasn’t much better. If they laid their weapons down, they’d be as good as dead. Bartram claimed he wanted to talk, but Logan knew that was bullshit. Flarity’s men had already made that obvious by shooting at them a minute ago.
As soon as Logan and Tanner were unarmed, Bartram would shoot them both. Then he would shoot Shannon.
There had to be another way.
A movement several yards behind Bartram caught Logan’s eye. A shock of tawny fur and a pair of golden eyes.
Rufus.
The wolf was crouching behind one of the big firestone formations, muscles tight and ready to pounce. But he was holding back because he knew the danger of the pistol pressed to Shannon’s head.
Hold on, Logan thought.Wait for my signal.
The wolf seemed to understand.
