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The edges of the room dimmed. Distantly, I heard a shout. Was someone downstairs? Thankfully, my attacker let me go and rolled off. I immediately sucked in air to fill my lungs as the room wavered. Feet pounded on the wooden floor.
Then the blackness rose to swallow me.
* * *
Baxter
“Where the fuck is she?”I charged into the building, my chest tight with fury and panic.
“Upstairs,” Sad Pete replied, pointing me toward the back. “I’m sorry, Bax. It all happened so fast. One minute she went inside, the next a gun was going off.”
I took the stairs three at a time. “And you didn’t think to get in here and put a stop to it?”
“Wasn’t time, I swear! When we stopped, I followed her while Timmy went to fetch you.”
“She never should’ve been allowed inside here. I thought you were watching her house!”
“We were. She gave us the slip and caught a hack. We caught up as soon as we could.”
“I will deal with you later,” I snarled and pushed into the room upstairs.
Christ almighty. There she was, my Belle. Crumpled and hurt on the floor.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I was at her side in a flash, checking for blood and injuries. Her eyes were closed, her limbs lax. There were bruises forming on the sensitive skin of her throat. A wicked knot was forming on the side of her head. But she was breathing.
She was alive.
“Blood on the floor belongs to whoever had her,” Timmy said. “I think she shot him.”
Under the heavy fabric of her skirts, I located her pistol.Good girl.
“She fought him, that’s for sure,” Matty murmured behind me. I wasn’t surprised she was here. No doubt she followed the second I went running from the saloon.
“Where is the bastard who did this to her?” I glared at Sad Pete as I hoisted Belle up in my arms.
He paled. “Lost him in the alley two streets over.”
I wanted to strangle both of my men for this, but I didn't have the time. “Both of you out of my sight. Go and find him. No doubt he works for Walsh. Bring him to me alive. Matty, with me.”
I carried Belle down the stairs and out of the building. Matty’s carriage was at the curb, so I climbed up and settled, still cradling Belle in my lap. Matty followed, yelling, “As fast as you can!” to Robbie up in the box.
When we started moving she said, “You know how I feel about you leaving the saloon unguarded.”
I frowned. This was not the time for one of her lectures regarding my safety. Not when Belle had almost been killed. “There wasn’t a choice.”
“You plan to keep her with you, I assume?”
“Yes, until further notice.”
“She won’t like it. She—”
“She will stay until I say otherwise.”
“You could let her father go.”
I glared at my longtime friend. “No.”
