Whirlwind Reunion (20 page)

Matt. She'd been painfully clear that she wanted nothing more to do with him. He wouldn't know she was here. Would anyone? Did anyone even know she was gone?

“And now that you know everyone's identity, you aren't going anywhere.” Cosgrove clamped a hard hand on her upper arm.

She tried to pull away. If she could get to Mr. Julius, she might have a chance of escaping these men. “What are you going to do?”

“Not sure yet. I'll have to ask Theo.”

Well, so much for Mr. Julius. Feeling panic well up, Annalise battled it back. She had to stay calm if she was going to get herself and her baby out of this. And right now it looked as though she was their only chance.

A
nnalise. Matt struggled to stay calm as he told his brother that Quentin had seen Annalise drive off with someone who matched the description of Sherman Landis. In less than five minutes, they had a posse formed with the two of them, Davis Lee and Bram.

As they thundered out of town and west across the prairie on their horses, he refused to let himself think about what might be happening to Annalise. And he absolutely couldn't let himself think about the baby she might be carrying. If he did, he wouldn't be rational and that would endanger her and their child.

He needed to be smart and focused. That was the way to help Annalise, but right now fury and fear rode him hard. He didn't know if he could shut down enough emotion to keep him from going in with guns blazing when they finally found her and Landis.

Maybe Sherman had given her a story about needing a doctor. That seemed the most likely scenario, considering she had appeared to leave willingly with him.

As they rode, they kept an eye out for signs that might point them somewhere specific. They stopped at Riley's ranch and when he heard what had happened, he joined them. They covered Baldwin land without incident.

Yesterday, they had lost track of the Landis brothers on the other side of the Eight of Hearts ranch. Matt wanted to tell its owner what was going on, not only so Julius could keep an eye out for Annalise, but also in case he wanted some of his men to join the posse.

The five of them rode into Julius's yard and up to the front porch of his large two-story home.

The businessman stepped outside, his sharp gaze taking them all in. “Trouble?”

Matt kept his seat. “Earlier, Dr. Fine was seen leaving Whirlwind with a man matching Sherman Landis's description.”

Julius straightened. “Is she all right?”

“As far as we know. She appeared to go willingly so we think he may have told her that he or someone else needed a doctor. I don't think she had any idea of his identity.”

The other man frowned. “That means the rest of them are probably with him, too.”

Matt nodded. “We thought you'd want to know. We plan to ride on, but if you'd like to send some men along, you're welcome to. These bastards stole some of your cattle, too.”

“I appreciate that. Let me talk to my men and I'll be right back.” The man disappeared into the house.

Matt folded his hands over his saddle horn as he listened to Julius's shiny polished shoes tapping on the hardwood floor.

Bram eased his horse over beside Matt, saying in a
low voice, “Somebody in that upstairs window is trying to get your attention.”

He looked up and saw Julius's guest, Edward, whom Annalise had treated for a cracked vertebrae. He lifted a hand in greeting as the boy threw open the window.

The kid leaned out, his gaze darting nervously around the yard. “Mr. Baldwin!”

“Hi, Edward.”

The boy gave a nervous glance over his shoulder, then said in a hushed voice, “That man you described to Mr. Julius rode in with Dr. Fine, around to the bunkhouse and they're still there.”

Everything inside Matt went still. “Is someone hurt? Do they need a doctor?”

“I'm not sure.”

Matt said to Russ, “We should warn Julius before he walks into an ambush.”

He started to draw his Peacemaker and fire off a shot then halted at the boy's next words.

“No, sir! Don't. Mr. Julius may not know Dr. Fine is here, but he knows those other men are and so does Cosgrove.”

Julius and Cosgrove both knew? Anger rose inside him like a molten seething pulse. He narrowed his eyes at Edward. “Why are you helping us?”

“Dr. Fine probably kept me from being a cripple. I'll do whatever I can for her.”

Matt gave a curt nod. “Stay inside until one of us comes to get you.”

“I will,” he said, and stepped back from the window.

Russ's gaze swept over the big house. “Now what?”

The others moved their horses closer to Matt. “Let's
spread out and surprise them. Move quietly so we can find out first what we're dealing with.”

In agreement, everyone dismounted. Matt and Russ started stealthily around one side of the house; Davis Lee, Riley and Bram went to the other.

From his previous trips, Matt recalled the barn was about a hundred yards from the house. A bunkhouse sat on a diagonal between the two buildings. A couple of old cedars shaded the near side of the bunkhouse and provided some cover.

Attached to the opposite side of the barn was a corral. Two wooden horse troughs were set on either side of the single gate.

Matt eased up to the corner of the house and peered around. Julius and Cosgrove stood just outside the bunkhouse, talking to a group of six men. Movement in the doorway caught Matt's eye just as Annalise stepped onto the front stoop.

Pushing aside the black fury that threatened to overtake him, Matt forced himself to take stock of the situation. He counted six Landis brothers, plus Cosgrove and Julius. Beyond those men, he caught sight of Davis Lee, Riley and Bram silently making their way to the back of the barn. They would be able to take cover inside as well as defend themselves.

Once they were in place, Matt started to signal Russ. Before he could, Cosgrove pivoted toward them.

“Guns!” The ranch manager dove inside the bunkhouse.

Annalise gave a startled scream when Julius locked an arm around her neck and dragged her inside after him. Matt had only a brief glimpse of her struggling before Julius slammed the door shut. The Landis brothers were left outside. One of them tried to shove the bunkhouse
door open to get to cover, but the door wouldn't budge. The others drew and gunfire erupted.

Knowing Annalise was in danger had a cold sweat trickling down Matt's spine.

Gunshots blasted through the air as he and Russ kept up a steady hail of bullets against the outlaws. Davis Lee, Riley and Bram did the same from the other side. The scent of gunpowder burned the air. Bullets whizzed past, dug into the ground around them.

Matt saw George Landis fall, then Pat. Another man went to his knees, but from this angle Matt couldn't tell who. Two more fell.

Abruptly, the shooting ceased. One lone shot rang out from the barn and Matt eased up to the corner, waving to show the others it was all right to stop.

Six of the Landis brothers lay dead, but this fight wasn't over yet.

Suddenly, the door to the bunkhouse swung open. Julius stood in the doorway with Annalise in front of him like a shield, the barrel of a revolver drilled into her temple. One arm was clamped around her neck, his head right against hers. He held her inside the cage of his body, his legs spread wide enough to position his feet on the outside of hers.

Matt focused on her. There was terror in her pale face, but she was calm. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

Julius tightened his arm around her throat and she clamped one hand on his arm, rising on her tiptoes in an attempt to escape the pressure.

“Let her go.” Matt barely managed to keep his voice from shaking. “You'll never make it out of here alive.”

“With her, I will.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Matt saw Davis Lee,
Riley and Bram creep out of the barn toward the bunkhouse. None of them had a clear shot at the bastard. Any bullet would hit Annalise.

The thought made Matt sick to his stomach. He didn't know how to get her out without hurting her.

He saw Bram disappear around the side of the bunkhouse then return, shaking his head. That could only mean that Cosgrove was no longer inside. Matt reasoned that since the bastard hadn't come out the front, there must be a back window or door that he'd sneaked out of. But that didn't give anyone a better shot at Julius.

Frustrated, racking his brain, Matt whipped his gaze back to Annalise. She was staring hard at him.

She looked pointedly down at her free hand. She was trying to tell him something.

What was she thinking? Matt didn't know, but emotion swirled in her eyes, asking him to trust her. He gave a barely perceptible nod and kept talking to Julius.

“So how did this work? You paid the Landis brothers to rustle cattle for you?”

“Sounds like you've got it figured out,” the man sneered.

“Well, surely
you've
figured out that your partners are all dead now. You're on your own. Surrounded. Put down your weapon and let her go.”

“I'm taking the lady and we're walking out of here.”

Over his shoulder, Matt murmured to his brother. “Annalise has something in mind. Be ready for an opening of any kind.”

Tension frayed his nerves. He didn't know what she planned and he hated the idea that he couldn't protect her, but right now there was no way to do that safely. If she had an idea, he was all for it.

If anything happened to her—

He swallowed hard, tried to keep Julius's attention on him. “If you put one mark on her, you're a dead man.”

Something flickered in Julius's eyes. Matt wanted to think it was fear, but he couldn't tell.

He saw Annalise slowly, slowly ease her hand into her skirt pocket and close around something.

Her gun! He'd forgotten that she had been carrying it since her return.

He realized what she meant to do a split second before she did it. Aiming the gun toward the ground, she pulled the trigger, blowing a hole right through her dress and Julius's foot.

The man screamed. In what appeared to be pure reflex, he dropped his arm from around her neck and shoved her away. Matt sprang from his hiding place and rushed toward them.

Stumbling, Annalise darted toward him. Julius raised his weapon. Matt caught Annalise with one arm, firing at Julius at the same instant.

Several shots rang out in rapid succession. Then silence.

The businessman lay on the ground, his eyes open and glassy. Sharp relief ached in Matt's chest. Unsteady at her close call, he closed both arms around Annalise and buried his face in her neck, tears stinging his eyes.

Her mouth dry, her entire body quivering, Annalise held on tight. She had been so relieved to see Matt that her knees had nearly buckled. No matter how things were between them, she knew Matt would die trying to protect her. So would those other men. It was the code they lived by.

She didn't know what she would've done if they hadn't
shown up, but she would have killed Julius herself before she let him hurt her baby.
The baby. Matt's baby.

Against her chest, his heart hammered as hard and fast as hers. He smoothed a hand down her hair, murmuring soothing words to her, and she let herself be held a little longer.

In the background, she heard Russ say he and the others had found a wagon. They were going to load the outlaws' bodies into it and drive them back to Whirlwind.

Annalise knew that neither Matt nor any of the other men with him had had a clear shot at Julius. She had sensed Matt's frustration, felt it herself, but she'd had an idea. All she'd needed was for him to trust her. And he had!

She didn't know how much weight to give that.

His brother and the others had loaded the wagon and were ready to go. Riley went inside to get Edward.

It was a long moment before she felt she was steady enough to stand on her own. Still trembling, she pulled back to look up at Matt. His face was pale, his eyes filled with emotion. “How did you know?”

“I didn't. Quentin saw you leave town. The description he gave of the man's horse fitted one of the Landis brothers' mounts. We formed a posse. Just stopped here to warn Julius. Edward clued us in that you were here.”

Her pulse skipped at the thought of what might have happened to her if fate hadn't been on her side. “Thank you for saving my life.”

“You're welcome.” With one rock-hard arm wrapped snugly around her, he stroked her hair back from her face.

She stiffened slightly, but he felt it and lowered his hands to her waist. Pain flared in his eyes, reminding
her of how they'd left things between them the last time they were together. Had it only been that afternoon?

Turning, she quietly thanked Russ and the others.

Bram's voice came from inside the bunkhouse. “One of the Landis brothers was gut shot and he's dead in here,” the rancher said.

“That's Frank,” Annalise explained.

“Bram thought he hit one of them during the brief time we saw them a couple of days ago,” Matt said.

She nodded. “He'd lost too much blood by the time Sherman came for me.”

“Is that how he got you to go with him? Told you his brother needed a doctor?”

“He didn't say his brother, just a friend.” Stepping out of Matt's hold, she moved back. He seemed reluctant to let her go. “He said they were both ranch hands at the Eight of Hearts. When I realized Sherman was part of the Landis gang and Cosgrove was involved with them, he said I couldn't leave because I knew who they were and that they'd been rustling cattle. At first, I thought Mr. Julius wasn't involved, but it became clear he was.”

Matt's jaw tightened. “When he grabbed you, it scared the hell out of me.”

“Me, too.”

A corner of his mouth lifted. “And you took care of him. That was something to see, Angel.”

She couldn't be angry at him right this minute—the man had saved her life, after all—but she was still hurting over his earlier accusations.

Which was another reason she still couldn't believe he had trusted her enough to let her take charge for that moment, especially in a situation in which he definitely had more experience than she did. He hadn't even hesitated.

Matt's smile faded. “I guess the thefts he and Cosgrove reported to Davis Lee were lies, just to avert suspicion, if there was any. Did Julius admit to rustling the cattle?”

“No, but Cosgrove and the others already had. Plus I found a running iron in the bunkhouse. There's a section of wall where they practiced changing brands, among them the Triple B's.”