Lance reared, his ears flat on his head, his loud snorts alerting me that he knew the danger ahead of us.
“Fucking idiots,” I muttered, pushing Lance forward in a trot. We galloped most of the way from the Triple H to reach the valley in record time, but Lance’s breathing was heaving, and I needed to take it a bit slower so he could recover, in case speed was required once I reached where the shots were coming from just now. Judging by the loud cracks from the shotguns, I estimated they were just over and down the hill in the belly of the valley. Too close for the safety and comfort of my family and employees.
My highest priority was finding Blake and getting her in my arms, and the authorities can deal with the lawbreakers for all I cared. As long as Blake didn’t get caught in the crosshairs of their irresponsible behaviour, but if she was in that valley … no cop would be able to hold me back from beating the living suitcase out of each and every guy that had accepted Roberts’ offer.
The dark was making it hard to see where the ground had any obstacles, but Lance and I rode this route enough for him to know where to keep his feet and where not to go.
“Good boy, keep going,” I praised the big black stallion, giving his neck an encouraging rub and earning a nicker in response.
A loud familiar sound came from my right, a metal clicking that chilled me still.
The sound of someone cocking a shotgun.
Slowly, I lowered one hand down my leg, to the scarab and the butt of my rifle. I wasn’t afraid to use my gun, I hoped I wouldn’t have to, but if it came down to living or dying, the decision would be easy. Shooting someone to protect the woman of my dreams? An absolute no brainer.
“Who are you?” I asked, reigning Lancelot firmer, my heels digging into his ribs in a silent command trained into him by Blake.
“Doesn’t matter who I am,” the voice replied gruffly, “I want to know who you are.”
“I’m the—”
“Hendrixx! What the fuck man, that is Hendrixx Hott.” Another and more familiar voice joined in, one I remember hearing from high school.
“Dustyn? What the hell are you doing here?” I stared at my old school mate through the darkness making out his face, confirming his identity.
“Drixx, you aren’t supposed to be out here, how did you know—”
“Blake is out here,” I shouted angrily, “this is my land I have every right to be here, but you don’t. The cops have been called, Marty is probably already at the Triple H now.”
“Blake is out here! Fuck!” His shocked exclamation gave me hope that she had not been seen yet by the intruders and was still safe.
The other man, who was sitting astride an average-sized horse, had moved closer to me so I could see that his saddle tack had seen better days as had his clothing—a man in need of money.
“So, you are Hendrixx Hott, one of the lord and masters of the biggest cattle outfits in Australia. So you are the one that gave Roberts’ pretty face that broken nose and fractured jaw,” he jeered, spitting a dirty stream of chewing tobacco out of his mouth in my direction.
“Yeah, I did, and I will do the same to you if you don’t get the fuck off my land,” I threatened, my hand wrapping around the wood butt at my leg, ready to do whatever was necessary to protect myself.
“You know he offered me a lot of money to kill those brumbies, I nearly got them, but someone drove them away. Some rider came blazing in and herded them out of the valley. Any idea who that was, Hott? I owe this guy Blake for making my job harder than it has to be.”
Relief poured through me like a tidal wave. She was alive, acting recklessly like always but blessedly alive, and the man Roberts hired thought she was a man going by her name, and that worked in her favour too. If he believed the rider to be a man, then maybe he might think twice before going after her.
Dustyn kicked his horse to move forward, his expression scared. My old mate was out of his element that was clear; my question was why he took the offer in the first place? Dustyn’s family wasn’t wealthy like mine, but they had a decent property with a good rep, he had no need to take this illegal path.
“Mate, I am sorry, I didn’t realise Blake would be out here, she—”
“Dustyn! No!” I interjected, yelling at him to not say anything more, but it was too late. The unknown rider let out a maniacal laugh.
“Blake is a girl? Well, what do you know, I don’t suppose this is the chick Roberts has a hard-on for? The way I hear it, she has a luscious set of tits and an arse made for doggy style.”
I didn’t wait to hear any more vile crap spilled about my girl, letting out an angry bellow, I aimed Lancelot at the horse and rider, dug in my heels and pulled on the reigns. The stallion followed my commands by rearing up on his hind legs bringing his front ones down on the man’s upper body, knocking him off his mount, his gun falling to the ground with him.
“Dustyn, do you have your phone on you?” I demanded, remembering mine was still in the mobile phone cradle in my car. Keeping my eyes on the man rolling in pain on the cold ground. His collar bone had to be broken from the fall, and likely some internal bruising at the very least from the impact of the hooves, but the prick would live, unfortunately.
“Yeah.”
“Ring Fenixx, tell him to get Marty out here with some other officers, tell
