anything but her safety cloud his thoughts. He took in the two riders approaching down the hill, Luke Colby on the paint, and who he suspected was Tim Givens on the roan.
“Put my rifle by the door,” he said through the door, and hoped she could hear him over the barking dog, hoped she would do it. The way she’d looked when he walked in, pale with shock, he wasn’t sure she’d respond. He couldn’t be sure she didn’t want him dead.
Luke pulled his horse up into the yard. Jack, losing his mind on the porch, made the roan toss his head and shy away from the porch, so Tim Givens guided his mount to the center of the yard. Luke tilted his hat back to look at Rhys.
“Marshal.”
“Colby.”
“Been waiting here long?”
“Few days. Snow slow you down?”
“Not as much as the whores in Fort Worth.”
Colby flashed a grin that might be considered charming. He knew now it had worked on Maddy. He shook off the thought. He couldn’t let himself think of her now.
“So what’s going to happen now, Marshal? You going to shoot me?”
“I’d like to take you in alive.”
“I don’t intend to go peacefully. And my man Tim there?” Colby inclined his head toward the other outlaw, who had calmed his mount and was sitting completely still, his rifle leveled over his pommel, aimed at Rhys.
Colby hadn’t cleared his holster but Rhys knew well enough that he could draw before Rhys could put Givens down. Shit. He didn’t want Maddy to see him killed.
Didn’t want her to see anyone killed. But he didn’t see a way out of this without violence.
Shit. She hoped she listened to him and stayed down.
“Luke.”
All of the blood rushed out of his head when the door swung open and Maddy stepped out. Only his years of experience kept him from pivoting toward her.
“Jesus, Maddy. Get back inside,” he said through his teeth.
“Maddy,” Luke drawled, still making no move for his gun. “Helping the marshal with his little ambush.”
The sound of a load racking in a shotgun echoed across the yard. Holy hell. Maddy had his shotgun, and she could barely hold the rifle she’d greeted him with. Rhys eased back so he could keep his attention on the outlaws and still disarm Maddy, who pointed the shotgun at Luke.
She may be pissed off at Rhys but at least she wasn’t aiming at him.
“Put the gun down, Maddy.”
“No. It’s two to one. I’m evening the odds. Then you can all get the hell off my land.”
Tension thickened the air, and his gut tightened. He couldn’t keep track of all three. Every instinct told him Givens was waiting for an opportunity to fire. When he did, Colby would draw. Rhys hoped he’d fire at him, and not Maddy. Rhys played out everything out in his head, as he always did, accounting for the variables. Maddy being one of the variables, he also prayed.
Then, everything happened at once. Maddy shifted the weight of the gun. Givens fired, either threatened by the move or taking advantage of Rhys’s momentary distraction. The post inches from Rhys’s head exploded in splinters. Rhys launched himself sideways, knocking Maddy to the porch as his finger reflexively pulled the trigger.
Givens dropped out of the saddle, a hole between his eyes. Even as Rhys registered that, another shot rang out. Beneath him, Maddy cried out in pain. Rhys had to shut that out as he focused on Colby. He trained his gun on Luke, who fired another shot. Rage tried to overtake reason, but he couldn’t kill the outlaw. He fired, putting a bullet through Luke’s gun hand. Colby’s pistol went flying, and he grabbed his wrist, staring at his ruined hand.
But he still sat astride his horse, and if he thought past the pain another moment, he’d take off. Even as Rhys listened to Maddy’s labored breathing beneath him, he made a choice and shot the man in the leg. Colby dropped out of the saddle. Rhys pushed himself off Maddy and crossed the yard. He scooped up Colby’s gun, then looked down at the bleeding,
“Put my rifle by the door,” he said through the door, and hoped she could hear him over the barking dog, hoped she would do it. The way she’d looked when he walked in, pale with shock, he wasn’t sure she’d respond. He couldn’t be sure she didn’t want him dead.
Luke pulled his horse up into the yard. Jack, losing his mind on the porch, made the roan toss his head and shy away from the porch, so Tim Givens guided his mount to the center of the yard. Luke tilted his hat back to look at Rhys.
“Marshal.”
“Colby.”
“Been waiting here long?”
“Few days. Snow slow you down?”
“Not as much as the whores in Fort Worth.”
Colby flashed a grin that might be considered charming. He knew now it had worked on Maddy. He shook off the thought. He couldn’t let himself think of her now.
“So what’s going to happen now, Marshal? You going to shoot me?”
“I’d like to take you in alive.”
“I don’t intend to go peacefully. And my man Tim there?” Colby inclined his head toward the other outlaw, who had calmed his mount and was sitting completely still, his rifle leveled over his pommel, aimed at Rhys.
Colby hadn’t cleared his holster but Rhys knew well enough that he could draw before Rhys could put Givens down. Shit. He didn’t want Maddy to see him killed.
Didn’t want her to see anyone killed. But he didn’t see a way out of this without violence.
Shit. She hoped she listened to him and stayed down.
“Luke.”
All of the blood rushed out of his head when the door swung open and Maddy stepped out. Only his years of experience kept him from pivoting toward her.
“Jesus, Maddy. Get back inside,” he said through his teeth.
“Maddy,” Luke drawled, still making no move for his gun. “Helping the marshal with his little ambush.”
The sound of a load racking in a shotgun echoed across the yard. Holy hell. Maddy had his shotgun, and she could barely hold the rifle she’d greeted him with. Rhys eased back so he could keep his attention on the outlaws and still disarm Maddy, who pointed the shotgun at Luke.
She may be pissed off at Rhys but at least she wasn’t aiming at him.
“Put the gun down, Maddy.”
“No. It’s two to one. I’m evening the odds. Then you can all get the hell off my land.”
Tension thickened the air, and his gut tightened. He couldn’t keep track of all three. Every instinct told him Givens was waiting for an opportunity to fire. When he did, Colby would draw. Rhys hoped he’d fire at him, and not Maddy. Rhys played out everything out in his head, as he always did, accounting for the variables. Maddy being one of the variables, he also prayed.
Then, everything happened at once. Maddy shifted the weight of the gun. Givens fired, either threatened by the move or taking advantage of Rhys’s momentary distraction. The post inches from Rhys’s head exploded in splinters. Rhys launched himself sideways, knocking Maddy to the porch as his finger reflexively pulled the trigger.
Givens dropped out of the saddle, a hole between his eyes. Even as Rhys registered that, another shot rang out. Beneath him, Maddy cried out in pain. Rhys had to shut that out as he focused on Colby. He trained his gun on Luke, who fired another shot. Rage tried to overtake reason, but he couldn’t kill the outlaw. He fired, putting a bullet through Luke’s gun hand. Colby’s pistol went flying, and he grabbed his wrist, staring at his ruined hand.
But he still sat astride his horse, and if he thought past the pain another moment, he’d take off. Even as Rhys listened to Maddy’s labored breathing beneath him, he made a choice and shot the man in the leg. Colby dropped out of the saddle. Rhys pushed himself off Maddy and crossed the yard. He scooped up Colby’s gun, then looked down at the bleeding,
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