He’d taken Calvin Talbot’s money and now his reputation was at stake. He had no choice but the obvious one.
“One more word about Chloe and you’re a dead man,” Desperado hissed. “My reputation speaks for itself, but I draw the line at slandering a lady. I was hired by your father to do a job and I intend to fulfill my obligation. Therefore I won’t be around when you stampede the cattle into the ravine.”
“Now you’re talking,” Tate said, gloating. “We may not see eye to eye on a lot of things but we can still work together to get a job done. Pa would see you in hell if you double-crossed him.”
“I’m already there,” Desperado muttered as he turned his horse back toward camp.
Chapter Six
Indecision rode Desperado mercilessly. He knew what was going to happen and didn’t like it. Though he went to bed and tried to sleep, sleep eluded him. His body was tense, his mind alert, waiting, waiting for the sound that would signal the stampede. He knew what was coming, yet he couldn’t bring himself to accept the inevitable.
He wondered why he’d suddenly found a conscience when he hadn’t had one in years. Cursing his misplaced morals, Desperado decided to ride out to the herd and do what he could to prevent senseless loss of lives. He hated the thought of any of the young cowboys getting hurt in the stampede. He rose from his bedroll, strapped on his guns and picked his way around the sleeping men to his horse. He happened to glance under the supply wagon where Chloe had made up her bed and froze in mid-stride, gaping at Chloe’s empty bedroll. He spit out a curse. If trouble didn’t find Chloe, she went out looking for it.
Raw panic kicked him in the gut. There was only one place Chloe could be. With the herd. He didn’t bother saddling his horse as he leaped upon the mustang’s back and booted him in the ribs. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire, followed by the thunder of pounding hooves. Shouting an Indian whoop into his horse’s ear, he rode hell for leather toward the stampeding herd.
Chloe had felt edgy all evening. And this time she couldn’t fault Desperado Jones and those dark, sexy eyes of his, which seemed to follow her with an intensity that turned her blood to liquid fire. No, this time her nervousness was the result of a vaguely disturbing premonition. But without solid proof of trouble, she had no reason to alert Desperado or the drovers. Since sleep was out of the question, she decided to ride out to the herd and make sure all was well.
Nothing seemed amiss when she reached the herd. The three men on night duty were crooning softly to keep the herd calm. Chloe rode over to join them.
“What are you doing here, Miss Chloe?” a young man named Sonny asked.
“Couldn’t sleep,” Chloe mumbled, ashamed to admit her lack of faith in her own men’s ability. “Everything all right?”
“Everything is fine,” Sonny said. “Me, Pete and Lucky haven’t had a speck of trouble with the herd tonight.”
“Good. Things have gone smoothly thus far and I want to keep it that way. Keep your eyes—”
Suddenly all hell broke loose. Three men came riding out of the darkness, whooping and hollering like banshees and firing into the air. Complete chaos followed in short order. The cows, spooked by the unexpected noise, stampeded toward the ravine, just as Talbot had planned.
Unprepared for disaster, the three inexperienced drovers didn’t react fast enough to head them off.
“Head them off before they scatter!” Chloe shouted as she took off after the frightened herd. Had she known that the herd was headed toward tragedy, she would have been horrified.
Chloe and the drovers tried unsuccessfully to stop the stampede. More men are needed, Chloe thought distractedly as she rode ahead of the drovers. She prayed that the rest of the drovers had heard the commotion and would arrive in time to lend a hand. She needed Desperado. She needed him now more than ever.
The
“One more word about Chloe and you’re a dead man,” Desperado hissed. “My reputation speaks for itself, but I draw the line at slandering a lady. I was hired by your father to do a job and I intend to fulfill my obligation. Therefore I won’t be around when you stampede the cattle into the ravine.”
“Now you’re talking,” Tate said, gloating. “We may not see eye to eye on a lot of things but we can still work together to get a job done. Pa would see you in hell if you double-crossed him.”
“I’m already there,” Desperado muttered as he turned his horse back toward camp.
Chapter Six
Indecision rode Desperado mercilessly. He knew what was going to happen and didn’t like it. Though he went to bed and tried to sleep, sleep eluded him. His body was tense, his mind alert, waiting, waiting for the sound that would signal the stampede. He knew what was coming, yet he couldn’t bring himself to accept the inevitable.
He wondered why he’d suddenly found a conscience when he hadn’t had one in years. Cursing his misplaced morals, Desperado decided to ride out to the herd and do what he could to prevent senseless loss of lives. He hated the thought of any of the young cowboys getting hurt in the stampede. He rose from his bedroll, strapped on his guns and picked his way around the sleeping men to his horse. He happened to glance under the supply wagon where Chloe had made up her bed and froze in mid-stride, gaping at Chloe’s empty bedroll. He spit out a curse. If trouble didn’t find Chloe, she went out looking for it.
Raw panic kicked him in the gut. There was only one place Chloe could be. With the herd. He didn’t bother saddling his horse as he leaped upon the mustang’s back and booted him in the ribs. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire, followed by the thunder of pounding hooves. Shouting an Indian whoop into his horse’s ear, he rode hell for leather toward the stampeding herd.
Chloe had felt edgy all evening. And this time she couldn’t fault Desperado Jones and those dark, sexy eyes of his, which seemed to follow her with an intensity that turned her blood to liquid fire. No, this time her nervousness was the result of a vaguely disturbing premonition. But without solid proof of trouble, she had no reason to alert Desperado or the drovers. Since sleep was out of the question, she decided to ride out to the herd and make sure all was well.
Nothing seemed amiss when she reached the herd. The three men on night duty were crooning softly to keep the herd calm. Chloe rode over to join them.
“What are you doing here, Miss Chloe?” a young man named Sonny asked.
“Couldn’t sleep,” Chloe mumbled, ashamed to admit her lack of faith in her own men’s ability. “Everything all right?”
“Everything is fine,” Sonny said. “Me, Pete and Lucky haven’t had a speck of trouble with the herd tonight.”
“Good. Things have gone smoothly thus far and I want to keep it that way. Keep your eyes—”
Suddenly all hell broke loose. Three men came riding out of the darkness, whooping and hollering like banshees and firing into the air. Complete chaos followed in short order. The cows, spooked by the unexpected noise, stampeded toward the ravine, just as Talbot had planned.
Unprepared for disaster, the three inexperienced drovers didn’t react fast enough to head them off.
“Head them off before they scatter!” Chloe shouted as she took off after the frightened herd. Had she known that the herd was headed toward tragedy, she would have been horrified.
Chloe and the drovers tried unsuccessfully to stop the stampede. More men are needed, Chloe thought distractedly as she rode ahead of the drovers. She prayed that the rest of the drovers had heard the commotion and would arrive in time to lend a hand. She needed Desperado. She needed him now more than ever.
The
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