Chapter Seventeen
Josie’s heart pounded in her chest. Her breathing was coming in quick, shallow gasps, so fast that her head was getting light.
This has to stop. Why would these men let people just come on their property and raise Cain like this? How had Remington not already been arrested? This was the second time he’d shot up the ranch.
Is it even the same man? If it was, he wasn’t just lurking around or damaging fence lines. He was shooting at the house!
Gunfire sounded again, rattling the walls, setting her ears ringing. Samuel was crying angrily, gripping her with all his strength, his wet cheek pressed tightly in her blue dress. She could feel the damp of his tears through the fabric.
He was keenly distressed, and there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop whatever was happening outside. Briefly overwhelmed, she started to cry too, rocking him, desperately trying to soothe him.
Just outside the window, she could hear Cash and his brothers shouting.
She wasn’t sure if they were shouting at each other or at whoever was shooting.
A rush of jarring noises drifted through the shattered window: the scattering of feet; angry, rushed voices; gunfire; scraping metal; horses whinnying.
She gently laid Samuel down underneath the bed, hoping he would stay there long enough for her to risk a look outside. He was crawling all over the place these days. She crawled on her hands and knees to the window, and with trembling fingers, she pulled the curtain aside to peek out.
Dust clouded the air, nearly obscuring the hill that stood on the edge of the property behind the barn.
But it wasn’t so dusty that she couldn’t see the men on horses there—in a straight line.
They were too far away for her to make out any of their faces.
But she could tell that some of them were holding rifles, while the others had guns slung at their backs.
Suddenly, there was a shout and another volley of shots, and the horses barreled quickly downhill, thundering past the barn in a matter of moments. The barn grew loud with the cries of terrified horses.
She could see them better as they got closer. Most of the men’s faces were shadowed beneath wide-brimmed hats, but one—one stood out. It was a hat with a big shark-bite chunk missing from the rim.
Josie’s stomach dropped.
The man from the general store. Grayson Remington.
This can’t end well.
Who was he? What did he want? He seemed to know far more about her and Clara than he should.
Is he here for me?
As he passed by the house, dust flying all around his horse’s hooves, he slowed and turned to stare at the bedroom window—and he locked eyes with her.
She pressed a palm against her mouth, stifling a whimper as terror crawled up her throat.
And then he wheeled his horse around and came to a sudden halt. The dread solidified in her stomach.
He found me.
She had no idea what he wanted with her—but she knew, somehow, with horrible certainty, that he was there for her.
“Remington!” Cash hollered somewhere nearby, and a few rounds were fired into the air. “Get away from my house!”
Remington smiled at her, an evil smile that sent a shiver rolling down her spine. She felt Samuel tug at the bottom hem of her dress, his cries finally replaced by grumbles. She held onto his hand, not daring to look away from the window. Not yet.
Then Remington urged his horse forward and breezed past the window, heading for the front of the house as he yelled out, “Montgomery! We know you got somethin’ that don’t belong to you!”
Josie’s stomach turned. She couldn’t see him anymore now.
Samuel hiccupped against her, burying his face in her legs as he tried to tug himself up. She hissed in a deep breath, trying to keep the pain in her leg at bay as he rubbed against her gauzed wound.
She bent down to him and held him to her chest as she sat down against the wall. His body was shaking, and she clutched him closer, pressing a kiss on his soft forehead.
Please, please don’t let them take him.
She could barely hear Cash’s reply from outside. “Ain’t got a dang thing that belongs to you.” His voice was sharp-tongued and ready to slice.
But Remington seemed just as ready. “That so?” He gave a mocking laugh. “‘Cause I know a man who says otherwise.”
Randall Pierce.
Seized by sudden horror, Josie peeked back up, her eyes just barely above the windowsill.
It confirmed her worst fears. There he was, trotting toward the front of the house, at the very tail end of the riders who were following Remington.
The coward. Of course he’s behind everyone else.
Even from a distance, she could see Randall’s smirk. That disgusting, cocky smirk.
After all these years of knowing him, she knew that expression all too well. It was the same one he’d had when he taunted Amelia. The same one he’d worn when he’d promised to break Amelia, as though she was some kind of animal.
Josie felt sick.
He passed by the window without seeing her and disappeared, heading toward the front of the house. She flung herself down again, bile rising in her throat.
“Come on now, Josie,” he called out. “Ain’t no need for all this fuss!”
Her knees went weak. He knows I’m here.
She’d been right to be afraid. She’d been right to try to leave. She should’ve done it a lot sooner.
There was no more hiding now.
Tears burned the brims of her eyes, and she swallowed down the urge to vomit, her throat constricting. She closed her eyes as her head fell back against the wall. She gripped Samuel tighter.
No. No. No.
She had to run. Had to take Samuel and get as far away as possible.
How? She was hurt. Too hurt to really move. But she had to try.
She began to crawl to the crib. The one that Cash had built for them. The soft blankets they had given her—the ones he’d said were from his childhood.
Stricken by doubt, she faltered, looking around the room. It was a home. They’d given her a home. Even if it was temporary. And she hated to leave it. For the first time in almost a year, she had felt safe.
And now it was crumbling around her.
Outside, she could hear Cash’s voice again. Quieter, but not calmer. “If either of you want somethin’ from me, you’re gonna have to fight for it.”
She heard Remington let out a low chuckle.
“Oh, I plan to, Montgomery. But for now… consider this a warning. Tell that girl to return that baby, and the three of you decide how it’s gonna be for this ranch.
I want it. I’ll give you a few bucks for it, enough for you to buy somethin’ for yourselves near town.
And if you don’t take the deal, I’ll leave you with nothin’, not even this ranch. ”
Josie barely heard the rest. Then came the sound of hooves, thunderous at first, fading quickly to nothing but a faint pounding. They were riding away.
Gone.
She scrambled back to the window as fast as her injury allowed, wincing again as pain lanced up her leg.
They would be back.
And they wouldn’t be leaving empty-handed.
***
She was back in bed, and Samuel was already asleep next to her, by the time she heard the front door open and heavy footsteps on the wood floor.
She stroked a trembling hand over the little baby’s head, trying to keep her composure.
He was clearly worn out from all the ruckus.
She tried to draw some sense of peace from his slumber.
But the moment Cash pushed open her bedroom door and his blue eyes landed on her, something inside her broke. A sob escaped, raw and sudden, and her entire body shook.
Choked cries came, and she tried to stifle them so Samuel wouldn’t stir—but they were too heavy. Too much.
Before she knew what was happening, Cash was in front of her, his hands gripping her arms. “You’re safe,” he whispered.
It’s a lie. Josie shook her head violently. “No, I’m not,” she choked out. “And none of you are, either. They’re going to come back, and next time they won’t leave without Samuel. I’m so sorry… I brought this trouble on you…”
She was crying harder now. Sobbing. Right into Cash’s shoulder. She was surprised he didn’t pull away, but… she was glad.
Her door creaked again, and someone cleared his throat. She flinched away from Cash and craned her neck over his shoulder.
Luke and Beau. They were standing there looking at her, their faces flushed. Then Hank appeared, brushing between the two, walking over the threshold into the room. His face was dark with worry. “You wanna tell us what the heck is goin’ on?”
Josie swallowed hard, blinking through her tears. She had spent so much time hiding. So much time running. But now, there was no choice.
I have to tell them everything.
Taking a shaky breath, she turned her gaze to Cash. “You… you didn’t tell them about Samuel, did you?”
He shook his head.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes to Hank’s face. “Samuel isn't mine,” she whispered.
"What?" Beau asked, almost bitterly.
Josie swallowed. “He's my sister's baby. Amelia’s.”
The room fell silent.
She forced herself to sit up fully, feeling suddenly vulnerable. “Randall Pierce was the man who came with Grayson Remington. He was the one who said my name. He… he was my sister’s husband,” she added in a whisper.
Luke’s eyes went wide with shock, and Beau’s breath hissed between his teeth.
“And he… he hurt her. He would have hurt Samuel, too.” She squeezed her eyes shut, fingers trembling against the soft fabric of her blanket. “I promised her. I promised I’d keep him safe.”
All three of the men looked angry. She wasn’t sure if it was at her, or everything else. Cash’s jaw was so tight she thought he might break his teeth. Luke muttered a curse, pacing the length of the room.
“Watch your mouth,” Beau grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair.
Hank let out a slow, controlled exhale. “That yellow-bellied bas—”
“Enough,” Cash said.
Josie let out a shaky breath, looking down at Samuel. His tiny face was peaceful now, his little fingers curled into her dress. “I didn’t know where else to go,” she admitted. “And now I’ve brought trouble to your door. And I’m so sorry…”
She felt guiltier than she ever had. These men were good men. The only good ones she had ever met since Pa and Mr. Guthrie.
“Stop,” Cash said harshly.
Josie’s breath caught in her throat, eyes widening as she looked up at him.
But he wasn’t glaring at her. He shook his head, sighing. “It ain’t your fault.”
She blinked at him, startled, but he held her gaze. His expression was completely unreadable. “That man ain’t getting anywhere near you. Not while you’re here.”
A lump formed in her throat. She wanted to believe him. Lord have mercy on her, she wanted to. Desperately.
But she knew the truth. Randall Pierce wouldn’t stop. And now, Grayson Remington had something bigger in mind, something—according to the Montgomery brothers—that he had wanted for a long time.
She and Samuel weren’t the only ones in danger because of her. Everyone and everything on the Montgomery ranch was, now. And no matter how much Cash and his brothers swore to protect her, she knew one thing for certain.
This isn’t over. Not even close.