Chapter 34 #3
Ranch hands were rushing out around them, so Hannah wouldn’t have thought she was in danger, but as she studied Amber, she wasn’t so sure.
The woman’s pale eyes were wild, and she looked strung out.
She’d become rail thin, probably because of all her drug and alcohol use.
Her dark blond hair was still long, but it didn’t shine like it used to.
Hard living was stamped all over her furious face, and Hannah found she had no sympathy.
Stopping at the bottom of the steps, Amber raised her fists. “You! How dare you come back and take my place? I’m the kid’s mom! Not you. Now where’s the boy? Cooper!”
She screamed his name. Hannah set her weight in front of the door. “Amber, go home. This isn’t the time to see him.”
Her smirk was frightening as she put her hands on her hips. “So little Hannah’s back in town, sucking Ben Montgomery’s cock and telling me what to do. Bitch, get out of my way. I’m his mother. I can see him whenever I want to.”
She shook her head. “Not like this. Now, I’m telling you. Get in Owen’s truck and leave. Right now.”
Amber started up the steps, and Hannah planted her feet wider to block her. There was no way in hell she was letting Amber get to Cooper.
Her wild eyes turned rattlesnake mean. “Get out of my way. I’m seeing him.”
Mr. Montgomery was running up the way, and when Amber had made the third step, he pulled her off it from behind.
She struggled in his arms, kicking and flailing, screaming, “Let go of me! I’ll have you arrested. How dare you put your hands on me? Rape! Rape!”
Ben’s father held her in place with her arms at her sides. “Stop this, Amber! You’re totally out of line.”
Other hands came running as she managed to break free, with Hudson arriving to throw a rope over her and cinch it like he was lassoing a cow.
She screamed, “Let me go!”
“The sheriff’s going to come,” Mr. Montgomery bit out, picking up his cowboy hat from the ground where she’d dislodged it. “Amber, look at me. Is that what you want? Cut it out. Right now. Or I swear we’ll have you thrown in jail for threatening Cooper.”
She continued to kick, yelling, “He’s mine! I won’t let that bitch take my place. I’ll kill her before I let her.”
She shuddered. Holy shit. She’s certifiable.
And dangerous.
The crazed woman twisted around so she was facing Hannah, her pale eyes wild in her face. “You’re going to wish you’d died with your sister, bitch. By the time I’m through with you, you’ll be begging me.”
She lurched toward Hannah, only to be pulled back by Hudson, who had her tied up. She fell to her knees. “I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you for taking what’s mine.”
Owen finally joined in the fray. “Leave my sister alone, you bastard,” he yelled at Hudson.
He had his knife out and was thrusting it toward the other ranch hands around them. Cutting Amber loose, he grabbed her arm. “Amber, let’s go. If the rest of you are smart, you’ll forget this ever happened.”
Then he hauled Amber toward the truck, his hunting knife still extended menacingly. The men around them gave them space, and then Owen and Amber were in the truck, speeding down the main road, kicking up enough dust to cloud the yard.
Mr. Montgomery was the first to reach her. “Hannah, are you all right?”
Her legs suddenly felt rubbery, and she was shaking so much, but she nodded. “I didn’t believe she’d gotten this bad.”
“I’ve never seen her this violent.” He patted her then, like he didn’t know what else to do, before asking, “Where’s Cooper?”
“Neil has him inside,” she said.
Charlie was striding up the steps with Reba hovering in the yard on the phone. “I’m mighty sorry about that, Hannah. We had no idea Owen had her hiding in the back seat of his cab. Thank God Reba had the presence of mind to video it. She’s sending it to Logan now.”
Mr. Montgomery’s mouth flattened. “You can bet Paul Kincaid will hear about this. Owen’s banned from the Triple M for life. So is Amber if I have anything to say about it. Now I’d better go call Ben.”
“Reba already did,” Charlie told him. “She’s on the phone with Logan now.”
Mr. Montgomery nodded and turned to Hannah. “Will you come with me? I’m not…Cooper needs a woman’s touch.”
When they found Cooper and Neil, the little boy was wearing Neil’s noise-canceling headphones and sitting in Neil’s lap along with Tank. Neil’s mouth was grim when he looked up, but it was Cooper’s tearstained face that tore at her heart.
He ripped off the headphones, blue eyes frantic, lip wobbling. “Where’s Mama?”
Mr. Montgomery came forward and slowly lowered to one knee beside the boy. “Cooper, your mother isn’t well, and she said some things that she shouldn’t. We had to ask her to leave.”
After giving a brave little nod, he pressed his face into Tank’s fur and started sobbing. Wordlessly, Neil shifted so she could hold him.
“Come here, sweet boy. We’ve got you,” she murmured, kissing the top of his head.
“H-Hannah…I’m-m scared,” Cooper cried brokenly.
Oh, this poor little boy.
When did Amber become so…evil?
She was still soothing Cooper when Ben charged in.