Page 30 of A Midlife Vanishing Trick

“So he has a wife,” the Collector said. “Things just got more interesting.”

***

Betsy was growing tired of the ride.

Stanley was not.

He held onto the reins, loving the familiar feeling of the wind in his hair as he raced across the field on the horse. The view of the sunset out here was stunning. If it were up to him, he would ride on and on, basking in the twilight glow.

But that wasn’t why he’d decided to ride Betsy in the first place.

He leaned forward on the horse, stroking her mane as she galloped. The grass below was almost a complete blur in his vision. He gazed ahead. The ranch house and barn were still in the distance, their outlines growing larger as he drew nearer. It reminded him somewhat of the day he’d left Earth.

He could almost see the portal shimmering into view again, the air shifting before his very eyes. Could something like that happen to him again? Four years ago, he’d ridden straight through the portal and had found himself in hell. If that happened to him again, if another portal opened suddenly before him as it had four years ago, he wasn’t sure he could bear it, especially if it meant getting pinned under Betsy and having to kill her to ensure his survival.

It's all in the past now,he told himself.It’s not going to happen again.

Still, his grip on the horse reins tightened a bit. Next to finding Allison again, being back in his world was the best thing ever to happen to him. He was free now. Free from the prison called Frost Mountain. Free from the need to struggle for his survival. Free from the Collectors ... and he wasn’t about to lose his freedom again.

But then there was Johan.

Johan was still here. Johan was after him. Johan wanted him dead and wouldn’t stop until he’d made it happen.

An attack from him was imminent, but Stanley had no idea when the man would finally strike. He knew he couldn’t afford to be caught off guard. That was part of the reason he’d taken Betsy out of her stable. For most of his day, he’d been patrolling the property in case the Collector decided to send another message—or worse.

It could always be worse. Johan’s last victim had been a couple of cows. Whose life would he take next? A horse? One of the cowhands? Or Allison? The thought made his blood boil. Johan could’ve walked away, moved to a different town, and started a new life there or something.Anything, really. Instead, he’d chosen to remain here. And for what? To get revenge on Stanley for dragging him away from the hellscape he’d lived in all his life.

It made no sense.

Not that it mattered now. Whatever Johan had in store for him, Stanley wasn’t going to let it happen. He would fight Johan until his final breath if he needed to.

It occurred to him that his jaw was clenched. He relaxed it, steering the horse toward the barn. For a moment, he cut his gaze to the house. Allison must be in the kitchen now, making dinner. A smile tugged at his lips. He should go back there nowand help out in the kitchen, maybe chop some onions for her or give her a long, warm hug from behind.

If he did that, things might get pretty steamy, and they’d end up going to bed on empty stomachs, he realized with a chuckle. They’d made love so many times since yesterday that he couldn’t help but feel that they were making up for lost time. Not that he minded one bit. Even now, he couldn’t wait until the next time he was buried inside her, filling her to the brim, kissing her as they drove each other into ecstasy. His mind stirred with the memory of her gazing up at him from between his legs as she pleasured him with her sweet, hot mouth.

Maybe later,he told himself, feeling his body slowly come alive as the image grew more vivid in his mind.

It felt good to be back with Allison, to share a bed with her again. He’d been living in that barn, hoping she would look past the fact that he’d been gone for so long and welcome him into her arms for two long weeks.

Stanley frowned. His inner snow leopard growled softly. He looked around. Something felt off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it, so he brushed the feeling aside.

Betsy nickered softly. He’d given her quite a workout lately. She could use a good night’s sleep. In the morning, he’d take her or one of the other horses for a spin. As he and Betsy drew closer to the barn, he could see some of the cowhands in the distance. They were done with work for the day, as was he.

He reached the barn and returned Betsy to her stable, stroking the horse’s flank for a moment before exiting the barn and heading straight for the house. He’d only gotten halfway there when he realized someone was standing on the front porch.

Allison?

He drew closer, frowning.

Wait a minute.

It wasn’t just one person. There weretwoof them, a man and a woman. Allison stood right in front of the man, gazing at Stanley as he approached. He was too far away to see either of their faces clearly, but he could already tell that something wasn’t quite right. Who could that be? One of the cowhands?

It was only after a few more steps that he saw the look of terror on Allison’s face. His gaze shifted. The man behind her stared back at him, grey eyes gleaming with murderous intent. He had a hand at Allison’s throat, gleaming claws digging into her skin.

Stanley froze in his tracks, his eyes widening with realization. His inner snow leopard bared its teeth.

“You,” he snarled, balling his fists.

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