Page 45 of The Copper Heir
“You think you can outsmart Reyes? He was running the border towns while you were still pissing your britches. Even if you ransom the kid back, Reyes won’t let you get away. You expect to get out of here alive? Even if you do, he’ll hunt you down just to make an example out of you. You took that kid back in Crystal City and wouldn’t listen to me when I said to turn him loose, but this ends now. The kid goes back and we take our girls and walk away. That’s it.”
“See, this talk is why you lost yer gang.”
Before Ship could reply, the sound of a pair of boots running by outside reached them. “Goddammit, they already know we’re here.” His voice lowered.
Emmy hastily did a count in her head to figure out how many men Hunter might have with him. Besides Hunter and Castillo, there were the men who worked the ranch. She wasn’t sure how many men, at least ten, but she’d seen most of them wearing guns. Castillo had probably brought some of the gang back with him as well. It was impossible odds. This wouldn’t work out well for Pete.
“There are at least fifteen men out there, all with guns.” She turned her head to look at Pete, because clearly he was the irrational one here who needed to be made to see reason. “You won’t be able to outfight that many.”
“Shut up, Em. He don’t know we’re here.”
“Listen to her, boy. She’s been with him, she knows how many men he has,” Ship advised.
“Yeah? If he has so many men, how’d you manage to get away?” All three of them looked at her when Pete asked that.
How could she tell him the truth? He’d never understand what she had with Hunter. “It was easy. They don’t really need me since they have the children, so I wasn’t tied up. I ran as soon as I could after I heard the details about the exchange.”
The fact that Pete could so easily believe she’d abandon the children was more a testament to his character than her own. He gave her a nod of respect and glanced back to the door. Ship still studied her closely and she wasn’t entirely sure if he didn’t believe her or if he was simply disgusted that she’d leave the girls.
“Draw yer gun, Smith. Get to the door in case somebody decides to open it,” Pete ordered.
“Don’t you dare move, either one of you,” Ship warned, still holding a gun on Pete and a gun on Smith.
“Dammit, old man, yer going to get us killed.”
“No, you’re going to get us killed. You never tbn hink before you act!”
They never got to finish that argument. Before either of them could say another word, the barn doors nearest them crashed open, wood splintering from the weight of a wagon barreling through it.
Chapter Twenty
Hunter would never forget the sight of Emmy standing there with the muzzle of Pete’s gun pressed against her temple. It was a memory that would haunt his nightmares for years to come. He never wanted to see her sweet face so pale with fear again and he vowed that as long as he lived he’d do everything he could to make sure it never was. The problem with that vow was that it depended solely on the outcome of the next few minutes for it to mean anything.
When the wagon crashed through the doors, Angel and Eduardo both moved ahead to take cover behind the stack of crates that flanked the entrance. Hunter stayed so that he had the most direct view from behind the wagon, though it had tipped forward, spilling some feed bags onto the floor. He held his gun aimed straight at Pete, while Cas had his on Campbell. The moment Pete saw them, he tightened his grip around her shoulders and tucked her tight in front of him. He backed up so they were partially hidden by a stack of crates, but the angle didn’t hide them completely. Hunter could still shoot thebastard if he wasn’t so damned worried about hitting Emmy by mistake.
“Don’t shoot!” Hunter yelled the order to his men.
Campbell didn’t know who to hold his guns on. He kept one firmly on Pete, but the other wavered among the group, going from Hunter to Cas and back again. Smith had moved so quickly he’d managed to draw his own gun, but Angel and Eduardo had him in their sights. Hunter hoped no other men from Campbell’s gang were hiding, but he couldn’t take his eyes from Pete and his gun to look for them.
“That’s right. You shoot and she’s dead,” Pete yelled back. “Don’t even try and pretend you don’t care. If you didn’t, we’d all be dead by now.”
“Even if we don’t want her dead, you won’t get out of here alive,” Cas growled the words.
“I will. You’ll let me walk out or she’s dead.”
“She gets hurt, you die.” Hunter’s voice was strangely calm, even to his own ears.
“Is that how you found that money, sis? D’you make ’em like you? Which one, Reyes or his brother? Or both?”
“Stop, Pete.” She wiggled against him, twisting to try to get away. “It’s over. Give up now while you’re still alive.”
“Don’t move, Emmy!” Hunter yelled in alarm. He could just imagine Pete overreacting and pulling the trigger. “He’s desperate and stupid. Don’t push him to react.”
“Listen to Emmaline, son.” Campbell broke his silence and spoke to Pete, though he didn’t move his eyes from the men staring them down. “It’s over.”
“Like hell,” Pete spat. “I ain’t giving her up. I give her up and they kill me. This is what’s going to happen. I’m walking out of here with her and that satchel on the floor and nobody follows us.”
“You won’t get two steps out that door, boy.” Campbell shook his head in warning.
