Page 47 of A Cowboy's Claim
“Kevin took them all with him to do some work out at Red Boot ranch.” Declan looked Sydney up and down. “I don’t know why I’m asking, but are you okay getting involved?”
The fact he’d asked instead of simply telling her to stay out of it kept thetry and stop mefrom escaping. “I’ll follow your lead,” she promised. “How do you want to do this?”
He motioned to the back of the horse. “Hop on up. We’re going to send you in one way so I can get in another.” His face went stormy. “You got your magic pass-out drugs on you?”
She patted her pocket. “Always.”
Declan leaned over, linking his hands into a step. “Up you go.”
He waited until she was in the saddle, reins in hand before he laid a big hand on her thigh and squeezed. “Walk Cobalt around the back side of the barn and go in through the arena. If the overhead door is closed, open it then mount back up before entering. You can get away quicker on horseback if you need to, or use Cobalt to stomp anyone who gets in your way. You want to get the of attention of whoever is in there so I can get inside unnoticed. But don’t take chances.”
She listened as he gave her a few more instructions then nodded firmly. “Youstay safe,” she ordered. “No heroics.”
“Hopefully we discover this is all some big misunderstanding.” He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “But be ready for anything.”
As per the plan, Sydney shook the reins gently and got Cobalt headed around the edge of the barn. It was an ominous sensation to have to casually ride past a place where people could be watching her.
She fell into that place of calm again up to where the barn door was open, and she confidently headed Cobalt into the entrance.
She stopped right in the doorway. “That was a good ride, girl,” she announced loudly, patting the horse’s neck. “I’ll have to borrow you again next time.”
A lanky man in his midthirties stepped forward from one of the stalls, smile firmly place. He tipped his baseball cap back and grinned at her. “Hey, there. Let me give you a hand.”
“Oh, hello.” She smiled but kept her seat. “Thanks. This is my first time renting one of the horses, and I’m not sure where everything goes yet.”
“First time? So you don’t know everyone here?” He caught the reins and began to guide her toward a stall close to where he’d appeared from.
“Ten rides starting today,” she announced perkily. “Plus I get to do the horse care, you know brushing them and whatever it’s called. I love horses. Don’t you love horses? Of course you do. You wouldn’t work here if you didn’t. What a great job you have.”
She kept the chatter up, bubbly and brainless as she slid off the horse and quickly ducked under Cobalt’s neck to her right side. Just in case the guy planned to grab her.
“How’d you hear about our place?” he asked.
“Just moved to town—I’m the new receptionist at the clinic, you know—and my landlord told me this was the place to call.” After a quick peek up into the loft area, Sydney frowned at the man pretending to help her. “Do you know where the brushes are?”
“Sure,” he said. “But I just thought of something. You’re new, but have you seen my buddy around? I’ve been trying to track him down for a while.”
Sydney pretended great interest in the guy’s phone as he held it forward, and a clear image of someone who looked very much like Logan popped into view. Not Logan though—the eyes were the wrong colour. “He’s cute.”
The guy choked for a second. “I guess?”
Above them in the loft, out of sight of the stranger, Declan appeared, silent as a ghost. When he drew his fingers across his throat, she got the message.
“Wait, I might know him. Let me see again,” she ordered, slipping her hand into her pocket as she doubled back under Cobalt’s neck. She thumbed the protective cap off the injector. “You’re too tall,” she complained, laughing innocently. “Or I’m too short.”
“You think you’ve seen him in town?” The guy leaned over more as he held out the phone again.
Sydney hummed softly, then pointed at the screen with her left hand. “That looks like?—”
She jammed the muscle relaxant against his neck then stepped back, crowding into the corner of the stall and putting Cobalt’s head between them.
“What the fuck?” The stranger whirled with a snarl, all pretense of being a nice guy falling away. His eyes widened, the quick-acting relaxant hitting his system so fast his legs collapsed, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap.
Declan had crawledin the upper window of the barn and made a quick trip around the perimeter of the loft. It was only after he’d spotted Tansy and Petra safe but trapped in neighbouring stalls that he’d signaled Sydney to go ahead and use her knockout meds.
His entire body tightened as he waited mostly hidden from view in the loft, unable to do more than watch.
Thankfully, Sydney was both brave and quick, and within seconds of the man landing at her feet, she’d grabbed Cobalt’s reins.
