Secluded With the Cowboy by Cassie Miles Read Free Book Online Page A

a mile ahead was the turn leading toward the ranch. With several men standing guard, the people in the house were safe. Nicole was safe. But Dylan hated to think of Nate getting within a mile of her.
    If the road had been straight, he would have continued at a gallop. But the truck took a sharp turn and disappeared behind a stand of pine trees.
    The perfect spot for an ambush . And Dylan was no fool. He directed his horse onto the shoulder of the road, slowing his pace to ride across the unfenced property.
    Burke came up beside him. He wasted no time with discussion. With hand signals, he indicated that he’d ride around to the other side of the trees.
    If Nate had parked in the cover of those trees, they’d have him surrounded.
    Rifle in hand, Jesse rode up beside Dylan. “When we’re close,” he said, “we approach on foot.”
    Dylan understood his thinking. He wanted both feet planted on the ground before taking aim. There might only be time for one shot, and he didn’t want to miss. Beside a shrub, barren of leaves, he and Jesse dismounted. Dylan drew his handgun.
    Together, they picked their way through trees andshrubs. The dry soil, littered with pinecones and dead leaves, crunched underfoot.
    They could see the road. The truck sat there, idling. The old engine rattled. The stink of exhaust tainted the air.
    He couldn’t see anyone inside. Nate might have left his vehicle, might be on foot, hiding behind a tree trunk or crouched in the shadow of a rock. He didn’t expect Nate to play fair.
    “Split up,” he whispered to Jesse. “I’ll go left.”
    “I’m sticking with you.”
    They’d have a better chance of finding Nate if they spread out, but there wasn’t time for a discussion of strategy. He moved forward.
    The truck lights flashed on.
    Jesse dropped to one knee and pulled Dylan down beside him. Before either of them could take aim, the truck raced away.
    Dylan started toward the pavement, but Jesse held him back. “Stay down.”
    “He’s getting away.”
    “That’s what we should do. Get the hell out of here.”
    On the opposite side of the road, Burke waved. He was also on foot. “Stay down. I called Jesse’s men at the ranch house for back-up.”
    Dylan crouched beside a waist-high boulder. He had to agree that this set-up didn’t feel right. The truck had waited for them to get close. They’d been drawn into this area. It was a trap.
    “Damn, Jesse. I want to go after him.”
    “There could be somebody else driving that truck,” Jesse said.
    “What? Who?”
    “Nate pulled over a hundred thousand bucks off the top of the ransom. He’s got money to pay an accomplice.”
    If Nate was working with someone else, he could have gotten out of the truck. He could be right close by. And they’d be easy targets if they ran to their horses and mounted up.
    The brake lights on the truck flashed. The driver stopped and started, driving slowly. Teasing them.
    Dylan’s handgun wasn’t accurate enough for distance shooting. “Take the shot, Jesse. Put holes in his tires.”
    “Patience.”
    All this restraint was driving him crazy. Every muscle in his body tensed. He wanted to go after the bastard.
    At a bend in the road, the truck stopped. A harsh voice yelled, “Dylan. I know it’s you.”
    He recognized the voice. “That’s Nate.”
    “Are you scared, Dylan? Afraid of me?”
    “Come back here,” Dylan roared. “Face me like a man.”
    “You’re the coward. You and all your hired bodyguards. Hell, your wife is tougher than you are. She didn’t cry. Not much, anyway.”
    The thought of Nicole in the bastard’s grasp was too damn much for Dylan to take. He bolted to his feet. He had to go after Nate.
    “Wait,” Jesse said. “Don’t let him get to you. He’s trying to draw you out.”
    Caution be damned. Dylan refused to hide. He had to take action. He strode through the trees with his right arm extended, firing his weapon.
    Jesse tackled him, knocked him to the ground.
    “Get