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

off me.” Dylan’s fury gave him strength. He shoved the bodyguard away from him.
    Before he could stand up, the night exploded. The airsplit in a thunderous roar. A ball of fire burst at the edge of the road.
    Dynamite. TNT on a long fuse.
    Red and orange flames licked at the surrounding forest. A shower of rocks and dirt rained down upon them.
    From far away, Dylan heard Nate Miller laughing.

Chapter Six
    As Nicole sat at the kitchen table, chatting with Carolyn and her mother, a warm sense of drowsiness wrapped around her like a down comforter. They gossiped and talked about homey topics: baking Christmas cookies, shopping for presents, getting started on the decorations for the ranch house.
    Christmas had always been Nicole’s favorite time of year. She loved making wreaths and tromping through the forest to find the perfect-shaped tree. She hoped there would be a blanket of pure-white snow for Christmas morning.
    Eyelids drooping, she gazed down at her hands folded in her lap. The black-and-blue marks circling her wrists reminded her of the kidnapping, and she tugged down her sleeves to cover the bruises. It was better to focus on how good it was to be home, to put those terrible memories out of her mind.
    Tomorrow would be a brand-new day. She’d wake up in her warm bed beside her husband—a man with whom she had a great deal in common. For breakfast, there would be bacon and eggs and coffee and…
    The hint of a distant explosion shook her out of herreverie. She bounded to her feet. Her chair fell backward and hit the kitchen floor. “What was that?”
    “Trouble,” Carolyn said as she whipped out her cell phone. “I’ll call Burke.”
    A shiver shuddered down Nicole’s spine. Dylan was out there. Even though she’d begged him to stay with her, to leave the rounding-up of cattle to the others, he’d insisted on riding into danger.
    Andrea came up beside her. “Are you all right?”
    “Fine.”
    How quickly her sense of well-being had disappeared! Would she ever feel safe again? Nervously, she picked up her chair and pushed it under the table. Her fingers trembled as she carried her cup to the sink and rinsed the dregs of chamomile tea. If anything had happened to Dylan, she couldn’t bear it.
    “It’s okay,” Carolyn announced, waving her cell phone. “Nobody was hurt.”
    “Thank God,” Andrea said. “What made the noise?”
    Carolyn pursed her lips. She seemed reluctant to speak. “I don’t want either of you to freak out.”
    “Too late,” Nicole said. “What was it?”
    “According to Burke, it was…dynamite.”
    Nicole’s knees went weak. Dynamite? She braced herself against the counter.
    Carolyn continued, “Nate lured them into an ambush and set off a couple of sticks. But nobody was injured.”
    “You’re sure?” Nicole asked.
    “Dylan’s fine. He and Jesse and Burke are on their way back. They should be here in a couple of minutes.”
    In spite of Carolyn’s reassurances, images of blood and gore raced through her mind. Dylan never should have gone out there. Why hadn’t he listened to her?
    The wall phone beside the cupboards rang, and she automatically reached for it. She heard breathing, then a thin, cruel whisper. “I should have left you to die.”
    The sound of Nate’s voice stunned her. She gasped.
    “Is anyone with you?” he demanded.
    “Y-yes.”
    “Don’t let them know it’s me,” he whispered. “Give them a smile. Do it, Nicole.”
    She forced a smile for Carolyn and Andrea, then turned away so they wouldn’t see the panic in her eyes.
    “I’m still in charge, Nicole. Don’t doubt it. Not for a minute.”
    She wasn’t his hostage, anymore. He couldn’t force her to do his bidding. “I’m not going to—”
    “Silence,” he hissed. “I almost killed Dylan tonight. He’s a hothead, isn’t he? Isn’t he?”
    “Yes.” She had to admit the truth. Dylan knew better than to leave the house, but he’d put himself directly in the line of