Chapter 17

Josey

Five minutes before….

Relief washed over Josey when she made it to the top of the hole and Colton held out his hand to help her up. “We need to get Daxton out of there.”

“That’s the plan.” Colton smirked, quickly untying the rope from around her. “Step back over there, ma’am, and we’ll have him out in no time.”

Wyatt, Colton, and Harrison immediately went to work, trying to bring Daxton up.

Josey did as he asked and stepped to the side, wringing her hands nervously as she watched, wishing she could do more. Josey was so engrossed in watching the men rescue Daxton that she didn’t hear anyone come up behind her.

Josey gasped as strong arms grabbed her from behind, fiercely grabbing her around the waist and pulling her head back in one fluid motion. The stench of strong male body order, combined with tobacco and alcohol, wafted toward her.

“Don’t breathe a word... or you’re dead.” There was no mistaking it: The voice belonged to Austin Slater.

“I’m already dead,” Josey calmly replied as her heart sank. With Daxton’s reaction when he found her, him kissing her cheeks, her face, she thought that maybe everything could actually work out. But not anymore. Not now. Austin had found her. She just hoped that Daxton wouldn't be killed in the crossfire.

Austin laughed without humor. “True, but I’m in the mood to have a little fun first.”

Even though Austin was quiet, Harrison must have heard the exchange and immediately drew his weapon, along with Wyatt, quicker than she would have thought possible.

Colton narrowed his eyes, holding the rope tightly. Josey was thankful that he hadn’t let it go.

Suddenly, Josey felt the unmistakable hard, cold steel of a gun barrel against her temple.

“Pull him up,” Austin instructed, tightening his grip around her. “But one word and she dies.”

Colton nodded once and then continued to pull Daxton up.

“Lower your weapons, gentlemen.” Austin’s grip tightened around her, preventing her escape.

One corner of Wyatt’s lips curled into a smile. “Not on your life.”

Austin chuckled. “Not on my life... but maybe on hers.” Then his voice turned harsh, nearly a growl. “Pull him up and we’ll settle this like men!”

Josey’s back straightened as adrenaline coursed through her veins. “You’re not a man. You nor Logan.”

“Shut up!” Austin’s grip was so tight around her that pain shot through her body. “How dare you speak his name... after you killed him.”

“It was in self-defense. He was coming after me—”

Austin jerked her hard against his chest. “Shut up!”

Just then, Colton reached down and helped Daxton up. When he turned around, both he and Colton drew their weapons.

“Let her go,” Daxton ordered, his eyes filled with fury.

“Nuh uh. Not so fast.” Austin’s voice was calmer than she would have thought it would be when he found her. Then he started backing away, dragging her with him. “None of you have to die. Now that I have her, I’ll be on my way. But don’t try to stop us.”

“Daxton, he’s not alone! He never is!” Josey couldn’t look behind her to see where his men were. But make no mistake. They were there.

Austin jerked her back roughly, nearly breaking her neck. “Shut up!”

Daxton’s gun clicked as he pulled back the hammer. “If you think we’ll let you leave with her, then you’re sadly mistaken, mister. Let her go.”

“Nope!” Austin kept pulling her backward, keeping her in front of him.

“Only a coward would use a woman as a shield,” Josey said calmly. She was dead now anyway. What did it matter?

“I said, shut up!”

Obviously, she had hit a nerve.

“You know, she’s right.” Daxton took a step closer, holding his gun in front of him. “You are a coward.”

Austin stopped. “Sheriff, you’d better watch who you’re talking to!” He pulled Josey up in front of him tighter. “She was the one who shot my brother in cold blood! She’s the coward!”

Daxton laughed without humor, a crazed look in his eyes. “In my book, that makes her the bravest person I know. After all, only a coward would beat a woman.”

“So, now you’re calling my dead brother a coward, too?” Austin shouted loudly beside her ear, nearly deafening.

“You admit that your brother beat her then? Did unspeakable things to her? I saw the bruises on her arms when I met her.” Daxton took a step closer. “Under those circumstances —self-defense, being beaten—no jury in the country would convict her.”

“I didn’t report it to the authorities.” Austin smirked, taking another step back. “Where I come from, we settle matters in our own way. We have our own justice. No need to get the law involved. Now that I have what I came for, I’ll be on my way.” He took another step back, pulling her along roughly. “But she’s coming with me.”

“No, she’s not—”

“Daxton, let me go,” Josey replied calmly, a tear trailing down her face. Her fate was sealed, hers and the baby’s. She would never be free of Austin. Never. But she could still save Daxton.

Austin froze, his body stiffening behind her. “Oh, so you’re in love with her!” He let out a sinister laugh. “Sorry, but this woman’s already spoken for. And she’ll meet him in Hell in just a few minutes... but not before I let my men have their way with her first. And maybe we can have a little target practice… before we hang her.”

“I don’t think so.” Colton walked up beside Daxton, with Wyatt and Harrison flanking him. “The lady is not going anywhere with you.”

Austin laughed as if it was the funniest joke he had ever heard. “You’re calling her a lady? That’s rich! If you only knew—”

“That’s enough!” Daxton took a step closer. “I’m giving you one more chance to let her go... then I’m killing you.”

Josey felt Austin’s shoulders shrug behind her. “If I let her go, then I’m dead anyway. What does it matter? Either way, I’m not going until she’s dead. I owe my brother that much.”

“You still have a chance to leave here alive,” Harrison said, stepping up beside Daxton. “Let her go and you can ride out of here. We’ll even give you a head start.” Then, he narrowed his eyes. “But make no mistake about it: We will catch up to you… and soon.”

Austin laughed. “No, mister. She’s coming with me.”

When he backed up into the tree line, his men were hiding in the wings.

“Daxton! Look out!”

Then everything happened at once. Austin’s men started firing and Colton took down two in the blink of an eye. Austin pointed his gun at Daxton, but Josey knocked into him with her shoulder as hard as she could and then fell out of his arms and onto the ground, leaving Austin fully exposed.

Daxton raised his weapon, but Austin shot him in the shoulder, sending him to the ground.

“Daxton, no!” Josey screamed as tears sprang to her eyes.

Austin grabbed her up off the ground and held her in front of him, her feet dangling in midair like a ragdoll’s.

From the ground, Daxton lifted his weapon and took aim. Josey’s elbow flew into Austin's ribs again and moved to the side, giving Daxton a clear shot. In an instant, Daxton shot him right between the eyes. Austin’s grip loosened immediately, and she fell to the ground, out of reach. Red, crimson blood pooled from Daxton’s shoulder, but he dove toward Josey, covering her with his body, keeping her close to the ground. Wyatt and Harrison were fast, but Colton was faster, fighting it out until the rest of Austin’s men jumped on their horses and rode off.

“Are you okay?” Daxton asked as he stood, pulling her to her feet. Then he grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look in his eyes. “Josey, are you okay?”

Josey nodded as her body started shaking, unable to speak, glad that it was finally over. No matter what happened now, she would gladly endure it, for it would be nothing compared to what Austin had planned for her. When she thought of how close she had come to him killing both her and the baby….

“Hey, hey,” Daxton cooed, rubbing her back as he held her against his chest, her tears mixing with his blood. “It’s all over now. Shh.”

“You can take me to jail now. I don’t care.” Then she pulled back to look into his eyes. “I’m just glad it’s over. Thank you.”

Daxton chuckled, obviously from relief. “Josey, you’re not going to jail.”

“We’ll be right over here.” Colton smirked as he motioned discretely to the tree line, and then started checking the bodies littering the ground for life.

Daxton nodded.

“What are you talking about?” Josey sighed, looking into his eyes. “I mean, I killed Logan.”

“In self-defense,” Daxton corrected. “I don’t want to put more strain on you but tell me what happened.”

Colton, Wyatt, and Harrison were a discreet distance away giving them privacy, and now was as good a time as any. He had to know, and she wanted to tell him. Let the chips fall where they may. She just hoped they waited to fulfill the sentence until after the baby was born. At least now, her baby could have a life… without Logan or Austin Slater. Daxton was a good man. She knew he would raise it as his own... if something were to happen to her.

So, Josey told Daxton everything. About having first met Logan, how it was wonderful at first, how she had ignored the rumors. Then she told him how everything had changed, about the beatings and more, and then she told him what happened that night, that she had warned him to stay away from her, but that he still kept coming toward her. She told him about the struggle, and then Logan falling on top of her.

Daxton cringed, but said nothing as he listened, his eyebrows pulling together in concern, his expression unreadable.

Finally, she told him about pulling the trigger and the gun going off, Logan’s eyes becoming fixed, and how she felt his blood ooze over her body. Then she told him about running and finding the clothes... everything up until Daxton found her in his barn.

When she finished her story, Daxton waited patiently, thinking. “I’ll send word to the Federal Marshal about what happened here. I’m also going to tell him about Harland Duffy, the sheriff in Laramie.”

Josey’s eyebrows rose nearly into her hairline. “Will he be arrested, too?” She had never heard of a lawman being arrested, even if they were as crooked as a dogwood branch.

Daxton chuckled without humor. “Oh, yes!”

“But he’s a lawman—”

“And lawmen are not above the law,” Daxton finished. “It’s obvious that Duffy abused his power, and when you abuse your power, then it’s taken away.”

Just then, Josey saw that the blood was spreading from his shoulder, soaking his shirt. “We need to get you to a doctor... now.”

Daxton nodded as Josey slid her arm around him, under his shoulder. Then he looked over at the other men. “Gentlemen, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t say anything about what you just heard... or about what happened.”

“As far as I’m concerned, we just caught some notorious outlaws.” Colton smirked as he slid his arm under Daxton’s arm on the other side.

“Same here,” Harrison chimed in.

Wyatt shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Then he looked over at Josey and winked.

Everyone started laughing.

“Come on, buddy.” Colton took most of his weight off Josey. “Time to see Doc Morgan.” Obviously, he had lost a lot of blood.

“This time, I’m not going to argue with you.” Then Daxton looked over at Josey. “And I want Doc Morgan to check you out, too, while we’re there.”

She knew that he was talking about the baby, as well as her. She just hoped that the baby was okay... after having been through such an ordeal.