are you naked?”
He sighed. “Ranger Graham and I’m not naked. My shirt is busy stopping the blood from leaking out of your body.”
“I’m bleeding?” She tried to move and a groan of pain burst from her mouth. “Oh shit that hurts.”
“I’m sure it does. We’re almost there, Rory.” He had seen the wound and it was likely excruciating for her. She was tough, no matter how crazy she acted.
The armed sentries were waiting by the bridge, just as she predicted. Two large men with rifles lounged against the pillars holding up the fantastically intricate wooden bridge. Who would build such an elaborate looking structure to cross an eight-foot creek?
They straightened and held positions as Caleb and Rory rode up. He touched the brim of his hat.
“Evenin’ fellas. Ranger Caleb Graham. I’ve got Aurora Foster here and she’s wounded. She tells me Mr. Garza has a doctor here.”
“Aurora? You mean Rory?” The man on the right chuckled, his pockmarked face breaking into a gap-toothed grin. “Her name is Aurora?” That must have been the funniest thing he’d heard in a while, a knee slapper.
“I don’t think you understand the situation here. She’s bleeding to death and you’re laughing.” Caleb couldn’t keep the annoyance out of his tone and it didn’t go unnoticed.
Pockmarked man stopped laughing and straightened up. The man on the left hadn’t even blinked when they rode up. He gestured to Rory.
“Did you do this?” Heavily accented English told him the man in the shadows was Mexican. Interesting considering the war had only been over four years.
“She fell out of a tree and a branch did it.”
The Mexican nodded. “She tell you Señor Garza has a doctor?”
Apparently Caleb was going to be questioned before entering the sacred ranch property of this Señor Garza. That told him whoever this man was, he had enemies. He obviously had a lot of money to spend, given his outlying property was protected by sentries and a wooden bridge that belonged in a fancy park in a big city.
“Yes, she did. She’s also out of her mind from blood loss. I’d rather she live to tell her the story herself.” He shifted her weight and she moaned, a tiny hiccupping sound that was pitiful and bothered the hell out of him.
“Where is your shirt?” The Mexican stepped closer to the horse.
“It’s pressed up against her side to stop the blood. It was all I had. Now do you have a doctor or not? I’m a Texas Ranger. I mean Mr. Garza no harm.” Caleb spoke through clenched teeth but he kept his tone even. No need to spook the hired muscle with the temper that simmered, now beginning to boil.
“ Sí , we have a doctor. I will walk you to the house.” The Mexican turned to his gap-toothed companion. “Stay here.”
Finally they were going to cross the damn bridge. It made Caleb think of a child’s tale and he wondered if Garza was a monster that lived beneath it. Fanciful foolishness but the entire situation was strange.
The Mexican walked and Caleb had no choice but to follow on Justice at a slow pace. Apparently sentries didn’t warrant a horse of their own to ride. It took fifteen minutes to arrive at the intricately crafted wrought iron gate and stone wall that protected the house. It was a goddamn fortress.
Caleb’s opinion of Mr. Garza reached a level of full alert. Whoever this man was, he was dangerous and rich. The sentry opened the gates after unlocking the large screw lock. Caleb wondered if Rory had made both the lock and the gates. Either way, the man had protection everywhere. The hairs on the back of Caleb’s neck stood up. He was about to ride into the lion’s den.
“Go up to the main house. Señor Garza will be there.” The sentry stayed at the gate and watched as Justice picked his way across the courtyard. There was a fountain in the middle of it, with water cascading down the sides. That was something nobody in Texas ever wasted—water. They rode toward the largest house
He sighed. “Ranger Graham and I’m not naked. My shirt is busy stopping the blood from leaking out of your body.”
“I’m bleeding?” She tried to move and a groan of pain burst from her mouth. “Oh shit that hurts.”
“I’m sure it does. We’re almost there, Rory.” He had seen the wound and it was likely excruciating for her. She was tough, no matter how crazy she acted.
The armed sentries were waiting by the bridge, just as she predicted. Two large men with rifles lounged against the pillars holding up the fantastically intricate wooden bridge. Who would build such an elaborate looking structure to cross an eight-foot creek?
They straightened and held positions as Caleb and Rory rode up. He touched the brim of his hat.
“Evenin’ fellas. Ranger Caleb Graham. I’ve got Aurora Foster here and she’s wounded. She tells me Mr. Garza has a doctor here.”
“Aurora? You mean Rory?” The man on the right chuckled, his pockmarked face breaking into a gap-toothed grin. “Her name is Aurora?” That must have been the funniest thing he’d heard in a while, a knee slapper.
“I don’t think you understand the situation here. She’s bleeding to death and you’re laughing.” Caleb couldn’t keep the annoyance out of his tone and it didn’t go unnoticed.
Pockmarked man stopped laughing and straightened up. The man on the left hadn’t even blinked when they rode up. He gestured to Rory.
“Did you do this?” Heavily accented English told him the man in the shadows was Mexican. Interesting considering the war had only been over four years.
“She fell out of a tree and a branch did it.”
The Mexican nodded. “She tell you Señor Garza has a doctor?”
Apparently Caleb was going to be questioned before entering the sacred ranch property of this Señor Garza. That told him whoever this man was, he had enemies. He obviously had a lot of money to spend, given his outlying property was protected by sentries and a wooden bridge that belonged in a fancy park in a big city.
“Yes, she did. She’s also out of her mind from blood loss. I’d rather she live to tell her the story herself.” He shifted her weight and she moaned, a tiny hiccupping sound that was pitiful and bothered the hell out of him.
“Where is your shirt?” The Mexican stepped closer to the horse.
“It’s pressed up against her side to stop the blood. It was all I had. Now do you have a doctor or not? I’m a Texas Ranger. I mean Mr. Garza no harm.” Caleb spoke through clenched teeth but he kept his tone even. No need to spook the hired muscle with the temper that simmered, now beginning to boil.
“ Sí , we have a doctor. I will walk you to the house.” The Mexican turned to his gap-toothed companion. “Stay here.”
Finally they were going to cross the damn bridge. It made Caleb think of a child’s tale and he wondered if Garza was a monster that lived beneath it. Fanciful foolishness but the entire situation was strange.
The Mexican walked and Caleb had no choice but to follow on Justice at a slow pace. Apparently sentries didn’t warrant a horse of their own to ride. It took fifteen minutes to arrive at the intricately crafted wrought iron gate and stone wall that protected the house. It was a goddamn fortress.
Caleb’s opinion of Mr. Garza reached a level of full alert. Whoever this man was, he was dangerous and rich. The sentry opened the gates after unlocking the large screw lock. Caleb wondered if Rory had made both the lock and the gates. Either way, the man had protection everywhere. The hairs on the back of Caleb’s neck stood up. He was about to ride into the lion’s den.
“Go up to the main house. Señor Garza will be there.” The sentry stayed at the gate and watched as Justice picked his way across the courtyard. There was a fountain in the middle of it, with water cascading down the sides. That was something nobody in Texas ever wasted—water. They rode toward the largest house
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