Page 35 of Captured by the Billionaire Cowboy (The Secret Billionaires #7)
L ife or Death Situation!
Horses in Immediate Danger!
Kill Buyers Swooping in!
The headlines wear clear, the ramifications tragically eminent.
Just like when she’d pursued the horses that started her journey, danger threatened innocent creatures.
Unwanted by their owners, in poor condition, they wouldn’t fetch much interest from responsible buyers. The kill buyers would profit.
And this time, there were over twenty horses.
It wasn’t exactly the same situation. Whereas the last owner simply hadn’t cared, it appeared these owners were more incompetent than malevolent. The horses had been neglected, but there were no signs of obvious abuse. Still, if the kill buyers got them, there would be no happy ending.
The owners had tried to start a for-profit riding ranch, but it swiftly shuttered.
The ranch was in disarray, the facilities unsuitable.
The horses spent most of the day cramped in a tiny paddock, without shade or proper nutrition.
It was bad, but not dire enough for the authorities to seize them.
Now the owners were looking to unload them quickly.
They were holding an auction today in a town about an hour away.
The website reported the price was likely to be set low.
As in price-per-pound low.
This would not end well. Not for the horses, not for society and not even for the owners, who would fetch low compensation for the animals. Everyone would suffer. That is, unless she did something about it.
Unlike last time, she had the money, resources and space to accommodate the horses. What she didn’t have was time. The auction was due to start at noon, and it was already eight. If she hurried, she could offer to buy all the horses before the auction started, and not risk any crossing the border.
Excitement and anticipation tangled as she dialed Rowan’s number.
He answered immediately, and she explained the situation as she raced around the house, gathering the necessary supplies.
She paused to give Frank a quick account, and he offered to prepare the trailers.
Soon, she was running across the lawn to her car.
Rowan’s reaction was exactly as she hoped. “Of course, we should rescue the horses. I’ll send a couple of guys to make the purchase.”
He must have misunderstood her. “I don’t need you to send anyone. If I leave now, I should arrive in plenty of time to stop the auction.” That was, if the owner was amenable. If not, matters could get complicated. Yet she hadn’t a choice – the horses needed her.
Her car beeped as she opened the door. She started the ignition, lowering the windows as she carefully backed out of the spot.
“Stop!”
The order was so sharp and unexpected, Ciara obeyed, braking to a halt. The car rocked back and forth. “What? Why?”
“You can’t go alone.” His tone was serious, solemn and commanding . “Someone from the ranch should accompany you.”
Even though he couldn’t see her, she shook her head. “There’s no time. If I don’t hurry, I won’t get there before the auction begins. I could lose them.”
“How do you think the kill buyers will react when you buy the horses from under them again?” He spoke fast and furiously. “That they travelled hours for nothing?”
“I don’t care how those monsters feel.” Anger deepened her voice to a hiss. “Actually, I do care. I hope they’re furious. Don’t tell me you care about them.”
“I care about you.” Through the distance, emotion blazed, raw and forceful from the normally stoic man. “When they realize you won the horserace before it even began, they could retaliate.”
Understanding softened her anger. He wasn’t angry – he was concerned for her safety. “You don’t need to worry about me,” she said gently. “That’s not your job.”
Yet he acted like it was.
She slid the car back into gear, driving over the dirt road in stealthy slowness, so he couldn’t hear. She’d deal with his assertions later. Right now, she had to save those horses. “I’ll be fine. The kill buyers may scream and yell, but they’re not going to do anything.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Rowan warned. “Has Spencer talked to you about the threats?”
Unease drifted through her, like the wind-blown leaves gliding off the trees, as she turned onto the main road. Rowan did not wait for her answer. “After the contest went viral, people got mad at the kill buyers. They posted on social media, urging others to take action. The movement is growing.”
Ciara allowed a small smile. “That’s wonderful. Hopefully the kill buyers will get tired of the bad exposure and choose another job.”
“I’m all for the public shaming of their cruel practices,” Rowan concurred. “It can lead to real change. Unfortunately, some of them fought back. Spencer has received multiple threats through our social media pages. They were anonymous, so he wasn’t able to track them.”
Her apprehension soared. She forced a calm voice. “Lots of people send threatening messages over the Internet. It doesn’t mean they’re actually going to do something.”
“Perhaps.” Rowan’s voice remained stern, “Or they could just be waiting for the right time. No matter what, it’s reckless to take unnecessary risks. When they realize you pounced before they even got a chance to bid, they’re going to be angry – perhaps enough to make some poor decisions.”
She shivered. She wouldn’t consider the poor decisions someone with a short temper and no problem killing innocent animals might make. Yet there wasn’t time to return to the ranch and recruit someone to join her. “I’ll be careful,” she promised.
“Take someone with you.”
She hesitated. “I’ll see if it’s possible.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. Of course, since she already left, it wasn’t possible. So yeah, perhaps a lie.
He’d be angry when he realized what she’d done. But by then, the horses would be safe, and the danger averted. “It’ll be fine,” she declared with feigned certainty. “I better run. I have to talk to Uncail Frank.”
“Ciara.” His voice held unmistakable warning.
She’d almost forgotten how compelling Rowan could be. However, she was an independent woman who made her own decisions. And she was going to hang up before he realized she was ignoring his. “I’ll talk to you later. Bye!” Then… she disconnected the call.
Yeah, she was definitely going to hear about it later.
She called Frank, ignoring her growing unease when he voiced the same concerns as Rowan.
Apparently, Spencer had shared the threatening messages with everyone but her.
Frank asked three times if he could send the men with the trailers right away, but she declined.
Why should they leave work just to wait for endless hours?
If she couldn’t convince the owner to sell the horses early, she’d have to sit through every auction. That could take all day.
Rowan called back twice, but she didn’t answer.
She’d probably admit the truth if he asked, and she had no interest in a disagreement, especially when his argument was logical.
Would someone actually follow through on the threats?
Could she be in true danger? It didn’t change anything.
The horses faced far more peril, and without her, they didn’t have a chance. Hopefully, all would go well.
Because if not, she was on her own.
Helpless, restless, frustrated, agitated, exasperated and apprehensive.
All those really, but none quite represented the totality of the situation. No, what Rowen felt most of all was…
Deep, deep fear.
He’d never experienced fear like he did now, not for himself, but for Ciara, confronting a threat she neither comprehended nor appreciated.
She hadn’t seen the threatening messages, hadn’t tasted their undisguised venom.
Rowan had read them word for word, and they held enough legitimacy and credibility, he’d contacted the local sheriff.
He hadn’t told Ciara to avoid worrying her, and at the time the kill buyers were unlikely to track her down.
But now she was traveling into their territory, depriving them of their blood money. They would not be pleased.
He was not pleased. The urge to seize command, to take charge, surfaced.
It always lived within him, but with Ciara it loomed ever-present.
He wanted – no, needed – to ensure her safety.
It was part of why he’d let her go the first time, to stop her from the authoritativeness he’d inherited from his father.
Only he couldn’t push her away again, not now. Not ever.
She underestimated the threat. He knew firsthand how dangerous these people could be.
A couple years ago, he’d rescued a ranch full of horses, purchasing the entire lot before the kill buyers could bid.
They had been furious, but he had a group of men with him, all well-built, thus the confrontation had been limited to threatening words and raised voices.
Ciara might be fierce and independent, but she couldn’t physically fight a group of large, angry men.
If anything happened to his Ciara…
No. He would not allow her to be harmed. He had cut his day short and headed back to Waterstone. Not back to the ranch, but straight to the auction. She’d lied about finding someone to go with her. Hopefully, the kill buyers wouldn’t show up, but if they did, he would be there.
If he made it in time.
Ciara’s relief soared. She was scared at what she would find when she arrived at the dilapidated facilities, yet the horses weren’t in terrible condition. Thin, agitated and clearly in need of better surroundings, they weren’t injured like the last horses.