Page 44 of The Copper Heir (The Gilded West #1)

Chapter Twenty

H unter would never forget the sight of Emmy standing there with the muzzle of Pete’s gun pressed against her temple.

It was a memory that would haunt his nightmares for years to come.

He never wanted to see her sweet face so pale with fear again and he vowed that as long as he lived he’d do everything he could to make sure it never was.

The problem with that vow was that it depended solely on the outcome of the next few minutes for it to mean anything.

When the wagon crashed through the doors, Angel and Eduardo both moved ahead to take cover behind the stack of crates that flanked the entrance.

Hunter stayed so that he had the most direct view from behind the wagon, though it had tipped forward, spilling some feed bags onto the floor.

He held his gun aimed straight at Pete, while Cas had his on Campbell.

The moment Pete saw them, he tightened his grip around her shoulders and tucked her tight in front of him.

He backed up so they were partially hidden by a stack of crates, but the angle didn’t hide them completely.

Hunter could still shoot the bastard if he wasn’t so damned worried about hitting Emmy by mistake.

“Don’t shoot!” Hunter yelled the order to his men.

Campbell didn’t know who to hold his guns on.

He kept one firmly on Pete, but the other wavered among the group, going from Hunter to Cas and back again.

Smith had moved so quickly he’d managed to draw his own gun, but Angel and Eduardo had him in their sights.

Hunter hoped no other men from Campbell’s gang were hiding, but he couldn’t take his eyes from Pete and his gun to look for them.

“That’s right. You shoot and she’s dead,” Pete yelled back. “Don’t even try and pretend you don’t care. If you didn’t, we’d all be dead by now.”

“Even if we don’t want her dead, you won’t get out of here alive,” Cas growled the words.

“I will. You’ll let me walk out or she’s dead.”

“She gets hurt, you die.” Hunter’s voice was strangely calm, even to his own ears.

“Is that how you found that money, sis? D’you make ’em like you? Which one, Reyes or his brother? Or both?”

“Stop, Pete.” She wiggled against him, twisting to try to get away. “It’s over. Give up now while you’re still alive.”

“Don’t move, Emmy!” Hunter yelled in alarm. He could just imagine Pete overreacting and pulling the trigger. “He’s desperate and stupid. Don’t push him to react.”

“Listen to Emmaline, son.” Campbell broke his silence and spoke to Pete, though he didn’t move his eyes from the men staring them down. “It’s over.”

“Like hell,” Pete spat. “I ain’t giving her up. I give her up and they kill me. This is what’s going to happen. I’m walking out of here with her and that satchel on the floor and nobody follows us.”

“You won’t get two steps out that door, boy.” Campbell shook his head in warning.

Without moving his head, Hunter glanced to the crates and then the loft, looking for some way to make this turn out in their favor.

About a hundred different scenarios played out in his head, but none of them could guarantee that Emmy wouldn’t be hurt so he discarded them as quickly as they came to him.

If there was just some way to get her out of the way so he could have a clear shot.

A movement toward the other end of the barn caught his eye.

It was one of the stable hands walking around the outside, his boots visible just under the locked doors.

It meant they’d found the ladder and would now be climbing up to the loft.

If that were the case, it’d be best to keep Pete talking so he wouldn’t notice them.

But as soon as he looked back down, his eyes met Emmy’s and he knew she was planning something.

She tried to gesture as gently as possible so as not to arouse Pete’s suspicion and Hunter shook his head once, hoping she could read on his face that he didn’t want her to do whatever it was she was planning.

If Pete got spooked and shot her, he knew that he’d lose his mind.

Dammit! Her eyes became solemn and determined and he knew she was going to act.

Hunter took a few steps to his right to work his way closer to her, but Campbell noticed the movement and moved his gun from Cas to Hunter, so he paused.

At that exact moment, Emmy jerked on her bonds, but they held tight on her wrists.

The struggle made Pete loosen his grip, just enough to move his hand intending to get a firmer grasp on her shoulder.

She took the opening and leaned her head forward as far as she could, then whacked it backwards, catching Pete in the nose.

He yelped in pain as she fell to her knees and then her belly.

Hunter was moving the second after she did.

As soon as she fell he was on top of her.

And just in time, because the world exploded in gunfire.

Cas shot Pete before he’d even raised his hand to his bloody nose.

At the same time, Angel and Eduardo both shot Smith.

He wasn’t sure where Campbell had gone, because he’d been too busy shielding her head, with his own head, shoulders and arms. But as soon as the gunfire stopped, he looked up to find out.

Angel had already found him cowering behind a barrel and had his gun aimed right at him. “Hand over the guns.”

After a moment of hesitation, Campbell complied and just like that Hunter’s heart settled back into his chest. He took a moment to relax against her as he caught his breath, breathing in her precious scent.

It was over and she was safe. He was never letting her go.

As quickly as it had started, the shooting stopped.

It hadn’t even been that many shots. Three or four, she couldn’t be sure because of the ringing in her ears.

The ties on her wrists fell away after Hunter cut them free and then he was turning her over and hauling her into his arms. She melted into him.

She couldn’t help it. As Pete held the gun on her she’d been so sure that she’d never feel Hunter’s arms again that she couldn’t let him go.

Her arms went around him, holding him so tight that she shook.

“Jesus, Emmy, I was so afraid. Are you hurt at all?”

She kept her eyes closed for a little longer to savor how good he felt. “I’m not hurt.” Then she pulled away just enough to look for Pete, but Hunter stopped her by cupping the back of her head.

“Best not to look. Pete and Smith are both dead. Do you know if there were any others?”

“No, Rowly was killed and that was the last one I knew. Castillo already got Hardy back in Crystal City. I’m not sure who he sent after you back at the cavern.”

Hunter nodded and she could see the tension drain out of him.

“What about Ship?” He probably deserved punishment, but she didn’t want him dead. He hadn’t been the best father in the world, but he had kept a roof over their heads. She couldn’t hate him, no matter how she disagreed with the way he lived.

“He’s alive. Over there.”

She looked where he indicated to see Angel helping her stepfather to his feet.

Eduardo was picking up the two guns Ship had been holding before he had dashed for cover behind the barrel.

“Please don’t let them hurt Ship. He didn’t take Miguel.

It was all Pete’s idea. That’s what they were arguing about when you came in.

He wanted to give Miguel back in exchange for us, but Pete just wanted the money. ”

Hunter looked horrified at the suggestion, so she pressed.

“Please. He’s a horrible person, I know, but he isn’t all bad.

He did his best to take care of us. I know he never would’ve taken Miguel without Pete.

It was all Pete’s idea and he’s dead now.

Killing Ship won’t help anything. It’ll just be revenge, but the wrong kind because none of this is his fault. ”

“It’s all his fault, Emmy. Do you think Pete could’ve done any of this if his father hadn’t raised him to do it?”

“I don’t know, Hunter. But it’s not right. He can’t hurt us...now.” She hesitated to even say the word because she wasn’t sure there was an us anymore. Part of her expected him to walk away from her now that this was over.

Castillo, who had run past them to Ship’s mount at the other end of the barn, called Miguel’s name, drawing their attention.

The horse was accustomed to gunfire and had managed to keep relatively calm throughout the shooting, but Castillo still had to calm him down before the horse would let him get close.

As soon as he could, he cut the ties holding Miguel down and pulled him onto the ground.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the man immediately roused, rolling into a ball on his side and groaning as he regained consciousness.

“What the hell did you do to him?” Hunter demanded.

Ship actually managed to look a bit sheepish and shrugged. “He put up a fight after I took him from Rowly.”

They all watched silently as Miguel roused.

His skin looked pale and wan, but soon he was sitting up on his own and rubbing what was probably a knot on the back of his head.

Castillo rose and stormed back over to them toward Ship.

She was so worried that he might just pull his gun and shoot her stepfather right then that she actually tried to intercept him.

Hunter tightened his arms around her waist to make her stay by his side.

“Please, Castillo. Please let him go.” He paused just as he strode even with them and looked over at her. “Pete had taken over the gang. Ship had nothing to do with him taking Miguel. He was trying to convince Pete to give him back. Please don’t hurt him, he won’t bother you anymore.”

“You don’t know that,” Cas scoffed.