Page 2 of Wyoming Bodyguard (Sunrise Security #1)

D isgust slid down Lily’s throat along with her ice-cold cola. No way she’d pander to Madden McKay’s sleezy attempts to redeem himself. Around these parts, selling the family land was practically a crime.

And when selling that land brought in developers who didn’t respect traditions, it pissed off a lot of locals.

Her dad, Kevin Tremont, clicked his tongue before finishing the whiskey in his glass. “That boy’s got a lot to learn if he thinks buying a few beers at the bar will make everyone forget what his family did. Damn shame.”

She allowed herself one more look at the cocky cowboy before turning away and spearing the last tomato from her mostly eaten salad.

She hated that she let Madden get to her—that the swirl of green in his smoky eyes had sucked her in for even one second before her wall went right back up.

“Madden’s always been the guy who thinks he can get away with murder.

People always fell for his charm, even in high school. ”

Kevin leaned forward, his hefty middle smooshing against the side of the table, and patted her hand. “Glad my girl had enough sense to see through the bullshit. Those McKays can’t be trusted. Ever.”

Offering a weak smile, she finished her meal and wiped her lips with a napkin.

Madden and his family were responsible for bringing trouble to their doorstep, but now it was up to her to find a solution.

It’s been weeks since they’d had a guest stay at Tremont Ranch, and soon they wouldn’t be able to afford to keep their doors open.

“You’re right to have warned me about Madden and his pa since I was a teenager.

They’ve left us all hurting, and we really need to figure out how to stop the financial bleeding.

We can’t compete with that new hotel. They offer too many of the same amenities we do at half the price. I think we need to—”

Kevin picked up the bill the waitress had dropped off a few minutes before. “Don’t you worry about all that. I’ve got a handle on things. Now be a dear and head on up to pay. I need to run to the restroom before we leave.”

Lily tightened her jaw, plucked the bill from between her dad’s fingers and sprang to her feet. Irritated, she skirted the cluster of tables as she made her way to the bar, where the old-fashioned cash register stood.

Eve Tilly wiped down the bar with a white rag and held up a finger before disappearing into the kitchen.

Sighing, Lily leaned against the scarred wood and counted enough cash to cover her tab and leave a nice tip.

“Hello, there, Ms. Tremont.”

The unfamiliar voice had her turning toward the duo sitting at the bar. Madden’s business partner smiled at her. She raised one eyebrow, waiting for the man with the quiet brown eyes and clean-shaven face to say more.

“Uh, I’m Reid Sommers, ma’am. We’ve met in passing a time or two.” He extended a hand, his gaze fixed on her.

Madden snorted out a laugh. “Dude, I told you not to bother.”

Refusing to acknowledge Madden, she finally fit her palm in Reid’s and gave a little shake before pulling away. “I remember. It’s nice to see you again.”

Reid’s smile grew. “I noticed you didn’t let us buy you a drink. Can we change that now?”

“No, thanks. My father and I have work to get back to. At our ranch. You know, the one that’s been in our family for generations.” She couldn’t help aiming the cutting remark right where she knew it’d hurt Madden most.

His pride.

The sudden stiffening of Madden’s shoulders gave her a tingle of satisfaction.

The sting of the McKay Ranch being sold off might fade in some people’s mind but never hers.

The impact had caused a major hit in revenue for her own family.

The developers had swept in and destroyed all the natural beauty, choosing instead to provide an almost theme park–styled destination for naive tourists.

Tourists who’d never understand what Wyoming was really all about. Camping under the stars, dinner cooked over the fire, or a magical horse ride through wooded trails with mountains their constant companion. All things Tremont Ranch offered.

All things slipping through her fingertips as her dude ranch’s vacancies grew higher and higher.

Eve rushed back to the bar balancing two plates and placed them in front of customers before returning to the cash register. “Sorry about the wait, Lily. You know how it gets at lunch.”

“No problem at all,” Lily said, and handed over the cash. “Can you give the rest of that to Nellie?”

“Sure thing.”

“Thanks. Have a great rest of your day.” She aimed her most demure smile at Reid then met her dad at the front of the restaurant.

“Making friends?” Kevin asked as he pushed open the door, letting in the blinding sunlight.

She huffed out a humorless laugh then slid her sunglasses from the top of her head to cover her eyes. “Hardly.”

Reid seemed harmless, but no way she’d let her guard down enough around him to learn more than what she already knew—he was Madden’s partner, which meant she’d stay far away.

The door closed behind her, and she strolled beside her dad toward her truck. “Enough about Madden McKay. I wanted to have a nice meal with you and forget about our worries for a while. Not get bent out of shape about a man who doesn’t matter.”

“Honey, don’t let anything get you all fired up. The ranch will be fine. I’ll see to it. You just keep doing what you’re doing—making sure things run smoothly. I’ve got the rest covered.”

Her stomach dropped, and she swallowed the words she knew wouldn’t matter a lick. At least not to her father, who never trusted her enough to really let her in on what was happening at the ranch.

But she wasn’t an idiot. She didn’t need to have access to their financial records to understand that Tremont Ranch was in trouble.

She feared if something drastic didn’t change, they’d be yet another casualty in the war waging between family ranches and hotshot developers looking to exploit the land for a quick buck.

The lone traffic light in town changed from red to green and a black truck shot forward, tires squealing as the tinted window rolled down. A ray of sunlight bounced off something sticking out of the passenger-side window.

Time slowed. Fear made her knees weak and her heart pound in her ears. Lily’s father shoved her to the ground as the deafening sound of gunshots exploded into the afternoon.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she threw her hands over the back of her head.

Pebbles dug into her forearms. Panicked screams filtered through the haze of confusion engulfing her.

An engine roared, then an eerie silence settled into the air.

Shaking, she opened her eyes and a different terror flooded through her system like a burst dam.

Her father lay sprawled on the ground, eyes closed, blood staining the sidewalk beneath him.

Scurrying to his side, she reached for his hand and screamed.

* * *

Madden tightened his grip on his glass before downing the rest of the cool, amber liquid. The bitter taste coated his tongue, matching the feelings simmering in his gut.

“She seemed nice enough to me,” Reid said, picking up his beer and taking a sip then setting it back on the bar.

Eve chuckled. “If you’re talking about Lily, she is nice. To everyone except Madden. Been that way a long time. Must stick in your craw she still won’t swoon over you like all the girls used to.”

Reid bumped his shoulder against Madden’s. “Swoon, huh? I’d like to hear those stories sometime.”

A blush stained Eve’s cheeks, matching the color of her auburn hair. “Anytime, cowboy.”

“Don’t encourage him.” Madden stretched to his feet and swiped his hat from the bar.

Bang!

The all-too-familiar sound of gunfire blasted through the bar, followed by the shattering of glass and shrieks of fear.

Bang! Bang!

Two more shots.

Madden’s gut tightened, and he whirled toward the broken window, catching a glimpse of a black truck speeding around the corner. Harsh light streamed inside. Customers fell to the floor while outside people ran for cover.

And one piercing scream raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

Instinct kicking in, Madden sprinted toward the door and rushed outside. “Someone call 911. We need police here now.”

“Police are on the way,” someone yelled from behind him.

Lily sat on the sidewalk with her father’s head cradled in her lap. Blood covered her hands and splattered her blue shirt. Tears streamed down her face, and the haunting scream that had drawn him outside continued to pour from her mouth.

“Lily. Lily, are you hurt?” Crouching beside her, he searched for signs of injury. “Lily!”

Her screams quieted and she blinked up at him. The fear in her eyes tore at his chest like talons. “He’s shot. Dad’s shot. There’s so much blood.”

Shock made her words choppy and faint, and her skin was almost as pale as the motionless man on the ground.

Madden wanted to reach for her, to comfort her any way he could, but he knew his touch wouldn’t be welcomed. “Help’s coming, okay?”

Hurried footsteps and panicked mumblings surrounded him, but he kept his focus on Lily.

Reid rushed to his side. “Truck’s gone. People are scared, but sheriff’s deputies are coming.”

As if summoned by Reid’s words, the sounds of a siren split the afternoon air. Neighbors and friends cluttered the sidewalk, concern drawing them to their own, one fallen and frail—another scared and paralyzed with fear.

Madden rose and turned his head to speak to Reid so no one else could hear. “Try to steer everyone away from Lily and her dad. Paramedics will need some space, but the deputies will also want to talk to anyone who saw the shooting.”

Eve picked her way through broken glass and inhaled a shaky breath. “People can come inside Tilly’s. It’s a mess, but at least they can get out of the heat.”

“Thanks, Eve. That’s a great plan. I’ll stay with Lily.” He glanced down at the woman who drove him crazy, but her attention was locked on her father.

“I’ll help you,” Reid said to Eve.

Madden stood guard beside Lily while Reid and Eve ushered frightened witnesses into the bar. His body was rigid, nerves stretched tight, as the sirens wailed louder and louder. A deputy’s cruiser finally arrived, followed by an ambulance.

Deputy Sanders, a seasoned officer who still played poker with Madden’s dad once a week, climbed out of his patrol car and made a beeline for Madden.

A quick glance down at Mr. Tremont tightened his jaw, and he snapped his fingers high in the air.

“Medical help here now,” he shouted toward the EMTs. “Gunshot victim.”

Lily stayed frozen, tears continuing their twin tracks down her puffy face.

“Anyone else hurt?” Sanders asked Madden.

“Doesn’t look like it.”

Two paramedics jogged to the sidewalk, wheeling a gurney with medical equipment piled high. A middle-aged woman and younger man knelt beside Lily and her father, their hands moving between the injured man and the medical supplies they needed to help him.

“Ma’am,” the woman with serious, hazel eyes and a tight frown said to Lily, “if you aren’t hurt, I need you to move.”

Lily shook her head. “I can’t leave him. I’m all he has.”

“We’ll do everything we can to help him, but you have to step back and give us space.”

Lily opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Madden understood her shock, her terror and distress. Witnessing someone you loved fighting for their life made it hard for the mind to move forward. To react.

Gently placing a hand on her shoulder, he crouched again beside her. “Lily, I know it’s hard, but you need to let them do their job.”

Her watery eyes locked on his and she nodded.

He hooked an arm around her waist and helped her to her feet. The feel of her body so close to his sent a shock wave through his system.

She leaned against him as if unable to stand on her own, her focus now fixed on the EMTs who loaded Mr. Tremont onto the gurney and rushed him into the back of the ambulance. “I want to go with him.” Her breath hitched with each word.

The back door slammed shut, and the woman jogged to the front of the vehicle. “Meet us at the county hospital. We’ll take good care of him. I promise.”

Lily lunged forward as the woman jumped into the ambulance and took off down the road. “No!” she screamed. “I need my dad. He shouldn’t be alone.”

Keeping his arm firmly in place around her waist, Madden kept her from spilling onto the road. “He’s not alone. I promise.”

Her body trembled and she faced him, eyes swollen and filled with grief. A sob shook her shoulders and she collapsed against him.

Madden held her tight and met Deputy Sanders’s eyes above her head. “I’ll drive her to the hospital. Reid and Eve have the witnesses inside Tilly’s. Come find me for my statement, but there’s not much to tell.”

“I’m gonna need Ms. Tremont’s statement, too. I’ll swing by and see you both once I’m done here.”

Madden nodded, grateful the old man wouldn’t push Lily to talk right now.

“Okay,” he said, steering her in the direction of his truck parked down the road. “We’re going to go see your dad now. I’m going to drive you. Is that all right?”

Walking beside him, she reached for his hand and squeezed.

That was enough of an answer for him. He stood steady beside her, keeping her upright and stable, and helped her climb into his truck. He shut the door and ran around the front fender to the driver’s side. He cast her one quick glance and his heart crumbled.

Throwing the truck into Drive, he shot off toward the hospital, reached for her hand and sent off a quick prayer that her father wouldn’t die.