Wild Mustang Security Firm Complete Collection #1-6

Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

W illa gave one last good stretch before saddling Gator and heading for the canyon. She looked at her phone and deciding she’d be better off without it, left it sitting on the tack box outside Gator’s stall. She needed to get those mustangs moved to another one of her hidey holes, as Mac had once dubbed them. She wouldn’t have much of a head start, but she hoped to have gained at least a few hours before anyone noticed she was no longer in protective custody.

She headed out, taking a shortcut to where the mustangs were, hopefully, undisturbed. The shortcut also had the advantage of utilizing less open ground. The problem was going to be moving the mustangs without being seen. In a perfect world, she would return to the canyon, give Gator some downtime, break down her camp, then move the horses after dark. She very much doubted she had that kind of time.

Once in the canyon, Willa secured her gear as best she could. She tightened Gator’s cinch, gave the big gelding a pat, and remounted. She laughed as the thought ran through her head that she wouldn’t mind mounting Mac again. She laughed even harder, thinking Mac was more stallion than gelding, and he liked to do the mounting. Her nipples beaded up under her sweater. Willa shook her head. She didn’t need to have her mind wandering in that direction. The fact she liked the picture she envisioned was bothersome.

The last thing she needed was to have Ethan McDaniel back in her life. She loved Mandy to death and knew her marriage was one where John was the final authority. When she and Mac had been together, it had been that way as well, and it had worked for the most part. But that ended five years ago, and Willa had no need for anybody’s leadership but her own.

Willa opened the gate blocking the entrance to the canyon, then loped Gator around to the other side of the herd before pushing them toward the entrance. She didn’t want to move them too fast and had to work to keep them bunched up, heading through the tunnel, and moving in the direction she wanted to go once they were out from behind the waterfall. She had to keep them moving. Once she got them into the canyon system, she could ease off since they would be more difficult to find.

As soon as most of the herd had cleared the tunnel, Willa hollered and drove them in the direction she needed to go. She heard the crack of the gunshot only slightly ahead of feeling the bullet whiz by her shoulder, taking a piece of muscle and skin with it, and throwing her forward onto Gator’s neck. Another bullet zipped by where her head would have been if she hadn’t been flung forward. A third shot rang out from a different direction but didn’t seem to be aimed at her.

Over and above the rifle shots, she heard the blades of a helicopter cutting through the air. Willa looked down; the shot that had clipped her had hit something, and she was rapidly losing blood. She surmised the third shot had been from the chopper where a lone figure hung out of the rear door. Willa brought Gator to a halt and watched the chopper land a safe distance away. She turned to see the mustangs galloping in the opposite direction, putting as much distance between themselves and what was happening as they could.

Her first thought was, shit! Her second was while she’d play hell trying to find that herd again, at least they were headed toward protected land. She wheeled Gator around, prepared to confront whoever it was who had stampeded the herd. The man with the rifle was standing outside the helicopter and seemed to be scanning the area for where the shot that hit her had come.

Willa was unsure as to the cause of her lower belly doing flip-flops as the man left the chopper and headed toward her in a crouched run. Her confusion was resolved when she realized it was Mac. As he came closer, he straightened, and she could see his face clearly—he was not a happy man.

“Marshal?” she challenged with as much bravado as she could manage.

“Don’t you ‘Marshal’ me, Willa. Jesus, you’ve been hit!”

“He just grazed me. Since you stampeded my herd to kingdom come, I suppose I’ll head for home, get this cleaned up, then come back in the morning to retrieve my things.” She turned Gator away from him, but he grabbed the rein.

“Like hell, you will.” Mac hollered at the chopper, “Gus? Come take charge of this beast. Your boss and I are headed to the hospital.”

Gus hopped out of the helicopter and headed toward them.

“Let go of my rein, McDaniel,” she growled.

He grinned. “No, Willa.”

“You can’t tell me no. You have no authority over me.”

“You’d best get used to the idea of no, and that I can and will enforce it.”

“Fuck you,” she spat, ignoring the way his tone of voice and assumption of his dominance over her made her nipples bead up and her pussy clench in anticipation, the latter causing her the most concern.

“I will when you ask me nicely. Now, climb down off the damn horse.”

Before she could put a boot in his face or better her position, Gus had joined them and taken the other rein.

“For Christ’s sake, Willa, you’re bleeding. Let me help you down.” He turned to Mac. “You’re going to take her to a doctor, right?”

“Right as rain,” Mac said cordially. “I’ll make sure Willa is well cared for from here on out.”

Gus laughed. “You may have forgotten that can prove to be a far more difficult task than catching Eastwick.”

“Willa isn’t going to be difficult… are you, sweetheart?”

“Willa,” she said through clenched teeth, “is going to be a major pain in the ass until you leave her the fuck alone.”

Mac surprised her by laughing as he pulled her from the saddle.

“Settle down, or the only ass in major pain will be yours,” he whispered.

Willa was taken aback, not only by his bold words but by how they made her feel. She was almost dizzy from the feeling radiating up from the place between her legs but told herself it was the loss of blood.

Turning to Gus, Mac continued, “Willa is now in federal custody as a material witness.”

As he led her toward the helicopter, he Mirandized here. Willa tried to struggle and break his grip, but her efforts proved unsuccessful. The pilot and another man with a rifle approached.

“Junior, sit up front with the pilot.” Mac ushered Willa into the seat behind the pilot and buckled her in. “Stay put.”

He ran around the front of the chopper and hopped in beside her, then fastened his own belt. The pilot turned to look at Mac, who gave a nod, and the blades started rotating. They were quickly airborne, and he told the pilot to head to the hospital.

As much as she hated to admit it, flying in the chopper scared her to death, and she found Mac’s presence and his gentle hold on her hand reassuring. In short order, they landed on the hospital helipad. Mac came around and helped her out.

“I can walk,” she hissed as he propelled her toward a waiting wheelchair.

“You can ride in the wheelchair, or I’ll sling you over my shoulder… your choice,” he said pleasantly but with steel.

As her resistance lessened, he helped her to sit.

“Good girl,” he said and received a swift kick in the shins that only made him chuckle. “Naughty girl,” he leaned down and whispered. “Have you forgotten naughty girls get their bottoms spanked, or is that what you actually want?”

Willa couldn’t believe how his praising her settled over her like a warm cashmere shawl, but the admonishment she was misbehaving, sent the butterflies, which took up residence in her lower belly whenever he was near, into full flight. It was very disconcerting, not to mention annoying.

Mac walked close by as she was wheeled down to the emergency room, where she was quickly patched up. The wound had been as superficial as any wound from a bullet could be. It had taken off some of her skin along her upper arm close to her shoulder, but not penetrated deeper.

The doctor addressed Mac when he was finished. “I wouldn’t mind keeping her overnight, but it’s not absolutely necessary?—”

“Good,” interrupted Willa. “I’m going home.”

Mac smiled. “If you think she’s fine without additional medical attention, I think she’s probably better off in our safe house in Phoenix.”

“I’ll get her prescriptions ready, and you can take her out of here.” The doctor turned and left the room, leaving Willa and Mac alone.

“I’m going home,” Willa insisted.

“Not your choice. You’re in official protective custody. In case you missed it, you got lucky this evening. That guy wasn’t shooting to spook your mustangs. He meant to kill you. I mean to see he doesn’t have a second chance to finish the job.”

“You can’t just hijack my life.”

That’s what was really bothering her. Mac seemed determined to come back into her life, and that terrified her. No, that wasn’t it. It was the idea he’d come back, she’d lose herself in him again, then be devastated when he left… again. She had cried buckets of tears over Ethan McDaniel, even thought about joining him in Louisiana and begging him to take her back. She’d known he would be furious at her for what she put them through and would have acted accordingly. Willa knew she’d have ended up with welts across her backside and a well-used pussy full of his cum. The fact she’d welcome both was what had terrified her and still did.

“I can, and I have. The question is, do I need to put you in restraints before we drive to Phoenix? Or should we save that until we have a chance to settle things between us?”

His easy, sexually laced banter left the butterflies in her belly fluttering around like they were in a pinball machine.

“Get dressed, Willa.” Mac turned his back on her. “We need to get moving.”

“Quit telling me what to do. I’m dressing because I don’t want to have to hail a cab in a hospital gown.”

“You’d better start doing as you’re told. I wasn’t kidding about the federal custody and safe house or the restraints, for that matter.”

“I’ll hire a lawyer.”

“You can call whoever you like tomorrow morning over a secure line.”

Willa sat down hard on the bed. “You really think Eastwick tried to have me killed?” she whispered.

Mac turned, sat on the mattress next to her, and took her hand in his.

“I do, and the guy will keep coming until he’s accomplished what it takes to get paid.”

“What about my horses? My business?”

“You have good people in Gus and Mandy. They’ll take care of both. Mandy said you don’t have a job for two weeks. Eastwick didn’t confess to anybody but you. You can put the nail in his coffin, and he knows it.” He stood and extended his hand. “You ready to leave?”

“Um, sure, but don’t we need to wait for the prescriptions and to sign out?”

“Nope, John can follow up to close things out and retrieve whatever you need. Right now, you and I are going to slip out the side entrance and head for an unmarked car.”

Mac helped her to her feet and with her elbow securely in his hand, directed her out of the emergency room, down the hall, and out a service entrance. He kept her moving at a fairly good clip until they came to an SUV. Mac ushered Willa into the rear seat, made her lie down, then threw a blanket over her. Locking her in, Mac opened the door on the driver’s side, got in, started the engine, and drove away from the hospital. They had driven for about fifteen minutes when Mac asked, “Would you like me to pull over so you can sit up front with me?”

“I want to go home,” Willa said stubbornly.

“Not on your list of choices.”

“What is?”

He pulled over, got out, and came around to her side to let her out.

“Choice one, settle down and behave yourself, and we’ll head for the safe house. Choice two, continue to misbehave and I’ll drag your ass to the safe house, put you over my knee, and paddle your backside until you decide to behave.”

Willa was unsure how to respond—partly because she didn’t think US Marshals talked to their material witnesses that way, but mostly because she didn’t like the way what he said made her feel. She wanted to be annoyed and outraged instead of feeling safe and aroused. She’d never actually admitted it to him, but each and every time he’d disciplined her, she’d found it incredibly erotic and intoxicating. Nothing had ever been able to compare to the fucking they’d done afterward.

Mac smiled as he helped her out to get into the front of the vehicle.

“I know which one I’d prefer, but I’ll let you have a bit of time to think about it,” he said lustfully.

Willa allowed herself to be helped into the passenger seat, and Mac once again buckled her in.

“Isn’t this kidnapping?” Willa asked politely.

Mac chuckled. “No, you are officially a material witness in a federal case and therefore, under my authority.”

Willa snorted. “I’m not under anyone’s anything, and I acknowledge no authority but my own.”

“You’ve made that abundantly clear, but you’re not in charge, Cowgirl, I am. So, until we capture him?—”

“If,” Willa said.

“ Until ,” Mac said with emphasis, “we capture, try, and convict the son of a bitch, you will remain in federal custody and particularly within the scope of my protection.”

“Your case for holding me against my wishes will never stand up in court, and you’d be better off expending your time trying to catch Eastwick.”

He took a deep breath.

“If you’re not careful, you’re going to find sitting to be a decidedly uncomfortable thing, or have you forgotten what it feels like when I blister your ass?”

No, she hadn’t forgotten, and therein lies the problem.

“Knock it off, Willa. As I said, you can call a lawyer on a secure line tomorrow, but if it goes to court, you’ll lose. Jesus, I’m trying to keep you safe. What is your problem?”

“I don’t like you ordering me around.”

Mac searched her face before leaning close to her.

“Don’t you? I think what’s annoying you is, you are happier to see me than you’d like to be and almost as turned on by me as I am by you,” he said in a seductive whisper.

Willa snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself. I no longer find you the least bit attractive.”

“Don’t you?” he said seductively, placing his hand on her thigh.

Instead of reaching farther up to touch her the juncture of her legs, he gave her thigh a friendly pat before removing it and leaving her wanting. God, she’d missed him.

“You hungry? If you are, we’ll swing through a drive-through. If you’d rather wait, I can make something when we get to the house.”

Mac started the SUV and pulled out onto the road. It didn’t take long for Willa to realize they were headed in the wrong direction.

“I don’t know how to tell you this, genius, but Phoenix is north and west of Mesa, and you’re heading due south.”

“You’d be right if we were heading to a safe house in Phoenix.”

“You said we were going there.”

“Yes, I did.” Mac smiled. “Often and loud.”

“You mean you wanted anybody who heard you think we’re heading to Phoenix?”

“Yep. In fact, we have a decoy SUV, heavily armed with men and firepower, heading that way. Meanwhile, you and I are going to head to a little place very few people know about outside of Chandler. We’ll be safe enough there.”

“I want to go home.”

“So, you’ve said,” he acknowledged. “And I think I’ve been as clear as I can be. You aren’t going to be going home alone any time soon.”

“So, who will be with me in Chandler?”

“Just me. As you’ll recall, I was winged as well, so for at least the next few days, I’m on desk duty and will coordinate everything from there while I babysit you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

“No, but you do need a keeper. What you really need is to have your bottom spanked for that stunt you pulled when they took me into the hospital. From here on out, I’m going to tally up what you’re due and at some point, put you over my knee and see that you get it.”

“What makes you think I’d allow that?”

He laughed again. “What makes you think I’d care?”

“I think you made that clear when you left.”

“That’s ten you owe me, Willa, and I mean to collect. I’ll admit I had a hand in what happened between us, but I wasn’t the only one. My experience has been the truly magnificent women, the ones worth making a life with, are proud, strong, feisty, and do not allow any Tom, Dick, or Harry to run herd over them. But when the right man comes along and they realize they aren’t going to be the dominant partner in the relationship, they settle down and live happily ever after.”

Willa snorted. “And I suppose you think you’re the right man?” she asked scornfully.

“I don’t think it; I know it. Don’t think for even a minute saying you won’t allow it negates the fact I know you want it and need it. I made the mistake of letting you get away once. I don’t intend to make the same mistake again.”

“You are delusional,” she said, turning her back on him but wondering if it wasn’t true.