Two Cowboys To Protect Her by Lacey Davis

Chapter 3

“Shh, we’re going to keep you safe,” Clayton said to the woman in his arms, repeating what Harley had just said as they all stood in the saloon.

“I live on the south end of town and he’s hanging in the trees not far from my home. That man stabbed him.”

Clayton kept his arms around her, feeling her body shake. Harley sent him a jealous look and then he turned and walked out the door.

When she had first screamed and he saw that big burly man pulling her to the door, it was then that the two of them raced toward her.

Anger fueled his partner and drove him to oftentimes be more aggressive than Clayton cared for, but the man had the devil burning up inside him. A rage at the way his father had beaten him and his mother until Harley left.

Now, Clayton tried to keep his partner from going too far when he got in a fight. But when he’d seen this beautiful woman struggling against the man, even Clayton felt his insides turn to mush.

It was like the heavens opened and he could hear angels singing and knew that whoever she was, he had to get to her and protect her. And, damn, if he got the chance, have her too.

The woman was stunning and when he saw her crying, his first thought was to comfort her. When he wrapped his arms around her, she had laid her head on his chest and sobbed. As she trembled in his arms, he’d done his best to make her feel protected, her heart thudding against his chest, his dick hard and crying out yes.

“Come on," Clayton said, "let me take you to the sheriff’s office.”

He took her by the elbow and led her from the saloon, away from the noise and cowboys standing around gawking at the fight.

“I'm Clayton McCoy,” he said. “Texas Ranger.”

“Rena Hall,” she said softly as they walked down the steps and into the night air that was cleansing from the smoke and chaos inside.

Glancing around, he tried to make certain no one was hanging around to ambush them as they came out the door. The poor woman didn’t need another fight over her tonight. He could see her wariness as they strolled down the darkened street, his hand near his six-shooter.

“What are you doing out so late at night by yourself?”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I’m a waitress cook at the local restaurant here. It was late when we finished, and I walked the long way home to avoid the saloon. Guess I would have been safer going this direction.”

He pulled her closer as they walked down the street, his eyes searching the darkness. The man who was after her was very intent on her leaving with him.

“Was that man the one who killed your brother?”

She shook her head. “He’s not my brother. I don’t know who he is, but he lived here in town. He often came into the restaurant.”

“So, you just walked up on them killing him?”

A shiver went through her. “Yes. I hid in the bushes when I heard him cry out. They were trying to get him to give them a map. And after he admitted that he didn’t have it and told him that Leon Roberts had what he wanted, they killed him.”

When they arrived at the sheriff’s office, it was vacant and he led her inside. Gazing around, he saw the lantern and quickly struck a match and lit the wick.

In the glow of the light, he could see she was just as beautiful as he first thought. There was an innocence about her that he found intriguing. That he wanted to conquer.

Her hands were still shaking. “How did you get away?”

“When they stabbed him, I made a noise and then they came after me. I ran as fast as I could to reach the saloon. It was the only place still open. I don’t know what happened to the second man, but he didn’t follow me.”

Clayton suddenly had a feeling they were not going to find a body hanging on the outskirts of town. The one who stayed behind was getting rid of the body in order to make Rena’s story look doubtful.

Without a body, they couldn’t make an arrest and the only evidence they had was her word.

Glancing at her, it was all he could do not to pull her in his arms again, but he didn’t want to scare her away.

“Are you all right?” he asked her. “Why don’t you sit down until the sheriff gets here.”

“They’re not going to find a body, are they?”

“Probably not,” he said, not wanting to lie to her. “While he was chasing you, the other man would have disposed of it."

“I wish I could remember his name,” she said, sinking down into a chair. “He came into the restaurant several times and ate alone.”

A quick glance at her hand revealed there were no wedding rings. But she might have other family members.

“Do you live alone?”

“Yes,” she said. “My papa died three years ago and here I am. A single woman working to support myself, living alone, and now I have a crazed killer after me.”

Sadness filled her eyes and he realized she didn’t like being alone.

“A beautiful woman like yourself doesn’t have some man courting you?”

“No,” she said. “I guess I’m too poor for the young men in town to be interested in me.”

They were all fools then. Those emerald eyes that flashed her every emotion and the way her lips pulled into a pout made him want to slant his lips over hers and kiss away every problem she had. Or better yet, to feel those lips wrapped around his cock.

What the hell was wrong with the single men in this town? Were they blind?

But Clayton was a tainted man, not one who deserved a woman like her. Still, that didn’t stop his body from reacting to her sweet smile, and how just glancing at her, he imagined her full breasts filling his hands and her legs wrapping around him as he plunged into her wet and willing pussy.

She may be poor, but she didn’t have the stain of a mother who had been a whore, and he was the result of one of her clients. A father he would never know.

Just then the door to the sheriff’s office opened and Harley strolled in along with the sheriff.

“No body was found.”

Exactly what Clayton feared would happen. Now it was their word against Rena’s.

“I know what I saw, and when that man plunged the knife in that man’s body, it killed him. Blood was pooling on the ground. Maybe it’s time I went home if none of you are going to believe me.”

Rena stood and shook her blonde curls, her back straight as she marched to the door. The woman had a strong spirit and that made Clayton admire her even more.

Harley stepped in front of her. “Wait, we didn’t say we didn’t believe you. We just said there was no body there.”

Clayton stood within inches of her, and his partner’s breathing was fast and clipped. A whiff of her perfume drifted to Clayton’s nose and he wanted to groan.

“Harley Kerr, by the way,” he said, holding out his hand and taking her small one in his.

“Rena Hall,” she said.

The sheriff stepped close to Rena. “Sit down and tell us everything you saw and what happened. I didn’t get out of a nice bed not to hear your side. Tell me everything.”

She licked her lips nervously as if touching Harley made her nervous. Finally, she sat. For the next ten minutes, she told them how she left the restaurant and how she came upon two men torturing this poor soul.

As Clayton listened, he wanted to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be all right. That they would protect her and keep her safe. That all her troubles were now his. And yet, there were no guarantees.

When she told them all she saw, the sheriff questioned about what the men looked like.

“We saw the one who followed her to the saloon,” Harley said. “He had a scar running down his cheek.”

The sheriff reached back and pulled out a wanted poster. “Was this the man?”

“Yes,” she said, excited.

“Yes,” Harley confirmed.

The sheriff shook his head. “That’s Jack Bell of the Red Jack Gang. There are only two of them. Shotgun Tray Lander is his partner, and those two men are mean.”

“Do you think they know where I live?”

The man didn’t answer. “Hard to know, but it wouldn’t be too difficult to find you.”

“I live alone,” she said. “I don’t even own a gun.”

This was the opportunity Clayton was looking for. Not that they would ever take advantage of her, but to spend more time with the lady was what he was praying for.

“We’ll stay with you,” Harley said.

It was all Clayton could do not to grin. They knew each other so well.

“Yes, we’ll walk you home and then we’re not going to leave you, because those men will be back to kill you.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. “I appreciate you offering to stay with me, but I’m a single woman living alone. Two men staying at my house would upset my neighbors and ruin my reputation.”

Clayton stepped up to her. “Honey, do you want to live or save your reputation?”

A heavy sigh came from her and then she shook her head. “You can’t stay with me all the time. I’m sure you’re here on a case.”

“We are,” Harley said. “This case, now. Actually, we were going to come see the sheriff in the morning and then move onto the next town. But now we’re going to catch this murderer.”

Glancing between them, she bit her lip nervously. “I can trust you?”

They grinned at each other. “We only accept willing women,” Clayton replied.

“Yes,” Harley said. “Our job is to protect and keep you alive.”

When she licked her lips, it was all Clayton could do not to grab her and experience that full, soft mouth and hear her whimper and cry out his name.

“All right,” she said. “Until you catch them, you can stay.”