Bobbi Smith Read Free

understand.”
    “Thanks.”
    Hawk stood up to go. The two men shook hands.
    “Hawk . . .”
    Hawk looked at his friend.
    “Jack’s seriously worried about what’s been going on there or he wouldn’t have contacted me. I get the feeling there may be more to this than just rustling. The job could be dangerous. Be careful—real careful,” Spiller cautioned.
    “I will,” Hawk said, appreciating his concern.
    He left the office. As he made his way back toward the stable, he looked around Dry Springs. He realized that with the exception of his few friends, there wouldn’t be much he’d miss about the town.
    Five Days Later
    The Lazy S Ranch
    Outside San Miguel, Texas
    “Go, Angel!” Eighteen-year-old Randi Stockton urged her palomino on to an even faster pace.
    Randi knew it was reckless to ride at such a breakneck speed, but she didn’t care. She’d just caught a glimpse of the fabled phantom stallion silhouetted on a rise in the distance, and she was determined to give chase.
    This wasn’t the first time she’d seen the elusive horse. Legend had it that the magnificent white stallion had belonged to a fierce Comanche warrior who had been killed during a raid, and that the stallion had been running free ever since. According to the tale, only the finest of warriors would ever be able to catch him, and it seemed there was truth to the story. No one had even come close in all these years.
    But just because no one else had, didn’t mean Randi wasn’t going to try. And while it was true that she wasn’t a warrior in the pure sense of the word, she never hesitated to fight for what she wanted, and she wanted that horse.
    Leaning low over Angel’s neck, Randi raced on in the direction the phantom had disappeared. Angel was fast—really fast. If any horse could keep pace with the stallion, she believed it would be Angel.
    Randi concentrated on her quest, hoping against hope that this would be the day she’d finally catch up to him. But suddenly Angel tensed and altered her pace.
    Puzzled by the change in Angel and wondering what had startled the animal, Randi glanced around.
    It was then that she caught sight of another rider pursuing her.
    Terror seized Randi.
    The bare-chested man who was chasing her looked like a Comanche warrior.
    Fear ate at her, but she fought it down. She was armed, and Angel was fast. She just hoped she could outrun the warrior.
    Randi spurred Angel on.
    Any thoughts of finding the phantom stallion were gone now.
    All that mattered was getting away.
    She had to escape.
    Hawk had been on the last leg of his trip to the Lazy S Ranch when the sight of a clear-running stream had enticed him to stop for a while and cool off. His ride that morning had been a long one, and the hot summer day was dry and dusty.
    Hawk had stripped off his shirt and had just started to wash up when he’d noticed a young boy on a runaway horse in the distance. Certain the youth was in trouble, he hadn’t hesitated. Hawk had mounted up on Bruiser and charged after him. He just hoped the boy didn’t get thrown or hurt before he could reach him.
    Randi didn’t usually admit to being scared, but right then she was. She’d learned early in life how to take care of herself, and she could under most circumstances. Even armed as she was, though, she knew she was vulnerable, for Angel was becoming winded and her pursuer was gaining on her.
    Randi glanced back again, only to discover the warrior had drawn even closer. Desperate, she veered off to the right. She hoped to thwart her pursuer with evasive action, but to no avail.
    In that very instant, he was upon her.
    As their horses raced on side by side, the warrior reached out and snared Randi about the waist.
    “Help!” she cried out in fright as he dragged her out of her saddle.
    Her captor ignored her cry and crushed her to him, her back pinned against the side of his hard, powerful chest.
    “Angel!” Randi watched in horror as her horse, her only hope of