Page 42 of The Gold Rush Bride

Barnaby returnedto the camp after burying the dead man. He went to his claim first and, not finding Sadie, he set out for Seth’s property.

He looked around inside the tent, but he only found Seth on his cot.

Barnaby shook him. “Where’s Sadie?”

Seth groaned. “Took her. Couldn’t stop him. Claim jumpers.” Then he fell silent.

Sadie. It was probably Homer who had Sadie. He looked up and prayed. “Please don’t let them hurt her.” Bending over his friend, he checked Seth’s pulse. It was, strong and even. Closing his eyes, he thanked God that Seth’s wound wasn’t as serious as he thought it would be.

He stood and gently slapped Seth’s face. “Seth. Seth. Wake up. Where’s Sadie? Seth, please wake up.”

He slowly opened his eyes, widened them, and stared at Barnaby. “He took her. He took her.”

“Who? Who took her?”

“Claim jumper. Friend of Grimes. Said they would make her pay for shooting Homer.”

Barnaby stood and cursed under his breath. “Seth, I have to leave and you have to stay here until I come back. I don’t want you wandering around and dropping dead somewhere because you started bleeding again. It’s nearly stopped, but if you move around much, it’ll start again. I’d stitch you up but I have to find Sadie first.”

“I understand.” He gripped Barnaby’s arm. “Go. Find her before they hurt her.”

“I plan on it.” He turned, stepped out of the tent and looked at the muddy ground. The marks of where she’d been dragged out made him want to hurt someone. Following the drag marks, he saw where they stopped and she’d regained her feet. Then her captor walked behind her. She wouldn’t have gone willingly. Not with her expecting. She would have done everything to stay alive and keep their baby safe. He suspected she might even love him, but those thoughts had no place in what he’d do today...after he found her. Whoever took her had just poked the sleeping bear.

CHAPTER11

With the sun at her back, Sadie walked through the trees in front of the man. The trees weren’t as thick in this part of the forest and if he didn’t have a gun on her, she would’ve run. But she couldn’t take the chance of him shooting her.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Never you mind. Just keep walkin’ until I say stop.”

Sadie huffed out a breath and didn’t care if he knew she was angry. She had every right to be.

She looked around her, searching for a landmark she’d be able to find when she fled. Escaping was definitely when, not if, because she had to get back to Barnaby. What if she was never to tell him she loved him? She didn’t want to die without him knowing.

They walked until they reached a clearing. In the middle was a tent and a man hobbling around a fire.

Grimes. Homer Grimes. She’d know that limping cretin anywhere.

As they approached, Grimes stopped and turned toward them. “Well, if it isn’t Mrs. Drake. Don’t think you can shoot me this time. Matter of fact, you can’t do anything about what I’ll do to you.”

Even with the gun pressed on her back, she’d never felt fear like she did now. She was afraid she was utterly at his mercy, and he had none of that particular trait in him.

He limped toward her until he was only two feet away.

“You know Barnaby will kill you for taking me. The only chance you have of living is to let me go. Then I’ll tell him. I’ll plead your case and say it was all a big mistake.”

Grimes paused at her words and then backhanded her.

She fell to the ground. Her nose felt like he broke it again, but her entire face throbbed, so she wasn’t sure.

“He ain’t comin’. He don’t even know where you are.”

She stood and wiped her split lip; a swath of blood now covered the back of her hand. “He’ll track you. He’s good at that, so good he never comes home empty-handed when he hunts. You’re a dead man Homer.” She turned toward the man who brought her. “And so are you. Dead men.”

“I...I don’t know, Homer. Maybe she’s right. That Barnaby is a big man. Even if we get him by surprise, it’ll take both of us to put him down and you being crippled and all won’t be much use. I say we take her money and run.”

“Shut up, Monty. We’ll get her money and something else on the side. How long’s it been since you had a woman? Huh? We got one now, and I mean to take advantage of the situation.”