Page 32 of Her Wild Cowboy Billionaire

Travis tried to calm her and put a hand on her knee. “We’ll get her back. I promise.”

She backed Sage up enough that he dropped his hand.

“I can’t afford to fall apart now. My daughter is depending on me.”

He nodded and then walked to Jet and mounted, much the same way Willow had. He didn’t have time to think about his injuries or pain getting back on Jet. All he could think about was a scared little girl alone with a madman. “Okay. Let’s get Mindy back.”

Mindy sat on one of the straight-backed chairs at the square wooden table in the line shack. The building was one room with the table in the middle. A stove was on one side and a bed on the other side of the room. The bed was small, like a half-sized twin bed. Neatly folded blankets and a pillow were on the bed, which had a thin mattress. Beside the stove was a bucket of wood and a pail of water. There was a kitchen area with shelves and a sink. On one side of the sink were canned foods, and on the other side were pots, pans, plates, and cups, all made of metal.

On either side of the door was a small window. The door had a wooden bar that came down over the door to lock it.

Gordon Simmons sat in the chair across from her with the pistol on the table between them.

Mindy sat with her legs crossed at the ankle and leaning against the back of the chair with her arms over her chest. “My mom will come for me, and then you’d better watch out because she’s gonna be real mad at you for taking me.”

His eyes narrowed as they looked at her, and his top lip was pulled back in a snarl. “She’ll get over it once we’re away from here and start our life together...without a punk kid like you.”

Mindy gritted her teeth. “I’m not a punk kid. I’m the best kid anyone could have, and Mom will never be happy without me.”

His eyes tightened at the corners. “She’ll get used to it. I’m all she’ll ever need.”

She wanted to laugh. But she knew enough not to make him too mad. “You’re wrong about her. Just like you’re wrong about me.”

Suddenly, Simmons picked up the gun and pointed it at her. “You better shut up, kid, before I decide all your mom will see is your dead body.”

She lifted her chin, her mouth formed a firm line, and she made slits of her eyes. “You won’t shoot me. Mom will never go with you if you harm me. Even I’m smart enough to know that.” She refused to be scared in front of him, though her stomach churned and she felt like throwing up. This man had made her life miserable for the last three years. He was the reason she couldn’t go to school or be with her friends. She felt both angry and scared, maybe even more angry than scared. He would hurt her mother, she knew it, when her mom didn’t do just what he said.

He pushed away from the table, stood, and paced. The pistol hung from the fingers of his right hand as he ran his other fingers through his hair and around his neck. “I wish you were wrong. This all would be so much easier if she didn’t have a kid.” He walked to the window again and looked out. “Damn, where is she?”

“It takes time to get to the ranch and back. Travis and I rode for almost an hour to get here.”

He clenched his jaw and paced some more. Then he turned and looked at her. “I don’t think I can put up with you for two hours, but I can’t find any rope to tie you up with.”

“Good.”

Simmons shoved the pistol in his pants, came over and planted his palms on the table, then leaned so his face was about two inches from hers.

She smelled his sour breath, and he reeked of something else. He was just stinky. Mindy guessed she should be happy he wasn’t drunk. She’d seen drunk people on the street corners, and they stumbled and mumbled. She didn’t know what he would have done to her then.

“You should be careful, little girl, before I take my belt to you.”

She lifted her crossed arms high on her chest and stared. “I won’t let you beat me. You can’t hurt me and you know it. I know it. You want my mother too badly.”

She didn’t know how long she sat there before she heard horses galloping toward the shack. She jumped up, ran to the door, and grabbed the knob.

Simmons grabbed her by one of her braids and pulled her back.

“Not so fast. You don’t go outside without me. I don’t want there to be any accidents. Like you said, your mother will never come with me if I hurt you. You mind your manners, little girl, if you want to see your mother again.” He released her and shoved her behind him, away from the door.

The galloping stopped, and she knew her mother was right outside.

Simmons grabbed her shoulder and squeezed. “Don’t do anything foolish. I really don’t want to shoot you...or your mom.”

“You’d never do either. You’re just a big bully, and Mom says to ignore bullies.” She squirmed under his hand, but he wouldn’t release her.

“Your mom says a lot of things I don’t like. I’ll have to break her of that habit.”

Mindy stopped moving and stared up at him. He stood behind her with the pistol in one hand and the other squeezing her shoulder tightly.