Page 44 of Her Royal Cowboy Billionaire

“Mommy, you’re holding me too tight.”

She loosened her hold. “Sorry, baby. I’m just so glad to have you in my arms again. I was so scared.”

“I was scared, too, until Sergei told the bad man he would come with us. The bad man was happy then.”

Michele looked over at Sergei. “I’m so sorry I hit you. Thank you for taking care of my baby.”

He rubbed his jaw. “You have quite the right hook, Miss Williams. Very good indeed.”

Michele laughed.

So did Sergei. He came over, took her free hand and brought it to his lips. “I will always look after the welfare of Erin. She is my primary concern, per instructions from my king and my preference.”

Michele turned to Alex. “You told Sergei to watch out for Erin?”

He shrugged. “You were my concern. She was his. Splitting one’s focus between two people is difficult, and neither person is well looked after. This solved that problem.”

“You might have let me know that. Did you know he was pretending to be Nicolai’s man?”

“Yes, but I could not do or say anything that would jeopardize Erin. I did not know she was so resourceful.” He chuckled. “Kicked him. Good for her.” He looked at Sergei. “Will you get yours and Nicolai’s horses? We’ll meet you around front.”

“Certainly.” Sergei bowed and left the room.

“Let’s go.” Alex pushed Nicolai toward the door. “You first, just in case you have a surprise planned.”

Michele opened the front door and held it for Nicolai and Alex. Then she followed them through, holding Erin.

They walked to the horses.

Michele mounted, then leaned down, picked Erin up and sat her on her lap.

Erin wiggled and adjusted to the saddle, then placed her hands around the pommel.

Sergei came around the house riding a large gray horse that could have been the brother of the one Michele rode. He led a black horse with two white socks and a white blaze. He slid from his saddle and walked over to where Alex and Nicolai stood.

“I can’t mount while tied like this.” Nicolai angled his head toward his back.

“Sergei and I will help you. Michele will keep her knife aimed at you, so don’t try anything. She would love to have another reason to kill you.”

Even though Michele was mounted, holding her knife in her hand, Nicolai looked down his nose at her. “She’s nothing but a common royalty chaser. All she wants is you to give her a crown.” Then he threw himself to the ground, spooking Michele’s horse, making it rear.

She quickly sheathed her knife in her boot while holding the reins with the same hand as the arm she had banded around Erin’s middle. Then, when both hands were free, she locked on to Erin with both arms while the horse came down and took off. He didn’t go far before Michele had him under control again and rode back to the house.

“That was a cheap shot, Nicolai.”

He’d stood and was dusting himself off.

“A less-experienced rider could have been hurt, but that was your intent, wasn’t it?” Michele rode close to him and kicked him to the ground with her boot. “That’s for endangering my daughter for a second time.” She rode forward, letting the horse step over him. “You’re lucky this horse is so well trained. Otherwise, you could risk being stomped on.”

Nicolai laid in the dirt. His once impeccable clothes were dirty, as were his face and hair. “Are you going to let her treat me like this? I’m your uncle! I’m your father’s brother and he loved me.”

Michele watched as the rage overcame Alex.

He jerked up Nicolai by the front of his shirt and hit him square in the nose.

She heard the cartilage break and saw the blood spurt.

“You dare to bring my father into this? The man who loved you and you killed—murdered in cold blood. You want me to let her treat you like the murderer you are? You must be insane. You threaten my mother with the deaths of all her children if she didn’t marry you, and you expect me to treat you with anything but hatred?”