Mallory's Bears(52)

Rick let out a ragged breath, and for the first time, appeared defeated. He strode to his horse, stopped as though reconsidering his plan, then pulled the rifle free of its holder.

He couldn’t be serious. And yet, the tautness of his back, the fierceness of his expression, said he was.

“Rick, no. You can’t kill her.”

He walked back toward the gully. “I have to.”

She jumped off her horse and ran to his side. The cow lifted its head and let out another baleful moan. Mallory turned away. The cow’s insides were pulled out of her body and she was covered in blood. It was a wonder that she was still alive. But she was alive.

“We have to try and help her. Please, let me get the vet. I can lead him back here.”

He yanked his phone out of his pocket. “Don’t you think I want to call him? But it’s no use. She’s already as good as dead. Even the vet can’t save her.”

“At least let him try.” She couldn’t, wouldn’t let him kill the poor animal. Wasn’t it enough that her baby was dead? She clutched his arm, but he yanked it away.

“Let it go. The only thing I can do now is to put her out of her misery.”

“No, don’t. We can think of something. Please, give her a chance.”

He broke away from her a second time. “Damn it. Stop grabbing my arm before you get hurt.”

“But you can’t. I’ll do anything. I’ll call for help and bring the best veterinarian in that I can find. You can’t just—”

It happened so fast that her mind couldn’t comprehend it. The blast of the rifle discharging stunned her, bringing her to an abrupt stop. Fresh blood spurted from the wound in the cow’s head.

Gunner took her by the shoulders and pulled her into his arms. She shook, unable to control her body’s reaction. Closing her eyes and blocking out the sight of Rick, the rifle still in his hand, she pushed her face against Gunner’s chest and let the tears she’d fought against so valiantly take over. Rick’s footsteps echoed in the ensuing silence as he strode back to his horse.

“She was still alive. He didn’t have to kill her.”

Gunner would agree with her. But if so, why hadn’t he stopped Rick from killing an animal that needed help?

She flattened her hands against his chest and lifted her gaze to his. “He shouldn’t have shot her. We could’ve gotten help. He could’ve at least let us try.” He was with her in this. He had to be.

“Mallory…”

She refused to believe he wouldn’t agree. “What is it? You know he was wrong to shoot her.” She searched him, trying, hoping he’d say yes.

“No, baby, he wasn’t wrong. It was the only thing he could’ve done. It was the humane thing to do. She was beyond help.”

Pain tore her apart like she had a rabies-infected animal caught inside her trying to get out. She stumbled away from him, too sickened to touch him any longer.

“Get a grip, woman.”

“Get a grip?” She whirled to confront Rick who had just shoved his rifle back into its case. “Get a grip? Are you fucking kidding me? You shot that poor animal without even thinking about ways to save her. You did it without feeling a damn thing about it, too.”

“Come on, baby, you know it’s not like that.”

“Do I, Gunner? I don’t think so.” She backed away, keeping her distance from Rick who had gotten back on his horse. “Maybe this is the real you. Maybe you’ve put on a show this whole time and now I’ve finally gotten to see the real Northman men.”

“Baby, you’ve got to listen—”

“No, Gunner.” Rick’s expression was filled with a sadness that she’d never seen. “Let her talk.”

She knew she’d better stop, but she couldn’t. Had she been wrong about them from the start? Had she given not only her body, but her heart to two men who could be so ruthless?

“You shot her and I think you liked it.”

“Mallory,”—the warning was clear in Rick’s voice—”you’re going too far.”

She kept her eyes on Rick as he leaned forward in the saddle. The softness of his voice chilled her more than any of his heated outbursts.

“I’m going to say this once and that’s the end of it. Only God Almighty could’ve helped her. And if you hadn’t noticed, I’m not a god. I’m just a man trying to run a ranch in times that make it anything but easy. I treat my animals with respect and I try to treat people the same way. That fucking wolf terrorized her. He killed her calf, then dragged her through a barbed wire fence. Then he came after her.”