Chapter 7 - The Night Moretti Ranch BurnedFire consumed the eastern barn first.
Creed’s men attacked from three directions.
Dominic ordered women and children into the stone cellar.
Chloe refused.
“You know what I’m going to say,” Dominic told her.
“Yes.”
“And?”
“No.”
He handed her a rifle.
“Thought so.”
The battle lasted until dawn.
Creed’s men breached the outer fence.
Leo was shot in the side.
Chloe dragged him behind a water trough.
“Leave me.”
“Shut up.”
“I’m heavy.”
“I noticed.”
She fired at an approaching gunman.
Dominic fought from the veranda.
Smoke covered everything.
Then Silas appeared.
He had entered through the servants’ passage.
Chloe found him inside Dominic’s study.
He held a revolver.
“You again.”
Chloe aimed her rifle.
“You killed my father.”
“Yes.”
“My mother.”
“Indirectly.”
“You burned my home.”
“Technically employees did.”
She almost laughed.
“You really are a bastard.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
Silas raised his gun.
Before either fired, Dominic entered.
Silas turned.
Two shots.
Dominic stumbled.
Chloe screamed.
He fell.
Something inside her broke.
She fired.
Silas dropped his weapon.
Her bullet had struck his hand.
He ran.
Chloe went to Dominic.
Blood covered his shirt.
“No.”
He was breathing.
Barely.
“Dominic.”
His eyes opened.
“You okay?”
She laughed through tears.
“You’re asking me?”
“Habit.”
The doctor worked for four hours.
Dominic survived.
The bullet had missed his heart by less than an inch.
Chloe remained beside him for three days.
When he woke properly, she was asleep with her head beside his hand.
He touched her hair.
She opened her eyes.
“You’re alive.”
“Apparently.”
She slapped his arm.
He groaned.
“I’ve been shot.”
“That’s for frightening me.”
“Cruel woman.”
She kissed him.
Outside, the ranch lay damaged but standing.
Creed had lost half his men.
His empire was collapsing.
But he still had one final advantage.
The railroad.
He seized a passenger train carrying forty civilians and sent a telegraph.
Bring Chloe Bennett to Copper Ridge.
Come alone.
Or the train goes into the canyon.
Dominic read the message.
“No.”
Chloe took it.
“Yes.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Forty people.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.”
“I care about you.”
“And that is why I love you.”
She touched his face.
“But I’m going.”
Dominic stared at her.
Then he understood something.
He could command armies.
Control towns.
Terrify judges.
But loving Chloe meant accepting that she belonged to herself.
May you like
Finally, he nodded.
“Then we make a plan.”
