A Lawman's Justice (Sweetwater Ranch Book 8) Read Online Free Page A

didn’t make sense, but neither did anything else about this situation. Shelby didn’t have access to anything that could affect the trial.
    Unlike Seth.
    He probably could get at some evidence if necessary, but so far he didn’t seem to be the law-breaking type. Maybe because he thought he had justice on his side and that Jewell would be cleared of all charges.
    And that brought Shelby back to a revenge theory.
    Maybe Hance wanted revenge against her and Seth had accidentally gotten caught up in the plan? It’d be a weird coincidence since both Seth and she had gotten phone calls that’d brought them here, but nothing else made sense right now.
    Seth came to a stop so quickly that Shelby plowed into him. He was solid, all right, and didn’t seem to notice she’d bumped into him. Instead, he just lifted his head.
    “Get down,” he said, but he didn’t wait for her to do that. Seth jerked her to the ground amid the weeds and grass.
    Shelby heard it then. The car engine. Or rather the engine of a big truck.
    Oh, God.
    This had to be the men who’d kidnapped them.
    She sucked in her breath. Held it, waiting and praying.
    Once the men were inside the barn, maybe Seth and she could make a run for it to put some space between them and these killers. There weren’t many places to hide, but she’d spotted some good-size boulders just ahead. That would give them far more protection and cover than the grass.
    Shelby couldn’t fully turn her head because of the way Seth was holding her, but from the corner of her eye she saw the driver park the truck. Two men got out. She didn’t recognize either of them, but they were both armed with weapons not only in holsters but also in their hands. As she’d hoped, they went into the barn.
    “Let’s go,” Seth mouthed.
    He took her by the wrist and started running toward those boulders. She wasn’t exactly a slouch at running, but Seth was a heck of a lot faster than she was. If he hadn’t kept hold of her, she wouldn’t have been able to keep up with him. They were just a few yards away when Shelby heard something she didn’t want to hear.
    “There they are!” one of the men shouted.
    Her heart went to her knees, and Seth dragged her back to the ground. Probably to stop them from being gunned down.
    But the men didn’t shoot.
    There was another sound. The truck engine roared to life, and Seth’s gaze snapped right in that direction.
    “Run,” Seth ordered, getting her to her feet again.
    She did, but Shelby looked over her shoulder. And she heard the strangled sound claw its way through her throat.
    The truck was no longer in front of the barn. Nor on the road.
    It was coming right at them.

Chapter Three
    Seth didn’t look back. He just tightened his grip on Shelby’s arm and kept running as fast as he could.
    But the truck kept coming, too.
    Just ahead were the boulders, and while they would have protected them from bullets, the truck would be able to drive around them and get to Shelby and him that way. Their best bet was to hide behind the small trees just ahead. The oaks were just large enough and close enough together that the driver should have trouble maneuvering around or through them.
    Seth hoped so anyway.
    The engine got louder. The truck, closer. So close he could practically feel the heat coming off the vehicle. And just when Seth thought the kidnappers would run them down, Shelby and he were able to duck behind the first tree. The driver slammed on his brakes but then darted into a small clearing to their left.
    “He’s trying to run us over,” Shelby said, her breath gusting. “But why didn’t he just shoot at us instead?”
    Good question. Seth didn’t have a good answer other than maybe the men still wanted them alive. They’d proved that by kidnapping rather than killing them at the warehouse. They were proving it now by not shooting at them. The problem was, Seth had no idea why someone wanted to put them through this.
    Unless...
    Maybe