The sun was starting to go down over the tops of the mountains when the door to the cabin came open. Zane turned from the back window, surprised at the sight of Nate coming home from work early.

“I’m fine.” Nate slurred every syllable as he stumbled through the door.

Zane felt his eyes widen. There was a tall, angular man trying to help Nate. The man looked to be in his fifties and had a strange hat on his head. It was a trucker hat with tin foil coming out the edges. Now that he looked at it, Nate’s Stetson had foil peeking out of it as well.

“What the hell is going on?” Zane asked.

The tall man took a step back. Zane was used to it. He knew what he looked like.

The older man squinted and then slapped Nate on the back. “It’s okay. He seems human.”

Nate smiled beatifically. Damn, he was drunk and still in his uniform. What was going on? “He’s not human. That’s Zane, Mel. Don’t worry about the frown. He’s a brooder. It’s his thing. I wish he got paid for it. If he got paid for brooding, we would be millionaires and that would solve so many problems. Zane, we need to put that on your résumé. Brooding.”

Mel nodded, as though that made sense somehow. He looked back and forth between him and Nate, seeming to form some sort of opinion. “Well, now I’ve always found it best that couples acknowledge their differences. He’s seems nice enough, Sheriff.”

“What?” Zane was having trouble following the conversation.

Nate stumbled to the green 1970s refugee couch. It had come with the cabin and opened into one of the most uncomfortable beds Zane had ever tried to nap on. Nate didn’t seem to have the same muscular issues with the couch that Zane had. He pulled his hat off his head and settled it over his face. He didn’t bother to get rid of the foil liner, just let it lay there, covering his mug like a burrito wrapper.

Zane looked to the thin guy. “What is wrong with him? Has he been drinking on the job?”

It wasn’t like Nate. Nate was freaking Captain America. Nate was upstanding and by the book.

Nate looked up from his place on the couch. His fingers fumbled when he tried to lift his hat, and both the Stetson and its tinfoil inner lining rolled away. “Hell, no. I do not drink on the job. I am completely off duty. That’s what happens when a hot honey steals your squad car. I’m gonna spank her for that. Stef is right about the discipline thing. Girl needs some discipline. But I ain’t been drinking. I’ve been doing community service. I gotta start fitting into the community. Callie told me to.”

Zane felt his gut clench. Callie? Was Callie the hot honey who needed discipline? And why was Nate talking about it?

Mel was pulling on the quilt that lay on top of the couch. He placed it over Nate, who settled back down with a loopy grin on his face. Mel picked up the hat and made sure the foil was secure. “Don’t you worry about the sheriff now. We got it all fixed up. He needs to wear his hat when he’s out, and it’ll be fine. You see, he got probed.”

Nate seemed to think that was hilarious and started laughing, his knees drawing up. “I’ve been probed. Hell, I almost got to probe her. Got so fucking close. It would have felt really good to probe her.”

“I gave him my special tonic. He’ll feel better tomorrow. I drove by the station and got his keys and his phone, but he shouldn’t be driving yet. Because of the cure. Takes a while. You’ll see, he’ll be all better in the morning.” Mel was nodding.

He didn’t think so. He was pretty sure Nate would be in a shit-ass mood tomorrow, probably sooner. Nate had never been able to hold his liquor, but he never stayed drunk for long. He always sobered up fast. And what did he mean by probing her? Was he talking about Callie? “What’s in this tonic? Whiskey?”

Mel nodded. “So you’ve had it before? I make it myself. It keeps the aliens at bay. They can’t metabolize it, so they stay away.”

“Got to get rid of the aliens so I can concentrate on Callie. Can’t let her quit. She’s a good secretary.” Nate sighed like a man who knew what he wanted. “She’s still so pretty, Zane. Her breasts feel so good. And she can kiss. Damn, for a girl so innocent, she tastes like sin. I’m gonna marry her.”

Zane felt the pounding in his head start. He looked down at his best friend in the world. Every time he’d asked about Callie Sheppard, Nate had shrugged him off, telling him that if he wanted to know he should go see for himself. Bastard. Now he understood the game Nate had been playing. He’d had her all to himself for two weeks. No wonder he spent so much time at the station. Callie was there.

“God, you have no idea how sweet she is.”

No, he didn’t, and he never fucking would because Nate had taken her without giving him a chance. Not that he had one. His hand went to his face, where the scar ran from the base of his skull all the way down to his jaw. He could still feel the knife splitting his skin. He’d thought nothing could hurt as much as that knife.

He’d been wrong.

Betrayal bit through him. They’d made the decision about Callie together a long time ago. Now Nate was going to change his mind and Zane hadn’t even had a chance. He couldn’t stay here. His hands were on the keys before he really knew what he was doing.

“Hey, where ya going?” Nate was trying to get up but got caught in the quilt. “We need to talk. You might say it’s crazy, but I been thinking about something.”

Yeah, Zane bet he’d been thinking about something. He’d been thinking about Callie and how he could steal her. He had zero interest in Nate’s thoughts. He turned to Mel, who still looked ridiculous with tin foil covering his head. “You should call his deputy and tell him the sheriff is indisposed.”

“Zane, where ya going?” Nate struggled to get up.

“I need a beer.” He was out the door in a heartbeat and headed for Hell on Wheels. A beer? He would probably drink a dozen, and it wouldn’t help.

An hour later, he knew he’d been right. He was only into his second beer, and it didn’t even begin to obliterate the image of Nate and Callie. Who was he kidding? And could he really blame Nate?

Fuck, yeah, his inner asshole said. Inner Asshole usually warred with Reasonable Guy. This time Reasonable Guy was perfectly silent. Reasonable Guy agreed with him. Turned out Reasonable Guy had a thing for Callie Sheppard, too.

And what the hell had he meant about the brooding? Inner Asshole was spewing some serious venom. Who the hell did Nate think he was? They had agreed that she was off limits long ago. They had agreed that she deserved better. Maybe Nate had simply decided he was better.

Maybe Nate had decided he was sick of putting up with Zane’s shit and was ready to move on.

He slumped forward, his elbows on the somewhat dirty bar. He called for beer number three. The low light of the dive bar revealed the other patrons. Leather and denim seemed to be the dress code, though some of the women wore bikini tops under their vests. Zane made a quick roll call of the MCs in attendance. The Animals, the Wasters, and the Colorado Horde were there in decent numbers. Zane could tell from the three-piece patches they wore on their leather vests. There were a couple he didn’t recognize, but he wasn’t worried. If someone figured out who he was, they would kill him quick.

Now the Barbarians, that was another story.

In the background, Zane heard the small door to the prefab building swing open but turned back to his beer. The big bartender swung a fresh mug of whatever was cheapest in front of him.

The man shook his head, his eyes narrowing. “Damn it, there’s trouble.”

Zane looked up, following the line of the bartender’s sight. Two newcomers stood in the doorway, two women who looked to be a bit lost. Zane struggled to see them through the smoke. There was one with dark hair and a banging body, and a thinner, taller one with lighter hair piled in a bun on her head. He liked the short one. She had long, thick hair and round breasts. Yeah, he could do that one. Maybe he would try since it wasn’t going to happen with Callie. It wasn’t like he was married or anything. If she didn’t mind ugly sons of bitches, he’d give the girl a ride.

Or he’d fix her car. That had to explain it. The two women were so out of place, they had to have had car trouble. The hot one was dressed in a yellow sundress. It exposed an expanse of creamy, ivory skin and made her look like a little piece of the sun, walking through the clouds. The other girl had given it a better shot. She had on a denim mini and a tank top, but still looked out of place due to the innocent air surrounding her. There wasn’t a place for innocence in here.

Zane sighed. Everyone was staring at the out of place women. If he was half as heartless as he pretended to be, he would leave right now. Inner Asshole wanted to do exactly that. He wasn’t responsible for a couple of chicks who likely wouldn’t give him the time of day under normal circumstances. But Reasonable Guy finally woke up, and Zane knew he was going to protect those ladies. They were going to get in trouble. Already he could sense the sharks beginning to circle. A couple of the men by the pool tables were watching them, obviously planning their moves. They weren’t the kind to take a polite no for an answer.

That old familiar tightening in his gut began. The adrenaline started to flow freely. Yeah, maybe a good fight was what he needed. He could pretend it was Nate he was punching the shit out of.

“This is the worst idea, ever,” the woman in the denim mini was saying as they sort of floated through the cloudy bar. Maybe one of them had a lick of sense.

“Oh, I think it’s charming, once you get past the smell,” the other one said. She approached the bar, and Zane got a good look at her face.

He turned as quickly as he could, praying she didn’t see him. Fuck. What was Callie doing here? The adrenaline was still flooding his system, but he turned from fight to full-on flight mode. Both Inner Asshole and Reasonable Guy were in full agreement. It was time to run and as fast as he could.

He started to push back the stool but stopped. If he ran, she would be alone in here with those sharks. She was about to be in serious trouble. Damn it. He couldn’t do it.

He pulled his cell out. This was Nate’s job. She was Nate’s girl.

Get to Hell on Wheels. Callie and a friend have decided to have a girls’ night out.

He threw in a text to Stefan Talbot just in case. As pissed as he was, he wasn’t about to let Callie get hurt because she didn’t belong to him. He would watch over her until the others got here.

Then he would run.

“I would like a…I don’t drink very much. Maybe a Cosmo. Those always look good on TV.” Callie’s voice was bright and optimistic.

“I got beer and tequila. I can get you a whiskey, but that’s about it.” The bartender did not seem amused.

“We’ll take the tequila.” Callie’s friend nodded and wiped off her barstool before sitting down.

Zane watched her through the sooty mirror behind the bar. Damn, she was gorgeous. Should he wait for Nate or Stef? Or man up and do what needed to be done? He wanted to toss Callie over his shoulder and haul her out of this bar.

“You are being surprisingly negative, Jen.” Callie pushed a pair of glasses up her nose. “Why can’t you see it as an adventure? We’re like Thelma and Louise.”

“Thelma and Louise died, Cal.”

Callie shook her head. “Nope. I choose to believe they made it across the Grand Canyon in their convertible. Why do people keep trying to get me to see the dark side of life?”

The bartender set two shot glasses in front of them and poured out the gold liquid. He set down a shaker of salt and two lime wedges. Zane had a sudden vision of himself doing body shots off Callie. He would suck salt off her nipples, shoot tequila from her navel, and who needed a lime when her pussy tasted so good? Damn it, his jeans were getting awfully tight.

The girls bit down on the lime, completing their first round. Callie’s friend Jen seemed more acquainted with the procedure. “Is that what Sheriff Dickhead did today?”

Now Zane was listening closely. He leaned in so he could hear over the loud jukebox playing classic rock.

Callie motioned for another. She turned to her friend. “Sheriff Wright made a heavy pass at me, which I politely turned down. That’s all.”

Zane wanted to fist pump, but it might call attention to him. So Nate wasn’t in so good with their former lover. Nice. Maybe he still had a chance.

Then he caught sight of himself in the mirror and remembered the real reason he hadn’t gone after her. Scars. He was made of them now.

“You turned down that hunk of man? What are you thinking? I know he’s a jerk, but he’s a completely hot jerk. Seriously, you drag me out here tonight because you want to get laid, but you turned down the perfectly safe hot guy? What is wrong with you?”

They were already on their third shot. What were they thinking? Who was going to drive them home? And he thought Callie had been smart to turn down Nate since he was a backstabbing, half-woman stealing dickhead. Goddamn it, half of Callie was his.

“Wow, that works fast.” She rejected a fourth shot with a wave of her hand. “I turned down the sheriff because I have some self-respect. The sheriff has made his opinion of me plain. He doesn’t like me or my town, so I will not sleep with him whether I want to or not. However, the episode pointed out the fact that I have been lax in dealing with certain bodily needs.”

“You’re horny.”

Jen seemed good at stating things plainly. Zane could appreciate that. And Callie wasn’t the only one who was horny. God, if he wasn’t afraid she would run the minute she got a look at the left side of his face, he would shove her up against the wall and take care of them both.

“I am seeking a bit of physical affection, that’s all.”

Jen sighed. “Then let me call Stef. He knows people, people who would be nice to you.”

Callie’s hands came down on the bar, slapping angrily. “No. I am not so pathetic that I need Stef to find someone willing to sleep with me again. Not again. I know I’m not the world’s most beautiful woman, but I’m not hideous, either.” She turned to him. “How about you? You looking for a date?”

Zane wondered if the floor would magically open up and swallow him whole.

“Wow.” Jen was staring at him in the mirror. Her face was a wide-open book. “That is amazing.”

He put his head down and started getting off the barstool. There was no way he would stand around and take their pity. He could watch over them from afar.

“Well, that figures.” Callie’s hands were on his arm.

He turned because there was nothing to do now. She’d recognized him. He looked at her, drinking in her face for the first time in years. Whatever she was thinking, it wasn’t that she felt sorry for him.

Her pretty face was frowning at him. “I go out to find someone who might want me, and I run into you. That’s perfect.” She turned back to the bartender. “I changed my mind. Hit me again.”

At least now he could do something. “You give her another drop of liquor, and I swear I’ll tear you up when you least expect it. You understand me?”

The bartender took a step back. Zane was satisfied with the way the man turned a little white. He pulled the tequila bottle back. “Sorry, sweetheart. Bar’s closed for you. I don’t think I want to see what that ugly son of a bitch could do.”

“That is not a nice thing to say!” Callie pushed her empty shot glass toward the bartender. “I am not tipping you anything above the normal twenty percent. You’re rude to your customers. What kind of service professional are you?” She turned back to him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Please feel free to flee. I promise I won’t chase after you.” She gave him an imperious wave of her hand.

He felt his face set stubbornly. He would not let her know how much she affected him. “I was here first, Callie.”

“Well, of course you were. Tell me something, Zane, how long have you been in town?” There was suspicion in her voice, and her eyes were brown lasers cutting through him.

“Couple weeks.”

“That’s what I thought. You’ve been here a couple of weeks and you didn’t bother to call.”

Jen was at her side, but her eyes were on him. She looked utterly fascinated. It made him uncomfortable. “You know this guy? Wow, Cal, he is stunning. Hi, I’m Jen and I would really like to paint you.”

He ignored her. He was too busy paying attention to Callie. “I didn’t think you would welcome a call from me. I figured you were married and stuff.”

Her smile held not a hint of humor. “Well, I showed you, didn’t I? Not married. Not dating. Still alone. I haven’t even…”

For the second time that day he felt the world shift. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? She hadn’t had sex since him and Nate? How was that possible? Her face was a flaming red. “Babe, I couldn’t call you.”

Was she looking at him? Could she not see his freaking face?

“You’re like a fallen angel. It’s really beautiful.” Jen’s nose was a bright red. Girl couldn’t handle her tequila.

“You couldn’t call me? Well, as I see the cell phone in your pocket, I can only assume you couldn’t call me because you didn’t want to.” There were tears shimmering in Callie’s eyes, and his heart was going to shatter if she cried.

“Babe, look at me.” He turned his face straight to her, so she couldn’t miss a single inch of the scars that ran down the left side of his face. Besides the long one, there were two others. One on the side of his jaw, deep and puckered, and one across his forehead. He’d damn near lost his eye. Only Nate had managed to save him. She couldn’t even see the scars on his body.

She snorted. “Yes, you’re horrible. All of your hotness is gone. Don’t give me some lame story about how a few tiny marks are supposed to make me not want you. They’re scars, Zane. Get over it. You’re gorgeous, and you know it. Just be honest. You slept with me as a favor to Stef, and that was it. It’s fine, but don’t lie to me.”

“You slept with him?” Jen’s mouth was wide open as she looked between them.

“At least Nate was honest enough to tell me he didn’t want to see me,” Callie replied.

“You slept with the sheriff, too?” Jen asked.

He was going to beat the sheriff to death for putting that look on Callie’s face. He felt his face bunch up and was sure he sounded like a pleading boy. God, if he still had a chance with her, he wanted to take it. If she could see past how awful he looked, he’d do anything for her. She’d haunted his dreams every night for the past six years. The fact that she was here and still thought about him, too, well, it floored him. “I wanted to see you. I wanted to see you so bad. But you can’t possibly want me like this. You have no idea what I’m like now. And these aren’t the only scars I have. They’re everywhere.”

Callie shrugged. She was on her feet. They were encased in dainty sandals with ladybugs on them. “Like I said, Zane, at least Nate was honest with me.”

She stalked off toward the dance floor, and Zane was left staring after her. Her ass swayed as she approached the jukebox.

“Seriously, you have to let me paint you. You are amazing.”

He squinted at the brunette. “What are you talking about?”

He needed a minute to catch his breath. If he went after Callie, he would be on his knees in a second, begging her to give him just one night. Just one. He needed to get this situation under control because she hadn’t reacted the way he’d expected.

“I’m talking about the dichotomy of your face. It’s amazing. The things you must have been through. It’s really beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Are you insane?”

She shook her head vigorously. “Oh, no, I’m an artist.”

She slid into the seat Callie had recently vacated. Zane had a sense of her leaning in, but his eyes were firmly on Callie. So far no one had crowded her, but two assholes in leather vests and blue jeans had eyes planted on the delicious treat.

Jen was still talking. “You’re the perfect model. So beautiful.”

He had no idea how to respond to the drunken artist. But maybe she could help him out. “Why hasn’t Callie gotten married?”

Callie’s body was swaying slightly to the sounds of Metallica. The two guys eyeing her were talking to each other and then looking back at him. He growled a little and bared his teeth.

“See, wow, that’s hot. You’re very alpha male. I can capture that on a canvas. Ummm, I guess Cal isn’t married because she never found anyone. It’s hard in a small town. And then there’s the fact that she’s always busy. And her mom only died last year.”

Zane turned suddenly. “Her mom died?”

Jen nodded. “She had cancer for a really long time. Callie took care of her. Callie takes care of everyone.”

Yes, he remembered that. She was concerned with the comfort and well-being of those around her. Even during their crazy weekend, when she should have been content to let them treat her like a princess, she had taken care of them. She had rubbed his scalp when he got a headache and cuddled against Nate after he’d gotten off the phone with his dad. She hadn’t asked questions, simply been there. He bet everyone took advantage of her nature.

“So, you slept with my friend and then dumped her?”

Maybe Jen wasn’t as wasted as he thought. “I didn’t dump her. I had a job to do.”

Jen’s lips pursed. “Must have been a great job to leave someone like Callie.”

It hadn’t been. It had been hell. He’d give anything to go back to that moment in the hotel when they’d made their decision. He would call his boss and quit and slide back into bed with Callie. If Nate wanted to go, he would have let him. But Zane would have gotten under those covers. Unfortunately, he knew all too well he couldn’t go back. “You think Callie and the sheriff have something going on?”

“Well, I certainly do now, given the fact that they have some sort of super-freaky past where she slept with both of you. Did she do you at the same time?”

“None of your business.” They hadn’t. He and Nate had decided she was too green to take her together. There hadn’t been time to prepare her. He’d dreamed about it, though. Apparently Nate didn’t have the same thoughts. He was planning a sweet vanilla life with the girl of their dreams. Screw that. She hadn’t run away. She’d been pissed off that he hadn’t come for her. Well, he could fix that. He wasn’t giving her up. He jumped off his barstool. “And you can tell that town that she’s taken.”

“She is?”

He nodded. She would be once he was done.

 

* * * *

 

Callie tried to focus on the jukebox menu, but all she could see was Zane’s beautiful face. He had a few scars. Anyone could see that, but she wasn’t stupid. He was still a gorgeous giant of a man. His hair was longer than she remembered. It was pitch black and curled at the ends. His face was so masculine it was as though someone had carved it. His jawline was perfectly square, and he had a sharp blade for a nose. His eyes were a deep green, and intelligence still sparked out of them.

That was a lie. There wasn’t a lick of intelligence in him if he thought she was falling for that whole “I’m not good for you” crap. Like she hadn’t heard that before. Next he would want to be her friend because he didn’t like her that way.

Story of her life.

She was not going to cry. Nope. No crying allowed in the tough biker bar. If she thought it would be hard living in the same town with Nate, how bad would it be with Zane here, too? It would happen all over again, watching two men she cared about search for what they wanted when what they wanted wasn’t her.

Tears made the jukebox menu a watery mess. What had she expected? They’d had a couple of nights together years ago. It meant the world to her, but they had probably had so many women, she was lucky they remembered her face. She couldn’t be mad at them. It was the way the world worked. Women like her didn’t get guys like Nate and Zane.

“Hey, pretty lady, you with that rough rider back there?”

Callie looked up into a very rugged face. There were two of them, bikers both, or so their leather vests proclaimed. They appeared to belong to some form of horde that claimed Colorado as their home. The men had no right to call Zane rough. They were far rougher than Zane.

“No, I’m not. Please excuse me.” She wasn’t with him, and now she wondered what the hell she was doing. Was she trying to punish Nate? Jen had been right. This was stupid. She pulled out her cell and dialed Stef’s number. He picked up immediately.

“Callie?” Stef sounded harried, and she could hear movement, like he was in a car.

“Is that her?”

Was Nate with him? Why would Nate be with him?

“Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry to bother you, but Jen and I need a ride. We’re at the bar on the other side of the mountain and we’ve had a bit to drink. I don’t feel safe with either of us getting behind the wheel.” She was feeling a little woozy.

“Give me that phone.” She heard the sounds of a tussle, and then Nate’s voice was the dominant one. “You stay right where you are, Callie Sheppard. Do you understand me? What the hell were you thinking?”

Callie moved the phone away from her ear. He could yell really loud. “Sheriff, please stop. The signal is fine. I can hear you. I need Stef to come get me.”

“I’m coming to get you,” he shot back. “How dare you walk into that bar? What were you thinking? Do you have any idea the kind of men who run around that bar?”

“Zane, apparently.”

“Yeah, who do you think called me, baby? Now you go to the bar and sit your pretty ass down, and don’t you move. Don’t you leave Zane’s side. I will be there in ten minutes, and then we’re going to have a talk. I have an awful lot to say to you.”

That didn’t sound promising. “Maybe I don’t have anything to say to you, Sheriff.”

“Good, then you can listen. Do not disobey me. I have a headache and a half because you left me with Mel. I took that damn tonic of his because I’m the idiot who’s trying to fit into this weird town to please you.”

When had he started doing that? She sighed sympathetically. “Yeah, you really shouldn’t drink anything Mel gives you. He tends to put rotgut whiskey in all his tonics.”

“And that’s illegal.” Righteous Nate was back with a vengeance.

It was time for some more advice. “Nate, how do you expect to be sheriff in this town if all you care about is what is or isn’t illegal?”

He sputtered. “Just stay where you are. What got in your head to go to someplace called Hell on Wheels, I have no idea…”

In the background she heard a third voice. It seemed like Nate thought he needed to bring the cavalry. “Uh, Sheriff, I don’t think I’m allowed to go to that bar.”

She heard Nate huff at Logan Green. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you a deputy, son, or not?”

“Oh, no.” He was bringing along Logan? That was a bad idea. Marie was going to have his hide. “You can’t bring Logan here.”

“My moms will get really upset,” Logan explained.

Then there was a whole lot more cursing, but the phone fell out of her hand when she was twirled around bodily. She gasped as the biker from before was squeezing her wrist. He was short but stout as a bull, and from the way his fingers tightened around her wrist, he was as strong as one, too.

“If he don’t claim you, then we will, right, Bone?”

The gentleman named Bone nodded his assent. He was slightly taller than his compatriot but didn’t have his thick build. “Damn straight, Len. This one is real pretty. Nice tits.”

Maybe Jen had been right. She should have gone down to the gas station and tried hitting on tourists. Callie attempted to pull her wrist out of Len’s grasp. “Please excuse me. I really need to go.”

She would go wait outside for Stef. If the sheriff walked in here, all hell would break loose and someone would get hurt, possibly him.

“You heard the lady.”

Callie looked up, and Zane was a hulking presence behind the two men. Bone and Len were big, nasty-looking men, but Zane made them look like boys in comparison. He had gotten rid of his jacket, and his big biceps were on full display. She could plainly see he’d added some ink to his body. His jaw was set, and his eyes were cold. She had a sudden desire to put her arms around him and soothe that look off his face.

After he’d taken care of the men who were attempting to assault her, of course.

“Take your hands off her right this second, or I’ll break them,” Zane growled.

Jen was suddenly behind her. She slipped her arms around Callie’s waist, anchoring her.

“I won’t let them take you,” Jen promised.

Len simply dragged Jen along, too. “Get your own fuck for the night, asshole. This one is ours.”

Jen held on, and Callie was being tugged in two directions, then she was on her ass on top of Jen, looking up from the floor. Zane had Len dangling in the air, one big hand wrapped around his opponent’s throat.

“I warned you.”

Bone took the opportunity to attack, but Zane simply used his free hand to punch him squarely in the face. There was a satisfying crunch, and Bone slumped to the floor.

“I’ll deal with your friend later. Now, I think you owe my lady an apology.” The words came from between Zane’s gritted teeth, each one an order. Callie wished she could be enough of a pacifist to be alarmed by Zane’s propensity for violence. In this particular case, her female parts differed with her political beliefs. They were completely aroused watching that giant of a man defending her honor. And his possessive use of the word “my” was another thing she would argue with if she could stop drooling over the way his jeans molded to every muscle in his legs.

“I’m sorry, lady,” Len spat out.

He didn’t sound sorry. He sounded pissed. The room was filled with smoke and loud music, and potential violence throbbed through the air. Callie looked around. No one was dancing or drinking anymore. Every eye in the place was on Zane and the man he dangled in the air. Her mouth went dry. No one in the place looked like they were about to step up and help Zane out. They were looking at him like a group of hungry lions. Even Zane seemed to feel the tension filling the room. He set Len down and reached for something at his waist. When his hand only met his belt, she could see his eyes tighten. According to Nate, Zane had been a cop, an agent with the DEA. He was looking for his gun out of habit, but it wasn’t there anymore.

His eyes never stopped moving as he spoke. He looked around the room as though assessing the threats. “Babe, I recognize some of these people. When Nate gets here, I want you to run to him. He’ll protect you. For now, damn it, just run.”

Jen was on her feet helping her up when Callie screamed. Another big biker came from behind Zane, brandishing a pool cue. There was a loud crack as it came down across Zane’s back with brutal force.

“The Barbarians say hello, pig!”

Zane hit his knees.

“Callie, no!” Jen screamed as she pulled away.

She moved from the relative safety with Jen with one thought and one thought only in her head. Don’t let them hit him again.

She threw herself across Zane’s back. There was the terrible sound of a man shouting and the pool cue hit, but on the floor next to her.

“Get out of the way, you stupid bitch!” Len screamed.

She slumped across Zane, feeling his muscles moving as he threw her off with a roar that filled the room.

Zane was yelling, but she wasn’t sure at whom. She forced herself to sit up before she got crushed under boots and heels. She was surrounded, and Zane’s hands finally pulled her up and into the cradle of his chest. His palm covered her head, forcing her down against him. She struggled to see.

“She doesn’t have anything to do with this,” Zane said.

Len was grinning now, showing off a plethora of teeth in severe need of dental attention. She wound her arms around Zane’s waist. He was the only thing that seemed real now.

“I think the girl has a lot to do with this, pig. You see, there’s a bounty out on your head, Hollister.” Len pulled out a wicked-looking knife and held it up for inspection. When Callie tried to move her head to see, Zane pulled her back. He encircled her as Len continued to talk. “Ellis might be in jail, but he’s still got power. He wants you bad. He’s willing to pay.”

That name seemed to trigger something in Zane. “Let the girl go and you can do what you want with me.”

“No.” Callie struggled against him. He held her fast. “No.”

She wasn’t about to let that happen. She wasn’t going to stand by while they hurt him.

“See, I think that you’ll fight like hell if the girl isn’t involved.” Len sounded like the leader of this group.

Callie could hear the thundering of Zane’s heart. It matched her own. Complete terror swamped her as she realized there was no way out. Something terrible was about to happen. She felt Zane huff. She tilted her chin up and could see the blank look on his face. He looked like he couldn’t care less, but she could feel him. She could feel his heart racing, the fine tremble in his hands as he clutched her like he was afraid she would die if he let her go.

His voice was a chilly grumble. “I don’t guess you would believe me if I told you I haven’t seen her in years and she doesn’t mean anything to me?”

Callie shook her head against his chest, and he gave her a little tap. He wasn’t good at the lying part. Even she had to acknowledge the man felt something for her.

“Nope. Not for a minute. Get her.” Len’s order boomed through the room, and Callie felt Zane’s arms go so tight around her she was sure she would pass out from lack of oxygen. There was a press of bodies around them. And they needed to spend some serious time on hygiene.

“You can let her go or I can shoot her here.”

Zane leaned over and pressed his mouth against her ear. “I’m so sorry, babe. Nate will come. I know he will. You stay alive long enough for him to save you. He’ll take care of you.”

He kissed her forehead, and she was pulled away from him.

She hadn’t seen him in years and should have hated him for leaving her, but Callie wept as they were separated. She cried and fought the men who held her. Vaguely she could see some big brute had his hands on Jen, but her vision was swamped with the sight of Zane being forced to his knees. His face remained gorgeous and cold, the line of his scar seemed redder and more intense.

Len stood over him, regarding him with utter disdain. “Ellis is offering a lot of money for you, boy. Ten thousand dollars and all I gotta do is cut the Barbarian tat off your chest and hand it to him like a scalp. Fitting, huh? You got that tat to prove you were a Barbarian for life. When I’m done, that’s all that’s gonna be left of you.” Len made a short, sharp movement with his knife and four men surrounded Zane. “Get him on the table. If he struggles, slit her throat.”

Zane offered no resistance as they lifted him, straining despite the fact that there were four of them. “The sheriff of this town is in love with her, too. You kill her, and he won’t ever stop hunting you down. You remember Nate Rush? He goes by Sheriff Wright now.”

Len’s face fell momentarily. “Fuck. Rush is here, too?”

“He’s the sheriff!” Jen struggled in a big, tattooed guy’s arms. Of course, that could describe most of the people here. Callie felt tears start down her cheeks as they shoved Zane onto the green felt of the pool table.

“I ain’t afraid of no hick sheriff. I don’t believe Rush would sink that low. That man is addicted to adrenaline. Crazy motherfucker, that one. No way he’s wasting away in some sleepy mountain town. Try again, Hollister.” Len’s dark eyes gleamed in the smoky light as he pulled Zane’s head up by the hair. “Don’t you know ain’t no one gonna stick by you? You look in the mirror, you freak? Even if that pretty thing could look past your ugly mug, what do you think she’s gonna do once she finds out the things you’ve done? She know how many men you killed? She know how much meth you moved?”

Callie saw the light die in Zane’s eyes and realized her belief in nonviolence had reached its end. If she ever had the chance, she would kill that biker, and she wouldn’t hesitate. Len raised the knife over his head. There was a loud bang, and Callie waited for Zane’s head to slump forward, her heart breaking, but it was Len who screamed and dropped the knife.

“I would step away from him if I were you.” Nate’s voice rang out.

He held a pistol in his hand. He stood in front of the bar with Logan behind him and Stefan to his side. But there was no question who was in charge of this little operation. Nathan Wright stood tall and lean, and Callie felt safe even as some jerk held her.

Len no longer had the knife but refused to back down. Suddenly there were a whole bunch of pistols in people’s hands. Callie felt the press of cold metal against her skull.

“You okay, Callie?” Nate didn’t look at her. His eyes were kept on Len.

“I’m fine. I probably won’t become a regular at this establishment.” The words came out on a shaky sigh.

“Oh, we’re going to talk about your choices. You might never see the light of day again, baby.” His mouth was a flat line.

Stefan stood beside him, his hands around a shotgun, his eyes moving between Jennifer and herself. His jaw was tight, and she knew she and Jen were in for a stern talking-to. Callie was damn glad she was merely Stef’s almost-sister and not one of his subs.

“We seem to be at an impasse, Sheriff.” Len cradled his hand against his chest. Unfortunately, he had several people watching his back. “Here’s the deal. I’m gonna take Hollister and the girl, and we’re gonna leave. I’ll even give you the tall brunette. I promise to leave the girl alive somewhere down the road.”

“No fucking deal.”

Len sighed. “Sheriff, I don’t think you understand. You’re outnumbered and outgunned. You got a civilian and a deputy who looks like he should be somewhere having his mama change his diapers.”

Nate never wavered. “Be that as it may, I’m not an idiot. I recognize you. You run with the Horde. You won’t let her live. Give me the girl, and you can take Hollister.”

“Nate!” She couldn’t believe he would even offer the deal.

“You go, Callie!” Zane had his head turned. He barked the order at her. At least there was some fire in his eyes. At least he looked ready to fight again.

She couldn’t leave him here. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“Callie!” Jen was yelling now, and Stefan looked ready to shoot.

Nate held the pistol plainly aimed at Len’s head. “You got one shot at this. You run now and I’ll probably be so concerned about getting my woman and my friend back that I’ll let you go. If you walk out of here with Zane, I’ll hunt you down. You even think about walking out of here with her and you’ll wish you’d never been born. You think I can’t do that?”

“Fuck,” Len cursed. He looked between the sheriff and Zane and finally shook his head. “Scatter!”

All hell broke loose. Callie was shoved to the floor, and it wasn’t a second before a huge body covered her. Zane. She went limp under him, grateful to be so close to him. She heard banging and yelling as the bar emptied. There was the loud roar of bikes being revved and then blessed quiet.

She felt Zane sigh heavily, and then she could breathe again.