Daring Read online

  Daring

  By

  Sylvia McDaniel

  Begin Reading

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Books By Sylvia McDaniel

  Western Historicals

  A Hero’s Heart

  The Burnett Brides Series

  The Rancher Takes A Bride

  The Outlaw Takes A Bride

  The Marshal Takes A Bride

  The Christmas Bride

  Boxed Set

  Lipstick and Lead Series

  Desperate

  Deadly

  Dangerous

  Daring -- April 2015

  Determined – July 2015

  Deceived – September 2015

  Scandalous Suffragette Brides

  Abigail – June 2015

  Bella – July 2015

  Callie – July 2015

  Southern Historical Romance

  A Scarlet Bride

  The Cuvier Women

  Wronged

  Betrayed

  Beguiled

  Boxed Set

  Table Of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Thank You For Reading!

  Determined

  Desperate

  Author Bio

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Ruby McKenzie knelt beside her cousin Caroline McKenzie in the Texas dirt and gazed down at the campsite. They were perched precariously up on a ridge, spying on their next victims. The fire barely glowed in the predawn light.

  She loved her life. She loved what she did for a living. And she loved her independence.

  “Were you nervous the first time?” Caroline asked her voice soft and trembling.

  God, sometimes she just wanted to shake the girl. How could she ever expect men to respect her with a voice more suited for the bedroom? “No. I couldn’t wait. I wanted my first man so bad I was almost giddy.”

  Ruby’s occupation was a lonely, dangerous one. One she’d learned after her father had died, saddling her and her two beloved sisters with a bank note on their farm and no skills to earn a living. So, they’d become bounty hunters, following in their father’s footsteps. Hunting criminals for cash.

  And they were good at catching outlaws.

  “The man lying in front of the fire is the one on the wanted poster,” Caroline said, gazing at the camp below them. “But I don’t recognize the other man.”

  Ruby glanced over at Caroline; her cousin’s black as midnight hair was braided down her back, making her look almost like an Indian squaw with her dark coloring. She was beautiful and sophisticated and much too soft for the job. This was her first hunt and Ruby worried. Was she ready for the action? The possibility of having to use her gun? Could she protect Ruby in a gunfight?

  She sighed and peered down in the darkness, trying to discern the features of the unknown man. “There’s no way of knowing who that second man is until we get down there. He could be a bounty we hadn’t planned on collecting.”

  “Or not,” Caroline whispered.

  “Relax,” Ruby said squirming, an itchiness to get started making it hard for her to sit still. She couldn’t wait to spring into action and snap up another criminal. Maybe even two.

  “How are we going to do this?” Caroline asked, licking her lips nervously. “It’s almost morning. The sun should soon be rising.”

  “We sneak into their camp and pull our guns on them before they know we’re there. Really, this is very simple. We surprise them and before they can recover, we’ve ridden out with our bounty. Once we catch them, we’re two hours from town. We’ll turn them into the sheriff in Dyersville and be on our way,” Ruby said, pushing her blonde curls away from her face.

  Excitement pulsed through her veins as she prepared herself mentally for the capture. She could hardly wait to slap the rope around their wrists, but maybe that part of the abduction would be better for Caroline to handle. “Let’s go over the details.”

  Caroline bobbed her head, her eyes large in the moonlight. “What do I do?”

  “We’re going to walk into their camp with our guns drawn. You tie them up, while I hold my gun on them. You’ve got to be quick before they start to think we’re just a couple of harmless women and try to disarm us. I don’t want to shoot our guy, but I will if I have to.”

  “What kind of knots do I tie? A bow or a square knot? How tight around their wrists? I don’t want to hurt them.”

  The words sent uneasiness flowing through Ruby. Why had her sister Meg decided now was the time to fall in love and marry the sheriff of Zenith? Ruby and Meg had been great partners, and now she’d left Ruby stuck with a novice like Caroline. “Tie a knot that keeps them from getting loose. I’ll double check they’re secure once you’re done.”

  “Oh,” Caroline said, biting her lip. “So, we burst into their camp with our guns drawn and tell them we’re bringing them to justice. Then I approach the men and pull their hands behind their back and tie a rope around their wrists?”

  “Stop thinking so hard and just react. Are you sure you can handle tying them up?”

  What if Caroline froze in the middle of the capture? How would Ruby be able to save both of them if her cousin became scared?

  Caroline inhaled enough air for a battalion of soldiers. “I think so. But what if they grab me? What if they pull their guns on us? What if they shoot at us?”

  “Calm down, Caroline. I don’t need you passing out on me.”

  Ruby watched as Caroline sucked in air more leisurely and released it slowly. She practiced measured breathing several times. “Better. When we charge into camp, I will tell them to throw down their weapons. I’ll collect them, while you keep your six-shooter trained on the men. Once I have their firearms, then I’ll hold the men at gunpoint while you secure them with rope.”

  Caroline shook her head. “No. I don’t like this. I’ll hold the revolver on them, while you collect their guns and tie up the men. I’m afraid to get too close.”

  “All right,” Ruby said, her tone clearly full of frustration. But she had to make certain whatever job she gave Caroline the tenderfoot could handle. Right now, Ruby wasn’t certain Caroline wouldn’t get them both killed. “You’re as nervous as a prostitute in church.”

  Caroline jumped up. Her body stiffened, as she placed her hands on her hips and gave Ruby a haughty glare. “Now, Ruby, there’s no need to get nasty. Don’t be using prostitute and church in the same sentence. That’s just not nice.”

  Ruby wanted to roll her eyes, but refrained. Caroline had always been a little uppity. Well, in this business, there was no place for airs. Working alone had to be simpler than training this greenhorn. “Concentrate on us getting the bounty.”

  “Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll keep my gun trained on the bad guys, while you pick up their revolvers and tie them up.”

  “Correct. Now let’s get going before it gets any lighter.”

  Ruby pulled out her little pot of lipstick Meg had taught her how to use.

  “Why are you putting on lipstick? These men won’t see it in the dark.”

  “No, but it’s a ritual Meg started. Put on your lipstick, almost like putting on your war paint. Then go after your bad guy. It gives me strength.”

  Caroline shook her head, like she thought it was nonsense. “Give me
some.”

  Smiling, Ruby handed her the little pot. “Just smooth a little on your lips.” She watched her cousin put on the paint. “Now, we’re ready.”

  “Just let me get my horse.”

  “No, we’re walking.”

  “But what about my mare?” Caroline said, her eyes widening like she’d lost her best friend.

  Really? She thought they were going to walk all the way to Dyersville? That she would leave their horses behind? The next time Ruby saw Meg, she was going to tell Meg marriage and motherhood better be well worth the sacrifice.

  “You’ll come back for the horses.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Caroline glanced around almost like she wanted to run. Like anything would be better than capturing this bounty.

  “Come on, after this first time, it’ll be a piece of cake. You’ll wonder why you were so nervous.”

  “I hope so. Because right now, that pig farmer mother wanted me to marry is starting to look a little better.”

  “Soon, you’ll start to enjoy the chase—the rush of excitement you get every time after you catch one of these guys and the sense of gratification when you collect the money. Before long, you’ll love this life as much as I do.”

  Of course, Annabelle, Ruby’s other sister had hated being a bounty hunter. And after she’d chased Beau, her husband, only to learn he wasn’t a wanted man, she’d given up the profession. Now, she was expecting her first child.

  What was it with her sisters? They went bounty hunting, came home married, and shortly after were pregnant. That would never happen to Ruby.

  Ruby watched Caroline shaking her head. “I don’t know. Maybe I should have stayed in Zenith and married that pig farmer. At least I wasn’t risking life and limb.”

  “You think not? You would have slowly died from boredom. I’m waiting for the day my sisters come to me and tell me they are bored out of their minds. Men do that to you. Crawl inside your skin and mesmerize you with their soft words and silky lies. I’m not going to fall for sweet promises.”

  Ruby couldn’t believe her two sisters were married and both expecting babies. Marriage and men. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with either. The taste of men she’d experienced was enough to swear off of them forever. Men were easily deceived, would pay for kisses, assumed the worst about a girl, and couldn’t be trusted.

  Nope, she wanted nothing to do with the opposite sex, except to bring them to justice and collect the bounty. And she’d do the same if a woman had a price on her head.

  “Are you ready?” Ruby asked, rising from the ground. It was time.

  She dusted off the split skirt Meg had fashioned for her. She loved how she could ride like a man, but it looked like she was wearing a skirt.

  “Yes,” Caroline said, pulling back her shoulders, lifting her head. “I’m going to earn a living on my own without the aid of a husband.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Ruby said. “You’re going to become an independent woman.”

  “Yes,” Caroline said, her voice whispery soft.

  God, if only Ruby could toughen up this woman’s image. She talked like she was about to attend a tea party, not haul in a wanted criminal.

  *

  Deke Culver was lying in his sleeping roll, thinking he needed to get up, trying to will away the nightmare that had awakened him. He’d dreamed of Laura. She’d been so beautiful and happy, and he’d followed her, knowing it would end badly, expecting the worst. And when the screaming started…he’d forced himself to waken.

  Now, he lay here pushing the darkness down into the recesses of his mind, willing himself to rise and face yet another day. A day he didn’t deserve to live.

  The snap of a twig alerted him. Angry whispers started like the wind rustling in the trees, but at a higher pitch. What the hell was going on?

  Two women burst into their camp, brandishing six-shooters.

  He rose and reached for his gun.

  “Throw down you weapons and raise your arms,” a girl screamed. Something about that voice was familiar.

  Slowly, he stood. The man tied up on the ground next to him, his prisoner, was unable to stand.

  “Get up,” the woman yelled at his bounty.

  “He can’t get up,” Deke said calmly.

  “Why not?” she barked.

  “He’s tied up.”

  “Oh,” she said, standing on the edge of the firelight, her features dark. “Where’s your weapon?”

  “It’s in my blankets,” he said, not willing to help her out.

  He stared at the two women, fear of one of their weapons discharging keeping him still. He wondered what they wanted. Were they looking for the man? Were they family members who’d come to rescue his criminal or what? The dark haired girl’s hand was shaking so badly it was a wonder she didn’t drop her weapon, but the blonde…the blonde knew exactly what she was searching for. She found his weapon, and when she turned to face him, to his shock, he recognized her.

  “Ruby McKenzie,” he said, unable to stop the grin that creased his face. The memory of their last meeting was a pleasant one, except for her firing bullets at him while he rode off.

  “Deke,” she said, her smile forced her voice tight. “Still kissing girls and making them cry?”

  “Not since you,” he said. He dropped his hands. “What are you doing out here?”

  She jabbed him in the ribs with her six-shooter. “Oh no, put those hands back where I can see them. Caroline watch him closely. He’s a sly one.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the girl said, her hands shaking like a rattler with a chill. She was more ornamental than useful.

  “What are you doing, Ruby girl?”

  “This man is wanted. I’m taking your bounty, Deke. Call it payment for the kiss you stole from an innocent.”

  He started laughing. “I didn’t steal a kiss from you. You were begging me to take that kiss and more. Out of respect for your Pa, I walked away from you that day. Or I would have accepted your offer of more.”

  “That was a young and foolish girl,” she said, grabbing his hands and pulling them down. She began to wrap rope around his wrists.

  “So, to repay me you’re going to take my bounty and leave me tied up here in the wilderness?”

  Part of him was frustrated she thought she had the right to his bounty, but another part felt guilty for how things had ended between them. That seemed to be his lot in life when it came to women. He was a sucker to help pretty girls, and then he let them rip his guts out.

  She finished securing the rope around his hands and tied it off. “Sweetie, you just made my job easier. You caught him for me, and now, I’m hauling him in.”

  “Isn’t that stealing?” he asked.

  She stood right in front of him and leaned in close. “Your kiss was the icing on the cake of the worst day of my life. I really don’t have fond memories of us. In fact, I pretty much hate men now because of you and Clay Mullens. You taught me what a worthless lot all of you are.”

  He took a step closer to her and felt her six-shooter up against his ribs, his chest against her chest, his hands tied behind his back. “That’s a real shame. Because I have very fond memories of that kiss. A young, innocent girl who was hurt. If I’d been the cad you’re making me out to be, I would have taken advantage of everything you offered that day. But I didn’t want memories of Clay tainting you and me. If you’d been older and not healing from an attempted rape, I’d have been all over you.”

  Ruby licked her lips and stared at him. “Too bad. You missed your chance.”

  He shook his head. “Oh, no. We’ve got now. We’ve got right this moment. Untie my hands and we can finish what we started.”

  She laughed and glanced at him like he’d had too much loco water to drink. “Sorry, not interested. I’ve got a bounty I need to turn in.”

  A gunshot went off behind them, and Deke knocked her to the ground, covering her body with his. At this moment, he knew he could have gotten out of his ropes and taken her gu
n away, but he didn’t. It wasn’t like there was a lot of money riding on this guy, and he’d never forgotten how poor the McKenzie sisters had been after their father died. Deke didn’t need the money, maybe she did.

  “Get off me.” She pushed him away and then whirled around. “What’s wrong, Caroline?”

  Trembling, the young woman stared at Ruby, tears filling her eyes. “Oh, my God, I could have killed you. I was shaking so hard I accidentally pulled the trigger.”

  “Ohhhh,” Ruby groaned. “Just guard our bounty.” She stood and watched as Deke rose.

  “That’s some partner you got there.”

  “She’s okay.”

  He chuckled. “I’d heard stories about women bounty hunters but never thought it was you.”

  Ruby dusted the dirt from her skirt. “I wish I had time to tell you all about it, but unfortunately, we need to be going. I’m sure you’ll eventually get out of your ropes, but we’ll be long gone.”

  “Thanks. Glad I could do the work for you.”

  “We appreciate it,” Ruby said. “Grab our horses, Caroline. Let’s ride.”

  “Me?” she squeaked. “But?”

  “Just do it.”

  Caroline tried to shove her gun back in her holster, but it became stuck, and for a moment, Deke feared she’d shoot her foot into next week. Finally, she got the gun back in the holder.

  Watching her walk away, Deke couldn’t help but laugh. “She’s a real greenhorn. I don’t think they get much greener than that girl.”

  “She’s doing okay.”

  “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, right up until the day you get shot because of her.”

  In a few moments, Caroline brought their horses into camp. She halted them in front of Ruby.

  “So long, Deke, and I’m so sorry we couldn’t just pick things up where they were,” she said in a sarcastic snit.

  “Don’t worry. We will,” he said confidently. Knowing he’d be behind her just as soon as he could get the ropes around his wrist untied. They had unfinished business.

  “When pigs fly,” she said, and grabbed the prisoner by the arm, yanking him to his feet. Quickly, she untied his feet, so he could ride. “Come on. You’re going with us.” She pulled him toward his horse.