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

“Is that her?”

Was Nate with him? “Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry to bother you, Stef, but Jen and I need a ride. We’ve had a bit to drink, and 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 a little 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 was yelling really loud. “Sheriff, stop yelling. The signal is fine. I can hear you. I just need Stef to come get me.”

“I’m coming to get you. 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, Callie. 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 that started? 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 a little more advice. “Nate, how do 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 of 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 just gone down to the gas station and tried hitting on tourists. Callie attempted to pull her wrist out of Len’s grasp. “I really need to go.”

She would just 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 little boys in comparison. He had gotten rid of his jacket, and his big biceps were on full display. Callie 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.”

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, his big hands wrapped around his 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. Her panties differed with her political beliefs. They were completely wet looking at 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 very sorry, lady.”

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. Callie felt her mouth go 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, Callie 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. “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, babe, just run.”

Jen was on her feet helping Callie 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 Callie pulled away, one thought and one thought only in her head. Don’t let them hit him again.

Callie threw herself across Zane’s back. She heard the man shout 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. Callie 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. Callie’s arms wound 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.”

“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 little group.

Callie could hear the thundering of Zane’s heart. It matched her own. She was utterly terrified. 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 very good with 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 just 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 was struggling 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 face first 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 little 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.