A shot sounded. Then another.

Rainey cried out in pain as the man carrying her bounded down the stairs with her bumping against his shoulder. She heard horses and shouts but couldn't make out words.

Someone shoved something over the hood of her coat and she felt it slide down, blocking out the little light that could seep through the coat. Then she was thrown roughly over a horse. A moment later a man's knees slammed, one against her cheek, one at her thigh. Whoever had climbed behind her on the saddle didn't care that he was hurting her.

"Get her out of town fast!" someone shouted. "If she struggles, hit her upside the head a few times. Nobody will hear her crying through that sack, and if she has any sense, she'll stop yelling."

"Where's Frank?" the man holding Rainey yelled.

"He'll be along. Go. I'm right behind you."

Then the horse moved beneath her and they were off.

She didn't struggle. Her arms and hands were trapped inside the coat.

The horse turned at what she guessed was the end of the alley. She had no idea where she was going, or why. All she knew was that she'd just been kidnapped.

These evil men had planned to take Sage, not for money, but to hurt Travis. What would they do when they discovered they had the wrong woman?

What would Travis do?

CHAPTER 25

Travis returned from the courthouse with Duck. He felt like his brain might explode any minute. He'd never been asked so many questions. The lawyers were polite, but gave no hint if he'd answered their questions correctly. They'd simply told him that they would be in touch.

Frustrated and hungry, he decided nothing about this trip was going as planned… except, of course, Sage's shopping. He'd found Rainey, but she didn't seem to want more than a friendship from him most of the time. His leg grew stronger each day from all the walking he did, but he knew he was weeks away from climbing back on a horse. Dr. Bailey had examined him and seemed hopeful that he'd heal, but cautioned him that it would take time and care. The doctor had also gotten close enough to Duck, thanks to a toy train set in his study, to determine that the boy would recover, at least physically, from his ordeal.

Travis walked into the Baileys' home and found Mike Saddler pacing the sitting room. He sat Duck down and faced the young Ranger. "Waiting for Sage?" Travis asked, deciding to take Rainey's advice and stay out of his sister's life.

"No, sir." Mike crushed the brim of his hat in his hands. "I was hoping Sage was with you. I came with news about the Norman brothers. They've been spotted in town."

Travis had to give Duck his attention for a moment. The boy was hungry and tried to pull him toward the kitchen.

"Just a minute, son." Travis stood his ground. "And?" he said to Mike, guessing there must be more the young Ranger needed to say. If he'd come to warn Travis to arm, it was unnecessary.

Mike swallowed. "And we think the target may be your sister."

"What?"

"We all thought it would be you, or maybe the judge, but a man fitting Seth Norman's description was seen following Sage." Mike looked sick. "I had the feeling we were being followed this morning when we were riding. I kept my gun ready but never saw even a man who looked like one of the Norman brothers."

His knuckles whitened around his hat. "After I left here, I circled by the office and heard the report myself. I came straight back here."

Travis couldn't breathe. "Where is Sage now?"

"Dr. Bailey said he took her over to the Askew House about half an hour ago. She told him she couldn't wait any longer to see what the three sisters were working on. The doc said she told him she'd wait for you to pick her up there."

Travis headed out the door with Duck right behind him.

Mike followed. "She said she'd be at least two hours, so we know she's safe."

"We know no such thing." Travis swore. "Did the doc see her in?"

"Of course."

Travis slowed, telling himself he was overreacting. Mike and Dr. Bailey had done all he would have done. At the time they didn't know Sage was a target. If she was a target. He was the one the Norman brothers wanted, not Sage. "Are you sure about this, Saddler?"

Mike nodded. "Dillon rushed in at the office to tell everyone and then left to go look for you. I just stopped by to tell the Baileys and then planned to stand guard at Askew House until Sage finished. We can't let her on the streets alone until this threat is over."

"We'll both stand guard."

Mike took a deep breath as his long strides matched Travis's. People moved out of their path as the stormed toward the Askew House.

Travis stopped and lifted Duck. The tiny boy had been running to keep up. "It's all right, Duck," he said. "We're going to get Sage."

As he hugged the boy to him, he said to Mike, "If this is true, I'll kill all of them for even thinking about bothering my sister."

Mike nodded. "I'll help you."

They walked on at as fast a pace as Travis could handle.

They turned the corner where the Askew House stood just as Sage ran out, her braid flying. "Travis!" she yelled. "You're here!"

Travis felt his heart slow to normal as she ran down the steps toward them. She looked upset. He could deal with that. He could deal with anything as long as she was all right.

But before he could shift Duck in his arms, Sage ran into Mike's embrace. The young Ranger hugged her wildly, lifting her off the ground.

"Thank God you're safe," Travis said. "We were worried someone might try to kidnap you."

To his surprise, when Sage turned to him, her eyes were filled with tears. "Not me, someone else!" she cried. "They stormed the house from the back to take her. We were all scared to death. One of the boarders shot one of the men."

Travis hurried up the steps knowing Mike would get Sage in safely. The young Ranger hadn't turned loose of her since the hug.

Stepping into the foyer, Travis heard women crying a moment before he saw a man dressed in black lying in a pool of his own blood. Travis glanced back and nodded once to Mike before stepping farther inside.

The foyer seemed so dark after coming in for the sunlight that it took him a few seconds to see the widow.

Dottie Davis sat on the third step of the wide stairs, both her hands around an old gun. "I had to load it," she cried. "It took only seconds, but I was too late."

Mike moved to the body and knelt over the man. He lifted one shoulder, revealing a leaking chest wound at heart level. Meeting Travis's gaze, Mike shook his head. "Dead" was all he said.

Travis sat Duck a few steps above the widow so he'd be out of view of the body. He leaned down to see the widow's face. "You got him, Mrs. Davis. You weren't too late. The intruder is dead." He touched the widow's arm with one hand as he pried the gun from her fingers. The black lacy sleeve of her dress was soaked in blood. "You're wounded, Mrs. Davis. You've been shot. We'll get you taken care of right away."

"It doesn't matter." Dottie shook her head. "I missed."

"No." Travis never knew what to do with women after a gunfight. He wasn't sure reminding her that the man she'd shot was dead would help. "You missed who?" he finally said.

Dottie looked up at him with so much sorrow in her eyes, Travis swore he felt a chill. "I missed the man who took Rainey. She must have put on Sage's coat trying to fool them. She made it to the door before one grabbed her."

"No." Sage moved to the stairs, her face pale with confusion and fear. "Why would someone pretend to be me? Why would the men be after me?"

The widow leaned back. "We heard them planning it from the window in Rainey's room. We couldn't get down both flights of stairs fast enough. I didn't find the gun in time to stop them. Maybe Rainey thought if she grabbed your coat and ran out the front door, she'd be safe and she'd get them out of the house. I don't know. It all happened so fast."

Travis straightened. His heart felt like it might break through his ribs.

"Oh, Travis!" the widow cried. "I'm so sorry. I know how much she means to you."

"How much who means to you?" Sage watched her brother as if she'd never seen him before. "Travis, did you know the woman they kidnapped? Why did they do it?"

Mike answered from just behind Sage. "They thought Rainey was you."

Sage glanced from Travis to Mike. "You knew the kidnapped woman, too."

Mike nodded.

"No!" Sage yelled. "No!" She stomped her foot as if she could banish all the pain before her away. "I don't even know a woman named Rainey. How could she know about me? How could she risk her life for me?"

"Because," Travis said almost calmly. "I told her all about you."

The three sisters were huddled in a corner by the drawing room door. They were crying and holding on to one another.

Mike moved toward the door. "I'll round up a few of the men and be back ready to ride. They can't have gone far."

Sage shoved her tears away with the palm of her hand as she gained a bit of control. "Bring an extra horse, Mike, I'm going with you. If some woman is willing to risk her life for me, I can return the favor."

Both men answered, "No."

Mike didn't take time to argue further; he disappeared.

Travis stood and put an arm around his sister. "I need you to stay here. I have to have someone I can trust." His sister was shaking, but she wasn't falling apart. She would have made a good Ranger, he thought.

Sage shook her head. "But she's kidnapped because of me."

"Not because of you. You're not to blame for those men. I'll find her, I swear, but I need you here to watch over Duck and the Baileys. I'd give anything if I could be two places, but I can't. When the men find out they have the wrong woman, they may come back for you and if Duck or the Baileys are in the way, they'll be killed."