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As they were leaving the barn, Renata encouraged them all to be careful, then grabbed Bull’s arm. “I’m so thankful you came, I asked Isabella if you would.”
“What did she say?”
Renata shook her head and Bull’s heart hurt as she related Isabella’s surety that he would not come to help her. “She said there was no way for you to know.” No, she had no idea he’d learned of her kidnapping, but Bull wanted to believe their souls were connected in some mystical way. Isabella should just have believed he would come. With a sad understanding, he could admit he’d been the one to break the bond between them. He’d pushed her away, he’d asked her to go, he’d denied to her that what they shared meant anything to him. The sex is great, but it’s just a game.
What a fuckin’ lie.
“She also said she was glad you didn’t know, Benedict. Above all else, she wanted you to be safe.”
Bull felt the knife in his heart press deeper and deeper with every word the young woman uttered. “Well, I’m here. There’s nothing on God’s earth that would’ve kept me away.”
As they continued their mission, Noah and two of the vaqueros headed to the main entrance of Terra Dura, betting Esteban had posted a guard there. Their goal was to eliminate every threat, every obstacle. Bull and the rest proceeded to the arena. The nearer they drew; the surer Bull became that the cruel spectacle had already begun. “She’s in there, she’s in there with that demon. I can feel it.”
“Slow down, Redford. We can’t go in with guns blazing. We need to be stealthy, take out any armed men, then you can rescue your lady,” Josh muttered, a steadying hand on Bull’s arm. “We don’t want to alert them to our presence, there’s no telling what Esteban would do to Isabella.”
“I know, I hear you,” Bull said, as they stood on the edge of a grove of trees, the ring in clear view. “I see two armed goons, there may be more.” He looked from man to man. “Let’s spread out and see what we’re dealing with, try to go one on one.”
“Esteban and Don Luis will be in the stands, let’s take them out last,” Canyon suggested, gazing through a pair of binoculars. “Man, they’re carrying AK47’s, I feel a bit under-armed.” He patted his pistol.
“Let’s just hope they’re distracted by what’s going on in the ring,” Joseph said, then quickly realized how it sounded. “I’m sure Isabella will be able to hold her own until we get there. She is La Diosa, after all.”
“Well, we’re here, goddammit, I’m going in.” Bull gave a few more last minute instructions to the newer members of their entourage, then they slipped off to take down those who’d placed his woman in a dangerous and untenable position for no other reason than for greed and revenge.
…“Hola, Toro.” Isabella spread the cape out to her side. “I am so sorry you have been mistreated. I believe we have a mutual acquaintance. Do you remember Benedict Redford? I think he stayed on your back longer than most.” She kept her voice modulated and soft, conveying a gentleness in her tone. The cape was there for her protection, to keep his attention and his focus away from her body. She knew this bull had dueled with rodeo bullfighters, the brave men and women who, in day’s past, answered to the lowly title of rodeo clown. Now, they were given the respect they deserved, for they stood between the vulnerable rider and the animal intent on stomping him into the ground. But those rodeo bullfighters worked in teams and they used well-padded steel barrels to provide a barrier between them and the bull. She had no such protection, nothing but a frail piece of fabric.
“My name is Isabella, others call me La Diosa. I have faced many bulls, but you are the apex. After today, I lay down my cape. Either in victory or defeat.”
Suddenly, Desperado charged. Head down, hooves pounding. Isabella stood her ground, her body tuned to the movement of every muscle in the bull’s body. As he approached, it was as if she stood in the oncoming winds of a tornado. A pulse of energy hit her like the shock wave of an atomic bomb. His horns found the cape, his wide shoulders brushing against the material of her dress. She didn’t breathe until he passed behind her, then she whirled to face him, knowing he might not keep moving away. The mighty bull could wheel on Isabella and catch her from behind, tossing her over his head before she realized it was happening.
When she pivoted, she found him only a few feet away – not running, not charging.
The beast was thinking.
Isabella realized then, she wasn’t dealing with a normal animal. This one was smart. He was judging the situation. He was weighing her in the balance…and Isabella was very afraid he would find her wanting.
“Very well, if you will not play the game as expected. Neither will I.”
Throwing the cape to one side, Isabella faced her nemesis. “Desperado. Do you know what your name means? A violent criminal who is not afraid of being hurt. Is that you?”
The bull pawed the ground and let out a menacing bellow, tossing his head to one side.
“I know there was a time when you were a small calf, innocent and warm, your breath smelling of milk. Had you been mine at that point, I would have loved you. I would have brushed your coat and fed you from my hand.” She took a step nearer. “The way that you are is not your fault. You are only violent because you’ve been made to be violent. You do fear being hurt, but I will not hurt you. Come to me, lay aside your anger and your pain, I will ensure that you live out your days in comfort. I will pay many pesos to make you mine. You will no longer be desperate, you will be loved.”
…Meanwhile…one by one, the men with guns were neutralized. Negated, disarmed, and contained. The shots fired were silent and the wounded were moved to a place where they could be guarded until aid could come. Bull was grateful for the swiftness with which his friends acted and the calmness that existed after, he had no desire to do anything to alarm the beast facing off against his goddess.
The next step was for Josh and Canyon to take out the older men, coming up on Don Luis and Esteban from behind. They sat mesmerized with the scene below, Esteban drinking liquor from a flask. Before the pair could react, Josh and Canyon subdued them with garrottes, cutting off their wind and removing the weapons at their sides. They were removed and gagged, tied up to await Bull, who had requested a little alone time with each man before they were turned over the authorities.
“Now, it’s my turn.” Bull mounted his horse. “Please, God, don’t let me let her down.”
“You can save her, Benedict Redford,” a voice spoke over his shoulder. “As she has her own way of facing the bull, so do you. Have faith in yourself. You will not let her down.”
Bull was amazed to find Jose Mercedes, looking the same as the day he’d seen him at the bullfight. “I remember you. Isabella spoke of you the other day. You’re her grandfather. Aren’t you?”
“I am.” He smiled. “I watch over her when I can.”
“Send up a prayer now, Senor Mercedes. We’re going to need it.” Bull didn’t wait to say more, he had something much more important to take care of…
Isabella.
