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…Extending her hand, Isabella advanced one more step. “I am not your enemy, Toro. There is nothing I want from you. I will not beat you. Spur you. Electrocute you. I will not abuse you.” Bile rose in her throat as she grew close enough to make out whip marks on his hide. “I will not let anyone hurt you again.”
Another step. And another.
Without warning, the bull kicked backwards and sidestepped, trotting some distance away. Most would think this was a good sign, but Isabella knew better. Desperado was not retreating, he was seeking a better position.
As the bull faced Isabella, he began to paw. She stood in the open, with nothing to hide behind, the walls surrounding her too high to scale. Lowering his head, Desperado let out a low, rumbling roar – and charged.
Isabella did not scream. There was no use. She was facing an unbeatable foe. She didn’t close her eyes, and if she had…she would’ve missed an unbelievable sight.
For over the fence, like a white knight on a fiery steed, Benedict Redford and his horse came sailing through the air, landing in a cloud of dust. Isabella’s heart came up in her throat. “Bull!”
Bull saw her stunned look of disbelief, yet there was no time for anything more. The bull changed his focus. Repeating the words that she’d once told him, Bull yelled, “Get out, Isabella! Your captors are gone. Get out!”
“I can’t. The gate’s locked. Esteban has the key.”
Her voice drew Desperado’s attention and he shifted, facing her once more. In the bull’s mind, the smaller woman was the lesser of two evils, the one most easily defeated. So, he resumed his original plan and charged.
“Josh! Find the damn key on Esteban!” Bull bellowed. With his heart in his throat, Bull could see there was no more time. He had to act.
As Jose Mercedes predicted, Bull did what came naturally to him. Pushing his nervous horse to run alongside the animal, Benedict Redford reached out and grasped the monster by the horns, propelling himself from the back of his mount to the back of the rampaging bull. Without a rope to hold onto, he tightened his knees, threw up his hand and let out a war whoop!
This was familiar.
Desperado, stunned by this new development, fell into the role he was born for. He began to wheel and buck, jump and spin. Dislodging the man on his back was his one true goal.
And Isabella…Isabella couldn’t believe her eyes. One moment she’d been facing certain death, the next a thundering roar announced the arrival of her hero. Isabella witnessed the man of her dreams fulfilling her wildest fantasy.
He was strong. He was sure.
He was larger than life.
There was no bell to sound the eight seconds and if there had been, it would have rung in vain. Bull wasn’t conquering this animal for money, he was subduing him for the woman he loved. He would not jump off to save himself, he would ride this demon to the gates of hell and back to save his soulmate.
Isabella saw Josh running forward with the key. He threw open the gate, but she had no intention of leaving. Not so long as Bull was in danger.
“Get out of there, Isabella!” Josh cried.
“Not without Benedict.”
From atop the beast, Bull could see the way of escape was open. Isabella could leave. Now, all he had to do was get off this monster and evade his fury. Weighing his chances, he lifted one leg and jumped from the bull’s back, falling hard to the ground. “Dammit!” He didn’t land steady on his feet, he crashed to the ground, his bad ankle failing him. Glancing up, he expected to see Desperado right on top of him.
Instead, he saw a vision in white. Isabella stood with arms outstretched, like an avenging angel. “No!” she cried when the bull would have charged, keeping him a safe distance from Bull by the strength of her will alone.
From behind her, Canyon rushed in, leading Bull’s horse. Faced with so many, Desperado backed away.
Isabella was shaking, she bowed her head and offered a thankful prayer. When she looked up, it was to see Bull mounting his horse and riding toward her. When he drew near enough, he held out his hand.
With a radiant smile, she whispered, “You came.”
“Nothing on this earth could have kept me away, Beauty.” With a powerful move, her hero swept her off her feet and straight into his arms.
As soon as they were out of the ring, Bull brought his mount to a stop. Cupping her face, he crashed his lips to hers and devoured her mouth. Isabella clung to him, tears streaming from her eyes. He ended one kiss only to claim another and another. Bull kissed not only her lips, but her cheeks, her brow, and her eyes. He kissed away every tear. “I’m so sorry, baby. So sorry. Please forgive me.”
“You came,” Isabella repeated, her head nestled against his chest. “You saved me. I told you that you were a hero.”
Hell, he was a man in love. “Of course, I came. I couldn’t live if anything happened to you.”
Josh and Canyon rode up next to them. “I hate to break up this reunion, but we’ve got some garbage to clean up. Noah has contacted a law officer we can trust to come and take Esteban, her uncle, and the other men into custody.”
