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Bull helped Isabella dismount, then climbed down himself. “I want to see Esteban and Don Luis.” He handed the reins of his horse to Isabella. “You stay here.”
When he found them, they were against the barn, their hands bound behind their back. He approached them, a sneer coming to his face. They were both frail old men. Striking a helpless man was wrong, but he didn’t give a damn. “Scum!” He grabbed Don Luis by the collar. “She is your flesh and blood, you greedy bastard!” Shaking him hard, Bull slammed him back into the metal wall. “I hope you rot in hell!” Turning to Esteban, he drew back his fist and slammed it into the man’s face. “I hope the cartel guts you. We plan on telling them how you betrayed their secrets.”
“But I didn’t.”
“Do you think they’ll believe you? Even now, the FBI is shutting down your money laundering operation.” He glared at the idiot who abused those weaker than himself. “I hope they torture you before they put you out of your misery.”
With a look of disdain, he spat on the ground at their feet. “Canyon, get this filth out of my sight.”
As his friend led Don Luis and Esteban away, Bull gathered with the rest of the men who’d helped him. “I appreciate what you did, more than words can say. I’ll pay you back when I can.”
Joseph and Noah scoffed at his words. “Nonsense, you’re our friend. No payment necessary.”
“Whatever you need, whenever you need it, you can count on me for anything.”
“I told you that I owed you one,” Josh laughed. “I just wasn’t expecting automatic weapons on foreign soil.”
“Neither was I,” Bull agreed. He glanced over at Isabella. “She’s changed my life in countless ways. I can’t let her go.”
“Are you staying here?” Canyon asked, knowing what his answer would be.
“For a little while, I need to see if she’ll forgive me. What comes next, I don’t know.”
After shaking each man’s hand one more time, they gathered Salazar’s horses and guns, riding off in the direction they’d come.
When Bull returned to Isabella, it was to find her in the arms of Magdalena, with Renata at their side. She looked exhausted. All he wanted to do was take her home and make her feel cherished and safe. But would she go? He glanced around at Terra Dura. Who in their right mind would want to leave this paradise to live at his shirttail operation?
“Benedict!” She came running to him, her face filled with doubt. “You aren’t leaving, yet, are you?”
Bull felt tongue-tied. He’d made so many mistakes with this woman. How she could still want him was a mystery to him. “I think we need to talk.”
Isabella’s face fell. “Okay, can we go up to the hacienda?”
Bull agreed. “Of course.” He knew she needed to rest.
Manuel brought them mounts and a wagon to transport Magdalena. Renata left to reassure her parents, promising to bring Lola home that night. Bonita was so glad to see Isabella that she couldn’t be quiet, nickering and whinnying, dancing beneath Isabella as she held on with a smile. The only dark cloud on the horizon was Isabella’s fear that Benedict Redford was about to tell her goodbye. Again. Heroes did this type of thing, they swept in when troubled threatened, but they didn’t always linger.
Once they were indoors, Magdalena insisted on providing her mistress with refreshment.
“You need to rest, I can take care of myself,” Isabella said, but her argument fell on deaf ears.
“We are just thankful Don Luis is gone,” Magdalena said what they all were thinking. “He has been an arrogant leech to your kind nature.”
After learning all the details, Bull couldn’t agree more. “You’ll have to tell the authorities your story, but I’m sure your lawyer can provide whatever guidance you need.”
Isabella wasn’t concerned about all of this now. She only wanted to know where she stood with her hero. “How did you know I needed you?”
“Dax’s friend, Armando,” Bull began to explain. “Esteban was keeping his sister against her will, raping her repeatedly. Armando wanted to expose Esteban and his ties to the cartel. When he learned of the crook’s plans for you, Armando saw an opportunity to take him down with our help.”
Isabella nodded. “I see, this is good. He has done a great deal of harm to many.”
Knowing she felt that her rescue was just a means to an end, he went to his knees. “No, you don’t see. I came for you. I would have turned the world upside down to rescue you.”
She took his hands. “You came to me when I needed you most.” Isabella wanted to say more. She just didn’t know how to begin.
Bull looked into her face. “I love you. I’ll always love you.”
Isabella’s closely guarded control shattered. “You sent me away!” Her voice broke, she was unable to hold back the tears. “You’re reconciling with Carol! She told me so.”
