Silk and Spurs by Cheyenne McCray

features. He crouched down so that his gaze was level with hers. His jaw was clenched and his expression dark. “Are you certain?”
    “Yes.” She glanced toward the passenger side. “Bullets hit that side.” She looked back at him. “A couple of bullets almost hit me when I was outside of the car.”
    He took her by her shoulders and swept his gaze over her. “Were you hit?”
    “I’m okay.” She shook her head. “It just scared the hell out of me.”
    “Stay right there.” He was up and to the passenger side in moments. “Shit,” he said when he got a look at the car.
    She looked through the passenger side windows and saw another man had joined Zane but couldn’t see the man’s face.
    “What’s got you looking so serious?” Wyatt’s voice had an edge of concern to it.
    Zane nearly growled. “Someone shot up Jessie’s car and damn near hit her.”
    “Hunters?” Wyatt sounded serious as both men started walking back to the driver’s side.
    “Could be.” Zane reached the open door and held his hand out to her. She forced herself to let go of the wheel, took a deep breath, and took his hand.
    “Thing is, hunters might mistake a person for an animal, but not a red Mustang. It doesn’t make sense,” Wyatt said.
    Zane looked at her palm and he made a sound through his teeth as he took her other hand, too. She looked at them and saw a little blood mixed with dirt from where she’d scraped them when she’d dropped to her hands and knees beside the car.
    “I’m fine.” She brushed her hands on her shorts to get the dust off and saw the same thing had happened to her knees and she hadn’t even felt it when it happened. Now they stung, but not badly. “I guess I just hit kind of hard when I ducked behind the car.”
    Zane helped her out of the car. “Could it have been hunters?”
    “I don’t know.” She shook her head as he closed the car door behind her. “I guess so. It just felt like I was being shot at. I don’t know who would want to shoot me, though.” She paused as a thought came to her. “Phoebe.”
    “Phoebe?” Zane said, “You told me that she threatened you, but I just can’t see her going after you with a gun.”
    Jessie frowned. “The way someone kept shooting at me and hit the car, it didn’t seem like errant shots.”
    “It was probably hunters,” Zane said. “Or illegals running drugs.”
    “They usually aren’t so blatant.” Wyatt said.
    Zane didn’t respond and instead focused on Jessie. He took her face in his hands. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
    She nodded. “I just needed a moment to catch my breath.”
    He lowered his head and kissed her hard as if to make sure she really was all right.
    When he drew away she glanced at Wyatt who was watching them. If he was surprised that Zane had kissed her, he didn’t show it.
    “Where did it happen, Jessie?” Wyatt asked.
    She gestured to the road. “Not too far from that stock tank. The one you took me to when you talked to those hunters, Zane.”
    Zane and Wyatt looked at each other. “Want to come with me?” Zane asked his brother.
    Wyatt gave a single nod. “You bet.”
    “Why don’t you go have a drink of water and relax?” Zane settled his hands on Jessie’s shoulders. “Maybe lie down.”
    “Really.” She felt like a broken record then realized she really was feeling better. “I’m fine.” When Zane gave her a stern look, she managed a smile. “Okay, okay. I’ll go.”
    “It’s that or I carry you over my shoulder and take you in,” he said.
    She flashed him a grin. “That sounds like more fun.”
    Wyatt laughed but Zane didn’t look amused. He was clearly still concerned and pissed about her getting shot at.
    He kissed her again then put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the front door. He opened it and when she stood in the doorway he said, “We’re going to go have a talk with the hunters. This shouldn’t take long.”
    “Okay,” she said before he started to