Free Secrets and Lace (Lonely Lace #2) by Bonnie R. Paulson

The hard leather dug into the soft meat of her stomach. She cried out. He held a hand across her back while he climbed onto the back of the horse. Jerking the reins, he turned them hard and they galloped around the barn.
    Yells and shots, shouts and horse cries followed them, but faded as Jack pushed them further from the house and into the mountains.
    Amelia fought the pain in her abdomen, trying to breathe. Each step bounced her up and down. She clenched her stomach muscles. Looking around was impossible. All of her focus went into breathing and not screaming with the ride.
    If they were going up into the mountains bordering Lonely Rivers and Lacey Caverns, it didn’t matter how much she cried out – no one would ever hear. 

Chapter 10
     
    Mac’s soft chatter soothed the pain in Robbie’s heart. He offered a yes, oh really, and that’s cool every time Mac paused, letting the cute tones wash over him. The small back nestled against his chest. Every few minutes, Mac would turn his head and peek up at Robbie who would look down and smile.
    Discovering his son just might be the best thing that had happened to Robbie in a while.
    Intermittent giggles pushed Mac back into Robbie’s ribs but the little jostles didn’t bug Robbie at all. The horse’s trotting jarred him more than that, causing discomfort but no real ache.
    Heading home from their ride, Robbie must have been on the horse long enough since the ache changed to a prickly pain in his sides, coming in short bursts. He bent to the side, gritting his teeth. He couldn’t wait to be healed from all the beatings. On the driveway, he settled into the saddle, letting Revenge relax and slow into a walk.
    “Uncle Slate says I’m a big eater, but I’m not. I can only eat one piece of pizza. He eats like thirty-hundred! What do you like to eat?” Mac reached up and touched the skin on Robbie’s wrist, innocent but trusting.
    “Thirty-hundred, huh? That’s a lot. I like pizza, too. And hamburgers. If you’re still hungry, Mac, I bet your mom will make…” Shots fired from the direction of the house cut off the rest of the conversation. “Hold on, Mac.” He clicked his heel to Revenge’s flank and the beautiful horse responded like he understood the importance of the gunshots. Robbie wrapped his weaker arm around his son, holding him the best he could between his thighs and his forearm.
    Revenge responded to Robbie’s knee commands, moving with little rein management. The horse stopped with a double tap to his shoulder from Robbie’s toe. 
    Slate lay on the ground not moving while Ronan James sat astride a dark brown horse above him. Ronan’s gun pointed down, and from Robbie’s angle, he could have been aiming at Slate.
    More men appeared from behind the barn on horseback.
    “What the hell’s going on, Ronan?” Robbie swung off his horse, lowering Mac down and pushing him toward the barn. “Get inside, Mac, and don’t come out until I come get you.”
    Ronan watched Mac’s every move. He smiled and waved as his nephew passed. Mac went into the barn and closed the door without arguing – something Robbie never would have done growing up. Robbie would gloat with pride over how good his son was later – not that he had any part in his upbringing to that point, but he’d still gloat. 
    Six men pulled up alongside Ronan, careful not to step on the fallen MacAllister. “She got away, sir.”
    “Who got away?” She? She who? Robbie yanked his rifle from the saddle scabbard and stepped toward Ronan. “Are you here for Amelia? What did you do that she had to run?” The bastard might be her brother but Robbie would be damned before he’d let Ronan hurt her. Robbie hadn’t done a good job keeping her safe as it was. That was going to change.
    “Robbie, I heard you were back in town. Look, some bastards came out to Lacey Caverns, shooting up the place – which you’ll pay for repairs, by the way – looking for you and throwing some ugly words