Parker’s Honor (Cowboys and Supernaturals 2) Read online

  Cowboys and Supernaturals II

  Parker’s Honor

  By

  Mandy M. Roth

  Parker’s Honor © copyright by Mandy M. Roth, May 2012

  Cover art by Natalie Winters, © Copyright 2012

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  All books copyrighted to the author and may not be resold or given away without written permission from the authors, Mandy M. Roth.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Any and all characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places is merely coincidence.

  Published by Raven Books

  www.ravenhappyhour.com

  Raven Books and all affiliate sites and projects are © Copyrighted 2004-2012

  Chapter One

  Parker MacSweeny shook his head, positive his younger brother had plum lost it. The man wanted to sweep in and grab his childhood sweetheart before she could be forced to marry a sadistic son-of-a-bitch. While in theory, it sounded heroic, it was downright suicidal considering the SOB in question had a lot of powerful friends. And it wasn’t like a whole lot of forethought was going into this harebrained rescue attempt. So far, his brother had learned of the situation and immediately spit out a solution to it. A damn dumb one at that.

  They pulled their horses to a stop just on the other side of the Sheriff’s Station. Since Parker was fairly sure his brother, Jonathan, who also happened to be the sheriff, was going to get himself killed, Prospect Springs would most likely be looking for a new sheriff soon. The announcement could read, “Last one got himself killed dead over a woman, try not to think with your prick too.”

  Their cousin dismounted from his steed and adjusted his Shady Brady. “I’m with Sawbones,” Eli said, calling Parker a favorite nickname of his. “This isn’t your smartest idea to date, Jonathan.” His jet-black hair, a MacSweeny trait, hit the tops of his shoulders, covering the collar of his duster.

  Jonathan ignored them, storming towards the stage coach stopping area. His spurs clicked against the wooden planks covering a section of the street to cut down on the muddy areas. He came to a stop near the General Store, his inhuman colored gaze scanning the horizon for signs of trouble.

  As natural born shifters, the MacSweeny boys were normally driven by their emotions, but even this was absurd. They might be able to walk on all fours when the time called for it, but they had a brain—one Jonathan seemed insistent on not using any time soon. At the rate he was going, Jonathan was going to out them to every single resident of Prospect Springs.

  It wasn’t as if the boys hid what they were so much as they chose long ago not to advertise it. Too much trouble could come from claiming their supernatural sides outright. Certain church folk already thought they were touched by the devil. Adding fuel to the fire seemed foolish. As it stood, most townsfolk understood the boys meant no harm and were, in fact, good boys who just tended to get into a bit of a kick up every now and then. What young men didn’t?

  With a sigh, Parker followed with Eli close at his heels. “Think you’re going to end up representin’ him on murder charges?”

  Eli lifted a brow. “Probably. What I’m wondering is if that will come before or after you’ve got to try to fix him back up again, Doc.”

  “If this blowhard gets himself hung over this, I’m not doctorin’ shit,” Parker stated clearly. “Hell, I might very well kill him myself before the day is over.”

  “You and me both, cousin,” Eli said with a low whistle.

  When they reached the staging area, Parker’s senses lit. The sweet scent of lilacs filled the air. It was mixed with honey and coming from someone close. Not only that, it was making his cock respond at an alarming rate. None of the females in town had that kind of pull over him. This was something new.

  His brother reached out, grabbing a woman in a light blue dress, keeping her from falling. Parker’s inner beast uncoiled, responding so fiercely that he had to do a double take. A growl tore free of him as Jonathan’s hands met the woman’s hips. Jonathan glanced over at him, his golden eyes holding concern and a fair amount of surprise. It took every ounce of control Parker possessed to avoid yelling mine and ripping the woman from his brother’s arms.

  “Molly, come, it’s not safe,” Preacher Cogan said softly as he made a move to take the woman from Jonathan.

  “Molly?” His brother stiffened, staring down at the female. “Molly? No. You’re not…”

  Parker missed the rest of it. He was too busy fixating on the woman. Why the hell would his body respond to Molly Cogan in that way? Sure, the gal was good looking. Always had been, but she was off limits. She was Jonathan’s woman. There had never been any question of that. Well, no one but Jonathan and Molly questioned it that is. They were as stubborn as a bull backed in a penned yard with a throne in his ass.

  Parker’s gaze slid over the beauty in his brother’s arms. Hot damn. Molly certainly had matured since they’d last seen her some ten years prior. Her creamy breasts were there, lifted just right in the blue dress she wore, tempting every man in sight. An odd, feral desire to attack anyone stupid enough to look came over him. Parker had to adjust himself just to be able to move again.

  “Coming, Daddy,” the woman said, grabbing for her father, the preacher. She hurried off in the direction of the General Store. Parker slid up alongside his brother and whistled. “Hot damn, little brother. If you don’t want to fuck her, I will.”

  “Fuck who?” Jonathan questioned.

  Parker had expected to be answered with a fist to the face. Not a softly spoken question. He poked his brother. “Ain’t ya gonna yell at me for talking about Molly that way?”

  “Show some respect for the lady, Parker,” Jonathan quipped. “I’ll kick your damn teeth down your throat if you ever talk about Molly that way. She’s mine. Understand that now. I won’t tell you again.”

  “Yours?” Eli asked as he joined them. He glanced around, bringing attention to the fact there were a whole lot of people who didn’t belong in Prospect Springs gathered around, looking rowdy and up to no good. “Looks to me like we’ve got ourselves some outsiders here. They don’t seem like a friendly bunch either. Reckon that means we don’t have to pretend to be the welcoming sorts.”

  “Aww, and I had my ‘Prospect Springs is the Greatest Place in the Territory Speech’ all ready to go. Big, fancy words and all,” Parker said, laughing. “Damn shame I’m not going to get to use it.”

  “She’s here,” Jonathan said, his beast rising to the point Parker was aware of it.

  Parker held his breath, worried Jonathan would do something stupid, like lose control and shift in front of the town.

  “Who?” Eli asked.

  Jonathan’s chest heaved. “Molly.”

  “Uh, no shit, really?” Parker questioned with a snort. “My dick is still hard after seeing her in that blue dress. I wanted to lick the tops of her breasts before sinking deep into her. I always knew she was a looker, but she never had that sort of effect on me.”

  “That was not Molly,” Jonathan snapped. “If it had been, you’d be trying to find your head because I’d have knocked it clean off.”

  Judge William Wheeler approached, going straight for Jonathan. There was not a hair out of place. His gray suit was neatly pressed and he looked pristine, as always. Parker would have disliked the guy for that alone, but William was a stand up kind of guy. He was also Molly’s uncle. He was a might sight better than her father who had an odd outlook.

  “Evening, Judge,” Jonathan said. “It’s quite a turnout your niece has
got here. A lot of folks must be happy to see her come home after all these years.”

  William nodded. “Evening.” He leaned into Jonathan and whispered. “My niece is in grave danger. I believe these men who appeared out of nowhere are seeking her. I’ve heard rumors about a price on her head. Looks as though they’ve come to try to cash in on it.”

  Anger rippled through Parker and a low growl emanated from the back of his throat. “No one is layin’ a hand on her.” He stared in the distance, in the direction the woman in the blue dress had headed off in, his silver gaze going hard.

  A deliberate smile moved over William’s face. “I believe the men think as you do, Parker, that the woman in blue is my niece. She is not.”

  “Told ya,” Jonathan blabbered, sounding like a child. He focused on William. “What do you mean, they appeared out of nowhere?”

  “They transported here, Jon. Without the use of a Frontier Stall,” William replied, tipping his hat somewhat.

  “Outlaws?” Eli asked.

  William gave a nod. “I suspect so. They didn’t travel by means of regular transport, so I assume they don’t have the right papers. There’s something else. If my niece should reveal herself here none of you boys are to let the people she’s with know what you are. Understand?”

  Curious, Parker posed a question, “Meaning?”

  William’s gaze hardened. “Meaning, I have always known the MacSweeny family is different. You know that. Keep it to yourselves, boys. I’ve no idea what her companions’ views are on the supernatural. I would like to think she’d only surround herself with open-minded individuals, but I never thought I’d receive news that my lil’ princess ran away from boarding school and disappeared without a trace.”

  Parker noticed his brother’s moment of silent panic and almost said something. William beat him to it. The judge patted his brother’s shoulder in an encouraging manner.

  “Son, I have known you since you were just a baby. I knew you’d try to find her. I also knew my niece needed to find herself before she gives herself to a man for the rest of her life. She needed time to heal. To grow. To become a woman, Jon. Now, I have managed to find a few things out about her and her acquaintances. I know enough to warn you all not to reveal you’re anything but human. I’m not sure she can protect you all if put in the situation to have to. Lord knows the girl will die trying.”

  Jonathan laughed. “I’m sorry, Judge, but did you just comment on Molly protecting us? She’s just a woman, what—”

  The band of outlaws moved in quickly. Suddenly, they were all wielding large semi-automatic weapons. One let off some rounds, up into the air, pulling the focus to him. “We’ll not hurt any of you nice folks if ya just point us in the direction of a Miss Molly Cogan or her fiancé Cole Griffin.”

  Gerald William, the no good son-of-a-bitch, wanting to marry Molly, pivoted, peering down the end of his nose. “I am Molly’s fiancé.”

  “Like hell you are,” a male yelled from somewhere beyond the immediate crowd. The newcomer wore a wide brim, brown, leather hat and a long brown jacket. He pushed it aside, revealing a Special Marshal issued weapon and badge.

  “Who the hell are you?” Gerald demanded.

  A sinful smile slipped over the newcomer’s face. It was as if he was hoping for a fight with Gerald. “I’m Cole Griffin. The man those dirt bags are looking for.”

  Parker pursed his lips, wondering if he was going to have to restrain his brother any time soon. As the outlaws reacted, all aiming at the newcomer, Parker actually breathed a sigh of relief. If they killed the guy it would keep Jonathan out of the mess.

  The smell that had driven him nearly to the brink of shifting returned as the female in the blue dress came rushing out of the General Store, heading towards the newcomer. “Cole, what’s going…?”

  “That’s her! That’s Molly!” one of the outlaws shouted.

  The outlaws shifted their focus to her, all weapons now aiming in her direction. Parker lost control then, growling, concerned only with her safety. As her tiny pink tongue darted out and over her lower lip, his growl changed from one of protection to one of hunger. He wanted that woman like he’d never wanted a woman before in his life.

  Now, most certainly, was not the time to let his dick do the thinking.

  Jonathan picked then to play the hero. “All right, folks. It would appear we have a slight problem here. As sheriff, I’d like to take a—”

  He ended up with half the weapons aiming at him.

  Eli snorted. “Way to go, jackass.”

  The vixen in the blue dress squared her shoulders, her breasts heaving upwards more, making Parker’s cock throb with need. “You won’t take me alive.”

  “Lynn?” Cole questioned. “Don’t you dare draw their fire.”

  The girl spun in a slow circle, taunting the outlaws. “Go ahead! Shoot! I’m sick of being hunted by you! Kill me and claim the fame. Do it!

  Over my dead body!

  Parker reacted, surging forward, putting his body in front of the woman’s. He reached back, his hand finding her hip. Fire shot right to his loins, but he ignored it, his gaze level as he glared at the outlaws. “You’ll not harm her. She’s under my protection now.”

  Delicate fingers slipped over his hand. For a moment, he thought she might try to get his hand off her. She did the opposite. She gasped as energy seemed to pass between them and then she patted his hand gently.

  “Never did I see that coming. Sawbones is a born skirt chaser,” Eli said, whistling as he did. “Think he might have The Fever or something? He’s always doctorin’ folks with weird ailments.”

  The Fever?

  Parker released the woman and took a deep breath. Maybe he did have something. It would explain his behavior.

  “Are you stupid?” the vixen asked, pushing him in the back with a force that both shocked and moved him, even it if was only a little. “Move! They’ll gun you down to get to me.”

  Parker shrugged. He had no intention of moving. “Then so be it.”

  “Parker,” Jonathan said. “Get her and your ass out of there. We’ll take care of our guests. We’ll even be sweet enough to give ‘em that welcome speech you had worked out.”

  “Parker?” The vixen questioned. “That means one of you is Jonathan?”

  Just as Parker was about to turn and sweep the vixen up, an outlaw appeared just behind his brother, putting a gun to Jonathan’s head. Their kind could heal a lot of things. A bullet to the head wasn’t one of them.

  “Lookie, boys, we got us a sheriff,” the outlaw said. “He’s got to bring a good amount of coinage, don’t ya think?”

  Someone started shooting. Their first target, the man who had Jonathan at gunpoint.

  Chapter Two

  Lynn Smith blinked several times, soaking in all that was happening. She’d made this journey in the hopes of protecting someone she considered a sister.

  Molly Cogan.

  They looked enough alike that it was easy enough to fool people who hadn’t seen Molly in ten years. It was just a matter of keeping her gaze averted. Where Lynn’s eyes were steely blue, Molly had leaf green ones.

  Lynn’s hand went to the back of the man before her. He was pure muscle and tall. Nearly six and half feet easily. She was far from short for a woman, but she barely came to his shoulder. Everything about the guy appealed to her. From his ink black hair to his silver eyes. But it wasn’t the time or place to go falling for a handsome cowboy.

  There was a blur and then suddenly a woman was next to them, wearing men’s clothing and sporting a firearm and a whip. Lynn sighed.

  Molly.

  She looked pissed.

  The man in front of Lynn glanced at the woman.

  Molly grinned. “Hi, Parker MacSweeny.”

  “Hi there,” his deep voice reverberating through Lynn, nearly making her moan. She exhaled slowly, drawing some satisfaction from the fact he clearly hadn’t recognized Molly as of yet.

  Parker’s head w
hipped around. “Molly?” He glanced back at Lynn before looking at Molly again. “Molly? You’re in…leather and…and you’re armed.”

  Molly smiled wide as she handed Lynn a standard issue Special Marshal Firearm butt first. “Next time you try to commit suicide to get them off my trail, make damn sure I’m not standing close enough to hear and stop it, or I might kill you myself.”

  Lynn averted her gaze as she took the weapon from her friend. “I-I thought if I came in your place they’d kill me, think it was you, and stop hunting you. I’m not like you. No one will miss me, Molly.”

  Parker spun around, a mix of horror and rage in his silver eyes. “You will not talk like that again, woman. Understood?”

  Stunned by the man’s response, Lynn merely opened her mouth and closed it again, unable to form a coherent sentence if she tried.

  “I’d miss you, Lynn,” Molly said. “Cole would miss you and I’m thinking,” she nodded her head at Parker, “others would too, sweetie. I appreciate the gesture, but getting yourself killed on account of me isn’t what I want. I want you safe and happy. Now, let’s kick some bad guy ass.”

  “Molly?” Parker gasped.

  Molly removed her hat and thrust it at Parker. “Hold this and stand real still.”

  “Huh?”

  “He’s a MacSweeny boy.” Molly shook her head as she glanced at Lynn. “He can’t help but get in the way. It’s something in their genetic makeup. They need to play the hero. There are a whole lot of them. I stopped trying to keep count. And before you ask, yes, they all look this good. I think it’s to tempt the women. Like walking sin. Mmm, and they can tempt an angel. Just know if you run across one, they will undoubtedly be underfoot thinking they’re helping out.”

  Parker let out a huff. “I am not underfoot. I am—”

  “What do you propose we do?” Lynn questioned Molly, happy to have found her voice and stopped his rant short. Seeing that Parker wasn’t going to get out of the way or listen to Molly, Lynn took matters in her own hands. She swept his feet out from under him and pushed on him, riding his massive body as he fell forward. It wasn’t a moment too soon. The outlaws’ bullets whizzed past their heads. Lynn aimed and fired, taking out two of the closest threats. One shot. One kill. Just like her father had taught her long ago.