Lois Greiman Read online

  “Here.” He peeled the blankets quickly away, his movements suddenly stiff. “Take the blankets.”

  She blinked at his abrupt change, confused and suddenly lonely. “Did I do something wrong?”

  Travis held his breath, staring at her. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I can’t afford the price,” he said, and knew it was true. He couldn’t afford the heartache, the nightmares. “Gonna be a hard day tomorrow. Go get some sleep.”

  She grimaced, still holding him to her. “But the blanket’s so pretty. I feel I owe you… more.” She leaned closer, touching her lips to his again.

  Ryland fought the desire—and lost.

  She was kissing him, her body so near, her arms tight about him. There was nothing he could do but growl low in his throat and press her back into his blankets. “We hate to disturb you folks.”

  A voice spoke from less than twelve feet away. A rifle cocked, the sound cold and deadly in the darkness. “But we been looking for you half the night.”

  Chapter 14

  It was his ribs that ached, Travis realized abruptly. It was his ribs. Not his chest.

  Goddamn it! He’d been careless. He’d let Katherine’s seductive beauty distract him. The fire had been left burning too long, and these men had found them. And now he would pay. Or more accurately—they would pay.

  Moving slowly, he pushed himself to a sitting position. Beside him Katherine pressed the collar of his worn shirt close to her throat, as if the strangers could see her low neckline even through the borrowed garment.

  Travis could hear her breathing, could feel her fear.

  And it was his fault. His fault for allowing himself to fall under her spell, to be lulled out of his usual cautiousness.

  “What do you want?” he asked now, his voice low as his mind rushed to accumulate answers. How many were there? How well armed? How dangerous?

  “Well now…” The closest man was little more than a gangly, just grown boy, and spoke in a thoughtful tone. “I guess that depends on what you got, mister. Huh, Luke?”

  From behind Travis, Luke shuffled his feet and proclaimed, “Yeah,” in a voice too high pitched to deny his nervousness.

  “And seeing how much time we spent a trackin’ you, we’d best get somethin’ pretty good outta it. Huh, Luke?”

  “Yeah.” Feet shuffled again.

  “We didn’t do it!” Katherine said abruptly, her face pale in the darkness. “We didn’t.”

  “You didn’t?” Travis could sense the man’s surprise at her statement. But their assailant rallied quickly enough. “Well, now, that’s nice to know.” He tilted his head a bit, his face well shadowed by his hat as he seemed to think for a moment. “But why should we believe you when you two are hid up here like a couple of rats?”

  “Because we—”

  “Lady!” Travis’s voice was low but unmistakably sharp. “Shut your mouth.”

  She did so with a snap, not because he’d told her to, but because she knew that she was out of her element, drowning in confusion and fear, while Ryland seemed perfectly suited for the situation, calm even.

  “Yeah?” the man with the rifle urged, stepping closer. “What was you saying, ma’am?”

  But Katherine had now clapped her bottom lip between her teeth and refused to speak.

  “I asked what you boys want?” reminded Ryland with quiet coolness.

  “And I’ll tell ya, since it ain’t no big surprise,” said the man, who then laughed at his own wit. “We’re outlaws.” He said the words with a certain amount of unmistakable pride. “I’m Jacob. That there’s Luke,” he introduced, with surprising courtesy for an outlaw. “And we want money.”

  “I’m afraid you came to the wrong place,” said Travis.

  “Yeah?” Luke shuffled his feet, issuing the only word he seemed to recall.

  “Well, we’ll be the judge of that,” proclaimed the other. “Hand it over.”

  “I’m telling you, friend,” said Travis in a fatherly voice, “it ain’t worth your trouble. You’d be wise to head on down the mountain. Find yourself better pickings.”

  “I ain’t your friend,” Jacob said, taking another step closer. “And I’ll do the deciding ‘bout what’s wise and what ain’t. Now hand over your money!”

  Tension filled the campsite, but Travis shrugged finally, seeming resigned. “Go ahead, lady, give him the coins.”

  “No.” There was not a moment’s delay before Katherine’s refusal. “I won’t.”

  Travis narrowed his eyes at her. But she missed his threatening expression as she stared imperiously at the man with the rifle.

  “It’s my money. I earned it by the sweat of my brow.”

  “Sweat of your…” Travis repeated in muttered disbelief, remembering her husky, seductive voice as she sang to a horde of randy men while he sawed at the bonds she had placed on his arms. “Huh!”

  “I did,” she said defensively. “I earned it. It’s all I’ve got. And I’m not going to give it up to”—she nodded abruptly toward the rifleman, though her gaze remained on Ryland—“a couple of underaged brigands!”

  “You are the most goddamn stubborn woman I have ever met,” declared Travis. “Give them the money.”

  “No.” It was a matter of pride now. “I won’t.”

  “Hey!” interrupted the brigand nervously. “You two quit yer squabbling or I’ll… I’ll shoot y’.”

  Katherine’s mouth fell open. “I beg your pardon.”

  “You beg my… Hear that Luke? She begs my pardon. Don’t that beat all? Just hand over the money, lady, and no one’ll get hurt.”

  “You wouldn’t shoot me.” Katherine wasn’t sure how she knew, but she knew. Or thought she knew. The man with the rifle seemed hardly to be any older than some of the boys she’d taught in school. While Luke, whom she had caught only a glimpse of, acted nervous enough to die on the spot.

  “What’d you say?”

  “I said, you wouldn’t shoot me,” repeated Katherine, though she was a little less certain now, since the man’s tone was sounding increasingly unfriendly.

  “You don’t think so?” he asked.

  “No.” She kept her tone firm. “I don’t.”

  He shrugged jerkily. “Maybe you’re right, ma’am.” He took a step nearer yet, shifting the rifle slowly so that it pointed very directly at Travis’s head. “But I sure as nuts would shoot him.”

  “Good work, lady,” said Travis. “I think you’ll get me killed yet. It’s taking you a while. But I got faith.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Katherine said to the rifleman, but her tone had become shaky.

  “Wanna test me?” asked the outlaw, shuffling his feet and trying a glare.

  “No!” Her answer was quick, as were her hands. She shifted around in the blankets for the little cloth pouch she had carried to Ryland in an effort to buy the very things she dug about in now. In a moment her fingers touched a metallic lump, and she drew it quickly up to show to all. “Here it tis. Go ahead. It’s yours.”

  “Bring it here.”

  Katherine swallowed hard. Ryland’s muscles tensed against her.

  “Take it to you?” she asked dubiously.

  “That’s right. Bring it over.”

  Her legs shook when she stood. She had felt secure while sitting next to Ryland’s solid form, but walking through the darkness toward the shadowed gunman was entirely different.

  Only a stride separated them when she reached out. Her arm trembled, rattling the coins slightly.

  “Thank ye kindly, ma’am.” The outlaw accepted the proffered bundle, but when she took a tentative step backward, he stopped her. “Don’t you be rushin’ off now. Just stay put.”

  Katherine froze, her heart thumping against her ribs.

  The little pouch was untied with some difficulty, and he poured the coins into his hand. “Where’s the rest?”

  Katherine locked her trembling knees and scowled. “I h
ad to pay for our room.”

  “Where’s the rest?”

  “I told you—” Katherine began, but Travis interrupted now.

  “I’ve been wounded and out of work. She’s had to support both of us.”

  “She your wife?”

  “Yes,” said Travis.

  “No,” said Katherine simultaneously.

  Travis tightened his fists and swore in silence.

  “So what you been doing to earn yer keep?” asked the gunman, balancing the rifle on one hip as he tried to peruse Katherine through the dimness.

  “I…” Katherine wet her lips and contemplated a likely lie, but truths came so much easier. “I sang at a… at a…” She cleared her throat, feeling the red heat diffuse her face. “A dance hall.”

  “You’re a saloon girl?” asked Jacob, shocked. “A soiled dove?”

  Katherine stepped back as if she’d been slapped. “I am most certainly not a…”

  “Hey, Luke, looks like we ain’t out of luck after all. We got us a soiled dove. And a good-looking one, too, if my eyes ain’t foolin’ me.

  “Come on, ma’am. Grab your belongin’s. You’ll be ridin’ with us.”

  “No.” She whispered the word, stepping quickly back. “No. I…”

  Travis shifted slightly.

  “And you. Stay put,” ordered Jacob.

  “Sure.” Ryland’s tone was casual. “Been a hard day. I ain’t going nowhere.”

  “You don’t care if we take her?”

  Ryland shrugged. “I don’t deny she’s one helluva kisser. But she talks too much for my taste.”

  “Well…” Jacob laughed. “We don’t mind a little talk, huh, Luke? Let’s go, lady.”

  “No. No. I… Mr. Ryland.” Katherine turned slightly, finding Travis’s face in the darkness. “Don’t let them. I…”

  “Did I mention she’s got the pox?” Travis asked conversationally.

  “The pox!” cried Jacob. “She’s got the pox!”

  “Yeah. ‘Fraid so,” said Travis. “But she’s still a helluva kisser, and if you don’t mind her babbling, she ain’t half bad—”

  “She’s got the damn pox?” barked the gunman.

  “Yeah,” said Travis again.

  “Gawd. Luke. Grab his horse. Let’s get out of here.”

  “Horse?” Travis’s voice had dropped a notch.

  Jacob backed away another step, waving his rifle slightly. “We ain’t leavin’ here empty-handed. So you stay put, or I’ll…”

  Ryland charged like a trained cowhorse to thud his solid weight against Jacob. The rifle fell from his fingers. Luke’s hands shot into the air as he surrendered.

  Travis stood over Jacob’s body, and picked up the rifle.

  “Take my damn horse, will you?” he asked.

  The gunman whimpered, and looked even more like a young boy.

  “Damn sniveling pups,” muttered Ryland, and leaning forward grasped the man by the shirtfront and dragged him effortlessly over to Luke.

  Katherine hurried stiffly behind. “What are you going to do to them?”

  “Drown ‘em,” Ryland said evenly, and reached for them.

  Jacob and Luke went pale and cowered away.

  “You can’t drown them!” gasped Katherine, grabbing his arm. “We’ll have to turn them into the authorities.”

  Travis waited a fraction of a second before snorting. “Now, there’s a good plan, lady. First-rate.”

  She licked her lips, seeing the problem with that decision. “All right. We won’t. But you can’t drown them.”

  “Listen,” Travis whispered in her ear. “I been shot. I been hunted. I been threatened. I’m hungry. I’m sore. And I’m tired.” He glanced at the would-be outlaws then turned back to Katherine. “Let me have my fun without making such a fuss.”

  Katherine barely nodded, and Travis walked back to Jacob and Luke.

  “Please,” Jacob said. “Don’t drown us.”

  Travis’s glare darkened. “Why not?”

  “Cause we… we ain’t ready to die. Please.” Jacob said again, apparently unable to help himself. “We won’t do it again.”

  “Won’t do what again?”

  “Steal. We won’t steal.”

  “Who sent you?” Travis asked gruffly, leaning closer.

  “Sent us?” There was honest surprise in Jacob’s tone. “No one sent us. We was just hungry. And—”

  “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

  Jacob came woodenly to a sitting position. “We didn’t even have no bullets in the rifle. Take a look. I swear it’s true.”

  “No bullets?” Travis said, thinking the statement too pathetic to be a lie. “You ain’t got no damn bullets?”

  “No. We didn’t want to hurt no one.”

  Travis leaned closer, arms crossed, waiting for the real reason why they had no bullets.

  “And… And…this don’t seem t’ be our line of work. There was an Injun fella few weeks back. We pissed him off pretty good.” He swallowed hard. “Thought he was gonna take our scalps.”

  Travis narrowed his eyes, shifting his gaze to Luke, who failed to do as much as nod.

  “Indian?” Ryland asked quietly.

  “Yeah. Drivin’ a herd of fat cattle. We was hungry then, too. Thought we’d help ourselves to a little beef.” Jacob’s eyes were huge in his pale face. “Won’t do that again.”

  “This Indian. How’d he look?”

  “Big and mean! Like he’d just as soon eat us alive. Kinda like…” He swallowed again. “Kinda like you… only darker.”

  “Where’d you see him?”

  “Ten, maybe twelve days north of here.”

  Travis remained still, glaring at them and thinking.

  “Please don’t kill us, mister.”

  Drawing himself from his thoughts, Travis bent down, now eye-to-eye with Jacob. “Where’re your horses?”

  “We only got one.”

  “Jesus!” exclaimed Travis, nearing the end of his patience. “Then, goddamn it, where’s your horse!”

  “Back there—in the trees. But you ain’t gonna take old Buck, are y’? He was our pappy’s.”

  “Damn it all,” swore Ryland. “Lady. Get their horse.”

  Katherine did so, feeling her way through the darkness to find an ancient white gelding tied to a tree.

  Travis snorted derisively when she led the mount up to him and eyed the poor old animal with a shake of his head. “Get on the horse.”

  “You’re letting us go?” Jacob whispered, seemingly unable to believe their good fortune.

  “Just get on the damned horse,” Travis snapped irritably at the two men, and they did so with surprising haste.

  “Could we have the rifle back?” ventured Jacob. “It was Pap’s, too.”

  “Get the hell out of here!” yelled Ryland. “And if I ever hear of you two causing trouble again, I’ll drown you no matter what the woman says. You hear?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Yeah,” piped Luke.

  “And find yourselves another profession,” ordered Ryland. “Cause you’re sad excuses for outlaws.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Y-yeah,” managed Luke, his voice bobbling with gratitude.

  “Jesus!” Travis snorted, then, “Go on! Goddamn it! Get the hell out of here.”

  It was truly amazing how fast that white gelding could retreat with a double load.

  Silence took the campsite, and Travis turned, finding Katherine in the darkness.

  “You were going to let them take me,” she said in disbelief.

  “But look at it this way,” he replied. “They ain’t so dim as they seemed. Cause they left you here with me.”

  Chapter 15

  “You would have let them take me,” Katherine repeated blankly. “You wouldn’t have raised a hand—not a hand—if they hadn’t threatened to take your horse.”

  Travis shrugged, watching her closely in the darkness. “Old Soldier and me, we go way bac
k.”

  “B-but…”

  She was beginning to sputter, he noticed—a sure sign of upcoming hysterics.

  “But they could have… They might have…” Katherine clutched the front of her borrowed shirt in a shaky hand, feeling sick. “They thought I was a soiled dove,” she whispered.

  “Lady,” he said evenly, “you said you was a soiled dove.”

  “They might have…” she tried again, but still the words wouldn’t come.“Might have—”

  “Damn it, woman!” He was across the distance in an instant, suddenly grabbing her arms in his large, hard hands. “And what about me?” He shook her now, all the fear he’d felt for her swamping his system. “What about me? What do you think I would do to ya? What makes you think you’re safer with me? What makes you such a fool? Jesus, woman!” He drew a deep breath, calming his nerves though his grip was still hard. “If you had a hair of sense, you’d of rode off with them. Cause I’m telling you now, them two would have been a long shot safer than me.”

  He stared at her, trying to read her emotions, to shake some sense into her, to rid himself from the dull pain in his heart. What if real outlaws had found them? Real men with real weapons! God knew the mountains were full of them. Desperate men with nothing to lose. What if she’d been hurt? What if…

  “I think I’m safe with you,” she said, her eyes luminous in the still night.

  Travis remained silent, absorbing her words before he tightened his grip just fractionally. “Well don’t.”

  “But I do.”

  “Don’t!” he rasped. “Do you hear me? I ain’t to be trusted. I ain’t what you think.” He dropped his hands away suddenly, holding them in tight fists at his side. “Some damn puppy to trot along by your side on a string. Jesus, lady! I’ve killed more men than you’ve seen. I’ve killed more men than you can name! You hear me? Do you?”

  The night seemed to reverberate with his words.

  “Yes.” Her answer was no more than a whisper.

  “Then why the hell are you still here?” he asked, leaning forward from the waist.

  “Where else could I go?” she asked softly.

  “Back east.”

  “I’m innocent, but there are men out there who are trying to kill me. You think I can just ignore that fact? That I can disappear back to my old life and pretend nothing happened?”