Lady Deception

by Bobbi Smith

  "Now, missy, I don't like your highfalutin' ways. I think you need to come to the saloon and have a few drinks with us. Maybe I can convert you to my way of thinkin'."

  "Your offer is kind, but I have already visited that den of iniquity once and that was more than enough. I want no trouble from you, brother. I want only to preach the Lord's saving word. Your soul is in need of cleansing."

  She stood there looking so prim and proper, so pious and righteous, that Sully's fury erupted. With a snarled oath, he rode for her, intending to grab her up and throw her across his horse in front of him.

  Suddenly, to his shock, another rider charged past him.

  "Let me go!" Cody shrieked as the strong arm of the unknown rider snared her around the waist. She twisted and fought the man's grip as he hauled her up with him. As he fought to control both her and the horse, she twisted around to get a look at the man who'd dared to accost her. "You!" she gasped as she stared into the mesmerizing blue-eyed gaze of Luke Majors, the man she'd vowed to capture and bring to justice.

  "Hold it, Majors!" Sully shouted. "The preacher woman's mine!"

  "Sorry, Sully. You took too long. She's one feisty little spitfire, and I'm claiming her for my own."

  "You bastard! I've waited all day for this!"

  Luke wheeled his horse around so he was facing the outlaw. He slipped Sister Mary farther across his lap, so his right hand was free to go for his gun.

  "She's mine, unless you feel like fighting over her." Luke paused to look down at her. Her face was smudged with dirt. Her hair was coming loose from the bun. Her glasses were askew, and she was still clutching her Bible to her breast. "But she doesn't look like she'd be that good that she'd be worth dying over. What do you think?"

  "You ain't got no right-"

  "I got her. What right do I need? You saying she's your woman?"

  "I wanted her first."

  "But I've got her," Luke repeated.

  "I could take her from you!"

  "Go right ahead and try," he said in a steely voice as he drew his gun in a lightning move. "But that might not be smart."

  Cody gasped at the speed of his draw.

  For a minute, Sully had been drunk enough to think he could take him on. But as he stared down the barrel of Luke's gun, he suddenly sobered.

  "Well, Sully?" Luke deliberately goaded him, wanting to push him to the limit right now while he was facing him. "What's it going to be?"

  "You'll pay for this one of these days, Majors."

  "Just let me know when, Sully. For now, Sister Mary's mine. You'll have to look somewhere else for your fun."

  Sully rode away, leaving the revival site in a shambles. He was quiet now, and those who knew him knew he was most dangerous at times like these.

  Carson quickly mounted up, leaving Stalking Ghost sprawled on the ground unconscious near the wagon. When Sully had charged forward to grab the woman, the Indian had started to go to her aid and Carson had been forced to hit him from behind.

  Carson had thought about challenging Majors when he was facing down Sully, but after witnessing the speed of the other man's draw, he'd quickly changed his mind. There were few men alive who could beat that draw. The gunfighter's reputation had been well earned. He was one dangerous man. Sully would think of some way to get back at him, Carson was sure. As Carson rode off, he did not look back.

  Holding the preacher woman before him on his saddle, Luke waited until both men were out of sight.

  "They're gone," Cody breathed, relieved. "You can let me down now, friend. I thank you for your help."

  "The name's Majors, Luke Majors, and sorry, Sister Mary, but you're not going anywhere," Luke told her. He turned his mount in the direction opposite the one Sully and Carson had taken and headed out of town.

  "Wait a minute!" When Cody realized that he was taking her off somewhere, she started to struggle in earnest against his restraining hold. Until that moment she'd appreciated his help. Things had gotten out of hand, and he'd saved her from Sully. But now she quickly wondered if she'd gone from the frying pan into the fire. It was one thing for her to be taking Luke Majors in. It was another entirely for Luke Majors to be taking her somewhere. She'd heard what kind of man he was. "You can't do this!"

  He chuckled as he pinned her tightly against his chest to still her squirming. "Who's going to stop me?"

  It was then, as they rode past the wagon, that Cody caught sight of Stalking Ghost lying unmoving in the dirt.

  "Stalking Ghost!" There was real horror in her voice as she stared at her friend. "Sir, if you have a drop of Christian kindness in your heart, you must release me! I must see to my friend! He's injured. He may be dying."

  Luke's answer was to knee his horse to a quicker pace.

  "Let me go!" she demanded, trying to break free.

  "No, you're with me now." Luke's grip was an iron restraint around her waist, stifling her struggles.

  "Do you want to go to Hell, sir?" Cody realized the fruitlessness of her efforts, and so drew upon her character to try to convince him to free her.

  "I'm already there," Luke answered as he reined in to look back toward the revival site. One of the torches had fallen and had fired the tent. The red flames cast a devilish glow over the night.

  She went still at the sight, then turned to look up at him over her shoulder. Earlier that night, she had thought him handsome, but now in the strange light his features appeared harsh and unfeeling. Cody feared what she'd gotten herself into. She was glad she had the Bible with her. It might prove to be her saving grace after all.

  "It's not too late to save your soul." She hoped to talk her way free.

  "It's too late to worry about my soul. I lost it years ago. It's your soul I'm worrying about."

  "Mine?" She frowned. "If you're concerned about me, then let me go. Sully's gone. I'll take care of Stalking Ghost, and we'll be fine."

  Luke shot her a look of disgust. "Do you want to stay alive to see the sunrise, Sister Mary? Sully may not be here right now, but he's not the type of man to give up on something he wants, and believe me, he wants you."

  Cody paled at his blunt statement. "But Stalking Ghost-"

  "Can take care of himself," he said grimly. He saw her distress and was glad that she was finally realizing what she was involved in. "Sully likes to take his revenge slow. You humiliated him in the saloon. He didn't take kindly to that. If I let you go right now, he'd be on you before you could get your wagon out of town. And from the looks of things, your Indian friend wouldn't be much help."

  Cody shivered, silently praying that Stalking Ghost was all right. She clutched the Bible closer. "I was only trying to bring him to God. Why is he so intent on harming me?"

  "Why do evil men do the things they do?" He shrugged. "You're the one in the business of saving souls. If you managed to save his, I bet you'd be guaranteed a place in heaven."

  "Can't you just let me down somewhere? I'll hide until he's gone."

  "He's not going to give up that easy. He's got the single-mindedness of a...never mind." He stopped himself from using too base a term for her gentle spirit. "Let's just put it this way, Sister Mary: you're safest with me."

  "But I don't want to be with you!" she protested.

  Luke was frustrated. All he was trying to do was a good deed. "Look, lady, you're not exactly my cup of tea, either. I like my women younger and prettier and a helluva lot more fun. Your virtue is definitely safe with me. But if you want to stay alive, then you'd damn well better do everything I tell you to do."

  "Please don't use such vile language with me, sir. Using foul language to make one's point is the mark of an inferior intellect."

  "Listen to me, preacher woman. If foul language was all you had to worry about right now, you'd be in great shape. I can't believe you thought that one Indian was going to keep you safe in a town like this. There's no way that one old man could protect you from the El Diablo gang."

  "And you think you can?" she challenged.
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  "I'm one of them."

  She gasped at his statement and twisted around to look up at him. "If you're one of them, why are you trying to protect me? Won't they turn against you for taking me?"

  "I've held my own against worse, but it hasn't been pretty or easy."

  "But-"

  "If you want to stay alive, sit still," Luke commanded, bringing her firmly back against him. He felt the resistance in her, and smiled to himself. Sister Mary was a fighter.

  "I appreciate your gallantry and kindness toward me, Mr. Majors."

  "Luke."

  "Luke. But where are you taking me?" she asked, deliberately holding herself as stiffly as she could so she wouldn't be leaning against him as they rode. It wasn't comfortable, but comfort was the last thing on her mind. There was no way she could allow herself to relax-not now, and probably not again for a long time.

  "Away from El Trajar," he replied evasively. "I want you where I know he won't try anything."

  "Where's that?"

  "You'll see."

  "How long are you going to keep me your prisoner?"

  "If you ask me any more questions, I'll dump you right here and leave you for Sully. Do you understand?" Luke had had enough. How he'd gotten stuck being nursemaid to a traveling salvationshow preacher was beyond him. All he wanted to do was identify El Diablo and get the hell... er, heck out of there.

  At the realization that he'd amended his thoughts because of her, Luke grimaced inwardly. The last thing he needed was this puny litte Biblethumper complicating his plans. He was sure he was a wanted man right now, and he wanted to put an end to that before someone put an end to him. He had to get the information he needed out of the gang and get back to Jack.

  Cody was angry, but her anger was directed more at herself than anything. If only she hadn't annoyed Sully that afternoon, everything would have worked out just fine. Luke Majors had been in El Trajar, and she'd have had him by now. It was too late for "if onlys," though. This was the hand she'd been dealt, so this was the one she'd have to play.

  Cody had to admit that in a perverse way she'd gotten what she wanted. She had Luke Majors all to herself. But even if the opportunity arose and she did manage to knock him out and tie him up, without Stalking Ghost's help she wouldn't be able to move him. Plus, except for her Bible, all of her things were in the wagon back in town. She was stuck. She was going to have to play the role of Sister Mary for now. The thought did not appeal, but that reward was a lot of money.

  Mentally girding herself for the challenges to come, Cody continued to hold herself rigidly away from Luke. She had to admit that the fact that he even cared what happened to her surprised her, and now as he kept her in the saddle before him, his hold was neither painful nor lecherous. Given their situation, he was being quite mindful of her, and she found it puzzling for a man of his repute.

  Cody decided that it was good that he didn't desire her. If he'd tried something, she would have been forced to take action, and she couldn't do that. She had promised Logan that she'd bring him in alive, and she would.

  Lost deep in thought, she frowned slightly. Certainly she didn't want him to desire her. He was Luke Majors. He was an outlaw. Still, his statement about liking prettier, younger women had stung. It was one thing to play the role of Sister Mary for a few hours before the crowds as she preached. It was another to live it for days on end without reprieve. She was definitely going to be earning her money this time.

  They rode on in silence at a steady, groundeating pace.

  "Don't you want to get rid of the Bible?" Luke finally asked, noting how stiffly she was holding herself and how she was clutching the book to her breast.

  "No!" She managed to sound outraged at his suggestion. "The Lord's word is my salvation and my protection. This Bible has saved me from more than your weapon has ever saved you. I can never be parted from it. It was a gift from my dear father, who is now deceased."

  "Was he a minister, too?"

  "In his own way. He tried to right the wrongs of the world and help people, but sometimes people don't want to be helped."

  "You're right about that," Luke remarked, thinking of the bank robbery and how drawing his gun to save the tellers had ended him up in jail.

  They fell silent again as they continued on. Luke did not want to rest until they were safely back at the gang's canyon hideaway. Only then would he allow himself to relax.

  It happened as Luke had feared it would. About an hour out of town, he heard the sound of horses coming after them at a rapid pace, and he knew instinctively who it was. He rode to the top of a small bluff and reined to wait. Within minutes, Hadley, Sully, Carson, and the others appeared below.

  "Evening, gentlemen. Anything I can help you with?" Luke called down.

  They stopped abruptly, their weary horses rearing in protest at the rough handling.

  "We were just trying to catch up with you," Carson said.

  "Fine. You found us. I want to make camp before dawn, so you go on and we'll follow right behind you."

  The men grumbled to themselves. Sully had told them that Majors was probably taking Sister Mary just a little ways out of town, where he would use her and then let her go. They had intended to follow him and then take her for themselves. It irritated them that Sully had been wrong. Obviously Majors really did want to keep her. It was going to be a lot more difficult than Sully had thought to get her away from him, and the one thing they didn't want was trouble with Majors. They weren't about to risk a gunfight over her. She just wasn't worth it. They were a tense, angry group as they rode on.

  Cody was shocked that Sully had followed so quickly. Everything Majors had told her was true. Again she wondered at his motives. If he was the cold-blooded killer everyone said he was, why was he so worried about her? Did he really fear the Lord? Was there good inside him or did he have an ulterior motive she couldn't fathom?

  As she looked ahead at the others, Cody found suddenly that the supportive strength of Luke's arm around her was comforting and not binding. His nearness left her feeling safe, not endangered. The thought amazed her, but still she did not lean back against him. Instead she held herself away from him, reminding herself that while he might be a little better than the others, he was still a killer. It was near dawn when exhaustion claimed her and she finally sagged back against him.

  Luke's deep voice chuckled in her ear. "I wondered how long you could hold yourself that way, Sister Mary."

  Cody was too weary to take the bait and quarrel with him. She closed her eyes and, still holding the Bible close, prayed for the strength and wits to see herself through this dilemma. She prayed, too, for Stalking Ghost.

  They reached the canyon just at dawn. Luke was exhausted, but he wasn't about to let his guard down until he was certain Sully was going to leave them alone. They followed the others past the guards at the narrow entrance to the canyon; then Luke headed for the one-room adobe house that had been given to him when he'd joined the gang. The others went on to their own homes, but Sully paused to look back and glare at Luke.

  Luke returned his regard, then said in a low, threatening voice, "She's mine, and what's mine, I keep."

  "We'll see about that, Majors." Then he was gone.

  Luke swung down from his horse and reached up to take Sister Mary in his arms.

  "Don't touch me! I can dismount myself!"

  She all but threw herself from the horse's back trying to avoid his touch, but in the end his overwhelming strength won out. She was unceremoniously dumped on her feet on the ground next to him.

  "Don't try my patience too much." His words were hard. "Now get inside, while I take care of the horse."

  Cody stared up at him. He was a hard, arrogant, demanding man, and she knew it was going to take all her wits to outsmart him. Playing the role of the prudish preacher, she obeyed his command, but with her head held high.

  Once inside the structure, she took a look around. It wasn't pretty. There was a narrow bed shoved again
st one wall, a table and two chairs, and that was it. Cody was used to roughing it, but there were days like today when she would have liked to have been disguised as the Queen of Sheba so she could enjoy a little luxury for a change. She poked warily at the bed with its unwashed blanket and was pleased when nothing crawled out of it. It looked infinitely softer than the chairs did, so she sat down on if to await Majors's return.

  Luke tended his horse, then returned to the house carrying his rifle with him. He stopped in the doorway to stare at her where she sat on the bed. Cody looked up at him, and when she did, she was suddenly painfully aware of where she was sitting. She jumped to her feet. The last thing she wanted him to think about was going to bed.

  "You took care of the horse?"

  "Yes, and now it's time to take care of you."

  "What do you mean?" Her eyes widened as she watched him cross the room toward her. She swallowed nervously. He had said her virtue was safe with him. Had he been lying? Her hands tightened on the Bible, which she refused to put down.

  "Just this." He put his hands on her shoulders and gently directed her back to the bed. "Go to sleep. You need some rest."

  "But it's sunup. What are you going to do?"

  "I'm going to sleep, too."

  "And just where are you going to sleep?"

  Luke smiled at her. "Right beside you, and right next to me is going to be this rifle."

  "You won't need it! I won't try to run away!"

  He gave a short, harsh laugh. "I'm not keeping it close to use on you. I'm keeping it close to protect you. Now lie down and be quiet. I'm tired. It's been one long night, and the day promises to be even longer. We need to sleep while we can."

  "All right." She acquiesced, scooting as far away from him as she could. She lay against the wall, stiff as a board.

  "There is one thing you have to do, though."

  "What?" she managed in a voice that was little more than a whisper. She thought he was going to demand that she undress, and she wondered what to do if he did.

  Luke gave her a mocking smile. "All I want you to do is to put the Bible down."