The Prospect: The Malloy Family, Book 10

by Beth Williamson

  When they walked around the large pine trees, there were at least two dozen horses of different colors and sizes. It looked like a remuda of sorts. He looked around for a human presence but saw nothing but equines. He’d been warned about herds of wild horses, but these didn’t seem to be feral. Many of them had a bit or a lead rope. Someone owned these horses, and they needed to find out who.

  “They are lovely creatures.” Jo’s soft voice expressed wonderment and awe.

  Most of the horses people saw in New York were elite show horses owned by rich people or carriage-drawing nags. This herd was lovely—browns, tans, whites, creams, blacks in every combination. Declan wouldn’t have given any horse a second look, until he’d had a gray gelding that taught him how a horse could change his life.

  “Now we need to find out who owns them.”

  The cocking of a gun near his ear answered that question.

  “Who the fuck are you and what are you doing sniffing around my horses?” The rough, but unmistakably female, voice punctuated her words with the tap of the gun on his skull.

  “Ma’am, we are passing through on our way to my brother’s ranch. We mean you no harm.” Declan kept his voice as steady as he could.

  Jo peered over his shoulder, shock in her gaze. “Good afternoon.”

  “Your man telling the truth? You lie to me, you’re gonna be wearing his blood in ten seconds.” The stranger pressed the nose of the gun harder into Declan’s skull. The woman in his arms stopped the urge to show the gun-toting bitch exactly who she threatened.

  “Yes, we are innocuous. We lost our horse to a wolf attack yesterday. Following that bloody experience, a bear chased us up a tree. While trying to force the bear to lose our scent, we inadvertently traveled down the river at great peril. Now we are—”

  “Enough! Jesus, woman, you talk too much.” The gun eased away from Declan’s head. Jo must have convinced her they were telling the truth. “You do look like you went a few rounds with the bear. I was wondering if your man used you for a punching bag.”

  Jo’s fear melted into anger. “Declan would never hit me. He has saved my life multiple times over the last month. I cannot abide anyone insinuating he would do me wrong.”

  A rough laugh sounded from behind him. “I don’t even understand half the words you use.”

  The grass moved as the woman stepped around, two pistols firmly gripped in her hands. At least he thought it was a female. She was tall, covered in filthy animal skins and dirt, with her hair in ragged pigtails. Her tanned skin was as brown as the leather encasing her legs. She wore a flat-brimmed brown hat that blended with the layers of grime. He couldn’t tell how old she was or her heritage.

  “You looking to steal a horse?”

  Jo slid from his arms, planting her fists on her hips. “Absolutely not. I have never, nor will I ever, steal.”

  Declan smothered a chuckle, knowing his amusement at Jo’s fierceness would hurt her feelings. She had a temper underneath her school-marm exterior.

  “We need horses. You willing to sell?” He didn’t want to flash around money, but he wasn’t going to be taken advantage of either.

  “Depends on how much money you got. Seems to me you ain’t got much of a choice. Walk or pay me.”

  Declan’s hands itched with anger. He didn’t know who this woman was, but she definitely was ruthless. Two people stranded and she was going to charge them top dollar for horses.

  Jo held out her hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Josephine. This is my husband Declan.”

  “Name’s Sam. The men behind you are mine.” She grinned, showing surprisingly straight teeth.

  Declan didn’t bother to glance behind him. He heard at least three people walking up through the grass. His hand remained on the hilt of the knife in the waistband of his trousers.

  “Are you willing to sell us horses?” Jo acted as though they weren’t swimming around like fish in a barrel waiting to be shot.

  “You got money?” Sam’s expression could have been carved from stone.

  “We have twenty dollars. If it’s not enough, then we’ll be on our way.” Jo was either unaware Declan had more than three hundred dollars or a damn good actress. He decided she just didn’t know, which meant she was giving up the money her parents had left her, every bit of it. Again she humbled him.

  “Twenty for two horses? Hell no. I wouldn’t sell you half a horse for that.” Sam gestured to the men behind her. “Don’t try anything funny either.”

  “They are magnificent animals, Miss Sam. I wish you the best of luck with them.” Jo took Declan’s hand, hers trembling and clammy, and walked past the rough woman. She held her back straight and her head high, never hinting she was in pain. Damn but he loved her.

  They would walk and do what they could to get to the Malloys in time. He squeezed her fingers as they made their way through the horses. Jo reached out to pet a few curious animals along the way. He half expected to feel a shot between his shoulders and remained tense, ready to throw himself in front of a bullet for her. It never came.

  “Wait.” Sam ran up behind them. She had tucked her guns in the holsters, which surprised the hell out of him. “You meant every word of it, didn’t you?” Her deep blue eyes studied Jo intently as though she could tell when someone was lying.

  “I never prevaricate. Truth might be difficult to hear, but I do not shy away from it. That is what I taught my charges when I was a governess.” Jo’s voice trembled a smidge, enough that Declan was sure Sam heard it.

  “For twenty I’ll sell you one horse. I don’t got any saddles, but I’ll throw in a blanket.” Sam glanced at the herd. “Try to pick an ugly one so I don’t feel stupid for doing this.”

  Declan stood stock still, more than shocked by the seemingly uncaring woman’s offer. What was she after? Why would she give up a horse for so little?

  “Thank you, Miss Sam. I cannot tell you how much that means to us. It’s very kind of you.” Jo was always such a lady, even when she didn’t need to be.

  “Kind? Hell no. I want the money first.” Sam held out one hand, and Declan noted the web of scars on her palm and wrist. Everyone had a story to tell, although sometimes no one wanted to hear it. He dug a golden eagle out of the pouch sewn into his trousers and gave it to her. Jo made a strangled sound but thankfully didn’t speak.

  She bit the coin and, satisfied it was real, gestured to the herd. “The pintos are good runners, but they’re not big enough to hold the both of you. You’re a big man. You’ll need one of the bays to hold your weight.”

  The woman knew her horses backwards and forwards. She spoke to each of them as she passed, touching furry necks, inquisitive noses or trembling flanks. Like a magical creature, she quieted the beasts with a simple contact. Sam didn’t seem like the kind of woman to take a compliment, a well-meaning one or not.

  She led them to a brown horse, a big gelding like the gray had been. This horse was missing half an ear and most of his tail. She had picked an ugly critter for them after all.

  “This is Apollo. He’s an old man, but strong and sturdy. Doesn’t run like lightning, but he’ll run all day.” She called to one of her crew. “Bring me that blanket.”

  A scraggly, skinny boy who looked as though he hadn’t eaten in several weeks brought the blanket. Declan turned around and noted Sam’s bunch all looked like unwanted, mismatched orphans. She must’ve collected the ugliest, scrawniest crew, even some who looked like girls and boys, to work for her. Not what he expected at all.

  Sam set the blanket on the horse’s back and Jo approached the animal. “Hello there, Apollo.” Jo stroked the equine neck softly. “My name is Josephine.”

  If they had more time, he would find out Sam’s story including her motley group, but as it was, they were a day behind because of everything that had happened.

  “I think he likes you.” Sam fastened a length of rope around the horse. Declan recognized she’d made makeshift reins, which she handed to Jo. “Tre
at him well. He hasn’t always had good owners.”

  Jo smiled at the other woman. “Thank you for the horse and your kindness.”

  “I told you, I ain’t kind. I got a business to run.” She flapped her hand. “The boys and I gotta get these horses moving before they get too used to staying here. Be on your way.”

  “Wait.” Declan followed the outspoken, grungy woman as she walked away. “One more thing.”

  Sam stopped, looking at him over her shoulder with a grimace. “You gonna stick me with that toothpick you’re carrying?”

  A rusty chuckle burst from his throat. “I would’ve done that already, lass, if I wanted to.”

  She turned and looked him over from top to bottom. He had a hard time not squirming under his intense gaze. “Lass, hm? Don’t believe I’ve ever been called that. You’re a big son of a bitch. Not from around these parts either. I’m guessing you know a thing or two about busting heads.”

  “I might.” Declan wore his past like a heavy cloak, laden with all the souls he’d dragged into darkness. He didn’t need a reminder. “That’s not what I came to talk to you about.”

  “What do you want then?” She folded her arms.

  “Have you seen two men riding south? One is bald, fifty or so. The other is short and dark. Names are Parker and Drummond.”

  “I might. What are they to you?” She stuck up her chin, her jaw hard.

  “Men who want to hurt my wife. If they come near us, I’ll kill them.” Stone-cold truth.

  Sam eyed him for another minute before she nodded. “I saw them. Couple of idiots who don’t know their ass from their elbow. About five miles west of here.”

  Declan was glad to know they hadn’t gotten too far ahead. “Thank you for that. We lost one of the pistols in the river, so we’re down to one and my knife. Those bastards are headed for her sister’s ranch near Horse Creek. We need to beat them there.”

  She nodded. “Follow the Sweetwater another twenty miles, then head east. You’ll run into Horse Creek.”

  Jo stepped up next to him. “I have to admit to being curious what you are conversing about so quietly.”

  “Sam has seen them.”

  His words made Jo stiffen, her expression hard. “I admit I had hoped they had fallen in a deep hole.”

  Sam snorted a laugh. “I like you, prissy lady. You got a backbone.”

  “I do not generally wish ill will on anyone, but those two are poor excuses for human beings.” Her face flushed with anger, lighting her on fire and damned if his body didn’t react. One taste of her and he was ready in an instant for more.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Sam squinted up at the sky. “You might want to move along. You’re burning daylight.”

  With that, the horsewoman disappeared into the herd of horses. She was a bit odd, but she was a straight shooter.

  “I have never met a woman like her. She is unique, but I find myself liking her.” Jo turned to him. “I cannot imagine what my life would be like if I had stayed in Brooklyn.”

  Declan didn’t either. He wouldn’t have been sent after her sister. He wouldn’t have broken free from the chains of his job as a Five Pointers enforcer. He wouldn’t have met Jo or fallen in love. Was all of this meant to have happened? It was hard to imagine life without Josephine. Ever.

  His heart thumped madly, fear and his own truth making him quake in his boots. Their life was meant to be. Their love was meant to be. Sweet Jesus.

  Declan swallowed the boulder-sized lump in his throat. “We should be on our way.” He led her back over to Apollo. The horse patiently waited where she’d left him.

  He wasn’t sure either of them could ride without a saddle, but at least Jo could sit on the horse’s back. She still hadn’t admitted she was in pain, but he knew she was. Declan could walk until his legs fell off. He couldn’t run like a horse, but damned if he wasn’t going to try.

  Jo held onto the rope with both hands. The jarring motion of the horse was worse without the saddle. The movement went straight up her spine as though someone jabbed her with a poker. On a positive note, her feet didn’t hurt and her clothes were dry.

  Declan ran beside the horse, keeping Apollo in a trot. His stamina didn’t surprise her. The man had the strength of an ox and was built like one too. She was strong and had walked behind him for two days, yet she knew she could not have achieved that marvelous feat of his colossal run. He sweated but didn’t appear to be winded. Cognizant of the effort he expended, Jo did not engage him in conversation.

  She took the opportunity to keep watch for Drummond and Parker, as well as any wildlife that might decide to attack them. Miss Sam was the first positive, non-lethal experience they’d had since they left the fort. The Wyoming wilderness had been hostile, more than she’d expected.

  However, the land itself was breathtaking. Towering trees, both deciduous and evergreen, swayed gently in the breeze. The air was clean and crisp, each breath she took sharp. The river sparkled in the late afternoon sun as though diamonds were floating on its surface. Tall grass waved, swishing as horse and man ran past. A rainbow of wildflowers peppered the ground, eye-popping colors of blue, yellow and orange.

  In the distance, she saw the rolling foothills that led to the mountains that lay beyond. One day she wanted to see those mountains, feel their magnificence firsthand. For now, she had to be content with the foothills and the promise of what would be.

  As the sun set, the landscape changed. Large brush strokes of rich oranges, purples and reds painted everything around her. The scent of nature grew crisper. Jo was stunned by what she saw, smelled, felt. As a woman who had read thousands of books, taught dozens of children hundreds of lessons, she had been ignorant until this moment. Completely, utterly ignorant.

  Her heart thumped, pushing the blood through her body. She was alive, blessedly alive in the splendor of nature, humbled by the sheer beauty surrounding her. Jo thought she knew so much, but all she knew were words. This was part of her education sorely lacking until now.

  Now she understood why people left their homes and all they knew to move west. She had seen the logic behind it, believed in her sister’s dream for their carpenter father. It had been more than difficult to move west and Jo had endured it all with her family. If only she had known what awaited them, it might have made the trip easier.

  With the right source of books and the man running beside her, Jo could live here. Forever. She’d never felt so at home or so alive. This was where she belonged.

  Apollo tossed his head, side-stepping toward Declan. He moved out of the way in time with a barely contained curse. As her faux husband caught his breath, Jo pulled the horse to a stop better than she thought she could. She patted the horse’s neck, surprised to find the gelding trembling beneath her touch.

  She glanced around, the hair on the back of her neck prickling. An eerie silence blanketed the air. The horse made a strange sound and moved toward Declan again. Jo met his gaze and saw the same worry in his blue eyes.

  He spoke in a harsh whisper. “Something ain’t right.”

  Rustling sounded in the tall grass behind her. This time Jo’s heart was not thumping in awe, it was galloping in fear. Declan stepped toward the horse and took the reins from her hands, his movements deliberate but slow.

  “Scoot back, lass.”

  She obeyed, giving him room to mount the horse, which he did with surprising ease considering his size. As he picked up the reins, a low growl split the silence.

  “Hang on!” Declan leaned forward and spurred the horse into a gallop. Jo gripped his waist for dear life.

  They exploded across the uneven ground, Apollo proving his godlike status by avoiding holes, jumping logs and keeping up a breakneck speed. Whatever was behind them followed, the growling punctuated by snapping branches and frightened birds winging away from the danger.

  “What’s back there?” Declan’s question floated to her on the wind whistling past her ear.

  Jo was afraid to
look, but she had to. They assumed danger, but it might be a deer or elk. Improbable but not impossible. She took a deep breath and turned her head to look.

  The wolf.

  “Oh dear God.” She tightened her grip on Declan, frantically clawing for purchase on the waistband of his trousers. “It is the wolf.”

  Her stomach dropped to knees. It was the same wolf, it had to be. The hatred in its eyes, the bared teeth, the wind whipping its gray fur as it ran full tilt after them. How had it tracked them that far?

  “Fucking hell.” He didn’t apologize for cursing and she didn’t expect him to. “Take the gun and shoot that son of a bitch.”

  Jo knew how to shoot a gun, but her hands shook as she slid the pistol from Declan’s waist. It was heavy, almost too much for her to grip. She forced her muscles and tendons to work, to hang onto the gun.

  “Now would be the time, lass,” Declan growled. “We can’t lose another horse to a wolf. Shoot the goddamn thing.”

  Jo’s mouth was cotton dry and she couldn’t manage to swallow. Fear made her hands slick but she managed to turn and aim the weapon. The wolf’s eyes glowed with fury as its jaws grew close enough to grab the horse’s tail.

  Shoot it. Shoot it now.

  She thumbed the hammer back and took aim. Jo squeezed the trigger too hard, her shot going wild, but it startled the wolf. It stumbled momentarily, giving Jo a moment to tighten her fingers and swallow the giant lump of fear in her throat.

  “Did ye get it?”

  “Not yet.” She closed her left eye and thumbed the hammer back a second time. The wolf was reenergized, scrambling for purchase on the scrubby ground and nearly flying toward them. Jo took a deep breath and fired. The bullet hit the animal right in the eye. Its head exploded, spraying blood and brains into the late-day air.

  The wolf went down, tumbling head over heels until it skidded to a halt. Jo stared at the animal, waiting to see if it would rise and chase them again. She half expected it to shake off the bullet and howl. Her stomach roiled at the carnage she had wrought. As they traveled forward, the wolf got smaller and smaller.