Slocum and the Trick Shot Artist

by Jake Logan

  “I—I—I don’t s-see a reason f-f-f—”

  “Ahhh,” Abernathy said with a wicked smile, which looked like a thin line cut by the same knife he twisted within the first few layers of flesh covering Justin’s chest. “There’s that nervous stammer of yours. I must be making you uncomfortable. I just want you to remember who’s in charge of this little coalition.”

  “Y-Y-You are.”

  “Excellent. And are you clear on my stance regarding the deaths of lawmen?”

  “O-On-Only when necessary.”

  “That’s right. They’re only to be shot when necessary.” Abernathy released his grip on Justin’s shirt, allowing his shoulders to hit the ground and the blade to come away from the shallow wound. “Play this right and we’ll both be rich in a short amount of time. You muck things up and I’ll put an end to you.” He straightened up, sheathed the blade in the hidden scabbard at the small of his back, and then smoothed out the front of his shirt. “I know you’re angry with me right now, so let’s start fresh in the morning.”

  “I ain’t angry, Mr. Abernathy.”

  “It’s perfectly natural. After all, I did lose my temper just now and threatened you in a most uncivilized way. I apologize. Do you accept my apology?”

  “Y-Yes.”

  “Good.” The older man went back to his stool, sat down, and picked up a small china cup that he’d been using to drink the tea he’d brewed a while ago. The tea had long gone cold, but he sipped it as if it had been freshly served to him by a waiter in a fancy suit. “And just so you know, I am fully aware of what you’re thinking right now. You’re thinking of all the ways you could hurt me, be it in my sleep or one of those times when you’ve got your rifle and you’re several yards behind me.”

  “No! I w-wouldn’t—”

  “It’s fine,” Abernathy interrupted. “Perfectly understandable. Just know that if we continue working together, we can part ways much better for having met each other. And if you intend on bringing me harm, try to do a good job of it. You won’t get a second chance.”

  “I don’t know where you got them notions about me from,” Justin said once his pulse had stopped racing. “I’m just in it for the money.”

  “Good. Just so long as we understand each other.”

  13

  Two days later, Slocum rode into the town of Hollister on his own. He and Haresh had been riding steadily to make it there less than half an hour after sundown. Right outside town, they’d separated, and Haresh had gone ahead first, to scout out the saloons for any information on Abernathy. Slocum was heading toward a different destination.

  Hollister was the kind of town that was about two steps away from being deserted. All that needed to happen was for a few more locals to get enough gumption to find somewhere else to be so more stray dogs and refuse piles could move in. Ghost towns looked like husks that had died a long time ago. Places like Hollister were more like mangy, flea-bitten mutts that didn’t have the good sense to roll over and die.

  Like most godforsaken towns, Hollister didn’t sleep. As Slocum rode down its widest street, he could hear men shouting and women screaming from just about every direction. Houses were dark and shut tight while saloons were alive with light, laughter, and music. There were businesses, hotels, and other conveniences necessary for a town to be any good to anyone, but those places were locked up tight and guarded by folks who would protect them with their lives. Some good people could be found, even in a place like Hollister. Usually, it just took longer to track one down. Slocum knew where to look in order to find at least one person he could rely on for some good information, and he went there without casting a glance at any of the saloons, cathouses, or gambling dens he passed along the way.

  Actually, he did cast more than a glance at one bordello called The Starlight House. He looked at the narrow, three-story building on the corner, climbed down from the saddle, and led his horse to the small lot around back. Girls called down to him every step of the way from a few of the windows on the second and third floors. When he approached the back door, one of them waved at him and said, “Come around to the front, handsome.”

  “I’d prefer to use the back door.”

  “You’re just the man I’ve been waiting for! I’d prefer if you use my back door, too!”

  Slocum couldn’t believe he’d walked into that one. It had been a long day.

  “It’s locked but not for long, cowboy,” the woman shouted. “Stay there and I’ll be right down.”

  Even though he was only kept waiting for a few seconds, Slocum lost his patience and tried the door anyway. It was locked, as promised, which didn’t stop him from rattling the handle.

  Finally, the door was opened by the same woman who’d been shouting at him from above. She had long, dark brown hair and full lips. Her skin was richly tanned and plenty of it could be seen thanks to the silver corset she wore. The upper portion of her garment cradling her breasts was made of black lace. “I told you to come in around the front,” she said. “You’re lucky I came down to let you in.” She took his elbow and pulled him inside. Rubbing her hand along his muscled forearm, she added, “Or maybe I’m the lucky one.”

  “I’m here to see Olivia.”

  “Oh, come now, sugar. I can take care of you just fine.”

  “I’m sure you can,” Slocum said. “But I’m here for Olivia.”

  She let go of his arm and took half a step back as if she’d just found out he was carrying the pox. They stood in a dark kitchen that still smelled like what Slocum guessed was beef stew. The woman put her hands on her hips and scowled at him as she asked, “What’s the matter? You not get yer pecker polished good enough last time so now you wanna complain?”

  “No!” Slocum chuckled. “I mean . . . that’s not why I’m here.”

  “Then why do you want to see her? Any man who comes in demanding to see one of the bosses is either unhappy or fishing for a discount. Believe me,” she added as some of the former sweetness returned to her face, “I was thinking of cutting you a mighty good deal without any fuss.”

  Slocum wasn’t about to pull away as the working girl pressed against him and slipped one hand between his legs. She smelled of lilacs and a hint of sweat that most likely hadn’t come from the earlier day’s sun. It was a scent that reached down to the same parts of him she was already stroking. She got even closer to him and purred, “I know another girl that might be a lot more fun if that’s what you want. Cost you extra, though.”

  “I think Mr. Slocum knows what he wants,” said someone from the other side of the small room.

  The brown-haired woman hopped away from him and spun on the balls of her feet to face the new arrival. A slender woman with almond-shaped eyes and rounded cheeks stood in the doorway leading from the kitchen to the rest of the first floor. Her long, coal black hair hung well past her shoulders, and she wore a black slip with red trim as if it were a full ball gown. Rigid posture and confident steps made her seem like the queen of the castle. Inside the walls of The Starlight House, that’s exactly who she was.

  “Evenin’, Miss Olivia,” the brown-haired woman said.

  “Hello, Janie.”

  Slocum touched the brim of his hat and grinned. “Olivia.”

  Olivia’s countenance changed considerably as she smirked and said, “Hello, John.”

  “So you two know each other?” Janie asked.

  Slocum set his saddlebags down and turned around to start rummaging through the cabinets for something to eat. “That’s right. It’s been a while, though. I was hoping she hadn’t forgotten about me. How’ve you been, Olivia?”

  Her steps were short and confident as Olivia moved into the kitchen. Dismissing the other woman with a gentle tap on her shoulder, she waited for Janie to leave the room before saying, “I’ve been good, John. I wish you would have let me k
now you were coming.”

  “Why? So you could have baked me a cake? By the looks of this kitchen, you still don’t know how to do much more than boil water.”

  She stepped up to him and placed a hand on top of the one he’d used to open a cabinet. “You want something cooked for you? Go to a restaurant. You want something sweeter than cake? You come to The Starlight House.”

  “I need information on some outlaws that have been in these parts recently. I also need a place to sleep where I don’t have to do it with one eye open . . . so I came to you.”

  Olivia smiled. “If I was still in that line of work. This isn’t the gambling hall where I was working before.”

  “No. It’s a cathouse. Both are just the places that men of all sorts tend to frequent. And since you deal in keeping track of certain kinds of men so you can sell what you know to the highest bidder, I’d say this place is just your style.”

  Her lips were painted a deep, velvety red. She drifted close enough to Slocum for him to feel her hot breath on his mouth when she parted those lips and whispered, “We did a lot more than trade information the last time we got together.”

  Olivia slid gently along his side, wrapping one leg around him to brush it against his inner thigh. Her hand cupped his growing erection just enough for him to feel her touch. Unlike the other woman’s clumsy groping, Olivia clung to him like fragrant smoke and touched him in a way that would linger in his thoughts for weeks to come.

  “We sure did,” he sighed.

  Her other hand drifted down to tug at his belt. Since that was his gun belt, Slocum’s instinctual response was to snap a hand down and pull hers away. Even though he’d been rougher than he would have chosen, she didn’t seem to mind one bit. Olivia’s eyes were wide and she drew in a quick, excited breath.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Making the most of our reunion. Have I touched a nerve?”

  “No. You just surprised me is all.”

  “Good, because I’ve only started touching you.”

  She removed his gun belt and placed it on the closest counter so it was in Slocum’s sight and, more important, within his reach. She then turned her attention to loosening his jeans enough for her to slide one hand inside them, all the way down to his stiffening cock. “There you are,” she whispered.

  “I didn’t come for this,” Slocum said. Quickly he added, “Not that I mind, but there’s business to attend to.”

  Still massaging his erect penis, she asked, “Business before pleasure?”

  “Aw, to hell with it.” With that, Slocum shifted his feet and turned her around so he was standing directly in front of her and Olivia’s back was against a counter. He leaned forward and kissed her hard. She responded immediately by opening her mouth and easing her tongue into his. Her body was just as he remembered—smooth in all the right spots and firm in others. Olivia’s hips writhed beneath his hands, allowing him to feel every muscle working as she ground against him. One leg slid up and down the outside of his thigh, and when he reached around to cup her buttocks in both hands, she let out a welcoming sigh.

  Although the blood was rushing through his veins in a current that he could hear, Slocum could also hear the voices of some of the girls as well as a few customers in other parts of the house. “Should we take this somewhere else?”

  “This ain’t a restaurant, John. Nobody comes here for the kitchen, and if someone does catch sight of us, it’ll probably just get them worked up enough to go upstairs with one of the other girls.”

  “Well then,” Slocum said as he lifted her up and set her onto the counter, “let’s see what we can do to get someone worked up.”

  Judging by the dampness between her legs, Olivia was plenty worked up already. Slocum hiked up her skirts and felt all the way up her inner thigh to make that pleasant discovery. She started gnawing on his earlobe, moaning contentedly as he rubbed the lips of her pussy up and down.

  “God, you know just how to touch me,” she whispered.

  The few undergarments she’d been wearing had been easy enough to pull aside. Slocum grabbed hold of them and tugged them off. When one silky piece of fabric snagged between her leg and the edge of the counter, he pulled hard enough to tear it. The sound of ripping fabric sent a shudder through Olivia’s body and she spread her legs even farther.

  Other voices could be heard in some of the nearby rooms, but he didn’t pay them any mind. Overhead, the occasional woman’s moan could also be heard as one customer or another was given the night they’d paid good money for. Olivia tugged at Slocum’s shirt so she could rub her hands along his bare chest. Slocum got her skirts up all the way to her waist and looked down at the sight of tightly muscled thighs that were already glistening from her dripping pussy. Suddenly, he had the urge to put her in his mouth. Her pussy was wet and inviting, and he knew a few well-placed licks would get Olivia purring like a kitten. Before he could make a move, however, she’d reached down to grab his cock with both hands. Her legs wrapped around him to pull him closer as she guided his rigid pole to her slit.

  “Don’t make me wait, damn you,” she snarled. “Fuck me.”

  Some women tried to talk dirty at moments like these. Many sounded foolish or just ignorant. Olivia’s voice was taut and there was a primal quality to it, her words resonating in a way that made Slocum’s erection so powerful it bordered on painful. The only way for it to feel better was to do what she asked and he had no intention of resisting her.

  Slocum inched forward and slipped his hands beneath Olivia’s ass. As she guided him into her, he lifted her up an inch or so while pulling her closer. That way, when he thrust forward, he buried his cock into her as deep as it could possibly go. Her response was a shuddering moan that echoed within the empty kitchen. It wasn’t a large room, and the door had been shut. There was a small, rectangular window built into the door that was occasionally darkened by shadows passing on the other side. One of those shadows lingered for a moment as Slocum tightened his grip on Olivia’s backside and pounded into her. She grunted and wrapped her arms around his neck. The shadow whispered something to a companion and moved on.

  Soon, Slocum and Olivia fell into a rhythm where he pumped in and out of her and she ground her hips against him. After a few minutes, she took hold of his shoulders and leaned back to stare directly into his eyes. Somewhere along the line, Olivia’s blouse had been pulled open just enough for him to make out the curve of her breasts and to glimpse her dark little nipples. The expression on her face was intensely focused, and she leaned back as far as she could while thrusting her hips in short, powerful motions.

  Slocum looked down at her sweaty body, running one hand flat against her tit. As he teased her erect nipple between his thumb and forefinger, he let his eyes wander down to the spot where their bodies joined. His cock was slick with her juices and slid in and out of her like a piston. Her pussy tightened on him as she wrapped her arms and legs around him so he couldn’t get away.

  Olivia was watching the same show he was. Soon she eased a hand between her thighs, and as he pumped into her again and again, Olivia rubbed her clitoris in small, slow circles. Her eyes closed tightly, and her breaths became trembling moans as her climax swiftly approached. When her muscles started to tense, Slocum pounded into her even harder to give her an orgasm that snapped her head to one side and arched her back.

  Slocum expected her to cry out or to scream exotic profanity that could be heard throughout the house. Instead, Olivia grunted and strained as if all those things were lodged in the back of her throat and she was unable to push them out. Rather than fall onto her elbows for support once her pleasure subsided, Olivia started nibbling his neck and kissing his ear.

  “What are you up to now?” she whispered as Slocum cupped her tight little ass and picked her up off the counter.

  His answer came thro
ugh action, not words.

  As he carried her away from the counter, Olivia hung on to him using both her arms and legs. He was still buried inside her as he turned to get a look at the rest of the kitchen. It was a small, confined space filled mostly by two short counters, a few sets of cupboards, and a potbellied stove. The only flat section of wall space he could find was near the door leading into the rest of the house, so Slocum shuffled over there until Olivia’s shoulders bumped against the wall and part of the door.

  Once he had her braced there, Slocum began thrusting into her hard enough to knock her backside against the door. He cushioned her partially with his hands, but Olivia wasn’t about to complain. On the contrary, she grabbed him tightly with legs that locked around his waist and hands that drove fingernails into the flesh of his back and shoulders.

  “Yes!” she snarled. “Yes!”

  Slocum drove every inch of his cock into her pussy, which gripped him tighter than her legs. He kneaded the flesh of her backside with both hands, both to hold her in place as well as to feel the tightness of her body as she writhed in pleasure. Each thrust brought Slocum closer to his own apex. His breath became labored and rough. As his grip tightened on her, Olivia’s loosened. At least, her legs loosened enough to drop down toward the floor.

  “Put me down,” she said.

  It took Slocum a moment to collect himself enough to for a single word. “Why?”

  “Just do it. Quickly!”

  Thinking they’d gotten a visitor that was too close for her comfort, Slocum set her down and stepped back. Rather than try to straighten herself up for an uninvited guest, she placed her hands flat upon his chest and pushed him back until he was stopped by one of the cupboards.