by Faye Byrd
The sun is just creeping over the horizon, bathing the desert in a pinkish-orange glow, by the time we get him settled.
Frank winces as Josie tugs the rope tight ‘round his wrists, the cactus needles pushing into his skin. “Ya know,” she says, moving to his other wrist. “It don’t have to be this way. I ain’t sayin’ that my outlaw’s a perfect man or anythin’, but I am sayin’ that his supposed crimes ain’t all they cracked up to be. Behind every dead man lies a damn good reason.”
“And what about your crimes, Miss Josephine?” he asks, tilting his head, studying her.
“What about ‘em?” she snaps, tugging extra hard on the rope.
“There was two men killed by a double barrel shotgun on your property. I’d venture to say you was on the other end of it,” he informs her, and I blanch in my spot. He’s got more on her than I thought, murder even.
She snorts and sits back on her haunches to eye him. “You think ‘cause I’m a woman, I’m just ‘posed to let some gunslingin’ men come on my property and do as they please?” She rolls her eyes. “If I was a man, it’d be considered protectin’ what’s mine. What’s makes it so different for me?”
“Ya sayin’ the outlaw’s yours?” he asks, then continues, “Because as far as I can see, that was all you was protectin’.”
She gets real close like, nose to nose with him. “He is mine,” she says with force. “But so was that property those gunslingers thought they could come and take over. It’s my right as a landowner to make ‘em leave, and if they won’t, then they suffer the consequences.”
Frank sighs. “Ya might have a point, Miss Josephine. If you’d stayed and reported it.”
She bobs her head up and down in agreement. “Okay, Ranger. I’ll give ya that. All I’m gone say is this, when ya get loose, do the right thing. You a lawman, investigate.”
“Let’s say I do.” He cuts his eyes in my direction. “If I do find evidence to back ya claims, are ya gone come face the courts? Get ya name cleared?”
Josie gets up and comes to stand before me while I ponder what he’s asking. Can I take a chance like that? Can I risk it? Put my fate—our fate—in the hands of those who keep trying to bring me in?
Her hand reaches up and cups my cheek. “Is that what ya want, Outlaw? What ya dream of?”
I grab ahold of her arm and close my eyes. When I reopen them, I have my answer. “No,” I state firmly and then a little louder. “No.” I move from in front of her and lean down so I’m eye to eye with the ranger. “Maybe a year ago I might’ve taken ya up on that deal, but now? Now I got Josie with me, and I’d never risk her fate to the same law who let me down so long ago.”
“Did they really let ya down, son, or did ya not give ‘em a shot?” he asks all too knowingly. I took the situation into my own hands and never looked back. So for that, I got to take responsibility.
“You right,” I agree. “I didn’t. But somehow, in my gut, I know the outcome would’ve most likely ended with my death had I gone that route. So if bein’ an outlaw the rest of my life is the cost of retribution for the murder of my parents”—his eyebrows rise high—“yes, murder, then so be it.”
“Least I know where to start,” he states after conceding with a nod.
I stand and look back down at him one more time. “Maybe ya should ask yourself why there was two dead gunslingers on my parents’ property, too.” That’s my parting remark as I grab Josie and help her on Piano Girl’s horse, pulling myself up behind her.
We join Baby Face and his sidekick a little farther up the trail. For one, we left ‘em as lookouts and for another, we didn’t want to add to their list of crimes. It seems all I do to people who try to get close is drag ‘em into my lifestyle.
“All taken care of?” Baby Face asks as we ride.
“Yep, we ought a have a good head start. Cowgirl tied him extra tight.” I smirk and tickle her side.
“Good.” He nods. “Where to now?”
“Me and Josie got a train to catch, and you two should leave this town behind. Get somewhere else and blend in. I doubt ya earned a wanted poster for helping us get free,” I tell him and watch as his face falls with every word.
“What ya mean, get somewhere and blend in?” he asks, crossing his arms in a huff. “Me and Minnie done risked a lot when we decided to come save ya asses.”
“We know ya did, Levi,” Josie says soothingly. “And we appreciate it, too.”
“How’d that happen anyway?” I ask, curious as to how he even knew the ranger was coming for us.
“Well, I work in the saloon,” he says like that explains everything, and I guess it sort of does, but I’d still like to hear exactly what happened.
Piano Girl rolls her eyes at Baby Face and says, “It ain’t like you was the one who heard it in the first place, anyway.”
“Yeah, but after ya—”
“Enough,” Josie snaps, aiming one of my Colts she done grabbed out of its holster. “We don’t care who heard what, we just want to hear what happened. Got it?”
“Y-yes, Miss Josie,” Baby Face stutters.
But not Piano Girl, she huffs and crosses her arms. “Why ya always aimin’ a damn gun at somebody. We saved ya asses, ya’d think ya’d be nicer to us.”
Josie pulls back the hammer. “I am bein’ nice. Ya ain’t dead, right?”
Piano Girls eyebrows rise high, and she holds up her hands. “N-no offense meant. Just sayin’.”
Josie sighs and lowers the gun. “Well, just tell the story and we won’t have a problem, okay?”
Baby Face looks to Minnie. “You tell ‘em,” he says nervously.
She snorts at him and then looks to us. “So I was taking a break from the piano, right, helpin’ Levi serve the tables. Turns out, I hear these two men discussin’ a plan. Lucky for you two I recognized ya name and told Levi what I heard. So then, he takes a break and sits at a table close by so he can hear all what they sayin’. I took care of the bar and let him eavesdrop.” She shrugs like that explains it all, so I turn my eyes to Baby Face.
“What was they sayin’?” I demand.
He clears his throat. “They was discussin’ they plan to ambush ya in the middle of the night. I listened to the whole thing. By the time they left, I knew where ya was stayin’ and what time they was plannin’ on coming for ya, so it was easy to show up and stop ‘em.”
Josie huffs and says tersely, “Levi.” He snaps his terrified eyes in her direction, afraid of what she may do next. “It didn’t dawn on ya just to warn us in the first place?”
“I-I—”
“I tried to suggest that,” Piano Girl cuts off his stuttering self, “but he wanted to save the day, be the big hero.” She rolls her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Miss Josie,” he says sincerely. “I just wanted to prove myself to Nathan.”
“Why would ya need to prove yourself for?” I ask, exasperated. “Ya already done helped me out once a ‘fore.”
He hangs his head at my tone, but then his shoulders stiffen, and he looks back at me, his eyes narrowed. “Ya know,” he starts with a curl to his lip, “after ya killed West in my bar, things just wasn’t the same. Lawmen from far and wide came in, all of ‘em wantin’ to be the one to nab Outlaw Nathan King. And then, they started questionin’ me and why I didn’t shoot ya myself. I figured it was ‘bout time I cleared out of there. So I did.”
Nudging their horse, he moves closer. “I abandoned the saloon my pa left me ‘cause I done gone and got myself in a little hot water helpin’ Outlaw Nathan King. But ya know what?” he asks.
I shrug my shoulders ‘cause how am I ‘posed to know. “What?”
He smiles, and his hands reach around Piano Girl, pulling her body a little closer to his. “I found somethin’ even better.” He smiles and pecks her on the cheek. “Someone. But she ain’t come without a price.”
“What ya mean, Levi?” Josie asks, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern.
He takes a deep breath and dis
mounts, holding Piano Girl’s hand as she does the same. Josie glances at me, and we follow suit, coming to stand beside ‘em as we all watch the magnificent sun make its full appearance over the horizon.
With a shake to clear his head, he turns back to face me and Josie. “I found Minnie in a brothel”—at my raised brows, he holds up his hands—“not what ya thinkin’. Her pa was a semi-wealthy man who married a whore. When he died suddenly, she kept it all and put Minnie to work.”
Piano Girl—Minnie, lowers her head as if she’s ashamed, but my cowgirl’s having none of it. “Minnie,” she says gently, lifting her chin. “Ya ain’t got nothin’ to worry about here. We all got our bad moments, and this sounds like it ain’t even ya own doin’.”
Minnie sucks in a deep breath and gives Josie a small nod, her confidence building again. “Thank ya, Miss Josie.”
My cowgirl reaches out and hugs her. “That’d be just Josie to ya from now on. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am, I mean, Josie,” she says with a small smile.
Josie turns back to Baby Face, hands on hips. “And?”
“And I stole her in the middle of the night,” he declares, his jaw clenching with thought. “I left and took her with me. But see, the thing is, her pa had a will. Minnie knows he did ‘cause he went over it with her ‘fore he married that whore.”
“She tricked him,” Minnie cuts in. “He didn’t know she was a whore. All she ever did was act all prim and proper ‘round Pa. But I knew she was up to somethin’. I just knew it.” Her arms cross over her chest, and she huffs as if it’s all her fault her pa chose the wrong lady.
“Thing is,” Baby Face jumps back in, “it’s in a safe deposit box at the bank.”
“Yeah,” Piano Girl adds. “My pa told me Mr. Elkins was keepin’ it safe and sound. Only, he acted like he didn’t know what I was talkin’ ‘bout when I asked after Pa died.”
“He must be workin’ with the whore,” Baby Face says, nodding like he done figured it all out. “Ain’t no way we can get in that box, is there?” The look on his face is hopeful, though, like he knows just what I’m gone say.
“Well, I wouldn’t say that.” I lift a brow at my cowgirl.
“Outlaws rob banks all the time,” she chimes with a nod, reading me like a book.
Baby Face smirks. “That’s what I was hopin’ Outlaw Nathan King would say if I could ever find him again. Turns out, luck was on my side. Well, that and the rumors of the train robbery were true.”
“What?” I asked, shocked that there was rumors ‘bout the train.
He nods his head. “Yep, why ya reckon that ranger knew where to find you? Guess he heard ‘em too.”
“What you hear?” Josie asks, leaned in close, her interest piqued.
“Just that Nathan King had tickets for a train from Tucson to Yuma. Bein’ me, I knew if it was true, ya was gone stop somethin’, not rob it yourself,” he explains. “I was just crossin’ my fingers and hopin’ ya was gone need a drink while ya was in town.”
“No mention of me then?” Josie crosses her arms with a huff. “Guess I’m gone have to work harder to get my name out there.”
I chuckle and pull her close, under my arm. “I just bet ya name’s spreadin’ like wildfire as we speak,” I say lowly in her ear.
“For sure, Josie,” Minnie agrees with me. “There was lots a talk in the saloon last night of Nathan King’s sexy sidekick and how she handled her double barrel.”
My jaw tightens, not sure if I like hearing ‘bout “talk” of my cowgirl, especially the goings on in a saloon. Josie feels my muscles tense and snuggles in closer, her hand going to my stomach in an attempt to soothe.
She reaches up, and her lips brush my ear. “Just member whose double barrel I’ll always be handlin’,” she says all breathy and low.
And that’s all I needed to hear, ‘cause the tension drops and a cocky smile forms on my lips with the thoughts she’s creating. “Damn right, Cowgirl.”
“So, we doin’ a bank heist or what?” Baby Face asks, cutting into our moment.
Me and Josie eye each other and with a nod, I turn to him. “Heck yeah, we are.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The Last Visit
JOSIE
We leave Levi and Minnie in Yuma with a plan to meet in two week’s time at a prearranged location. So when our train finally rolls back into Tucson, first thing we do is make our way toward Arrow and Star. It’s only been a couple days, but both Nathan and me are feeling the loss.
As soon as we make it to the livery on the outskirts of town, the owner comes hurrying our way. I can tell by his urgency that something ain’t right. I already tense myself ‘cause if something done happened to my horse, hellfire gone rain down.
“Oh, thank God, Mr. King,” he says as he approaches, his hands fluttering in front of him. “I was hopin’ you was gone be back soon.”
Nathan stops and waits for the man to stand before us. “I know you ain’t gone tell me somthin’ done happened to our horses,” he says in a voice that means business, and he darn well better ‘cause Star’s more important than anything I own, ‘sides my outlaw.
“N-not really,” the man sputters, his complexion white as a ghost.
My outlaw steps closer, right up in his face. “What does not really mean?”
“I-it’s j-just th-that—”
“Spit it out,” my outlaw cuts in all hard and demanding, causing shivers to race up my spine.
The man stops and collects himself before blowing out a deep breath. “The sheriff came and confiscated ya horses,” he spits out so fast I almost can’t understand him.
Nathan tenses and reaches up, grabbing the poor quivering man by his shirt. “What you just say?”
“I-I um—”
My outlaw shakes him once really hard and draws him right up into his face. “Talk,” he orders.
The man’s almost hyperventilating this time as he repeats what he said earlier, then he adds, “I swear, Mr. King, I don’t know how he knowed they was yours. I even showed him my record book where I got that fake name recorded. He wasn’t buyin’ my story. Threatened to throw me in jail even.”
Nathan’s eyes turn to slits, but he takes a deep breath through his nose ‘fore letting it out and slowly trying to loosen his grip on the man. I can see him warring with himself, not sure if he wants to take it out on the man or not.
Finally, he releases him and steps back. “So the sheriff confiscated our horses? How’d he know ‘bout both of ‘em?”
“Well,” the man hedges. “See, that’s where my tryin’ to prove they wasn’t ya horses comes in. The name I showed him had two horses boarded here, so he insisted on takin’ ‘em both.”
“Shit!” Nathan exclaims and spins, his hand going to his hair.
The man moves back some. “I’m sorry, Mr. King. I was doin’ everythin’ I could to stop him.”
I step closer to my outlaw, tightening my fingers around his arm. “It’s okay, Outlaw. We’ll just go retrieve Arrow and Star like we would anythin’ else that got taken from us.”
“But the sheriff has ‘em,” he argues, a little bit of panic in his eyes.
“Since when is that gone matter?” I ask, attempting to bolster his confidence.
He stops tugging his hair and lowers his arm, his muscles relaxing under my touch. “It ain’t,” he responds, his voice firmer, more sure. He turns back to the man who’s trying to blend into the background. “Where ya think he took ‘em?”
The man rubs his chin and then snaps his fingers together. “I bet he took ‘em to his farm. Can’t imagine anywhere else he could store ‘em.”
“And that’d be?” my outlaw asks, waving a hand as if the man should a known to tell him from the get-go.
“Oh, sorry,” he apologizes. Then he moves in closer and drops to the dirt, picking up a stick. He then proceeds to draw out a little map, directing us to the sheriff’s farm.
We thank him and turn to make our way from the ba
rn when he stops us. “What I’m ‘posed to tell the sheriff when he comes at me because ‘em horses are a missin’?”
My outlaw just smirks. “Tell him ya ain’t heard from the man that left ‘em.”
The man smiles and nods. “Will do.”
Nathan and me leave on foot and start making our way toward the sheriff’s property. We bide our time and sneak around ‘til we spot a barn. Laying low, we sit in wait for the sun to fall. And when it does, like thieves in the night, we ride out, happy to be united with Arrow and Star.
Two weeks later, we meet up with Minnie and Levi and spend the next few weeks working on a plan that satisfies us all. We gone have to stake out that bank ‘fore we can just run in and take it over. Looks like we headed to Nevada where the bank is located.
Since we gone leave the Arizona Territory, we intend to make one more stop by the Thomas Ranch, not knowing if we’ll ever be heading back this way. It’s a scary thought, leaving, but also an exhilarating one.
It’s time to spread our wings and see what’s out there. Too many people ‘round these parts looking to take down the great Nathan King and his nifty new sidekick, Josie.
I smirk at the thought.
It’s right about lunch time when we make our way down the long drive. Four instead of two. Seems Levi and Minnie done joined the team, for now at least. Somehow, though, I think they here to stay. And I think I’m okay with that.
Long as they know who runs this show.
Which is my outlaw … sort of.
I mean, he does, but so do I. We a team who work together and think alike. And when the other needs a little boost of assurance or a push in the right direction, the other is there to offer it. As long as Levi and Minnie can live with that, then I can live with them.
We ain’t even halfway down when we spot a carriage headed our way. We stop and wait for it to approach. And my gosh, soon as it’s close enough to make out May and Roy riding atop does it come to a sudden halt with May jumping down before Roy can even try to assist her.
