The Outlaw

by Lily Graison

  Virgil, the foul smelling man who’d taken her, jumped from his horse. “Fuck Colt. He aint the law around here.”

  Sarah listened to them argue, Virgil, the loudest. The majority of the conversation was about her but it soon turned to the money they’d stolen and to Colt, the man Sarah now knew led this gang of ruffians. Her thoughts turned to him as she stared at the men around her. If tobacco guy said Colt wouldn’t let Virgil keep her, did that mean he’d let her go? Somehow she didn’t think so.

  Long minutes ticked by and they seemed to forget she was there. While the men were occupied in their conversations, and heated arguments, Sarah slid along the rocks, inch-by-inch, careful to not make any sound. She was halfway to the small opening they’d ridden through by the time Virgil noticed her.

  He cocked his head to one side, grinning at her. “Where you think you’re going?”

  Sarah froze, her eyes wide as she stared at him. When he took a step toward her she leaped to her feet and ran. He caught her before she could make it to the opening of the outcrop they were hiding in. When he picked her up, her feet dangling in the air, she screamed. Her shrieks only caused them more glee, their taunts of what they’d do with her spoken with more certainty.

  Virgil yelled for a rope as he carried her to a nearby tree, the spindly branches sweeping low to touch the ground. The trunk was small and lashing her to it was done in a matter of minutes. With her hands behind her, fastened around the tree, she could move nothing but her feet, which she used whenever one of them came near her.

  “She’s a hellion, Virgil. Be hours a’ fore we can break her.”

  Sarah’s eyes burned and she blinked to erase the tears trying to form. “You come near me and I’ll break your nose!” When Virgil walked toward her, his hands on his belt buckle, she gritted her teeth and hoped to God she’d have the strength to fight them all off.

  “I can break her. Aint no woman around who can resist me.”

  Laughter from the others was blocked out as Sarah’s gaze fell to Virgil. His belt was undone and when he reached into his pants, pulling out his erection, she turned her head.

  The sun was going down, the sky painted in hues of purple and orange. Small puffy clouds dotted the horizon and she again wondered where William was. Of all the people she expected to come for her, he was the first on her list and not because he was the town marshal. He’d asked her to marry him. She should have given him a definite answer instead of telling him she wanted to think about it. Plain stubbornness had made her wait. That same stubbornness would probably be the death of her.

  Virgil closed the distance between them and it wasn’t until he was right in front of her that Sarah turned to look at him. And planted the toe of her boot in his groin. His womanly scream was followed by another as she kicked him again when he fell to his knees. Three more kicks followed the first two before he rolled far enough away she couldn’t reach him. She was panting for breath by then, those tears she’d been fighting filling her eyes.

  Watching the others, she waited for them to come at her but they were too busy laughing at Virgil’s failed rape attempt to bother. The sun crept lower on the horizon and by the time Virgil was able to stand again, the air had cooled.

  The look on his face when he turned toward her would have scared her on a normal day but after what she’d been through since noon, it didn’t faze her much. He was angry, that was a given, and the taunts from his friends only made it worse.

  He came at her again, knocking her foot away when she tried to kick him and backhanded her for her trouble. Her face exploded with heat from the brutal hit. When he grabbed her by the hair, slinging her head back into the tree, her vision blurred, her knees went weak, and her body slumped as pain shot through her head. His heated words were harsh next to her ear as he told her what he was going to do to her and she fought the dizzying need to close her eyes and slip into oblivion. He was pulling her skirts up when the laughter she heard in the background stopped. A small clicking sound in front of her forced her eyes open. The noise had come from a gun, its barrel lying against Virgil’s temple.

  “Let her go.”

  Virgil stilled, his watery eyes fixed on hers. When he smiled, Sarah saw his rotten teeth and looked away, up at the man she’d tried to shoot at the bank. Their leader, the blue-eyed man she knew she’d never forget.

  Colt, they had called him, glanced at her briefly; his eyes held a lethal calmness that caused a shiver to dance over her limbs.

  Fixing his gaze back on Virgil, he took a step closer and pushed the barrel of the gun harder into the side of his head. “I won’t ask you again, Virgil. Unless you want your brains splattered across this pretty ladies face, then I suggest you let her go.”

  Chapter Two

  Keeping the gun still was nearly impossible; Colt’s rage was so intense. Riding into camp to hear laughter, to see the girl from the bank tied to a tree and Virgil’s filthy hands on her had caused something inside him to snap. He’d wanted to shoot the bastard on the spot. The only reason he hadn’t was he was afraid he’d hit the girl.

  Looking into her terrified face and seeing blood on her lip, along with a red handprint on her cheek, he knew Virgil wouldn’t live to see morning. He’d make sure of that.

  Virgil was slow to move but finally let go of her, backing away. Colt took a step in front of her, his gaze landing on the others scattered amongst the rocks. No one seemed inclined to dispute him. “Get ready to head out. The longer we stay here the more likely the chances of them finding us.”

  Wade stepped away from the rocks, spitting out a wad of tobacco before wiping his mouth with the back of one hand. “What took you so long to get back?”

  Something in his eyes told Colt to tread carefully. “Had a few men follow me when I left town. I didn’t think leading them here was a wise choice but correct me if I was wrong.”

  The others mumbled something he couldn’t hear before they all stood and walked to their horses. Virgil flashed a scathing look toward him, and the girl at his back, before doing the same. When they were occupied seeing to their mounts, Colt turned around.

  She didn’t look as daring as she did back in town. She looked frightened, now. Upon entering the bank, he’d done the same thing he always did. Count heads and locate the idiot who would try to be the hero. He’d never slapped that title on a woman before but the moment she pulled that shotgun out from under the counter, pointed it at him and fired, his heart had lodged in his throat. She’d missed, thank God. She had guts, he’d give her that. She didn’t look as if she could handle a gun but shooting at him a second time proved him wrong. Luckily for him, she couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.

  When the smoke cleared and he saw her standing there, barrel of the gun pointed at his head, some twisted part inside him had wanted her. Wanted to see if she was as feisty in bed as she was out of it. Something told him she was regardless of her slight frame.

  His gaze roamed over her now that he could look his fill. She was finely built with a delicate bone structure with high, pert breast shoved into the tight bodice of her gown. Her hair was the color of honey with streaks of pale yellow mingled throughout. It was down now, falling in waves across her shoulders, the ends swinging around her hips, and his fingers itched to touch it. Her lips were perfect and plump, like sweet strawberries waiting to be tasted. His groin tightened thinking of doing just that. Too bad he didn’t have the time. Chances are, he’d never see her again.

  The thought snapped him out of his musings and he reached for the knife in his boot. Cutting the rope tying her hands, she slumped and he barely caught her before she hit the ground.

  Her waist was tiny and she was light in weight. A mere slip of a girl. Her hand rose to his shoulder, those large green eyes rising to look at him before she tried to jerk away.

  “Easy now. I’m not going to hurt you.” He helped her to a nearby rock, dismissing her claims she could walk. When she was sitting he pulled the bandana from his neck and blo
tted at her lip. “It’s not the cleanest but it’ll stop the blood.”

  She flinched and reached for it, giving it a dainty sniff before scowling. “Smells like outlaw to me.” She gave him a sardonic look before glancing past him to where the other men were. Colt followed her gaze, seeing everyone was on their horses and waiting.

  Pulling one of the pistols from the gun holster around his hips, he handed it to her, folding her skirt around it. “Keep that. I’m sure someone will be along for you soon.”

  Her eyes widened as she stare down at the gun. “You’re brave handing me this.”

  “How so?”

  She narrowed her eyes and leveled him with a look that promised violence. “I could shoot you the moment you turn your back.”

  Colt grinned and leaned down, bracing his hands on his knees, to be eye level with her. “You could. Of course, the others will probably kill you once you do. Well, after they’ve raped you repeatedly, that is.”

  Her color turned a funny shade of white before he saw her shudder. “Fine. I won’t shoot you.” She looked toward the others again before turning her attention back to him. “Am I to assume you’re leaving me here, then?”

  “Have no choice, sweetheart. You don’t want to be around that bunch, now do you?” He glanced at the others. “Just sit tight and shoot anything that comes near you.” He grinned and lifted one eyebrow. “Assuming you could actually hit it, of course.”

  She scowled and wrapped her hand around the gun. “I could have hit you if I’d really wanted to.”

  Colt wasn’t too sure about that. “If you say so.” He stood to his full height and stared down at her. He was loathed to leave her there but he didn’t have a choice. What he was about to do was too dangerous to involve her. She’d be safer there alone than she would be with him.

  Giving her one last look, he turned and walked to his horse. The others were watching him but he ignored their stares. When he was in the saddle, he gave the order to ride out. He waited until the others were through the opening before turning to look back at the girl. She was standing, his gun clutched to her chest. She looked so tiny standing there, so young. Leaving her to fend for herself tore at his conscience but he had no choice. He couldn’t take her with him regardless of how much he wanted to.

  Tipping his hat at her, he turned his horse and rode out, leaving her alone to find her own way back home.

  * * * *

  Sarah gaped at his back as he rode away. How could he leave her in the middle of nowhere? Sure he was an outlaw who robbed her father’s bank but he saved her from Virgil. That proved he had to have a heart, right? “Apparently not.”

  She shook her head. “What do I do now?” She glanced around the clearing, lost. She’d been kidnapped, almost raped, and now left stranded in the middle of the desert with nothing but an old bandana and a gun. She wasn’t even sure how to get back home and wandering the desert would get her nothing but dead.

  Tears filled her eyes and she wiped angrily at them. Crying wouldn’t do her any good. She was still lost with no way home and the possibility of someone finding her was slim.

  The more she thought about her current situation, the angrier she became. Regardless of who did what, it all came back to him. Colt. He was the cause of all this. It was probably his stupid idea to rob the bank in the first place. He was the reason she’d been taken and he was the reason she’d been left behind. He was to blame for all her troubles.

  She should have known the moment he pulled that bandana away from his face in town, and she’d felt her heart flutter at the mere sight of him, that he’d be her downfall. Her father always told her to not get suckered in by a pretty face. Just because someone was pleasing to the eyes didn’t mean they weren’t trouble and she knew Colt was trouble down to his spur-embellished boots.

  Clenching her teeth, she forced herself to not scream in frustration. If that man set one foot back in that rock gorge, she’d shoot him just to prove she could. “I’ll see you hanged for this, Colt!”

  Hot, tired and thirsty, she started for the entrance and spent the next half hour navigating the labyrinth of rock the outlaws had used as their temporary hideout. Once she cleared the mountainous maze, she inhaled a deep breath and stared in wonder at the vastness before her. There was no way she could walk all the way back to town. “You could have left me some water,” she said, to no one. “This gun will do me little good out here.”

  Sweat trickled down her back as she stood there. The sun was low in the sky, darkness only a few hours away but a case of nerves caused her stomach to ache and fear to crawl up her spine. She didn’t want to be out there alone in the darkness.

  Leaning against the rock wall, she considered her options. Sit and wait for someone to find her and possibly get eaten by some wild animal or try walking back to town and hope she didn’t die on the way or get eaten by some wild animal. Either option was idiotic.

  Blowing a strand of hair out of her face, she stuffed the gun into the inner pocket of her skirt. She looked at the bandana Colt had given her. It was the same one he’d used to cover his face during the bank robbery. The same one he’d pulled down so she could see his face. She bit back a smile and shook her head. Definitely arrogant. And every bit as handsome as she’d first thought. Her pulse leaped thinking of him. She scowled at her traitorous thoughts and tied the bandana around her hair to pull it off her face.

  Seeing a dust trail in the distance, she walked toward it. It was probably the outlaws making their clean get-away but she hoped it was a rescue party coming for her. Surely William knew she was missing by now. He’d come for her. She was positive.

  An hour later, the sun had sunk below the horizon and Sarah stopped when a strange noise caught her attention. She hadn’t made it far from the rocks and the dust trail she’d seen in the distance was swallowed by the coming darkness. The rumbling noise grew and it didn’t take long for her to realize it was the sound of horses running. A lot of them from the constant beat of it.

  Squinting into the darkness she made out a faint shape. It was headed straight for her. She didn’t know what it was but wasn’t going to wait around to find out. Turning, she ran back the way she’d come. The noise grew louder and a glance over her shoulder showed a horse and rider. She couldn’t make out who it was but her first thought was of Virgil. He’d probably shot Colt—the no good scoundrel—and had come back to finish what he started with her.

  Picking up her skirts, Sarah ran faster, her breaths panted out in sharp gasps. Moments later, the horse was right behind her. Something touched her back, the contact fleeting before she felt an arm wrap around her waist and she was picked up and swung into the air. She screamed, clinging to the arm around her waist as she was placed on the horse. A look behind her showed Colt, the expression on his face unnerving. A glance over his shoulder and she knew why. More riders, their dark shapes darting out of the darkness before they’d form a single blur on the horizon.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Trouble. Hold on.”

  She did. Sitting sideways across his lap, Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and kept her eyes on the riders behind them. Something had happened after they left. “Are those your friends following us?”

  He laughed. “Never were my friends, sweetheart. But yes, that’s them.”

  “What do they want?”

  “Me dead most likely.”

  Sarah looked at him. “You dead?” At his nod she rolled her eyes. “So why did you pick me up? So I could be dead with you?”

  He grinned. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but now you mention it…”

  “You ass! Why couldn’t you just leave me? Haven’t you caused me enough trouble for one day?”

  His smile grew before he glanced at her. “Gets lonely way out here by yourself. Figured since you had no where to be at the moment, you’d do as good as any for company.”