by Dawn, Autumn
“Max is going with me,” Alex said calmly, braced for the inevitable explosion. She’d already talked with Max, and even if she backed out now, Alex was going. It was a good thing Harmon was absent. She doubted he would have approved of her methods, but then, she’d rarely approved of his.
Slashing her hands through the air as if whacking brush, Charlie snapped, “Oh, no. No way! Max isn’t getting anywhere near that place. She’s too young, and too…she’s not going.”
Alex slowly straightened. “She’s old enough to decide for herself, as I am. You’re free to make your choices, and we’re free to do the same. Unlike you, I don’t have anyone to answer to.” She met Dakota’s eyes, her expression telling him firmly that he might be Charlie’s mate in all but name, but it had nothing to do with Alex. Fortunately, he stayed out of the argument.
Charlie sputtered, but decided to ignore the accusation. She could be annoyingly single-minded. “So you’re saying Gabe and Sydney should have free rein, too? Is that where you’re going with this?”
“No. We were talking about Max. I want a backup and a chaperone, and she’ll work for both.”
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“No,” Dakota said firmly. When she shot him an ugly look, he said, “Your younger sisters need you here.” What he meant was they needed someone in authority with an unsullied reputation. She understood well enough. Alex was going in a direction Charlie couldn’t afford to follow.
“Then we should all go,” Charlie said, unconsciously turning to him.
“No. It won’t work if we all descend en mass. There’s a delicate balance here, Charlie,” Alex said with a frown. “Don’t muck it up for me.” She turned and walked out the door, unwilling to listen any more.
The door banged behind her, but she ignored it, heading for the barn. She needed time to think.
Levi followed her in and spun her around. Fury and determination darkened his eyes. “You’re not going.”
She inclined her head. “You have no say, Levi.”
His eyes glowed. “You’re not going to throw away your reputation and your virtue chasing after that no good son of bitch! I won’t allow it.”
Fury made her snap. “You won’t allow it? Are you my husband? My lover? Are you even my friend?
“Tell me, Levi, how many days have you spent courting me? When was the last time you even smiled at me?”
She was sick of his attitude, sick of his delusions of ownership. She wanted to punish him, so she smiled cruelly. “Fact is, sweetie, I’ve already got a lover. Had him for some time, so you can kiss my virtue goodbye, if that’s what excites you.” She smiled coldly into his shocked face. “Don’t worry, honey. Tochtli will take real good care of me.”
A snarl of rage twisted Levi’s face as he pinned her against the wall. “You’re lying!”
The sound of a gun being cocked froze him cold.
“Take your hands off my sister,” Max said coolly from behind him. She shoved the muzzle against the back of his skull. “I’d love to make a breezeway in your head.”
“You wouldn’t.”
The gun caressed the back of his neck. “My sister was shooting outlaws when she was sixteen. You’re looking like one just now.”
With a curse, he released Alex and slowly raised his hands. Max gave him space, her gun never wavering. “Now get lost.”
Levi curled his lip, but he left. Stalked off, more like.
Max waited until he was out of earshot. “You shouldn’t have lied.”
“It got him off my back.”
“No, I got him off your back. All you did is get him madder than a wounded grizzly. He’ll be back, and he won’t be happy.”
“Good. He deserves to have his heart broken. But never mind that; you’ve proven you’re exactly the backup I need.”
Max sent a thoughtful look in the direction Levi had left. “You’ll need to watch your back with that one. He’s powerfully mad. No telling what he’ll do.”
Alex snorted. “He’s civilized enough. I haven’t seen him in buffalo briefs and war paint lately. Just because he’s in a snit, doesn’t mean I’ll suddenly fear him.”
“It’s more than a snit, but I guess you can always shoot him,” Max mused. “Be careful about it, though. We don’t need war with the Eagles.”
Alex sighed. “It won’t come to that.” She found the old tack she’d been looking for and took it outside. “I need some peace. I’m going to mend this by the river. If you hear me shooting, it’s probably at Levi.”
Max smirked, but cautioned, “Be careful.”
Alex was seated on the log overlooking the river for a quarter hour when the big black coyote slunk from the brush, a rabbit in his mouth.
“What do you want?” she asked, fingering her gun.
The coyote dropped the rabbit at her feet and whined.
She frowned. “I don’t get it.”
He panted. After a moment he lay down at her feet, his muzzle an inch from her boot. She grumbled and scooted away.
He crawled forward and rested his chin on her foot.
She pursed her lips, but couldn’t bring herself to kick him. “You’d deserve it, though,” she muttered, flexing her foot.
He sighed and closed his eyes.
Well. She stared at him. She was still boiling mad, but it wasn’t in her to abuse animals. She could yell at him, though. “You reek. You’re overbearing and rude, and you don’t know your mind. I don’t have to put up with your crap.” When he remained silent, she admitted, “You hurt my feelings.”
He licked her hand.
She grimaced and pushed him away, wiping her hand on her jeans. “Ick. Cut it out.”
He padded over to a large pine and carefully grasped something with his teeth. He dropped the pinecone at her feet and looked at her expectantly. When she frowned, he found a nice stick and added that to the collection.
“You either want to chase a stick or you’re bringing me stuff,” she guessed.
He woofed.
“You’re bringing me stuff,” she said slowly, and was surprised to feel a blush. She looked away. It was a big deal when shifters brought a girl food. He was showing that he wanted to take care of her. “It’s not that easy to get into my good graces,” she said, trying to sound tough. “You’ve really messed up.”
“I know,” he said, making her jump. He sat next to her, dressed only in partially buttoned pants. Stupid, sneaky, and quick shifter. “I apologize. I’ve been…conflicted.”
She sent him a dirty look.
He nodded. “I deserve some anger. You could hit me if you like.” He gave her a hopeful look.
“What am I, twelve?” she asked in disgust. “There will be no hitting. Besides, you might like it.”
“I might,” he admitted with a sinful smile. It slowly faded. “I’d like permission to court you.”
She snorted. “Ask Harmon.” That wouldn’t go well, and she savored the thought.
“Already did. I didn’t like his answer, so I’m asking you.”
She looked at him askance. “You think I’m going to give it? After the way you behaved, I’m more likely to tell you to roll in bear grease and light yourself on fire.”
He smiled slowly. “I’d court you anyway. I want you for my mate.”
She drew in a sharp breath. “Are you asking me?”
“Not yet. You’re not excited about it yet.”
That stumped her. She blinked at the river. “You think you can make me excited?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said with sexy confidence.
She shot him a look and quickly went back to studying the river. Maybe if she ignored him long enough, he’d turn back in to a coyote. The ornery shifter was easy to handle; she didn’t know what to do with this Levi.
“I’m still going to Tochtli’s card game,” she said, waiting for the explosion.
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I figured.”
She stared at him expectantly.
He
widened his eyes, letting her know he wasn’t falling for it.
She smirked. “Want to come?”
Chapter 9
Alex sat at Tochtli’s dining table and tossed another coin in the pot. Contrary to what she’d threatened, she hadn’t brought a pocketful of nuggets. She was saving that little ace until the right moment, when she needed some bait.
She had to laugh at Tochtli’s maneuvering; she doubted he’d ever had a card game at his dining table, and never with his hired hands, but he wasn’t about to let her play in the bunkhouse. He’d been all stiff pride and banked fury when they’d arrived, and though his manners never failed, his eyes glittered.
Levi had come, but he’d elected to stay outside. Two aggressive, rival males in the room wouldn’t help her cause. Alex privately admitted she felt better having him near.
Declining to play poker, Max settled behind Alex at a side table, enjoying a cheese stuffed pepper. A servant brought her a selection of Aztec delicacies along with a large mug of hot chocolate, and Max happily sampled everything.
Tochtli seemed to view Max as a child to be entertained, and it was clear he was uncomfortable having her there. Although he said nothing aloud, Alex guessed that he condemned her for jeopardizing Max’s future. In other circumstances, she was certain he would have gone to Harmon and demanded he take her in hand.
They’d hidden her plan from Harmon, worried that his heart wouldn’t take it. The general consensus was, the less he knew about this, the better.
Alex accepted another card without expression, allowing her eyes to trail over the faces of the other players. Tochtli had been picky about who he’d invited. Only Lester Bennett and a couple of others sat at the table, and she suspected it galled Tochtli to allow that much. She decided not to provoke him by complaining; he’d rounded up the main suspects, anyway. Their rustler had to be one of the leaders on his ranch. She doubted an average cowhand was acting independently; it took organization to pull off the rustling.
“Quite an interesting evening you’ve planned, my lord,” Lester said as he smoothly discarded. “What an honor to be entertained in the big house, and with such lovely company.” He smirked at Alex with barely concealed mockery.
Tochtli gave him a warning look. “So glad you’re enjoying my hospitality, Mr. Bennett.”
“I call,” Scotch Bob, the foreman, tossed two bits into the pot. Named for his ancestry and orange hair, the stocky cowboy didn’t seem to be having a good time. In his late thirties, taciturn and sunburned, he frowned at Alex like a disapproving father. There seemed to be no love lost between him and Lester.
Alex sipped her lemonade, hiding a grimace behind her glass. Tochtli hadn’t offered her a choice, though Lester had already downed a couple shots of tequila, Bob was nursing a beer and Tochtli barely touched his wine. Servants hovered nearby, keeping Bob and Lester’s glasses topped. “So, Bob, how’d you come to work for an Aztec Lord?” she asked over a fresh deck of cards. “Strange place for a Scot to end up.”
“Not so strange. My da immigrated here looking for streets paved with gold. When he didn’t find them back east, he dragged us out west. I ended up here.” He shrugged.
“Your family is here, then?”
“No, ma’am,” he said with only a trace of a burr. “What’s left of it is up toward Galveston, and I like it that way.”
She raised her brows. “Some days I can sympathize.”
Lester snorted. “I thought you Lions were thick as thieves.”
She smiled coolly. “Not always. Lately we’re more like cats and dogs. Charlie doesn’t like my style, and I don’t like being bossed. Don’t you have brothers?”
An ugly grin spread over Lester’s face and he glanced at Tochtli. “Yeah, I have one. We don’t always see eye to eye, but what you going to do? We’re family.”
Tochtli looked away, as if completely disinterested in the conversation.
Intrigued, Alex asked Tochtli, “What about you? No one seems to know much about your family.” There were plenty of rumors, but no hard evidence.
Tochtli shrugged. “They reside in Mexico. As Mr. Bob said, it is better that way.”
“Sad that you have no one closer to home,” she said offhand as she discarded.
“A lady is always right,” he politely.
“Nice to hear it,” she said, tossing a gold nugget into the pot.
The men stared. “Where’d you get that?” Lester demanded. He reached for it, but thought better of it.
She shrugged. “Didn’t you hear? Gabe stumbled on it. Of course, she was shot at for her trouble…”
“What?” Tochtli demanded. “How badly was she hurt?”
“She’ll be fine, but she’s banged up. She got the guy who did it and we got a gold mine for our trouble.”
“Where was this?” Lester demanded. He seemed ready to go over the table and shake the information out of her.
“Our land,” she said vaguely. “Say, I hear you’re planning on doing some mining yourself. You bought dynamite the other day, right?”
Lester shot a quick look at Tochtli. “We have razor cats causing problems. I want to set some traps.”
“Hm. Not a bad idea,” Alex murmured. “We’re getting tired of predators ourselves.”
Lester was in a filthy mood after that. He bowed out after a few more hands. Scotch Bob took the opportunity to leave as well.
“You could have mentioned your sister before this,” Tochtli said grimly. “The dynamite as well.”
She shrugged. “We’re neighbors. I don’t know what news reaches you.”
He met her gaze. “I did not cause harm to your sister, nor do I need your gold.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “That’s good, but I’m not sure Lester feels the same.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I will speak with him.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
He’d walked them to the covered porch when the sound of pounding hooves startled her. Who would be riding like that at this time of night? Her eyes widened as Harmon rode out of the night, flanked by Charlie, who looked grim.
“Alex Lions! You get your butt on your horse right now. I’ll deal with you later,” Harmon growled.
She straightened as Levi brought their horses out. “Harmon…sir. We were just leaving.”
Harmon actually snarled at her. He pointed a finger at Tochtli. “I know what you’re trying to do, Aztec. I told you I don’t want you coming around my girls. I see you with them again and I’ll shoot you!”
“Sir,” Tochtli said calmly. “Welcome to my home.”
Alex started to speak, but Max nudged her as she hurried to her horse. “His heart.”
“It’s not his fault,” Alex protested, shooting Tochtli an unhappy look. “I’m sorry,” she told him quietly. “I have to go; he has a weak heart.”
Toc inclined his head. “I understand his protectiveness.”
“Thank you for your help.” She hesitated, but there was nothing more to be said.
Harmon spent the ride chewing her out. She was irresponsible, pig-headed, and he couldn’t let her out of his sight. She was sneaky and foolish…and she couldn’t say much in her defense. He’d already worked himself into a lather, and she hoped he’d realize he needed to calm down. Pointing it out certainly wouldn’t help.
“The herbs seem to be working,” Max murmured as they rubbed the horses down.
Charlie sighed wearily. “He already chewed me out, and Dakota got an earful. I think Harmon’s feelings were hurt.”
Alex pursed her lips. “Lester said he’s trapping razor cats with the dynamite, but he was angry we’d found the gold.”
Charlie scratched her ear. “I hope you’re satisfied; I’m not certain it was worth being reamed.”
Alex grunted. Her eyes slid to Levi’s shadowed profile as he took care of his animal. “Thanks for going with me tonight.”
He nodded, but wouldn’t look at her.
Sighing, she turned the horse
into the corral and trudged into the house.
Charlie woke in the pink light of dawn, her heart pounding, every muscle frozen. The dream actually continued before her waking eyes, and she clearly heard the voice instructing her to protect her family. She’d never had such a powerful dream, and couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a real warning.
She waited until breakfast before telling her family. “I dreamed we were attacked last night. Bandits on four legs ran out of the dark and broke into our house.” Never good at storytelling, she stared at her family as they waited for the punch line.
“Okay,” Alex said finally. “I’m sorry you had a bad dream. Want some coffee?”
Charlie gave her a hard look. “I’m taking this seriously. I think we need to be ready to defend ourselves today, especially tonight.”
Harmon grunted. “Foolishness. It was a bad dream.”
Dakota would never say that; his people took dreams and visions seriously. Unfortunately, she’d learned this morning that he and Levi were handling Eagle’s ranch business and wouldn’t be back until possibly late that night. With the full moon one night away, they might be running off the extra energy, but her sense of urgency wouldn’t let her wait before deciding on strategy.
“Regardless, I’m going to make sure the house is ready for defense. We need to make sure all the guns are sighted, cleaned and oiled. I want an inventory of how much ammunition we have and guards put on the barn and bunkhouse.” She ignored the groans and powered on, “We’ll cover the windows tonight, too.” The wooden shutters had cross cutouts, perfect for shooting at raiders.
She was relentless, driving her sisters throughout the day, taking every precaution she could think of. In the face of her rising anxiety, Alex offered to track down the men.
Charlie’s expression eased as she glanced at the midday sun. “Would you? I can’t shake the feeling…”
“No problem,” Alex said, happy to escape. She’d never seen her sister like this, and it was unnerving. She rode to the Eagle ranch and delivered the message that Dakota was needed at the homestead, declining Mrs. Eagle’s offer of tea. She knew the Eagles would track him down, but Levi might be trickier. According to Mrs. Eagle, he’d been headed for Gold Strike Canyon, as they’d dubbed the newly discovered mine. Tipping her hat, she rode out to the mine.
