Hell on Wheels

by Karen Kelley

  For some odd reason, she felt as if she’d been put in her place. Before she had time to dwell on it, the front door opened and a slender woman stepped out. Cody could only stare. She was beautiful, with dark hair that had been pulled back in a loose bun, tendrils caressing her face, giving her an almost angelic look.

  “Hector.” Her voice was soft, throaty, and the way she looked at her husband, Cody had no doubt that if they weren’t there, Hector’s wife would’ve gone straight into his arms and kissed him quite soundly.

  Hector didn’t appear immune to her charms. He even took a step toward his wife, but apparently remembered he’d brought guests home and stopped at the last minute.

  “Maria, these are my friends, Josh and Cody.” He beamed with pride. “And this is my wife, Maria.”

  “My husband’s friends are most welcome.”

  “They are going to be married. I could not let them do so in a dingy office.”

  Maria looked at them with wide eyes. “Married? In town? No, no.” She shook her head. “We will plan a wedding here.” She clapped her hands, then hurried forward, taking Cody’s hands into hers. “It will be such fun, no?”

  “No,” she muttered before she could stop herself.

  Maria turned quizzical eyes on her. Cody had a sudden vision of a dark cell and a rat running across her feet. “I mean, yes, it will be grand.” She only hoped Maria believed her. Cody didn’t relax until Hector’s wife smiled.

  “Come.” Hector waved toward the house. “Let us go inside where it eez a little cooler.”

  “Si,” Maria voiced before turning toward the house and hurrying up the steps. “Louisa, drinks for our guests.” She clapped her hands and a maid came to the door. “Drinks, drinks, por favor.”

  Cody finally got up enough nerve to look at Josh. His lips had thinned to a straight line after their host and hostess turned to lead the way inside. All this time, she’d been thinking of what was happening to her, but she never once thought about how Josh felt. Looking at him now, she could see he wasn’t at all enthused with the turn of events. Not that she blamed him, but she couldn’t stop the niggle of regret. Would marrying her be that much of an inconvenience? For some strange reason that bothered her.

  They went inside. The difference between the exterior and interior was like night and day. The heat outside was already beginning to grow uncomfortably warm, but once inside the foyer the adobe walls and terra-cotta floor dropped the temperature by at least ten degrees.

  “Welcome,” Maria said as she waved her arm in front of her, beckoning them inside her living room.

  Heavy, deep brown leather furniture dominated the room. All of it looked handcrafted, some possibly handed down from one generation to the next. Rustic, but with a beauty only age could give it.

  She wondered how it would feel to know so much about your ancestors. Her mother never spoke of her parents. They were dead. That’s all Cody knew. A sudden longing to have all the answers, to know more about her father, filled her.

  Lord, now wasn’t that hysterical. A forced marriage and all of a sudden she wanted to plant a damned family tree, with branches reaching far and wide. Hell, her poor family tree was stunted, and she seriously doubted there would ever be any branches.

  Louisa brought a tray of drinks, thankfully interrupting her thoughts. She didn’t need to get maudlin now. If Turbo had been the one to inform the police they were crossing the border in search of a bail jumper, then he’d be on Adam’s trail. The idea they might lose Adam to Turbo left a bitter taste in her mouth. The sooner they were married and on their way, the sooner they could get back to their original plan.

  “To new friends,” Hector said, raising his glass.

  It wouldn’t do any good to tell him that she didn’t have nor want friends. No, that wasn’t true. She had Moji. And now Josh. She closed her eyes. No, lovers weren’t the same thing as friends—were they? She opened her eyes and drank half the iced tea in her glass, but it did little to make her feel refreshed.

  “Come, we go upstairs. Leave the men to their talk,” Maria said, grabbing Cody’s hands and pulling her along with her. “We have much to talk about for the wedding. So many plans to make.”

  Cody glanced toward Josh, silently begging him to rescue her, but he only shrugged. What else could he do? His hands were tied as tightly as hers. This wasn’t good. She was so out of her element.

  As gently as she could, Cody disentangled her hand from Maria’s. The woman acted as if they were best friends.

  “Come, come,” Maria said. “There’s much to do.”

  Okay, fine, but she damn well didn’t have to like it. Why the hell had Josh suggested getting married in the first place? No, she wouldn’t rehash it all again. What good would it do?

  She trailed reluctantly behind Maria as she led the way up a wide staircase. Cody didn’t even take time to admire the oak banister, or the way it gleamed from hours of polishing.

  At the top of the stairs, Maria swept down the hallway to the last room on the right.

  “This will be your room.” She opened the door. “If you do not like, then I will show you another.”

  Not like? Walls painted a deep, warm rose made her want to kick off her shoes and sit for a while. Her gaze moved slowly around the beautiful room. A four-poster bed graced one wall. It wasn’t frilly, but it was very feminine, with detailed scrollwork. A plush bright yellow comforter draped the bed in luxury. Cody almost couldn’t resist the urge to flop across it and cuddle one of the many pillows that layered the bed. It just looked too damn inviting. A matching vanity, armoire, and a small sitting area completed the decor.

  “No,” Cody said with a slight shake of her head. “This will do fine. I mean, better than fine. Wow, it’s beautiful.”

  Maria’s smile widened. “This is my favorite room. Sometimes I come here and read. It brings me peace. I hope it will do the same for you.”

  She grabbed Cody’s hand and pulled her over to the small sitting area. What was all this touchy stuff? The inside of a jail wasn’t looking quite as bad as it once had.

  They sat in the chairs. More like sank into the plush cushions. It was a chair so deep and cozy, with an ottoman for her feet, that she could probably spend the night in it and wake up the next morning feeling refreshed.

  “Where did you meet my Hector?” Maria asked, leaning back in her chair with a look of expectation on her face.

  She paused only briefly. “In jail. We were prisoners.” Now she’d see how long it would take Maria to throw them out of her lovely home and she and Josh could continue with why they were really in Mexico. This should get them out of their fix.

  Maria opened her mouth, then snapped it closed. A bubble of laughter erupted. “Oh, that eez very funny.” Realizing what she’d said, she put a hand over her mouth, but the laughter continued. “I apologize most humble.”

  “Before or after you stop laughing?” she asked.

  That brought more laughter from Maria. “Truly, I am not laughing at you. Hector has a way of…” She frowned. “Flubbing up. Yes, that is what he does. Flub up. He’s very sweet, but he flubs up a lot.”

  “You aren’t concerned we were in jail?”

  “If I were, then I would not speak to most of my family. They are very fierce. Sometimes bad banditos.” She looked thoughtful. “But still good. Hector, his family eez on the other side of the law. He eez a great capitan. But I did not mean you were a bandito. Hector has made a boo-boo, no? You do not look like you are bad person.”

  It was nice to know she didn’t look like a criminal. But she still couldn’t tell Maria the truth. She might inadvertently let something slip.

  “Hector thought we were here to capture a fugitive.”

  Maria’s eyes widened. Apparently, she didn’t think they looked like they were on the right side of the law, either.

  “We’re bounty hunters,” she explained. “We bring bail jumpers back to stand trial. But that isn’t why we’re here now. We just want
ed to…” You can do this. “We just wanted to get married. We’re very much in…in love.” Briefly, she wondered how many liars were in hell.

  “Si, he has much love for you.” Maria smiled warmly.

  A flutter of excitement rushed through her.

  They were only words. Only words! He didn’t love her. She didn’t even want her thoughts to head in that direction. It was this damn marriage. A marriage that wasn’t remotely real. One that would end as soon as they got back to the States.

  “So you couldn’t wait to be married and ran off to Mexico.” She hugged her middle. “It is like a fairy tale.”

  No, more like a fucking nightmare, and she’d do whatever it took to get them out of this mess.

  “Young lovers running away. It was the same with Hector and myself.” She jumped from the chair. “We must make your day perfecto,” she declared. “You have a dress?”

  Oh, no. This is where it might get tricky. “Not exactly.” A sudden idea came to her. “I wanted to buy one of those long, sweeping skirts. They’re so romantic. You know, barefoot and all that.”

  “No, you must be beautiful. I have the perfect dress. Come, come.”

  They went back down the hall. Why did she have a feeling she was the proverbial calf being led to slaughter? Man, was Josh ever going to pay for this.

  They went inside another bedroom and Maria opened a closet. Reaching high onto the top shelf, she carefully brought down a large white box and set it on the bed.

  “This is what you shall wear,” Maria said reverently.

  She untied the blue ribbon and lifted off the lid. When she folded back the tissue paper, Cody gasped. White silk and beads. Maria’s wedding dress. It couldn’t be anything else.

  “I can’t wear that,” she whispered. “It was your wedding dress.”

  “Si, but it is good luck to my marriage if you wear it for your wedding.”

  If she wore that, Hector and Maria would be getting a divorce before the end of the year. Her marriage to Josh was a farce. All she would bring was bad luck. She damn sure didn’t want that on her conscience.

  “No, I couldn’t. I really appreciate the offer, but I couldn’t.”

  As if Maria didn’t hear a word she’d just uttered, she instead removed the dress and shook it out.

  Good lord, Cody had never seen anything so beautiful. The gown wasn’t frilly. It didn’t have a lot of bows or ruffles. Just pure, straight lines.

  Tentatively, she reached out and touched the silk. This must be what heaven feels like, she thought.

  She drew in a deep breath and took a step back, shaking her head. “No, I can’t. This is your dress. It should be passed down to your daughters.”

  “But think how Josh would feel if he saw you in this. He would not be able to resist.”

  She smiled and Cody saw something a little mischievous twinkling in her eyes. Maybe there were more layers to Maria than she’d first imagined.

  “Think about what he would see coming down the stairs if you were wearing this dress.”

  Maria laid it on the bed. Gently, she placed her hands on Cody’s shoulders and turned her toward the full-length mirror. Before she knew what was happening, Maria had picked up the dress once more and put it in front of Cody.

  “Think what expression would be on your man’s face.”

  Slowly, her gaze moved over her reflection. It didn’t look like her, but she knew it was. Sure, she’d worn skirts before and knew she looked damned sexy.

  But this was different. She looked like fuckin’ Cinderella.

  Her breath caught in her throat. This wasn’t her. She didn’t have the fairy tale life and never would. But for just a second, it was nice to pretend.

  “What would Josh say if he could see you like this?”

  Maria would make a damn good salesperson. For just a second, Cody bought her sales pitch. She pictured her hair swept up and away from her face. She saw herself walking down the wide staircase. And when she looked into Josh’s eyes, she saw admiration and…and…and what? Love?

  That was the joke of the century.

  But she did want to wear the dress. It was an exquisite creation. She would probably never have the chance to wear something so beautiful again. So what if this wasn’t a real marriage. Did it really matter? She might as well look the part.

  She drew in a deep breath and turned toward Maria. “Okay, I’ll wear it.”

  Maria clapped her hands. “Your man will not…” She nibbled her bottom lip, then looked back up, excitement twinkling in her eyes. “He will not know what slapped him.”

  Oh, she was sure of that.

  Chapter 19

  Josh wondered what Cody and Maria could be doing upstairs for so damn long. He didn’t think she’d blow their cover by telling Maria they hadn’t actually wanted to get married. She was too smart for that.

  But she’d been really pissed. So pissed that he’d thought for a while she’d like nothing more than to spend the next few years in a rat-infested jail rather than marry him.

  That shouldn’t have bothered him. What guy wouldn’t want a brief affair with no strings attached? Sex on a silver platter. But it bothered him enough that he didn’t want to dwell on the reasons behind why he felt that way.

  He’d also known the minute she accepted that there was no way around their situation. The marriage wouldn’t even be legal. It wasn’t that big of a deal.

  His stomach clenched.

  Would it be so bad being married to her? Hell, he could probably do a lot worse. They were in the same line of work. He wouldn’t have to worry about her asking him to give up his job. They could even work as partners. So far they’d done okay.

  Except for getting thrown in jail. But he’d gotten them out. If they hadn’t been together, it might not have been so easy. Yeah, they made a pretty good team.

  Especially in bed.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering how it had felt to have Cody’s arms wrapped around him. The way she’d pressed her naked body closer to his.

  Something clattered in the other room, bringing him back to earth.

  What the hell was he thinking? Married to Cody? She was the most sarcastic, ill-tempered woman he’d ever had the misfortune to meet.

  “I have called the priest. He will be here tomorrow. This is good.” Hector strode in from the other room.

  It took a few minutes for his words to sink in. Tomorrow? No, that wasn’t good. In that time, another bounty hunter would get to Adam. They would lose whatever advantage they had.

  “I don’t think it will be possible,” he said.

  Hector raised his eyebrows. “You would rather marry the woman you love in a dirty office?” He shook his head. “That eez not wise, my friend. I know women. My Maria would not let me ever forget the embarrassment of something so cold. No, you will marry here and have a much happier bride.”

  He opened his mouth, but snapped it shut. What could he say without making Hector wonder if they’d been lying to him?

  “You are right, of course. I’d hate to upset Cody.” Maybe he could talk Hector into telling her? She wasn’t going to like this new development.

  “Come, I will show you to your room. Then we will eat.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  He had no choice but to follow. A few minutes later, he wondered exactly where Hector was taking him. They left the house and went around the side, stopping at a small building.

  “This is where the unattached men stay. We follow the old customs of our ancestors. Few people do.” He shook his head. “Sometimes the old ones are smarter than we think, eh?”

  Hector cast a knowing look in his direction, as if he guessed that he and Cody were already sleeping together.

  “My Maria, she likes to follow the old ways. We will humor her, then our women will be happy, and it is such a small thing to ask.”

  “This will be fine.”

  Hector had a way of manipulating the situation to his advantage. He’d make a g
reat diplomat. Josh felt as if he’d been outmaneuvered. Check, but not checkmate. By putting him in the cottage away from the house, it would be easy to slip away undetected. He was almost certain Cody could do the same. By this time tomorrow, they’d be crossing the border, with Adam in tow.

  Josh grinned. He could be just as crafty.

  But when Cody came downstairs for dinner, he knew something was up. He didn’t have to wait long to find out what had pissed her off this time.

  “Josh, I’d like you to meet Adoncia,” Cody said between clenched teeth.

  Maria glided forward. “Adoncia was my chaperone, and then my maid. Now she will see to Cody. It is an old custom in our country that an unmarried girl be chaperoned. This will be such a grand wedding. I am so happy you have brought your new friends home so we can celebrate the occasion as it should be celebrated.”

  Hector beamed.

  Josh coughed to cover his chuckle, but he didn’t think he was very successful. Not if the glare Cody cast in his direction was anything to go by.

  Then he glanced at the chaperone. The hairs on the back of his neck tingled. For a moment, he wondered if he might be turning to stone, or a pillar of salt. He forced his gaze from her beady black eyes and looked at Cody. One of her eyebrows rose, as if to say, I told you that you wouldn’t like her any more than I do, but you’re not the one who has to put up with her.

  Great, there went his idea of sneaking away from the hacienda.

  “And my mama will arrive tomorrow, and a few relatives.” Maria beamed.

  This was supposed to be a simple wedding. He took a deep breath. A few relatives, that’s all. They’d only be guests of Hector and Maria a few more days. If it kept them out of jail, they could manage.

  Dinner went smoothly, if he discounted the fierce glare of the chaperone every time he so much as looked at Cody. Hector and Maria carried the conversation. He couldn’t have said what they talked about, or even what he ate. The only thing going through his mind was how ill at ease Cody seemed. He had a feeling she wasn’t comfortable doing family gatherings.

  “And your mama and papa will be here for the wedding, too?” Maria sat forward in her chair.