Outlaw's Lady

by Bobbi Smith

  "I have to go now."

  "I know, but I don't want you to."

  He loved hearing her say that. "Lock this door after me. I want to be sure you're safe before I leave."

  "All right, but kiss me good-bye first." She rose and went to him, looping her arms around his neck.

  Slade took full advantage and gave her a deep kiss.

  "Now, lock the door when I'm gone. I don't want anything to happen to you," he told her as he opened the door and checked the hall before stepping outside. He didn't want to be seen leaving her room. He smiled tenderly at her as he closed the door behind him. "Good night."

  Alyssa felt as if she'd dreamed the whole thing as she stood staring at the closed portal. With trembling fingers, she turned the lock and stood quietly, listening, wondering if Slade had really been there. The whole evening seemed almost a dream. And then she heard his footsteps move off down the hall, and she knew the truth.

  She lifted a hand to her lips, tender now from the onslaught of his kisses. She could hardly believe that Slade had risked so much to come to her. His embrace had been wonderful-more wonderful than she could ever have imagined.

  Turning away from the door, she put on her gown again and then lay down on her bed, reliving in her mind the events that had just happened. The memory of his touch and kiss enthralled her.

  Tears of joy burned in her eyes, and she willingly gave in to them. As she'd watched Slade "executed," she had been torn by the knowledge that there had been nothing she could do to save him. But now all that had changed.

  Slade was alive....

  Sleep came sweetly a short time later as Alyssa gave in to the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her. She slept contentedly, all the horror of the past few days forgotten for the moment. A sweet smile curved her lips as she dreamed of her strong, handsome mystery man loving her through the waning hours of the night.

  Slade slipped away from the hotel unseen, and he was glad. He returned to the jail to find that Ken had gone back to his room and Jones was still there keeping an eye on things.

  "You're back," Jones said by way of greeting as Slade came in the rear door.

  "The streets were quiet. No one saw me."

  "Good. Help yourself to a bunk down in one of the cells, but I doubt you'll get much sleep. Ken said he'd be back half an hour before sunrise so the two of you could ride out early."

  "What about keeping a guard around Alyssa?"

  "After you left, Ken and I talked. We decided it would be best if Alyssa and her family don't return to Black Springs on the regular stage. Rob and his deputies will be riding back, too, so we can hire Alyssa a private carriage, and everyone can make the trip together. It will be safer for her that way. She'll have a guard with her the whole time."

  "Good idea."

  It was fine with Slade that Alyssa would be surrounded by armed men on the trek back home. There were any number of places along the route where the Kid might try to ambush them. This way, they would have enough guns to fight him off if he tried anything.

  "You could rendezvous with them outside of town later in the day."

  "Good."

  Slade almost hoped the Kid would try something right away. He wanted the upcoming confrontation with him over with as soon as possible. Until then, he would have to lie low and stay out of the public eye, for as Ken had reminded him earlier, he was a dead man.

  But he was a dead man with a mission, and he was going to make sure the Dakota Kid faced justice be fore he could hurt Alyssa in any way. He wanted her out of danger as soon as possible.

  No one was going to hurt Alyssa.

  He would see to it.

  "I'll be in the back. Call me when Ken shows up."

  Slade disappeared into the jail cell he'd previously occupied with Johnson and Nash. He stretched out on the hard, narrow bunk and sought what ease he could find. As he lay there, staring at the ceiling, he thought of the comfort of Alyssa's wide, soft bed and regretted that he'd had to leave her. Even after all the loving they'd shared, his body was still on fire for her. He hadn't wanted to walk away from her tonight, and one day he was going to make sure he could stay.

  But first, he had to bring in the Kid.

  Once the Kid was under arrest and they'd learned the identity of the informant in the railroad express office, he would plan his future with Alyssa.

  Alyssa felt like a different woman when she awoke in the morning. Though the night just past had had all the qualities of a dream, she knew it had truly been a dream come true. Slade had survived and he had come to her. Every now and then since she'd gotten up, she'd found herself stopping whatever small chore she was doing and staring off into the distance, smiling.

  Memories of Slade left her weak-kneed and weakwilled. She wished he were there with her now. She wished he'd never had to leave her the night before. The time would come when he could stay, and she was eagerly looking forward to it.

  As Alyssa was packing, a knock came at her hotel room door. For an instant, her heartbeat quickened, for she thought Slade might be returning, but then logic reasserted itself. It couldn't be Slade. It was broad daylight and the town was bustling with activity. He had to maintain his cover. Everyone thought he was dead.

  "Yes?" she asked, refusing to open the door until she knew for certain just who was there. The Kid had gotten into her room the day before without any trouble. She wouldn't put it past him to try again today.

  "It's Maisie from the front desk, Miss Mason," a woman answered. "I've got a letter here for you from Sheriff Jones."

  Alyssa opened the door and took the missive from her. After going back inside, she sat down on the bed and read the short note. It informed her that the sheriff had taken the liberty of hiring a private coach for her and her family and that it would be ready to go whenever they were. She was pleased to learn that Rob and his deputies would be accompanying them on the trip back and that Slade and Ken would be meeting up with them on the way. The lawman wished them a safe trip home and thanked her for her help.

  Alyssa quickly finished packing and then got ready to go speak with her mother and sister. It was going to be an interesting conversation-although "interesting" was far too casual a word for what she knew was about to come. Prepared for the worst, she left her room and crossed the hall to knock on her mother's door.

  "It's me, Mother. I need to talk with you for a minute."

  "Of course, dear." Loretta hurriedly opened the door to her daughter.

  When Alyssa was inside their room, she sat down in a chair to watch them as they packed.

  "Are you all ready to go?" Loretta asked.

  "Yes, I'm all packed."

  "Good, because the stage leaves soon. We really should hurry."

  "That's one of the things I wanted to talk with you about," Alyssa began.

  "What is, dear?"

  "The trip home."

  "Why?"

  "Well, there's been a change in plans."

  "A change?" Loretta looked troubled. "Has something gone wrong?"

  "Well," Alyssa began, then paused.

  At her hesitation, Emily's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's wrong, Alyssa? What happened?"

  "All right," she began hesitantly. "I'll tell you everything, but you've got to promise not to be angry with me."

  "Why would we be angry with you?" Loretta asked in surprise and then grew suspicious again.

  "Because something happened last night that I didn't tell you about."

  "What?" her mother demanded, instantly concerned.

  "Well, when I got back to my room after visiting with Rob, I found a note on my nightstand. It was from the Dakota Kid."

  "What!" Both Emily and Loretta almost shouted, they were so horrified.

  "Somehow he managed to break into my room and leave me a threatening letter. He said that he'd already killed my father and I was going to be next. He said it was my fault that his friends had been hanged because I'd ruined his chance to break them out, and he was comi
ng after me."

  "Dear Lord..." Loretta had gone ashen, and she was staring at Alyssa in horror. She sank down on the bed. "This happened last night, and you're just now telling us?"

  "There was no point in worrying you right then. That's why I went back to the sheriff's office to see Rob. I showed him the note, and he and Sheriff Jones both agree that we should travel home by private coach today. They think it might be too dangerous to make the trip on a regular stage."

  "Rob knows all about this?"

  "Yes. We talked last night. He and his deputies will be riding with us to make sure everything goes all right."

  "Thank heaven for Rob. Somehow, he is always there when we need him."

  "Yes, he is," Alyssa agreed.

  "But Alyssa, you should never have gone over to the jail alone!" Emily scolded. "Something terrible might have happened to you."

  "I had my gun with me, just in case."

  Loretta was terribly pale as she regarded her daughter. "This terrifies me, you know. That man is a murderer, and he says he's after you now."

  "It's going to be all right, Mother," Alyssa tried to reassure her. "We'll have Rob and the deputies with us. We'll be fine."

  "But he might not give up easily-"

  "We'll just take things one day at a time. We'll be fine."

  She desperately wanted to tell them the truth about Slade and Ken, but she knew better than to mention it now. According to Sheriff Jones's note, the two men would meet them somewhere on the trail, and that would be soon enough for her family to learn their real identities. The shock of hearing about the Kid's threat was enough excitement for her mother just now.

  "Do you know when we're supposed to leave?" Emily asked.

  "As soon as we're ready, they'll be ready. Shall I go tell them to plan on half an hour?"

  "That'll be fine," they agreed.

  "Why don't I come with you?" Emily suggested.

  The two sisters went downstairs and found Rob waiting in the lobby for them.

  "Good morning," he greeted them, his smile very real at the sight of Alyssa.

  "Yes, it is," she responded. "We're going home."

  They spoke of the arrangements for the carriage and about making sure Spartan was not left behind. They would tie him to the back of the carriage for the return trip.

  "Rob, I was wondering," Emily began, looking around as if expecting someone. "Do you know where Ken Wiley is? I haven't seen or heard from him since yesterday afternoon."

  Rob shot Alyssa a quick look and realized that she hadn't told her family everything yet.

  "I heard he left town early this morning," he informed Emily.

  Emily's expression faltered noticeably. "Oh...I'd hoped to speak with him again before he went back to Denver."

  "I'm afraid he's gone, Emily. I'm sorry."

  "Thanks, Rob." Her disappointment was very real, and she made no effort to hide it.

  After agreeing to meet Rob downstairs at the appointed time, Alyssa and Emily went back upstairs to get their things.

  "I didn't know you were that interested in the reporter," Alyssa remarked.

  "I just thought he was intriguing, that's all." Emily tried to sound casual, but her earlier reaction had been the true one.

  "Maybe you'll run into him again one day," Alyssa suggested.

  "Why would a man like Ken come back to a small town like Black Springs? I'm sure he's gone forever."

  Emily sighed to herself Ken Wiley had intrigued her from the first. He'd been the one man she'd ever met who hadn't fallen all over himself trying to win her favor and court her. He had been a pleasant diversion from her usual over-eager cowboys, and she really had been attracted to him.

  "We'll see," Alyssa said. "Right now, let's go home. We'll worry about everything else later."

  "How can you be so at ease about everything when you know the Dakota Kid is still on the loose?"

  "I'm not at ease. I just know that the safest place for us is Black Springs. Rob and his deputies are going to protect us, and they're going to bring in the Kid and the gunman named Zeke Malone. Once they're locked up, we'll be able to live a halfway normal life again."

  "Listen to you.... You're so confident. The very thought that the Dakota Kid might still be around here terrifies me, and he says he's after you now!"

  Alyssa stopped and took Emily's arm to bring her to a halt. She looked her straight in the eye. "Would you feel better if you had a gun with you? I'm sure I can get one for you if you want to carry one."

  "No, I'll be all right. Maybe once we get home, I'll take the one Papa gave me down to the store with us, but I'll worry about that when we get there."

  "It's going to be fine. Trust me," Alyssa told her as she gave her a hug.

  "If you say so." Emily sounded less than convinced.

  Within the hour, they had said their good-byes to Sheriff Jones and were on their way home. Spartan was securely tied to the back of the coach along with Deputy Hawkins's mount; the deputy was serving as their driver. Rob and Deputy Brown rode alongside, keeping an eye on their surroundings, watching for any sign of trouble.

  They had been riding for about two hours when the coach began to slow down.

  "Is something wrong?" Loretta worried. "Why are we stopping?"

  Alyssa glanced out the window and saw two men riding toward them in the distance. She smiled, recognizing Slade and Ken.

  "Nothing's wrong. In fact, I think now is the time I should tell you what's right."

  "I don't understand-" Her mother looked puzzled.

  "There's one more thing that I didn't tell you this morning, because we needed to be away from town before you could learn the truth."

  "What truth?" Emily asked, not sure what in the world her sister was talking about.

  "The truth about Slade Braxton... and Ken Wiley. Or should I say Ken Richards?"

  Her mother and sister stared at her in open confusion.

  "What about them?" Emily wondered.

  "Slade Braxton wasn't a liar after all."

  "I don't understand." Loretta could see a change coming over her daughter. As she was talking, Alyssa seemed suddenly almost lighthearted, and Loretta couldn't understand the change.

  "When Slade and I were alone together during the trip here, he told me he was working undercover for the Pinkertons and asked me to wire Denver to verify his identity. I didn't believe him. I thought, as Rob did, that he was a cunning liar. But I learned last night that Braxton was telling the truth. He is a Pinkerton agent."

  "You can't be serious!" Her mother and sister were both astounded.

  "I'm very serious."

  "But they hanged him!"

  "Slade's execution was faked yesterday. He's alive and still on the trail of the Dakota Kid."

  "He's a killer!" Loretta protested. "Les Anderson saw him shoot your father."

  "For some reason, Mother, Les wasn't telling the truth. Slade did not shoot Papa. In fact, Slade was trying to keep Papa from being shot. Zeke Malone is the one who gunned him down."

  "How do you know all this?"

  "Slade told me."

  "But he's-"

  "Very much alive and joining us for the ride to Black Springs right now."

  They could hear the horses drawing near then, and Emily and Loretta exchanged looks of complete astonishment.

  Alyssa had known it would be difficult for them, so she hurriedly went on with the rest of the news. "And Emily, your Ken is not Ken Wiley from the Denver Daily News. He's Slade's supervisor, Ken Richards, out of the Pinkerton office there. They're working together to bring down the gang."

  "I don't believe any of this," Emily said, staring at her in confusion.

  "You'll be able to talk to Ken yourself in just a few minutes."

  "But what about all the wanted posters on Braxton ... all the bounties?"

  "The agency created Slade's background to convince the Kid to let him ride with his gang. It was lies, all of it. Slade is no gunslinger. He never was. And h
e did not kill Papa."

  Emily and Loretta could only sit there in silence. Everything they'd believed had just been turned upside down, and they were struggling to understand and come to grips with the truth.

  "When did you learn all this?" Loretta demanded, outraged at having been lied to.

  "Last night. When I rushed over to the sheriff's office to show Rob the note from the Kid, I walked in on Slade and Ken. Slade's faked death had to be kept secret. They want the Kid to believe he's dead, so Slade was hiding out at the jail until he could leave town."

  Emily couldn't help laughing as she imagined the scene at the jail the night before. "I bet they were shocked to see you."

  "Shocked wasn't the half of it," she told Emily with a grin. "You should have seen Rob trying to get me out of there before Slade came in the room, but it was too late."

  "That must have been a terrible moment for you," Emily sympathized.

  Alyssa was silent for a moment. "It was, and it wasn't. You know how I feel about Slade. I kept believing that I could find some way to save him, but I couldn't. Somehow, I knew in my heart that they were making a mistake by hanging him, but I couldn't prove it. It was horrible.... But then, on top of everything, to discover that he was not only still alive, but innocent of all the terrible charges against him, too-" She drew a ragged breath as she mentally relived the confrontation.

  "I'm glad it turned out this way," her sister said, truly understanding what Alyssa had gone through.

  Loretta, however, was deeply troubled. "This is all so confusing. You're saying the man who was convicted of killing your father was innocent.. .but wasn't he there, robbing the bank? Didn't Les Anderson see him do the shooting?"

  "Yes, he did ride with the gang on the robbery, and he did have his gun out during their ride from town, but Slade assures me that he did not shoot Papa. Zeke Malone was firing back in Papa's direction. He was the one who killed him."

  "But Les-"

  "Les probably just wanted to make sure that the Slade Braxton who is on all those wanted posters paid for his crimes. He probably saw Slade firing and took his testimony one step further than the truth to make sure he didn't get off."

  Loretta looked suddenly very tired. "I know you cared for-I mean, care for this Braxton fellow, Alyssa, but it's hard for me to comprehend this right now."