“What kind of questions?”
“There’s a man we’re after,” Clint replied. “A killer. He killed the woman who used to care for Lylah and he’s killed several others. He’s also a kidnapper and a slave trader.”
“So many evils wrapped up into one person,” Chuluun said. “Are you sure this isn’t a monster that comes in the night?”
Picking up on the old man’s chuckle and the smirk upon his face, Clint said, “This man’s real enough. His name is Kyle Morrow.”
Chuluun’s smile dried up right away. “I have heard of him.”
“Me, too,” Baht said. “If I knew where he was, I would have killed him myself.”
Since Lylah had nestled in close to him, Clint draped a protective arm around her as he said, “Well, she does know where he is. I just can’t understand what she’s saying.”
“Then how do you know what she knows?” Chuluun asked.
Trying not to sound as frustrated as he felt, Clint replied, “She’s been to Morrow’s camp. If we can get back there, I could track him down. She might have other information as well. Perhaps she knows where Morrow was headed. Maybe she heard him say something. There could be any number of things to help us find this bastard.”
Chuluun nodded. “You were close to this woman who was killed.”
“Yes, but there were children involved.”
“Kyle Morrow killed her children?” Baht asked.
Clint let out a measured breath and said, “They were children who traveled with her when she was hurt. Or maybe they weren’t with her at the time. I don’t know, and that’s what’s killing me. It’s bad enough that she’s dead. She was a good woman who only wanted to help folks and she caught nothing but grief for it. Morrow has to answer for her, but if he did hurt those children . . .”
“Then he should be cut open and left for the rats,” Chuluun said in a steely tone. “And what of the bounty hunter? Did you bring him this far to help you track Kyle Morrow?”
“We’re not letting him go,” Baht said.
Chuluun silenced him with a simple glance. “We will discuss the bounty hunter later,” he said to both Clint and Baht. “Let’s see if this girl and I can have a chat.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
The shelter where Eddie was kept wasn’t as wide as a small bedroom and was too short for anyone inside to stand up straight. Since Eddie had his hands tied behind his back to a post and his legs stretched out in front of him, he didn’t have to worry about standing up. The skins forming the walls of the shelter were thick enough to keep out the outside light, but a trickle of it came in from the bottom edge for him to watch as the daylight faded into night.
He struggled until his wrists bled, but to no avail. The ropes were strong. The knots were tight and the post was sunk down far enough into the ground to keep from budging. Eddie could hear movement outside the shelter, but couldn’t make any sounds of his own thanks to the cloth that had been wadded up and stuffed into his mouth.
When the flap at the front of the shelter was pulled aside, Eddie straightened up with his back against the post. His knees came up toward his chest in preparation to kick whatever target presented itself. Oddly enough, the woman who hurried into the shelter smiled warmly at him as she removed the cloth from his mouth. She was a slender woman, who was almost as tall as any of the men in the camp. She had the wide, rounded features of the others, but had somewhat lighter skin, and eyes that sparkled as if they’d seen just a bit more than she would ever let on.
Crouching down upon one knee put her at Eddie’s level while also exposing one long, muscular leg through a slit in her buckskin dress. Normally, the slit would have simply allowed her to walk and ride a horse a bit easier, but she’d hiked the skirt up a little so she could hunker down in front of the bounty hunter.
“What the hell, Nayan?” Eddie hissed after spitting out the cloth. “It’s only been a week.”
“You weren’t supposed to come back at all, Eddie.”
“But you said Baht wouldn’t even notice those coins were missing for at least another month. You swore nobody even looked at them more than a few times a year.”
Nayan shrugged and told him, “One of those times was a few days ago. Our agreement was that you would take the blame for stealing the coins whenever they came up missing. Why did you come back here?”
“I thought I had more time before Baht wanted to kill me. And,” he added with a sheepish grin, “I missed seein’ your pretty face.”
Although Nayan didn’t stop smiling, she shifted it into something much more sinister than it had been when she’d first discovered him. “I’m not stupid, Eddie. Tell me why you’re really here. Is it something to do with that woman and the other white man?”
“Those two are gonna help me find Kyle Morrow. Him and anyone he’s ridden with for more than a day or two are worth a fortune.”
“How are you going to spend that much money if your head is stuck upon a post outside this camp?”
“That’s . . . uhhh . . . where I figured you might come in.”
She nodded and sighed, “I thought so.”
“Get me out of here and I’ll cut you in on the reward money I get for Morrow.”
“Him and his partners?”
Wincing as if he’d been jabbed below the belt, Eddie said, “All right. Ten percent of my share.”
“Fifty.”
“What?” He winced again as he looked toward the door. When nobody responded to his raised voice right away, he dropped it to an urgent whisper and asked, “Fifty percent?”
“Your partner seems to have left you here to rot,” she pointed out. “Without me, you won’t get anything but a blade across your throat.”
“You’d let me die for what we did? And my partner hasn’t forgotten about me. He’s got his business to conduct, but he stopped Baht from killing me outright. I bet he’s negotiating my release right now.”
“You sure about that?” she asked.
“Yeah. And if I recall, stealing them coins was your idea.”
“A lot of folks get a lot of ideas, but the ones who see those ideas through are the ones who’ve got to pay for them.” After letting him stew on that for a few seconds, Nayan leaned in close enough to whisper into his ear. “If you’ve still got those coins, we can put them back and put this whole thing behind us. I’ll convince Baht that they were just misplaced.”
“I . . . uhhh . . . already sold ’em.”
“And what about my cut of that money?” When she saw that no answer was forthcoming, she patted his cheek and said, “Didn’t think so.”
“I told you I’d have your cut when we met up again in the fall, and I’ll have it.”
“I know, Eddie.”
“So, you’ll let me out?”
“As long as you have my fifty percent of that reward money on top of what you owe me for the coins.”
“The coin money plus your thirty percent will be there when we meet in the fall.”
“Forty percent, or you stay right here and wait for your partner to arrive. Just hope his negotiations are done before Baht gets too impatient.”
“You’ve got a deal,” Eddie said. “Now get me out of here.”
Nayan allowed her grin to lose some of its edge as she pulled up her skirts and climbed onto him so she could straddle his lap while facing him.
“What the hell are you doing?” Eddie asked.
“Seeing you tied up like this is kind of nice,” she purred. “I like knowing you can’t get away from me.”
“You wanna get close? We can do it later. Just . . .” Eddie’s words were cut short when he felt her tug at his belt and unfasten his pants.
As she worked to pull his pants down, Nayan never looked away from Eddie’s face. She stared straight into his eyes and raised her eyebrows when her hands finally reached what they’d been seeking. “Seems like you missed this just as much as I did.”
Eddie squirmed, but didn’t want to move too much. She was str
oking his cock up and down, working his erection into something that was hard enough to ache. “Jesus, girl,” he snarled. “You never wanna do this in a bed. Always when we shouldn’t even think about it.”
“I’m always thinking about it,” she replied as she lifted herself up enough to gather her skirts around her waist. Beneath her dress she wore simple undergarments that were easily pulled aside so she could fit him between her legs as she settled back down on him.
Her pussy was wet and warm as it wrapped around his rigid penis and eased all he way down to the base. Nayan sat facing him and slowly ground her hips while placing her hands upon his shoulders.
“Someone’s gonna . . . gonna check on me . . . before too long,” Eddie said as she rocked slowly on top of him.
“Then we’d better be quick.”
“Ain’t there a . . . better time for this?”
“You want me to stop?” she asked.
“No . . . I just . . .” Eddie pulled even harder at the ropes that bound his hands but still couldn’t get them free. He could move his legs, however, so he dug his heels into the dirt to give him some purchase as he pumped his cock up into her.
Nayan responded to that with a breathy sigh and locked her fingers behind his neck as she rode him harder. “How could any bed compare to this?” she whispered. “Isn’t this exciting? Doesn’t it make you feel alive?”
“That’s what you said when we stole them coins,” Eddie pointed out.
Just mentioning the theft made Nayan grab him tighter. Eddie swore he felt her pussy grow a little wetter as it cinched in around him. All he had to do was pump into her harder as he continued talking.
“You wanna fuck when I’m about to get killed?” he snarled. “I can’t think of a better way to go. Too bad I can’t bend you over something and fuck you from behind like I did the night we stole that gold. You liked that, didn’t you?”
“Oh yes,” Nayan whispered as she bounced faster in his lap.
“You like being bad?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a bad little whore, ain’t you?”
Nayan’s fingernails dug into his neck and a tremor worked its way through her lower body. “Yes!”
Eddie barely even realized how loud she’d been. Nayan had built up a good rhythm and was sliding up and down the entire length of his erection. Just a few more bounces and he would . . .
“What is this?” one of the men from the camp bellowed as he stomped into the shelter.
Nayan stood up and quickly pulled her dress down to cover herself.
“Is he loose?”
“No,” she replied. “I thought his ropes had come untied, so I tightened them.”
“Why did you scream?” the man asked.
“Just calling for someone to help me. Glad you were so quick.” Nayan gave Eddie an apologetic shrug before stepping aside.
“She was doing just fine,” Eddie whined. “Couldn’t you just give her another minute?”
TWENTY-NINE
Chuluun and Lylah spoke for hours. Although Clint couldn’t understand what they were saying, their gestures and her facial expressions told him that they spent the first bit of time with simple questions so the old man could gain her trust. When Lylah’s eyes narrowed into a steely gaze and her voice was strained to the point of breaking, Clint figured she was talking about her time with Kyle Morrow. Whenever the outlaw’s name was mentioned, she toughened up a little more.
Some food was brought in for everyone, which consisted of strips of meat in a spicy sauce. As they ate, the talking continued. Every so often, Clint spotted tears at the corners of Lylah’s eyes. Just when he was about to step in and insist on taking a rest for a few minutes, she wiped her face dry and soldiered on.
A woman cried out from somewhere else in the camp, which Clint thought was peculiar. He thought she sounded like she was in the throes of passion, but that couldn’t have been right. Judging by the commotion that followed the woman’s yell, she probably had an accident or was signaling one of the men guarding the camp’s perimeter. Before Clint could get too involved with that, Chuluun stood up and walked over to him.
“Well, I believe I know her language,” the old man said.
“I kind of guessed that. What did she say?”
“She has endured much since coming to this country, which was less than a year ago. Since then, she has been a slave, escaped captivity, was captured, escaped again, and then was kidnapped by Kyle Morrow,” Chuluun explained. “It was simple luck that your friend Madeline managed to find her when she did. From what I was told, Lylah slipped away just long enough for Madeline to find her. Somehow Madeline knew she was in trouble and took Lylah under her wing.”
Clint nodded. “Sounds about right.”
“Kyle Morrow tracked down Lylah in Tombstone, but Madeline bought enough time for her to get away. The last time Lylah saw her, Madeline was about to try to send Morrow and his men in the wrong direction.”
“What about the children?” Clint asked. “Did she mention anything about children being with Madeline?”
“No, but I can ask.” Chuluun turned toward Lylah, who sat cross-legged and hunched over a plate of food. After trading a few quick lines in their native language, the old man turned toward Clint and said, “She heard Madeline talk about two children, but didn’t see them herself.”
“That means they could be with Morrow. Damn.”
There was another possibility, but Clint didn’t want to think about that. He was riled up enough already.
“She was at Morrow’s home,” Chuluun said.
“She knows where he’s camped?”
“She knows where he lives. It sounds like he has deep roots in a town somewhere near Prescott.”
“Can she get us there?” Clint asked hopefully.
The old man nodded. “I can talk with her and draw a map. Would that be good?”
“That would be great.”
“Excellent. Before I do that, there is something I need from you.” As Chuluun said that, Baht walked up to stand closer to Clint. “The bounty hunter you brought in took something that belonged to our entire tribe. Since you brought him here, I am guessing you already know about this.”
“I heard that Eddie made off with something, but I don’t know what it was,” Clint replied, sticking as close to the truth as possible. So far, that hadn’t been much of a problem.
“So, you brought him here to trade for my help with your situation?” Chuluun asked.
Clint was always amazed at how much his poker experience translated into life away from the game. Right now he could tell that the old man knew a lot more than he was saying. Every instinct in Clint’s head told him to not even bother trying to bluff someone with such clear, intense eyes.
Cutting straight to the quick, Chuluun asked, “You didn’t know he was wanted by our people, did you?”
“No, sir. He offered to bring me here so you could translate.”
“He . . . came here on his own accord?”
“More or less,” Clint replied.
“And why did you hand him over to us?”
“Your men were anxious to get to him and they were itching for a fight,” Clint said. “Before any blood was spilt, I gave them what they wanted and tried to make sure Eddie wasn’t hurt. Well . . . not hurt too badly, at least.”
Chuluun’s eyes narrowed further as he studied Clint.
“Send this traitor away,” Baht said. “We have the thieving bounty hunter and he has his translation. He can leave the woman behind as well.”
“Shut your mouth, boy!” Chuluun roared.
Baht backed down so fast that he reflexively took a step toward the door. Regaining his composure, he straightened and puffed out his chest. He did not, however, step forward to where he’d been a few seconds ago.
In a level voice, Chuluun said, “Baht, shoot Mister Adams.”
The younger man grinned and reached for the gun holstered at his side. He barely slipped his finge
r beneath the trigger guard before Clint drew his Colt and took aim in a single, fluid motion.
Stepping forward to stand between the other two men, Chuluun said, “I believe Mister Adams spoke the truth. If he’d wanted to fight, there would have been a fight. From what I’ve just seen, it would have been a most impressive fight. Where is the bounty hunter?”
“Tumen says Nayan was with the thief. She is the one who called out.”
Chuluun rolled his eyes. “That woman . . . Are you sure she does not have the coins?”
“I told you already. We searched her belongings twice.”
“Search them again and bring the bounty hunter here.”
“What about Nayan?” Baht asked.
“I don’t want to hear her speak another word,” the old man said in a disgusted tone. “Most of her words are too hollow to bear any weight.”
THIRTY
Clint and Lylah were left alone in Chuluun’s shelter, but it was obvious that they weren’t meant to leave. Men were posted just outside the hut and several more scurried throughout the camp just beyond Clint’s sight. After the better part of an hour had gone by, Clint was feeling restless.
“They say they want to get their hands on Eddie, but why do I feel like the prisoner here?” he muttered.
Lylah looked at him, but didn’t respond.
Clint’s hand drifted toward his pistol. He knew he could make it out of the hut and probably to Eclipse, but wasn’t certain just how much dust would be kicked up in the process. He’d gotten a good look at the camp and had a vague idea of how many men he’d have to face. Even so, he wasn’t sure if facing them was a good idea. He’d survived plenty of scrapes by listening to his instincts and following his gut, but every so often those same things got him into trouble. At the moment, it was difficult to figure out which category this situation fell into.
Just as Clint was about to test the waters of leaving the hut, the men outside stepped away from the door to allow Chuluun to return. The old man held several things collected in his arms, none of which seemed very threatening.
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