Rexes & Robbers

by Kendra Moreno

  “I have to pee,” Ro tried. That time, Boone didn’t even spare her a glance. He pointed to the bucket in the corner, one that was disgusting and smelled worse than Earl. “Ugh!” She was tempted to pick it up and throw it at Boone through the bars, but honestly, she didn’t want to touch the thing. It appeared that it had never been cleaned out, only emptied, and Earl spent almost every night in the jail. “You can’t hold me in here. I didn’t actually steal anything.”

  Boone folded the newspaper and set it aside. He threaded his fingers together over his stomach and leveled his eyes on her. “So, you’re not Rowena Wickham?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Well, you’re on every wanted poster from here to San Antonio. Last I heard, the reward was up to ten thousand.” When Ro didn’t answer, Boone pulled his legs from the desk and stood, before walking up to the steel bars. “You’re a criminal, exactly the troublemaker I thought you were. Now here we are.”

  “It’s not like that,” she growled.

  “Then tell me what it’s like,” Boone said, his eyes heated. “Explain to me how you turned into this.”

  The words hurt worse than they should of, as if she was some sort of monster killing everyone. The real monsters were still out there. The real monster was on his way here.

  Ro considered not telling him her story, but then she remembered his words while they’d been looking at the stars, and she sighed.

  “A woman has nothing unless she has a husband,” she mumbled. She forced herself to look into Boone’s eyes while she spoke, to let him see. “My father knew when he was going to die. The doctor stopped helping him, and he got worse, started coughing up blood. I remember he looked like wax just before he fell asleep and never woke up again. I remember how cold his skin was.” Ro clenched her jaw, but she continued, “Seven years ago, my father went to the bank of Millwatch and asked them about passing the land to me in his will, to make sure I was covered when he died. The bank swore up and down that all he needed to do was leave me the land in his will, and that they’d take care of it when he passed.”

  Boone studied her closely, watching her expressions as if they held the key. “What happened?”

  “My father died. I buried him under the tree he spent his time under with a good book. And then I went to the bank to get the papers signed. I was prepared. I took the will. I had money in case they needed collateral. But Mr. Steele looked me right in the eyes and told me that women couldn’t own property. That if I wanted it, they’d give me a month to find a husband. And then the asshole offered himself for that position. Without thinking, I had my revolver trained on him, ordering him to give me his money.”

  “So they stole the land from you.” Boone’s eyes softened for a moment, but then he seemed to remember Ro was still robbing banks after that. “What happened next?”

  Sighing, Ro shoved Earl over on the bench. He groaned, but let her move him until there was enough room to sit down. “I tried to rob a bank on my own after that, only to realize I picked a town that was already dying and had already been hit. The sheriff threw me in jail, beat me, and then tried to teach me a lesson because I wouldn’t tell him my name. He’d had his pants undone when the Band of Misfits attacked the town.” Ro closed her eyes for the next part. “Les Chambers found me bleeding from a head wound in the jail, attempting to crawl my way to freedom. He could have left me or put me out my misery. Instead, he took me.” She turned toward Boone and opened her eyes. “It would have been kinder had he shot me.”

  “So you joined the Band of Misfits?”

  “I didn’t really have much choice. I sensed the danger of being around Les, but something about him convinced me to stay. He promised to teach me how to rob banks properly, and he had three rules. Always have a plan. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. No witnesses. He tried to drill those rules into me, but I couldn’t stomach rule three. Everywhere Les went, he murdered. At one point, I attempted to warn the airships and trains of his plans to attack. I saved them ten times before Les figured out that I’d been warning them.”

  “Did he punish you?” There was no anger in his voice this time, just curiosity.

  “Not in the way you’d think. I’d seen that beast put his fist through a skull, shoot children in cold blood, and eat his own crew, but he never once raised his hand to me. The bastard was convinced he loved me, and in some twisted way, I think he did. The problem was, no one else was so lucky.” She ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Now, I have no choice. I have a crew to take care of, and with that many mouths to feed, it gets expensive. We planned to settle down eventually, to stop, but we haven’t been able to yet, and no one would sell to a woman.”

  “Until Embertown.”

  Ro nodded. “The plan was to come in and get out before anyone recognized us. Then we could come back and purchase land. But fucking King knew who I was the moment I spoke.”

  “He’s good with voices.” Boone shrugged his shoulders.

  “You might have mentioned that before,” Ro grumbled.

  “What? You mean when you were busy seducing us?” he snapped, his eyes narrowing. “Or should I have told you when you left me in my bed?”

  Ro bit her lip. “The plan never involved sleeping with y’all. I was just supposed to distract you with each other.”

  “Distract us,” he snorted. “You did a damn good job.”

  “I’m sorry, Boone. I had to take care of my family, but once I got to know Embertown, got to know y’all, I regretted having to go through with it.”

  Boone stared at her, his jaw clenched so tightly Ro worried he’d break it. “You say you have experience with the Band of Misfits.”

  “Unfortunately, I do.”

  “The Croc is rumored to be headed this way.”

  “I know.” Ro nodded. “It’s why we had to move our plan earlier by several days.”

  “Well, I might be willing to make a deal with you.”

  Those words had gotten her in trouble seven years ago when Les had said the same thing. She’d been naive then. She wasn’t now. The world worked in unfair ways, taking good people early and letting bad people live forever. Sometimes, Ro wondered if God had given up on the West and left the devil in charge instead. It wouldn’t have surprised her, not in this part of the country.

  “What are you offerin’?”

  Boone slid the key into the lock and opened the cell, gesturing for her to come out. When she did, he locked it behind her before turning and meeting her eyes. “Help us with The Croc, tell us his weaknesses, fight with us, and I’ll forget I ever met Rowena Wickham.” The way he said it made her wince, but she turned quickly enough that she thought she hid it from him. His fingers cupped her chin and he gently pulled until she was looking up into his eyes. “That doesn’t mean I’ll forget Ro the troublemaker.”

  “Why? You called me a criminal.”

  The corner of his lips ticked up. “My momma would have liked you. I’m pretty certain you’d fall under the ‘good people who do bad things’ category.” He shook his head. “I’ve also heard you don’t shoot innocent people. Not gonna lie, King could have probably used a theft to knock him down a peg or two.”

  “Well, I failed there,” Ro whispered.

  “I wouldn’t say that,” he said, a knowing grin on his face. “You might wanna go tell the Carnosaur and your crew that are hanging around outside of the town to calm down in the meantime, because we’re on the same side now. Ole Danny boy is scaring the children.”

  Ro laughed. “He can be a right ass.”

  Boone released her chin and stepped back, giving her space that she desperately needed. She’d been certain everything was over, that nothing would ever be right again, and yet King had already stated he was still interested, and now Boone has released her from jail.

  “Are you sure?” she inquired, her fingers itching with nerves. She’d lost her revolver in the bank, but no one had taken her other weapons. King and Boone had already determined who
she was, and it pissed her off to no end, but it also felt nice. Neither had been scared of her. Neither had truly judged her.

  “If that Carnosaur eats anyone, it’s your head,” Boone teased, gesturing for the door. But then he frowned, as if something just occurred to him. “You didn’t say how you got away from the Band of Misfits. They say no one leaves. How did you escape?”

  Ro stopped with her hand on the doorframe, the wood cool but stiff beneath her fingers. She turned and met Boone’s eyes, her own sadness dancing at the edges, threatening to bring up old memories.

  “I didn’t,” she whispered, and then she left the jail and Sheriff Boone behind.

  Twenty-Two

  SIX YEARS AGO

  Ro took the small plate of beans and rice from Jiminy, and met his eyes briefly before moving away. Les had been keeping a close eye on her, watching her every move, and his anger was getting worse. He’d beat anyone who got in his way, anyone who looked at him funny, anyone who looked at her. He never touched Ro, never raised a hand to her, but he punished her in other ways.

  “Which of my crew is your favorite?” Les asked one night.

  “You are,” she answered automatically. She knew a trick when she saw one. She wouldn’t give any other name.

  “Besides me.”

  “I don’t like anyone else.”

  “What about old Jiminy?”

  Ro turned and met Les’ eyes, the calculation in his staring back at hers. She forced her heart rate to stay calm, kept all expressions from her face. “You mean that old asshole? Is there anyone who likes him?”

  Les burst out laughing, shaking his head. “You’re right, Rowena. He is an old asshole. Forget I asked.”

  It had been a threat, one Ro hadn’t taken lightly. She couldn’t make the mistake of talking to anyone else too long, so she’d left Jiminy in charge of making sure those who wanted to leave knew the plan. It was time to get away from the Band of Misfits.

  Les was planning another haul. He wanted to hit a larger town, a test of sorts, to see just how much he could push before the law actually came after him. Ro had long since thought that the law wouldn’t do anything to The Croc, too afraid of his beast to try. Not once in the year and a half that Ro had been with them had she seen one lawman or bounty hunter raise a gun to Les Chambers, but Les had raised his gun plenty.

  “I’m tired tonight, Les. I’m gonna go to sleep.” Ro stood and stretched, making the lie more authentic. She made sure to yawn, too, for good measure. “Don’t wait up for me.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “No,” she replied, keeping her voice measured. “You have plans to make. I’ll be fine. I’ll be asleep before my head even hits the mat.” While other crew members slept on the ground, Les had arranged a wagon for them to sleep in, complete with comfy mats and all. If he wasn’t such a monster, it would have been a thoughtful idea, but it was purely for his benefit. If Ro wasn’t on the ground around the other crew, then none of them could look at her. No one could see her if he chose to get intimate.

  Ro had pushed him away for months, and surprisingly, he’d let her. He never forced himself on her, but he made it clear that it was expected of her again once she got over her problems. Ro had deemed it necessary to play the loving partner, swallowing her bile in order to kiss him, but she hadn’t been able to stomach getting intimate again. She’d once thought she’d cared for him, and she might still a little, but she knew what he was now. A few sweet words didn’t make up for all the bad actions.

  “You’re right,” Les agreed. “I’ll be in once I finish.”

  Ro slowly walked toward the wagon and around the back. She even went through the motions of climbing in and sitting for a moment in case he’d been watching to make sure she’d done as she said. Then she carefully climbed out again, peeking to make sure he was still sitting by the fire, before she sprinted toward the meeting place. There were five people waiting there, including Jiminy. Theo joined their group, as well as an Ankylosaurus and two humans. The Ankylosaurus would be carrying Jiminy on his back until they could get far enough away that the two young dinos could shift and get them the hell out of dodge.

  “Now,” Ro whispered. “Don’t hesitate.”

  They turned as one, prepared to leave, and Ro nearly swallowed her tongue. Les stood behind them, his hands in his pockets, his head tilted. “I thought you were going to sleep.”

  “Yes,” she lied, scrambling for something to say. “But I realized I was hungry, and I was asking Jiminy if there was any food left over.”

  Les’ eyes narrowed. “You’re lyin’.”

  That was it. He didn’t make a big show about it, didn’t sound an alarm, just kept his eyes trained on her.

  Ro didn’t hesitate. She pulled her revolver out and pointed it at his chest. In the same movement, she pulled the hammer back, the click loud in the still desert.

  “What are ya gonna do with that?” he scoffed, raising his brow. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t look scared. Les Chambers was a master of controlling his emotions, but even she could see the slight hurt in his eyes.

  “You’re gonna let us leave.” Ro kept her voice hard, even though her eyes threatened to swim. She bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood in an attempt to focus, to keep her mind off of any emotions she might be feeling. “You’re gonna move and let us leave.”

  “Why would I do that?” He was genuinely curious.

  “Because I asked you to.” Ro was banking hard on how much he thought he loved her, hoping that he wouldn’t attack those behind her. Jiminy and the humans were the most vulnerable, but the other two dinos were no match for a Spinosaurus. The tension rose.

  “We both know you won’t use that revolver on me,” he stated matter-of-factly. His hands were still in his pockets, as if he was simply out for a stroll.

  Her finger rested on the trigger, prepared in case he started to shift or lunge. “I don’t shoot innocent people or those who don’t deserve it. You’re neither of those things.”

  Pulling his hands from his pockets and lifting them out in surrender, he grinned and that scared Ro more than anything. “Go on then,” he urged, his voice soft. “I’ll be waiting here when you come crawling back to me.”

  “That won’t happen.” Ro gestured for everybody to shift to the side, moving away from Les and his camp. Les never attacked. He watched them go with that eerie smile, that horrible calm.

  “We’ll see,” he replied, certain that she would indeed come back.

  The problem was, Ro knew exactly who he was, knew what he was, and she knew if she went back, she wouldn’t survive. They’d moved off into the desert, but Ro couldn’t help looking back often to make sure he wasn’t charging after them. He stayed where he stood, watching them, his body haloed by the fire behind him. At last, Ro couldn’t see him anymore, and Theo and the Ankylo shifted to carry everyone. That was when she heard the roar of outrage behind them, the sound of an angry Spinosaurus. The screams came afterwards, and each one made Ro wince.

  They didn’t stop moving for weeks, going from town to town just to keep Les off their tail. Every place they stopped, they heard the same thing, the same rumor, and it felt like he was always right behind them for years, until it stopped.

  “Did you hear? The Croc is looking for The Ghost. He wants her back.”

  “May God have mercy on her soul.”

  But he didn’t stop chasing her. No, Les was making his plan. He never bit off more than he could chew.

  Twenty-Three

  As it turned out, no one had touched the room Clem and Ro had rented. Ro was happy to find that her red hat was sitting on the bed, but it saddened her that Boone had most likely come looking for her to return it, only to find her gone. He hadn’t really spoken too much about it, and they certainly hadn’t talked about the night they spent together, but hopefully he didn’t think she’d left because of him. If anything, King and Boone were the reasons she wanted to stay.

  “So, let me get this
straight,” Clem started again. She’d been going on and on since the moment Ro had gone out to calm down Danny and explain the situation to them. “You were arrested. The sheriff let you out because you agreed to help them with The Croc. None of us are in trouble now. Does that cover it all?”

  “Also, King doesn’t seem to mind that I tried to steal from him,” Ro added on a wince. She wasn’t sure why he wasn’t affected. It bothered her to no end.

  “And Boone still seems interested?”

  “It would appear so.”

  “Well, damn.” Clem scratched her head. “You must be some sort of magic in the sack.” She looked Ro up and down and wiggled her brows. “If you liked women, I’d tell you let’s test it out.”

  Ro laughed and shook her head. Clem never ceased to amaze her. When Ro had informed them it was okay to come back to town, Clem had walked in with her hips swaying, and blowing kisses at the working girls. She’d even blown a kiss to the deputy who looked mighty confused by the blonde outlaw.

  “I’m a little worried about how unaffected they both seem to be,” Ro commented. “I sort of feel like the other shoe is gonna drop.”

  “Well,” Clem tilted her head, “make up sex with the two Rexes could be nice.”

  Ro sputtered. “You mean at the same time?”

  “What else would I mean?” Clem shrugged. “Ain’t nothing wrong with it.”

  Ro clamped her mouth shut. No, there was nothing wrong with it. She just hadn’t had the opportunity before. Besides, she doubted two Rexes would agree to such an arrangement. They were too territorial. “There’s not, no. But I doubt that’s an option.”

  “Just ask.” Clem turned and met her gaze. “You’d be surprised what answer you get.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Clem took a seat on the mattress she’d claimed and tossed her hat on the bedside table. When she leveled her stare on Ro, she knew she was about to get a tongue-lashing.