Lipstick and Lead Series: The Complete Box Set With a Bonus Book

by Sylvia McDaniel

  And Beau certainly hadn’t proved to be as easy as she’d thought. She hoped by now she would be home, sitting at the table telling her sisters all about catching her first bounty. But oh no, they would be worried and angry and frustrated that she hadn’t let them know where she was going.

  She built up twigs and dried leaves and struck her flint to the material. Soon, she had a roaring fire blazing, casting light. For a moment, she just sat and contemplated her situation.

  Maybe she’d left a little too hasty. She had few rations, she had enough money on her to be considered dangerous, and she was following a wanted criminal alone. A dangerous man. A bank robber.

  Wouldn’t he just love to rob her and leave her dead along the trail?

  The brush rustled behind her and she froze. Her heart pounded in her chest, her blood rushing through her. Of all the stupid, rookie mistakes, she realized she’d left her gun in her saddle. No protection, except the small pistol strapped to her pantaloons.

  Rising slowly from the ground, she turned and watched as a cotton-tailed rabbit hopped from one bush to the next, hurrying when he saw her standing there.

  She breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head. Relaxing would be difficult, but she could expect animal sounds all night long. There was nothing to fear, but she’d get her gun just the same.

  Just as she breathed easy, the sound of a gun hammer being drawn back sent terror freezing her lungs as panic pumped her blood.

  “You planning on arresting me while I sleep?” a deep voice drawled.

  Beau Samuel, bank robber and handsome hunk, breathed in her ear, sending a trickle of awareness through her. Sometimes the best offense was to act dumb.

  She whirled around and came face-to-face with the man from the bank. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m trying to find out why you’re following me. You think you can tie me up and haul me back to town?”

  “I didn’t know you were out here,” she lied. Somehow she’d let him sneak up on her and now she was in a heap of trouble.

  “Liar,” he said his lips turned up in a smile that any other time she might have found attractive.

  “Where’s your good friend the sheriff?”

  “We spread out. He should be along any minute now.”

  “Liar.”

  “Do you like that word?” She shrugged. “Don’t be surprised when the sheriff comes riding in here.”

  “I just call it like I see it. You’re lying. You just don’t give up, do you?”

  “Why should I?” Annabelle said, staring at him trying to muster courage.

  “What’s your name Miss Smart Mouth?”

  “Annabelle McKenzie, bounty hunter.”

  He threw back his head and roared with laughter.

  “I’m taking you in,” she said incensed that he would laugh at her.

  “I outweigh you, I have a gun pointed on you, and I’m stronger than you. Sugar, this is a battle you’re not going to win.”

  “And I’m smarter than you.”

  He shook his head. “You keep thinking that.”

  Glancing down at his gun, she looked up at him. “You really think a big strong man like you needs that gun pointed at me?”

  “Yeah, I do,” he said. “You’re dangerous.”

  “Are you headed to the Red River?” she asked, wanting to know where he was headed in case she lost him. She had no intentions of letting him get away a second time.

  “No.”

  “Then why are you on this road?”

  “Lady, it’s none of your business why I’m on this road.” He shook his head. “Wait a minute. I’m asking the questions, not you.”

  She smiled at him. When she got away at least, she’d know which direction to follow him.

  “I’ll just have to go through your saddlebags to see what I can learn about you.”

  Thank God, she’d strapped the money in a secret pouch inside her skirt. He couldn’t find it. If he did, he’d steal it, and then Meg and Ruby would be furious that she’d lost some of their bounty money. And she couldn’t blame them. They’d worked hard to get the farm out of debt.

  “Let me tell you what you’re going to find,” she said. “Empty bags.”

  “Liar.” He frowned at her.

  She shrugged. “Believe what you want. I’d gone into town to buy some supplies. There’s nothing in those saddlebags, except for some feminine things I need. Do you understand?”

  Come on, she thought, he didn’t appear to be that dense.

  His eyes widened. “Oh.”

  “Yes, I thought you wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself by going through those rags.”

  His brow drew together. “Lady, for some reason I think you couldn’t tell the truth if it slapped you upside the head.”

  In two long strides, he reached her horse and drew open the first saddlebag. It contained the wanted posters. Dang! Dang! Dang!

  Why had she thought this would be so easy?

  He pulled them out and his was on top. He held it up. “You know, I don’t think the artist caught my best side? Do you?”

  She frowned. “He left off your horns.”

  A smile spread across his face as he laughed and shook his head. “Woman, you have a smart mouth, and it’s going to get you killed,” he said. “I was hoping you’d learned a lesson this afternoon and wouldn’t follow me.”

  “There’s five hundred dollars riding on your head. I’d follow you a long ways trying to earn that cash.” That would be the final payment on the farm. They’d be completely debt free and her sisters would no longer have to hunt lawless men.

  “Are you hungry? Do you need the money?”

  “No,” she said, surprised.

  “Then why are you out chasing outlaws for money? It seems to me a woman like you would have a husband and a passel of kids by now.”

  The gun in his hand was pointed at her midsection and that made her uneasy. It could so very easily go off.

  “Who says I don’t?”

  He considered her comment, staring at her like he wasn’t certain if she was telling the truth or yet another lie. “Is your husband waiting somewhere up the road and together the two of you were going to make some extra cash.”

  “Oh, he’s waiting somewhere up the road, that’s for certain.”

  The idea sounded good, and if he were stupid enough to believe it, then she’d let him. So far, her luck with men hadn’t been good. One wife-cheating restaurant owner and nothing else. Was she ugly as sin or unappealing in some way?

  He shook his head. “Why would a man send a woman alone to capture me? None of this makes sense.”

  She smiled and cocked her head. “Maybe I’m just a lonely woman trying to get home. Maybe I’d forgotten all about our little run-in behind the sheriff’s office.”

  “Liar.” He gazed at her, his eyes a deep dark green that shone brightly in the firelight. And those dark lashes, they could flutter and set a girl’s heart quivering. “And you’re not too good at tall tales.”

  “Why, thank you. I’ve never wanted to be known as a woman who could lie well.”

  God, if she could just get out of this. If she could somehow turn the guns on him, tie him up, then drag him back to Zenith and collect her bounty, she’d never do this again. She’d leave bounty hunting to Meg and Ruby and go back to taking care of cows. Smelly, stinking, mooing cattle, which didn’t have the sense to get out of the rain.

  “So, what’s it going to be, sweetheart? Are you going to tell me the truth or am I going to have to beat it out of you?”

  Beat it out of her? Really? Of course, he was a wanted outlaw. A dangerous man who could hurt her. But then again, was he just trying to scare her?

  “Tell me about the beating. What exactly would you do to me? Not that I’m lying to you, but I’m just considering all my options here.” She hoped he was trying to intimidate her and wasn’t serious about harming her. From their interaction, he seemed more of a smart aleck than a truly evil man.


  He frowned at her and shook his head. Taking a step toward her, he stood close enough she was forced to look up. “Lady, I should have known you were going to be trouble when I ran into you at the bank.”

  “Did you rob that bank?” she asked.

  “Hell, no.”

  “Are you planning on robbing the bank?”

  “There you go again, asking the questions. I’m in charge here. I’m the one with a gun pointed at you. I’m threatening to beat you.”

  Yeah, he was threatening to beat her, but he really didn’t seem the type. For an outlaw, there was something oddly decent about him.

  She shrugged. “I just wanted to know the answer to my questions. I mean, you’re wanted for robbing a bank. You could have been scouting our little bank. I have money in there. I may need to withdraw it all before I see you in town again.”

  He shook his head. “Answer my question.”

  “Could you repeat the question? I’ve forgotten it since we started talking.”

  “Why are you following me?”

  “Simple. Five hundred dollars. You’re my bounty.”

  He didn’t respond, but grabbed her arm and then dragged her over to his waiting horse. With the gun still pointed on her, he reached inside and pulled out some rope.

  “What are you doing?”

  He didn’t say a word, but shoved his gun into his holster and spun her around like she was a spindle top, tugged her arms behind her back, and tied her wrists together.

  “Why are you tying my hands? It’s very uncomfortable.” This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. She needed her hands available to fight him off. To get to her gun. To escape and come back with her sisters. She should have gotten Ruby and Meg before coming out on this trip.

  “I’m not interested in your comfort.”

  “Why are you so mean? Are you proving to me that you can be a bad guy?”

  Beau stopped and looked at her. A smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “Sugar, I don’t have to prove anything. I know I’m one mean son of a bitch. And you want to take me into the sheriff. Did you think I was going to faint and say please take me to my hanging?”

  She shook her head. “A girl can hope.”

  He chuckled then reached down and traced his finger along her mouth. “You’ve got one smart mouth.”

  A shiver trickled down her spine, igniting areas of her body she’d not experienced before. She didn’t know if it was fear or some other emotion that she hadn’t yet been able to identify.

  How was she going to get out of this while she was tied up? She’d left a note in the sheriff’s office when she’d gone in to get Zach, but he was long gone and the office was empty. Hopefully, the sheriff would be on his way here in the morning. She would do her best to ride this out until then.

  Beau didn’t say a word but marched her back to the campfire. “Get comfortable. It’s going to be a long night.”

  “I need a bedroll.”

  He glanced over at her horse. “You don’t have one?”

  “No, but you do,” she said with a smile.

  “Who rides out without a bedroll? Do you have any supplies? Anything?” he asked, staring at her like she was crazy.

  “Yes, I’ve got a few supplies.”

  “You followed me on a whim. Greenhorn mistakes like that can cost you your life.”

  “I’m not a greenhorn,” she spit out.

  “Well then, you’re not very smart.”

  Annabelle had to bite her lip to keep from saying anything. She’d followed him without much thought as to her actions. Maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done, but he’d have to torture her before she’d ever admit to her error.

  He got up and marched over to his horse and pulled off his bedroll. He came back to the fire and spread it out. “We’ll share.”

  “No. We won’t.”

  “Your husband wouldn’t approve?” he said with a mocking smile.

  This had just gotten way more serious than she’d anticipated. She’d never considered the danger to herself, only the rewards of when she brought in her captive.

  “Lay a hand on me and my husband will beat you until you’re talking out of the other side of your mouth.” She turned her back on him. “You’re sleeping on the ground, and I’m taking the bedroll.”

  He stared off into the night, a wrinkled crease on his forehead, like he was deep in thought. Suddenly he grabbed her hand and held it up to the firelight. She watched with trepidation as his lips curled up in a smile. “I don’t think you’re married. There’s no ring. No shadow of a former ring. There’s no man waiting down the road for you. You’re alone.”

  “Not for long. My sisters are on their way, and they’ll be bringing the law.”

  “Well then, I’ll be sure to leave you tied up where they can find you.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “I would.” He leaned back against his saddle, closed his eyes and pulled his hat low. “Good night, bounty hunter.”

  “You bastard.”

  He chuckled. “Such a nasty, sassy mouth. Makes me want to kiss it and make it sweeter.”

  Chapter 2

  The sound of horses’ hooves pounding on the nearby road woke Beau. The sun was just beginning to peek over the eastern sky, chasing the shadows from the earth. Slowly, he got to his feet and edged the fifty yards closer to the road, peering into the gloom. Six riders of the Harris gang sat on their horses, not far from where he stood.

  He held his breath, hoping that the woman he’d left back at camp would still be sleeping and would remain silent. He held his breath, hoping that the coals from the fire had died enough that no smoke was visible. He held his breath.knowing that if they found him, they’d want answers about the bank robbery money.

  “Give me a minute,” Jake, one of the gang members, said, leaning over his horse. “I’m feeling sick.”

  Beau watched him vomit in the road. The cruel group of men laughed at the long rider as he spewed his guts.

  “He’s so drunk he couldn’t hit the ground with his hat in three tries,” William, the leader, said with an ugly laugh. In the gloomy light of dawn, his eyes were dark and menacing in a way that sent tingles of warning up Beau’s spine. William was a cold-hearted killer who would shoot a man for very little cause. Just like Beau’s older brother had no remorse about killing innocents.

  “I’m fine,” Jake slurred. “I’ll just hang onto my horse, and she’ll follow you guys wherever it is we’re going.”

  They must have spent the night in town, drinking and gambling and whoring. A normal night’s activity for these ruffians. An exercise in depravity Beau had watched over the last few months.

  “Not good enough. You’re slowing us down,” William said, as he spat on the ground. “You’re a drunk, Jake. You’re dangerous and you’re going to get one of us killed.”

  The man frowned and stared at William, like he wanted to argue the point. “We’re all drunk. I’m not the only one.”

  “Yes, you are. Dan, are you drunk?”

  “No way.”

  “Tom, are you drunk?” William asked.

  “Nope.”

  That tingle crawling up Beau’s spine suddenly felt like a raging river of warning and he shrank further behind the brush, praying Annabelle would keep quiet.

  William turned to the man in the middle. “Grant, are you drunk?”

  “No.”

  “Jim, are you drunk?” he asked the man beside him.

  “Not anymore.”

  They all turned their attention back to Jake and there was a dangerous undercurrent that Beau could feel from twenty feet away.

  “Every time we get ready to do a job, you get drunk, Jake.”

  The man swiped his face with his hand as if to clear the alcohol from his brain. “No, I don’t. I just like to have a little whiskey the night before to get my courage up.”

  William shook his head, his eyes darkened and his mouth curled in a snarl. “You don’t
have a little whiskey. It takes a whole stinking bottle before you find any courage.”

  The men laughed and Beau knew the boy was in trouble. Somehow he had to help him, but how? His mind churned furiously, wondering if he could distract the ruthless gang.

  “One drink turns into two and soon the bottle is gone,” Jake said, clearly realizing the danger he was in. “I won’t do it anymore. I promise.”

  “Your drunk ass slows us down, your hands shake and you stink. I’ve had enough.” William whipped out his pistol and shot the man before he had a chance to respond.

  Beau jumped and knew he was too late. The blast of the gun echoed through the trees, the boom loud enough to send birds fluttering from their perches. If that hadn’t woken the girl, then she could sleep through a thundering herd of cattle.

  Thank God, she hadn’t screamed.

  Jake’s body hit the ground with a splat. His horse neighed nervously and side-stepped away from the dead man.

  The outlaws stared at the man on the ground and then looked at William, their leader. No one said anything, knowing they’d be next if they protested. Beau had ridden with these men and they were a ruthless bunch, but their leader was as cold-blooded as a rattler with a chill.

  “Tom, pull his body off the trail and let’s get going. We need to find Beau and get our money. We’re not far behind him, so he can’t be much further. And if any of the rest of you feel the need to drink yourself silly the night before we ride, keep in mind what happened to Jake.”

  Tom, the hold-up man, jumped down from his horse and pulled Jake’s body into the woods. Beau watched as Tom stepped into his stirrups and then the group swiftly rode away, leaving the dead man.

  Beau’s heart galloped like a racing horse as he watched the backs of the gang disappear over the hill. Eventually, they’d find him and, once they did, William would require answers to the question as to where he’d hidden the money. And if Beau was lucky, they’d let him live.

  Quickly, he crossed the road and felt Jake’s pulse. Dead. Definitely dead.

  With a sigh he realized, he couldn’t leave the girl behind. He couldn’t ride off and let her face the Harris gang, tied up and helpless. Now he would be saddled with the responsibility of a mouthy woman, a wanted poster, locating the robbery money and the need to reach Fort Worth.