“Oh no, that’s enough,” the boy said.
Elliot couldn’t believe his good luck. It sounded like he’d hit the jackpot on his first night in town. It didn’t get any better than this. Now to complete the deal. “No way. This is your last night of being a free man. We need to celebrate.”
Elliott smiled. As soon as he could get the hotel room number from this kid, then the girl would be his. A little chloroform and he’d have a blonde virgin to put to work in the madam’s brothel, his way into Emily’s heart, and the empire she could help him build.
He whistled until the noisy saloon became silent. “Gents, this young man is getting married in the morning to a fair damsel named Beth. Raise your glasses in a toast.”
“Hear, hear,” some called and raised their glasses.
Soon the young man had free drinks flowing in front of him, and he didn’t turn them away. When the midnight hour struck, the saloon began to wind down, and Elliott knew the time had come to put his plan into action.
“Adam, you look like you can hardly walk. Let’s get you back to the hotel. I’ll help you.”
“Thanks,” the boy slurred, barely able to hold up his head.
Oh, this kid was going to have one hell of a headache in the morning. Not to mention his wedding would be ruined. Elliott knew he should feel bad, but he didn’t. The kid had brought his misfortune upon himself, and Elliott was there to reap the rewards.
He helped him off the bar stool, and together, they stumbled to the door.
“Good night, everyone,” Adam called as they walked out of the saloon. He stopped and took a deep breath of the fresh air.
“What’s your room number?” Elliott asked as they resumed crossing the street to the hotel.
“209.”
They walked into the empty lobby.
“We should go serenade your girl.”
The boy giggled. “I don’t think she’d appreciate me waking her up in a drunken state. And I don’t think the hotel management would like us disturbing the other guests. She’s just across the hall, so I’ll just blow her a kiss goodnight.”
This was like stealing candy. Adam was making it so easy to find his girl. In some ways, Elliot pitied the young man. Tomorrow’s hangover, losing his girl, and having his heart broken all in one fatal swoop.
Stumbling up the steps, they arrived at the boy’s hotel room. “Big day tomorrow. Thanks for tonight, Elliott. I had a great time.”
“Good luck with your wedding,” he said and pushed the boy into the room and closed the door.
Hurrying back down the stairs, Elliott walked out of the hotel and went to prepare for the ride out of town. If everything went according to plan, he’d be on his way back to Hide Town in the morning with a girl who would make the madam a lot of money, a girl who would certainly win him favor with Emily.
Early in the pre-dawn hours before the roosters started crowing, Elliott went back to the hotel with his horse, prepared to make the capture. Sneaking up the back stairs of the lodge, he went to the girl’s door and knocked quietly. He’d forgotten to ask, and he hoped she was alone.
She cracked open the door, and that was all he needed. Pushing his way inside, he quickly covered her mouth with a cloth that held chloroform to muffle her scream. She struggled for just a moment then passed out. Just like that, she was his.
Opening the door, he peered down the hall. No one was about. He lifted her onto his shoulder and carried her down the stairs. Once he reached the outdoors, he quickly tied her to the spare horse he’d brought.
Glancing up at the hotel where an unsuspecting young man was sleeping, waiting to awaken on his wedding day, he shook his head. “Better luck next time,” he muttered to himself.
After climbing on his horse, he rode out of town, starting the two-day journey back to Hide Town, where he was certain Emily would be happy with the goods he was bringing her.
The sun had risen when Hannah and Jackson rode into Dyersville. The color in Jackson’s face was better this morning. Yesterday, she’d been afraid for him when he’d rode into camp looking like an apparition barely sitting his horse.
A small part of her admired that he was so tough and determined, while her womanly part wanted him gone. He was dangerous, and she’d do best to remember he could only break her heart.
“Look over there,” he said, pointing down the street. A crowd was gathered in front of the hotel. “Something’s wrong.”
The sheriff and a young man whose face was pale stood in front of the crowd. “Beth Gunderson has disappeared from her hotel room. She’s missing, and we don’t know why. Has anyone seen her?”
“When did she go missing?” a man in the back of the crowd yelled.
“This morning.”
Sitting astride their horses, Hannah and Jackson glanced at one another. She could see they were both thinking the same thing. Elliott had gotten here before them and had already done damage.
“Excuse me,” Jackson said. “Have you seen a tall man with dark hair, green eyes with a scar above his eye? Did you see him in the hotel?”
The sheriff shook his head. “We checked everyone in the hotel. They’re all accounted for.”
“Wait,” the young boy said. “Last night at the saloon, I met a man named Elliott. He had a scar above his left eye.”
Hannah’s heartbeat quickened. “What does your fiancée look like?”
The boy licked his lips. “She’s blonde with blue eyes, about five feet tall and tiny.” He closed his eyes and hung his head. “I had drinks last night with Elliott. Round after round of drinks until I was drunk. Said we were celebrating my last night as a single man. Then he helped me back to the hotel. I told him her room was right across the hall from mine.”
Swallowing the fear that had risen up inside her like a sour stomach, Hannah ached for the young man. He’d been duped by Elliott and paid a heavy price. “When did you realize she was missing?”
“This morning, she didn’t answer the knock on her door.” He stared at them, looking confused. “How do you know him? Did he take her?”
Hannah glanced at Jackson, who nodded. “If he has her, he’s going to sell her to a brothel in Hide Town. We’ve got to catch them before they reach town. He’s got almost a half a day’s ride on us, so we better get going.”
“I’m going with you.”
“I don’t—”
“Hannah, he’s lost the love of his life. He needs to go with us,” Jackson said, softly touching her on the arm.
Tingles of awareness traveled through her, and she nodded.
While she hadn’t wanted the kid to go for fear of him slowing them down, she felt a warm spot in her heart at the way Jackson had stood up for him. The young man did love this girl, and they needed to rescue her from Elliott and put her stepfather out of business once and for all.
Chapter 5
Hannah kept glancing at Jackson. His bruises were starting to fade, but she knew his ribs were still healing, and they were riding as fast as they could without hurting their horses. There was no time to stop and let Jackson rest. They had to ride quickly to save this young woman from a life she didn’t deserve. Hannah worried if Jackson could keep up at this pace.
Before they’d ridden out of town, Hannah had found Elliott’s tracks at the back of the hotel. She’d used the knowledge Ruby had taught her to see the direction the two horses had trotted off. Sure, it could be someone else’s horse footprints, but she didn’t think so. It was the same pattern of horse shoes she’d followed coming into town. Headed in the direction of Hide Town.
Now they were trying to catch up to her ruthless stepfather. And the poor boy, who was with them was struggling with a hangover, beside himself with worry. It was so refreshing to see a man who cared enough about his woman that he was going after her, fear etched on his face, determination locked in his jaw. She could see he was scared and unwavering and anxious beyond his dreams, but resolved he would get back the woman he loved.
Love. She’d never expe
rienced the emotion, and part of her was jealous of the feelings he had for this girl. In her past life, she’d dreamed of a man loving her, but no more. No one would want a girl who’d slept with countless men, even if it had not been her choice. She was soiled goods, and it would be best if she separated herself from decent society.
“Look at that strip of cloth,” Adam cried out. “That’s part of her nightgown.”
“She’s leaving us clues,” Hannah said. “We must be getting close.”
They’d been riding hard for several hours, and even Hannah was starting to feel the way the saddle bounced between her thighs, rubbing her raw.
Jackson rode well, but he had a determined glaze on his face. It was almost like he’d focused on the trail and nothing else. His complexion was pale, yet he too would not stop and rest until they’d rescued the young woman.
Less than an hour later, they came across another piece of material, and Hannah began to feel hope. Elliott and Beth couldn’t be much further ahead.
As Hannah, Adam, and Jackson topped a rise, she could see two riders ahead. “There they are,” she cried.
“I’m going to kill that son of a bitch,” Adam said.
“No,” Hannah said. “He’s mine. You get your girl.” She leaned low over her horse and kicked his sides.
“Hannah,” Jackson screamed, but she wasn’t about to listen to any more from him about forgiveness and thou shall not kill and all the other religious idealism that spouted from between his lips. She had a vengeance to settle.
Elliott Potter had kidnapped yet another girl, possibly killed Hannah’s mother, and ruined her life. He wouldn’t live to see another day, if she had her way. No judge, no jury, no trial. Her Colt six-shooter would do the sentencing.
With her horse galloping at full speed, she pulled the gun out of her holster, took aim, and fired. The bullet bounced in the dirt in front of Elliott. He whirled around to look at her and moved his horse in front of the girl, placing her in danger, keeping Hannah from shooting at him again.
There was no way she would risk the life of the girl, and there were other ways to reach Elliott.
Kicking the sides of her horse, she tried to catch them, but Elliott managed to keep the girl between him and Hannah. He knew she wanted him dead. He knew she’d kill him.
Finally, the girl realized what he was doing and slowed her horse. He turned around and barked something at her and pulled a gun, waving it toward her, moving just enough for Hannah to get a shot. She fired her weapon again, and this time she nicked him in the arm.
Screaming out in pain, he dropped his weapon and clutched his forearm. He glanced behind him and began to shout obscenities at the girl and Hannah.
When he no longer held a weapon, Beth pulled her horse to a stop.
Hannah raised her gun to finish him off, when Jackson rode up beside her and slapped her arm, almost knocking her from her horse.
“Stop!”
Like a storm, her insides exploded as fury rose inside her. She yanked on the reins of her horse, coming to a halt. She doubled up her fist and hit Jackson on the arm, trying to shove him off his horse. “Why did you do that? I could have shot him. He’d be dead now and wouldn’t be able to harm anyone else.”
“And you would have been a murderer. Is that what you want? To spend your life in prison or be hanged for killing your stepfather? You can’t shoot a man in the back, even if he deserves it.”
Tears clogged her throat as anger consumed her at the realization she could have shot Elliott. He would be dead if it weren’t for Jackson. She blinked away the anger that threatened to spill from her eyelids at any moment. “What does it matter? My life is over. At least this way, I would have killed the person who hurt me.”
“Because you’re not like that,” Jackson said his voice soft and gentle. “You don’t see it, but you’re kind, you care about people, you defend what’s right. You’re not a cold-blooded killer.”
Closing her eyes, she bit her lip, her heart wrenching with pain. No, before, she’d never wanted vengeance, but that girl no longer existed. That girl had died those many months ago. Now, now, she ached with the urge to kill the people who had hurt her.
“You need your eyesight checked, preacher,” she spat out before turning to the young woman who sat crying in her saddle.
Adam stopped his horse and jumped down. He dragged Beth off her horse and cradled her against his chest. “I’m so sorry. I thought I’d lost you forever.”
Tears streamed down the cowboy’s face, and Hannah swallowed hard to keep from crying with him.
The girl sobbed in his arms as she hugged him tightly. “You came after me. I was so scared.”
Adam stroked her head, clutching her like he’d never let her go. “Of course I came after you. I love you. You’re going to be my wife.”
Jackson took Hannah’s reins and turned her horse in the opposite direction. He led them a short distance away. “Let’s give them some privacy.”
Hannah yanked her reins back from Jackson. “We need to get away from here before we make camp for the night. I don’t think he’ll come back because I wounded him. But you never know. The man’s wounded and vicious.”
Jackson nodded. “And we will, once they have some time together. They’re a sweet, young couple in love. Today was supposed to be their wedding day,” he said in a soothing tone.
Why did rescuing this girl hurt so badly? Sure, Hannah felt joyous they’d set Beth free. Now she had her life back. She could marry, be a wife and mother, and live like a normal woman.
“Good for them,” Hannah said and rode away, her heart heavy. She was glad they’d recovered the young woman, but part of her ached with sadness. Why hadn’t someone saved her? Why couldn’t she still be that innocent young woman yearning for love? Wanting someone like Adam to love her?
She’d spent months training for this split second, only to have Jackson ruin it. In her moment of triumph, he’d spoiled everything. But this was just a setback. She’d go after Elliott again, and when she caught him, she’d kill him.
Jackson couldn’t watch her kill a man without trying to stop her. Yes, she had every reason in the world to wish him dead, but that didn’t mean she should shoot him.
As the sun sank beneath the horizon, he gazed around at the camp they’d set up for the night. The young couple was sitting on the ground not far from him, their arms wrapped around each other, holding on like a united front nothing could separate. Hannah had given Beth a riding skirt and a shirt until they could get back to Dyersville.
Another pot of jackrabbit stew sat on the fire with Hannah stirring the pan, and he knew it wouldn’t be long until they were eating mighty well…if she didn’t poison his portion. He hoped to live to see another day. She’d been furious with him this afternoon, spitting fire mad he’d stopped her from killing Elliott.
And maybe she had every right to be enraged with Jackson. He’d taken the decision out of her hands, but he didn’t really believe she would enjoy taking the life of a man, even one she hated.
She hadn’t spoken a word since they’d made camp but gone about the task of fixing them all something to eat.
“Hannah,” he said gently.
She turned toward him, her emerald gaze dark with rage.
“I know you’re angry with me,” he said. “I just couldn’t let you gun him down in cold blood.”
“I’ve been waiting months to kill Elliott, and you stopped me.”
“If you’re going to be a bounty hunter, then you have to bring in the criminal, not shoot him dead.” He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and touching her on the arm. His hand caressed the silky skin on her shoulder.
She stepped out of his reach. “As far as I know, he’s not wanted. But that didn’t stop me from wanting him dead.”
More than anything, Jackson wished he could heal Hannah’s hurts. He wanted to cleanse the pain from her heart and restore the girl she once was, so she could become the woman she was meant
to be—a woman who was loving and kind, not filled with hate.
“Why haven’t you gone to the sheriff and filed charges against him? Now there are two of you. If you both file complaints, he will be wanted. Then you can go after him, capture him, and bring him to justice.”
“Who in Hide Town would believe me?” She sighed and clenched her fists. “I wanted to hurt him today. I wanted him to feel just a small amount of the pain I’ve endured. I wanted him to die.”
“I know,” Jackson said, touching her once again, rubbing his fingers along her arm. She was like a wounded animal, and he didn’t know how to ease that pain with anything, except listening and caring. “You did a good thing today. You saved Beth from being sold into prostitution. You brought a couple back together. Now they can get married and start their lives without it being marred by the ugliness you suffered. You brought love together today.”
Licking her lips, she glanced over at the young couple sitting side by side, holding hands and whispering softly. Watching the couple, he felt the softening of her body, and for just a moment, she leaned her head against his shoulder as she stared at them.
“I’m happy for them.”
Jackson sighed. At last, he could feel a peacefulness about her. “I know you are. Let’s go talk to them about filing charges with the sheriff, so we can be certain Elliott is never capable of doing this again. Because you know if he gets away, he’ll do it again,” he warned. “Let’s start with getting the law on our side.”
“He’s wounded, so I’m sure he’s going back to Hide Town where he’s safe. But you’re right. We need to make certain he’s wanted and everyone knows to be on the lookout for him in their town, so he can’t do this again.”
Jackson let his breath out slowly, feeling the tension drain from his body. Somehow she’d seen reason regarding Elliott, but Jackson didn’t know for how long. He wasn’t certain she wouldn’t try to kill the man again.
Together, the two of them walked over to the young couple who were wrapped in each others arms.
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