"Be careful," Zach said. "He's known for being mean to women. The outlaw almost killed a prostitute in Callahan City."
"What did the law do?" Addie asked.
This couldn't be a good question. Not around these strong ladies.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," Meg said. "After all, she was just a whore. Not a human being."
Addie sighed. "Already, I hate this man. Don't make me want to kill him." She paused. "If we catch every member of this gang and bring them here to the Zenith jail, I think they will turn on one another and start spilling everything to save their necks.”
What had this band of outlaws done to Addie to make her want to bring them all to justice? What secrets was she hiding?
Zach nodded. "Frankly, I think you're right. Three down and five more to go."
They weren't officially working together, but he wasn't leaving her behind. Even if she didn't want his company, she’d have his protection. Even though she considered herself a bounty hunter.
Chapter 6
Later that evening, as they walked along the wooden sidewalk back to the hotel, Addie realized she had been dreading her birthday. The first one without her family by her side. The first one alone.
Wesley took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm and pulled her close to him. For some reason, she let him, and in fact, she felt like this was where she belonged. Quickly she pushed the thought out of her head.
He vowed he would never be vulnerable to a woman again, and she had a job to finish.
"Nice night."
"Lovely," she responded as they strolled through the town.
Down the street, the saloon pumped out music and they heard the roar of the cowboys inside the rowdy bar having a good time, singing some tawdry song. Addie blocked the noise from her mind, not wanting jolliness tonight.
"Tell me why you're after this gang," Wesley asked. "Help me to understand why you're a bounty hunter."
Did he realize what he'd said?
She stopped on the sidewalk and turned to stare at him. "Oh, my, you believe I'm a bounty hunter?"
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "You just had to notice that, didn't you? Kind of hard to ignore when there are two strong women talking about the school that teaches ladies to become what I didn't know existed."
Reaching out, she ran her hand down the side of his face and smiled at him. "Being wrong is so difficult for you."
"Yes," he admitted. "Besides, I like being an effective lawman."
With a pat of her hand on his chest, she said, "Wesley, you are a very tough Texas Ranger. I'm not competing for your job. The night the raid happened, I was reading a book about one of the lady bounty hunters. It's how I knew to come to Zenith."
He took her hand and placed it inside the bend of his elbow, and they continued down the sidewalk.
They reached the hotel where a bench sat outside the building. Not wanting to go up to her room yet, Addie took a seat and Wesley sank down beside her.
"On April 12, we had finished supper, and me, James, my brother, and Sammie, my sister, were supposed to be in the kitchen washing dishes. Because I didn't like doing the dishes, I snuck out to the outhouse. All day I slipped away to read a book about women bounty hunters," she paused and took a deep breath.
Sitting outside under the moon and the stars, she told him about the raid. About how she memorized the face of each man as they killed her parents and set the house ablaze with her brother and sister inside.
Though only four months had passed since that terrible spring night, the pain was as fresh as it was that fateful day.
"The outlaws believed they murdered everyone?"
"Yes, so that's why I only want them brought to Zach's jail. This is why I didn't tell anyone but Zach and now you about the raid, and Dora, the girl I was in school with."
With a deep breath to calm her, she remembered the choices she made that terrible night. The fear of going to the law.
"The closest law was in Harper's Mill, but I think the sheriff is corrupt. I distinctly heard Rufus tell my father the Colonel would offer him a thousand dollars for our ranch, but Papa refused. And then the shooting started."
The saloon music drifted down the street as Addie sat there, guilt overwhelming her, her chest tightening with grief.
"I should have died with them," she said, her voice cracking at the memory of how they all were killed. "While I'm doing my best to avenge their deaths, it would have been so much easier to have stepped into that inferno and died along with them that night."
Wesley shook his head. "No. You were meant to live to make certain whoever is behind this would be brought to justice. How many other ranches in the area have been bought recently?"
That was something she hadn't thought to check. Were more farmers besides her parents attacked? Was someone trying to force people to sell?
She cocked her head and stared at him. "Zach tried to find out who wanted to purchase the land, but we haven't spoken about what he learned."
"Not only do we need to find out who is buying up property, but no one needs to know you're still alive. From now on, you have no business sitting out here or even going into town. Everyone must believe you're dead. Once the outlaws are behind bars, we go after the big gun. The Colonel."
As much as she hated to admit it, the lawman would be a welcome addition to helping her catch these men.
"Agreed," she said. "This is why I didn't tell you. If you mentioned it to anyone else, I'll be dead."
"The first three outlaws have been easy to trick. You've been lucky. Let's hope and pray the others are as simple. Unless you're ready to quit?"
The memory of her family gave her strength, and she stared at him, her body stiff, her determination strong within her. "What do you think?"
"A man can wish, but I know you're not going to back down until we catch these men or you die trying."
"Exactly," she said "And if I'm killed, I pray I've taken as many with me as I can."
When she gazed at Wesley, a stirring of some strange, new emotion filled her heart. Tonight, the man had been beyond kind to her and even made her feel like a woman. As she stared into his brown eyes, the urge to experience his full lips against her own all but overcame her.
What was she thinking? Being with Wesley would only complicate her life.
"Now do you understand why I became a bounty hunter?"
"Yes," he said breathlessly, as his mouth moved toward hers. "I'm beginning to like a strong woman who knows how to use her gun and rope an outlaw."
His lips came crashing down on her own sending a tremor of feeling racing through her. Not a sweet peck on the lips, but a branding of his mouth on hers, a searing kiss she never experienced before.
A flood of desire filled the empty cavity of her heart, surprising her that Wesley, the Texas Ranger who she fought with daily, left her knees shaky and weak.
A sealing of their lips had him pulling her against his body, right here on Main Street in front of the hotel. All she needed was for someone to recognize her. Reluctantly, she put a hand in between them and broke the kiss.
Her breathing rapid, her heart pounded like a horse out of control. "My mother wouldn't approve."
"Neither would mine, but they're not here," he said, cradling her face in his hands. "If we don't go inside, we're going to do something we'll regret."
"Like what?" she asked confused.
Laughter escaped him. "That discussion is for another night."
Early the next morning, Wesley was waiting on Addie when a knock sounded on his hotel room door. Not quite seven, he was ready to go.
"Who is it?"
"Zach," the sheriff said.
Wesley yanked open his door, wondering why the lawman stood there at dawn this morning, when they told him last night they were leaving. What happened?
"Come on, let's go. We've got to get Addie and head out of town," he said.
"What's going on?"
"I'll tell you both once we'r
e on the road," he said.
The sheriff's demeanor made him realize whatever occurred was not good. In fact, he feared the worst. A jail break?
Zach and Wesley knocked on Addie's door and when she opened, she stood shocked to see them.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes," she said a little surprised. "What's going on?"
Zach glanced around. "We'll tell you on the way out."
"You're going with us?"
He grinned. "Only as far as Park Springs. Now, come on. Once we're on the road, I'll tell you what's happened. But not here; the walls have too many ears."
Did that mean a robbery occurred in Park Springs that the sheriff thought they should know about? Another raid like Addie's family? The community was about an hour ride from Zenith on the other side of her family's property.
Addie grabbed her saddle bags and hurried out the door. As they left the hotel, she noticed their horses were already sitting out front. Turning toward Wesley, she frowned. "Did you go to the livery?"
"Yes," he said. "Happy birthday."
"Thank you," she replied.
This morning, he purchased a small piece of pie from the cafe down the street for her birthday, now packed away in his saddle bags. At the right time, he would give the sweet to her.
For some reason, he wanted to do something special for her. She was so young and beautiful and after hearing her story last night, he wanted to make her smile.
They mounted their horses and rode out of town. When they were far enough away, Zach pulled his horse to a stop.
"Early this morning, I learned there was a raid on a family home last night. Almost identical to the way Addie's house was torched. Once again, they're blaming the Indians and I don't believe the local sheriff."
Wesley watched the color drain from Addie's face, leaving her a ghostly shade of white. Yet a fierceness filled her eyes, turning them from emerald to a deep forest green that flashed with warning.
"Where did this happen?" Addie asked. "The outlaws might still be in the area."
Wesley didn't think so. They would want to put as much distance between themselves and the crime. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be on the lookout.
"Maybe," Zach said. "But I think we should ride out and take a look at the ranch. I'm beginning to think someone is making a land grab. Sell me your property or we do you in."
She took a deep breath and released the air slowly. "That's basically what they did to Papa. He wouldn't sell, so they shot him and Mama."
"Where are we going?"
"The farm is near Park Springs. The Harrison's place," Zach said.
With a gasp Addie cried, "Their property is right next to ours. A little bigger, but our land backed up to each other’s. Are they dead?"
Zach glanced at Wesley. And he realized the lawman didn't know he knew the truth.
"She told me everything last night. All about her family and how no one knows she's still alive."
Last night after she told him everything, he understood. After he thought about her ordeal, he couldn't blame her for her desire for revenge. If someone had attacked his family the way they had hers, he would be chasing down the perpetrators and bringing them to justice. Yet, the danger also made him even more protective of her.
The woman was walking, talking, breathing danger, and she didn't care she could possibly die. In fact, he feared she would welcome death at this point.
"No one survived," Zach said. "Are you going to be all right seeing this again?"
Addie pulled her shoulders back like she was preparing for battle.
"If it helps with our investigation, I'll be fine. My birthday wish is for us to find these outlaws and bring this to an end before another family suffers. Let's go."
The girl had more strength of character and determination than any woman he'd ever met. Compared to Clara, she was the Rocky Mountains and his ex-fiancée an ant mound with a guaranteed sting.
And when he kissed her, the image of the two of them wound together between the sheets had him reconsidering his vow to never let a woman close again. After their conversation last night, he realized she had to be a virgin.
That didn't matter. At the moment, all he wanted to do was help her find these outlaws, the Colonel, and then he would think about if he could give his heart to this fierce lady bounty hunter.
When they arrived at the Harrison's, the smell of burned wood drifted in the air. Like a fog, wispy trails of smoke wafted above a pile of lumber and ashes. The house was completely destroyed with Indian arrows placed in convenient locations.
For a moment, she felt like she'd stepped back in time as she relieved the night of the raid. The screams of her mother, the fire crackling and popping, the flames pushing her back. And in the early dawn, how she gathered the strength to go, leaving part of her heart in the smoldering house.
An eerie stillness hung over the land. Even the birds were no longer chirping.
"They were a nice couple," she said softly. "No children, but they worked endlessly to make this farm into a great place. Papa always said John Harrison was a hard-working man."
Sliding down from her mare, she walked about the property with Wesley at her side. He knelt on the ground. "Look at these tracks. These horses have shoes. Most Indians don't use shoes on their horses."
Zach sank to his knees, frowning as he gazed at the evidence. "Agree, this is not from the Cherokees."
Addie strolled around the still smoldering home, her heart in her throat, anger filling the empty holes in her soul. Another family suffered at the hands of the same men.
A fierce rage roiled inside her at the carnage this couple experienced. The terror as they were shot and their home burned. What kind of man did this to another man? Women? Children?
She glanced at their outhouse still standing and couldn't resist going over and opening the door and glancing inside where she found a scribbled note.
Find the Colonel. He's responsible if something happens to me and my wife.
A trickle of fear scurried up her spine. And yet this backed up all her beliefs.
"Zach," she cried, not touching the paper nailed to the door, but wanting him to see the evidence John had left. A thrill went through her at the confirmation of everything she said. The Colonel was the one to blame and no one knew who the man was or why he continued to wreak havoc on the area.
The sheriff came walking over. "What is it?"
"Come see what I found," she said and pointed to the note that hung on the inside of the door. "John must have put this there before they arrived. With Papa, they gave him a deadline and once he didn't meet their date, they rode in at night. John wanted us to know if something happened to them, it wasn't Indians."
Stepping back, Addie asked, "Who is this man?"
The only person to know the identity of the Colonel was Rufus, and they needed to find and catch him as soon as possible. Before another family suffered.
Wesley came up and stood behind them. He placed his hand on Addie's shoulder. "Maybe I should go in and pretend I want to purchase your farm. Learn if the banker will give me the name of the man who is purchasing the land."
Zach removed the evidence from the outhouse and the three of them walked through the scarred ground. "Let's return to Zenith, and in the morning, you can set off for Harper's Mill."
Addie frowned. Wesley would want her to wait on him, but she had no intentions on waiting on anyone, and she could not go back to Harper's Mill.
One day, she hoped to go back and tell the sheriff he was fired for being a fake who didn't stop a madman from buying up people's land. Until that time, she could not risk being discovered alive.
As they arrived at their horses, Wesley gazed at her. "Yes, let's go back to Zenith tonight, and tomorrow, you can rest while I go to Harper's Mill."
Smiling, she realized she was lying, but no one would slow her down. There would be no waiting for Wesley to return. These men needed to be found and brought to justice, now.
"A
ll right. Back to Zenith for tonight."
Glancing around at the once beautiful farm, she said, "It's time to find the Colonel and end this man's destruction and killing of innocent lives. I can't understand how he thinks he’ll get away with this when people learn he owns all the property in the area."
The two lawmen shook their heads. "Secrets will be kept. People will never be told who purchased the land until years later. Those who find out the truth will occasionally remember the ones who died. But most will never mention the new owner’s name, because he'll be powerful enough for them to fear him.”
Why did the wealthy and authoritative want to harm the little guy and push him out of business? Her family had done nothing to anyone and were just trying to make a living.
With a sigh, she shook her head. "You're right. The man must have money to be purchasing all these farms with no one questioning his authority."
Placing her foot in the stirrup, Wesley helped her on her horse, and she stared at the place. Next door was her family's ranch. But she couldn't go back, not yet. Being here was hard, but that would be gut wrenching.
Someday she would return and hopefully put up a monument to remember them by, but until that day, she couldn't go home.
Chapter 7
Late that afternoon, they arrived at the hotel, only to have the desk clerk inform them only one room was available.
"You take the room. I'll sleep outside," he told her.
"No," she said. "You can stay and sleep on the floor in my room."
A frown drew his brows together. This might not be a good idea. There was only so much a man could take, and he was getting close to his limit with Addie. All it would take was one little motion, and he would be all over the gorgeous red head.
But he also couldn't turn down the opportunity of being with her, even for one night.
"All right," he said, and they traipsed up the stairs together.
"We've slept in the same campsites many nights," she said, and he understood she was trying to convince herself this was all right.
Lipstick and Lead Series: The Complete Box Set With a Bonus Book Page 123
