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

by Sylvia McDaniel

  "House was burning when we got there. Arrows everywhere and their children gone. Probably taken as slaves by the savages or burned in the house. Sad, really sad."

  Staring at the man, he tried to determine if he believed this story or if the man was spinning him a tale he hoped the ranger bought into. "We haven't had any trouble with Indians in years. What do you think set them off again?"

  "Who knows? They're not human. They're savages," the old man said, and Wesley resisted the urge to cold cock the stupid man.

  Of course, they were human. The Indians had no reason to trust the white man after being treated so poorly. If you earned their acceptance, they were kind and friendly and family oriented.

  "Who is purchasing the King's land?"

  The sheriff jerked with surprise. "Didn't know the bank had put the property up for sale. Who told you that?"

  "A friend of the Harrison's said a man named the Colonel tried to persuade them all to sell."

  The supposed lawman shrugged. "Never heard of any man called the Colonel or the Harrison's had offers to buy their farm. Someone's been feeding you a line of bull, Ranger."

  The man looked almost panic-stricken when he mentioned the mysterious man.

  "Is there a man living in this area named the Colonel?"

  The sheriff made a raspberry noise with his lips. "Not that I know of. The war has been over for years. Most men don't want to talk about whether they served in the military on either side. All that does is cause bad feelings."

  The lawman began to grow more and more agitated and nervous. Thank goodness Addie followed her instincts and went to Zenith instead of reporting her family's murder here. She would be dead if she sought help here in Harper's Mill.

  "Kind of hard to follow up on these rumors when I don't know of anyone going by the name of the Colonel. No one is here to say what happened. Did the families do something to a local tribe?"

  The lawman laughed. "Savages don't need a reason to kill a family."

  Wesley had to bite his tongue to keep from calling him a liar. He stopped here on a whim, but the sheriff confirmed some of his suspicions. Addie was right. The law in Harper's Mill was corrupt and Indians weren't doing the killing, and someone named the Colonel was behind the land grab. Now they needed to locate this Colonel.

  "Thanks for your time, Sheriff. Contact me if you hear of someone calling themselves the Colonel."

  The lawman stood, and he saw the relief etched on the man's face. How long after he left would it take for him to go to this man named the Colonel and tell him the law searched for him.

  "Will do, Ranger. Where are you headed to next?"

  The fear of a trap sent Wesley's senses on full alert. "First I’m going to the bank to make certain if either family had relatives living nearby. And I want to talk to the banker to see if someone offered to purchase their land. Would be a shame to learn someone was trying to force the smaller ranchers out."

  "After you leave Harper's Mill?"

  Yes, a trap would be waiting for him. "Going to Wichita to speak to a man about some bank robberies."

  For now, he would not be going anywhere near Wichita. The sheriff and his buddies would waste their time.

  "Good luck, stay safe," the man said, and Wesley turned and walked out the door knowing something slimy grew in Harper's Mill.

  An hour later, he climbed back on his mare and headed out of town, doing his best to make certain no one followed him. The meeting with the banker was even less informative than the sheriff.

  The accountant was shocked that the law thought someone other than Indians killed these two families. Wesley had no patience for bankers or fools. And the banker and the sheriff both fit in this category.

  Time to get back to Addie and see if she waited for him. The woman was right. Her life would be worth nothing if they learned she still lived.

  Chapter 8

  Addie didn't know if she was brave or just plain stupid. If she lived, she would consider herself brave, but if she died, everything had all been for naught.

  Walking up to the front of the house outside of Callahan City, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. How many outlaws were home? She'd only seen a couple of horses, so she hoped most of them were gone.

  The woman came to the door. "Can I help you?"

  She started crying. "I'm sorry, I got lost. Can you tell me where I am?"

  The woman stepped outside and stared at her like she didn't quite believe her. "You took a wrong turn. Go back to the main road and keep going north. You'll run into Callahan City."

  "Oh, thank you. My grandmother Martha Dietz lives in town and I haven't seen her in forever."

  A frown crossed her forehead. "Go up the lane to the road."

  Clara turned on her heel and went back into the house, leaving Addie standing there. Climbing up on her horse, she pulled her reins and headed back up the road. In a few minutes, the door opened again, but she continued on.

  At the end of the lane, she turned toward town, and hid in the bushes, her trusty rope in her hand.

  Fewer than five minutes later, Walter Dietz rode his horse down the road and she threw her rope over the his head and yanked. He landed with a thud at her feet, screaming curses. What a crybaby.

  She pulled her silver pistol and shoved the gun against his forehead. "Shut up."

  The outlaw's eyes grew large when he realized a woman stood over him. "Now I want you to slowly stand. Any sudden moves and you're a dead man. Do you understand."

  "Who the hell are you?"

  "I'm a bounty hunter. That's all you need to know."

  She tied his hands and slowly wrapped the rope around him. Then she shoved a handkerchief in his mouth and smiled. "My job is not done."

  Once she had Walter sitting on his horse, they headed back to her camp to await Wesley. The sun was beginning to set and he should find her soon and when he did, he would be mad, but she could soothe him.

  An hour later, she was just about to eat when the sound of horses’ hooves nearby alerted her.

  "Addie, so help me, I'm going to paddle your ass," Wesley said as he stepped into the light of her fire.

  With a smile, she glanced at him and grinned. "Honey, you're home. And look who I ran into today."

  Wesley glanced over, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Walter, all trussed up, glaring at the two of them.

  Yes, Wesley was put out with her, but she also perceived he was happy to see her.

  "You're going to get yourself killed," he said his hand running down the side of her face. His touch made her heart beat a little faster.

  "Why didn't you wait for me? That was the plan," he said his voice seething.

  "That was your plan, not mine," she said.

  "But you agreed to it," he said.

  The man heard what he wanted to hear.

  "No, I did not. Never once did I say I would be waiting for you when you returned and you didn't notice."

  An owl hooted in the night and the two of them stared at each other, their bodies tense. Did the man not understand until this was settled, her life meant nothing? How could she live with the reality she had been in the house washing dishes, she too would have died.

  The only reason her heart was still beating was because of her own selfishness.

  "Besides, you're a smart man and I thought you would find me. In the meantime, I went to work and low and behold, he took the bait."

  The ranger shook his head and she could see he was beginning to soften. "Is he tied securely?"

  "Come on, I'm not going to let a criminal loose. Why do you even ask?"

  "Because we need to talk away from his prying ears," he said.

  Taking her by the hand, he led her away from their camp far enough to where their prisoner couldn't listen to them. There he told her what he'd learned in Harper's Mill.

  "If you hadn't fled to Zenith that morning, you wouldn't be alive," he said. "You were right. The law is corrupt, and I think, involved in whatever is g
oing on. He did his best to convince me savage Indians had attacked these two families. The banker was a waste of time. He's not talking, yet."

  A slow rage burned inside Addie at the thought of the law, a man you should be able to trust, being a part of this killing spree.

  "They didn't follow you, did they?"

  "No, I made certain and even went several different directions before I rode into Zenith. No one trailed me."

  With a sigh, Addie took his face in her hands and she kissed him. Her focus had to remain on bringing in the criminals, even though she couldn't help but feel grateful that he confirmed what she feared.

  His arms snaked around her and he took over the kiss, melding his mouth over hers, creating a firestorm raging inside her body. Part of her wanted for them to shed their clothes right here, but that was impossible.

  Yet, Wesley was right. They could both die at any moment. Finally, she broke off the kiss her breathing heavy as she stepped away from him, needing to put distance between them. "We better return to our prisoner."

  "What are you going to do with him?"

  "Tomorrow we can arrest Al or maybe James. Wouldn't it be great if we took all three into Zenith? There would only be the leader and the Colonel left."

  In the moonlight, a frown crossed his face. "You're taking a huge risk."

  "Yes, but I want to put this behind me. Once this is over, I don't have a clue what I will do, but chasing criminals is not how I want to spend my life."

  In the morning light, Addie realized she was starting to become careless, and yet, she was ready for this to end. While she understood she had to do this, she wasn't certain she could continue to be a bounty hunter all her life. Catching bad guys was not the life she wanted. Once the gang was behind bars, her job would be done.

  "Let's capture Al," she said to Wesley. "The outlaw should be an easy target, and afterward, we can ride to Zenith and drop off two of the criminals. All that would be left is James and Rufus and The Colonel."

  James would be more difficult, and the leader Rufus would be the one she dreaded the most. After they caught Rufus, her focus would turn to the Colonel and soon this would come to an end.

  But would it ever be truly over? The memory of her family came to mind and a tear bubbled up in the corner of her eye. Time to aim all her attention on what was important. Catching criminals.

  Wesley sipped his cup of coffee. "We're getting low on supplies and I haven't telegraphed the Waco office to give them the progress of my investigation. They need to know I'm still alive."

  She rubbed her hands over her face and gazed at the man wearing the star. "So do you want to return to Zenith with just Walter? Or do you want to try for Al?"

  "I've got to go into town, and I hate leaving you here alone with him," he said. "It makes me nervous."

  Why did men think once they slept with you, they owned you? Until there was a ring on her finger, she made her own decisions and he could stop worrying.

  Shaking her head, she stared at him. "I'm the one who captured him."

  He gave her a glare that clearly said he was still not over the way she left Zenith. "If we caught Al, when we come back, I'll let you have James."

  Addie knew he wanted to capture the man who had stolen his bride from him. As long as he went to the jail in Zenith, she didn't care.

  "Yes, I want to bring James in, but not because of Clara, but because he's wanted."

  Who was he kidding? Laughter escaped her and she gazed at him. Why did he lie to himself? Of course, he longed to apprehend James because of how he stole Clara.

  "If Clara lost James, would you take her back?"

  A frown crossed his face. "No. What makes you think that?"

  Addie shrugged. "You loved her enough to ask her to be your wife. And you've sworn to me you would never let a woman near your heart again."

  With an unsettling look, he grew irritated. "Do we have to talk about this now? Do you want to get married?"

  Stunned, she jerked back. "Who said anything about getting married? No, that's not what I'm asking. My focus is on capturing these men and putting them behind bars. What are you going to do with Clara? Would you want to try to marry her again?"

  He reached out and touched her arm. "Don't worry about Clara. She means nothing to me."

  With a sigh, she let it go. What would she do if Wesley wanted Clara back? As much as she didn't want to admit it or even think about, she was beginning to develop feelings for Wesley. Feelings that had no business in her life at the moment.

  The distraction of Wesley would only get her killed or wounded and she needed to push them out of her mind for now.

  And if Wesley took his fiancée back, his betrayal would hurt, but now her self-preservation was strong and more dependable.

  "You stay here with Walter while I run into town," he said. "When I return, we'll decide if we're going to trap Al or take Walter back to Zenith."

  Walter growled at the two of them and Addie smiled at the man. "Don't you want to see all your old friends in the Zenith jail. What a happy reunion."

  The man glared at her.

  "I'll be back as quickly as possible. Be packed and ready to leave, just don't go off without me."

  Tossing the rest of his coffee into the fire, he stepped up beside her and his nearness had her heart pounding in her chest.

  "Me? Leave my Texas Ranger?"

  With a kiss to her lips, her blood seemed to surge the heat through her body. What was she doing falling in love with this man?

  When he released her, she watched him ride away and began to clean up their camp.

  Two hours later, she was busy loading the last of their supplies on the back of her horse when she felt the muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of her neck.

  "Now, you're mine," a deep voice said as he grabbed her arm.

  Fear spiraled through her as she was whirled around and faced Big Al. The man had found her.

  "You're as pretty as James said you were. I'm going to take me a sample," he said, shoving her back toward their bedrolls. "Then you're going to tell me why you're taking us into the law in Zenith."

  Wesley had no luck finding Big Al in town and decided they needed to ride if they were going to Zenith.

  He heard her scream before he rode into camp, sending panic racing through him, causing his heart to clench. Addie was in trouble.

  Remembering his training, he pulled his horse to a halt and slid down out of his saddle as quietly as he could. Ground tethering the mare, he stepped toward the area, keeping hid in the brush.

  When he neared, he saw her, his chest tightened with fear as anger rushed through him.

  Al held her down on the ground, trying to unfasten his pants as she fought him.

  "No," she screamed. "I'll kill you."

  "Come on, Al, untie me, so I can join in the fun," Walter said. "Let me hold her."

  "Not yet. The first piece is mine," he said. "Then you can take a sample. We may keep her alive long enough until she's worn out."

  She spit in his face and he hit her. Rage roared like a lion through Wesley, and he slipped his gun out of his holster.

  The man laughed. "Come on, fight me some more. It just makes it that much better for me."

  "Look in her pocket, she carries rope," Walter told the man. "Tie her up and take that sweet pussy."

  While he reached into her skirt pockets, he grabbed her privates and Wesley burst into camp, his six-shooter aimed. "Get away from her."

  The man whirled around and pulled his own weapon. Wesley didn't hesitate to put two bullets into the man's chest. The outlaw dropped to the ground, barely missing landing on Addie. Needing to make certain Walter was still tied up, Wesley turned and glared at the man. "Don't even think of trying anything or you'll be a dead man too."

  Looking around the camp, he walked over and picked up the gun near the dead man and then reached down and helped Addie to her feet. Her blouse was ripped, her chemise torn, and he pulled the material back toge
ther before he took her in his arms. Holding her trembling body, he was glad that he killed Al.

  "Are you all right?"

  Watching her, she took a deep breath and sighed, but didn't answer him. Stepping out of his embrace, she hurried over to Al's body and kicked the man as hard as she could. Then she turned, her gaze on Walter and yanked out her gun. "Oh, how I want to shoot you."

  "Ranger, stop her. She can't kill me."

  Wesley didn't do anything but watched as Addie seemed to gain control. As her hand steadied, her breathing slowing. When she stared at the man, her emerald eyes were cold.

  "I'm not going to kill you," she said. "No, I'm going to wait and watch you swing from a rope. What will a jury think when they learn you were part of a gang that murdered two adults and burned two innocent kids?"

  Walter's face turned white. "I didn't know there was anyone in that house."

  The outlaw was truly frightened. While Wesley knew he was taking a chance letting her vent, he didn't fear that she would kill the man. Like she said, she wanted them all to hang together after a trial.

  "You knew a family lived there. Where did you think we went? Where would most people be that time of night? Home."

  She paused, and he could see her trying to gather her composure. "Sammie was ten, she loved dolls and reading books and couldn't wait to have kids of her own. James was fourteen, hunted and fished with my father and wanted to care for animals. How many other children have you killed?"

  "You're crazy," he told her.

  "Yes, I am. Watching your family burn to death does that to you."

  The man's face turned white. "Ranger, get her away from me."

  The man deserved her hatred, and she wasn't hurting him physically, only torturing him mentally.

  Not saying anything, Wesley reached out and touched her on the arm, and she whirled on him, her eyes still wide, her breathing fast. Gently he pulled her in his arms and embraced her.

  It was then he felt the tears on his shirt as her whole body began to shake. He led her away from the prisoner. Knowing she would not want the man to see her cry.