Annabelle Weston (19 page)

“
Which one of these ladies do you think you need protection from?”

The other boys in the saloon hooted and hollered. The man colored up.

He dropped the knife next to his holster.

“
Come on, handsome.” Miss Lorraine corralled him by the belt buckle. She rubbed her tits against him and he forgot about his weapons.

Carly’s pulse raced. So far they’d cooperated but these two could be mean as rattlers and strike at any moment.

What she wouldn’t do for a pair of handcuffs.

Alvin peered at them. He was still riled but she couldn’t let him near these men. He wouldn’t stand a chance.

Now what was she going to do? She didn’t want Tom to find out she had known about the murders and said nothing. Would they tell him or keep their mouths shut? She’d take that risk.

“
Go fetch one of those deputies,” Carly said behind her hand to the barkeep who was breathing hard.

“
No sirree, I’ll not leave you alone with these two varmints.”

“
We need the law’s help,” Carly said. “I’ll be fine until you get back.”

Alvin hesitated. Why was it men were so stubborn?

“
Go on. We haven’t got all day.”

“
Send one of the girls.”

“
You’re the only person I trust who’s dressed half decent.”

The man whipped off his apron and left it on the counter. “You’ll be careful?”

“
Leave that shotgun where I can reach it.”

The barkeep nodded. The shotgun was kept on a shelf under the bar. He took it out and set the barrel against the stained wood. “Don’t do anything hasty. I’ll be back right quick.”

Carly leaned against the bar. Lorraine pawed at her customer with the slow cunning of a cat with its prey.

“
Let’s not dawdle.” Tom snatched Lorraine by the hair. “I’ve a powerful urge that needs satisfying.”

“
Hey,” Lorraine yelped. She tried to pull away but he held on tight. Carly grabbed the shotgun and aimed at Tom’s belly. Looked like the men, even without weapons, weren’t going to play nice.

“
Let her go,” Carly said.

Lorraine stopped her squirming. The man released her. The saloon went quiet.

“
I thought you gals liked it rough.”

“
You thought wrong,” Carly replied.

“
Judith, find some twine and tie these boys’ hands. Make sure the knots are tight.”

He chuckled. “Never done it tied up before.”

Judith found the twine and took hold of the man’s wrist. She squeezed and twisted until he yielded, and she wrapped his wrists together behind his back.

“
Now what?” He furrowed his brows.

“
Sit down.”

He looked warily at the chair and frowned.

Carly liked the commanding tone of her voice. She liked how this man who’d tormented her could be worried about what she might do to him.

Lorraine pushed him down on the seat. The chair rocked back and came down on

its legs with a thump. Tom struggled with his constraints but Judith had done her job well.

Kid straddled a chair without being asked.

Carly sighed. It’d been easy to subdue these ornery bastards. All she had needed was a steady hand.

“
What’ll we do now?” Judith asked.

“
Alvin went to fetch the law,” Carly replied. “The deputies won’t be long.”

“
You’ve got no call to tie us up.” Tom glared at her. “We didn’t do nothing wrong.”

Carly sat down and laid the shotgun across her lap and regarded him with contempt. She should be shaking, but her hands were perfectly steady.

She wanted to see these boys squirm. “You’re going to prison for what you did.”

“
On whose say-so?” Tom’s eyes bulged in their sockets.

“
Do you remember the conversation you had in my room with your partner a couple of weeks ago?”

There was no need to reply. She could see by how dark his eyes became that he did.

“
I heard every word.”

“
So what, who’s gonna believe a whore?”

“
Doesn’t matter. One of Crowley’s daughters saw you.”

Kid gulped. “I told you.”

“
Shut up,” Tom said, “and let me think.”

Carly would make sure these thugs made it to jail—and if they spilled to Jed that she’d known all along, she’d have to explain it to him then. But she was banking on them proclaiming their innocence.

The door burst open and Alvin from the Lonesome stumbled inside, panting.

Jed sprang to his feet. “What is it? Has something happened to Carly?”

Alvin shook his head. “You’d better come quick. There’s two men from the Crosby gang making trouble in the saloon.”

Jed grabbed the bars.

Marshal Sutton woke and pushed his hat up. “How can you be sure it’s the Crosby gang?”

“
Carly recognized them.”

“
You’ve got to let me out of here,” Jed said. “I’ll take care of this if you won’t.”

The marshal sat up. “Now hold your horses, Poole. I didn’t say I wouldn’t look into the matter.”

Alvin looked at Jed and back at the marshal. “If you ask me, you’d better hurry. Those men are meaner than snakes.”

Sutton stood. “Guess I will. It’ll save me time chasing after them.”

He checked the load in his Colt and returned the weapon to its holster. “I’ll need you to watch over this prisoner until I get back.”

Alvin frowned. “Where are the deputies?”

“
Eating their supper, I reckon.”

“
I can’t leave those girls alone.”

Jed knew Alvin was protective of the dollies.

The marshal buckled his gun belt. “I won’t be long.” He shut the door behind him.

“
Let me out of here, Alvin.”

The barkeep took a step forward and stopped. “You’re asking me to break the law?”

“
Do you really think the marshal will be able to take down those men?”

Alvin shook his head. “No sir, I do not. Not by himself. Carly’s got them surrounded by her girls, playing like they wanted a little fun. I left the shotgun for her.”

Jed laughed, relieving the tightness in his chest. “I’d surely like to see her pull a weapon on those varmints.”

Alvin also seemed to relax a might. “She’s quite a gal. Had those two eating out of her hand, she did.”

Jed could believe it. Her skills as a seductress couldn’t be ignored by any man worth his salt. He sat down. He wouldn’t press Alvin any further about setting him free. He couldn’t ask the barkeep to do something he wouldn’t do.

The marshal would be back with two more prisoners shortly, giving Jed a chance to ask them some pointed questions.

If they harmed even a hair on Carly’s head, the crowded jail cell would get pretty lively. To hell with the marshal.

Alvin stared out the window.

“
I heard you have a wife and children,” Jed said.

“
Yes sir. Four young ‘uns any man would be proud of.”

Jed rubbed his stubble. He’d like to fill a house with some young’uns of his own one of these days.

Alvin straightened and opened the door. Jack Finney came in, carrying a china plate covered with a red-checked cloth.

“
Hello, Alvin.”

“
Mighty glad to see you, son. The marshal’s gone down to the Lonesome to make an arrest. If you’ll watch the prisoner, I’ll skedaddle.”

Without waiting for a reply, he hurried out the door. Jed knew his loyalty was with those saloon dollies and he didn’t fault him.

Jack kicked the door shut. “Ma thought you’d like some of her chicken and biscuits.”

“
She thought correctly.”

The boy slipped the plate under the cell door. Jed picked up the food and sat back on his cot. The smell of fried chicken set his stomach to rumbling.

Jed opened his mouth to take a juicy bite when a shot rang out. He sprang from his seat and the plate crashed on the floor.

Jack went to the window. “Who do you think is shooting?”

“
Stay away from that window, deputy.”

Jack jumped back—staring fixedly on that window—on what was happening outside. The minutes ticked by.

Not knowing where the shot came from or who it was intended for was killing Jed.

“
Let me out, boy.”

“
You know I can’t. I promised to uphold the law and that’s what I intend to do.”

Jed shook his head. He had trained him too well.

“
Have you been practicing with your sidearm?” he asked him.

“
Yes sir.”

“
You’d better go and see if the marshal needs help.”

Jack drew his weapon from his holster and opened the door.

Jed cursed. He should be the one running to help.

The boy stopped in his tracks. “Don’t think the marshal needs me at all.”

He stepped aside. Two men, hands tied together behind their backs, shuffled inside, followed by Carly toting a shotgun aimed at their backsides.

Their eyes widened when they saw Jed Poole in the cell. When Jed curled his lip into a snarl, the varmints dug in their heels.

Carly shoved the shotgun barrel into the tall one’s back. “Jack, open that cell door. I’ve got prisoners.”

The deputy found the keys in the middle drawer of the desk.

Jed’s gaze connected with hers. He couldn’t have been more proud.

“
These are the two men you’ve been searching for, Sheriff Poole. They murdered old man Crowley for money.”

Jack fumbled with the iron key until the lock slid free. The cell door swung wide but the two men balked.

“
Go on,” Carly said. “I ain’t got all day.”

They stepped over the chicken and gravy on the cell floor and slumped against the far wall of the cell. They watched Jed warily, as if he was a sidewinder ready to strike.

“
What was all that shooting about?” Jed had to ask.

“
We had a difference of opinion about their trip to the jail.”

Jed shook his head. “Where’s the marshal?”

“
I shot my weapon high, of course. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.” She grimaced. “A chunk of adobe fell and beaned the marshal in the head. The town doc is seeing to his cuts.”

Jed shifted his stance. Sutton wouldn’t ever live this down. “You should’ve come and got me. I’m still the law in this town.”

She lowered the shotgun and winked. “I’m a law-abiding citizen, Sheriff. Busting you out of here would’ve meant breaking the law—and I didn’t exactly have time.”

Jack chuckled as he locked the door.

Jed quelled the young man’s laughter with one look. “I’m putting you in charge, you and Sam, until we can get my situation cleared up.”

“
Yes sir.”

He turned to Carly. Those brown eyes never failed to stir him. He would like nothing better than to take her in his arms at that moment and make love.

“
As for you, I’ll deal with you later.”

Her lips curved into a luscious smile. “Whatever you say, lawman.”

Marshal Sutton left with the two prisoners the next day. The judge had been detained up in Prescott and sent a telegram levying a fine on Jed. It’d cost him most of his savings but he’d rid the town of Baxter and two members of the gang in the bargain.

His two deputies had turned into men he could rely on, so he left Sam and Jack in charge as he headed to the livery to pick up Shooter and a mild-mannered mare for Carly. Sitting in a jail cell had given him plenty of time to think about what he needed to do.

A ride into the mountains and the cooler air would be the perfect place for a conversation that’d been put off too long. He needed to lay his cards on the table and let Carly know how much she meant to him.

Carly watched, elbow propped on the bar, as Jed sauntered into the Lonesome looking every bit as wicked and delicious as the first time she’d decided he was a man she’d like to know better. His lips curved into a daring smile as he tipped his Stetson.

“
Care to go for a ride, Miss Buchanan?”

Her flesh grew hot as she remembered the last time they’d “gone for a ride”.

She smirked, her eyelids lowering as if she were some demure maid. “What did you have in mind, Sheriff?”

He stopped before her, taking her hand in his. He pressed his warm lips to her knuckles, causing her to catch her breath.

“
Got a nice little mare from the livery for you. Thought we’d ride up into the mountains. I brought some grub.”

Carly blinked in shock. “That’s mighty sweet of you.” She meant every word but an alarm twisted her gut. He was getting serious about them and he shouldn’t.

But the disarming smile he gave her, the way his eyes caressed her, the interest shining there—for her—had her melting.

“
You might say that I am. You might even say I’m courting you.”

Carly sighed. It was worse than she’d thought.

“
Got some fried chicken, biscuits. It’ll be time together we’ve missed out on these last couple of days. Besides, there’s something I want to show you.”

He had her interest. She’d never been courted by a man. The idea warmed her heart and made her nervous at the same time. How was it that this man, this strong, law-abiding man, had gone to all this trouble for her? Naturally, any woman would be flattered.

She wasn’t any woman.

There was another reason to accept his offer. Dr. Baxter promised he’d be done with his bottling and be on his way by nightfall. She had to keep Jed away from the saloon until Baxter was gone.

“
I would love to,” she said. She turned to Alvin, who’d been listening to their conversation. “Will you watch things while I’m out?”

He nodded. “You take good care of her.”