Black Blood (22 page)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Canon City, Colorado –
1885 AD

Gemma winced as
she lifted her head and coughed. Her cheekbone burned and her head
was beginning to pound. Standing on shaky limbs she watched Coyote
and his horse barreling north.

Screaming the
worst expletive she could think of. She gritted her teeth and
jumped into the saddle cursing men and everything they stood
for.

With a
quick hiss, she set her horse galloping, pushing it to its limit
until Coyote came back into her sites. He noticed her approach, but
there was nothing he could do about it. Gemma was fueled by pure
rage and desperation.

Bringing her
horse up beside him, she reached for the reins and was shoved away.
She tried again, using her shoulder to push Coyote off balance. Her
horse complained and tried to veer away, but Gemma forced it back
to Coyote’s side, bringing her boot down on his leg.

He let out an
indignant wail.

“Stop the
horse!”

“Not on your
life, sweetheart. I got places to be.”

“
Yes, you
do, but you’re going the wrong way, you arrogant prick!” Gemma
followed her insult with a solid fist to the face. Much to her
pleasure, it connected well. She relished the sting in her knuckles
as Coyote pulled his horse to a stop. She yanked on the reins and
rounded back to where he stood.

Her insides
were seething as she approached him, her mouth filled with black
words. She didn’t have a chance to utter any of them as Coyote let
out a war cry and spurted towards her. She fell off her horse with
a thud.

He tried
another attempt at escape, but Gemma leaped from the ground and
grabbed his ankle. With a burst of strength that came from a
stubborn tenacity to win, Gemma tugged. A cloud of dust jumped into
the air around Coyote’s fallen body.

Gemma stepped
back as he rose, crouching into a fighting stance. If he looked
pissed before, he looked ready to kill her now.

His boots
crunched over gravel as he approached her.

“Now look here,
I appreciate you breaking me out and all, but I got my plans and
you’re now getting in the way of that.”

“No, I’m trying
to save your life. I got plans too and you need to follow ‘em.”

“I ain’t taking
orders from some girl.”

“You’ll take my
orders or I’ll knock you out and drag you where I want you to
go.”

His eyes were
molten as they bore into her. She lifted her chin and put on the
most defiant face she could. Coyote’s fists bunched as he stepped
towards her. Gemma resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

His blows came
hard and fast, but she blocked each one and had him eating dust
within minutes. Jabbing her knee between his shoulder blades, she
yanked his arms behind his back. He grunted at the pain.

“It doesn’t
have to be like this. I’m trying to help you.” Gemma felt her voice
starting to waver and forced some steel into her tone. “Now get
your ass into that saddle and stop wasting my time.”

She pushed his
face into the dirt as she rose. All she could hope for was
compliance, she wasn’t sure she had enough fight left to deal with
anything else. An image of Harrison coursed through her brain. Her
jaw locked as she watched Coyote rise and walk towards his horse.
She’d find it somehow. If he tried to bail on her again, she’d tie
his hands and make him walk the entire way to damn Colorado
Springs.

She was about
to say so when the sound of approaching horses made Gemma’s heart
leap into her throat. Coyote whipped around to glance at her and
she spotted a flash of fear. Jumping into her saddle, she grabbed
the reins and looked over her shoulder.

“Let’s go!”

“Where’re we
going?”

“Colorado
Springs,” she hollered over her shoulder. “We need to get there
tonight.”

Coyote galloped
up beside her as they raced over the dusty roads.

The hoof beats
behind them grew louder. Gemma nipped a glance over her shoulder.
The Sheriff and two riders were converging on them with speed. She
spurred her horse on and was pleased to feel Coyote keeping time
with her.

Veering their
horses towards the river, Gemma felt a spurt of hope as they lost
sight of their pursuers. A searing pain melting through her
shoulder made that hope dwindle. She let out a sharp cry and
grabbed at the fire. Her hand was red with blood when she pulled it
back for inspection.

“Is it
bad?”

“
I’ll
live, but I don’t know if we can outrun these guys. We need a
diversion.”

Pulling on her
horse’s reins, she steered it into the gorge and drew it to a halt.
Coyote skidded up beside her.

“What are you
doing?”

“Give me your
hat and jacket.” Gemma whipped off her hat and passed it to him.
“Now listen carefully. I need you get to a brothel in Colorado
Springs. There’s woman there named Mary. You need to bed her
tonight, you understand me?”

“Why are you
talking crazy?”

“Just listen!”
Gemma grabbed his coat and tried not to wince as she pulled it over
her wounded shoulder. “Find Mary! Bed her, fall in love with her,
marry her and move to Montana.”

“
But
what-
”

“Don’t ask any
questions! Just promise me you’ll do that, okay?”

He looked at
her with dubious eyes as his horse jittered beneath him.

“What are you
going to do?”

“I’m going to
ride across their path and lead them away from you.”

“It’s
suicide.”

“
Don’t
worry about me. Just get to Mary
tonight
. That’s all I need you to do.”

For the first
time since meeting him, she saw his eyes soften with what looked
like admiration.

She shot him a
fleeting smile as she collected up the reins. “No more stealing,
William. You’re going to be a good man and you’re going to have an
amazing family.”

She didn’t
stick around long enough to see his stunned expression. Instead she
road towards the Sheriff, gifting herself one last glance over her
shoulder to make sure William Granger was heading the right way.
All she saw was dust.

With a
triumphant smile she turned back to her task and within moments was
shooting past the three horsemen.

She nearly
laughed when she heard the Sheriff yell, “It’s Coyote! After
‘im!”

With a forceful
kick, she spurred the horse around the corner and out of line of
another bullet. Then she vanished, hopefully leaving behind three
bewildered men who would spend the next few years trying to fathom
what had happened to the infamous bank robber.

Chapter Thirty

St Augustine, Florida
– 2011 AD

Gemma winced as
she re-adjusted her body to the present day. Reaching for her
shoulder, she squeezed the wound and felt tears forming.

“Don’t touch
it,” Gabe’s firm voice was balm in itself.

She opened her
eyes and looked at his pinched expression.

“It’s fine. I
think it just nicked me.”

“I’ll be the
judge of that.” Placing a hand under her arm, he gently hauled her
towards his caravan and within minutes had a towel wrapped around
her body and her bottom nestled into the bench seat.

With tender
fingers, he cleaned and mended her wound while she rushed through
the story. Her leg jiggled beneath the table as her thoughts raced
to Harrison.

“You probably
made the boy’s dreams come true, getting his first kiss from some
mysterious woman.”

Gemma
grinned with a blush. Glancing down at her shoulder, she watched
him apply the last band-aid.

“These
butterfly stitches should be enough to hold it. Thankfully the
rapid healing will close up that wound nice and quick, but you’ll
still be left with a scar.”

“That’s okay.”
Gemma reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head, trying to
hide the pain of the movement.

Gabe’s eyes
narrowed.

“Hey, I’m still
in one piece, aren’t I?”

He snorted and
shook his head with a smile as he tipped her head to examine the
bruising around her eye. “Do you think it worked?”

“I’m not sure.”
Gemma’s stomach ignited with jitters. “I got him out of town, but
not all the way to Colorado Springs. He may not have made it to
Mary, I just… I just don’t know.”

Gabe placed his
hand on Gemma’s head and ran his palm over her shiny locks.
“There’s only one way to find out, kid.”

“Yeah.” Gemma
gave him a nervous smile and bit the inside of her cheek.

Holding out her
bike key, he let it dangle in front of her for a moment. “If I
don’t hear from you in half an hour, I’ll know it’s worked.”

Wrapping her
fingers around the key, she stayed where she was and looked at him.
“Even if it hasn’t worked, I won’t regret any of this summer.”

Gabe’s eyes
slicked over with an instant sheen. Blinking rapidly, he swallowed
with a silent nod of thanks.

Placing a sweet
kiss on his cheek, she slid past him and walked for the door,
stopping one last time before leaving.

“I’ll see ya
again, soon, right?”

“You can count
on it,” Gabe’s voice was thick. Clearing his throat, he pushed his
lips into a smile and waved.

* * * *

By the time
Gemma pulled into the road Chatsworth Classic Cars resided on, she
was so tense she thought she might pass out. What if it hadn’t
worked? What if Mike’s Motorworld was still there? What…?

Her breath
caught in her throat as she pulled to a stop outside the business.
Gazing up at the sign, she felt the tears build in her eyes before
she dropped her head into her hands and let her shoulders shake
with emotion.

Chapter Thirty-One

St Augustine, Florida
– 2011 AD

The garage was
stifling hot. Slamming down the hood of the car, Harrison walked
away from it in frustration and reached for his water bottle. He
drank deeply then set it aside. He still felt raw with the
unsettling nerves that had been eating him for over a month.

Pulling a hand
through his unkempt locks, he let out a long sigh, unable to ignore
the hollow aching in his chest.

“I’m taking a
break!” He slumped out of the garage, all too aware that his grumpy
behavior was taking its toll on everyone around him.

Bryan and his
mother had been pretty patient with him, but it didn’t stop the
sting of guilt. He knew he had to get over it, but he had no idea
how. In spite of what everyone was telling him, time was doing
nothing to fill the cramping cavity. The most depressing part was
that the only real cure didn’t want him and there seemed to be
nothing he could do about it.

Rubbing a hand
over his forehead, he headed for the sunlight and felt his body
freeze. There she was. His cure. Sitting on her Ducati, her head in
her hands and her shoulders quivering with obvious tears.

The jolt of
seeing Gemma whipped through his body and he didn’t know whether to
feel anger or relief, joy or heartache.

What is she
doing here? And why is she crying?

The urge to run
forward and comfort her was at war with the urge to turn and walk
back into the garage. He set both feelings aside and slowly
approached her, his thoughts running with memories of the day on
the beach.

* * * *

Six weeks earlier…

Harrison paced
the beach as he waited for Gemma to return. The foreboding running
up his spine was uncomfortable. He wriggled his back to try and
eradicate the sensation.

Suddenly she
was before him. He turned away in order to let her get dressed.
Rocking on his heels, he shot a quick look over his shoulder and
was surprised to see her walking away from him.

“Gemma!” He
raced after her and reached for her arm. She flicked him off and
kept walking. “Gem, what’s the matter?”

She ignored
him.

“Oh, so that’s
it? You’re just going to ignore me now?”

He followed her
up the beach and watched in stunned silence as she mounted her
bike.

“Baby, come on.
We can work this out.”

She glanced up
and looked straight through him before frowning and starting the
engine.

“Gemma?”

She kicked up
the stand and walked the bike backwards, driving off without so
much as a backwards glance.

Disbelief froze
his body solid. His legs finally got moving when another car
appeared in the lot. He trudged back to the garage, unable to wrap
his brain around what had just happened. He couldn’t believe she
would write him off so easily after one little fight.

Pulling his
phone from his back pocket, he found her number and pressed the
green button. It rang twice before being cut off. He let out an
annoyed grunt and tried again. The same thing happened. The third
time he left a message asking her to call in the nicest voice
possible. He also sent a text.

The walk back
to the garage took a while. He was hot, sweaty and in no mood for
conversation as he walked across the forecourt.

“Where have you
been?” Bryan’s arms were stretched wide in question. “You can’t
just take off and not tell me about it.”

Harrison walked
around him and headed for his car.

“Hey!”

He
ignored Bryan’s irate cuss and fired up the engine to drown out any
further noise. Swivelling out of the garage, he took off north in
search of answers.

He arrived in
Ponte Vedra Beach a short while later. He’d sped the whole way,
unable to keep his foot from wanting to push the gas pedal right
through the floor. The engine rumbled as he slowed down and wound
his way through the quiet streets. Gemma’s house was only a block
away.