Cowboy from the Future (12 page)

“She’s
right, Cade.  You should tell her.”  Deke put in, staring out the window, again. 
“She should be ready.”

That
sounded ominous.  “Ready for what?”

Cade
hesitated.  “I don’t want you to worry, but scouts saw Outlanders a few gantii
from here.”  Clearly, this was a big deal for the Westins, because they all
looked serious, now.  “They’re moving this way.”

“Oh. 
Right.  Outlanders.”  Addy sometimes thought they just made stuff up to screw
with her.  “Sure.  That’s so… yeah.”

Three
sets of incredulous eyes jumped to her face.

“You
do
know about Outlanders, right?”  Jacobi demanded, like she was quite
possibly the biggest simpleton in the universe.

Addy
wasn’t going to tell them she had no frigging clue when they were gaping at
her.  Not after the Voltyn debacle.  She
wasn’t
a scatterbrain, damn it.

“Sure,
I know about them.”  She’d read the book with the Scottish guy, at least. 
Shit, that story was about time travel, wasn’t it?  She should have paid more
attention to the details.  It might’ve given her some pointers.  “Obviously,
everyone
knows about the Outlanders.  They’re famous for… all that stuff they do.”

“They’re
here because of you.”  Cade pressed.  “You get that, right?”

“See? 
I
knew
you were going to blame me.”

“They’ve
heard of you and they’re interested. 
Everyone’s
heard of you.  You draw
too much attention.  I
told
you this would happen.”

She
made a face at him.  Giving her gifts or not, the guy was still an asshole.  If
she’d been around for the nuclear holocaust, he would’ve claimed that was her
fault, too.  According to Cade, she was the cause of all the world’s problems. 
“Whatever.”

“Do
not take your frustration out on Adeline.”  Deke always stuck up for her when
Cade started on one of his rants.  Not because he cared about Addy’s feelings
getting hurt, but because he didn’t want Cade to regret hurting her feelings.  “
Think,
Cade.  The only way to get what you want is to be
softer
.  She’s pleased
with her paint, so don’t ruin it.”

“I
am
pleased with the nail polish.”  Addy agreed.  “He’s not going to ruin
it for me, no matter what he says.’

Cade
ignored her, his eyes on Deke.  “Voltyn cannot be soft.  I do not feel love or empathy
or caring.  Those emotions aren’t part of my makeup.”

“That’s
absurd.”  Addy opinioned.  “I can’t believe you would buy such complete lies,
Cade.  You’re usually smarter than that.”

“Ask
anyone, Adeline!  Voltyn are simply meant to
protect
.  It’s why we were
bred.  But, you make that task
impossible
, just by being yourself.”

Addy
scoffed at that foolishness.

Cade
looked back at Deke, very agitated for such heartless robot.  “Of
course
,
the Outlanders have heard of her. 
Everyone’s
heard of her.  Men come in
here just to stare at her and hear that magical music she plays.”  He gestured
to the not!piano.  “You think it isn’t
infuriating
to see their auras
light up with wanting her?
 
They come to
my
saloon and fantasize
about
my
…”  He stopped short, regaining control.

Addy
blinked at him.  Had Cade been about to call her “his”?  No one had ever
thought she belonged to them before.

“The
girl’s done nothing wrong.”  Deke told him.  “Just kill the men, if they bother
you.”

“I’m
not blaming Adeline.”  Cade ran a hand through his hair.  “It would be a
fucking blasphemy to change one thing about the woman.  But, she’s still
vulnerable to every asshole in the polis, because she has no idea what she’s
doing.”

Addy
wasn’t sure if she should be insulted or not.  “Hang on…”

“So,
what do you want to do, Cade?”  Jacobi rolled his eyes, cutting her off. 
“Shave her head?  Lock her in her room?  Take away the vianorgan?”  He snorted. 
“Save yourself the embarrassment of even trying.  Addy will do as she pleases
and you will allow it.  We all know that.”  He said something in their language
that Addy didn’t catch.

Deke’s
mouth quirked upward.  “She does, every time you look at her, Cade. 
That’s
why you’re in a lousy mood.”

Whatever
that meant, Cade didn’t like hearing about it.  His expression darkened even
further.  “Fuck you both.  I want her
safe.
”

Addy
had had enough.  “Can you guys not talk about me like I’m not even here?”  She
looked over at Cade.  “Tell me what’s going on?  Are these Outlander guys
coming here because I’m playing the piano?”  That seemed asinine, even for this
century, but she was amazed each day by the lunacy around her.  “If it’s a big
deal, I’ll just stop.”

“No.” 
Deke and Jake objected.  They loved music.

Cade
shook his head.  “It’s not just the songs, Adeline.  It’s
you
.  The Outlanders
hunt the most beautiful women and there is no one
anywhere
as beautiful
as you are.  It was inevitable that they’d come looking for you.”

Addy’s
heart leapt.  He
did
think she was beautiful!  That was…  “Wait, what?” 
Her eyebrows compressed in alarm.  “Rewind.  Did you just insinuate that these
Outlander people might try to kidnap me or something?”

“
They
are
Outlanders
, Adeline.”  Cade spoke slower, like maybe she wasn’t
hearing him correctly.  “They will certainly try to kidnap you.  They are
lawless mutants who prey on anyone who crosses their path, stealing valuables
and indiscriminately killing.  Do you think they will just let you be, if you
smile prettily…?”

“
Mutants?
” 
Addy interrupted.  “Hold it!”  She held up her palms and looked around at the
brothers.  “You guys have
mutants
here?  Like
actual
mutants?”

Jacobi
frowned.  “Of course.  Some groups were too close to the flash.  It affected
them and their descendants bear the damage.  Who do you think killed our
parents?  Who do you think Deke was fighting in the Wilderness War?”

“And
you’re just
mentioning
that to me?!”  She scanned over her shoulders
like an army of C.H.U.D. might be sneaking up behind her.  “Jesus, do they
--like-- eat people?  I bet they eat people, right?”

Deke
flinched and refocused on the window.

Cade
had never looked more frustrated.  “Why would I
have
to mention the
Outlanders?  You should already
know
about them. 
Everyone
knows
them, even in Cody.  How can you
possibly
be so oblivious to the dangers
around you, lady?”

“I
didn’t come from Cody!  I
told
you, I came from Yellowstone, Wyoming,
which is cannibal free!  All it has are federally protected wolves, scenic
mountain views, and geysers that shoot water hundreds of feet in the air.”

Deke’s
head snapped around to look at her.

Addy
didn’t notice.  She was too busy scowling at Cade, who leaned closer to her
over the bar.  Mr. Personality was still in a lousy mood.  Gifting giving and
mutants had stressed him out.

“There’s
no such place as Yellowstone, Adeline.  I have checked every map there is.”

“Really? 
No such place as Yellowstone?  Where do I come from, then?”  Addy smirked,
because there was no way he could ever guess.  Not even she could explain her
presence in Shadow-of-the-Gods.  “Come on.  I’m dying to hear your theory,
cowboy.”

“Cade.” 
Deke said quietly.

Cade
disregarded that.  His jaw developed that familiar tick it
always
developed during his conversations with Addy.  “I’m not sure where you come
from.”  He ground out.  “Even if you told me, I probably wouldn’t believe it. 
I don’t believe one word you’ve said since you got here.”

“Oh
that’s just great.  Really fair.  Call me a liar, when you don’t even know what
the truth is
supposed
to be.”

“I
don’t need to know the truth to know a lie when I hear it.  You have done
nothing but…”

“
Cade
.” 
Deke said in a louder tone, cutting him off.

Cade
flashed him an aggravated glare.  “What?”

“She’s
not lying.  During the War, I saw a land where water shot into the sky.  It’s
passed Cody, far to the west.  The woman has been to the Wilderness.”

For
once, Cade didn’t have a snide comment.  He just blinked.

Addy
was too excited to enjoy his astonishment.  She spun around to look at Deke,
her heart pounding.  “You’ve been to Yellowstone?  Oh thank
God
.  Could
you find your way back?”

“Yes.” 
Deke edged farther into the shadows.  He hated being the center of attention. 
“But, I don’t want to.
 
I won’t go back to the Wilderness.  Not ever,
again.”

She
wasn’t about to be discouraged by his attitude.  “Did you see a really
big
geyser that was sort of shaped like a man’s… um…”  Addy tried to think of a delicate
way to phrase it and finally settled for pointedly looking
down
.

“The
one that looked like the huge dick?”

“Yes! 
You saw it?”

“How
could I miss it?  It was shaped like a huge dick.”

“Could
you draw me a map of how to find it, again?”

He
hesitated.  “I suppose…”

“No,
he can’t.”  Cade interrupted, sounding desperate.  “Deke cannot draw you a map
to
anywhere
.”

Addy
sent him a death glare.  “He just said he could.”

Cade
kept his eyes on his brother.  “The spot you saw cannot be Adeline’s
Yellowstone.”  He insisted.  “The Wilderness is nearly half a ganton away.  How
could she get
half a fucking ganton
all by herself?  She would not last
even a day out there.  The woman thinks she can ride a sanbor, for gods’ sake!”

Jacobi
chortled as if that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

Annoyed
with both of then, Addy arched a brow at Deke.  “Did the ground steam?  Did it
have a huge lake with pits of boiling water beside it?  Was there a deep canyon
carved into multi-colored rock?”

That
rundown of geologic features caught Jacobi’s interest.  His eyes lit up with
excitement, his overactive imagination already picturing the fantastical
landscape.  “Someplace like that really exists?”  He looked over at Deke.  “You
never told us that.”

“There’s
a lot about the War I don’t tell you.”  Deke’s gaze flicked back to Cade. 
“There is nowhere else that looks as she describes.  The woman was really
there.  There’s no denying it.”

“Of
course I was really there!  Now, I just need to get
back
.”

“Half
a ganton.”  Cade repeated stubbornly, as if Addy was supposed to know what a
“ganton” was.  “What do you propose to do, lady?  Walk that distance?”

“If
I have to,
yes
.  Unless you have a car you aren’t telling me about.”

He
gave a skeptical snort, ignoring that last part.  “Deke, explain how many men
were lost trekking in the Wilderness.  More than were lost in the War itself,
right?”

“Yes.” 
His tone was hollow.  “Thousands died.”

Cade
arched a brow at Addy.  “Thousands of soldiers fell, but
you
can cross
that distance?”  He shook his head like he couldn’t fathom the depths of her
insanity.  “Do you not understand how impossible it is?  I’ve made the trip to
the Wilderness, Adeline, and it’s
hard
.  How will you eat?  What will
you do to keep warm and to avoid animal attacks?  How will you get passed the
Outlanders’ camps?”  He waved a hand.  “Have you considered
any
of
this?”

“Cade.” 
Jacobi sent his brother a meaningful look.  “Remember, be
softer
.  I get
that you’re worried, now that she has a destination in mind, but you’re going
to frighten her if you shout.”

“I’m
not frightened of him.”  Addy scoffed.  Cade was big and irritable, but he was
the person who made her feel the safest.  He had right from the beginning. 
“What’s he going to do?  Bitch me to death?”

“You
see?  The woman is not smart enough to be frightened of anything.  She tried to
pick up a convanta last week!”

“I
thought that thing was a pizza cutter!”

Cade
ran a palm over his face like he was about to blow his top and turned back to
Deke.  “Just… do
not
give her a map.”  He said in a more solemn tone. 
“I will never forgive you.  I mean it.  If she has a map, she’ll leave.”  He met
his brother’s eyes.  “Don’t, Deke.”

Deke
studied him for a beat and then nodded.  The Westins’ loyalty to each other was
unbreakable.  Cade’s siblings would do whatever he asked, no matter how stupid.

Shit!

“You
want me
gone
, remember?”  Addy glowered over at Cade, blaming him for
this.  “Now you think I should stay?  Make up your damn mind.”