The Badger City Gang [Bride Train 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (19 page)

“I was in town, but stayed with the ladies,” said Rusty.

Ross shook Rusty’s and Gideon’s hands, taking less time than he did with Zach. His eyes crinkled up when Kate stepped close and held out hers as well. Though Zach made strangling noises, Ross shook it as if she was another man. His grasp was light, but she knew he could crush her if he wished. His scent, of sage and smoke, was very pleasant.

“Call me Kate,” she said. “I’m so pleased to finally meet someone other than these three louts. Could you please tell me where I am?”

“Tanner’s Ford, Montana Territory,” said Ross. “There’s eight working ranches in the valley. Nine in total, but Rivers doesn’t run any cattle. I live on the MD Connected with my wife, Amelia, and our twin sons, Kier and Gavin.” He held up his hands and began counting on his fingers. “Let’s see, there’s also my two brothers, Gillis and Nevin, my mother, Sunbird, her sister, who everyone calls Auntie, Gil’s young daughter, Hope, and our adopted son, Daniel. I think that’s it. There’s a rookery full of ravens as well, but they come and go as they please.” He smiled at her. “Don’t worry if you see one or two nearby. They like to follow me around.”

“You’re so lucky to have family with you,” said Kate wistfully.

“Sometimes it gets a bit much. My Elliott cousins live on four of the other ranches. With Jessie and her men, that makes another twelve, not counting children.” Ross laughed. “You can hear about them some other time. I’d like to know how you got here without anyone knowing.” He smiled again. “Though I must say, you’re a very pleasant surprise.”

“Zach kidnapped me from the Bride Train before it arrived in Virginia City,” she calmly replied. She wouldn’t normally have said anything that bluntly, but she was still angry with him.

“I didn’t kidnap you,” corrected Zach through gritted teeth. “You agreed to come along.”

She shot him a sideways look. “You didn’t give me much time to choose before hauling me out of the carriage and throwing me into Rusty’s arms as he galloped beside the train. You implied that, since I was on the Bride Train, I must want a husband. And you said if I didn’t come quietly, you’d tie me up to take me with you.”

Ross set his feet and crossed his arms. He seemed to grow even larger as he glared at Zach. She suddenly wondered if taunting Zach by telling Ross was a good idea.

“I didn’t throw you,” said Zach, enunciating each word. He spoke to her but kept one eye on Ross. He acted wary rather than afraid. “I held you in my arms until Rusty was ready, then I carefully gave you to him. Everything went as planned.”

“You said I’d just be a housekeeper. And then you seduced me—”

“
I
seduced
you
?” Zach let out a sarcastic laugh. His eyes glowed. She shivered, knowing what that look meant. “Honeypie,” he crooned, taking a few steps closer, “you were the one undoing buttons that first time, not me.”

Ross choked back a laugh. He looked at her and raised an enquiring eyebrow. A roll of heat flashed up her body. Bad enough that this man had found her living with three strangers, thanks to her complaint he knew she was well compromised. But Ross looked amused rather than angry. Face flaming, she turned her back on them all and started another batch of biscuits.

She should not be embarrassed, not at all. If she wanted to prove she was a strong woman, well able to help catch the mayor, Ross needed to know she was wild and adventurous. While she was no shy miss, she could pretend to be. Drawing the eyes of bad men should be easy after what she’d already done.

“What did you expect?” she said as she scooped up flour. “I like excitement. You did things all that day to make me hot and bothered.” She dumped a cup of flour into the bowl. “I knew if I rode for another day I’d be too sore to do anything. You were taking too long to act, so I made sure you knew what I wanted.” She flashed a quick glance at Zach. “I didn’t hear you or Rusty complaining that night.”

“Nope, I weren’t complainin’ none,” drawled Rusty. He winked, now arrogant and sure of himself. “I was tryin’ to slow things down so we could enjoy ourselves.”

Ross’s laugh boomed through the cabin. “I see the lady can take care of herself.”

“Since you’re married with young ones and all,” said Rusty with his innocent devil look, “you got any suggestions on handling an uppity woman?”

Though Kate wanted to throw something, she pressed her lips closed and waited for Ross’s answer. She was not married, to any of them. If they didn’t let her take part in things, she never would be. As for being uppity, that was what men called a woman who stood up for herself. As far as she was concerned, it was a compliment.

“Amelia’s a couple inches taller than Kate, but still small,” said Ross. “She’s quiet when others are around, so some think she’s afraid of living with three big men.”

“Haven’t met Nevin, but Gillis is the same height as me,” explained Gideon. “Only he’s red, hairy, loud, and about three times as big around. He wears a kilt, boots, and not much else.”

“That’s my half brother,” replied Ross, shaking his head. “He takes after our father. Nevin and I take after our mother’s people. Amelia knows what she wants, and usually gets it. She doesn’t have to make noise to get her point across.” Ross gave a hint of a smile. “The other valley wives are the same, only louder. Beth, Jessie, and Victoria have been known to fight with their husbands in the middle of town, just to cause a ruckus. Sarah’s still settling in, but I expect she has her demands as well. We all have different ways of handling them.” Ross smirked. “You might as well get used to it. The wife rules the roost. A happy wife means a happy home.”

“I’m not anyone’s wife,” stated Kate. “But I’d love to meet the other women. They sound interesting.”

Gideon cleared his throat. “Whatever Kate says, we don’t want her in danger.”

“It won’t be any more dangerous than jumping off that train.” Kate pounded the biscuit dough to flatten it.

“We could get shot,” said Rusty. “If those rough men get hold of you, you’d wish you were dead.”

“The lady’s right about distracting Rivers,” said Ross. “When he sees Kate he won’t pay much attention to anything else. But I’ll go in first and set up behind the cabin. They’ll be watching you before you get near the house. I’ll be ready long before that.”

Rusty scowled. “You that good?”

Ross met him head on. “There’s a reason I was known as the MacDougal Devil.”

“Prove it.”

Ross had Rusty’s arm locked behind his back and a knife at his neck before anyone noticed he’d moved.

“That do?” Ross asked calmly.

Kate couldn’t help snickering, both at Rusty’s shocked expression and the way Gideon and Zach enjoyed his discomfort.

“You’re lucky you’ve only got one knife at your neck. Ross carries enough to fill both hands.” Gideon laughed at Rusty’s glare. “I told the sheriff that you can pull leather faster than me. Be fun to see whether you or Ross is faster.”

In a moment Ross was back by the door, knife gone, as if nothing had happened. Rusty shrugged his shirt back into place. There was a drop of red where the knife point had been. Kate got the feeling it was a rare day when someone got the drop on him, and Ross’s ease had shaken Rusty up.

“Kate has to wear something to make her look young and innocent,” said Ross. “Rivers likes them ripe, but untouched.” He met her eyes. “You think you can look meek and innocent while wearing nothing but your nightgown?”

Kate swallowed hard, but nodded anyway. Remembering the way her mother and younger sisters behaved around Father, she let her shoulders relax. She clasped her hands in front of her and bent her head. She looked up at Ross as if he was the most interesting, wonderful man in the world and she lived to obey his every word. She thought of Zach, which always brought a blush to her face. She dropped her eyes and then looked at Ross through her lashes. She pretended she wanted something from him as a woman, but wasn’t sure what it might be.

Ross burst into a laugh. “You’ve got your hands full with this lady.” He winked at her. “Your men better talk to Trace and the boys at the Double Diamond. They know how to handle a wildcat of a wife.”

Kate took his words as a compliment. “I said I could do this.”

“If I wasn’t happily married, I’d be courting you, ma’am.” Ross winked. “Did you know there’s another ranch without a wife? The Sweetwater is right across the Bannack City road from here. It’s got three Southern gentlemen who’d appreciate a good cook and housekeeper. If you’re interested—”

“Shut up, MacDougal,” growled Zach. “They can find their own woman.”

“Heard they went all the way to Virginia City but weren’t too happy with the women coming off that Bride Train.” Ross slanted Zach a pointed glance.

“Kate called the other brides a bunch of ninnies,” said Zach, as if that explained everything.

Ross nodded. “Cole says he figures the best one got hauled off the train at gunpoint. He said she had gumption and a brain. Now I’ve met the lady, I agree.”

“Thank you,” said Kate, blushing at the compliment.

“I love my wife, but she’s a lousy cook.” Ross rubbed his hands together. “What’s for breakfast?”

“You sure you want to do this, Kate? We’ll be too close to back out once we pass that ridge.” Rusty slowed his horse to a stop. He shared a speaking glance with Gideon.

Both men wore their worst work clothes and rode their roughest horses. They’d planned to get a hot bath and shave in town but put it off to make them look as no-account as possible. All Kate wore was her nightgown. No shift, no stockings, no boots.

Before she met Zach and Rusty, the only time she’d worn so little was in the sanctity of her small room. A lady never ventured beyond the confines of her chamber without the protection of a shift, blouse, petticoats, skirt, stockings, and more. Yet here she was, sitting on Rusty’s lap wearing nothing but one thin layer of cotton.

Ross said Molly Sinclair, the girl who’d been held by Rivers after her family was murdered, told the sheriff he liked to play with her feet. Zach glared when Ross said Kate’s bare feet and slim ankles would grab the attention of any man. He added that it would make her look younger and more vulnerable, something that always attracted predators.

“I’m sure,” she replied, smiling up to answer Rusty.

It was a lie.

At first she’d felt both wicked and aroused at the sensations as they rode along in the sun. But then reality hit. She hoped Rusty thought she looked a lot braver than she felt. When Zach tossed her from the train into Rusty’s arms, she hadn’t time to get frightened. It was different today. She had too much time to think and worry about what might happen. Her back rested against Rusty’s stomach. His large hand held her close. The sun had warmed the air enough that the slight breeze from their movement was welcome.

Rusty sighed. “Then hold out your wrists.”

He tied her wrists snugly together with twine, making sure the itchy rope rested on her cuffs rather than her skin. He raised his eyebrows in question. Though her heart thundered in her chest, she nodded. He loosely stuffed a clean handkerchief in her mouth. She bent her head so he could tie another to keep it from falling out. He made sure that her nose was free, as that was the only way she could breathe.

She sat sideways on Rusty’s lap, her bottom on his left thigh. That allowed him to hold on to her with his left hand and the reins with his right. He wore a large shirt and tucked it loosely into his pants as if he hid an extra gun in his belt.

Once she was secure he pressed his arm snug around her and nudged his horse into a ground-eating lope. Gideon followed, staying behind and to their left. They rode for about ten minutes when Gideon whistled, the sign that they’d reached the spot Ross said usually held a lookout.

Kate suddenly screamed as loudly as she could behind the gag. She squirmed and tried to wallop Rusty with her tied hands. He laughed cruelly and lifted his hand to grab her breast. She fought him, trying to knock his hand off. When that didn’t work, she tried to throw herself from the saddle. He easily held her.

“Stop fightin’ or I’ll wallop you so hard yer ear’ll ring for a week!” he yelled. She stilled, panting from the exertion as she tried to breath around the gag.

“Told you we should’ve sold her to that peddler,” grumbled Gideon loudly. He glared at Rusty in disgust. “If’n he’d had her a time or two, she’d be all quiet, not fightin’ to git loose.”

Kate saw movement behind the large rock they were approaching. She nudged her elbow into Rusty. He grunted and squeezed her gently back to say he’d seen the same thing. He slowed his horse and turned his head to face Gideon. A man walked his horse out from behind the rock and pulled his gun.

“And I said Mr. Rivers likes his girls fresh,” yelled Rusty to Gideon over her head, pretending not to notice the hired gun. “He’ll pay lots more, and we kin git all the whores and whiskey we want with it.”

“Hands up!”

The man holding a gun on them curled up his lip, revealing black teeth where there wasn’t a hole. Luckily he was downwind. The way he looked, she would gag at his stench. Rusty slowly turned to face him, as if he wasn’t too concerned about it. Kate moaned and struggled to escape. She couldn’t see what Gideon was doing, but Rusty kept one hand on her and the other on the reins.

“This little gal is purty feisty and if’n I put my hands up, she might fall,” said Rusty. “Don’t think yer boss would like that soft skin to git all scratched. Not when me and Gideon gone without touchin’ her, just so’s Mr. Rivers kin have her first.”

When the man snarled and again gestured with his gun Rusty transferred the reins to the hand holding her and lifted his right. She stopped struggling, pretending to be too frightened.

“Don’t be gettin’ ideas that this hombre will treat you good if’n you jump off,” warned Rusty loud enough for the man to hear. “You sit quiet and we’ll go see if the fine gennleman what owns this place might be interested in a little bit like you.”

Their guard gave a series of whistles. Rusty whispered to her that it would be a code to say someone was coming under guard. They rode single file, gunman last, for what must have been ten minutes, though it seemed a lot longer to Kate. Finally, they came over a hill, and Kate saw a large ranch house. It was ten times the size of the cabin at the Running W. A wide porch ran the length of the front, which faced south. A door was centered between two large windows. More windows on the side facing her suggested the man’s wealth.