Chapter Thirty-Six
General watched as the fire crackled, pulling his newly bought buffalo coat tighter around his shoulders.
The frigid cold was far worse than he had imagined, and he endured harsh winters during his military career.
Yet this Rocky Mountain chill was something else entirely.
Even though his anger simmered just beneath the surface, it wasn’t enough to chase away the deep, aching cold that seeped into his bones.
If Josephine wanted revenge, she was getting it, all right. General had to admit her plan was clever—but not clever enough. Only a hundred miles separated him from the endgame. She would lose, and he would win. He could hardly wait for that prize.
Buck Hanson smacked and took another bite of canned beans. “Ya got any family, General?”
“Sadly.”
Buck’s eyebrows arched for a moment before he burst into chuckles. “That there’s a good one. Sometimes they’re blessin’s, but other times, they’re nightmares.”
General huffed and looked up at the night sky, folding his arms over his body. One thing the newspapers got right was that Montana truly was the land of the big sky. However, with the many clouds above, he could hardly see the stars.
“You meetin’ family out there?”
“Something like that.”
Buck swirled his spoon around in his can. “Ya never told me much 'bout your mission. I just assumed it was family. Didn’t know for sure. Ya seem mighty anxious to get there.”
“I’m going to fetch my wife and my heir.”
“Heir?” Buck snorted. “Guess that’s what you bigwigs call ‘em. Boy or gal?”
“Don’t know.”
“Hope it’s a lad?”
“Wouldn’t be any use for a girl.”
Buck shrugged. “I’m sure you’d love it all the same.”
General nearly vomited at the word. “Love is a weak emotion.”
Buck leaned back against a tree, taking a spoonful of beans. “Why’d you say that?”
Frustration swelled through General, a hot wave burning beneath his skin.
Why did this man have to ask so many questions?
Buck had been a soldier once—he should’ve learned to bury those silly emotions long ago.
The constant prying, the need for conversation; it was all unnecessary.
They were both hardened men, or at least, they were supposed to be.
“Love makes a man weak.”
“What does your wife say?”
“She’ll get what’s coming to her,” General muttered.
Buck sat straighter, setting down his empty can. “What ya mean?”
General groaned, ripping a piece of bark from the log he was sitting on.
“I married my wife because she was young. She was supposed to give me four sons by now, but she was too frail.” General gritted his teeth.
“She blamed me for every complication, saying it was because of my discipline. Now she stole my heir.”
Buck’s eyes widened, his forehead creased. “You beat her?”
General’s jaw jutted. “I taught her a lesson. She was stubborn and pathetic. She needed to be put in her place for losing my heirs.”
“She’s a woman, General!” Buck’s frown deepened. “Ya had no right to do that. She couldn’t help losin’ those babies!”
“You sound just like her!”
“Well, maybe ya should hear it from a man rather than a woman. Maybe you’d listen!”
General stood and pointed in Buck’s face. “This is none of your concern!”
“It is when ya’re headin’ in their direction. Somethin’ tells me ya have more than a beatin’ on your mind.” Buck’s lips pressed to a thin line.
General groaned and pivoted on his feet, stomping forcefully through the snow.
“We’re a hundred miles away from Gallatin County.
You don’t need to escort me anymore.” He untied the reins of his newly purchased horse and led it to the wagon to grab his supplies.
As he retrieved his bedroll, he heard a click.
He turned to see Buck pointing a revolver at him.
“Sorry it has to be this way. I respected ya, but now, I gotta protect that woman and babe.”
“You’re weak,” General spat. “I wouldn’t doubt you were a deserter.”
Buck’s face shook with fury, and before he could pull the trigger, General lunged forward, grabbing his arm and thrusting it to the side.
A shot fired, and General wrestled the gun from Buck’s grip, only for him to drop it on the icy ground.
General’s fist met Buck’s face, causing him to grunt.
Buck growled, his eyes wild, and grabbed General by the collar, slamming a punch into his gut.
Pain flared through General’s abdomen. With a roar, he charged into Buck’s midsection, tackling him.
General gripped his hands around Buck’s neck, but Buck overpowered him, pushing him over until General’s back was on the ground. Buck’s fist plunged into General’s face. A metallic taste filled his mouth. With a replenishing rush of energy, he pushed Buck off him and grabbed a knife from his belt.
Without hesitation, he stabbed it into Buck’s gut. Buck screamed, and General pushed harder and twisted. He smiled as Buck’s eyes met his with intensity.
“Don’t . . . you . . . touch her,” Buck whispered, blood trickling out his mouth.
General stood, pride consuming him. He wiped the wet blood from his face and grinned. The road to revenge only gets sweeter.