Chapter Twelve
The sounds of retching startled Jessie from her slumber, her brain foggy with confusion about where she was. The retching sound continued in another room, getting increasingly harsher as her father threw up all the contents in his stomach. He’d spent the night before drinking until he was violently drunk, and now he was paying the consequences, as he did every morning.
She silently slipped from bed and grabbed her clothing, quickly donning it to sneak out of the house before he started drinking again and took his anger out on her with his fists. It was early morning, so early the sun wasn’t out yet. But Jessie knew where every creaky board in her room was, and where she had left every piece of clothing the night before. She’d had years of practicing getting dressed in the dark to avoid her father knowing she was awake.
She crept outside, and the winter air blasted her in the face. She clenched her jacket tighter around her to try to keep in the warmth. She rushed over to the barn to feed the animals, her breath visible as she ran to get out of the freezing temperatures.
Opening the barn doors, she was greeted by the sounds of kittens mewing, and she sank to her knees beside them, picking them up and cuddling them to her cheek one by one. Her father would never approve of keeping animals like these, because they were useless on a ranch, according to him. But she had found them a few weeks earlier, alone and hungry, and couldn’t resist the urge to bring them home.
Before she could stand up, a dark figure loomed over her and her heart sank, fear paralyzing her. She turned to see her father standing in the doorway, his face contorted in rage at the sight of the small animals, a bottle of whiskey already in his hands even though the sun hadn’t risen yet.
“I’ll get rid of them,” she sputtered, hopeful that it would be enough to calm him down and she could release them. Regret seared through her—she never should have kept them as long as she had.
“I have enough fucking mouths to feed,” he spat as he stormed over to her, ripping an orange kitten from her hands.
She gasped, and the kitten mewed in pain. “Stop!” she said, shooting to her feet. Tears escaped from her eyes and she beat her father with her hands, but she was too weak to stop him.
His eyes were filled with rage as they met hers. “You did this,” he said. “This is your fault—I told you never to bring any animals home.”
He strode over to a workbench and picked up a hammer and nail. Laying the kitten on a wooden plank, he pinned it with his hand and placed the nail on its neck. He raised the hammer…
“Red! Wake up!”
She awoke with a start, and her body shook at the memory of what her father had done to those kittens all those years ago. Her gaze met Gray’s in the darkness, illuminated by the moonlight coming in through the window. He was on his side, and his face was pulled together with worry.
Her heart raced, and terror filled her body before she remembered where she was. She wasn’t with her father on the ranch—she was with Gray. She took steady breaths to try to calm herself.
“Are you okay?” He spoke quietly, his voice filled with worry. “I think you were having a nightmare. You were crying out in your sleep.”
She felt wetness on her cheek and realized she had been crying. With a shaking hand, she wiped the tears away.
“I’m fine. Thank you for waking me up. I was having a nightmare,” she whispered. She reached out in the darkness and put her hand on his arm, wanting to feel the comfort of another person—just wanting to touch someone. The strength and solidness of his presence helped calm her. He was real. The dream wasn’t.
His hand covered hers, and his eyes searched her face. “What was it about? Maybe talking about it will make you feel better?”
His hand stroked her arm in comfort, and she felt her heartbeat calm down.
Tears threatened to spill again, and she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She shook her head. “I think we’d better get some sleep.”
She was so tired, and her eyes hurt from crying. She wanted more than anything to go back to sleep, but she was afraid of having another nightmare of her father.
His hand returned to hers, and he intertwined his fingers with hers. “Okay then,” he said with a gentleness in his voice she wasn’t used to hearing.
When she fell asleep, she was still holding his hand.
Jessie awoke slowly the next morning, surrounded in warmth and on a soft bed. She’d forgotten how amazing it felt to sleep on a bed instead of on the hard ground. Her face was on something warm and hard, yet pliable. Her body was up against something warm and heavenly that made her want to stay asleep forever. Knowing she couldn’t stay in bed all day, she slowly opened her eyes and found herself up against Gray.
She froze in horror.
Her head was resting on his bare chest, and her body was cradled in the crook of his arm. He must have removed his shirt in the middle of the night for comfort, and now her face was tucked up in his neck, her leg thrown over his. He wasn’t dirty anymore, and Jessie blushed at the thought of him taking a bath in the same room she was in, while she was asleep.
The pillows that she had used as a barrier had been thrown off the bed and lay scattered across the floor on Gray’s side. She’d always been a restless sleeper, and she wondered if she’d thrown them off.
Her body turned hot, and her head filled with a thousand thoughts at once. How had this happened? Had he already awakened and noticed her cuddled up against him?
She must have been attracted to the warmth in the middle of the night and sought it out. The man was a furnace, heat radiating off his body.
Slowly she wiggled out from beneath his arm and started to back away from him. Maybe if she was lucky, he wouldn’t wake up and she could forget this horror.
“Good morning.” His voice was gruff from having just woken up, but it was enough to make her jump. She completely forgot about the rope that tied the two of them together, and she was yanked back down from the force of trying to get away. She landed on top of him, hard. He grunted, and his arms captured her shoulders to steady her. Or cage her.
She uttered as many curse words as she could think of and then spat, “You can untie me now,” as she tried to get as much distance between them as possible.
“Can I? I wasn’t so sure that was what you wanted me to do, since you were pressed up against me all night.”
The grin that slowly appeared on his face was enough to bring her temper back. So much for the truce she had thought might happen after last night. He had been so gentle with her. Caring. But this morning, he was an ass.
She slowly released all the breath she had in her, trying to think of what to say to him.
He was on his back with one hand behind his head, giving her a view of his well-muscled chest and arms. His long blond hair spilled out from beneath his hand, and the look he gave her was smug. He was toying with her.
“Of course it’s what I want. I don’t want to be any closer to you than I have to be.”
“Could have fooled me.”
She blushed profusely as she remembered the night before. That was the first time she’d ever been kissed. It was done as a threat to keep her from yelling, but it was the first time she’d experienced anything like that. She hated to admit that she liked it, even if it was with Gray. She couldn’t let him know that, though.
It was also the first time she’d held someone’s hand. For some reason, that seemed more intimate than the kiss.
“Said the man who has to force a woman to kiss him. You fool yourself. If you have to force someone to be near you, clearly they don’t want you.”
“Damn, Red, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?” A light twinkled in his eye, showing his amusement. Nothing made this man angry. “I think you enjoyed my kiss, even if you say you didn’t.”
“Just untie me,” she spat.
She was never going to kiss him again, no matter what. He was an annoying, stubborn man, and he’d promised to let her go, but hadn’t. So add liar to that growing list of reasons why she didn’t like him.
Unfolding himself from his position, he slowly untied the rope while maintaining eye contact with her. She refused to look away, not wanting him to know that she had enjoyed his kiss, at least a little.
The rope fell to the bed between them, and he went to her side and untied her. His movements were slow and deliberate, like a cat about to pounce.
The rope flew off her wrists, bringing instant relief. She rubbed the tender skin to get the blood flow back, and to alleviate some of the pain that had settled in.
“Sorry about that,” Gray said, as he gestured to the ropes that lay between them.
She was caught off guard by the sudden apology, but before she could say anything, he turned away. He walked to his saddlebag that was sitting on the only other piece of furniture in the room. His back was to her, and she got a good look at him. Blushing again, she watched the muscles moving in his torso with every step. She stared at him boldly since he wasn’t facing her, and desire coursed through her.
He pulled a few things out of his pack and faced her, his eyes scanning her face.
“You going to get up, or do you want me to come back in?”
He made a step toward her like he was going to do just that, and she lunged out of the bed faster than she’d ever moved before.
Chuckling, he put on the shirt he had just grabbed and slowly buttoned it as his gaze never left her.
She was taken aback by how handsome he was. Even though he’d just woken up, his face was covered in a full day’s worth of beard and his hair was ruffled from sleep, he was attractive.
At least he’d stayed true to his word and hadn’t forced himself on her.
“We should get going,” he said.
“And do what? What is the plan?” If she was going to help, the least he could do was tell her what the plan was. He and his brother weren’t the best at making plans, or they wouldn’t have been in this situation to begin with.
“If Casey is back, we can confront him. You distract him, and I’ll make my move.”
“And what about Butch?”
“If Casey really is here to hire Butch, then we watch Butch, in case Casey shows up.”
Not a horrible plan, as long as the two of them weren’t together. It would be better to catch them separately rather than confront them at the same time.
“I’ll give you some time to get ready.” He went back over to his saddlebag and pulled out another dress. This one was much simpler than the one he had presented her with yesterday. It was plain and practical, and showed a lot more sensibility than the one he had her wear yesterday. It was made of cotton, and she was grateful that it might have more room to breathe. She wasn’t a fan of the high neckline or the cuffs at the sleeves, but she didn’t argue.
“If I’m supposed to distract Casey, how do you expect me to do it in these clothes? He doesn’t know Kid Aaron as a woman. It’d be better if I wore my old clothing. I can distract him by telling him I’ve found you, so he has to come with me to get you. Then you can jump him or do whatever you’re planning on doing.”
Her plan was better. Surely he would see that?
He shook his head, and anger rose back up in her again.
“You’re just denying my plan because you didn’t come up with it yourself,” she fumed.
“I’m not going with your plan because as soon as you are Kid Aaron, you’ll bolt. I don’t trust you.”
Furious, she gave up on trying to convince him. Let his plan fail, and then she would still get away. At least she was almost done with him. After today, he’d have no reason to hold her, and regardless, she could escape and leave him at the first opportunity she got.
He left her alone in the room to get ready, and she quickly donned the dress and got herself put together. It would be easier if they met the man who had put the bounty on Luke and Gray’s heads. Whether it was Casey or not, she’d be free. She went out into the hallway to meet Gray.
As Jessie and Gray went downstairs, she had the feeling that everywhere she went, all eyes were on her. Her body stiffened at the realization, and she felt uncomfortable with the thought of others watching her. Did they recognize her?
It seemed like everyone in the inn stopped what they were doing as she walked with Gray to the front counter. She wished she could be in her disguise as Kid Aaron—he drew some attention, but that was nothing like what she was experiencing right now.
“We aren’t going to sneak up on anyone if people keep looking at me like this,” she said, trying to reason with Gray again.
“You underestimate my ability to blend in. If they are looking at you, they aren’t looking at me, and that’s what we need.”
The innkeeper from yesterday stood at the counter this morning too. She’d taken more time with her appearance today; her hair was styled a little better and her dress showed off more of her breasts. The innkeeper had a thing for Gray.
Jessie felt her irritation start to rise. She didn’t understand how anybody could find him a suitable person to go after. Sure, he was attractive, but that was it. He was as a gunslinger and a jerk.
“Ma’am,” Gray said. “Have you seen either of the men I asked after yesterday?”
“Well actually, I was just about to come looking for you,” she said with a wide grin as she looked at him. She leaned across the counter, giving Gray a full view of her breasts. Jessie almost groaned and had to fight to keep her eyes from rolling into the back of her head.
“There was a man here not long ago,” the innkeeper said as she twirled a lock of her hair around her fingers. “He left to meet another guy down at the Montana View Restaurant around the corner. If you hurry, you might still catch them.”
Gray tipped his hat to the woman. “Thanks.”
Taking Jessie’s elbow, he led her outside. Jessie could feel the woman glaring daggers at her as she left.
They made their way over to the restaurant and Jessie tried not to be noticed by the townspeople, ducking behind Gray as much as possible. She had changed a lot in the years since the wanted posters had gone up, but she was still afraid someone would recognize her.
The inside of the restaurant was simply decorated, with wooden tables and chairs adorning it. Practicality was clearly the objective for the owner of the building.
It didn’t take long to spot Butch sitting with another man at a table directly in front of the bar. She couldn”t make out who the other person was because the man’s back was to her. Arrogance exuded from Butch in droves. A smug smirk covered his face as he spoke to the man, who was the same shape and build as John.
“If this turns out to be him, I’ll be shocked,” Jessie said.
“It’s him.” Gray sounded confident.
They were seated by a waitress at a booth a few tables away from Butch—close enough to see him, but hopefully far enough that he didn’t see them. Jessie sat facing the two men, and Gray’s back was to the pair. If the man really was Casey, it would be disastrous if he recognized either Jessie or Gray.
People kept walking by, blocking Jessie’s view of the men’s table. She leaned out of the booth to try to look at the man without being obvious.
“Did Luke know Casey before?” she asked, pulling back into the booth until the customers sat down. She was nervous and trying to chat about anything to calm her racing heart.
“No. Is it him?”
She looked into his eyes. Determination filled them, and a bit of anger. He hated this man.
“I’m not sure. I think I need a closer look.”
“Then you better find a way to get a better look.” Gray said.
She tsked at him, but leaned closer to Butch’s table, hiding behind her. She could faintly hear the two men’s conversation.
She heard the words bounty and Hammond, and knew that the person talking to Butch was at least someone familiar with the bounty.
The man pulled out an unmistakable wanted poster from his pocket and handed it over to Butch for him to look at. Just like the man had done with her.
“I think he’s showing him Luke’s wanted poster,” she said, looking back over to Gray.
Something else in the corner of the room caught her attention and she froze, trying to make sense of what she saw. A familiar-looking man sat in the corner booth. She couldn’t put her finger on how she knew him.
“Great,” Gray said. “Is it him? Is he the man who gave you the bounty too?”
Gray’s voice sounded desperate, but her attention didn’t leave the familiar man in the corner. She had an eerie feeling that he was watching her and Gray, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention as a shiver went through her.
Just like they were watching Butch.
Was this another bounty hunter? Did they know that Gray was a wanted man? He was most definitely watching them.
Something about this man made her skin crawl. She glanced at his table again, but he’d left the restaurant.
Gray snapped his fingers in front of her face, breaking her concentration as she watched the mystery man walk away from the building.
“Oh.” She looked at Gray in confusion and then back at the man sitting with Butch. “Sorry, I was distracted.”
“How can you be distracted? You know that guy or something?” He had obviously seen her watching the man in the corner.
“Or something.” She kept it vague, not wanting to cause any alarm. Maybe the man was just watching them and there was nothing nefarious about it. Everyone in this town seemed to have their eyes on them; that man was no different.
She looked back over at the man Butch was talking to, while a barkeep came over to the two men’s table with a round of beers. The man looked at the barkeep, and she got a flash of the scar that covered his face, pulling his lips into a snarl.
“That’s him!” she whispered to Gray. “It’s John. The man who paid me to find Luke.”
Gray’s eyes darkened. He seemed unable to hide his rage. His jaw clenched and his brows furrowed together.
“That’s him, only his name is Casey. Not John.” His voice trembled.
Shock rippled through Jessie at Gray’s words. It couldn’t be. The story Gray had told her about a man faking his own death seemed so far-fetched. She really hadn’t thought that Casey and John could be the same person.
She had never seen Gray this angry before. He looked like he was going to lunge across the restaurant and murder the man right there.
He handed her his pack that had her other clothing in it. His hand brushed against hers as she took it from him, and a shiver went up her back.
“Go change,” he said. “If you try to run away—I will find you. Don’t try anything when I’m this close.”
She looked back at him with sincerity.
“I won’t run away,” she promised.
He nodded and jerked his head to the door. She stood up to leave the restaurant.
There was no way she was going to leave Gray now.
Luke was innocent. The realization hit her hard. She wanted to help Luke get free or collect the reward that must be on Casey’s head by now. One last step, and then she’d be free herself.
She walked as quickly as possible but tried not to arouse suspicion as she made her way back to the inn. She needed to be quick and get changed before Butch and Casey left the restaurant.
She was almost back when she felt someone grasp her arm and yank her into an alleyway. She yelped in surprise, but before she could make a noise, a fist came flying at her face.
Everything went black.