When Clint and Roper reached the rocks where they had hidden the money they reined their horses in and waited, looking around.
“Nobody followed from town,” Roper said.
“I’m surprised,” Clint said.
“Why?” Roper asked. “They know we’re bringing the money in.”
“Half the money,” Clint said. “The only way they get the other half is to givce us the casket.”
“Which they will then try to take back again, no doubt,” Roper said.
“Well deal with that when the time comes,” Clint said. “Right now we need to dig up half that money.” He dismounted. “You keep watch while I do that.”
“Got it.”
Clint uncovered the saddlebags, removed one set, and then covered the other one up again while Roper kept watch so nobody could sneak up on them. When he was done he tied the saddlebags to his saddle a remounted.
“Let’s get back,” he said.
Carefully studying their surrounding they directed their horses back to Segundo.
Captain Gatley sat in a chair in front of the hotel while he and his men waited for Clint and Roper to return. His legs felt week from what Gemma had done to his cock while he was in the house with her. Not that he minded. The woman really knew what she was doing, and she was fine looking. And the closer he got to her, the closer he got to being in command. It was clear that Gemma was cutting her husband out of the picture, which suited Gately.
He had several of his soldiers on his side of the street, still more on the other side. And there was a detachment of men staying with the casket. The only way Clint Adams and Talbot Roper would leave town with the dead President was if Gately and his men let them—and they would, only to take it back somewhere on the trail.
“And,” Gemma had told him, “if it’s at all possible, kill them while you’re at it—and then come back here and tell me all about it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And then we’ll relax together for a little while. How does that sound?”
“Just fine, ma’am.”
So he had that to look forward to, as well.
Gemma Wentworth changed back into her britches and shirt, pulled on her boots. A dress wouldn’t do for what came next.
It was too bad Clint Adams had to be killed. It would have been nice spend some more time with him. She did have that sweet boy to use, but Clint Adams was a man. There was a big difference. Gately was sweet tasting, but Adams had that musky man smell and flavor to him. That was what she liked, and what she hadn’t been getting from her husband for years. If only she could win Clint over to her side, but that didn’t seem likely. So he and Roper were going to have to succumb to the superior force, and die.
The house had two bedrooms. One was hers, where she was now. She left that room, walked to the other and entered. In the bed lay her husband. He had a wound from the war that had never healed correctly. Doctors said they couldn’t do anything about it, and said it would even eventually kill him. They seemed to be getting close to that. His time in Springfield seemed to have been his last burst of energy, but ever since they had traveled to Segundo he had been sickly, and useless.
“Well, darling,” she said, “how are we feeling today?”
He stared up at her from the bed, his eyes clouded by pain.
“If you’d get me a proper doctor—”
“You’ve had proper doctors, dear,” she said. “They’ve all said the same thing.”
“So you say,” Wentworth said, “but you would like it if I died.”
“Now,” she said, “if that were true I could simply kill you while you lay there, helpless.”
He actually chuckled, then grimaced with pain.
“Not your style Gemma. You don’t do your own killing.”
“Perhaps not,” she said, “but I have men who would do it for me.”
Wentworth coughed and said, “Those are my men.”
“Ah, but the sweet Captain Gately, he’s all mine, dear,” she said, smiling. “He’ll do anything I want him to do.”
“Whore!” he spat.
“Oh, he’s got one of those,” she said. “But I wanted you to know that the ransom money is here. We’ll have it by the end of the day. All of it.”
“For the last time, Gemma,” he said. “Send to Trinidad for a proper doctor for me.”
“Perhaps,” she said. “We’ll see, Samuel. Let’s just wait and see.”