Two

“I think you should be going, Mr. Keegan, attorney-at-law.” The words felt distasteful and dirty in her mouth. “Now!” Let him run off to town and wire a marshal. By the time he got back, she would be long gone with the twins until Lucas returned and settled this.

“Marty?” Cinda’s voice was quivering.

They would all be fine if she would just let Marty handle things. She wasn’t about to let anything happen to any of them. “I told you to go in the house and bolt the door,” Marty said over her shoulder, keeping her eyes glued to the stranger.

The man looked behind her. Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. He looked genuinely displeased. But then shysters could do that, make you think things were that weren’t. It was an old trick, and she wasn’t about to fall for it and turn around, giving him the opportunity to try to take her rifle.

She heard a little whimper.

“A calico with a gun. That’s a might scary sight.”

Marty’s eyes grew wide, and she stiffened at the sound of the mocking, gruff male voice behind her. She spun around to see a brave Cinda standing next to a scraggly man with Dani in front of him. The man leaned over her sobbing niece with his forearms resting on her shoulders and a six-shooter held loosely in his right hand. A smug, gloating grin plastered across his ugly face.

“You think she can shoot me and miss you?” the second man whispered to Dani but loud enough for everyone to hear.

Dani whimpered and nodded.

“Wylie, don’t do this,” the lawyer warned.

“Ain’t you quakin’ in your boots, being at the wrong end of a rifle held by a feeble female?” the ugly man said to the lawyer now standing behind Marty.

Feeble! If he weren’t hiding behind her niece, she would show him feeble.

She raised the rifle. If he didn’t get his filthy hands off Dani, he would be an ugly, dead man. This close she couldn’t miss. His smug smile spurred her on. She had him in her sights. He stared squint-eyed down her barrel, trying to gauge if she would shoot or not. She would, if she could be sure he wouldn’t move Dani in the line of fire.

Mr. Keegan came around her and took hold of the rifle barrel, lifting it so no one was in the line of fire. “There won’t be any shooting here today.” He pulled on the gun, but Marty held tight. What could she do? She would be helpless without the rifle. He gently pried her fingers loose. All she could do was relinquish it.

The ugly one, the one the lawyer called Wylie, stood up straight behind the crying nine year old, pleased with himself. He shoved the girl toward the door. “Everyone inside.”

Cinda followed behind Dani trying to comfort the terrified girl. “Everything will be all right.”

Wylie motioned with his gun for Marty to get moving.

She marched up the steps begrudgingly. As she passed Wylie, she socked him in the gut as hard as she could. That ought to teach him to hold a gun to her niece.

Wylie let out a gust of air and dropped his gun as he clutched his stomach. Though caught off guard, he recovered quickly, swinging out wildly at her.

She ducked out of his reach. She expected the counter blow. He came at her again; she was ready. Most of the boys she had fought were bigger than she. She could take him, if the other guy would stay out of it.

Mr. Keegan stepped between them with Marty’s rifle resting on his shoulder. “That’s enough Wylie.”

“But she started it,” Wylie whined.

“And I’m finishing it. Now back off,” Mr. Keegan said sternly. “There are better ways to do this. Legal ways.”

“You tried your way, now I’m doin’ it mine.” Wylie snatched up his gun and stormed into the house.

Marty smiled at him smugly, knowing she got the better of him.

“After you, Miss,” Mr. Keegan said, unfolding his hand toward the doorway.

Marty stood straight and marched into the house.

Davey was sitting on the floor holding Logan on her lap while he sucked his thumb. Dani stood beside her with a hand resting on her twin sister’s shoulder for moral support. Aunt Ginny was already tied to a chair, and Wylie was tying Cinda to another chair.

“Leave her alone! She’s with child!” Marty stepped toward him but halted when he pointed his gun at her.

“I ain’t hurtin’ her none.” Wylie sneered.

“I’m fine,” Cinda said. Her sad eyes said what Marty was trying to deny herself. We’re going to lose them.

No! Marty wouldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t.

“Is this really necessary?” Mr. Keegan ground out between his teeth.

“Yes.” Wylie pushed Marty down in a third chair and tied her to it. “You don’t want them sending a posse after us before we reach the first ridge.”

Mr. Keegan clenched his fist, then raked his hand tensely through his hair, knocking his hat to the floor. He looked frustrated, like her brother did when things were out of his control. “If you had let me do this my way, there would be no posse.”

Marty’s mind raced. What could she do? She had to do something or they would take Dani and Davey.

“Is this all you can do, pick on women and children?” Marty asked. Wylie tied the ropes tighter in answer. “I’ll fight you for them. A duel. Unless you are afraid a feeble female can wup you.”

“I ain’t scared of no calico, and I ain’t never kilt a woman before. It don’t sit right with a man to be killing women and children. But if you like, you can be the first.”

He was no man. He was a varmint. “I ain’t scared of the likes of you.” Marty struggled against the ropes.

Wylie let out a boisterous laugh at her paltry attempt at freedom.

“You’re just a yellow-bellied coward,” Marty said.

His outburst stopped abruptly, and anger flashed across his face. He didn’t like being called a coward.

“Coward,” Marty taunted. She hoped she could goad him into the duel and untying her. “Coward, coward, coward.”

Wylie grabbed a dish towel and gagged her with it. He secured it tightly, then grabbed her chin firmly in his strong hand and said through gritted teeth, “I ain’t no coward.”

Marty growled in response.

“That’s enough!” Mr. Keegan anchored his hand on Wylie’s shoulder. “Leave her alone.”

Marty was taken aback and not sure how she felt about a man sticking up for her. It had never happened before. Any man around here knew they would get twice what was being given if they did.

“You two better leave, and fast, before the menfolk return. Leave those little girls with us, or you will be sorry,” Aunt Ginny said in a moment of bravery. She had backbone, Marty had to give her that.

“Would that be the honorable sheriff and his brothers on the cattle drive?” Mr. Keegan looked sorrowfully at Marty. “I don’t think they will be getting here any time soon.”

Marty closed her eyes and dropped her head. They were at the mercy of these rats. All she could do at this point was hope they would change their minds and leave without her nieces. Since that wasn’t likely to happen, she started planning how to get loose as soon as they left. Then she would go after them and make them sorry for tangling with the Rawlings family.

❧

“I don’t want to go with you,” the girl with the one braid yelled, holding fast to the little boy who looked to be about three. The only way Reece could tell the two girls apart was that one had a single red braid down her back and the other had two, one on each side of her head.

Wylie was trying to get the child free from the girl with one braid, and the other was helping her. “You’re a bad man, and I don’t like you.”

Reece didn’t much care for him, either, but was unfortunately stuck with him.

“You don’t have to like me, Kid, you just have to shut up and do as you’re told,” Wylie snarled.

“I won’t. I won’t.”

Wylie reached to pry the squalling child from the girl’s grasp. The girl screamed. Logan cried louder.

Wylie covered his ears, moving away from the piercing noise, and shouted, “Stop it!”

Enough was enough! Reece pushed past him and knelt next to the frightened girl. “What’s his name?” He pointed at the child she held.

She stopped screaming and stared at him. “Logan.” Her voice was small and frail.

“Logan, that’s a mighty fine name,” he said tenderly. “Logan is pretty scared by all this screaming and noise, don’t you think?” When she nodded, Reece continued. “Logan’s going to stay here with his mama, and you and your sister are coming with me.”

“Why do we have to go? I want to stay here too.” Her lower lip quivered, and Reece wanted to grant her request, but he was honor bound by the law.

“Because Judge Vance said it’s time for you to live with your other relatives. They get a turn to see you.” He slowly took the crying child from her lap and set him aside. Logan ran over to his mama and climbed on her lap. “Do you remember your Uncle William?” Reece went on, trying to recapture the girl’s attention.

She shook her head.

“He remembers you, and he really wants to see you. Judge Vance said he could see you, and you and your sister would live with him.”

“Why can’t the judge say we can stay here?”

“Because it’s your other uncle’s turn to see you.” Reece held out his hand to her. “He can’t wait to see you.”

Tears pooled in her young, terrified eyes as she reached for his hand. “After we see him, then can we come back home?”

His heart ached for her. “Maybe.” Reece led her toward the door.

Marty managed a muffled moan. He looked at her as her chair thumped back and forth in protest. Her wild eyes nailed him. If she were a man, he would be afraid of the murderous intent he read in her eyes.

The other girl started crying. “I don’t want to go.” She rushed over to Cinda and fell to her knees, burying her face in the woman’s side. “Please don’t let them take us.”

Wylie grabbed her by the arm, yanking her toward the door.

“Ease up,” Reece warned Wylie. “Things are bad enough. Don’t make it worse.” Things were happening too fast and way out of control. How could he be caught up in a kidnapping? That was what they were doing after all. He could think his way out of this, if he had a little time. But legally he had a right to take the girls. . .by force if necessary. And Wylie had made it necessary.

“Please don’t hurt them. They’re just little girls,” Cinda begged with tears running down her cheeks.

“Don’t worry, Ma’am. We won’t hurt them,” Reece said. Before he followed Wylie out the door, he gave Marty one last look as he picked up his hat. He wished he had met this courageous young woman under different circumstances. She intrigued him.