Chapter Twenty-eight
Julie had tried to be patient as she’d waited for Steve to come back to her, but her patience ran out with the start of the new week. Determined to speak to him, she went to the Sinclairs’ to seek him out. Maggie told her he was working around back, and she went after him.
“Steve.”
Steve had been repairing one of the shutters, and he glanced up quickly at the sound of her voice. He had been fighting the good fight with himself. Any number of times he had almost thrown caution to the wind and gone to Julie, but he’d stopped himself each time. He had forced himself to stay away from her, but now she had come to him.
Steve swallowed tightly as he watched her walking toward him. She looked gorgeous. He wanted to go to her immediately and sweep her into his embrace, but he steeled himself against the need.
For days now, he’d been telling himself that he should leave Durango—that he should forget his revenge, forget Julie, and just go. But he couldn’t. The need to find the gang was a driving force in his soul, and his love for Julie was his reason for breathing. She had become his whole world. He didn’t know what he was going to do about it, but watching her move toward him now, he knew he didn’t want to live without her.
“Hello, Julie,” he said in a low, cautious voice.
“I’ve been missing you,” she said, stopping a few feet away from him.
“Not as much as I’ve been missing you,” he admitted.
She was heartened by his words, but didn’t let the emotion show. “Roderick proposed to me.”
Steve went still at this news. He was surprised by how much it hurt. Pain stabbed at his heart. He’d always known that Roderick was the man she wanted. Now he was certain that she would be marrying him and going back east to live just as she’d always wanted to.
“I turned him down,” she went on when Steve didn’t say anything.
“You turned him down?”
“I don’t love him,” Julie said simply. “I came here to see you, because I wanted you to know that I’ll be waiting for you. I don’t care if it takes a month or a year for you to find the men you’re after. I love you, Steve Madison, and I will wait forever if I have to.”
With that, she turned her back on him and walked away.
* * *
Steve stood unmoving, watching her go. He wanted to run to her and grab her and hold on to her forever, but he didn’t. He held himself back. Only when she’d disappeared from sight did he turn back to his work and labor on, finishing the jobs Miss Maggie had given him.
It was after sundown when he decided to go to the High Time to have a drink. He was going to have to make some serious decisions about his life soon, but first he just wanted a shot of whiskey.
Steve had just come into the saloon and walked up to the bar when he heard the sound of raucous laughter coming from upstairs. He glanced up and caught a glimpse of one of the gang members he’d been hunting. The man was coming out of Suzie’s room. She was clinging to him, and he was pawing her drunkenly.
“You!” Steve shouted, turning and going for his gun. “Hold it right there!”
Bob went stock-still. Will had sent him into town to see if he could learn anything new about the gold shipment, and he had gotten sidetracked by Suzie. He had been a long time without a woman, and it hadn’t taken much for her to get him upstairs after a few drinks. He’d enjoyed having her and was ready to go downstairs to do some serious drinking again, when he heard the man’s shout.
Bob looked down toward the bar, and he reacted instantly to the sight of Steve Madison. He remembered far too clearly that night in Arizona when Steve had played poker with him and Zeke in a bar for most of one night. He remembered laughing when he’d heard they’d thought of a way to frame Steve for the crime they were about to commit.
Knowing Steve was the kind of man who would want revenge, Bob panicked and turned back, running at top speed into Suzie’s room. He locked the door behind him and all but dove out the window into the deserted alley below. Bob raced off into the night, stealing a horse and making good his getaway out of town.
Gun in hand, Steve ran up the steps, taking them two and three at a time. Suzie was not deliberately blocking his way, but her presence in the hall slowed him down. When he finally reached her room, he tried the door, but found it locked. Steve threw his full weight against it, and the door splintered as it flew open. He charged inside the room, ready for trouble, only to find that the room was empty. The window was open, so he leaned out to try to catch sight of the fleeing outlaw, but the alley was quiet.
Steve’s expression was deadly as he came out of the room. Dan was on his way upstairs, carrying his shotgun, ready to help him.
“I’ll pay for the repairs to the door,” Steve told him. Looking at Suzie, he asked, “What name was that man going by? What do you know about him?”
“He said his name was Bob, and he told me he worked at one of the mines.”
“Which mine?” he demanded.
“Miss Tessa’s mine. Why?” Dan offered.
Steve holstered his gun as he started back downstairs. “He’s one of the gang that was robbing stagecoaches in Arizona Territory.”
“He is?” Suzie was surprised. “Well, he sure paid me good enough.”
“I have to find Jared.” Steve stalked out of the saloon. There was no time to waste.
Jared was at the office, and Steve was relieved.
“Steve?” Jared saw the man’s thunderous expression as he came into the room. “What’s wrong?”
“I think I may have found the gang I’ve been looking for.”
Jared frowned. This was the first he’d heard that Steve was searching for anyone. “What gang?”
“Back in Arizona, I spent some time in a saloon drinking and playing poker with two men I didn’t know. The next day I was arrested and charged with being a part of their gang and robbing a stagecoach. Nobody believed I wasn’t involved, and I went to jail for it.”
“Who were they?” Jared was instantly aware that they could be the same men he was after.
“I never met the leader. I’ve learned since that he was known as Dave Turner in Arizona. Clark and Roberts were the two men I played cards with. Howard’s in jail in Arizona, and I just saw Clark over at the High Time. I tried to catch him, but he got away. Dan says he’s a miner who works at Tessa’s mine, and Suzie says he’s going by the name of Bob. We need to ride for the mine tonight.”
Jared got up and grabbed his hat. Tessa was at the mine with only Jim to protect her. They had to ride out as soon as possible. “Let’s go find Nathan.”
“There’s no time! We need to—”
Jared looked Steve straight in the eye. “I know you don’t have a whole lot of love for lawmen, but right now, you need to trust me on this. There’s more going on here than you know about.”
Steve returned his regard and saw that he was serious. “All right, Jared, but whatever you do, I’m riding with you.”
Jared paused for only an instant, then walked back to his desk. He opened a drawer. He took something out and tossed it to Steve. “Here, pin that on. You’re with me now.”
Steve stared down at the deputy’s badge he held in his hand. “But I’m a—”
“You’re a deputy,” Jared cut him off. “Put on your badge, and let’s go. We’ve got to catch us some bad guys.” He led the way from the office.
Half an hour later they were back in the office, along with Nathan, Tom, and two other men who served as deputies when needed.
“Men, this is Steve Madison. I’ve just deputized him. He’s riding with me tonight. Here’s what we’re dealing with.”
He’d just started to explain the situation and his suspicions about the gold shipment when two horses came charging up before the marshal’s office. He looked out to see Tessa and Jim dismount and come rushing inside.
“Jared! Thank heaven you’re here!” Tessa said as she hurried to him. She noticed the grim looks on the faces of the men gathered there, and wondered at their presence.
Relief rushed through Jared at the sight of her, and he was hard-pressed not to grab her up in a protective embrace. He had been worried about her, fearing for her safety, and now she was here with him.
“You’re safe,” he said, allowing himself that much emotion before his men.
“Yes, but Durango might not be for long. It’s them, Jared!” she related. “I don’t know why I didn’t realize it before, but Will and Zeke—I recognized their voices when Jim and I were up at the mine. They were two of the men who robbed the stage I was on!”
Jared looked up at Steve and nodded. “Steve just saw the man named Bob who works for you, and Steve believes he’s part of the gang that was robbing stages in Arizona.”
Tessa looked at Steve. “Bob was here? In town? When Jim and I were at the mine, they told us that he was working down in the shaft.”
“So they are using aliases here,” Steve said,
“Will Kenner, Bob Matlin, and Zeke Ferris,” Tessa supplied.
“All right, men. We know what we have to do. Nathan, you and Tom meet with Lyle Stevens right away. The gold shipment is due to go out day after tomorrow. You make sure the stage runs, but that the gold is not on it. I want you two riding as passengers, and I want you armed and ready for trouble. This is going to be dangerous, so be sharp.”
“What if there is no robbery attempt?” Tom asked.
“Then you’ll be getting a free trip to Canyon Creek,” Jared told him. “Steve and I will ride up to the mine to try to catch them before they attack the stage.”
“I’m going along with you, Jared!” Tessa declared.
“No, Tessa. I want you to stay here in town, where I know you’ll be safe,” Jared said.
“Jared Trent,” she said angrily, planting her hands on her hips. “This is my mine, and those men are working for me. I am going with you. Besides,” she added slowly. “I was thinking about Michael on the ride back with Jim and wondering if his death was really an accident, as they said. What if he found out what they were doing and they killed him for it?”
Jared looked somber as he remembered how superficial Will’s wounds had been, and yet the man had claimed to be in the same cave-in as Michael. “Tessa, I understand why you’re concerned, but I’d feel better if you would stay here and let me handle it. This could get very dangerous.”
“If you try to leave me behind, Jared, I will follow you. One way or the other, I am going after them. That is my mine and it was my brother who died. I’m involved in this.”
Jared thought she looked magnificent as she stood up to him. Her eyes were sparkling with anger and fire as she faced the truth of what really might have happened to her brother.
“All right,” Jared agreed. “How long will it take you to be ready to ride?”
“Fifteen minutes,” she told him.
“Be back here then.”
She nodded and left the marshal’s office with Jim following her.
* * *
“Miss Tessa, do you think this is a good idea?” Jim asked, worrying about her.
“I have to do it, Jim—for Michael.”
She swung up into her saddle and rode for home. She had to tell her mother what was happening. Then she would gather what she needed for long days on the trail, get a fresh mount, and meet Jared and Steve.
Once Tessa had gone, Jared put his other two deputies in charge of the town. He and Steve quickly gathered the rifles and ammunition and other supplies they’d need; then they saddled their horses. When Tessa returned from convincing her mother that this was something she had to do, they were ready to ride out.
As they rode out of town, they passed the Stevens’ house. Steve was looking for Julie, but saw no sign of her. He glanced down and saw the badge pinned to his shirt. It felt different to be on this side of the law. Grim-faced, he concentrated on the quest ahead of them. He was ready to seek justice.
They traveled long into the night, and when they finally made camp, they were all exhausted. Tessa had matched Jared and Steve mile for mile and had never uttered a complaint. Jared saw to building the fire while Steve tended the horses. Tessa got her bedroll and was walking toward the fire with it.
“Put it right there,” Jared directed, pointing to where he’d already laid out his own. He wanted her right next to him, so he could make sure she was safe and protected.
He hadn’t said much to her since they’d left town, and she’d thought he was angry with her for insisting that he bring her along. She spread her bedroll on the ground next to his.
They didn’t even bother about food. They were all too tired. Steve bedded down across the campfire from them. Both men kept their guns close at hand, knowing that trouble could come at any moment.
Tessa lay close beside Jared, staring up at the stars. It was a beautiful night, but she didn’t notice. Her thoughts were dark and troubled.
“Do you think they killed Michael, Jared?” she asked him in a hushed, pained voice.
“We’ll know more when we get to the mine, but thinking about how minor Will’s injuries were compared to your brother’s, I think there’s a good chance.”
Jared looked over at her and saw a lone tear trace a path down her cheek. He reached out to her and drew her near. She curled against him, her back to his chest. Holding her felt wonderful, but her pain was real to him. He did not try to kiss her. He wanted only to hold her close and keep her safe. They didn’t speak again. There was nothing more to say.
When at long last Tessa slept, her dreams were troubled by visions of the outlaws at the stage robbery and Will riding into town with Michael’s body.
Dawn found them riding out again. It was late afternoon when they neared the mine. Tessa had described the layout of the mine, and they were not going to take any chances riding in. Steve left his horse a distance away and moved silently on foot over the rocky terrain until he found a good position above the mine’s entrance. He would be there, armed and ready, as Jared and Tessa rode in.
When all was ready, Jared and Tessa started toward the mine. Jared’s hand was resting on his sidearm. He expected trouble and insisted Tessa ride some distance behind him.
The silence that greeted Jared worried him more than if Will Kenner had come out to meet them. Ever alert, he reined in before the mining office, dismounted and tried the door. It was unlocked. He shoved it open, staying back in case someone was hiding inside, but there was no sound or movement from within. Jared entered the building to find it deserted.
“Where would they keep their horses?” he asked Tessa as he came back outside.
“That’s the stable over there.”
“Stay right here,” he ordered.
She wanted to go with him, but did as he’d told her. Jared strode to the stable and cautiously checked it out, too. A few moments later he returned to her.
“They’re already gone,” he said in disgust. He gave Steve the signal to join them.
“The one I saw in town must have hightailed it back here last night,” Steve said as he stood with Jared and Tessa in the office.
“I want to look in that mine shaft where they said Michael was killed,” Tessa said, wondering now why it had been boarded up.
Steve stayed outside to stand guard while Jared and Tessa took lanterns and a pick with them. She directed him toward the abandoned shaft.
“This is it,” she said as they came to the turnoff.
To her shock, the barricade had been torn down.
“I wonder why this is down?”
“I’ve got an idea,” Jared said, realizing just how treacherous and conniving this gang was. He’d never heard of anyone doing anything like what he suspected, but it was brilliant. When they started down the shaft, his suspicions were confirmed.
“Tessa, look.” Jared pointed to several gold coins on the ground. He bent to pick them up then continued on. A short distance later he found an empty chest on the floor. “That’s what I thought.”
“They were hiding the money here? In this shaft?” Tessa said, horrified at what had been going on at her mine.
“And look—there’s no sign of any recent cave-ins.” He was examining the support timbers.
“Michael must have found out what they were doing, and they killed him for it,” Tessa said, lifting her tormented gaze to Jared as her worst imaginings were confirmed.
A muscle worked in Jared’s jaw as he controlled his fury. He understood her helplessness and her horror. He opened his arms to her, and she went to him without speaking. The pain of discovering the truth was too great. She turned her face to his chest as sobs of anguish racked her. Jared knew there was nothing he could say that would make things better for her. He could only find the men who’d done this and bring them to justice.
And he would—for her.