by Laura Beers
“I know,” Mr. Holmes replied, hanging his head low, “and I am prepared to pay for my crimes. I did what I had to do to save my sister’s life. I never wanted anyone to get hurt.”
Paden exchanged a look with Rosie. It was clear that Holmes had been forced to share the information, but what he did was still illegal.
“Why would Garrett abduct your sister now?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I left the letter in the alleyway yesterday about the upcoming shipment,” Mr. Holmes answered.
“That note was never delivered,” Rosalie revealed. “I saw you depositing it behind the brick in the alleyway, and it led to a confrontation with one of Garrett’s gang.”
“You shot that man?”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I was attempting to arrest him, and he was shot in the back by a member of his own gang.”
Holmes’ eyes went frantic. “You gotta save Emeline. Please! She is innocent in all of this.”
Paden looked out the darkened window and pursed his lips. “We will go search for her at first light, but we can’t go out now. We’d be sitting ducks if Garrett anticipated that move.”
“You are going to leave her with those men all night?” Holmes shouted. “Are you insane?”
Walking closer to Holmes, Paden leaned closer. “You were the one that made a deal with the devil.” He went over to the door. “We will inform Sheriff Walton that you’re ready to be arrested.”
“Please! You have to go after Emeline!” Holmes pleaded.
Paden opened the door and waited for Rosalie to exit the room. As soon as he closed the door, she swiveled around and asked, “You were bluffing, weren’t you?”
“About what?”
Her eyes grew guarded. “We aren’t truly waiting till morning to search for Emeline. Are we?”
Placing his hands on her shoulders, he explained, “Garrett is a ruthless man. Everything he does is intentional. If we tried to follow the tracks tonight, we would easily be picked off as we rode in the saddle. It is too dangerous. We will get up at first light and ask for Sheriff Walton to join us.”
Rosalie shook off his hands. “We can’t leave Emeline out there all night.”
“They will keep her alive…”
She spoke over him. “Yes, but what will they do to her in the process?”
“You are letting your emotions get in the way, Rosie,” Paden sighed. “Be rational.”
Squaring her shoulders, Rosalie declared, “If you won’t go, then I will go alone.”
“No, you won’t,” he ordered. “I am the lead Pinkerton agent, and I have made my decision.”
“Then I won’t go as an agent. I will go as a bounty hunter,” she asserted, turning to leave.
In a quick motion, he ducked down and tossed his disobedient wife over his left shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She started pounding her fists against his back. “Put me down, Paden!”
“I will not. You are not thinking clearly, and you are going to get yourself killed,” he answered, walking down the stairs and ignoring the gawking stares of all the patrons now assembled in the drawing room.
Paden opened the front door and saw Sheriff Walton’s steps falter as he walked up the stairs.
“May I ask what you are doing with your wife, Agent Brooks?” he asked in a disapproving tone.
Rosalie started kicking her legs against his chest, so he repositioned his hands to hold her legs together. “Emeline Holmes was abducted by members of Bill Garrett’s gang. My wife is anxious to begin looking for her and was not pleased when I said we would wait till morning to begin our search.”
“I must admit that I agree with your husband, Mrs. Brooks,” the sheriff said, attempting to keep the smile off his face. “Although, I don’t agree with his tactics. There are plenty of places for a sharpshooter to hide in those foothills.”
Rosalie stopped struggling, but Paden could still feel the tension radiating off her person.
The sheriff continued, “Come by my office at first light, and Deputy Charlie and I will help in the search for Miss Holmes.”
“Thank you,” Paden acknowledged.
Rosalie spoke up in a strained voice. “Sheriff, can you please ask my dolt of a husband to put me down?”
Sheriff Walton chuckled. “No ma’am. I try to avoid meddling in marital disputes.” He tipped his hat to them. “See you tomorrow.”
“Holmes is tied up in his room, waiting to be transported to jail, but go easy on him,” Paden said, earning a disbelieving look from Sheriff Walton. “Bill Garrett made repeated threats against Emeline and was responsible for firing shots into the restaurant where she worked."
Tucking his thumbs into his gun belt, Sheriff Walton asked, “Do you think he profited off these robberies?”
“No, sir. I believe he was just a pawn in Garrett’s game and would have been disposed of when he was no longer useful,” Paden responded honestly.
“Fair enough,” Sheriff Walton said, tipping his hat toward Rosalie.
Neither one of them spoke as he carried Rosalie toward the hotel. Once inside the building, a few people cast him a disgusted look, but no one dared to stop him. He unlocked the door to their room, stepped inside, and dropped Rosalie onto the bed.
Paden knew that Rosalie was beyond angry, but he was prepared for the fight that was sure to ensue.
Chapter 11
The moment Paden dropped her onto the bed, Rosalie jumped up and shouted, “How dare you treat me that way!”
“You were trying to get yourself killed,” he countered.
Her eyes narrowed as she felt her blood begin to boil. “Why does it matter to you?” she replied in a dry tone. “We are not truly married. This is a farce.”
To her surprise, Paden grabbed her shoulders and leaned in. “Don’t you think I know that?” he asked, his voice rising. “We were supposed to settle down and have kids. But you walked away from us.”
“You know why I did,” she declared, her chin tilted stubbornly.
“I do,” he responded without delay. “Your hatred of Bill Garrett is greater than your love for me.”
Rosalie shook off his hands. “That’s not true! I was getting justice for my father and all those innocent people that Bill killed.”
“No, Rosie. You left me.” Paden turned and walked over to the window. “Every day, I waited for you to come home, to come back to your senses. And when I became an agent, I kept your grandmother informed of where I was.” He turned back to face her. “It didn’t matter. You never came back to me. I am beginning to think you never wanted to marry me in the first place and chasing Bill Garrett around was your excuse to run away.”
“What?! That is not true!” she exclaimed.
He advanced toward her. “Then make me understand why you left me! Make me understand why you didn’t even have the courtesy of telling me in person that you were leaving me. I had to read it in a blasted letter!”
Rosalie tilted her head to look up at him. “If I had told you what I was planning, you would have tried to talk me out of it.” She waved at the bed. “You probably would have placed me in a jail cell to keep me from leaving.”
Tossing up his hands, he shouted, “You are darn right I would have tried to talk you out of it! Your plan was crazy, and I am amazed that you’ve not gotten yourself killed in your pursuit of justice.”
She pursed her lips. “I told you that I am not the same girl that you knew before. Being a bounty hunter has changed…”
“No! I don’t buy that,” he remarked, cutting her off. “You are the same girl I knew, but now I see fear lurking in your eyes.”
“Fear? I am not afraid of anything.”
Bringing his face closer, he declared, “You are afraid of failure, dear. You have become so wrapped up in this life that you have nothing else to live for.”
“I have arrested nine men of Garrett’s gang, and I have caught other criminals along the way,” she defended.
“Good for
you,” he replied sarcastically. “But what did you have to give up for it?”
She pressed her lips together, afraid of answering his question.
Instead, Paden answered it for her. “You lost your friends, your family, your community…” he started, stepping back, “and you lost me.”
Hearing those words out of his mouth was heart wrenching, and a small whimper escaped her lips. But isn’t that what she wanted? For him to recognize that he was better off without her.
Regret showed on his features as Paden watched her. “I love you, Rosalie. I always have,” he said, his voice hitching with emotion. “I waited for you to come home… back to me. But you never did. I thought…” He stopped speaking, and she saw his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
“You thought what?” She lifted her hand to touch his sleeve, but Paden stepped out of her reach, causing her heart to shatter.
He met her gaze, and she could see the vulnerability in his eyes. “When I heard about this case, I approached Archie about being the lead agent, and pleaded for you to be my partner. I put my reputation on the line for you, but you don’t care. You only care about Bill Garrett and his gang.”
“That’s not true,” she defended. “I care about you.”
Paden dropped his head. “You only care about me?”
She stepped closer to him, her eyes pleading. “No. I love you,” she corrected. “With every day that passed, I just assumed that you would love me less, especially once you saw the woman that I had become.”
“When are you going to get it through your thick head that you are the same woman, except now you have a fearless streak. That might eventually get you killed, but it doesn’t change who you are,” he said. “You are still the same kind-hearted person that I fell in love with.”
“Where does that leave us?” she asked in a timid voice.
Paden shifted his gaze toward the window. “I don’t know, Rosie. I naively thought that once we were married, you would recognize how good we were together, and we would turn this into a real marriage.”
“You did?”
“I did,” he answered, bringing his gaze back to hers. “But I don’t know if that is what I want anymore.”
“I understand,” she replied, willing herself not to cry.
He closed his eyes for a long moment. “It is not that I don’t love you, but I can’t risk you leaving me again. It would destroy me.”
“Once Bill Garrett and the rest of the gang is rounded up, then…”
“That is precisely my point, Rosie,” he stated with pleading eyes. “What if we don’t catch Garrett tomorrow? You could be tracking him for another four years, or seven, or ten. What if you never catch him?”
She brought her hand up to rest it on his chest. “It wouldn’t take that long. Besides, with your help…”
“I have responsibilities, Rosie. I am a Pinkerton agent,” he said, reaching up and removing her hand. “If you go after Garrett, then you will no longer be an agent, and we have no reason to stay married.”
She frowned. “That’s not fair. I can’t just walk away. I am so close to getting justice for my father.”
“You have hatred in your heart, and it’s ruining your chance at happiness.” He stepped back. “I want to be the most important thing in your life. I shouldn’t have to compete against vengeance.”
“It’s not that simple…”
Paden spoke over her. “It is, my dear Rosie. It is that simple,” he repeated. “I would have done anything to see you smile, to hear you laugh. Your happiness has always been more important than my own.” He ran his hand through his dark hair. “But now I realize that you don’t feel the same way about me. I’ve just been pretending.”
Hearing the hurt in his voice, she decided to act swiftly. “I do love you, Paden. I have missed you dreadfully these past few years, and I always wanted to be your wife. I promise you that.” She stepped closer and placed her hand on his cheek. “Some days, the thought of you was the only thing that kept me going.”
“Then why didn’t you come back to me?” he asked with tear-filled eyes.
Rosalie stared up at him, unable to formulate a response. He was right. She had chosen a life of vengeance over a life of happiness with him.
A tear rolled down his cheek and dropped onto her fingers.
“Just so you know,” he began softly, “if you had asked, I would have gone with you to round up Garrett and his gang.”
“You would have?” she gasped.
Paden stepped back. “There was a time I would have done anything for you, but you never asked.” He walked over to the door and opened it. “Get some sleep. We will leave at first light to find Emeline.”
“Where are you going?” she asked as she watched him step out into the hallway.
Glancing over his shoulder, he replied, “You don’t have to worry about me anymore, Rosie.”
Once the door was closed, a loud sob burst from her lips. Everything Paden had said was accurate, which hurt even more. She loved him, but not enough to give up the hatred she felt toward Garrett. What had she done? She knew that her father wouldn’t have wanted her to live like this.
Dropping down on the bed, her tears spilled out, coursing down her cheeks, and she made no attempt to wipe them away. The thought of getting an annulment caused her stomach to ache. Now that she was married to Paden, she didn’t want to let him go. But she couldn’t let Garrett go free either.
Strengthening her resolve, she vowed that tomorrow they would either arrest Garrett or kill him. Then she would beg Paden to take another chance on her.
He would agree to that. Wouldn’t he?
Paden paused as he placed his hand on the door handle to their hotel room. Rather than sleep in the same room with Rosalie, he’d opted for the uncomfortable sofa in the drawing room. Consequently, this morning he had a stiff neck. He’d said some hurtful things last night, but he didn’t regret saying them. He didn’t know if they could move on from this. Frankly, it all depended on what Rosalie decided.
He loved her, but he couldn’t keep pining after her for the remainder of his days. If this plan didn’t work, then he would seek an annulment and begin tending to his broken heart. All he ever wanted was for Rosie to be happy, and if that meant she continued working as a bounty hunter, then he would step aside.
Opening the door, he saw that Rosalie was sprawled across the bed in the same trousers and shirt that she had been wearing the night before. The sun peeked over the horizon and sent rays of cheery light dancing through the window as he went to stand next to the bed. But he didn’t notice them. He only had eyes for her.
Paden sighed. No matter what happened between them, he would never tire of seeing her beautiful face. He gently shook her shoulder. “It is time to wake up,” he said lightly.
She blinked slowly before she shot up in bed. Her eyes were puffy and red, as though she had spent most of the night crying. “Paden… I’m sorry about last night… I…” she stammered.
He raised his hand to stop her. “We need to focus on rescuing Miss Holmes right now. We can talk later.”
Rosalie nodded and pressed her lips together. If he didn’t know better, he swore that she blinked back tears.
Holding out his hand, he helped her off the bed. “I hope you are hungry because I just spoke to the cook. I asked for two cinnamon rolls to be set aside for us.”
“Thank you,” she said in a tentative voice. “I am famished.”
Stepping over to his bag, he retrieved his gun belt and strapped it on. “Two saddled horses are waiting for us at the livery stable.”
“You’ve been busy,” Rosalie remarked as she removed her gun belt from her trunk, along with another revolver.
“I had a hard time sleeping last night,” he replied, holstering his weapon.
“I can relate.” She gave him a weak smile.
Paden watched as Rosalie strapped the gun belt over her trousers and cinched it tight around her hips. There was so
much to be said between them, but now was not the time. They needed to be alert and focused on their surroundings. Garrett and his gang wouldn’t hesitate to kill them.
He opened the door, stepping aside for Rosalie to go first. To his surprise, she walked right up to him, stood on her tip-toes, and pressed a lingering kiss on his lips. When her feet were back on the ground, she said, “Whenever I was about to go into a dangerous situation, I always dreamed about kissing you, and it gave me the strength to press forward.”
Not sure what to say, he was grateful when Rosalie turned to walk down the hall. He had not expected a kiss when he walked into the room, but he had to admit that it brightened up his morning and gave him a glimmer of hope. He met up with Rosalie at the top of the stairs and together they headed toward the kitchen. After a quick bite, they left the hotel, retrieved their horses from the livery, and rode up to the sheriff’s office.
After securing their horses to a post out front, they stepped into the sheriff’s office. Deputy Charlie was sitting at his desk with a cup in his hands. He didn’t attempt to hide his yawn when he saw them. “Just give me a moment for the coffee to kick in,” he stated in a grouchy tone.
Sheriff Walton chuckled from behind his desk. “You may have heard my deputy shout at the roosters that roam the town. He doesn’t like to be woken up before sunrise.” He directed his next comment to Deputy Charlie. “You need more rest.”
“I have a three-month-old at home,” Deputy Charlie grumbled, bringing the cup up to his lips. “No one is getting sleep at our place.”
“I remember those days. Trust me, it will get better,” Sheriff Walton remarked.
Noticing the empty jail cell, Paden asked, “Did you not arrest Mr. Holmes?”
The sheriff shook his head. “We interrogated him for hours last night, and we don’t believe he willfully aided Garrett and his gang. We are going to leave it up to the Mayor to decide if charges will be filed, assuming Holmes will pay restitution to the town.”
“Did you know that Mr. Holmes has been working without pay for quite a while now? We believe that his income was helping to finance the bank until the gold shipments arrived,” Rosalie pointed out.