Abby's Last Stand

by Michelle Marquis

  "I'm decent," Snake said. "You can look at me now."

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  The woman glanced up and met his gaze and then quickly looked away. She was a hell of a looker, that was for sure.

  She had long, brown hair tied up in a loose bun and soft brown eyes. The lady was kind of thin but gave the impression she was stronger than she looked.

  Bear unbuckled his holster and hung it up on the wall nearby. The woman remained standing by the door as she held two huge carpet bags.

  Snake approached her. "Here, let me take those for you."

  He grabbed the bags before she could protest and tossed them in the closet. He gestured to a wing chair by the window. "Won't you sit down?"

  Bear removed his hat and hung it up next to his guns.

  "Well, what do you know about that. You got some manners after all."

  Snake ignored the jab. "Who is this?"

  Bear settled into a chair. "This here is Abby. Abby is a seamstress."

  "What, like mending clothes and stuff like that?"

  "Yes, sir," Abby replied.

  Bear gestured to Snake. "This here's my brother, Snake Eyes McCoy."

  Abby nodded shyly.

  Snake sank down in his chair. He took a puff on his cigar and squinted at his brother. What the hell was this all about?

  Bear brought this woman here for what exactly? "You gonna have her spruce up your wardrobe?"

  "I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do with her. She couldn't stay at the saloon, and she ain't got no money to go 18

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  nowhere else. If I'd left her, Buck would have had her warming his bed before the sun come up."

  "I wouldn't have done it," Abby said softly.

  Snake studied her lovely face. Kind of spirited little thing, but she still seemed so young and lost despite her big talk.

  "Honey, he wouldn't have given you a choice."

  Her eyes widened in understanding. "What a disgusting bully."

  Bear nodded his agreement. "Sad part is he ain't the worst of them. But you're safe enough with us. Snake, you mind making her a bed on the floor next to us?"

  Snake smiled, and her eyelashes fluttered like two black butterflies on the same flower. Her cheeks turned a charming bright pink. "I'd be delighted to," he said.

  Maybe the evening wouldn't be so dull after all.

  * * * *

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  Abby's Last Stand

  by Michelle Marquis

  Chapter Four

  Abby didn't consider herself the lusty sort, but these two dangerous brothers were definitely very attractive. Bear, the taller and darker of the two, was a broody, deep-voiced, roguishly handsome man. His hands were so big and powerful, he could easily have choked the life out of another man with just one. His face was tan and hard with a noble nose and strong chin. There was also a strong Indian influence in there somewhere.

  In contrast his brother, Snake, was paler and had long, dirty blond hair and the bluest eyes Abby had ever seen.

  Although still a big man by anyone's standards, he gave the impression that he was tough as nails. He threw a few extra pillows on the floor and added the extra blanket.

  "I'll be fine there, thank you."

  Bear finished washing his face in the water basin and came over. As he wiped water off his hands he stared down at her bedding then glanced at the king bed. "It don't seem right putting her on the floor like that. The bed's big enough. Why don't we just put her in between us?"

  Abby's throat went bone-dry. She started backing toward the door.

  "Now look what you done," Snake said as he got between her and the exit. "You scared the daylights out of her." He lifted her chin to look at him. "You ain't in no danger from us, honey. Like I told you, no one's gonna do anything to you against your will. That's especially true of us."

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  Bear came over, and, for the first time, Abby saw warmth in his dark eyes. "Our momma was taken from her frontier home by our Comanche father when she was nineteen. She was the first white woman my father had ever seen, and he immediately fell in love with her and her exotic blonde hair.

  But their match wasn't a happy one. When we were young, we would have to listen to him force himself on her. It left a definite impression. My brother and I vowed we would never treat a woman that way nor allow anyone else to in our presence."

  Snake had a grim expression like he'd been forced to remember something he would have rather forgotten. He shook his head as if he tried to rid himself of a bad memory and went to the water basin to clean up.

  Abby smiled at Bear. She took a deep breath that lifted her shoulders. "Thanks for that. I know it wasn't an easy thing to tell, but it makes me feel better."

  "Good; then why don't we all get some sleep?"

  "Okay," Abby said.

  * * * *

  For Abby, sleep was impossible. As it grew later, the saloon across the street got even louder and more rambunctious. Add to that the occasional gunshot and the fact that she was sandwiched between two of the most gorgeous men she'd ever laid eyes on and you had a recipe for insomnia. She opened her eyes and stared at Bear's massive back. The knotted muscles along his shoulder blades gracefully folded into the indentation of his spine. Even in the 21

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  bedroom's dim light she could see the round scars of two bullet holes on his right side.

  She wanted to touch those strange, round scars. She wanted to run her index finger along the scarred edge and feel the notch in his flesh. She imagined a few scenarios where he'd gotten those scars and immediately felt compassion for him.

  Snake shifted behind her. She turned around found herself face to face with him. He smiled, and it was charming. "Hello.

  Having a hard time sleeping?" he whispered.

  "I guess so. So much has happed so quickly I can't seem to relax."

  "Why don't I give you a back rub? That always works to calm me down when I'm all riled up."

  Abby knew she should say no, but the truth was she secretly wanted to be seduced. The thought of this man's rough hands on her back was just too tempting to refuse. So, without saying a word, she turned her back to him and lifted up her nightdress until it was just covering her breasts.

  Warm hands rested on her shoulder blades and kneaded.

  Sweet, delicious pleasure filled her. Snake seemed to know exactly where she ached because he sought out every sore place and rubbed hard. Minutes flew past, and soon his hands were straying from her back to around her ribcage. A few passes moved over the side of her breasts. She should stop him now, but how could she? A potent need was taking her over, demanding she let this man do as he pleased because everything just felt so good.

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  She knew a proper woman shouldn't even be in this room with these two men, but she'd decided when she left on this journey she wasn't going to be proper anymore. All that garbage was behind her. She had a new life to embrace and a grim purpose for being here.

  To her great embarrassment, Bear turned around to face her. Snake's massage must have woken him, or maybe he wasn't as asleep as she thought he was. She expected him to scold her for letting Snake touch her, but he seemed more aroused than anything else.

  "You like that?" he asked in a deep, smoky voice. "You want him to stop?"

  "No." It came out softly like a whispered sin. "I like it."

  Snake's hands dared to move under her nightdress and over her breasts. His tender caresses, coupled with the way he paused to toy with her nipples, fired her passion. A tiny sigh escaped her.

  Bear stared into her eyes. "Kiss me."

  Abby reached up and cupped his cheeks with her hands.
<
br />   They were rough even though he'd shaved before they went to bed. Beneath rough flesh the muscles of his jaw flexed.

  She leaned forward and kissed him once. Her cheeks burned with nervous shame.

  Snake was only massaging her breasts now. He took his time, squeezing the mounds with just enough pressure to cause complete delight.

  Bear placed one huge hand behind her head and pulled her into another kiss. Despite his sexual aggression, he was very 23

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  gentle as he teased her lips then moved his tongue slowly into her mouth.

  Snake lifted her nightdress off and threw it on the floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. He kissed along her shoulders, and then dragged a tender trail down her back. Abby closed her eyes and gasped against Bear's kiss. Bear broke away from her mouth to focus his attention on her breasts. He took his time as he pulled one then the other into his mouth. His lips and tongue played along her flesh, which sent her to new heights of ecstasy.

  "Oh . . . Oh, I like that. . . . Yes," she said.

  Snake glided one hand into her panties. Abby's face burned as the blond gunfighter discovered how very aroused she was. He removed his fingers, which glistened with her essence, and licked them like they were coated with the finest nectar. He slid his hand back in and tickled her clit with delicate strokes.

  He pressed his lips to her ears. "You taste like candy. You want me inside you, sweet Abby? You want me to take some of the hunger away?"

  Abby was too far gone to refuse him. Her body had become an instrument played by two masters who knew how to sound every note. They kissed and teased her, which pushed her desire to places where she never thought the human body could go. As scandalous as it was, she wanted both of them. She wanted them to touch and use her, but most of all she wanted to be satisfied by them.

  She eased her panties off. "Have me any way you want."

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  Snake pulled her hips back against him, and she felt the insistent probe of his cock against her sex. She half-expected Bear to object and want her first, but he didn't. Instead he opened her thighs and parted her wide so his brother could take her from behind.

  Snake's cock massaged its way into her pussy. It wasn't cruel or intrusive but an erotic exercise in seduction. It was wonderful and felt so good. He worked his cock in and out, his labor becoming easier and easier the wetter she got. While he took her, Bear continued to suck and lick her breasts. His calloused hands traveled over her skin, awakening new and mind-blowing sensations everywhere they went.

  Snake's cock seemed to swell inside her, reaching places that drove her insane with lust. "Oh . . . Oh!" she cried as the tension built in her body. Then she shuddered and bucked, unable to get enough of him. Plumes of desperate sweetness filled her, flowing in a seemingly endless supply from her sex.

  Her tension reached a peak, and Snake pushed her over the edge with his hard, relentless pounding. A moment later, her body relaxed and she was empty again.

  Bear held her as she panted in his arms. When she caught her breath, he pushed her onto her back and lifted her legs, bracing them with his forearms. He pushed his cock through her moist folds but didn't dive in. His cock teased up and down so many times she thought she would climax from that alone. She squirmed under him.

  "Bear, please put it in," she begged.

  "You want another big ole cock to fill up your pussy?"

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  Abby tried to kiss him, but he was too far above her. "Yes, please. I want you inside me, Bear. Please don't tease me anymore."

  He kissed her gently then pushed his cock against the threshold of her channel. Although both men were about the same length, Bear's cock was thicker. His member forged its way inside her, opening her passage wide. The pleasure was overwhelming, and Abby moaned several times. Her climax rushed over her, a small one at first that peaked and faded out, followed quickly by a much stronger one. Bear wrapped her legs around his hips and rode her hard, bearing down on her like a runaway freight train. But the delight he brought her was unequalled. He growled in her ear, and that excited her even more. She cried out as a third peak overtook her.

  Bear emptied his seed inside her and eased off. All Abby could do was twitch in exhaustion. "You okay, baby?" he asked.

  Abby nodded. She got up and cleaned herself off. She hunted around in the dark and found her clothes, trying not to smile like an idiot. That had felt so damn good she didn't care what happened from here on out. With her nightgown back on to keep her warm, she nestled back between the two sleeping gunfighters. She could definitely fall asleep now.

  * * * *

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  Abby's Last Stand

  by Michelle Marquis

  Chapter Five

  Abby woke up the next morning feeling better than she had in her entire life. Snake and Bear were still asleep, so she eased out from between them and washed herself in the water basin once again. The sky was a soft blue-white, letting her know the sun would be up soon.

  She dressed and picked the men's clothes up off the floor, then folded them neatly on the only table in the room. That was when she noticed one of them had a tear in his jeans.

  Abby went to the closet and pulled out one of her carpet bags. She settled in the chair closest to the window and lit one of the kerosene lamps. Even with the lamp the light was poor, but Abby did her best to sew up the tear so it would be almost invisible at first glance. When she was done with that one, she went over their other clothes, fixing any damage she found.

  She was so intent on her work she didn't pay any attention to Bear when he sat up in bed. "What you doing there, girl?"

  Her face and throat felt hot. She avoided looking at him.

  "Just fixing stuff."

  Bear ran his hand over the sheets as if he was looking for something. "You don't gotta mend stuff for us like a serving girl."

  "I know."

  He looked thoughtful. "You know, it don't mean nothing to me one way or the other, but I'll wager you've been with a man before."

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  Tightness made her chest ache. "Yes, I have."

  "I take it there's a story you don't want to talk about."

  She frowned and shook her head in apology. "I'm sorry, Bear. It's just that—"

  He held a hand up. "You don't need to explain yourself to me, Abby. I'm an outlaw. I ain't gonna judge you for nothin'."

  Snake groaned and rolled to the far end of the bed. He covered his face with a pillow. Abby grinned and went back to sewing.

  "You mind if I ask you a personal question?" she asked.

  "I ain't got no secrets. Ask away."

  "Why are you and Snake holed up in this hotel room? It seems like the two of you are waiting for something to happen."

  "We are. We're waiting on a murdering thug named Cassius Barker to come into town. He's about due, and we want to give him a proper greeting." He leaned over the bedside table, grabbed a thin cigar, and lit it. "Now ole Barker ain't never been a nice man. He done his share of killing and robbing and . . . " He squinted at her. "And violating women like a lot of men around these parts. But Barker went over the line when he killed a good friend of ours, and we're fixing to get revenge."

  "What do you mean by 'he's about due'?"

  "He owns a farm just a few miles outside of town. He only comes to town two times a year for supplies. Each times he goes to the saloon, gets drunk, and starts a fight with some poor bastard. That's how he come to kill our good friend Willie. Barker started talking his drunken trash, and Willie 28

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  invited him outside. But before poor Willie got to the swinging doors, Barker shot him in
the back. He bribed the sheriff into saying it was an accident, and that was that. Willie's wife contacted us with the story, and we decided to come on out and make things fair."

  "An eye for an eye," Abby whispered.

  "I suppose that shocks a fine young woman like yourself?"

  "Actually, it might surprise you to know it don't shock me at all. In fact, revenge is the main reason I came to this town, too."

  "I don't follow you."

  "I didn't just run out of money and end up in this town. I planned to come here. I saved every dime I earned sewing until I had enough for my stage ticket. I'd been warned about this place, but I came anyway. And do you know why? I'll tell ya. I came to learn how to shoot and kill from the best outlaws in the land. I want to learn how to handle a gun as good and even better than any man who ever lived. And when I get good enough, I'm gonna put a few bullets in that low-down pig who hurt my sister, Ann."

  Bear shook his head slowly. "I know where you're coming from, Abby, but that's a losing game. You're young. There's all kinds of possibilities for you. Doing what you're aiming to will change you for the rest of your life."

  "Why is it so wrong for me? You do it all the time."

  "I got blackness in my heart, and I've been going to hell since the day I turned fifteen. You don't want this kind of life.

  It don't have nothin' to offer you but pain and misery. And suppose you do find and kill the man who wronged your kin.

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  Don't you suppose his friends and kin are gonna come looking for you?"

  She broke the thread with her teeth and folded the jeans.

  "They come after me, and I'll kill them, too. Once I know how, I'll kill everyone who so much as thinks about coming after me."

  Bear and Abby were silent for a long time. Abby stood up and paced with her arms folded. Why, oh why, had she told this man so damn much? "Now look what I've gone and done.