“There isn’t enough time, lovebirds,” Will said impatiently behind us. Even though we both knew he was right, neither of us pulled back right away. Instead of the multitude of things I wanted to do, I nodded and walked up the lane leading to the festival. Jesse grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, catching me against his chest and dragging my mouth against his for a searing kiss.
“I don’t really mind the kissing anymore,” The Kid said, loudly enough to hear over the pounding of my heart. I laughed against Jesse’s mouth, and he let me go. I walked on unsteady feet towards the festival, Jesse’s fingers tangled loosely with mine.
We dropped our hands as music and laughter filled the night air, warm from the sweltering heat only hours before. Lanterns were lit and hung in strings along a large dance floor, and a band played on well-worn instruments. There were a lot of uniforms here. Too many, almost. I glanced at Will, who nodded briefly before fading into the crowd to find our mark. The Kid blew into his harmonica, and Clara scowled, which was nothing new.
“Ask Clara to dance,” I told Jesse. He chuckled, until he realized I was serious.
“No,” he said simply, crossing his arms over his chest. The movement sent a flex down his muscles, rippling beneath his tight shirt. I sucked in a steadying breath. Jesse caught me staring and flexed his biceps with a grin.
“I need to make my rounds, and Clara needs to stay out of trouble. You can watch me better from the dance floor than from here,” I said, making my case. He grumbled, ducking his head to whisper hot words in my ear.
“I only want you,” he said. I bit my lip to contain my smile, and Jesse’s eyes fixated on my mouth.
“Even if I step on your feet?” I asked.
“Especially then,” he said, his hand slipping down my waist to settle firmly on my ass. “It gives me another reason to hold you tighter.”
“Jesse,” I breathed shakily. “Behave yourself.”
“I’ll see you soon,” he said, the naughty tone in his voice turning serious.
I pulled out of his arms and steadied myself, studying the people here. Most of the soldiers were either on duty or scanning the area, assessing for threats. Each potential mark primed and ready for danger. That made it more difficult, but not impossible. Pulling my shoulders back, I walked through the crowd, much as I had in Vegas. Catching and holding the gazes of different men as I passed, letting them trail the swishing motion of my skirt or appreciate the long, pale curve of my calves as I twisted through the crowd.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Jesse and Clara dancing, their movements stiff and formal. The edge that’d been in Clara’s eyes for a while now softened considerably. Something pulled tight within my chest, seeing them together like that. Jesse had almost married her. Though Clara was clearly not meant for the life of an outlaw, he’d seen something worthy in her once.
Several men approached, smiling too wide or fumbling over their requests to dance with me. I politely turned them all down, increasing the mystery of my presence. Several of them asked to bring me glasses of punch, but all I could think about was the blazing heat in Jesse’s eyes when he looked at me in this dress.
Eventually, I accepted one of the offers and was dragged by my hand onto the dance floor by a young, dark-skinned soldier when Jesse’s deep canyon timbre rumbled straight through me.
“May I cut in?” he asked, not waiting for an answer. With a hard pull, Jesse spun me into the cage of his arms, trapping me flush against him. I swallowed at the devastation of the desire in his eyes. When he looked at me like that, I was helpless. It was a look that promised ruin and greatness in equal measure. He noticed everything from the rapid pulse beating a staccato rhythm in my neck to the breathy gasps I couldn’t contain. His iron arm slid around my waist as he spun us expertly to the lively music. My heart lurched as he dipped me low before dragging me back against the dizzying heat of his body. I clung to his broad shoulders.
“You’re getting better,” Jesse said, his words causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.
“I had a good teacher,” I choked out before his wicked hand at the small of my back began to dip too low. I pulled it back into position, enjoying the flicker of frustration in his confident eyes.
“We’re on a job, farm boy,” I said, reminding him gently. He sighed, putting some much needed space between us as we finished the dance.
“I know,” he said regretfully. As the song ended, he stepped away to bow his head in a chivalrous gesture. Will came up to his shoulder and whispered in his ear. Jesse pulled me off the dance floor and motioned with two fingers for me to lean in. The warm scent of him enveloped me.
“The tall one by the punch bowl. Keys on a ring at his belt. Dark hair, missing a bar on his patch,” Jesse said. I brushed my hand against his quickly before turning to make my way to the punch bowl, fanning my face.
The mark was older than Jesse, late twenties or early thirties. No wedding ring, thankfully. He stared down the front of my dress as I poured a glass of punch. I watched the couples in silence next to him, pretending not to notice. His hands shook before he tapped me on the shoulder.
I offered a pretty smile and looked at him through my lashes, the way I’d seen Clara do when she attempted to look particularly innocent. In another five minutes, we laughed together, and he asked me to dance. He held me as if afraid I would disappear the moment he let me go.
“I know this seems fast,” I said, shuffling closer to him as he spun me in the same circle over and over again on the dance floor. “But I can’t help feeling that I’ve never met anyone quite like you before.”
He swallowed hard. “Do you want to find somewhere more quiet where we can talk?” he asked, voice catching on the words. I dropped my eyes demurely, nodding in shy capitulation. Men were such idiots.
He led me swiftly off the dance floor and back towards the main part of town. I didn’t worry when he twisted and turned away from the lights and noise; I knew Jesse was tracking my every move. I felt his eyes on me like a guiding hand. The man pulled me into a darkened alleyway, pressing me firmly against the wall. He leaned down to press his mouth to mine. I turned my face away, but his mouth came down sloppily on my neck.
With a thud, his body crumpled against me to fall in a heap of long limbs. Jesse replaced his pistol into the holster beneath his arm before bending down to collect the keys on his belt. He took my hand, and I let him help me over the man's prone body. We turned the corner, hand-in-hand, wild smiles on our faces as we ran for the warehouse.
“Hurry, before he wakes up or someone finds him,” I said. We broke into a sprint as we weaved our way through the side streets until we reached the main road in town. A voice echoed down the lane. I yanked hard on Jesse’s hand to stop him from barreling straight into a patrol. In a rush, he slammed me against the wall, shielding me with his body. Our chests heaved. The edge of wild abandon slipping through my blood was enough to make me forget everything except his skin on mine. There was a savageness in Jesse’s eyes that mirrored deep down in my marrow. It made me feel dangerous and free.
The men turned the corner and saw us, but we didn’t care. Jesse kissed me like a dying man. My hands buried in his too-slick hair, messing up the neat way it’d lain earlier. His hands were on my hips, my breasts, my ass.
“What’re you two—"
Jesse’s only response was to lift me until my legs wrapped wantonly around his waist. His hand ran up my thigh, lifting my skirt, and I moaned into his mouth. They laughed, wolf whistling and turning to patrol in a different direction. Jesse pulled back just enough to see my flushed cheeks and swollen lips.
“Do you have any idea how hard it was to see you in the arms of another man?” he asked, his deep voice thunderous against my neck.
“Probably as hard as it was for me to see you dancing with Clara,” I said breathlessly against his skin. Kissing his jaw and tasting his skin.
“You told me to—"
His words were muffled a
gainst my mouth. I was lost to him. I was so lost to him. He ground his hips against mine. All I thought about was how badly I wanted to love him with my whole body. After lingering for far too long, I pulled back, trying to gulp in lungfuls of cold night air.
“The warehouse,” I said. Jesse slapped a flat palm against the wall on one side of me. I kissed him and we nearly lost ourselves again. As he lowered me to my feet, we both wavered towards each other.
“We’re almost done,” I said, struggling to catch my breath. “And when we get back to camp, I’m going to mount and fuck you until you can’t walk tomorrow.” The shock in his expression made my grin widen on my mouth. A deep hum of pleasure rumbled from his chest as I twisted away.
We made it to the warehouse moments later. Jesse fumbled with the keys, and the door swung open easily on well-oiled hinges. The wagon was in place at the end of the alley. We packed supplies quietly; Jesse handed them out to me, and I stacked them silently, keeping an eye on the roofs for armed patrols.
Jesse carried the last box of supplies to meet me at the wagon. I pulled the keys from his hand and walked to the open door. Peering inside, I noticed familiar dark shapes along the back wall. Too familiar. Rings of rough, beaten metal attached to the ends of long wooden poles. For transporting unruly slaves by the neck to market. Rows of munitions in the back corner. Though the thought of stealing an assault rifle was tempting, my stomach churned in disgust. Whatever this town had done for their tentative safety, it was at the expense of people like me. I lit a lantern with shaking hands. Jesse slid his arm around my waist from behind and whispered in my ear.
“What’re you doing?” he asked, motioning back in the direction of the wagon.
“Burning it to the ground,” I said with all the hatred that’d been beaten into me before tossing the lantern inside. In the same corner where the munitions were stored. Let God forgive them, if he existed, because I wouldn’t. Jesse realized quickly what I’d done, and we ran to the wagon. We scrambled up and spurred the horses forward as fast as they could go. The wagon thundered down the main street to our designated meeting place, rattling so hard I was afraid it would shake apart.
Will whistled, the signal that they were in position. Jesse stopped the wagon short, and moments later, Clara and The Kid were handed up into the wagon. Clara settled in the back between the boxes, and The Kid joined us on the front seat.
“We have to get out of here,” I said, loud enough to set Will’s nerves on edge as he fingered the handle of the pistol at his side.
“What did you do?” he demanded. Before I could answer, a loud boom shook the ground beneath our feet, and the crackle of flames sounded in a deafening roar as the night grew bright with the blaze. The pop of gunfire sounded behind us and from the left. I slid onto the ground, holding my palm out for the M9, which Jesse handed over without a thought.
“Will, take Eagle and No Name,” I commanded. He nodded, swinging into the saddle and riding swiftly into the night.
“I’ll lead them away,” I said, eyes wild. Jesse swung down beside me and nodded to The Kid, who whipped the reins hard against the wagon ponies, disappearing into the night.
“Will knows to take care of them,” I said. Jesse nodded as we assessed the crowd of soldiers rushing towards us. I squeezed off two shots, and one of the soldiers from a rooftop on the left fell with a crash.
“Run!” I said. We ran around corners and ducked below awnings until the open desert stretched before us. The tat-tat-tat-tat of continuous gunfire sounded loud in my ears as I focused all my energy on controlling my breathing and driving my legs into the ground. Every muscle screamed, but I pushed myself faster still. A woman began to catch up, and Jesse shot her; she fell with a cry.
We plunged into the darkness, unable to see more than a few feet in front of us. The lack of visibility would only help as they aimed those high-powered rifles at us. Jesse was faster than me, but he kept a steady pace to stay level with me. A bullet whizzed by my ear, and another thudded into the dust at my feet.
“Run ahead!” I choked out between ragged breaths, but his hand grappled through the darkness to find mine and grip it tight.
“I’m not leaving you!” he shouted.
We barreled on, hurtling out of control, barely one step ahead of certain death. I reached behind me and shot again, without aiming, desperate to slow our pursuers. We almost didn’t see the canyon. I slid to a stop, but my momentum nearly sent me over the edge. Jesse’s arm shot out to pull me forcefully from the abyss below. Staring down into the blackness below and back over my shoulder, I turned fearful eyes to Jesse. Dread settled like a stone in the pit of my stomach.
“There’s water at the bottom,” I gasped, my chest heaving. “No way to tell how far down or how deep.”
The panic in his expression faded into resolution as he arrived at the same conclusion. We were going to be shot by the angry militia closing in on us, or we could plunge into the unknown together. Either way...
We were going to die.
Chapter Twenty-Four - Jesse
We could either stand on this cliff and die bleeding out, or leap into the unknown. There was no guarantee we would survive. By the dread reflecting back from Bonnie’s wide blue eyes, she knew it, too.
It was now or never.
“Any last words?” Bonnie shouted. I barely heard her above the popping of gunfire and my pulse pounding in my ears.
Our journey flashed through my mind. Vegas, Flagstaff, the train. Lamesa. That night by the fire. Slavers. Playing pool. Her hands and the sinful things she’d done to me. Images of these past weeks filled me with emotions that I didn’t know if I was ready to acknowledge. Everything was suddenly so clear to me.
Bonnie and I were the same. No matter how hard either of us denied it, fighting against being together was useless. I was lost to her. I’d been lost to her since the moment I saw her beautiful blue eyes. Why did it take us hanging on the edge of a cliff for me to realize it?
“Nope,” I said, tugging her into my arms. I stared into her dark blue eyes. If this was our last moment, I wanted it to be worth something. I’d told her I wanted her, but it was more than that, more than her body. I wanted all of her: her brilliant mind, her quick tongue, how I could never guess what she would do next. Even the harsh tone of her voice when she called me an idiot. I wanted everything with Bonnie.
She threw her arms around my neck, and I covered her mouth with mine. At least if we died tonight, I knew the journey would have been worth it. Somehow, through this insane trip, I’d found someone that I couldn’t live without. I held her tight, never wanting to let her go. She had to know. She had to know this wasn’t some temporary thing between us. That even though her departure loomed if we survived tonight, there was no chance in hell I would let her leave. Bonnie’s mouth opened beneath mine, and I deepened the kiss, tucking my hand into her hair.
If only we had more time.
A shot rang out loud enough to send us reeling apart. I watched her gaze fall to the dark canyon below.
“Together?” I asked. Bonnie brought her beautiful eyes to me. She reached over, tangling her fingers with mine as we stepped closer to the ledge.
“Together,” she said.
Then we leapt.
The air rushed past us, and time moved in slow motion. If we made it out of this, I promised myself, I would tell her. That I would do whatever it took as long as it kept us together. If she wanted to go to St. Louis, to that gang-less haven, I would follow her. Even if it meant never finding my uncle. As long as I had Bonnie and The Kid, nothing else mattered.
We just had to survive this first.
Our joined hands broke apart as we crashed through the surface of rushing water. My lungs burned as I fought to hold my breath. I opened my eyes, searching desperately for any sign of her, but all I could see were shadows. I kicked against the tide, hoping that I was moving up and not further into the depths.
I broke the surface, gasping desperately for
breath. I tried to call out to her but choked around water burning my throat.
“Jesse!” Her panic-laced voice sent relief through my heart. I sputtered, forcing the rest of the water out of my lungs. Finally, she spotted me. “Don’t scare me like that!” I followed her toward the shore.
I gripped onto a large rock at the edge of the river, my eyes never far as she managed to get up onto the embankment. She rolled onto her back. Her chest heaved. I pulled myself up and over the boulder, then scrambled to her side. Her eyes opened, finding mine, and a wave of relief pulsed through my veins. I splayed out beside her on the ground.
Bonnie burst into laughter.
Just like all those weeks ago on the train, I did too.
“We should be dead,” Bonnie said, her eyes meeting mine.
“Maybe we are,” I said.
My smile fell away as I looked at her. Most of the makeup was gone. Her lips puckered, still a little pink even though I thought I’d kissed it all away earlier. The water in her hair gave her that wild look I loved so much. I lifted my hand to her cheek.
“Robbing you was the best thing I’ve ever done,” she whispered, her hands reaching up to grab the front of my wet shirt. I opened my mouth to speak but never got the chance.
Bonnie yanked me down. Our mouths crashed together, lips slicking in a rush as I swallowed her gasps. I rolled on top of her, as I’d done just this morning, remembering the way she reacted beneath my hands, and how crazy that damn dress had been driving me all night. I didn’t want to wait a goddamn second more before I explored the rest of her.
When I broke my lips away, Bonnie’s chest heaved with ragged breaths. I kissed along her jawline, nipping at the soft skin of her ear. Her hands gripped the back of my shirt. I pulled back long enough to yank off the wet gun holster, then let her pull the fabric off of me. I pulled down the top of her dress, baring her breasts to the night air. Her pale skin glistened in the moonlight as I moved my mouth across her collarbone and over the swell of her breast. I lowered my mouth to her nipple, teasing it with a swift flick of my tongue. Her hands tugged my hair as she moaned my name into the night.
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