Gambling on Love

by Sandi Hampton

  With a nod of thanks, she left the saloon and headed back to her room. Maybe she could sleep now.

  As she tromped back to the boarding house, she saw a notice nailed to a nearby post. It was the funeral notice for Wild Bill.

  Just reading the words brought the horror back to her. While she’d heard many negative things about the legendary lawman, no one should have to die like that.

  A quick glance showed most of the townspeople headed for Charley Utter’s camp, some out of respect, most out of curiosity. Was Evan among them?

  As she rounded the bank, she decided to take a short cut and turned into the alley. A woman stood at the back door of the bank.

  When the woman saw Angel, she headed in her direction. Vera.

  But what was she doing there? As the woman drew close, Angel saw the gun.

  And it was pointed at her.

  Chapter 18

  “You make one sound, and I’ll shoot you,” Vera said, a sneer curling her lip, “right between the eyes. You understand me?”

  Angel nodded. “You must be mad. You’re robbing the bank, aren’t you? You’ll never get away with this.”

  “Oh, I think we will.” Vera glanced up and down the alley. “All right. Now open that door and get inside.”

  With the gun at her back, Angel did as she was told. She walked into the bank and saw a robbery in progress. Thaddeus Grayson stood at the bank vault, his gun pointed at the chest of Mr. Simpson, the banker. Two men she’d seen in the saloon also had guns pulled. One was a drifter named Andy, the other Max Holman. A shiver slithered down her spine as Max turned his wolfish gaze to her.

  Thaddeus’s bushy eyebrows lifted, and he glared at his wife. “What the hell is she doing here?”

  “She was outside—spying. Like her Pa.”

  Angel’s heart rose in her throat, threatening to cut off her breath. “My father? You knew my father?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Vera answered. “I knew Jake Plummer and your ma. Jake was the one who sent my son to prison, and my son died in that hellhole because of your father. And then once we came here, Plummer showed up again.”

  “Vera, shut up. You talk too much,” Thaddeus harshly admonished her.

  “Don’t matter what she knows. She ain’t gonna be able to tell no one.”

  They’re going to kill me. And my baby. No, no, she couldn’t let that happen. Maybe if she kept them talking, someone would come to help. “My father, did you—?”

  “He was gonna tell who we were,” Vera said. “We had the perfect setup here. No law. The Army’s only interested in chasing red savages. I couldn’t let him squeal on us.”

  “But I don’t understand. Evan Montgomery said he killed my father by accident.”

  “Montgomery’s a fool. I followed Jake Plummer down the alley that night to kill him. I fired the bullet that almost hit Montgomery. Then Montgomery returned fire. He thought Plummer was shooting at him. So it was a perfect opportunity for me—and I took it. I killed Jake Plummer like he killed my son.”

  Angel’s heart pounded against her chest. “Your son was a murderer,” she screamed. “He was tried in a court of law and convicted, and he deserved to go to prison.”

  With a snarl, Vera stepped forward and slapped Angel, a stinging blow to her cheek. She staggered backward. “You shut up, you bitch. Don’t talk about my son like that. You don’t know nothing.”

  Suddenly Vera smiled, an angelic smile. “Before I could make sure your old man was dead, Montgomery was there. I watched from the shadows, but I couldn’t hear what Plummer told Montgomery. Then you showed up—and you had that old wanted poster. You were gonna turn us in—just like your father. I had to stop you—like I stopped him. I sent those men to scare you off. You should’ve left then.” She raised the gun and leveled it at Angel.

  Concern for her unborn child lent Angel courage. “Wait. Evan was supposed to meet me outside,” she lied. “He should be looking for me right now. If you shoot, he’ll hear you.”

  “You’re lying,” Vera said.

  “Put the gun down, Vera. Don’t be stupid. We can’t take the chance.” Grayson tossed several money sacks to Simpson. “Open the safe and fill those bags, and pronto, if you value your life...” He jerked his head toward Angel. “...and hers.”

  “Do it,” she said as the banker hesitated. “He means it. They’ll kill us.”

  “All right, all right. I’ll open it. Don’t shoot.” Simpson stooped beside the safe and dialed the combination, then swung the heavy door open.

  The man called Andy shoved Simpson aside, and the banker stumbled backward and crashed to the floor. The thief yelled in delight as he pulled stacks of money and bags of gold from the safe. Grayson grinned from ear to ear, and even Vera rushed over to the safe to see the loot.

  After the money and gold were stashed in bags and satchels, Thaddeus turned to his wife. “What are we gonna do with these two?”

  An evil smile lit Vera’s face, and she pointed at Angel. “I’ll take care of her. I told Jake Plummer I’d get even, that I’d kill you and your ma, but he sent you away before I could. But now, finally, I’ll have my revenge.”

  Despite the circumstances, joy surged through Angel. Her father had not deserted her and her mother. He’d sent them away—to protect them. Oh, how wrong she’d been all these years. How she wished she could have told him she was sorry for not believing in him. Her mother had sickened and died before Angel was old enough to learn the truth. Even Grandpapa had not known. Vera’s crazy laugh jerked her back to the moment.

  “Somebody will hear the shots,” Angel reminded her, “and you’ll be caught and probably hanged. These miners won’t take kindly to someone stealing their gold.”

  Grayson thought for a moment, then nodded. “She’s right. I guess we got ourselves two hostages.”

  “No, please,” Simpson cried. “Leave me here I beg of you. Just tie me up. I won’t cry out. I promise.”

  Thaddeus laughed. “Sure you won’t.” His mouth twisted into a cruel grimace, and he viciously kicked the prone man. “Now, stop your whining and git up. Stack these bags by the door.” He pointed at Angel. “You too.”

  She grabbed one of the heavy bags and dragged it across the floor. She left it at the door, then returned for another and another, as did the banker.

  “Max, check the alley. Make sure there ain’t nobody out there.”

  Holman opened the door leading to the alley and peered out. “All clear.”

  In fifteen minutes, the stolen money and gold were loaded onto the wagon. Thaddeus turned to his men. “Tie these two up and gag ’em, then throw them in the back of the wagon and cover them and the loot with that canvas.” He brandished his gun at Angel and Simpson. “If you’re smart, you won’t try nothing.”

  Vera opened the door and shoved Angel down the stairs. Angel tripped on her skirt and tumbled into the dirt. Her breath left her body in a single swoosh.

  “Git up.” Vera kicked her in the ribs. “Git in that wagon.”

  Angel struggled to her feet and clenched her hands into fists. She wanted to smash them into Vera’s face, but the woman was itching to kill her. Better wait for a better time—if there would be one.

  As she climbed into the wagon, Holman came up behind her. He put his hands on her backside and pushed her upward. “Get your hands off me.”

  He laughed and slapped her rump. “I’m gonna do more than that to you, you snooty bitch, and you’re gonna enjoy it.”

  “I’d rather die,” Angel said.

  “That would be my pleasure,” Vera said. “All right, let’s get out of here. Max, Andy, you two tie them up, then pull that canvas up.

  The two men did as they were ordered. The canvas swallowed her, blocking out the light, and a wave of nausea roiled in Angel’s stomach. Oh, Evan, where are you? Please save me—and our child. She rubbed her belly—and prayed.

  The wagon lurched forward. Familiar voices called out to the Graysons. Then she heard Evan’s voice. “How
dy, Thaddeus, Vera. You heading out to Hickok’s funeral?”

  “Er, yeah. You going?”

  “Don’t think so.”

  She desperately wanted to attract Evan’s attention but dared not. These people were evil and dangerous and if cornered would shoot to kill. Beside her, Mr. Simpson stirred helplessly. Tears gathered in her eyes at their hopeless situation.

  “Well, we’d best be going. Don’t wanna be late.” Thaddeus yelled at the horses. “Giddup there.”

  With each passing moment, a tight, painful knot of despair lodged in her chest. Soon the wagon began to creak as it climbed upward. They’d left Deadwood.

  The tight ropes chafed her wrists raw and with every jolt of the wagon, she slammed into the satchels. Her whole body ached. It seemed like an eternity before the wagon came to a halt. In moments the cover flew back. The brilliant blue of the sky blinded her momentarily, and she rubbed her eyes.

  “Untie them, Max. This is as far as these two go.”

  Holman climbed up into the wagon. He pulled a knife from a sheath by his side and cut Simpson’s ropes, then stood over her, a hungry leer on his face. With the sharp blade, he cut the top button from her blouse, pushed the thin material aside and ran the cold metal over her breast. She wanted to scream, but she forced herself to remain calm. Hysterics wouldn’t help her, or her baby, now.

  “Hey, Vera, can I have her?” He rubbed his crotch. “She’s a real beauty.”

  “Yeah, you can have her,” Vera answered with an evil grin. “Later. Now get them down from there.”

  Max jerked her to her feet. On rubbery knees, she climbed from the wagon. Simpson jumped down, his face as pale as a ghost. “Please don’t kill us,” he begged. “Just leave us here. By the time we could get back to town, you’d be out of the territory. Please—I have a wife and three kids.”

  “Yellow-belly,” Max yelled and shoved Simpson. The banker fell to the ground. “I can’t stomach a yellow-bellied coward.”

  “Me neither.” Vera looked at her husband. “Can I?”

  Angel’s breath caught in her throat as she waited for Grayson’s answer. He started to speak, but at that moment the other robber burst out of the trees. “We got trouble. Army regiment ahead. Coming hard at us.”

  Thaddeus cursed loudly. “All right. Put your guns away. You two,” he gestured at Angel and the banker, “you’d best play along and keep your traps shut or else a lot of people are gonna die. Andy and Max will be right behind you. Understand?”

  “Yes,” Angel answered.

  The banker stood up and nodded. “Yes, yes, yes. Just don’t hurt us.”

  Vera tossed her shawl to Angel. “Put that on so they can’t see your blouse.”

  As Angel draped it over her shoulder, she searched her mind. Was there any way she could signal to the soldiers that she was in trouble—without getting them all killed?

  Long, tense minutes passed until horses and riders appeared. The blue-clad troopers looked hot and tired. Their leader looked familiar. When he saw her, he grinned and took his hat off. “Why, Miss Devereaux, what a pleasant surprise.”

  “Why, hello, Captain Jenkins. It’s good to see you.” Max stepped closer to her and grabbed her elbow.

  Jenkins’s eyebrows lifted. “What are you folks doing so far from town?”

  “Er, well...” She searched her mind for a plausible answer. “Mr. and Mrs. Grayson volunteered to show me some of the beautiful countryside. It’s so lovely.”

  “Lovely but dangerous. We received word of some hostiles in the area.” The captain turned his attention to Thaddeus. “Mr. Grayson, I think it would be a good idea to take the ladies back to town.”

  “I agree, Captain. We stopped to give the ladies a breather. We’ll head back right away.”

  “Good, good.” Jenkins touched the brim of his hat. “We’ll be on our way.” With a wave of his hand, he ordered the column to move out. And then they were gone.

  “That was close,” Thaddeus mumbled. “I thought sure they’d see all the bags in the back of the wagon and get suspicious. We’d better get the hell outta here.”

  “What about them?” Vera motioned to Angel and the banker.

  “We have to take them with us. We can’t take a chance that those soldier boys won’t come back. That captain had eyes for her.”

  Angel heaved a silent sigh. A reprieve.

  For now, that had to be enough.

  Chapter 19

  Evan pulled Buck to a halt, pulled his kerchief from around his neck, and swiped it across his forehead. Where the hell was Angel? He’d searched all over town, and she was nowhere to be found. Carl Mann had said she’d come in earlier and told him she was quitting. Mary said she’d seen her at the hotel. But since then, no one had seen her. She’d not returned to her room. Something didn’t smell right.

  Then it clicked. Grayson. He’d headed out of town—the opposite way from Charley Utter’s camp. The men with him looked to be hired guns. And the back of the wagon had been covered. Suspicions burst forth, filling his heart with dread. How could he have been so blind, so stupid? If Grayson had Angel, she might even now be—

  No. He wouldn’t think of that. He couldn’t lose her—he just couldn’t.

  He turned Buck and backtracked toward where he’d last seen Grayson’s wagon. He dismounted and knelt to study the tracks. Deep ruts cut into the ground. It was clear the wagon had been carrying something real heavy. The trail should be easy to follow, but gathering a posse would take too long, and he couldn’t wait. Besides, he had no concrete evidence that Grayson had Angel.

  Just a hunch, and he always played his hunches.

  The further Grayson got from town, the lower Angel’s chances would be. He nudged Buck with his knees, urging the animal forward, taking short cuts and crossing ravines—as fast as the rough terrain would allow.

  The sound of horses coming his way filled the air. Lots of horses. He reined in his mount, pulled his rifle from the boot and cradled it in his arms. To his surprise, a line of cavalry appeared. The lead soldier held up his hand and motioned for his troops to halt. Dust swirled around the clearing. Evan recognized the officer. “Hello, Jenkins. What are you doing out here?”

  Captain Jenkins rode forward. “Looking for hostiles.”

  “You mean Sioux Indians who we’re running off their own land?” Evan didn’t wait for a response. He thrust his rifle back into its boot. “No. I haven’t seen any.”

  Jenkins’s mouth turned down into a frown. “Just doing my job, Montgomery. You’d best be on the alert. We’ve had reports of a band of Sioux in the area.” He nudged his horse closer and leaned toward Evan. “Need to ask you a question.”

  “Yeah? About what?”

  “About Miss Devereaux. Hell, this is awkward.”

  “Spit it out, man.”

  “Are you and she, I mean, are you close...friends?”

  Evan’s lips tightened into a frown. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I was thinking of calling on her. With her permission, of course.”

  Evan clenched his hand into a fist and fought the urge to smash it into the officer’s face. But, until he and Angel made their plans known, he’d play it off. “I guess that’s up to her.”

  “She’s such a lovely lady. When I saw her earlier—”

  “Earlier? Where? When?”

  “Well, a few miles back. Why? What’s wrong?”

  “She’s missing. That’s why.”

  “Missing? But we just passed them several miles back.”

  “Them? Who was with her? Tell me, man, for God’s sake, tell me.” He grabbed the reins of Jenkins’s horse.

  The officer pulled away. “Take it easy. She was fine. She was with Thaddeus Grayson and his wife, the banker, and two other men I didn’t know. Why?”

  “I think they’ve kidnapped her.”

  “Kidnapped?”

  “Yeah. Did she appear to be all right?”

  “Why, yes. A mite pale, I thought, and her hai
r was disheveled, but I didn’t think anything of it since they were out riding—”

  “Dammit. Anything else? Did she say anything?” Evan’s heart pounded against his ribs. At least he knew she was alive—for now.

  “No. She appeared to be fine. But why would Grayson—?”

  “I don’t have time to go into that right now. Just tell me where they are, man.”

  The captain’s face twisted with concern. “I’ll do more than that. I’ll show you.”

  Evan fell in behind Jenkins, and the column moved out at double speed. He prayed they’d reach Grayson and his gang before anything happened to Angel. If they hurt her, he’d kill every last man—and Vera.

  After what seemed like hours, Jenkins halted. “There’s a clearing up ahead. They were there. Giving the ladies a breather, Thaddeus said.”

  Evan slid from Buck’s back, then grabbed his rifle. “Keep your men here. I’ll take a quick look.”

  “Okay.”

  Evan melted into the forest, moving soundlessly as he wove his way through the trees and around the boulders until he was on the edge of the clearing.

  It was empty.

  After waiting for a few moments to make sure there were no stragglers, he emerged and surveyed the area. The same deep ruts of the wagon he’d been following led out of the clearing. After determining the direction it was now headed, he ran back to Jenkins. “They’re gone. Tracks still head west.”

  “Any sign of her?”

  Evan shook his head as he mounted Buck. “But I guess that’s a good sign that she’s still alive. Let’s move out.”

  Again, the line of soldiers surged forward, but now with a greater urgency.

  ****

  Angel clung desperately to the side of the wagon as it lurched and swayed precariously up the mountainside. The trail had narrowed as it climbed higher and higher. “We’ve got to jump,” she whispered to Simpson.

  “But we can’t. We’ll be killed.”

  “We’ll surely be killed if we wait. Thaddeus means to eliminate all witnesses—and Vera is just itching to kill me. When we slow down at the next bend in the road, I’m going to jump.”