She believed in taking care of what she owned and in knowing how it worked. If she found herself caught out in open desert and it stalled, she could die. Knowing how to keep it running gave her an edge in the wilderness. She was just about to open the boiler and get the bike warmed up when a tall figure approached.
Justice had almost forgotten that Sexy had a proposition for her. Almost. He beckoned her over into the shadows of the boarding house. Looking about furtively, she followed him. He looked down at her and a small smile curved his mouth. She flipped up the sun reflectors on her goggles so that only the clear glass stood between her eyes and the delicious man.
“So, Beauty, have you given any thought to my proposition? We stand to see a hundred thousand dollars a piece.”
Her mouth fell open in a very un-lady like gawk. Had he really said a hundred grand? Each? She could take the risk for that. She knew his plan was good. Who would recognize her in a dress?
“If you decide to give it a go, come find me.” He tucked a piece of paper in her hand, then took her small chin in his large, calloused hand. His eyes held warm promises when he spoke.
“I hope to see you again.”
She felt a little shudder run up her spine as he slunk away, and realized that she had forgotten to ask his name again. She looked down at the paper. No name, he’d just written an address in San Marcos. Justice sighed at her own foolishness, brought the paper to her bike, and carefully tucked it into her pack. She threw some coal into the boiler and took off running. The bike started with a glorious purr. Jumping on, she felt the wind rushing across her face, whipping strands of hair from her bun.
If she participated in the train robbery she would easily have enough money to find Grace and to save Purity. They could go live a quiet safe life and heal together. The thought of that sort of freedom buoyed her heart sweetly. She hadn’t had this much hope since the day she left Heath to search for her sisters.
****
Heath looked worried.
She hugged him and whispered, “Thank you. You saved my life in so many ways, you’ll never know.”
He looked uncomfortable when she pulled away. She could tell he wanted to say something, but he didn’t seem to be able to speak. Justice kissed his cheek. If she had had a brother, she would have hoped the man would be just like Heath.
“Justice—”
“I’ll be alright. Thank you for the gun. I’ll take good care of it.”
“Just don’t let it get you killed. You’re a fine woman, Justice. Hell, I’d even marry you, if you’d let me. Please reconsider going out there alone. The next guy who finds you unconscious—that guy might do things to you.”
“I’ll never let my guard down again. I’ve learned a lot from you. With the money from our last heist, I’ll be able to search for a long while. Thank you for being such a noble and wonderful friend.”
“I’m a fool. Should never have let you talk me into teaching you how to shoot, how to steal.” He took a hand from her waist and shoved it into his pocket, digging something out. “Here. Take this. I might be damned but you’ve still got a chance.”
He shoved a rosary into her hands. It was beautiful, precious, made of rich materials, gold, jewels, and hard to find parts.
“I can’t take this Heath, you use this.”
“It was my mother’s. I’ve always felt like she was looking down on me and watching out for me as long as I’ve had it. Please take it. If you have it I’ll feel like I’m watching over you.”
Tears sprang to her eyes and she threw herself into his arms in an awkward embrace. He patted her back and cleared his throat.
She stepped back, blushing. He wanted her, it was obvious. He stepped forward and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Regret hung heavily on his words when he spoke.
“If you ever need me, you find me. I’d come with you, help you look for them.”
She shook her head. “Heath, I need to do this, for myself, for my sisters. I’ve already intruded on your life for long enough. I have to see what I’m made of. If I don’t leave now, I never will.” She took a deep breath, needing to leave things honest between them, “I care deeply for you, but not the way you want. I don’t want to stay and tie your heart to something impossible. I’m not the loving kind, not anymore. You will always be my dearest friend. I hope you can forgive me for not being able to give you more.”
Heath didn’t look placated by her words. She finished tying her things onto the back of the motorcycle she had taken in trade for her horse. It was a fine piece of engineering and the man who had built it had taught her a few things about caring for it. The rest she was sure she would learn.
Heath stepped forward and grabbed her, pulling her face up to meet his lips. He kissed her, his desire washing around her like water flowing around a stone in the river.
The look on his face when he finally pulled back was tragic. She could see his devastation as he accepted that his last ditch effort hadn’t worked and she would never want more than his friendship. He stepped back, mumbling an apology. She closed the gap between them and put her fingers to his lips.
“Don’t ever be sorry for that. Don’t ever be sorry for having such a wonderful heart. I wish I did too.”
She began to run with the bike and it fired up. She jumped on, glad Heath had insisted, for safety, that she wear britches when she rode. She rode off at an amazing speed, ready to find her future by reuniting her past.
****
Justice blinked away the wetness in her eyes and tried to focus on meeting up with nameless and sexy. A two man train robbery. She was in.
Chapter Four
The long hours of sitting on the wooden, albeit finely carved, seat of the motorcycle left Justice with a sore bottom. She turned the bike off and looked at her inauspicious destination. She pulled off her goggles and hung them from the handlebars, and then took the paper out of her tool pouch on the front of the bike, looking at the address again. Yep, this is the place, she thought crossly.
It looked deserted. If she had traveled for so many miles for nothing she was going to kill Sexy. He had obviously been playing with her, was just another one of those men who felt threatened by her skill with a gun and willingness to join them in being bad. Sighing, she flipped her leather clad leg over the bike and put the kickstand down. It began to sink in the sand, so she grabbed a wooden disc out of her pack and placed it under the kickstand. Satisfied that the bike would stay, she decided to look around the place.
A broken window and weathered exterior clearly showed this home was no longer in use, but the desolate setting lent an odd beauty to the structure. It made her want to cry. Was her childhood home as run down without a family’s love? It was a question that she tried not to think about, but suddenly she couldn’t help but imagine how it must look. She hoped squatters had taken it over and cared for it, but if not, she was sure it would look much like this home, like a dry skeleton in the sand. Wind whipped across her face, grating like sandpaper. She tried to shield her eyes, blink the grains away, but was forced to stand, eyes covered until the wind died down. She gasped as she opened her eyes. An imposing figure darkened the shadowed door.
“Hey, Beauty. Glad to see that you made it. I thought you might not have the guts.” Sexy leered from the dark cavern.
“Oh, I’ve got guts,” Justice retorted. “Some might even say steel balls. I want that money and I’m willing to take the risk.”
He stepped forward, coming out into the light and revealing even white teeth and a more attractive face than she remembered.
“You never told me your name,” she said, before Sexy distracted her again.
He smiled. “I’m a man of mystery.”
His deep rich whisper made her tingle, but she replied sharply, “I’m going to risk my life and my freedom on your plan. Give me a name or I ride away.”
“My Christian name is Jeremiah Wallace, but the name on my wanted posters is the name that most folks know me by. Telling you
my real name is me giving you my trust.” He fished around in his pocket and handed her a creased and worn piece of paper. Opening it, she saw that it was a wanted poster. The artist hadn’t captured him well at all. The poster said they wanted him for murder, robbery, debauchery, and disturbing the peace. The name listed was “Steel” Wall. She handed it back with a smile.
“Ok, ‘Steel’, I believe you’re not a lawman. How’d you end up with a name like that?”
“Day before the first time I was arrested, a fella broke his hand trying to punch me. Called me a steel wall. The older guys in the gang thought it was funny, and when we were brought in by the law and they took down our names, one of them answered for me, Steel Wallace. Guess the last part got dropped.”
“My name has always been on my poster,” Justice told him.
“Lucky for you that the artist never saw you, he certainly didn’t draw you right at all.” Steel shrugged. “Don’t ever let them photograph you, Justice. Your fine boned face would be a dead giveaway,” he chuckled, “and if they ever get color out in pictures, that hair’ll bring you in faster than the reward money.”
“If the money is really what you claim, this is my last heist,” Justice replied. “I’m looking to go straight.”
Steel nodded and beckoned her into the derelict house. It was obvious that he’d been using it to lay low for a while. The place was cleaner than some of the places she had hidden out in, but not as clean as most of them. Sand and grim coated the few windows that hadn’t been broken and she could see how sand had accumulated half way to the ceiling in most of the house. He had clearly shoveled out the kitchen to make it habitable. A bedroll on the wood floor and a kerosene lamp indicated this was where he slept. Justice sat down on a low bench that looked recently repaired and the thought suddenly occurred to her—would she be sleeping with him in the house? Alone? Feeling both excitement and dread, she turned to hide her blush, the action covering her discomfort.
“I’m going to take my bike and hide it around back in what’s left of the lean-to. I think it’ll make a good spot to hide it.”
Once outside, Justice took a deep cleansing breath. She had held onto her virginity for far too long to be tempted to throw it away for a nice smile and a sexy voice. Whatever happened, she had to remember that it was the last vow she had left to break, the only scrap of decency she had left.
The sky was already turning pink and golden with the hues of sunset as she tucked her bike in for the evening. She grabbed her bedroll and pack from the bike and, straightening her shoulders, she took another deep breath. If Sexy thought he was going to be using his “steel” on her, he had better think again. Justice was a lot of things, but a slut wasn’t one of them. Over the years, she had shot more than one grabby man in the foot to back him off. Heath had spent a good portion of their time together punching gang members for threatening her. She sometimes missed the security of being able to just go to sleep, knowing Heath wouldn’t let anyone accost her. When she gave herself to a man, if she ever did, it would be because she wanted him more than she even wanted her soul. Sexy was just making her horny, and horny had nothing to do with love.
Justice composed herself and returned to the house where creepy long shadows were beginning to stretch across the run down rooms. She hoped that there weren’t any scorpions or snakes hiding in all the sand surrounding them. She had noticed signs of past animal habitation, but hopefully Steel had taken care of that.
Steel had opened a can of cold beans and she gratefully accepted a plate. Her pack didn’t allow her to carry much more than dried beef, dried apples and a canteen of water. Anything else was always a treat. They ate in companionable silence, Justice on the bench, Steel on the floor. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. After they had both finished, he took her plate over to a washtub on the counter.
“Alright, Se…Steel. Let’s talk details. Let me hear your plan.”
She had almost called him Sexy. She hoped he hadn’t noticed her slip of the tongue.
“Well, Beauty, you are going to wear something mighty respectable and get on the train leaving Austin tomorrow afternoon. About an hour into the ride, you’re going to get up and make your way to the caboose. There’s gonna be a crate marked fragile, and it’s going to be full of money. The war is ending, and not in the Confederate States of America’s favor. Several smart investors traded in their confederate dollars for good old American money. Those men are having their funds transferred to a bank in New York City. You’re going to fill up your suitcases with that money and toss them off the back of the caboose, then you’re going to jump out and my horse and I will be waiting to catch you.”
“Whoa,” Justice interjected. “You’re telling me you want me to jump off the back of a moving steam engine?”
“I plan to catch you.” He sounded offended that she would doubt him.
“Won’t they wonder why I’m bringing empty suitcases on a trip?”
“We’ll fill them with rocks and sand for weight. You’ll just dump them out on the floor and fill ‘em back up with greenbacks.”
Raising her eyebrow at his happy smile, she knew she was just stupid enough to go along with his plan. She sighed in defeat.
“I’m probably going to be laughed at when I get to the pearly gates and they ask me how I died, but hell, I’m in.”
He gave a loud whoop and grabbed her off her bench, swinging her around. She pushed him away and raised her chin to look him in the eye.
“Can I really trust you not to leave me on that train to be arrested, or worse, let me hit the ground when I jump?”
“You have my word, Justice. I promise not to let you get hurt.”
Justice wasn’t convinced, but the look on his face made her want to trust him.
“What about my bike, could you ride that?”
“Oh, hell no, I’m not crazy enough to get on one of those things. You can leave it hidden right here and we’ll come back for it.”
She hated the thought of leaving her bike here, vulnerable, but the money was irresistible.
“So how do you know about these men and their money?”
“I have my sources. Got some friends in high places, just like I’ve got ‘em in low places. Don’t worry. The money will be there. And if it ain’t, you just leave your bags packed up and get off the train, casual as can be, and I’ll pick you up in Dallas. Worst that can happen, you get a nice little train ride.”
He was right, the plan had many advantages, and if she pulled it off, they’d both be filthy rich by this time tomorrow.
He rolled her bedroll out next to his. She raised her eyebrow and set her hands at her hips.
“Warmth and safety, nothing more. Just go to bed, woman,” he responded gruffly.
Satisfied that he didn’t have an ulterior motive, Justice turned, took off her trench coat and hat, and took the pins out of her hair. She let it tumble down around her shoulders and took her small silver brush out of her pack. Slowly, she began to brush the tangles out of her hair. She turned back to Steel when she had finished and blushed at his intense gaze on her. She quickly put the brush away and braided her hair into two plaits. Justice didn’t look at him as she lay down on her bedroll. Even with her back to him she could hear his breathing and smell the masculine musk that was all Steel. Justice fell into a restless sleep.
****
Something was moving on her as she slept. Her hand moved unconsciously to brush it aside but before she could move far, she felt an arm clamp around her. Someone was holding her down. Panic made her eyes shoot open, and even in the darkness, she could see Steel’s face looking down at her. She was about to demand he tell her what the hell he was doing when he sprang so suddenly at her belly she issued a startled shriek. He jumped up, stomping furiously at the ground. Justice pulled herself up to sitting and realized what Steel had just done. He had saved her life. He kicked at the very mashed scorpion.
Shaking from the reality that she might have died a painful d
eath, she rubbed her bare arms for warmth. Never in her life had she been so glad to know someone slept with his boots on. Steel, chest heaving, settled himself back down onto the floor next to her and took her into his arms.
She allowed it, feeling the rush of security. It seemed an impossibly long time since she had last felt secure. He held her for a timeless moment, then pulled back, but Justice leaned into him and pressed her lips lightly to his.
She had never kissed a man before, but the moment felt right. Steel was still and she wondered for a moment if she was doing it wrong, but suddenly, he seemed to catch fire. He wrapped his large hand around her neck and his lips moved over hers, leaving her panting and wanting. When he finally pulled back, his voice was hoarse.
“I’d be keeping those lips to yourself unless you want this to go farther than a simple kiss, Beauty.”
Justice wasn’t sure what she wanted, but suddenly her long held pride of her virginity seemed pointless. She wanted something that she couldn’t name or understand, and she wanted it from him.
Softly, she put her hand on his shoulders and leaned in again, consenting to taking the intimacy farther. He groaned and she felt his nimble fingers begin working the stays on her corset with difficulty. She felt his breath on her neck as he worked the unforgiving garment from her body. His soft cursing made her chuckle—clearly he didn’t undress women every day. Justice was pleased. Steel was adorable when he was sexually frustrated.
Justice gasped when he took his knife out of his boot and cut the knots he’d made in the bottom strings. Obviously, he wanted her naked. His large hands played over the angry red skin as the impossibly tight garment fell away from her body. Cool air touched her and for a moment she couldn’t hold back her doubts and fears. Maybe I should stop this. But her worry quieted as her corset fell open to the cool night air and she felt his calloused fingers on her nipples, pinching them into peaks of pure pleasure. He seemed to instinctively know how to drive her crazy. No one had ever touched her like that before and it made her cry out in delight. He captured her cry in his mouth, a deep low groan indicating that her innocent response enticed him.
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