He decided it was best to be honest with Mrs. Miller. "I'm Reese Starrett, ma'am. I believe that your sons have abducted a woman, and her family wants her back real bad. Your boys are in a lot of trouble, but the law might go easier on them if they turn the woman over unharmed."
Fear reflected in the woman's careworn eyes, and her work-worn hands trembled as she wiped away a tear that was trailing down her cheek. "God help them," she said softly. "I never thought they'd stoop to hurting a woman. Are you sure of what you're a-saying, mister?"
"Yes, ma'am. Otherwise I wouldn't be here bothering you now."
There was pride in her stance as she stared into his eyes. "I've heard tell of you, Mr. Starrett. The word is you're an honest, decent sort of man. If what you say is true, I'm deeply ashamed of my boys."
"It's true, all right. I need to find this woman before they hurt her, Mrs. Miller. If you can help me, I'd appreciate it."
"Who is the woman? It could be that she went with them 'cause she wanted to. Eugene has a way with women."
"I don't think so. Her name is Saber Vincente. You may have heard of her brother, Noble Vincente."
Mrs. Miller's eyes widened with naked fear, and she lowered her head. "Noble Vincente's sister would not have gone willingly with my boys not a lady like her." She shook her head as tears choked her voice. "Lord have mercy, what've they done?"
"There is a witness who says Miss Vincente was kidnapped out of a hotel room by your sons, ma'am."
"Will you promise me that iffen you find them, you won't shoot my boys down? Iffen you'll give me your word, I'll tell you what I know, which ain't much. My boy Sam's young. He ain't mean; he just follows his brothers."
"Mrs. Miller, I can promise you that I won't draw on them first. But if they draw on me, I'll defend myself."
There was acceptance in her expression, and she seemed to age before Reese's eyes.
"I really don't know where they are, Mr. Starrett. They was here three weeks ago, and I heard them talking about meeting up with a Mr. Felton at some saloon in Dallas."
"Would that be Graham Felton, ma'am?"
"I don't know, Mr. Starrett. The man's a stranger to me, and I gathered he's not known to my boys either. I think they was going to work for him." Her voice trailed away. Then she glanced into his eyes. "I hope they haven't hurt the Vincente woman. I've heard enough about Noble Vincente to know he won't stop until my boys are dead."
"Then it might be better for them if I find her first." He touched his hand to the brim of his hat. "Thank you for your time, ma'am. I'll see if I can find them. Good day."
"Mr. Starrett, watch out for my Sam. Iffen he comes home to me, I'll tan his hide and see that he don't ever get in trouble again."
"I'll do my best, ma'am."
Reese felt pity for Mrs. Miller. She seemed an honest, hardworking woman who knew her sons were trouble. She probably had known for a long time that they would come to a bad end. He imagined he'd have to kill one or all of them, and she must have known that too.
His mind rushed ahead. He had to decide what his next move was going to be.
It was early morning, and Saber had spent another sleepless night. Eugene came into the room, and she cringed at the way he stared at her. He walked slowly toward her and pulled her upward, pressing her body against his. She struggled and tried to get away, but he held her fast.
"You make me sick," she said, turning her face away when he attempted to kiss her.
"Do I, little fancy piece? We'll just see about that."
She fought and struggled as he pushed her down on the cot and covered her body with his. At that moment the door burst open, and Earl entered. When he saw what was happening, he leaped across the room and tore Eugene off Saber.
"If you touch her again, you won't ever see another sunset," Earl said angrily. "She's going to bring us money, but not if you don't keep your hands off her."
Sulkily, Eugene slammed out the door. All the rest of that day he kept his distance from Saber, although his eyes seemed to be on her all the time. He made her feel as if he knew what she looked like with her clothes off.
She curled up on the cot, wondering if she would ever be free of these men, or if she would ever feel warm and clean again.
Saber had decided that the youngest brother, Sam, was the least threatening of the three. She hoped to catch him alone so she could attempt to win his confidence and perhaps her freedom. It wasn't likely he would help her, but she was desperate, and he might be her only hope.
Her chance came sooner than she expected. Earl ordered Eugene to ride up the hill and watch the road because he had to leave to meet someone. Earl then mounted his horse and rode out of sight while Eugene grumbled, picked up his rifle, and left.
Saber waited until she was certain that the two older brothers had gone before she ap proached Sam. She would never have a better chance to talk to him alone. She eased herself off the cot and hobbled over to sit beside him on the rickety bench near the wood-burning stove.
Sam glanced at her suspiciously and said in a surly voice, "You best get back to the cot. Earl won't like it none if he finds me talking to you."
"Please don't send me away. I'm so lonely and frightened. Let me talk to you for a moment. If we hear your brothers returning, I promise I'll go back to the cot right away."
He leaned back and looked at her for a long moment. "You've got a right to be afraid."
She gazed purposefully into his eyes; her lips were trembling. "Are your brothers going to kill me?"
He shook his head. "It ain't us you have to fear. 'Course, you need to be watchful of Eugene. He's always been mean to women, and I've seen the way he looks at you. Just stay away from him."
Saber could not suppress the shiver that rushed through her body. Just the touch of Eugene's hand on her had made her feel sick inside. "Did he do anything to me before I woke up?"
Sam saw her fear and tried to calm her. "I don't know. He was alone with you for more than an hour after we brought you here. But you don't have to fear him any now because Earl won't let him hurt you none." He lowered his voice, although there were only the two of them in the room. "You just have to make sure you ain't alone with him." His eyes widened as he looked into her eyes, and a blush stained his rough cheeks. "You're 'bout the prettiest woman I've ever seen. I ain't never talked to no grand lady before. What's your front name?"
"My what?"
"Your front name-you know, your given name?"
"Saber. My name is Saber."
He grinned, looking boyish. "That sounds more like a weapon than a name, ma'am."
"It is a family name on my father's side." She could see that he was softening toward her, and she wanted to take advantage of that softness while she could. "May I call you Sam?"
He nodded, unable to look into her brilliant blue eyes. "I reckon there's no harm in it. But only when we're alone."
"I understand. Sam, I would like to think we would have been friends if we had met under other circumstances."
She saw him swallow hard as he raised his gaze to her. "You wouldn't even have spoken to me if we'd met on the street, ma'am. You'da sashayed past me in your fancy duds, never even noticing me. I ain't good enough to-"
"Don't think that," she said, reaching out her hand to him, and then letting it fall to her side when she saw a blush stain his face once more. "You have been kind to me. I believe in returning kindness with kindness."
He shot to his feet. "I can't help you none, so if you're working up to me, hoping I'll turn on my brothers, you can forget it."
Saber shook her head. "No, I don't expect you to do that. It's just that I am so afraid."
He turned back to her, his eyes filled with pity. "I don't know what's going to happen to you when we turn you over to Graham Felton. He's a mean one, and he never let us know what he wants with you."
Her heart was thudding. "Are you saying my kidnapping wasn't a random act that someone hired you and your brothers to abduct me?"
He was shaking, and fear lit his eyes. She watched as he wiped his sweaty palms down his stained trousers. "You won't tell my brothers I told you about Mr. Felton, will you? I don't know what Earl'd do. My being his brother won't stop him."
"Of course not, Sam. I would never do anything to make trouble for you. Please tell me everything you know."
"Well, this Graham Felton hired us to capture you and bring you here. Earl's gone into town to let him know we have you, and he'll let us know where to take you."
"Who is Graham Felton? I've never heard of him."
"We ain't never met him neither. One of his men hunted us up and asked us to do the job for him. So we did, 'cause he offered us a lot of money for you."
"What could he want with me?"
Sam looked puzzled and shook his head. "Just know that Felton is supposed to be the meanest varmint who ever walked the earth. When he takes you away, you might want to do everything he says. I've heard he kills people for no reason."
"Sam, why would he want me?"
"Money, most probably. Your brother's rich, ain't he?"
"Yes, he is." Saber thought for a moment. "Sam, if you and your brothers would take me back, my brother would pay you more money than Mr. Felton is offering."
"No!" His face whitened. "We ain't going to do any such thing. You may think Earl is just a nogood, but when he makes a deal, he keeps it."
Saber's heart sank. "Can you tell me anything more about Mr. Felton?"
"I tol' you I ain't ever laid eyes on the man. I 'spect you'll be meeting him sooner than you want to."
Neither of them had heard Eugene ride up. He stood in the doorway, glaring at his brother.
"Sam, get yourself off and watch the road for a spell. I'll guard our prisoner."
"No, I ain't," Sam said defiantly. "Earl tol' me to stay with the woman, and that's just what I aim to do."
Eugene's face reddened in anger. "Boy, you'll do what I tell you to, and you'll do it now. I've got me an itch for this pretty lady. She won't be none the worse for my loving on her."
Sam surprised both Eugene and Saber when he moved to stand in front of her. "If you don't leave her alone, I'll tell Earl when he gets back. You know he won't like it none. Most probably he'll shoot you down like a dog."
Saber was trembling with fear when she saw the murderous look in Eugene's eyes. "You wouldn't tell, Sam, because iffen you do, you'll live just long enough to regret it," Eugene threatened.
The younger brother stood his ground between Saber and Eugene. "I won't let you get at her. I swear I'll shoot you down if you come near her."
Saber saw Eugene waver. His hand went to his gun, and she knew in that second that he wouldn't hesitate to shoot his own brother. "If Sam doesn't tell Earl, I will." She threw her head back and glared at him. "If you lay one hand on me or Sam, Earl will hear about it."
Eugene looked undecided. Damn it! She was tying him in knots, and he wanted her beneath him. But his good sense won out over his burning lust... for now, anyway.
"I wonder what Graham Felton would do if he knew you laid hands on this woman?" Sam asked in a cold voice. "We don't know what he wants with her. He may want her for his woman. Felton ain't a man to cross. He said he wanted this woman unharmed, and he meant it."
At the sound of Graham Felton's name, Eugene's face paled. He turned and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.
Saber pressed her hand over her heart, more frightened than ever. But she tried to push her fear aside, knowing there was nothing to gain by giving in to it. If a man like Eugene was afraid of Mr. Felton, then what kind of monster must he be?
Sam moved to the window and watched his brother ride away. "I don't think he'll be bothering you no more. No sirree. He's no coward, but he don't want to rile Graham Felton any."
Saber lay down across the hard bench, unmindful of the splinters. Her body was shaking with fear. Turning her head to the wall, she closed her eyes and cried silently. There was no help for her. Not even her brother, Noble, could help her now. And Matthew had to know about her abduction by now-what must he be thinking?
"He won't bother you anymore," Sam said again, thinking she was crying because of his brother, Eugene.
"But what about Graham Felton?"
Sam turned back to the window, hating to think about this soft, beautiful woman in that mad dog's hands. He liked Saber Vincente-he hadn't wanted to, but she was nice. "Like as not, he's seen you somewhere and wants you for his woman."
His words brought no comfort to Saber, and she could not stop her tears from falling.
Acting on a strong hunch, Reese had camped near the road south of Dallas for three days. He'd watched the people who came his way, but none of them were the Miller brothers. One of the men he spoke to was able to give him a good description of the two older brothers.
For all he knew, the Millers might already have turned Miss Vincente over to Graham Felton. But he was gambling that the meeting hadn't yet taken place. Felton would be cautious, knowing that the whole state of Texas would be searching for the Vincente woman. Reese expected him to meet with the brothers and then decide where the woman was to be exchanged.
He was also gambling that the Miller brothers would attempt to sneak into Dallas by swimming their horses across the Trinity River rather than taking the ferry, where people might recognize them.
Reese shaded his eyes and judged it to be the noon hour. If none of the Miller brothers had shown up by evening, he'd ride into Dallas and see if he could pick up their trail from there.
It was late afternoon when he saw the dust of a lone rider approaching. He urged his horse behind a thick cedar bush, waiting and watching.
As the rider drew near, Reese guided his horse into the man's path and aimed his rifle at his heart. "Stop where you are," he commanded in a harsh voice. "And don't move."
The stranger pulled back on the reins and looked at Reese, seemingly undaunted. "If it's money you're after, you won't get much from me, mister."
Reese shook his head. "Don't want your money I'm after information." He could see a strong resemblance between the stranger and Mrs. Miller. They had the same shape face, the same color eyes. And this man fit the description of the older brother, Earl. Reese could tell a lot about a man just by looking into his eyes. While Mrs. Miller's eyes had been honest and heavy with sadness, her son's eyes held a mendacious expression, and there was something sly and deceitful in the dark depths.
"Unbuckle your gun belt and drop it to the ground," Reese ordered. "Then carefully ease that rifle out of the holster and drop it, too."
Earl Miller looked into the stranger's hard, cold eyes and knew he meant exactly what he said. Slowly he unbuckled his gun belt and let it drop. He then unholstered his rifle and pitched it to the ground.
Reese motioned with his rifle. "Dismount slowly, but keep your hands where I can see them at all times."
Earl did as he was told, although he had trouble removing his foot from the stirrup with his hands in the air. Reese encouraged him by cocking the rifle and leveling it right between his eyes.
"Damn it, what do you want from me?"
"Let's start with your name. Who are you?"
Earl's eyes narrowed. There was something going on that he didn't quite understand. If the man didn't want his money, what did he want? No one could know that he'd kidnapped the Vincente woman-he'd been too careful in covering his tracks. But what if he was wrong; what if this man was a lawman? What if he had found out about the kidnapping and tracked him?
"Keep those hands up," Reese ordered when Earl dropped one arm.
Earl stared directly into the stranger's eyes. He was no coward, but he read something in those silver depths that warned him the stranger wouldn't hesitate to shoot him dead.
"And if I don't feel like telling you my name?" Earl asked recklessly, testing the stranger.
Reese shrugged with indifference. "Then you'd only be hurting yourself." Without hesitation, he aimed his rifle and
fired.
Earl let out a cry of pain, followed by outraged cursing. He grabbed his ear and blood poured through his fingers. "Damn it to hell! Why'd you go and shoot my ear, you bastard?"
"So you'd know I'm serious," Reese replied in a voice as hard as steel. "You might want to remember that I always hit what I aim at." The rifle moved to Earl's heart. "Now I'm only going to ask you one more time," Reese warned. "What's your name?"
Earl licked his dry lips, and in spite of the chilled air, sweat popped out on his upper lip. There was no doubt in his mind that the rifleman meant what he said. And he had a feeling that the man already knew who he was, so he didn't dare lie to him not with that rifle aimed at his heart. "Name's Earl," he said hurriedly. "Earl Miller." His eyes hardened, and he won dered if he could reach the derringer that was hidden in his sleeve before the man could pull the trigger. "Who are you, and why d'you want to know my name?"
Reese leaned forward, cradling the rifle across his arm, and said softly, "Earl, I'm your worst fear."
Earl could no longer look into those cold, penetrating eyes. "I don't even know you. What've you got against me?"
With the creaking of saddle leather, Reese dismounted, keeping his rifle trained on Earl Miller. "Let's just say that you have something that belongs to a friend of mind, and he wants it back."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Earl could feel the metal of his hidden derringer against his bare flesh. If he could keep the man talking and distract him, he'd have a chance at a clear shot, but he'd better aim for the heart because if he didn't kill this man, he'd be the one to die. "What does your friend think I have that belongs to him?"
Reese moved a step closer, and Earl took a step back. "Let's not waste time on meaningless conversation, Earl. You have a woman who doesn't belong to you, and you're going to take me to her, right now." He took another step toward Earl. "But first I want you to tell me about your deal with Graham Felton and where in Dallas you are supposed to meet him."
Ride The Wind (Vincente 3) Page 3