“Me and Biggers, here, want to let you in on something the two of us are workin’ on.” He hesitated and scuffed his boot over the sandy floor. He seemed to make a decision about whatever worried him and squared his shoulders.
“Welder said you could be trusted—that you wouldn’t turn us in or rat us out to Sutton. He said you and Thad are one of us.”
Understanding dawned. Welder had fallen for his story about returning to the life of an outlaw. Now he just had to keep up the appearance, which was harder than he expected it to be. He hadn’t been an outlaw since the War Between the States. But even after living that way almost his entire life, Tate simply couldn’t think like that anymore, and that realization stymied him.
“Go on,” Tate said, forcing a confidence he didn’t feel into his voice.
“Sutton’s gotta lot to answer for in this valley,” the second man said. “And me and Adams here are gonna do something about it.”
“That’s right,” Adams agreed.
“There are a whole group of us—at least six miners—who’re tired of his lies. Man’s cheatin’ us out of our rightful earnings! He promised us a cut of the silver. We keep pullin’ out ore, but he hasn’t paid us. We got together with a few other miners and decided to take our money from the bank. The boys will take turns digging through the wall, and the dynamite man says he can get us into the safe.”
Tate moved the pickaxe between his legs and rested his forearm over the hand gripping the end of the axe handle.
“What do you need me for?”
“You need to keep Sutton away from here. Everything’s supposed to go down the day of the deposit, in a day or two, if he keeps to the schedule. Sutton usually stays late, sometimes even sleeps there. Like a dragon guarding his hoard, if you ask me,” Adams said, his calloused fingers scratching at his beard.
Tate gave each man a dark scowl.
“And just how do you propose I keep him away? From what I can tell, he’s never too far away from anything he owns.”
Biggers grinned. At least Tate assumed he was grinning from the way his long, unkempt mustache moved up. Thankfully, it still covered his rotting teeth, which he’d caught a glimpse of the first time Biggers opened his mouth.
“You could use that fancy travelin’ actor troupe. They should hit town in the morning, and during their show tomorrow night, we hit the bank.”
Tate considered that bit of information and couldn’t find fault with the plan. It could work.
“Fine,” he said. “Count me and Thad in, as long as we get ten percent each.”
“What makes you think we’d give you that much?” Biggers asked. “We’re the ones doing the breakin’ in!”
Tate gave the man his best deadpan look. The emotionless look had intimidated some of the best outlaws and didn’t fail him now as both men took a quick step back.
“Ten percent—each,” Adams said and swallowed.
“It will be nice to have a bit of extra money,” Tate said. “Sutton hasn’t paid me what I’m worth either.”
Adams nodded. “We’ve heard of you. Welder backed up the stories.” His eyes widened with excitement as he leaned toward Tate.
“You really friends with them outlaws...Jesse Evans and his gang?”
“I am. Also ran with the kid and Tom Hill once or twice.”
Biggers grabbed Adams’ arm, jerking up and down on it as he bounced on the balls of his feet.
“Damnation!” He turned to his partner. “See? Told you we picked the right man for the job!”
Adams only nodded and brushed off the other man’s hand. “Well, I haven’t seen anything yet and stories are just stories until proven. You keep up your end of the bargain and maybe then I’ll trust ya.”
Tate kept his watchful gaze on the men as they hurried from the tunnel. He wasn’t sure if what he’d just agreed to was brilliant—and exactly what they needed to take Sutton in—or the stupidest thing he’d ever done. He gave the pickaxe a few more throws, but his previous energy was gone. Dropping the tool onto the tin bucket full of rocks, he walked between the cart tracks as he made his way out of the mine.
Cutting through the forest, he scanned the surrounding area, relying on years of paranoia and dodging the law, to catch something out of the ordinary. His instincts had saved his and Thad’s life on several occasions, so becoming complacent now could get him and his best friend killed. Possibly even Cat, now that she was in the middle of this.
Stepping onto the porch, he stomped the snow and bits of mud from his boots and opened his front door.
“Cat?” he hollered, but only silence greeted him. With his hand still on the doorknob, he turned toward the saloon with a frown. He closed the door again and stepped back into the street, pulling up his collar as the snow fall thickened, obscuring everything around him in a thick blanket of whiteness.
He followed the sounds of the tinny piano coming from inside the saloon. Every few seconds, a burst of laughter would drown out the music. He stepped through the partially closed door and moved to the alcove underneath the stairwell and glanced around the room. So far, no one had noticed his presence. His gaze moved from the bar, where the bartender refilled an empty drink tray. The girl waiting on the drinks picked the tray up with a smile and walked toward the tables at the far end of the room.
Turning toward another burst of laughter, he recognized Thad’s dark brown hair and broad shoulders through the hazy cigar smoke. Before he could take a step toward him, Thad moved, and Tate saw who he was talking to. Cat smiled up at Thad, a teasing glint in her eyes. She reached over and laid her hand on Thad’s shoulder.
Out of nowhere, anger and jealousy erupted from deep inside Tate. Why was she looking at Thad that way—and touching him?
He stalked toward them and caught his wife’s gaze. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a small ‘o’. She said something to Thad then turned and fled into the hall leading to the rooms tucked in behind the stage. His steps slowed as Thad turned toward him.
If Tate didn’t know him better, he would have construed the red hue creeping up his friend’s neck and jawline as embarrassment. They were up to something.
Tamping down the anger, Tate stopped in front of his best friend and crossed his arms over his chest.
“There something you need to tell me, Thad?”
Thad frowned and shook his head.
“No. I grabbed a quick bowl of stew and was getting ready to head back to the mine when I ran into Cat. Talked with a few of the miners who were here. A few of them think something’s in the wind—a coup maybe? And most are downright ticked at not being paid by Sutton for last month’s wages.”
Tate nodded. “I heard the same thing. In fact, that’s why I’m here.”
He glanced scanned the room as if looking for a table and pulled Thad toward the back wall. Two miners glanced up from their game of cards. Without a word, they gathered up the deck and scurried out of their way.
Both of them moved the chairs until neither one had their back to the room, and they could see anyone coming toward them. Old habits die hard, but turning your back to a room full of disgruntled and half-drunk men was just asking for a knife between the ribs.
Resting his arms on the table, Tate leaned toward Thad.
“I was just approached by Biggers and Adams. They asked for our help...to rob the bank.”
Thad’s eyes widened, his brows disappearing underneath the brim of his hat. He, too, leaned in closer.
“What in the hell do they want us to do?”
“They want us to keep Sutton away from the bank while they rob the safe. We’ll both receive ten percent of whatever they find in the vault.”
Thad’s eyes widened. “Ten? Do you realize how much Sutton has in that vault? Cat just told me she overheard Rose Marie bragging about how much Big John trusted her and that she could have her pick of any of the jewels stashed inside. She also said there were stacks of money—so many he would soon need a new vault to hold it all.�
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Tate scowled toward the hallway where Cat had disappeared.
“So that’s what the two of you were talking about. You looked all cozied up. Might give people the wrong impression that you’re moving in on my wife.”
The flush returned to Thad’s face, this time in anger.
“Seriously? You would accuse me... me ...of trying to steal your woman?” He sat back in disgust as the music started up again, readying for the next girl’s appearance on the stage.
“You know damn good and well I would never steal another man’s woman. Not after—”
“Get hold of yourself, Thad.” Tate raised his palms toward his friend.
“That’s not what I was implying. After what happened to Annabella...”
The blood drained from Thad’s face, and Tate scrubbed his face in frustration, pushing his hat to the back of his head. Tugging on the brim to pull it forward again, he let his hand fall back to the table, wishing the men had, at least, left the cards behind. He desperately needed something to do with his hands.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought her up, but if that was my first thought, then what was everyone else in here thinking? What would Sutton think if he came in and saw the two of you talking so close together—her hand on your shoulder? I’m not accusing you of anything, Thad. Just be more careful.”
Thad nodded. “We were only talking. She wanted me to tell you what Rose Marie said, that’s it. She put her hand on my shoulder to reassure me she wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
Relief pulsed through Tate. He trusted Thad with his life, but the newfound emotions regarding his wife had him chasing his own tail and running in circles.
Cheers and whistles filled the saloon and a woman’s sultry voice began to sing, drawing his and Thad’s gazes to the stage. Heart pounding in his chest, Tate sat mesmerized and dumbfounded as the woman plaguing his every waking moment, as well as his dreams, sat on a stool near the edge of the platform in a tight red corset. Again.
She was singing in that getup, again. One black stockinged leg hung over the other, just like the last time, and her red shoe’s high heel perched on the front rung of the chair’s legs, slightly bouncing in time with the music. Only the furtive glance his way and the way her fingers gripped the sides of the stage told him how nervous she was.
If he wasn’t so desperate to stop Sutton from killing more miners in his quest to take over the area’s producing mines, he’d drag her from the stage and never let her return to the saloon. As it was, she’d already proven her worth by gathering important information. Still didn’t sit well with him, though. He didn’t want her in front of these men like that. The urge to kill every last one of them just for seeing her dressed like that forced him forward a few steps before he got hold of himself and his rampant emotions.
The haunting melody wove her magic around his heart and through his mind as she sang of heartache and a love lost when her man leaves her to never return. The heavy stone lying where his heart should have been cracked open just a little bit, and he knew, instinctively, Cat was singing about him. When the song ended, a heavy quiet hung over the saloon then burst as ear-splitting whistles and applause erased filled the saloon. She was up there for him.
Cat turned a radiant smile on the audience as her gaze moved around the room. She slid off the stool and gave a quick curtsy. Without looking toward him, she hurried off the stage and disappeared from sight when the other dance girls closed around her.
“Well, that wife of yours is just full of surprises, isn’t she?” Thad muttered with a grin.
“Glad Sutton wasn’t in here to see or hear that or we’d never keep him away.”
Cold fear sliced through the warm, fuzzy sensation in his chest. He stood so abruptly, the chair he sat on tumbled backward. Thad grabbed for his arm, but Tate sidestepped him and strode to the back room where Cat would be changing into her regular dress. Clothes that covered her delicious curves. Clothing his fingers ached to remove.
He pushed against the door so hard, the latch broke through the doorframe, the flimsy door slamming against the wall and almost hitting him as it bounced back again. Grabbing the outer edge of the door, he shoved it behind him, uncaring whether it closed or not and marched across the room to where Cat stood. Her knuckles were white as she gripped her dress to her front, and wide-eyed gaze staring at him in fear.
He stopped in front of her, the toes of his boots touching the tips of her high-heeled red shoes as he glared at her.
“What in the hell kind of performance was that?”
“I...I work here. I also thought—”
He pressed her back against the wall.
“No, Catriona, you were not thinking. Do you realize what would have happened if Sutton had seen your little performance?” He gaze dropped, lingering on the swell of her full breasts as each deep breath pushed them higher. Toward him. He fisted his hands to stop them from moving up to touch her, from feeling her soft skin.
Forcing his gaze back to hers, he sneered. “And what do you think Big John would have done if he’d seen you dressed like this...no better than a common prostitute, showing everything God gave you?”
Her face went pale, but he was past caring.
“Your actions could have risked everything Thad and I have done here!”
He turned and paced a few steps in front of her, trying to reign in his anger, but the thought of something happening to her...the thought of Sutton touching her filled him with an overwhelming fear and helplessness.
Cat was too headstrong for her own good, and he was no longer sure he could stop her from doing something stupid— something he wouldn’t be able to fix.
“I’m sorry, Tate. I was only trying to help,” she said in a small voice.
She sounded lost and defeated, which made him feel even worse. He strode to the door but stopped, his hand wrapped around what was left of the broken knob. He smelled the stale smoke from hundreds of cigars coating the painted door.
“I know you were, Cat, I do.” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t do what I need to do, fight my own problems and make sure nothing happens to you too. I appreciate your wanting to help, but I need you to stay out of Big John’s sights. Just keep your ears and eyes open and don’t go searching for answers.”
* * *
Cat’s husband stalk from the room, his body stiff as if he were holding himself back. What had she done? She tightened her grip around her blouse, holding it like a safety blanket as Tate’s words sank in. Her tensed muscles shook until she was close to collapse.
“He’s right, you know.”
She whirled around, almost falling, to find Rose Marie standing behind the large, round dressing mirror, which only partially blocked her voluptuous curves.
“What? How?” Cat peered around the woman, trying to figure out how she’d entered the room. Just like Welder had.
Rose Marie smiled. “From your stuttering, I assume you’re trying to figure out how I got in here?”
Cat nodded.
“Well, let’s just say I’ve discovered a few of this building’s secrets. There are two rooms that have secret doors leading outside. John had the saloon built to his specifications, and he is, if nothing else, one of the most paranoid men I’ve ever known.”
“Why are you telling me this? You don’t like me.”
Rose Marie’s smile twisted to one side.
“Actually, I have nothing against you. In fact, your arrival and John’s subsequent interest in you helped me. He was already becoming suspicious of me.”
She waved her arm toward the footstool sitting on the other side of the table.
“You might want to sit before you collapse. The shaking of your legs is quite impressive. I would have thought you would have crumpled by now.”
Cat stepped over to the stool and dropped onto the tapestry-covered cushion, grateful for the woman’s suggestion.
“Why would he be suspicious? I thought you were his woman.”
“No. I don’t believe he’s ever really looked at a woman as anything other than property. Something to parade around and show off. Until you.” Her golden brown eyes speared Cat’s.
“I came to warn you. John is planning something. The what, I haven’t discovered yet, but I know the who. He plans on taking you from Tate.”
“I’m Tate’s wife. What is he going to do, kill him just to get me?”
Rose Marie’s gaze never wavered.
“There were four of us at one time—two girls and two boys. Sutton became infatuated with my sister, but she wouldn’t even look at him. She only had eyes for her husband. Sutton couldn’t handle the rejection and killed my sister’s husband and son to get to her. When she refused to go with him, he killed her too.”
Cat closed her eyes, swallowing past the lump of fear growing in her throat.
“I’m so sorry. I know well the pain of losing someone close to you. My mother died in a fire set by a Confederate unit camping on our land, and my father was killed crossing the Mississippi River. From his injuries, I can only assume someone tried to rob him, but we spent the last of our money on our boat tickets, so he died for nothing...like your sister.” She met the other woman’s understanding gaze.
“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To make him pay somehow for what he did to your family?”
Rose Marie nodded. “I did what I had to do. I told him the lies he wanted to hear—that I loved him. My brothers always told me I should have been an actress. It may seem we had a relationship, in the biblical way, but he kept me at arms’ length, but I continued to try. I hoped one day I would get the chance to avenge my sister’s death. I was beginning to despair of that, though, until your husband and his friend showed up. I haven’t quite figured out your position in all of this, but I will.”
Cat’s eyes widened. “Adams…Monty Adams was your brother as well?”
Rose Marie’s lips pressed into a line. “He was. Now, though, I came to warn you. The house has a hidden door leading from the root cellar—the door between the kitchen and sitting room—to the springhouse out back. He can come and go without you even knowing he’s been there.”
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