The Emperor's Bride (Belles & Bullets Book 6)

by Caylen McQueen

  Lines etched across Josiah's forehead when opened the bag and peered inside. “Where'd you get this kind of money, Amberley?”

  “Gambling.” Nicky glanced in Jun's direction as he told the lie. Since she was only one who saw him take it, he hoped she wouldn't snitch on him.

  “Damn, really?” As his fingers sifted through the money, Josiah's blue eyes danced with excitement. For the first time in several days, a true smile lifted his lips. “I knew you were good at bluffing, Nicky, but I didn't know you were that good.”

  “Well... yeah.” Nicky gave his greasy hair a nervous scratch. Ironically, he was bluffing at that very moment. “So... are we going to go to Gravestone? Are we finally going to free Pat?”

  “That sounds like a good enough plan to me.” Josiah leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette. “Where is everyone else going?” He didn't dare to look at Carol because he dreaded her answer.

  It was Jun who spoke next, albeit timidly. “I need to get to Santo Feo.”

  “What's in Santo Feo?” asked the elder Cole brother.

  “Um... well...” When Josiah turned his eyes on her, Jun could feel herself shrinking in her chair. His blue-eyed gaze had a debilitating effect on all her senses. Her head was a jumbled mess. “I need to find my uncle. A few days ago, I was dragged to Columbigo against my will. I thought my uncle might help me.”

  “Then I'll help you get there!” Nicky boldly declared. “I said I'd help you, so I'll help you! Helping is what Nicky does!”

  Jun shook her head. “But you've already done so much for me, Nicky. I couldn't ask for anything else.”

  “Not to mention...” Before speaking again, Josiah brought his cigarette to his lips and took a long drag. “You need to get your ass to Gravestone, Nicky. For Pat.”

  “You can go to Gravestone, Jo. Both of us don't need to go.” As he stared into the eyes of the world's most beautiful woman—which is precisely what she was, according to him—a dopey smile spread across Nicky's wide lips. “You get Pat, I'll go with Jun. It's as simple as that.”

  Josiah turned an appraising eye to Jun. “Are you alright with Nicky coming with you? I know that boy can be a burden. Believe me... I know.”

  Jun nodded. While she would have rather been escorted by the blue-eyed man sitting across from her, she appreciated Nicky's company. It was better than being alone. “He can come.”

  “Carol?” When Josiah turned to the blonde woman sitting beside him, her mouth was gaping, and she was staring at a crack in the ceiling. He wondered if she heard even the slightest bit of their conversation. “Carol!”

  Carol snapped to attention. “Yeah! Whoa, buddy! Huh? What?”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Umm... with you, I guess,” Carol said with a shrug. “Is that okay?”

  “I can live with it.” Finally, Josiah turned his attention to his younger, quieter brother. “And I assume you're coming with me, Flynn?”

  Flynn solemnly shook his head.

  “No? You want to go with Nicky and Jun?”

  Flynn's head changed direction. Suddenly, he was nodding.

  Josiah's gaze returned to Jun, who hadn't stopped staring at him since they entered the pub. “Yeah, Flynn's smitten with you alright.” As he flicked his cigarette's ashes to the ground, he brazenly added, “Not that I blame him.”

  When Josiah winked at her, Jun's heart leapt in her chest.

  She was smitten with him.

  Fourteen

  The two horses trotted under a continuously shifting orange sky. Jun was riding with Flynn, and that made the ride to Santo Feo infinitely more pleasant for him. Every time he remembered he was wrapped in the arms of a beauty, he sat up a bit taller and prouder in his saddle.

  But it wasn't Jun's choice to ride with Flynn. She had to, because Nicky had the ugliest, mangiest, most ornery horse in existence. Nicky called him “Buckles,” and he was a light gray beast with sleepy eyes and a slender frame. His mane was gray and tangled, his coat was patchy and rough, and he had the hugest teeth of any known equine.

  His temperament was equally unpleasant. He spontaneously stopped moving and decided to nibble on a patch of grass. “Buckles!” Nicky whined his horse's name. “Buckles, don't be an asshole! You're making me look bad!”

  When he realized Nicky was several yards behind him, Flynn had to turn his horse around and check on him. “Nicky, what are you--” Flynn started to speak, but his voice died in his throat when he remembered Jun was behind him.

  “Buckles... if you behave, I'll give you a nice, big carrot when we get to Santo Feo!” Nicky promised the stubborn steed. “Maybe I'll even throw in a juicy red apple. So, uh... why don't you stop what you're doing and just start moving again? You'd be doing me a big favor, buddy.”

  Buckles snorted and shook his head. He didn't budge.

  “Buckles... come on, man!” Nicky gave the animal's ears an encouraging scratch. “Come on, Old Buckle-roo, I know you've got it in you!”

  “Buckles!” Jun called to Nicky's horse. “Buckles, let's go!”

  Inspired by the sound of Jun's sweet voice, Buckles abandoned his patch of grass and took off running, faster than ever. In fact, he was moving so fast that Nicky actually had to slow his pace, which was unusual for Buckles.

  “So...” Jun began. Ever since they left Busybee, her mind was consumed by a single thought, but she hesitated to broach the topic. “Do you think we'll ever run into Carol and Josiah again?” Her interest was in the latter, not the former.

  “Possibly. It'll take us longer to get to Santo Feo. If they decide to head there after Gravestone, we might meet them on the road.”

  “Is Carol his girlfriend?”

  “Hell if I know!” Nicky exclaimed. Flynn was rapidly shaking his head, wishing he could participate in the conversation, but his crush on Jun had silenced him.

  “How long have you known Josiah?” Jun asked.

  “Since I was a boy. He was my older brother's friend. He used to look out for me when I was a kid. He even beat up some bullies for me once.” When Nicky looked over at Jun, his eyebrow was raised. “You seem awfully interested in Josiah.”

  “What? No! I'm just curious!” As their horses climbed a hill, Jun tightened her grip on Flynn's waist. Unbeknownst to her, the younger Cole's lips were overcome by a blissful smile.

  “I think the stars might be coming out soon,” Nicky observed. “It might be a good idea if we made camp for the night.”

  Flynn halted his horse, pointed at the sky, and nodded. Then he leapt from his horse with such vigor and virility, Nicky hated him for it. He couldn't hope to match Flynn's fluid dismount, especially when he had a horse like Buckles.

  Flynn helped Jun from the back of the horse, and when she was safely on her feet, she whispered, “Thank you...”

  Flynn nodded, gave his stallion's mane a stroke, and went to tie it up.

  “I'm uh... yeeeeah, I'm not that good with horses,” Nicky confessed as he sloppily slid from his saddle. When he landed on his feet, he stumbled a bit. “I don't like horses all that much, and horses don't like me.”

  At that very moment, Buckles snorted. It was as if Nicky's horse understood—and agreed.

  “I'd never ridden a horse until today,” Jun said. “I'm grateful to Flynn for making it a pleasant first experience.”

  The silent Cole smiled at her, but he couldn't meet her gaze for long. Jun was so beautiful, Flynn didn't feel worthy of having her eyes on his.

  “Flynn's good at making fires!” Nicky said with a snap of his fingers. “Hop to it, boy!”

  With a roll of his eyes, Flynn collected the necessary tinder. While he was busy, Jun temporarily left their camp, presumably to answer the call of nature. As she walked away, Nicky heaved a dreamy sigh as he studied the sway of her hips.

  “That girl... damn!” Nicky cried. “If only she liked me half as much as I like her!”

  Since Jun was gone, Flynn found his voice again. “We should have taken some of
your winnings and bought an airship ticket to Santo Feo. It would've been a lot faster.”

  Nicky's eyes swelled at the thought. “Shit, Flynn, why didn't you say that sooner, you little bastard? Hell, we could've been there already!”

  “No one asked me.”

  Nicky socked his arm. “You gotta speak up next time!”

  “I... couldn't.” Flynn fidgeted with the tinder he held in his hands. “I wanted to, but...”

  “You couldn't speak up because of Jun, right?” Nicky was so disgusted with Flynn, he rolled his eyes twice. “Damn, you've got to get over your inability to talk to pretty girls, Flynn! Do you want to look pitiful for the rest of your life?”

  “I'm not pitiful...” Flynn grumbled.

  “Like hell you're not! I've never known a guy who couldn't say a single word to a pretty female! It makes you look like a baby! How long are you going to be like this, huh? Some girls might think it's cute right now, but how is it going to look in another ten years? Twenty years? Are you going to be a forty-year-old man who can't talk to women?”

  “Just leave me alone!” Flynn dropped his tinder and punched Nicky's arm. He needed revenge.

  Nicky punched him again. “Someone's got to help you get over this nonsense! You're like a little brother to me, boy. I just want to help you!”

  Flynn unleashed a fist on Nicky's stomach. “I don't need your help! And I ain't that much younger than you!”

  Nicky buried an elbow in Flynn's chest. “Of course you need my help. Man, I bet you can't even say hi to Jun when she gets back!”

  “Yeah I can!” exclaimed Flynn, who punched Nicky's arm again.

  “Oh yeah? Prove it!”

  By the time Jun returned, Nicky and Flynn's fists were flying liberally, slamming into guts and shoulders. She paused beside them, disapprovingly shaking her head. When Flynn spotted her, Nicky had him in a headlock. Ignoring her disgusted expression, Flynn said, “Hi.”

  “You two are acting like children.”

  Jun thought she was stating the obvious, but Nicky disagreed. “Actually, we're acting like men, but sometimes men act like little boys. Believe me, it even happens to the best of us.”

  A tight-lipped Flynn nodded solemnly.

  When Jun sat down, Nicky released Flynn from the headlock. Flynn's fists slowly unclenched, then he finished building the fire.

  “So, uh... Junebug.” Nicky collapsed on the ground right next to her and patiently waited for an opportunity to wrap an arm around her. “How did you get to Columbigo, anyway?”

  Jun decided to give them the abbreviated version of her tale. “The emperor wanted me to be his wife. He chose me... and I didn't have a choice in the matter. We flew to Columbigo for the wedding, but I escaped before it happened.”

  “So... you're basically a fugitive?”

  “Kind of.”

  “Do you think this emperor guy might be looking for you?”

  “It's possible.”

  “Well, we'll protect you. Especially me,” claimed a winking Nicky. “And to be honest, I can't blame the guy for wanting you. You're probably the prettiest girl I've ever seen.”

  Jun's cheeks were warmed by his compliment. “I'm not that pretty.”

  “You are!” Nicky turned his attention to Flynn, who was trying to toss more sticks onto his budding fire. “Don't you think she's pretty, Flynn?” When Flynn started to nod, Nicky lectured him, “Don't just bow your head! Say it, man!”

  “I...” Flynn wanted to say I think she's really pretty too, but the sentence proved to be too much for him, so he settled on a quick, “yeah.”

  As soon as the fire was blazing, the three of them split a can of beans and a small portion of fruit. Nicky bored her with stories about Buckles, and how he had trained him to run backwards. Then he told her about Flynn's unique talent for firing two guns behind him, over his shoulders, with remarkable accuracy. She almost asked for stories about Josiah, but her eyelids were getting heavy, so she decided to turn in for the night. Constant traveling had exhausted her.

  It didn't take Flynn long to fall asleep either. As a frequent drifter, he was used to sleeping whenever and wherever he had a pillow. Nicky, on the other hand, was spoiled. He preferred a nice, warm bed. Even more so, he preferred a nice warm bed without the risk of being eaten alive by mosquitoes. They feasted on his blood, which kept him up all night, itching, scratching and panicking about how many of the little monsters were circling him. After several hours of tossing and turning, he cursed himself for insisting on taking Jun to Santo Feo. Even though he liked her, he was starting to think the feeling was far from mutual. When he was done cursing himself, he cursed Flynn for failing to speak up about airships. If the younger Cole wasn't voiceless, they might have descended into Santo Feo hours ago.

  Several hours later, the sun rose, as did Jun. As soon as she saw Nicky's open eyes, she whispered, “Did you sleep?”

  “That depends. Does blinking count toward sleeping?” Nicky chuckled at his remark, but Jun looked confused, so he added, “Nope. I was awake all night.”

  “That's sad.”

  “Uh huh,” agreed Nicky, who pouted as he rubbed one of the many angry bites on his arms.

  “When I briefly left the camp last night, I found a pool of water over that hill.” Jun pointed in the appropriate direction. “The water's crystal clear, so I think I might wash up a bit. Would that be alright with you?”

  “Uh huh,” Nicky agreed again. His pout transformed into something reminiscent of a smirk.

  “Whatever you do, don't follow me,” Jun said as she rose to her feet. “I don't want to be paranoid about someone spying on me.”

  “What? Me? No! I'd never spy! Nope. Never. Never ever!”

  “I'm serious, Nicky. I think you're a good guy, but I'd think you were less of a good guy if I caught you watching me!”

  “I'll be right here the whole time,” Nicky assured her. “I won't budge from this spot. But hey... if you need me for something, just give a shout.”

  “Thanks.”

  As Nicky watched her go, he felt a rush of energy that defied his sleeplessness. When she was over the ridge, he hopped to his feet and followed. In fact, he was practically skipping after her.

  Until Flynn Cole tripped him.

  “Don't you dare,” Flynn cautioned him.

  “Oh! Hey, Flynn! Ha... ha ha...” Nicky exaggerated a nervous chuckle. “I didn't realize you were awake, buddy!”

  “You were going to spy on Jun, weren't you?”

  “Really? Me? Naw!” Nicky shook his head and sputtered. “Why would you think I'd go and do a thing like that?”

  Flynn sat up and crossed his arms. “Because I know you, Nicky. I know you couldn't resist an opportunity like that.”

  Nicky thrust an accusatory finger at his friend's disapproving face. “Well... neither could you!”

  “I could! I'm a gentleman!”

  “Yeah, you probably are,” Nicky conceded with a sigh. “But hey... you've got to give this to me, Flynn! I didn't sleep last night! Look at my eyes! They're bloodshot! Don't you feel sorry for me? It's been so long since I've been with a woman, man. So long. I'm starting to forget what breasts look like. Please.”

  Flynn wrinkled his nose.

  “Please!” Nicky pleaded. “I love you like a brother, and brothers need to look out for each other!”

  “True. And more importantly, gentlemen need to look out for ladies,” Flynn claimed as he rose from the ground. “I'm going to stand guard on the hill. I need to, uh... I need to make sure no one spies on her.”

  Flynn sprinted toward the hill before Nicky realized how completely unnecessary it was for Jun to have a guard. As he climbed, he dashed past several dry junipers and a few tall cacti, which concealed him from Nicky's gaze. When he reached the top of the hill, Flynn laid on his stomach and tried to sneak a peek at the water below.

  Jun was quite a distance away, but he could see she was naked from the waist up. Even though her back was facin
g him, Flynn's throat went dry at the sight of her. As she washed under her arms, she turned slightly, which gave him a heart-stopping view of the side of her breast. If he squinted, he could barely make out a nipple.

  Flynn suddenly heard the sound of boots crushing foliage. When he realized Nicky was following him up the hill, he turned around and tried to look as aloof as possible.

  “You fiend!” Nicky hissed as he rounded the hill. “I just realized something... you didn't need to stand guard up here! We're the only two guys for miles! You wanted to see naked Jun!”

  “No, I didn't!” Flynn batted his eyelashes, attempting to look as innocent as possible. “I wanted to make sure you didn't try to come up here!”

  “Yeah! Really? And you couldn't keep an eye on me back at camp?” A few seconds later, Nicky had him in a headlock again. “You sneaky little shit!”

  Flynn buried a fist in Nicky's stomach so hard, he made his friend groan. “If you weren't such an idiot, maybe you would've figured that out before I got here!”

  “Ha! I knew you weren't a gentleman!” Nicky shrieked, slapping Flynn's head. “You sly little liar!”

  “Keep your voice down, Nicky!” Flynn punched him again, and when he did, Nicky lost his balance. And because he was holding onto Flynn, they toppled down the opposite side of the hill together. A mess of arms and legs flailed as they rolled on top of each other, again and again, like a barrel caught on sloping rapids.

  As soon as Jun saw them toppling toward her, she pulled up her clothes with a gasp. “Guys!” she screamed. “Guys... I trusted you!”

  When they reached the bottom of the hill, Nicky still had an arm around Flynn's neck, so when the Cole brother finally spoke, he raspily croaked, “Sorry.”

  Nicky nodded. “Yeah. I second that apology.”

  Jun stomped away from the water, stood above them, and glowered down at their sheepish, shocked faces. “I'm disappointed in you,” Jun's brow hardened as she reprimanded them. “Both of you.”

  Then she stormed away without another word.