Dying Wish

by J. R. Roberts

“You never heard of Clint Adams?” Wilson asked. Seeing the blank stare coming from his brother, Wilson added, “The Gunsmith?”

  Finally, a spark of recognition showed upon Boris’s face. “Aww, Jesus,” he muttered.

  “Yeah.”

  “You think he’s on this train?” Boris asked.

  “His horse is.”

  “Should I…?”

  “No,” Wilson snapped. “Don’t touch the horse. Just keep your eyes open.”

  Neither of the two said much after that. Boris stayed in his seat and Wilson sat across from him. Both kept watch on the doors and neither let his hand stray too far from his gun.

  TWENTY-NINE

  Olivia was standing with her body pressed against Clint. She ran her leg up along his and slipped her hands over his sides. Soon, she leaned forward so her cheek brushed against Clint’s face as she slipped her hand between his legs.

  “You like that?” she purred. Before Clint could answer, she’d started rubbing his growing erection. “Oh, I guess you do like that.”

  “Hold on,” Clint said.

  Looking at him with a shocked expression, she asked, “You sure you want me to stop?”

  “I didn’t say stop, I just said hold on.” From there, Clint moved away from the door and picked up the small chair that had been resting next to the window. Since the cramped compartment was mostly filled by the other seats, that chair seemed to be a feeble attempt at decoration more than anything else. Still, it was sturdy and fitted nicely against the door and beneath the handle.

  “There,” Clint said. “Now, where were we?”

  Olivia smiled and placed her hands flat on his chest. She guided him toward one of the main seats and then pushed him gently onto it. Turning around to the other seat, she picked up the clay jar and set it in a corner.

  “Sorry, Uncle Abner,” she said while peeling away her dress and then tossing it over the jar. “But you shouldn’t see this.”

  “That’s a bit odd,” Clint said as he looked at the pile of clothes.

  Olivia was already on her knees and pulling Clint’s jeans down. “Really?” she asked while stroking his cock and then rubbing it against her lower lip. “You want me to stop?”

  “Not hardly.”

  Smiling eagerly, she opened her mouth and slid her tongue all the way down Clint’s rigid penis. She kept one hand wrapped around him and then wrapped her lips around his column of flesh so she could let every inch of it pass between her lips.

  Once Clint was able to open his eyes, he saw that only one of Olivia’s hands were still on him. Her other hand had slipped between her legs so she could rub herself in rhythm with the way she was sucking him. Clint slid his fingers through her hair and guided the rhythm of her bobbing head.

  When she slowly lowered her mouth all the way down to the base of his cock, Clint was taken by surprise. He couldn’t even make a sound as she held her mouth there and made slow motions with her tongue.

  Olivia raised her head and looked him in the eye. “You won the bet,” she whispered. “What do you want now?”

  Clint stood up and put his hands on her hips. The only things Olivia wore were her stockings and a pair of lacy panties. He didn’t say a word as he turned her around and stood behind her. Clint reached around to place his hands flat on her belly and then slide them along her smooth skin until he was cupping her breasts.

  Arching her back, Olivia let out a slow sigh and reached over her shoulder and touched Clint’s hair. Turning to look behind her, Olivia kissed him passionately as his hands moved slowly along her bare skin.

  The more Clint kissed her, the harder he got. His erection pressed against Olivia’s tight buttocks, and she wriggled her hips to excite him even more. Once Clint cupped her pert breasts in his hands, he teased her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers.

  Keeping one hand on her breast, Clint reached between her legs with his other hand. Olivia’s pussy was warm and wet. She sighed gratefully when he slipped a finger along her moist vagina, and sighed even louder when he slipped that finger inside.

  Soon, Olivia wasn’t just wriggling against him. She was writhing and pressing back against him as if using her body to beg him for more. She didn’t have to plead for long before she felt Clint guide her to the window using one hand upon her shoulder.

  Olivia placed her hands flat against the wall on either side of the window. The landscape rolled past the window, but she closed her eyes and waited for Clint to go further. When she felt his hands settle on her hips, Olivia spread her legs a bit wider. The next thing she felt was Clint’s rigid cock easing into her from behind.

  “Oh, Clint,” she breathed. “Oh, my God.”

  Clint held onto her hips and let his eyes wander along the gentle slope of her back. Olivia’s body was trim and smooth. Her shoulders were tense and her tight backside was raised slightly to accommodate him. As he slowly eased into her, Clint could feel Olivia’s pussy tightening around him. By the time he’d pushed all the way inside, he could feel her entire body trembling with anticipation.

  Unable to make her wait one more second, Clint gripped her hips and pulled her toward him as he thrust into her again. This time, he didn’t linger in one spot. He pumped in and out of her in a rhythm that picked up pace as if he was purposely trying to steal her breath away.

  Olivia’s hair flowed along her back and tickled the base of her spine. Whenever she felt Clint’s grip tighten around her, she smiled and groaned appreciatively. Soon, she arched her back as much as she could and pushed against him so he could bury his cock in her as far as it would go. When he reached that limit, Olivia clenched her eyes shut and was overtaken by a powerful orgasm.

  Clint smiled and stayed still as Olivia writhed with pleasure. Once her trembling stopped, she let out a breath and leaned forward as if the window was the only thing holding her up.

  “I’m not through with you yet,” he told her.

  Olivia smiled and allowed herself to be turned around. Settling her backside against the windowsill and spreading her legs, she said, “Yes, sir.”

  Positioning himself between her thighs, Clint rubbed her glistening pussy until Olivia reached down to guide him into her. Clint moved his hips forward and felt his cock slide along her fingers before entering her once again.

  Clint reached down to cup her backside in both hands. Pulling her close, he buried himself in her and then pumped a few times for good measure.

  Olivia wrapped her arms around the back of Clint’s neck and licked the side of his neck. Her entire body responded to every one of his moves. When she felt him lift her off the windowsill, Olivia wrapped her legs around him and locked her ankles against the small of his back.

  Although Clint didn’t carry her far, he was the only thing holding her off the ground. If that concerned Olivia in the slightest, she didn’t show it. Instead, she ground her hips against him and moaned softly as he pumped in and out of her. He continued thrusting as he carried her to the middle of the room. Before he could set her down, he felt her entire body trembling with another impending climax.

  Clint gripped onto her tightly and thrust into her a bit harder. Olivia leaned back and pumped her hips as well until she bit down on her lower lip and shuddered in his arms. The sight of her along with the feel of her clamped around him was enough to bring Clint to the edge as well. All it took was a few more deep thrusts and he was exploding inside her.

  “Damn,” she sighed. “I’ve got to lose more bets to you.”

  THIRTY

  The train left them at a small town that looked as if it had been built around the station. Several buildings were clustered around the station, but there were fewer and fewer as the town stretched away along the tracks. Clint and Olivia stepped off the train cautiously. Their eyes darted back and forth in search of any sign of trouble.

  Even though Clint was ready for just about anything, he felt the knot in his stomach tighten as more time went by without a single hitch.

  “Yo
u think they’re not on the train after all?” Olivia asked.

  Clint shook his head. “That’s too much to hope for.”

  “But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

  “It’s not impossible,” Clint admitted. “But things seldom go that smoothly. There’s plenty of ways to step off the train without being seen. They could have gotten off at the previous stop or they might be waiting for the next one. Neither one would add much to their ride since there’s only a few miles between here and each of those stops.”

  Hefting her single bag, Olivia muttered, “I like my notion better.”

  Clint chuckled and walked toward the livery car. “So do I.”

  Even though he’d checked on Eclipse several times throughout the train ride, Clint held his breath until he saw the Darley Arabian being led down the ramp to the platform. Eclipse was hobbling a bit, but no more than could be expected considering what he’d already been through. Despite the fact that the stallion had been well cared for, Clint was anxious to get him away from the train.

  “There’s my girl,” Olivia said when she saw Zel being led down the ramp.

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re headed?” Clint asked.

  Olivia shook her head without taking her eyes from the tan mare. “Not yet. Too many eyes and ears around here.”

  Glancing about, Clint had to admit she was right. In fact, he was glad she’d been more cautious than he was.

  “Let’s buy some supplies and be on our way then,” Clint said as he draped the saddlebags over his shoulder and led Eclipse toward the street.

  “Should we wait and see if the Nagles show up?”

  Clint shook his head. “If they’re hidden, they won’t show themselves here. If they already got off the train or will get off at the next stop, waiting around will only make it easier for them to catch up.”

  Olivia nodded at that, and became even more anxious than Clint to leave once they had their supplies bought and paid for. They were in that town for less than an hour when she was chomping at the bit to get out of there.

  Knowing they needed to go south if they were to reach the Rio Grande, Clint looked out in that direction with his hand held up to shield his eyes from the sun. “Looks like flat country for at least a few miles,” he said.

  “Isn’t that what I told you?” Olivia asked.

  “Yeah, but I can’t exactly do much planning before I get a look for myself.”

  “What are you planning? You don’t even know exactly where we need to go.”

  “That’s not what I’m thinking about,” Clint said. “I’m more concerned with a good way to throw anyone off our track.”

  “You mean the Nagles?”

  “Not just them,” Clint replied. “Not unless there were three brothers instead of just the two.”

  Olivia thought about that for a moment, but still seemed confused. “No. There’s always been just Boris and Wilson. What are you getting at?”

  “There were two men who fired at us back in Labyrinth,” Clint reminded her. “I killed one of them and it wasn’t Boris or his brother. That means they’ve scrounged up some help before.”

  “You think they might do that again?”

  “Now would be the time for it,” Clint said. “It doesn’t take a master strategist to know how difficult it could be to keep up with us once we get a head start. Since they haven’t shown up yet, I’d say they’re not too worried about catching up to us later.”

  Olivia folded her arms tightly across her chest and looked nervously up and down the short street. “You think someone else is keeping watch on us?”

  “Either that, or one of those brothers is pretty confident in their tracking skills.”

  “Or,” Olivia said hopefully, “they could have decided to give up and just forget this whole thing.”

  Clint looked at her with one raised eyebrow. He didn’t have to watch her for long before Olivia shifted her eyes away from him.

  “Just a suggestion,” she said quietly.

  “I admire your optimism,” Clint said. “I just wish I could share it.”

  Shaking her head, she grudgingly replied, “I’m glad you don’t. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any reason for you to come along on this excursion.”

  “Excursion, huh? Is that what we’re calling it?”

  Olivia brightened up and smiled warmly. “Yes,” she said as she lifted her chin and straightened her back proudly. “Abner would have liked that.”

  “Then, excursion it is. After all, this ride is in his name.”

  “So should we get going or wait to see if we get ambushed?”

  “Which way do we need to go?” Clint asked. “Or do you still want to keep it a secret?”

  “Abner grew up in a place named Coldwater Rock. It’s southwest of here.”

  “Good,” Clint said. “Those hills due south of here aren’t too far away and they should provide some cover if we spot anyone coming after us. Once we reach them, we should be able to use that terrain to cover our tracks as we turn to the west.”

  “Sounds good. Want to race?”

  Clint scowled at her a bit as he looked down toward Eclipse’s bandaged leg.

  “Sorry,” she said with a wince. “Maybe we can think of another bet along the way.”

  THIRTY-ONE

  The town was called Elston. It was located a few miles farther along the railroad tracks from the spot where Clint and Olivia had gotten off. Those few miles seemed to drag by on leaden feet as Boris and Wilson sat glued to their window.

  “You’re sure it ain’t far from here?” Boris asked the conductor for what must have been the twentieth time.

  With his patient smile intact, the conductor nodded. “We’ll be there any moment. There’s plenty of small towns along the way here that sprouted up when the railroad purchased—”

  “Spare us the damn history lesson,” Wilson growled.

  The conductor nodded and said, “It’s a small place, so you might not see it coming from the window. In fact, we wouldn’t have even stopped there if you hadn’t paid to extend your tickets.”

  It wasn’t long after that conversation that the train shuddered to a stop at the broken-down excuse for a station. All the other passengers looked around as if they were being robbed or the train had experienced some sort of problem.

  Boris and Wilson got up and rushed to the door. When they saw their horses being led from the livery car, the brothers nearly dragged the animals out by their manes. Once they were done with the train, Wilson headed for the nearest saloon.

  “What are you doing?” Boris asked. “Now’s not the time for a drink!”

  “I ain’t after any whiskey,” Wilson replied. “How much money you got?”

  “If you don’t need whiskey, then what—”

  “How much do you got?” Wilson roared.

  His brother’s tone caused Boris to reflexively shut his mouth and start patting his pockets. “Right around twenty dollars,” he sputtered.

  Wilson snatched the money from his hand and flipped through it. By this time, they’d arrived at the hitching post in front of the saloon. “Stay with the horses,” Wilson said. “If you see that bitch or Adams, start shooting.”

  “They won’t be headed this way,” Boris said confidently. When he didn’t get a reply from his brother, Boris started to fidget and asked, “Will they?”

  Stomping into the saloon, Wilson found about what he’d been expecting: a few lonely drunks and some rough characters huddled around a card table. “I’m looking to hire a guide,” he announced.

  Nobody spoke up, but the barkeep made his way to the end of the bar that was closest to the door.

  “You want anything to drink?” the barkeep asked.

  Wilson dismissed him with an impatient wave of his hand. Taking a few more steps into the place, he held up a wad of money and asked, “Ain’t there anyone in here who wants to earn this?”

  That caught the attention of everyone else in the place.
Eventually, one of the drunks pushed himself away from the bar and stepped forward.

  “I know this area better than most,” the drunk said. “Where you looking to go?”

  “I’m tracking someone to the Rio Grande,” Wilson said.

  “You know where along the Grande?”

  By this time, the rough characters who’d been playing cards had made their way to the bar. There were three of them in all. Each of them looked to be in their late twenties. Each of them wore a gun, and not one of them looked as if they’d had any water splashed on their faces for at least a month.

  “You men look like enterprising sorts,” Wilson said. “Who wants to earn some money?”

  The drunk stuck out his chest and stepped in between Wilson and the other men. “How much you offerin’?”

  “All of it,” Wilson said as he shook his fistful of cash.

  “How much is it?”

  “Fifty now and another hundred later.”

  The cardplayers looked back and forth among themselves before their self-appointed spokesman asked, “What do we have to do?”

  Wilson cocked his head slightly. “There may be some rough spots along the way. You men opposed to dirty work?”

  “No.”

  “Fine. Prove it. I want this old-timer to be bleeding at my feet within the next minute.”

  The dirty-faced men scowled at Wilson as the old drunk backed away.

  “I don’t have all day,” Wilson said. “Are those guns around your waists just for show?”

  The barkeep leaned over the bar and slapped a worn piece of lumber across Wilson’s chest. “Now hold on here,” he said. “I don’t want any trouble in here. You should leave.”

  Before Wilson had a chance to say a word, the fellow who spoke for the dirty-faced men grabbed the long piece of wood from the barkeep and used it to shove him against the shelf of bottles behind the bar. Another one of the cardplayers stepped forward and punched the older drunk in the stomach. When the old man tried to fight back, the cardplayer drew his gun and slammed it against the back of the drunk’s neck.