"I'm sorry, I brought a pie over, Pierson told me Kate was up here." Emmie felt guilty like she was walking into a private scene that might somehow embarrass this fragile looking woman.
Mrs. McGillicuddy looked at her daughter lying still, her upper lip and forehead beading with sweat. She sat a bowl of clean water and strips of cloth down on one of the empty beds and held out her hands for Emmie to follow her out of the room.
“Kate’s not up to seeing anyone right now,” Mrs. McGillicuddy said as she closed the door to the bedroom.
“What happened?” Emmie dropped her voice and took the older woman’s hands in her own.
“But…I thought that was why you came.”
“No,” Emmie shook her head and pressed silent encouragement into the hands she now held.
“You know that she took a job with Birdie?”
Emmie nodded trying to affix some sort of meaning to the older woman’s words. Mrs. McGillicuddy’s eyes filled.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Did, did Mr. McGillicuddy—”
“No,” Mrs. McGillicuddy’s eyes grew large. “He would never.”
“Someone at Birdie’s saloon?” Emmie couldn’t imagine anyone doing something so violent to Kate. Then suddenly her mind rolled back to the day before. “The red-haired man. The men in town yesterday?”
Tears leaked out of Mrs. McGillicuddy’s eyes and Emmie understood exactly what had happened.
Emmie’s body went rigid with rage at the man she’d seen the day before. Of course, no one from this town would ever do something like that to a woman. To anyone. She released Mrs. McGillicuddy’s hands and turned flying down the stairs.
“Emeline,” Mrs. McGillicuddy’s voice echoed behind her but Emmie only heard the roar of blood in her ears.
She ran from the house and Red immediately came to attention. With a quick swing, she was on Red's back and galloping off on the road to town.
Had that man-made advances that Kate turned down? What sort of thing would make a man do something like that to a woman? Why hadn’t she done something yesterday? She could have enlisted help, forced the men out of town. She could have… but there was no good answer. How could she have known?
It was completely dark out by the time Emmie made it to the Little Bird Saloon. She gave Red a reassuring pat as she tied him up outside of the only lit building on the square.
Emmie walked straight inside without thinking of what she would actually do when she got inside.
“Emeline?” Birdie’s robust voice came from across the room. Emmie gave Birdie a fleeting look as her eyes roved over the scattered heads. Not many customers tonight.
The group was easy to spot. They sat in the corner with a plume of smoke hovering over them.
Emmie’s body was trembling with rage.
They were drinking heavily, empty mugs were littered around them on the table.
The fact that none of them even took the time to look at her, enraged her even more and Emmie stepped forward dropping both her hands heavily on the table.
The table shook with the force of her body and a glass close to the edge fell and shattered. All three looked at her. The man with the red hair smiled. Smiled at her.
“You,” She said pointedly, making eye contact with the man. “You did that to Kate.”
The man put his drink down and sat back in his chair. He looked Emmie over as her fingers gripped the table so tightly her knuckles turned white.
“Kate?” The man had a thick lazy draw.
"The girl who I assume was working here last night? The one you gave a black eye too?" Her voice was a low growl. She was trying hard not to yell, not to jump over the table and scratch his face the way Kate's had been cut.
“Now, why would I do something like that?” The man smiled again, showing off a missing tooth.
“Tomorrow morning. At dawn. I hope you can use a pistol,” Emmie was already having visions of herself shooting the man right through his smug face.
The saloon had gone quiet and there was a pause of motion around the table followed by a loud howl of laughter. The other two men began laughing with the first. The red-haired man turned and spit on the floor mid-laugh.
“Virgil, did you hear this little runt? I think she just challenged me to a quick draw.” The red-haired man was talking beyond Emmie to someone behind her but Emmie didn't turn from the ugly red face.
“Emeline,” Two firm hands were on her shoulders and she felt Birdie pulling on her body. “You need to get out of here. You hear me?” Emmie’s gaze broke from the man at the table and she turned. As soon as she began back toward the main entrance Birdie let go of her.
As she walked to the door her eyes moved across a familiar face. The man with the gray eyes. The man she'd seen the day before. He was staring at her with a deep intensity and Emmie paused for a moment, startled.
Of course, there had been four men the day before. His face was so different from that of his companion. The gray eyes connected with her in a visceral way.
Shaking herself back into action Emmie walked straight out to Red’s saddle, released her rifle, and loaded it. Her hands were sweaty as she gripped the familiar object and walked it back into the saloon.
“No,” Birdie’s voice was a loud crack this time. “Get her out of here.”
Emmie lifted the rifle up as her body was moved from the side. A shot rang out as the rifle lifted high. A smattering of dust and wood rained down on the men from the ceiling where the bullet had found a home.
Emmie had been lifted by one of the townsmen and Birdie's hands were clutching at the rifle.
“I’m keeping this for the night,” Birdie pried the rifle from Emmie’s hands. “You can have it back when you’ve calmed down.”
“How could you? How could you let them in again after what that man did to Kate?” Emmie was put back on her feet but the man stood large in front of her, blocking her from going back into the saloon.
“They’ll be gone in a day or two and I don’t need any more trouble,” Birdie’s voice was firm. “You hear me?”
Emmie stood staring at the other woman, unable to understand what she’d just heard.
“Go home, Emeline. Go home now.” Birdie pointed a finger in the vague direction of the Ward Ranch.
Emmie stood staring for a long time, then slowly turned, not sure what to do. She released Red who seemed just as ready as Emmie for action. She slowly mounted him. Birdie stood with hands on hips and watched until Emmie had begun moving through the town square.
Her mind was moving fast. Flitting from images of the man to images of Kate. The sound of her rifle shot was still ringing in her ears. Moving slowly, she was thinking of ways to go back, thinking of waiting for the group, but now she was without a rifle. Without a means of doing anything.
She rounded the small faded church building as her mind kept trying for solutions. There on the other side, standing in a beam of moonlight, stood the man with the red hair.
Chapter Four
Emmie pulled Red to a stop. Her horse snorted and moved to the side, understanding instinctively that something was wrong.
“You wanted to know what happened to your friend?” The man’s voice was different, darker. He still had a sloppy grin on his face and Emmie felt her whole body shift into a new level of sensitivity. She felt the absence of her rifle, the absence of any other weapon. She’d grown up rough around men and she was strong but this had a feeling of danger she hadn’t experienced before.
“How did you get over here?” She was stalling, trying to make her mind move at a faster pace. She just had to think of a solution. She would turn Red around then go get her rifle from Birdie. If only she’d kept a knife, or another gun on her.
The man ignored her question and began walking toward her, “Instead of telling you I thought I would just show you.”
The reins were tight in her hand and Emmie’s eyes darted to the side, looking for her escape route. But as soon as her eyes were off h
im she felt her body slammed hard from the side.
He’d moved fast. Too fast. Emmie was on the ground before she fully understood what had happened. Her face hit the dirt and she tasted blood.
Scrambling to her feet, she tried to get her bearings.
Her body slammed again, this time against the side of the church. She looked up at the grinning face in front of her, putting her fingernails into the two thick hands that braced her neck. She had the sudden sensation that she’d just been pushed underwater. Her lungs weren’t working. She needed a breath but couldn’t get one.
“Let her go, Max.” The voice came from her right. It sounded dull to Emmie’s ears though it must have been yelled.
“Don’t interfere, Virgil, or you’ll be next.” The man’s large ruddy face turned and just as it did there was a blur of movement. The thick hand released from around her neck and Emmie fell back against the wall, sucking in and choking on air.
There were noises as if bones were being crushed but Emmie could only focus on filling her lungs. She needed to get to Red, get out of the way. Max was stronger than any man she’d ever met before and she suspected that the other man would be no match for such strength, which would leave her in the same situation in only a few moments.
She reached out and touched Red. Her horse went up on his hind legs as the fighting went on and Emmie felt panic threatening to take her over.
Reaching wildly for Red's reins, her fingers finally felt leather as Red's forelegs thudded back to the ground. She moved the horse, turning it back toward the square in the direction she'd originally come from. They would go the long way around, they would have to. As she pulled in another breath she felt like a Red was sitting directly on top of her chest and her vision blurred for a brief, panicky moment.
She pushed one foot into her stirrup and dragged herself up just as the noise behind her went silent. Emmie’s vision blurred again and she could hear her own heartbeat swimming against her ears. Just as she was moving herself forward the feeling of being pushed underwater overwhelmed her again, her eyes blinked twice, and everything went dark.
As she came to her ears began working before her eyes flickered open. She heard Red’s steady breath. He didn’t sound worried anymore which was a good thing, and she was pretty sure that she wasn’t dead, which was another happy surprise.
“You ok?” The voice was deep and masculine but a thread of tenderness laced the words.
Emmie's eyes opened to the deep stare of dark gray.
“You,” Her voice cracked out of her raw throat.
"It's ok, you don't have to talk," The gray eyes looked at her throat. Emmie looked around. She was propped against the church wall where only a few minutes ago she'd just been in a death grip.
“Max is gone.”
Emmie’s focus came back to the man in front of her.
“You saved my life,” Her words were barely audible.
“Here,” The man handed her his canteen of water then helped her take a sip. The water burned at first then eased down her throat.
When he tried to lift the canteen again Emmie shook her head, “Who are you?”
“I’m—Virgil,” He said it with hesitation as if unsure himself who he was.
“That man is a friend of yours?” Hadn’t they been together only the day before? Hadn’t the man in front of her been a part of Max’s group?
“Sort of… and sort of not.” She could tell by the way he spoke that he wasn’t a big talker. He didn’t bother to explain his cryptic answer and a tingle of her previous fear now ran down her spine.
“I need to get home,” She pushed her torso forward. Her head was still swimming.
“I’ll take you,” Virgil’s voice was stronger now. More commanding.
“I just need Red and I’ll be fine,” Emmie paused as she moved halfway then all the way to standing. Her face was hot and a line of sweat was starting at her hairline even though it was a cold night.
“You’re not fine,” Virgil’s hands braced Emmie. One around the waist and the other around her shoulder. His fingers were strong and Emmie remembered how strong the other man had been. Virgil had won that fight. She looked over at Virgil uneasily.
His jaw was strong and stubble had begun to grow in. He was taller than Max but not as wide. A fresh scratch leaked blood along his neck.
“You’re hurt.”
“Could have been worse.”
He tried to brush off his wound but Emmie was already ripping a line of cloth from her skirt. She took the canteen of water and saturated the cloth before placing it gently over the gash.
Virgil winced at the initial touch but didn’t move away. Emmie lifted the cloth to take another look. It was deep and Emmie knew it must be painful.
“Thank you,” Her eyes looked up into his and she could feel his pulse beat under her fingers.
He gave a half nod response. Attending to his neck Emmie hadn't realized how close she'd moved toward the man. He smelled of a woodsy leather and the heat of his breath touched her face.
“I should go,” She backed up with one hand reaching for Red. His gaze was holding hers the way it had every time she'd looked into those gray eyes. They were hypnotic as if he were speaking soft words to her with only a look.
Red’s tail swished and Emmie turned to look at the dark road that led to the Ward Ranch. A tense uneasiness teemed through her veins as she tried to see what lay in the shadows.
“I’ll see you home.” She could tell by the tone of his voice that Virgil wasn’t asking her a question and she knew there was no point in arguing the matter.
Emmie turned into Red but before she could get herself on top of her horse she was being lifted easily off the ground and in the next moment she was looking down at Virgil from atop her mount.
“How did you do that?” Emmie’s breath bloomed into the air.
“Do what?”
“You lifted me like—like it was no effort at all—like I weigh nothing.”
Virgil looked at Emmie for a beat, moving the reins off of Red’s neck and taking them into his hands.
“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but you aren’t very big.” Virgil smiled at her and Emmie found herself smiling back.
“I guess it’s just that there aren’t many men around here as strong as you are, or as your… Max.” Just the name made her feel uneasy again. “You may not believe this, but around here I can stand on my own in a fight against a man.”
"I do believe you and you don't have to worry about Max, you'll be safe as long as you're with me," Virgil's words came easily, his hand touching her knee lightly as if he could read her mind.
Virgil gave a little whistle to Red just the way Emmie normally did. Red’s ears perked up and he began moving forward onto the road leading away from town.
As she looked out into the shadows of the night Emmie realized that with the grey-eyed man as her bodyguard and despite all the evidence to contrary, she actually did feel safe.
Chapter Five
A cloud passed over the face of the moon. Emmie watched as the world around her grew dark then illuminated again as she moved through it.
The two moved side by side in silence for a good quarter of a mile before Emmie noticed that Virgil was walking strangely. She focused her attention on his movement until she was sure that he was favoring his right leg.
“You were hurt, weren't you?" Her voice sounded betrayed as if he'd intentionally kept important information from her.
"I'm fine," He didn't look up at her and she knew that he was trying harder now to overcompensate for his injury.
“You’re not fine.” Emmie watched Virgil as he stubbornly continued forward, “I will walk and you take Red.” Emmie leaned forward, ready to slide off the saddle but Virgil put out a hand to hold her in place.
“You are in no shape to be walking either,” He paused and exhaled. Then, grabbing the horn of the saddle so that his arm wrapped tightly around Emmie, he swung himself up on the horse be
hind her. He adjusted his body but there was no way for them both to sit atop Red without their bodies touching.
Emmie felt acutely every place where her limbs made contact with his. His breath touched the back of her neck and the side of her cheek. She could feel the warmth of his body heat radiating into her own skin.
“Do you know what happened to my friend?” It was easier for Emmie to ask while her eyes looked out away from Virgil. She felt him stiffen for a moment behind her then he took a breath and let it out slowly.
“I don’t really know, I wasn’t there at the moment but Otis said that your friend accused Max of being a cattle thief.”
Emmie sat with the new information running through her mind. It made sense, Kate wasn’t usually so outgoing with her opinions so she must have had good reason to think so.
“I guess something happened on her family’s ranch and we’re new in town so…” Virgil’s voice drifted off.
“So you didn’t take them?” Emmie heard herself ask before she had time to reconsider.
There was a heavy pause behind her but she refused to speak until he’d responded.
“I heard from someone else that there’s an animal problem, not a human problem.”
Emmie’s brow furrowed. “You’re right, I saw a pack of coyotes… wolves maybe… harassing our cattle.” Admitting it felt like a betrayal of Kate. “But you think that’s a good enough reason for your friend to hurt my friend?”
“Of course not, don’t put words in my mouth.”
Emmie and Virgil sat in a heated silence as Red moved on toward the ranch.
“I’m really sorry about your friend,” Virgil’s voice came clear and soft and immediately began to melt down Emmie’s hardened feelings.
Emmie let herself lean back the slightest bit into Virgil, “Where are you from?”
The two walked slowly into the moonlight as Emmie told Virgil about growing up the only daughter of a widowed rancher. She even got to hear Virgil laugh, his low voice sounding like music when it came out. As soon as she heard the sound she knew she wanted to make him laugh again.
Virgil told Emmie the story of the four men working their way across the West. Otis one of the other men was Max’s brother, and Levi was the one with the injured foot. They’d all grown up together more like brother’s then friends and now they were following Max who had an idea of wrangling cattle and eventually making their way out to California.
The Dragon King's Prisoner: A Paranormal Romance (Separated by Time Book 1) Page 31