Kiss Of The Night Wind

by Taylor, Janelle

  “He’s my brother, T.J.; I can’t help you. I can’t. Has it all been a lie? You’ve stayed with me and…just to get to Darby?”

  “No, you frustrating vixen. I’ve pulled all kinds of tricks with you and my superiors so I could stay with you for protection. I love you, Carrie Sue Stover, and want to marry you. You have to believe that much. I’ve done everything I could to secure you a pardon: bargained, begged, threatened, reasoned, misled. Nothing worked. I can’t lose you, woman, so I have to quit the Rangers and leave Texas with you.”

  Carrie Sue looked deeply into his smokey gray eyes. “You really mean that don’t you? You would give it all up to get me away safely.”

  “Yep. I can live without the Rangers and Texas, but I can’t live without you, woman. If I led the law to your brother or told them where to locate his hideout, you’d be captured, too. I can’t have that. To be honest, woman, if I could have gotten you a pardon, I’d have finished this mission to stop your brother’s crimes. You love him, Carrie Sue, but what he’s doing is wrong. Someone has to stop him.”

  Carrie Sue jumped up to pace. T.J. told her, “If you don’t trust me near Darby, then we’ll leave from here. Several times before I’ve given you the chance to test my word. I won’t let anything happen to you. The only imprisonment you’re facing is marriage to me.”

  “You’ll forget your revenge?” she asked.

  “You said Darby didn’t kill Arabella and Marie; I believe you.”

  “What’s in your saddlebags? You guard them like gold.”

  T.J. tossed them to her feet. “Look for yourself. You know the truth now. A telegraph key to tap into lines, a picture of Arabella and Marie, and a Ranger badge. That’s what I couldn’t let you see.”

  Carrie Sue unbuckled the straps and looked inside. Amidst clothing and ammunition were the items he stated. She didn’t do more than glance at the picture because she would never forget those faces. She held his badge in the palm of her hand and wondered how much it meant to him. She was filled with mixed emotions: love, hope, joy, suspicion, and anger at his deceit. She studied the telegraph key and asked, “You won’t use this to betray Darby after we see him and escape?”

  “You can keep it or throw it away right now. I don’t need it anymore. Maybe we can persuade Darby to turn himself in and serve his time. I can ask the Governor to intercede for him, and I can, too. Maybe he can get off with fifteen to twenty years with a chance of early parole for good behavior. After all, he didn’t commit all the charges listed against him. He’ll still be young when he gets out with a clean slate. That’s better than being chased, hanged, or killed. He’s welcome to join us in Montana.”

  Carrie Sue smiled at him, then flung the telegraph key into the river. She replaced the Ranger badge and picture of his brother’s family in his saddlebag. “He’d never turn himself in,” she said.

  Her lover encouraged, “Still work on him because that may be the only way to save him. Surely you’d rather see him in jail for a few years than see him hanged or gunned down.”

  The redhead knelt before T.J. and cupped his knees with her palms. “Swear to me I’m not making a mistake to trust you.”

  T.J. gently captured her lovely face between his hands and pulled her closer to him. He worded his response carefully, trying to deceive her no more than necessary tonight. He had to stop the Stover Gang before he ran away with her, and he was being forced to flee afterwards. Once this matter was settled, he would expose everything to her and make her forgive him. “I love you and want to help you, woman. I swear to take you far away and marry you. I won’t let you get harmed.”

  Carrie Sue knew those words were true, his clear gaze and calm voice told her they were. Besides, she mused, if they were being trailed by this lawman’s order, T.J. wouldn’t stop to make love! And if he was tricking her, he wouldn’t tell her such things tonight. He had had her fooled into leading him to Darby, so he wouldn’t take this risk. He wanted to prove he trusted her, and she must prove she trusted him. “Well see Darby tomorrow, then head north, my love.”

  It was seven o’clock, not yet dusk, when Carrie Sue and T.J. found Darby Stover’s camp on Sunday night. She hurriedly dismounted and raced toward her brother. She hugged and kissed him. Rapidly she related her capture, jailbreak, and flight with T.J. Rogue. “We’re leaving at first light to head for Montana to get married, big brother. Are you sure you won’t go with us?” she entreated.

  Kale Rushton sneaked up behind the distracted lawman and put a gun to T.J.’s back and said, “This liar ain’t going nowhere, chica. He may call himself Rogue to you and others, but he’s Texas Ranger Thad Jamison, and your jailbreak was nothing but a sly trick.”

  Kadry and Walt grabbed T.J.’s arms and Dillon took his weapons.

  Carrie Sue shouted, “Stop it! I know who he is. He’s told me everything about him. He’s giving up his badge and job to help me escape so we can start a new life together. Let him go!”

  Darby faced T.J. and studied him. His brown eyes roved the lawman from head to foot, then settled on T.J.’s smokey gaze. Darby sensed power and peril, integrity and prowess. He perceived an undeniable strength of mind, body, and spirit. “You’re wrong, Sis. He’s used you to get to us. Tie him up, boys. We’ll kill him later.”

  Carrie Sue yanked on her brother’s arm. “You’re mistaken, Darby! He loves me and is helping me escape. Don’t you dare harm him!”

  The auburn-haired man turned and glared at Carrie Sue to silence her. He was angry with his sister for being duped into a lethal trap by a crafty lawman, because he knew the treacherous Ranger had taken everything—everything—from her. “There are things you don’t know and understand, Sis. Jamison has to die. Tonight.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  “What don’t I understand?” she shouted at her icy-eyed brother.

  “Lawmen like Thad Jamison wouldn’t give up a mission or toss away their job for a woman. He’s charmed you into bringing him here. There’s probably a posse tight on your tails. Tie him up snug, boys.”

  As T.J. was being bound, she refuted, “That isn’t true, Darby. I watched him set a false trail out of town, and he’s covered our tracks for miles. We weren’t even heading in this direction. I was the one who insisted we find you and warn you before we headed north.”

  He scoffed in a sarcastic tone, “I bet. Don’t you see, Sis? He let you think it was your idea. He knew you would be fooled after he busted you outta jail and filled your ears with pretty lies.”

  “From what I hear, Thaddeus Jamison can wipe out a whole gang by himself. Let’s see how tough he is,” Dillon suggested, then punched T.J. forcefully in the stomach.

  Both rejected suitors vengefully attacked the helpless lawman who had stolen their love’s heart and had betrayed her affections and trust. Kadry slammed his fist into T.J.’s gut. Dillon struck him across the jaw, making the lawman stagger backwards. When T.J. failed to go down, Kadry landed another, much harder, blow to his chin. That time, T.J. was sent to the dirt.

  “Stop them, Darby, or I will,” she threatened seriously, fingering her gunbutts as she was tempted to draw against Darby and his men.

  “Just because you’re sweet on him, Sis, don’t mean we have to get killed over it,” her brother reasoned impatiently.

  “My feelings for him have nothing to do with you allowing your men to murder him. If I loved him more than I love you, Darby, I wouldn’t have come to warn you. I’ve proven myself to you plenty of times. You owe me this favor. Let us leave peacefully. He loves me.”

  “Sorry, Sis, but I have me and the boys to think about. Even if we let Jamison go or left you two behind, he’d be dogging us again the minute he’s loose, or he’d alert his friends. It’s him or us, Sis.”

  “No, it isn’t. He’s taking me to Montana; I swear it. He’s even given up his revenge on us. That was his brother’s wife and child that crazed man killed in March. T.J. thought we did it; that’s why he was after us. I explained to him what happened
that awful day. He knows the truth now, and he’s giving up everything so I can go free and marry him. He even knows Quade Harding is framing us. He told me everything last night. If he was trying to trick me into leading him to you and the boys, he would have held silent. I trust him, Darby; that’s why I brought him here to meet you.”

  Darby glared at her lover. “He’s lying to you, Sis ! He’s been lying all along, and he’ll keep on lying until we’re all dead! I’ve met plenty of men like him, so I know his kind and feelings. He can’t love you or want you. Don’t be blind and stupid. We’re riding out of here and you best come along. He probably has the law on to you.”

  T.J. was helpless, and decided against doing anything rash, but he couldn’t let Darby’s inflammatory words go unchallenged. “Don’t listen to him, Carrie Sue. I love you, and I’ll get you out of this mess if you’ll trust me and convince them to let us go. That’s no trick or lie.”

  “He lied tae ye, me darlin’. We hae tae kill him as punishment.”

  The redhead looked at the blond outlaw with her eyes chilled. “No, Kadry. There’ll be no killing over me or I’ll never forgive you.”

  “Whatcha gonna do, boss?” Walt asked.

  “Give ‘im time ta think, Cuz,” Tyler suggested, his hazel eyes reddened by the whiskey everyone could smell on his breath.

  “I say kill tha bastard now. Nae need tae wait until morn.”

  “Yeah,” Dillon agreed with Kadry. “Kill him now. Let me do it.” He lit a cigarillo as he eagerly awaited his leader’s decision.

  The black man pulled the ever-present chewing stick from between his snowy white teeth. “Missy Stover loves ‘im, boss. Ya thinks ya ought to kill ’im a’fore ’er?”

  Darby answered, “I have to, Griff. He’s a threat to all of us.”

  “Yeah, he lied ta Miss Carrie Sue,” Walt added, fingering his gun butts. As he looked at the lawman, fear permeated him.

  Dillon tossed his cigarillo to the ground and crushed it forcefully. “I say get it over with, then pull out. If he’s got a posse back there—”

  Carrie Sue injected, “I told you he doesn’t. Kale taught me plenty about tracking and covering trails. T.J. did a good job concealing it.”

  Kale Rushton reminded her, “He’s Apache trained, chica; he could leave a trail you’d never notice. Maybe he is sweet on you, but I still think he was looking for our camp and planned to warn the others tomorrow before he left Texas with you. That’s what I’d do in his place. A man like this doesn’t give up once he has victory in sight. Now that he’s found us, he can’t just walk away and forget about us. That’s not to his thinking and training.”

  She reasoned desperately, “How? He had a telegraph key, but he threw it into the river to prove he had no way to expose you.”

  The man with the red sash around his head asserted, “That was just another sly trick to keep you fooled.”

  “No, it wasn’t,” she protested. “I’m certain of it.”

  “Are you really certain, chica, certain enough to risk all our lives?”

  She eyed Kale intently. “Don’t put a burden like that on me. You’re my friend. Make them listen. If anybody can read T.J., it’s you.”

  “I know, chica, that’s why I vote to kill him.”

  Panic flooded her. No one would take her side.

  Darby said, “We’re responsible for that Ranger’s death on the stage. They’ll never stop chasing us. They’ll hound us into hell to capture us and kill us. Rangers don’t forget or forgive.”

  Her voice was strained as she argued, “T.J. understands it was an accident. He holds the driver to blame for not yielding to us.”

  Darby tried to make her see his point of view. “I bet he recognized you from the start, Sis. He’s been playing games with you. It’s us he’s after, not you.”

  “He didn’t know who I was until he saw my poster the night before we escaped from Tucson. He’s been protecting me and helping me.”

  T.J. spoke up and said, “That’s true, Darby. I didn’t know who she was until I was already in love with her. I’m telling you the truth; I’m going to take her far away to safety and marry her. If you kill me, she’ll never forgive you.”

  “I wish I could believe you, Jamison, but I don’t and can’t. If she wasn’t in love with you, she wouldn’t trust you, either.”

  “She loves us both, man. She doesn’t want to see us kill each other. The least you can do for her is leave us here and take off.”

  “Not after what you’ve done to my sister, you lying bastard.”

  Tyler said, “Let’s kill ’im an’ git outta ’ere before that posse comes.”

  Kale told them, “They can’t track at night. They’re probably camped by now. We should get some sleep and head out before daybreak.”

  Carrie Sue warned, “If you slay him, Darby, the Rangers will surely hunt you down and kill you. They don’t know he’s siding with me. They won’t give up until you’re dead, until you’re all dead.”

  “Not if we head for Wyoming and lay low for months. We’ve got enough money. That’ll be far enough away to fool them.”

  “He knew about the Big Spring job Friday night after he broke me out of jail. If he wasn’t on my side, he would have wired them to set a trap for you. He could have captured me and had all of you ambushed.”

  “He just wanted tae catch us himself, lass, but we got him first.”

  “Capture seven men alone? Don’t be ridiculous. No lawman is that good. He’s had no chance to send for help, Darby; I swear it. You know I would never endanger you.”

  “There’s a posse out there, chica; I can smell them miles away.”

  T.J. stated angrily, “Dammit, man, at least let her go. Stop dragging her into your crimes or you’re going to get her killed.”

  “Dinna worry, Lawman. I’ll take care o’ her. I’ll make her forget ye, ye cauld bastard. Ye took her frae me, but she’ll be mine ag’in.”

  Carrie Sue eyed her brother and his men, then looked at the bound T.J. Rogue—no, she corrected herself, Thad Jamison, Ranger. T.J., R., the initials on his gun. Merciful Heavens, how she loved him and wanted to believe him. He had lied to her, but she knew he loved her and wanted to rescue her. Whatever was awaiting her out there, she couldn’t let him die. It was useless to argue with the outlaws, so she made her decision. “Just wait until morning, Darby, and give yourself time to think this over. Don’t kill him in haste. If you feel the same way at first light, then I’ll leave and you can handle the matter. I’m going far away to where nobody has ever heard of the Stover Gang. I can’t live this way. Whatever you do and wherever you go after tomorrow, just make certain you don’t come near Montana and ruin things for me. The same goes for you two,” she told Kadry and Dillon. “Don’t ever try to find me.”

  “Ye canna mean that, me darlin’ Carrie Sue.”

  “I’ve never meant anything more, Kadry Sams.” She glanced from man to man. “If you kill him, I never want to see any of you again. You’ll all be cold-blooded murderers, including you, big brother.”

  Darby said, “Let her be, boys; she’s upset. Tie him to that tree and put a guard on him. We’ll take care of him before we leave in the morning. Carrie Sue, you stay clear of him tonight, understand? I don’t want to get tough with you, Sis, so let me handle this matter. When you’ve had time to cool down, you’ll see I’m doing the right thing. Dammit, girl, he betrayed you in the worst way! How can you forgive him and take his side against me and the boys?”

  “That isn’t what I’m doing, Darby Stover! I just don’t want you committing a rash murder. I know he lied to me and might have used me, but he had his reasons, just like we had good reasons for going on this outlaw trail years ago. No matter what he’s done, murdering him is wrong. You never used to kill without good cause, Darby, and I’m sorry I’ve witnessed this wicked change in you.”

  Darby watched his sister walk away, and sighed deeply. He looked at T.J. and said, “This is your fault, Ranger. She doesn
’t understand I’m avenging her honor. You know you’re guilty and deserve to die.”

  Thad Jamison said, “No matter what I’ve done to apprehend a notorious gang like yours or what you think about me, Darby, I do love her.” He ordered through clenched teeth, “Leave her alone tomorrow. Give Carrie Sue the chance to be free and happy. If you really love her, you’ll keep your men away from her or they’ll lead the law to her new location. Carrie Sue deserves better than what you’ve given her over the years.”

  To avoid suspicion, Carrie Sue ate her supper and didn’t go near her lover, even to give him food and water. She had tended their horses, and prayed T.J. could ride bareback as skillfully as she could. The redhead knew she would be watched tonight, just like T.J. would. But the only man she had to worry about was Kale Rushton.

  Carrie Sue lay on her bedroll until three o’clock. The longer she hesitated, the fewer doubts the men would feel about her. Darby had taken her weapons until morning, and she was furious with him for making her helpless. At least her brother hadn’t ordered her bound!

  She slipped from her bedroll and walked to the river which ran from San Angelo nearly to Big Spring. She sat on the bank, after placing a heavy rock beneath her full Mexican skirt. She knew the sharp-witted half-Apache would follow her and she would be forced to render him unconscious so she could do the same with Dillon and help her love escape. With luck, the boys wouldn’t chase them. If they believed there was a posse nearby, they should take off swiftly in the other direction. Please don’t let anyone get hurt, she prayed.

  As expected and hoped, Kale Rushton joined her. “What’s wrong, chica, can’t sleep?”

  Carrie Sue looked up at the man who was standing to her left. “You’re my friend, Kale, so how can you do this to me?”

  His dark eyes settled on her pale face. “To save our lives and to punish his tricks on you,” came the easy answer.