"It's alright, Meagan,” Anthony chucked a finger under her chin, “you can answer. Am I a sick man?"
"Tony, please,” Meagan pleaded, “I never meant to hurt you. Cole would have found out about the cattle, anyway. I was coming to talk to you, to explain everything."
The force of Meagan's revelation sent Cole to his knees. "Dear God, no," he moaned. It couldn't be true. Anthony Montano couldn't be Meagan's brother.
"Cole!” instinct kicked in when Meagan saw Cole drop to the floor, and she advanced several steps before Anthony’s words stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Stay where you are, Meagan, or he's a dead man." Tony held a pistol in his hand, and it was pointed straight at Cole.
“That’s right, Cole. I am Tony, Meagan’s brother. I'm also Anthony, Samantha’s brother. I guess that makes Meagan Sam's sister. Imagine that," he laughed, though there was no amusement to be heard in his tone.
Cole struggled to his feet and studied Meagan. It made sense now, why he’d seen Sam in her all those years back. The resemblance was subtle, but now that he knew, he could recognize it. Her confused gaze clashed with his. She started to move but Cole shook his head to stop her.
“Don’t worry,” Anthony continued, “you aren’t the only one who was surprised. When I first found out about Meagan, I was furious. I knew my mother was a whore, but for her to bear another man’s child while married to my father, well, that went beyond anything I thought her capable of.”
“She was not a whore!” Meagan protested, not caring what retribution might come from defending her mother.
“She was,” Anthony spat, grabbing her arm roughly. “She slept with your pa. That’s why I had to kill him.”
Meagan gasped and jerked free, falling face first in the process. She remained as she was, too stunned to cry, or move, as her brother’s words sunk in.
Cole climbed several steps, but stopped dead when Anthony pointed the barrel of the gun at Meagan’s head, his eyes locked on Cole’s. He kept talking as if nothing was amiss. “I didn’t mean to kill him so soon, not until I’d firmed up my plan, but he found out I’d been stealing your cattle, so I had no choice.”
Cole listened carefully to every word. "Cliff Wayland doesn’t exist, does he?” Cole surmised. “You made him up to steel my cattle in hopes of destroying me, and my family."
Anthony shook his head. "Hardly, to steal that many cattle would have been impossible, not to mention how it would have tried my patience. No, that was just for fun. I needed someone on the inside. Someone you would trust. Someone who could help me find your weaknesses.”
"Meagan,” Cole stated, his eyes darting to Meagan before quickly coming to rest again on Anthony. She wasn’t moving. Damn, he hoped she was okay.
Anthony nodded. "Yes, I planned for Meagan to be my informant. I knew it would take some persuasion, but I figured I could get what I needed from her, one way or the other, once she was under your roof. That’s why I burned the cabin.”
This revelation didn't surprise Cole. "I'd gathered as much.”
“What I wasn’t planning was for you to fall in love with her. That changed everything.”
“Why did you need her at all?” Cole asked. “If you wanted me dead, you could have done it years ago.”
“Too easy,” Anthony replied. “One shot, you’re dead, and it’s over. You wouldn’t even know why it happened. No, I couldn’t do it that way.” He raised a brow, “don’t get me wrong, I do intend to kill you, just not until you’ve suffered as much as I’ve suffered.”
“I won’t let you kill Cole,” Meagan threatened, rising quickly from the floor to face Anthony.
Cole breathed a sigh of relief at Meagan’s recovery. Taking advantage of the distraction she created, Cole completed his ascent up the stairs and lunged at Anthony. Meagan was tossed aside as the two struggled. The pistol went flying and Meagan was on her way to fetch it when she noticed Anthony had his fist pulled back, posed to strike.
"Cole, watch out," Meagan warned.
Distracted, Cole glanced at her and Anthony’s punch landed square in his jaw. “Damn it, Meagan,” Cole muttered, “keep quiet.”
They continued to fight, and Meagan skirted across the floor and grabbed the pistol. She turned just in time to see Anthony grab Cole by the shirt, lift him up and brace himself in preparation of tossing Cole down the stairs.
"Do it and you're dead," Meagan threatened, her voice so ominous it surprised even herself
Tony released Cole and spun on his heels. Cole lost his footing and stumbled back, clinging to the rail to avoid a trip down the stairs.
Anthony took several steps towards Meagan, who held the barrel of the pistol straight at his chest. “You won’t shoot me, Meagan. We both know that.”
Cole regained his balance in time to see Meagan cock the gun. “Meagan," he urged as he approached cautiously, keeping his eye on Anthony the whole time, "give me the gun."
Her fingers turned numb where she gripped the gun, yet she didn't release it. She raised it higher, until it was level with Anthony's head. He'd killed her father, burned her home, made her believe he cared about her, and now he wanted Cole dead.
“Why do you hate Cole so much?” she asked. “What did he do to you?”
Anthony’s face clouded over. "Sam was everything to me. I was there, in the house, the day she died.” He sent a sideways glare towards Cole, “I was there when you killed her.”
Meagan was shaking so bad she could barely keep hold of the pistol.
"I didn't kill her,” Cole denied, “your pa did."
“He may have been the hand that pushed her, but you were the source. I heard you accuse her of sleeping with other men. She tried to explain, but you wouldn’t listen. She wasn’t promiscuous like our ma,” he declared with a sneer, “she was raped.”
“Raped?” Cole repeated the single word in a tortured whisper.
“I was there when she came home that night. She had bruises on her face and her dress was torn. She was crying and begging me not to tell pa.”
“Raped?” Cole repeated again, unable to absorb the implication of what that meant.
"I killed those men," Anthony continued. “I killed every last one of them, and when I could, I killed Pa, too.”
Meagan’s dazed mind couldn’t take all this in. Her father had been murdered by her brother who'd murdered his own father as well. Cole had loved a woman whom she'd never met yet was her sister. Now, her brother wanted to kill the man she loved.
Anthony moved forward with more confidence than he should have considering he had a gun pointed at his head. “It’s time for Cole to feel the same pain I did when I saw Samantha’s lifeless body at the foot of the stairs. It is time, Meagan, for you to die.” He lunged forward.
Meagan fired. The bullet ricocheted off the metal railing and into the wall of the hall. The sound brought Cole out of his stupor just in time to see Anthony land on top of Meagan, who still held the pistol. He grabbed Anthony by the back of his shirt and pulled as hard as he could. Anthony fell backwards on top of him.
As they both righted themselves, Cole saw the glint of the pistol from the corner of his eye. He lunged just as Meagan fired again.
The front door burst open and Stephen ran into the room. Anthony was approaching rapidly towards her. Meagan lifted the gun for a third time and pulled the trigger. A shot reverberated through the room, echoing in her ears. Anthony lay on the floor, a puddle of blood forming beneath him.
Meagan turned to see Stephen taking the stairs two at a time. It was then she noticed Cole lying on the floor, near her feet, in a pool of his own blood.
Her second shot had missed its mark, but found a target. She'd shot Cole. Without a sound she slipped into an unconscious heap between the two injured men.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Pain seared through Cole's side. A deep, guttural moan escaped through clenched teeth as he attempted to sit.
"Don't Cole. Stay where you are."
&n
bsp; Cole responded to the gentle pressure of Stephen's hand on his shoulder and relaxed back onto the floor. He turned his head and noticed Meagan lying unconscious on the floor beside him. With little regard for his injuries, Cole sat up and scooted toward her.
"Damn it, Cole," Stephen protested. "I told you not to move."
A wave of dizziness enveloped him, and Cole shut his eyes to clear his vision. He'd never hurt so much in his life. Cole took inventory of Meagan's body, searching for a wound. He found none. "What happened to her?" he asked in a raspy whisper.
"She fainted."
Cole rested his head against Meagan's shoulder. It was then he spotted Anthony, who suffered a clean shot through his heart. Cole turned away from the gruesome sight. "Did Meagan kill him?"
"No." Stephen didn't glance at the corpse. "I did. Her shot missed. Apparently, though, she shot you.”
Coal groaned as the pain became unbearable. "It was my gun, my bullet," he informed Stephen before shutting his eyes. "That's Anthony Montano, Jake's son, you just killed. He's Meagan's brother."
It was the last words Cole spoke before he slipped into unconsciousness. Stephen stared at his brother in shock. Jake Montano's son was Meagan's brother? How could that be? Stephen glanced up at the man that stood beside him. "You got all you need to start the investigation, sheriff?"
The man nodded. "I do. I'll get in touch with you in a day or two."
“Sounds good,” Stephen answered, his mind already back to Cole. He removed his shirt and ripped it into two strips. One he pressed against Cole's wound to stop the flow of blood, the other he used to secure the strip.
Twenty minutes later Stephen had Cole loaded on a buckboard, Meagan beside him. He rode his team hard into Meeker and found the doc. Now, he stood beside the doc as Cole’s wound was being attended to.
"I've done all I can do,” the doc said. “The bullet went clean through and the bleeding has stopped. I'd like to keep him here for a few days before he travels."
Stephen nodded then glanced at Meagan. "What about her?"
The doctor shrugged. "She's fine. From what you've told me, she's suffered a shock. Sometimes the mind doesn't want to face reality and it blanks out. It's hard to say when she'll come to.
Stephen offered his hand, "Thanks, doc. I appreciate your help." He watched the doctor exit the room then pushed a chair nearer to Cole. The warmth of the room and the even breathing of its occupants lulled him to sleep.
Meagan opened her eyes to strange surroundings. Everything was white, impersonal. Sitting up, she spotted Cole lying on a bed and everything that had happened rushed back to her. Stephen was sleeping in a chair nearby, but she ignored him as she pushed her covers aside, slipped out of bed and approached Cole.
Meagan touched his cheek. His skin was warm, too warm. She turned and placed her hand on Stephen's shoulder. "Stephen, wake up. Stephen."
Weary eyes opened and stared blankly at her. "What? What is it Meagan?"
"It's Cole. He's hot. I think he has a fever."
Stephen shot from his chair. He placed his palm against Cole's forehead. "Damn," he muttered under his breath. "I'm going to get the doc.” Just before he exited the room he turned to her, “you feeling okay?”
Meagan nodded and watched him leave. She slumped into the chair Stephen had previously occupied with a sigh of defeat.
"Meagan?"
Meagan jumped from her chair and gathered Cole's hand in her own. He was staring straight at her, but his gaze wasn't focused. “I’m here, Cole.”
"Damn, I hurt,” he complained.
"I know," Meagan soothed. "Everything's going to be okay. You're going to be fine."
"Where are we?"
"Meeker. You’re at the doctors.”
"You shot me?"
Meagan winced. "Yes, I did."
"You didn't shoot your brother, though."
"No, Cole. I shot you instead." Meagan suddenly felt like a very evil person.
"You didn't trust me. You didn't tell me you heard from Tony."
Meagan fought back tears, but a blink of her eyes forced them down her cheeks and across her lips. She tasted their salt.
"I love you, Cole." Grief and despair tore at her heart. "I never wanted to betray you. I just wanted to talk to Tony first. I was so confused."
"You chose Tony over me.”
"No, Cole. Not on purpose."
“You shot me," he repeated, his eyes accusing.
“I know.” Meagan could think of nothing more to say. Cole believed she'd chosen her brother over him. Now, apparently, he also believed she’d tried to kill him.
Stephen rushed into the room, followed closely behind by the doctor. Meagan stepped aside and watched silently as the doctor began his examination. Several minutes passed before Meagan slipped from the room.
Cole had been hurt once by what he believed to be a woman’s betrayal. Still, he’d found the strength to trust again, in her. Now she’d betrayed him, and in doing so she'd hurt a lot of people.
Meagan didn't expect Cole's forgiveness, nor did she feel deserving of it. Cole could never trust her again. Even if he still wanted her, and that was a big if, she knew she couldn’t make him happy. He deserved a fresh start. Meagan left the doctor’s office and headed to the stage depot. It was time she left, for good.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Meagan arrived in Jensen, Utah, her first stop on the way to California, with a heavy heart. She didn't wonder what was in California. She didn't care. It was the destination of the first stage leaving Meeker, and she'd had enough money for a ticket, with several dollars left over. It was all the incentive she needed.
She exited from the stage coach, her weary body protesting every movement she made. "Stage leaves in an hour."
Meagan nodded to the driver before heading down the street, paying little attention to the people around her as she searched for a place to eat. She was nearly broke, and it was imperative she make what little she had left last. She passed a saloon and wondered if they offered food. Only one way to find out, she decided.
Smoke and other unidentifiable foul odors invaded her nostrils as she entered the dimly lighted room. Laughter rippled through the air, though Meagan saw little to laugh about. She sat in the first chair she spotted.
A woman in a bright red dress, cut low and raised nearly a foot off the ground approached her. Meagan requested a menu.
A loud, brash laugh followed her request. "Sweetie, we aint got no menu's. This here's a saloon. We serve whiskey."
Meagan stood to leave. "Thanks, anyway."
"Wait a minute."
Meagan turned back around.
"I could get you some bread or somethin' if you're hungry." the woman offered.
Meagan smiled. "That would be nice." She slumped back into the chair, grateful for a place to sit that wasn’t moving.
The woman returned moments later with a couple slices of bread spread generously with strawberry jam.
Meagan smiled her thanks. "What do I owe?"
"Oh," the woman waved her hand in the air, "it's on the house."
Meagan gave her an odd glance. "On the house?"
The woman smiled. “No charge.”
“Thanks,” Meagan picked up a slice of bread and took a bite.
“Honey, if you don’t’ mind my saying, seems to me you don't belong in here."
"No," Meagan sighed, "I suppose I don't. Right now I'm not sure I belong anywhere."
"You traveling?"
Meagan nodded as she helped herself to another bite. It tasted quite good.
“Alone?”
She nodded again.
"You looking for work?"
Meagan perked up. "Are you offering work?"
"Honey," the woman placed ample arms on her hips. "For a lady like you, there's always work."
"Hey Rosie, who's the girl?"
Meagan turned to gaze at the newcomer, who grabbed Rosie's behind and gave it a big squeeze.
"Frank, you
stop that."
"Come on Rosie, give me a little kiss, ha?"
"Frank, I told you to stop that. We got company."
Frank ignored Rosie's protests and continued to paw at her. "Rosie, honey, I've been dying for you."
Meagan had seen enough. She rose and slapped the man soundly across the cheek. "Leave her alone, you scoundrel.”
Shocked surprise registered on the man's face before it turned beet red with anger. He was about to grab her when Meagan kicked him, right in the groin. He collapsed.
"Oh, dear," Rosie grinned in spite of herself. "I think maybe I was considering you for the wrong position. A bouncer appears to be more along your line of talent."
Meagan had no idea what Rosie was talking about.
"You know, dear," Rosie began as she handed the bread to her, "I’ve reconsidered offering you a position here. I don't think you'd fit in."
"I don't see why not," Meagan protested. "I can handle men like him."
"Well," Rosie couldn't hide a bit of a smile, "you handled him, alright, but I'm wagering a bet it wasn't the way he hoped to be handled."
"Well, I would assume not," Meagan stated as she raised her chin a notch. "No man who acts like him deserves to be handled any other way."
Rosie grinned, "you're probably right about that.” She grabbed the slices of bread, placed then in Meagan’s hands and advised, “I think you'd better go now, before he gets his senses back about him."
Meagan found herself back outside. She was on her way back to the stage, chewing on her bread, when she happened across a group of men sitting in rocking chairs a few feet away. Their conversation stopped her in her tracks.
"Some woman shot him. Say he's in real bad shape, too.”
Meagan moved a few steps closer, careful to keep her back to the men.
"McAllister’s are a tough lot. He'll pull through."
"I heard tell that he had a bad fever. I'll bet he don't last out the week."
"You're on. Twenty says he makes it."
Meagan rushed past the men, her mind whirling. It hadn’t even dawned on her to consider Cole wouldn’t pull through. He was so strong, so vibrant, he couldn’t die. Only now, after overhearing those men’s conversation, she knew he might. She had to go back.
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