Rexes & Robbers

by Kendra Moreno

  And Boone intended to peel back all her layers, mentally and physically.

  The hunt sung through his veins.

  Five

  The rooms Clem and Ro were staying in weren’t luxurious by any stretch, but they were far better than most. The wooden floor was at least clean and free of roaches, the sheets a little off-color but washed. The two beds were small, just large enough for a comfortable night of sleep and nothing else. Clem would have to get creative if she ended up fetching Dolly. Ro had no doubt that the other woman would be in their room often.

  The sun was already starting to sink in the sky, the blue turning into vibrant golds, yellows, and reds. Ro never got tired of the sight and so she made sure to step from the hotel, leaving Clem behind, and standing in the middle of the street staring up at the sky. Those that were on their way to various places moved around her, giving odd looks to the woman gazing up, but otherwise leaving her alone.

  The dust might get on everything, and Ro could do without the rattlers and the scorpions, but nothing beat the sight of the sun painting the sky as it sunk beneath the horizon.

  “It’s magnificent, isn’t it?”

  Ro turned and met the eyes of a well-dressed man. Instead of popular chaps and a cowboy hat, this man was dressed in a tailored suit and a bowler hat. He was handsome, probably in his early to mid-thirties, and his hands spoke of someone who didn’t spend much time in the desert, but that was okay. If Ro had her way, she wouldn’t spend much time in the desert either.

  “I never get tired of the sight,” Ro answered, a small smile on her face. “It makes up for all the things that try to kill you.”

  The man raised his brow, the corner of his lips ticking up. “You have many things trying to kill you?”

  “It’s the desert.” Ro shrugged. “What isn’t trying to kill me is the better question.”

  A full-blown smile spread on his face and he stepped away from the building and strode toward Ro. She held her ground as he came closer, even though she realized how truly large he was. His shoulders were much wider than were normal for someone dressed as he was, and his jaw was clean shaven, another oddity. Wealthy men tended to grow out their moustaches as a sign of their power. Perhaps this man didn’t care for such things. Ro decided she rather liked the clean shaved look on his face.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met.” He stopped a few feet from her and held out his hand. “I’m Virgil King.”

  Ro slipped her hand into his, automatically liking the warmth he exuded, even though they stood in the dying light of the hottest place. “I’m Ro.”

  “Just Ro?” He keenly picked up on the fact that she gave no surname, and not even her full name.

  “Just Ro.”

  “Well, Ro, welcome to Embertown. I hope your stay will be,” Virgil trailed his eyes down her body, “lengthy.”

  Normally, Ro would have taken offense to such attention, her annoyance at the fact that men saw nothing more than her breasts grating, but this didn’t feel like that. When this man looked at her, she felt like he was appreciating not only her form, but her strength. She wasn’t wearing skirts or a corset, and yet his vibrant green eyes took in her chaps and coat as if she was wearing the finest silks.

  “Can I ask what you do here, Mr. King?” Ro ventured, raising her brow, her lips quirked. Embertown might just be a little fun during their stay. “You’re dressed like an aristocrat. Should I be worried you’re attempting to seduce me into a life of silver platters and tea times?”

  Surprise crossed his face for all of two seconds before he burst into laughter. A few people looked over at the two individuals standing in the middle of the road, as dinos and people passed by as if nothing was abnormal. Most ignored them, but the sound of the man’s laughter made Ro perk up just a little bit more. Oh, she liked when he did that. It had the feeling of freedom, and it made her want to be free too.

  “Silver platters and tea times,” King repeated, still chuckling. “I do believe you have me confused for some useless twit with too much money.”

  “So you’re not a useless twit?” Ro grinned. “’Cause you could have had me fooled.”

  King’s eyes glinted and flashed, and Ro tried her best not to let her spine stiffen. Fuck, she thought. Not another one.

  “Hopefully, not so useless,” he purred, taking a step forward. It took everything in Ro not to back away from the second Rex she’d met today. What was it with this town? Was it some sort of predator haven? “I own the bank.”

  Ro’s heart sunk. This hit would be so much harder with not only a Rex sheriff, but now the bank owner was a Rex too. It didn’t mean it was impossible. It just meant they would have to be very careful.

  “Do you now?”

  King nodded, tilting his head to the side to study her. “Let me guess, you figured out I’m not quite so human.”

  “What do you mean?” Ro forced a smile on her face, staring up into his green eyes.

  “I won’t make it a secret that I think you’re a breath of fresh air in this town, Ro no-last-name, and I don’t hide what I am here. I can tell the moment you realized what I am. And yet you aren’t running away screaming. Why?”

  “I’m not scared of you, if that’s what you’re hoping I’ll say.” Ro glared at him, her fingers twitching toward the revolver at her hip as he took a step closer until they were a breath apart.

  “I don’t think you’re scared at all,” he whispered. “But most figure out what I am and give me a wide berth.”

  “I don’t care what you are. I don’t judge based on species or gender.”

  “Well, isn’t that nice?” King’s eyes flashed again, tilting his head closer. “Have you ever been with a Rex before, Ro?”

  “I’m not some working girl to be bought and paid for.”

  “I never said you were. I’m not trying to purchase you, Ro. I’m just trying to fuck you.” A breath stuttered in Ro’s throat, and this time she didn’t deny her fingers from wrapping around her revolver. She pulled it from her hip and held it, and King’s eyes went toward the glinting silver. “What are you going to do with that, Red?”

  It took Ro a second to realize he called her Red because of the color of her hat. “I haven’t decided yet. I’m not sure you should stick around to find out.”

  King chuckled, his face far too happy with the outcome for her tastes. King, it seemed, liked tough women, and he’d set his sights on Ro. Unfortunately for her, her body was responding to it just like it had for the sheriff. Either she had a death wish, or she’d lost her damn mind. She had plans to rob this overbearing lizard, not sleep with him.

  But there’s nothing wrong with doing both, her mind whispered.

  “You know where to find me, Red. Let me know if you want to purchase some land. Once you get a taste for Embertown, most don’t leave.”

  Ro frowned as he stepped back and turned. “Wait!” He glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes still sparkling. “What do you mean purchase land? I’m a woman.”

  “That I can very much see, Red.”

  “But banks don’t sell land to women, not without a husband.”

  “Maybe not in other towns they don’t. Embertown is paradise for all, Ro. Not just men.” He winked. “See you soon.”

  Ro stood in the middle of the street, watching the well-dressed dino step through the dust, somehow keeping his pristine grey suit clean. She watched him disappear inside of the building he’d come from, and when the sun finally sunk beneath the sky, she still stood frozen to the spot.

  Embertown is paradise for all, she repeated in her head.

  She could own land. She wouldn’t need a husband. She could be free. If she didn’t have plans to rob the town blind, that is.

  Finally, Ro stepped from the road and headed back to her rented room. Clem was fast asleep, too tired after all the traveling to find Dolly. Ro had no one to tell the news to, so instead, she sunk deep into her dreams of enticing Rexes and freedom the likes she’d never tasted.

/>   She could be free.

  Six

  Clem woke up bright and early the next morning prepared for battle, even if the battle was nothing more than attempting to scrub the dust from her blonde hair. She’d attempted the feat last night, but had been unsuccessful. Ro watched from where she perched on the edge of the mattress, grinning as more and more red water ran from Clem’s scalp.

  “It might be time to start claiming your hair is red, rather than blonde,” Ro teased.

  “I’m not built to be a redhead,” Clem grumbled, scrubbing harder. “I’m a blonde. And I’ll stay a blonde until the day I die.”

  “There’s no need to fight it,” Ro continued. “Just embrace your new look. You certainly have the attitude to wear fire colored hair.”

  “Fuck you,” Clem shot back good-naturedly, the red finally starting to fade.

  Ro laughed and shook her head. Luckily, she didn’t have the same trouble as Clem. Somehow, her hair seemed to attract more dust than Ro’s did, always painting the pale colored locks with the red color of the rocks. It normally came out with a bit of scrubbing, but Clem was not pleased when it happened. Ro’s naturally dark hair never turned red, it just got a little ashy if there was too much dust. She still had to scrub just as much as Clem, but it didn’t bother her as much as her partner. Ro had lived in the desert all her life. If she worried about the dust as much as Clem, she’d never get anything done.

  “I met the bank owner last night while you were sleeping.” Ro looked away, not excited to share the newest obstacle.

  Clem took a rag to her hair and started drying it as best as she could. She’d look a little like a wet rat for an hour or two before the naturally wavy hair returned to its gorgeous luster. There was little doubt as to how Clem managed to woo so many women on their travels.

  “Oh?” Clem raised her brow. “What sort of human is he?”

  “That’s just it. He isn’t human.”

  Clem frowned. “So, Embertown has a scaly sheriff and a scaly bank owner?”

  “It would appear so.” Ro bit her lip. “Aren’t you going to ask which species he is?”

  “I figured you’d tell me.” Clem narrowed her eyes. “Why do I get the feeling it’s bad?”

  “Well. . .”

  “Don’t you fucking say it,” Clem growled, stretching to her full height.

  “He’s a Rex.”

  Clem snarled and slammed her fist into the wall, rattling the wood and the loose nails. Someone on the other side banged against it in return. “Shove it!” Clem yelled through the wall. She lowered her voice when she spoke to Ro. “We expected dinosaurs, Ro, but this just got to be too much. We could have handled one Rex as the sheriff. Two Rexes! We’d have to not only figure out the layout of the bank without him sensing it—and I’ve heard he’s got some top-notch shit securing his assets—but we also have to get past the fucking Rex wearing the sheriff badge!”

  “I have a plan.”

  “Of course you do. Christ, Ro, you’ve lost your damn mind.”

  “I found something else out too.”

  “Don’t you dare say that everything is owned by Tyrannosaurus Rexes in this town.” Ro couldn’t help it, she laughed. “This ain’t funny! Why are you laughing?”

  “I don’t know if they own the whole town. That wasn’t what I was going to say.”

  “It better be something along the lines of, ‘Gee, Clem. I know this is really stressing you out, so I arranged for Dolly to come to your room later.’ If it’s not, I don’t want to hear it.” Clem crossed her arms, but her intense gaze was a little moderated by the way her hair stuck out in odd angles while it dried.

  “I could arrange that.” Ro grinned and winked. “But that’s still not it. The bank owner—his name is Virgil King, by the way—said that women can own property in Embertown.”

  “He was bluffin’. Ain’t no bank gonna sign over land to a woman.”

  “I don’t think he was bluffing though, Clem. He was serious. He said Embertown is equal for all. What if we could own land here?”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Why don’t it matter?” Ro demanded. “That’s all we’ve ever worked for, to be able to be free to do what we want. Embertown is that place.”

  “It don’t matter because first, you ain’t got enough money for all that. Not yet, because there’s too many mouths to feed. Second, you’re planning to rob this town blind in order to be able to afford the land. It’s a little counterproductive, don’t you think? They ain’t gonna sign over land to you after you held them up at gunpoint.” Clem shook her head as if it was the stupidest idea in the world.

  Who knows? Maybe it is, Ro thought, but she raised her chin anyways. “I told you I have a plan. They don’t have to know it’s us that robs them.”

  “And how are we gonna achieve that? We gonna turn into ghosts now?”

  “That’s it exactly.”

  Clem frowned. “What?”

  “We hide our faces, make sure no one recognizes us. Change our clothes, speak differently. While we’re here, we make sure to earn their trust so they never suspect us.”

  “That easy, huh?” Clem ran a hand through her wet hair, making it stand up even more. “I don’t think you realize how much of a challenge this is, Ro. I’ve been your partner for years now, and you have some nice brass balls, I’ll give you that, but this one seems impossible. Rexes have heightened senses, and they’re massive. What are you gonna do if they shift?”

  “They won’t even be around when it happens. I plan on distracting them. We can seduce the two—”

  “I’m gonna stop you right there. Ain’t a single person gonna believe I’m into men. I can’t even flirt properly with one. Have you seen me try? It’s a disaster.”

  “I’m sure it’s fine. Give me your best line.”

  Clem wrinkled her nose. “For a man?”

  “No, for a potato. Christ, of course for a man, Clem. Pretend I’m some hulking, rugged man and seduce me.”

  If it was possible, Clem’s face wrinkled up even more in disgust, but she squared her shoulders, looked Ro dead in the eyes, and opened her mouth. “You are what you eat, so darlin’, I could be you by morning.” Ro covered her mouth, but it did little good at catching the snort that slipped out before she doubled over in laughter. “Stop it! That’s a good line!” Clem defended. “It worked on the ladies before.”

  It took Ro another few seconds to stop laughing long enough to school her features, but even then small chuckles kept slipping out. “First, I can understand it working on the ladies, but you don’t eat a man. They might panic if you mention eating. Second, you’re a scaly, and a carnivore one at that. Why anyone would think it’s attractive to have them for dinner is beyond me. No, that line won’t work at all.”

  “Well, goddammit, what do you want me to do? Ain’t no Rex gonna be able to accept that I’m into them.”

  “I can only seduce one. Which is the bigger threat?”

  “Why can’t you seduce both?” Clem asked. “Get them both hot and bothered. Rexes are territorial. Maybe them directing their anger toward each other will work.”

  Ro frowned. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea.”

  “I am smart, ya know?” Clem rolled her eyes.

  “Well, you had me fooled with that terrible line a second ago.”

  Ro just barely ducked the boot that came flying for her head, laughing at her partner.

  “That line was perfection, you no good fleshy. I’ll prove it.”

  “Oh no! Poor Dolly won’t know what hit her,” Ro teased. She couldn’t duck the second boot and it hit her square in the chest.

  “So, how are we gonna do this then?” Clem took a seat on her mattress and stared at Ro expectantly. “You fuck the two Rexes, get them all riled up, and then we swoop in like two Compies?”

  “I don’t have to have sex with them to seduce them.”

  “But you want to.” Clem wiggled her eyebrows. “Have some fun. You need to. You�
�ve been a little tense lately.”

  “Regardless, I won’t have to sleep with them.”

  “Still think you should,” Clem grumbled, but Ro ignored her.

  “I’ll get their attention and keep them distracted, while we figure out a way to scope out the bank and the jail. We can’t have any surprises. We stay in town for a week before we ride out to the rest of the crew and come in guns blazing. Our faces have to be covered, every one. If we come here and want to own land in the end, it’s a necessity. We can’t have anything going wrong, and we can’t be recognized as Rowena and Clementine or the Free Outlaws.”

  “And what will I be doing this week while you work your charms on the two bachelors?”

  “Talk to the working girls. They hear everything. Maybe they know information that could come in handy.”

  Clem grinned. “Well, I will of course do my part in this mission. It’ll be difficult, but I’ll strip many corsets all for the sake of our hit.”

  “Just make sure when you’re stripping the corsets, you remember to actually have them speak more than just your name.” Ro shook her head, but a smile spread across her face. She didn’t know where she’d be without her partner and friend. Clem had come along at just the right time, bringing her out of the hole she’d been sinking into.

  “Oh, they’ll be singing more than just my name,” Clem promised, grinning so wide it was easy to see the predator she was. “You just go get those two Rexes’ attention.”

  “Shouldn’t be difficult. King already told me he wanted to get me sideways.”

  “You conveniently left that part out before.”

  “I didn’t think it was necessary.”

  Clem just shook her head. “Well, then you need to make sure the sheriff is focused on you too. Maybe you should find you a skirt. I can ask one of the working girls.”

  “I don’t need to dress differently.” Ro stood and dusted her pants off. She’d managed to get them clean, but that didn’t mean more dust wouldn’t gather. Luckily for her, the sheriff and King both didn’t seem to mind her outfit. Now that she was cleaner and determined, it should be easy to convince them that she was attracted to them. It was true anyways. “I’ll just be myself.”