Clem snorted. “Maybe you should leave your revolver here if you’re going to be yourself. That way you don’t shoot someone and get us both arrested.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll go to the jail now. Best way to find information is to get inside.”
“As long as it’s not inside the bars.”
“Nope.” Ro grinned. “I’ve got a crime to report.”
Seven
The jail of Embertown was down the road from the hotel, past the bank, and standing relatively alone except for the butcher. The butcher was busy with dinos walking in and out with large chunks of meat under their arms. Some of them probably preferred to purchase their meat rather than have to hunt it. In other towns, that wasn’t a possibility because many businesses wouldn’t sell to their kind in the first place. Here, humans and dinos alike stood in line together for their needs. There were no side-eyes or looks of disgust, it was just the simple hustle and bustle of a normal town. It made Ro’s heart beat a little harder at the thought. She’d make sure to mention this town to her crew. Some of them might like to make this their final stop, to settle down and live a full life without fear of being shot for their species. There would still be threats, but here, it wouldn’t come from your neighbors.
The doors to the jail were simple saloon doors, worn and aged with use. No one stood on the outside, so Ro moved up the three steps and pushed inside the room.
Immediately through the doors, two jail cells took up the most space. Only one was currently occupied by an elderly man that stank of stale alcohol and piss. He was fast asleep on the metal bench. Ro wrinkled her nose up at the aroma coming from his direction and turned away. He must be the town drunkard—all towns have them.
“Can I help you, Ms. Ro?”
Against the opposite side of the single room was a desk. The sheriff sat in a stiff wooden chair with his boots propped up on the desktop, his spurs no doubt cutting into the wood. Ro wondered for a moment why he even wore the things. There couldn’t be a horse around that would let a predator like him get near it.
His hat was off and sitting near his feet, and Ro saw just how much hair he had. Where King kept his hair neat and tidy, the sheriff was all about efficiency it seemed. He let his hair grow long enough to curl around the ears, but his hat kept it from falling in his eyes. It wasn’t too long where it would get in the way, but spoke of someone who only cut their hair out of necessity rather than any actual style. It suited him, the scruff on his chin only adding to his ruggedness. Ro was hesitant to admit to herself that she liked both the wildness of the sheriff and the tamed, feralness of the bank owner.
“Yes, I’d like to report a crime.”
“Is that so?”
Ro raised her brow at him. “Aren’t you going to take a report or something? Maybe write it down?”
“My mind’s a steel trap. Lay it on me.”
The sheriff was teasing her, that much she knew, but he also seemed to think that whatever crime she was about to report was stupid, which she couldn’t have.
“My money bag was stolen from my hip last night after I left the saloon.” Ro raised her chin. “Perhaps, you’d like to do something about that.”
“Stolen, you say?” The sheriff looked her up and down. “Someone would have to get awfully close to take it from your hip.”
“That’s exactly my point. King got pretty squirrely with me last night, got real close. I think it was him who stole my money.” The sheriff burst into laughter, throwing his head back. He laughed so hard he nearly tipped his chair backwards. “This isn’t a laughing matter, sheriff. That’s my money.”
“What possessed you to think that the richest man in the town would want your measly money?”
“Are you insinuating that I don’t have money, sheriff?”
“Stop calling me sheriff, Ro. Call me Boone. The way you say sheriff irritates me.”
“Well, sheriff,” Ro stressed the word, “if you won’t help me, I’ll just go over to King myself. He seemed real interested in me. I bet he’d hand it right over.”
“Why do you think he’s interested?” Boone asked, clenching his jaw just enough for Ro to notice. Bingo!
“He told me so. Told me to come find him. He said he was interested in fucking. Maybe I’ll take him up on the offer after I get my money back. He’s the richest man in the town, after all.”
“There’s no need to inflate his ego more than it already is.”
“If you ain’t gonna help me, then I have no need to be here. Have a good day, sheriff,” Ro taunted, spinning on her heel.
Boone growled, “I said to stop calling me sheriff, you troublemaker.”
Ro looked over her shoulder. “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” she paused, “sheriff.”
Before Ro could take another step, she was yanked backwards and up against the wall. Her back hit the wood hard, but she managed to keep her head from doing the same, thanks to her hat tipping up at the impact. She would have been pleased by the outcome if she wasn’t trying to steady her breathing. Boone had moved far faster than she’d expected for such a large man. One moment, he’d been languid and sitting at his desk, the next, he was towering over her, his eyes flashing brightly between human and reptile.
“What game do you think you’re playin’ at?” Boone rumbled, his body pressed against hers in ways that made her come alive. “You wanted to report a crime. Fine, consider it reported. I’ll talk to King, but I don’t think he stole your money. See, there’s something going on with you that I’d like to figure out, Ro. What’s your full name?”
“I ain’t telling you shit,” Ro breathed, clenching the hand Boone had pinned over her head by her wrist. It was her revolver hand, and the sheriff had already picked it out. Not a good sign for their plans, but Boone didn’t realize that just because he had her main wrist pinned, it didn’t mean she was helpless.
“You got something to hide?” Boone leaned just a little bit closer, his knee pinning Ro so she couldn’t move to kick him in the balls like she itched to do.
“We all got something to hide,” Ro whispered. “That don’t mean I’m going to tell you what it is, sheriff.”
“You keep asking for punishment, you might just get it,” he growled, his breath fanning across her face.
His scent hit her at the same time, this mixture of leather and man, and a citrus scent that Ro couldn’t place. An odd scent for a dinosaur of his kind.
“Who says I don’t want punishment?” Ro grinned when his eyes heated. “But it won’t be today.” She pulled her spare pistol from her other hip with her free hand and pressed it against his stomach. “Next time you pin me, make sure you get both wrists.” She winked. “I ain’t some dumb broad.”
Boone chuckled and leaned down enough to press his lips against her ear. She didn’t pull the trigger, even though her finger itched. It was counterproductive to shoot him anyways. She did stop breathing for a moment, but she blamed it on her surprise rather than any real interest. “Next time I have you pinned, you won’t be worried about drawing your revolver, troublemaker.”
“If y’all are gonna fuck, could you do it somewhere else so I can sleep?”
“Shut up, Earl,” Boone called over his shoulder, talking to the drunkard who still covered his eyes.
“I can smell your heat from here. Let me sleep off my liquor in peace.”
Ro shoved Boone away, knowing he let her rather than anything she did, but she straightened her hat and sniffed.
“Guess I’ll go talk to King then. Thanks for the help, sheriff.”
Boone growled at her back as she stepped through the door, watching her leave. She didn’t turn back around.
“Better watch yourself around that one, Boone,” Earl grumbled. “She’s gonna give you a run for your money.”
Boone didn’t answer him. He was too focused on not chasing after her and keeping her from the bank owner, but he needed to pay King a visit anyways.
Might as well wait until the perfect time
to do so.
Eight
Ro didn’t intend to march up to the bank and talk to King, but she found herself in front of the building anyways, contemplating whether she should go in and continue her plan or give it a little time to breathe. Unlike the jail, the bank had a regular door, with steel bars blocking the window on it and the windows to the sides. It appeared Virgil King indeed took his security seriously. It was just another obstacle to tackle when the time came. Ro pushed it aside in her mind to deal with later. She’d need to memorize as many specifics as possible to write down in her notes, eventually making a detailed blueprint her crew could follow. She would be leading the charge, but everyone needed to be aware of what exactly they would be doing. No mess ups.
Just when Ro decided she’d come back later, the door to the bank opened and out stepped the man she wasn’t quite prepared to see yet. Virgil King was dressed in another tailored suit, his face just as smooth as it had been the day before. He was missing the bowler hat, his hair styled in a classy way that Ro would normally turn her nose at, but she found she liked it on him.
“Hey there, Red. You going to stand out here all day or actually come inside?” He grinned down at Ro where she stood on the dirt and she pursed her lips in annoyance.
“I was debating if I wanted to see your face or not. I’d just decided I didn’t when you stepped outside.”
“Such a shame,” he purred. “I was really looking forward to talking with you again.” King’s eyes trailed down her body, noting the missing coat and cleaner appearance. That didn’t mean there wasn’t new dust covering her boots and bottom of her trousers however. “You look ravishing today, Red.”
“You can save your charm, King. I wasn’t coming to see you for pleasure.” Ro took the few steps to bring her to the same level as King. That didn’t mean she could look directly into his face though. No, as a Rex, King already had the advantage, even in human form. They tended to be taller than normal people.
“Oh?” He raised his brow, tilting his head as he studied her eyes. “And pray tell, what, then, brings you to my doorstep?”
“I just came from the jail.” Ro fisted her hand on her hip and put as much sass into her expression as possible, even though she felt ridiculous craning her neck to meet his eyes. “I told Sheriff Boone you stole my money.”
King chuckled and leaned closer. “You mean the small bag of chump change you skillfully slid inside my jacket yesterday?” Instead of answering, Ro just smiled. She expected it to piss him off. She didn’t expect a fire to ignite in his gaze. “What game are you playing at, Red?” he purred. “And do I get to play too?”
“Who says I’m playing a game?”
“It’s obvious.” He shrugged. “If you really want to stroke my anger, I’d rather you stroke other things.”
Ro wrinkled her nose, but she wasn’t opposed to the idea, not as much as she’d like to believe. “You’re a tough one to figure out, King. I’ll give you that.”
“I’m not so difficult. Why don’t you come inside, and we can discuss—”
“Property,” Ro interrupted, grinning. “I would indeed like to discuss owning property in Embertown, if what you said yesterday is true.”
He switched gears easily, as if he expected it. “I never lie, Red. Come inside and I can show you what’s available.”
Ro only hesitated for a moment when he pulled the door open and waited for her to step into the building, but she raised her chin and entered, even though it made her skin itch to have a predator at her back. She was certain he took pleasure in making her uncomfortable, playing his own little game in a way.
“How much would a large amount of acreage cost?” Ro asked, watching as King stepped around a desk and shuffled some papers. All the while her eyes were cataloging everything, from the desks, to the file containers, to the large vault the likes of which she’d never seen before at the back of the room.
“How many acres are you interested in? There’s still plenty of land outside of and along the edge of town. If you’re looking for something large enough to farm, then it can be accommodated.” King pulled a paper from the stack and glanced down at it, searching for something.
“Something large. At least fifty acres, more if possible. It needs to be plenty big for lots of houses.”
King’s eyes flicked to hers. “Big family?”
“Something like that.” Ro didn’t elaborate further, purposely avoiding the questions she saw in his eyes. “Do you have it?”
“Of course. There’s a hundred-acre plot of land just south of the center of town. There’s some wild dinos that live on it, but they’re small and harmless. They could easily be herded away or accommodated if you’d prefer.”
“There’d be no harm in letting them stay,” Ro commented, remembering her own herds she had on her father’s land. “A hundred acres sounds perfect. How much?”
“Buying the land free and clear will cost you a dollar twenty-five an acre here.”
Ro whistled. “A little steeper than some of the other towns.”
“But see, this isn’t other towns. You can live here, own land here, and your large family would be safe here if they include any types the rest of world turns their nose up at. All of this lends to the desirability of the land itself.”
“That’s true.” Ro pursed her lips. “Is it all required upfront?”
“It can be paid in four installments.”
It was amazing to see the cheeky bank owner turn from pleasure to business that quickly, but even though they discussed something relatively bland, there was still a fire in King’s eyes that Ro knew wasn’t because of what they discussed.
“And I can own it? Not a husband. Not a man. Me, a woman. My name will be on the deed?”
King nodded. “Yes. Women and those with scales are permitted to own land here. You might have noticed that a significant amount of the businesses in Embertown are owned by either dinos or humans that are sympathetic to them. As the owner of the bank, I can sell to whomever I’d like. And since the sheriff also holds the same beliefs, we can enforce it.”
“It all sounds a little too good to be true. What’s gonna stop the government from swooping in and saying everyone’s claim to land and business is null and void?”
“They wouldn’t be such idiots. Besides,” he shrugged, “we already have the letters stating we’re free to do what we please. I think they believe we are savages, but ones they can’t really fight without losing. After all, we’re just like them. We just transform into dinosaurs every so often.”
Ro hadn’t realized she’d stopped memorizing details until that moment, too engrossed in their conversation. She wasn’t sure if she should be so invested, so interested, but she couldn’t help it. She’d gotten into the outlaw business when she was told she couldn’t own land. Now, here she was, being told that she could, and that her crew could too, if they wanted. They had enough money now, but in order to purchase building materials and the things they needed, they had to go through with their plan.
“You’re mighty deep in thought there, Red. Anything I can help you figure out?” King moved around the desk and stood in front of her with only a few feet separating them.
“I’m just considering my options is all.”
He tilted his head. “Am I considered one of those options?”
Ro laughed and shook her head. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“If you think I’d give up so easily, Red, then perhaps you should get to know me more.”
Ro didn’t move as he stepped closer, until her breasts just barely brushed against his chest. “And why would I want to do that?” she breathed.
His eyes flashed bright green and for a moment, she would have sworn she’d seen scales crawl along his neck.
“I’m delightful.” His hand rose up slowly and cupped her hip. When she didn’t push him away or reach for her gun, his other hand plucked the hat from her head and gently set it on his desk. “Why wouldn’t you want to kno
w me?”
“You feel like bad news.” Ro raised her brow. “And you think I’m playing games.”
“See,” King growled, leaning close enough that his breath fanned across her face. His hand remained in place as he studied her closely. “I think you like bad news.” Ro didn’t object. “And I also know you’re playing some sort of game, but I don’t really care. I can play games too. I know you mentioned the sheriff earlier to get a rise out of me.”
“Did it work?”
“I haven’t decided yet. Do you like the sheriff?”
“He’s tolerable,” Ro admitted, “when he isn’t being an ass.”
“And how do you feel about me, Red? Hmm? Am I part of your game? Or is this all some elaborate ruse to upset the sheriff?”
She bit her lip, wondering what she could say without giving her plans away. “Perhaps I’m just interested in having some fun while I’m in town. Perhaps you entertain me.”
King chuckled, the hand against her hip rubbing against her in ways that shouldn’t feel sexual and yet his fingers lit her on fire. “So, you’d pit the two Rexes in town against each other for fun?” He jerked her hip against him, his arousal pressing hard into her stomach. She gasped, her hands going up to press against his chest in surprise. “Are you trying to start a war, Red? Do you want us to go mad with want and battle it out for you?”
“I don’t want a war,” she gasped. Still, she didn’t reach for her revolver. She didn’t want to. Instead, she found herself grinding the slightest bit against him, pulling a growl from his lips.
“And yet you play with fire.” King’s free hand trailed up her spine before his fingers wrapped around the back of her neck, holding her there. “You’re going to get burned, Ro no-last-name.”
“Are you gonna be the one to burn me?” she asked, meeting his eyes. “Cause if so, I might just be okay with that.”
Rexes & Robbers Page 6