The Outlaw's Heart

by Amy Sandas

  She had to force down a rise of nerves when she recognized the man seated behind the desk as the one who had briefly questioned her the night before. If she had known then that she was facing the leader of the outlaw gang, she might have responded to his questioning differently.

  Then again, maybe not.

  For certain, she hadn’t expected the man known only as Luke to be so young.

  Facing him now, it wasn’t difficult to imagine him as the leader of an outlaw gang. There was no denying his calculating gaze or the fact that he didn’t even bother to conceal the assessing nature of his thoughts. Once again, she couldn’t shake the sense that the man was far more dangerous than he appeared.

  The only chair in the room was the one behind the desk, so she was forced to stand awkwardly in the middle of the room as she waited for him to address her. She was not oblivious to how she likely appeared in her borrowed dress with her hair a tangled mass tied back at her nape. Ragged, worn-down, vulnerable, and alone.

  She couldn’t allow that to matter. Keeping her head high and her gaze direct, she waited.

  After a few minutes of silence, he spoke, as curtly as he had the night before. “Who are you?”

  Eve steeled herself for what would likely be a challenging confrontation. This man didn’t know yet that her stubborn determination was all she had until she gained her freedom.

  “You can call me Eve.”

  Something flashed in his eyes, then was gone. “But that’s not your name,” he replied.

  She said nothing.

  “Why did you claim to be Sarah Cummings?”

  “My reasons are my own.”

  “How did you know her?”

  “We met on the train.”

  He paused, as though deciding whether to believe her answer. Then he leaned back in his chair, causing the weathered wood to creak beneath him. “What do you know of her destination?”

  “Just that she was going to Montana to be married.”

  “The name of the groom?”

  Eve paused. She hadn’t expected this line of questioning, and she began to worry that her answers might put Sarah in further danger. She had obviously been a target of this group—perhaps of this man specifically—and might still be.

  “His name?” Luke prompted.

  “I don’t recall.”

  She could see in an instant he didn’t believe her. She was surprised he didn’t press the issue as he abruptly changed direction instead. “Where’re you headed?”

  She kept her mouth closed and her gaze steadily forward.

  “Where are you from?”

  She said nothing.

  “From the Eastern style of your talk, I’d say you came a pretty long way.”

  “I will not be ransomed,” Eve said firmly.

  There was a lengthy pause as his brows lowered and an odd tension seemed to settle across his shoulders. “What do you see happening here?” he asked after a while.

  Though anxiety trembled through her, Eve answered firmly. “I expect you to let me go.”

  A smile teased at the corner of his mouth. “Really?”

  Eve plunged forward. “I am not the woman you’d intended to…kidnap.” She may as well call it what it was. “And since I have no intention of providing any information to assist in a ransom, I am of absolutely no use to you. All I ask is for an escort to take me to the nearest train station so I can continue on my way.”

  “And alert the first sheriff you see to where we’re holed up.”

  “I assure you, Mr.… Luke. I haven’t the slightest idea where we are, other than the fact that we’re surrounded by giant rocks. But from what I’ve seen on the journey here, that appears to be the norm rather than the exception.”

  He chuckled at that. The sound was incongruent with his hard gaze. “You’ve got more spunk than you like to let on, don’t you?”

  Eve lapsed back into silence. Spunky was certainly not a term anyone who knew her ever would have applied. But desperation did things to a person. And right now, she was desperate for this man to grant her freedom. “Just let me go.”

  With a low sigh, he interlaced his fingers and rested them on his abdomen as he crossed one ankle over the opposite knee. “If I agreed to your request…where would you go?”

  Eve lifted her chin. Even if she had an answer, she wouldn’t give it to him. Her original plan had been to get as far from Boston as possible, but without her money, what options did she have left?

  Eve’s stomach twisted. She had nothing. No means. No real direction.

  Unless she could somehow reclaim her money. As long as no one else stole her bag as their own, it was likely being held by the railroad. Her abduction had surely been reported to local law enforcement. If she could get to the nearest station on the Union Pacific line and explain what happened, she might be able to reclaim it.

  But then again…

  If Matthew had expended any resources to monitor the train system, he very well could have heard about a young woman with light hair who had been taken in Wyoming Territory. Even if he didn’t suspect it to be her right away, such news would surely prompt further investigation. He could already have men watching the railway lines.

  Matthew was nothing if not thorough.

  Could she risk returning to the train station at all?

  While her thoughts had been whirling through the full impact of these details, the gang leader had been watching her with narrowed focus. “What’re you running from?”

  Eve stiffened. “Who says I’m running from anything?”

  He gave a brief chuckle. “We’re all running from something, aren’t we?”

  She chose not to reply to the philosophical question.

  “I just need to know if you’ve got the law on your tail.”

  That, at least, was something she could answer with abject certainty. Matthew would never be so indiscreet as to involve law enforcement. His primary priority would be to preserve appearances as much as possible.

  She returned the outlaw’s sharp hazel gaze with a flat stare. “I’m no criminal.”

  “Then what are you?”

  She curled her linked fingers into a tighter grip as she tipped her chin to an imperious angle, but she didn’t answer.

  Luke rose to his feet. His limp was barely noticeable as he came slowly around the desk to stand directly in front of her. Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned back against the desk and crossed his ankles.

  Rather than easing her trepidation, the relaxed stance only made her warier. Eve got the tingling sense that this man could present himself in countless different ways depending on what the situation called for.

  “Look, whoever you are and whatever you’re trying to escape, I might be able to help you…but you gotta tell me what you’re up against.”

  Eve was taken aback. He was offering to help her? She eyed him with suspicion. “You do not intend to ransom me?”

  He shrugged. “You don’t wanna go back to where you came from, so I’m not gonna make you. Besides, a ransom gets awful tough to manage when we don’t know who to contact for payment. As you likely already know, me and my men are outlaws. We rob stagecoaches and trains and, on occasion, kidnap wealthy young women in exchange for money,” he said with a hitch at the corner of his mouth. Then he lowered his chin and something in his light-dark eyes shifted. “But that’s not all we do. Sometimes, we come across people who need somewhere to hide out for a while.” He swept his hand toward the window. “This valley is a great place for hiding.”

  Eve took in his words and what they seemed to mean. “Are you saying I can stay here?”

  “For a time. You’ll be treated with respect by my men until you have the means to continue your journey safely.”

  A rush of something like relief nearly washed through her but was swiftly cut
off by her greater sense.

  “And if I wish to leave immediately?”

  “Well, that might be tricky. You see, the law will be looking for a young blond woman who was taken off a train. If any of my men are seen with such a woman, they’d be suspect. But I imagine we could find a way to get you to the nearest station in Granger.”

  Where Matthew might very well be waiting for her.

  Eve hesitated in uncertainty.

  Surely, it was better to keep pushing toward California—to keep putting as much distance between herself and Boston as possible. But if she failed in reclaiming her money…

  “Think about it. There’s no real hurry,” Luke said as he straightened and walked back to his chair. He took a seat, stretching one leg out in front of him. “In the meantime, feel free to make yourself at home,” he added with a nod toward the door, essentially dismissing her.

  Eve turned and left the room. Her chest felt tight, and her stomach churned.

  She seemed to be facing two equally uncertain options: return to the Union Pacific line with the hope that she might somehow reclaim her bag with her money still inside and that Matthew hadn’t heard news of the kidnapping of a young, fair-haired woman.

  Or remain in this outlaw hideout for an undetermined time until her trail went cold, so to speak, and she felt safe enough to continue.

  Either way, the risks were great and the future totally uncertain.

  Twenty

  Eve stepped into the great room. The savory scent of food reminded her of how little she’d eaten the day before.

  Gabriel had eaten even less.

  The thought of him caused a twist in her belly.

  Where had he gone the night before? Was he sleeping in one of the other rooms she had passed in the two hallways? Now that he had delivered her to his boss, had he left the valley altogether?

  Johnny stood at the stove scooping something from a large iron skillet onto a plate.

  The lanky outlaw glanced her way. “You want some breakfast?”

  Eve was far too hungry to even consider turning down the offer, and the food smelled unbelievably good. “Yes, I would. Thank you.”

  “Have a seat,” the outlaw said with a gesture toward the long dinner table.

  “Coffee?” Johnny asked as he set a full plate on the table, then went back to the stove to fill another.

  “Yes, please,” Eve replied as she eyed the heaping pile of food. She saw scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, some onion, mushrooms maybe, thick chunks of bacon, and some other things she wasn’t sure of, all thrown together and covered in a light-brown gravy.

  “The food I make never looks too pretty, but it sure tastes good,” Johnny declared as he set a mug of coffee down and then slid his lean body into a chair across from Eve. He didn’t bother waiting as he picked up his fork and dug into his own heaping plate.

  The outlaw hadn’t been boasting without cause. The food tasted even better than it smelled. Rich and savory and utterly satisfying.

  “You’re not one to talk much, are you?” Johnny asked around a mouthful of food. “Not that I’m saying you have to. If you don’t feel like talkin’, don’t. I prolly talk more than I should. At least that’s what everyone says.” Eve might have replied if the young man had given her a chance, but in the next breath he asked another question. “You waiting for Gabe to show up?”

  Eve shifted her gaze to see the young man staring at her curiously from beneath a shaggy fall of light-brown hair that partially obscured his eyes.

  “What?”

  “You’ve been glancing at the door every couple of minutes since you sat down.”

  Eve’s face heated. “No, I haven’t.”

  “Sure, lady,” Johnny said with a snorting laugh. “Whatever you say. Even though you weren’t wondering, Gabe never comes by the bunkhouse unless it’s to talk to Luke. He prefers to keep to himself, so you’re not likely to see him much.”

  Eve couldn’t deny the surge of disappointment. She hated admitting it even to herself, but Johnny was right. She had been hoping to see Gabriel.

  For some reason, she felt less…adrift when he was near. Safer, somehow.

  It worried her that she had become so accustomed to his presence that she could so acutely experience the loss of his steady, watchful silence, his patience, and the way he managed to assure her with a glance.

  As she sat there, struggling to understand the odd longing inside her, the front door opened, and Gabriel walked in.

  He was dressed similarly to how he’d been on the journey—worn boots, denim pants, a cotton button-down shirt rolled up at the sleeves and open at the throat. He did not wear a vest or coat, and the soft cotton of his shirt did very little to conceal the broad muscles of his chest and shoulders. Today, he had drawn his long hair back into a single braid down the center of his back.

  At the sight of him, it all came rushing back: the tingling through her blood, the sudden sense of being off-balance and grounded at the same time, the flare of warmth in her chest.

  His gaze found hers as he shut the door. His hard-angled features revealed nothing of his thoughts or intentions, but something in his eyes managed to soothe the jittery sensations that had been awakened by his unexpected arrival.

  “I’ll be damned,” Johnny mumbled under his breath.

  Gabriel didn’t spare the young man a glance. Nor did he come any farther into the room, but remained standing just inside the door.

  “You slept well?” he asked Eve in a low, almost intimate tone.

  She nodded.

  “Talk to Luke?”

  “Yes.”

  After a moment when he seemed to be searching for something in her eyes, Gabriel dipped his chin in what could have been acknowledgment, then strode toward the hallway that led to Luke’s office.

  As soon as the sound of his steps receded, Johnny gave a choked little chuckle. “Holy shit. I’ve never in my life seen two people say so much with so few words.”

  Eve looked down at her plate.

  What was going on with her?

  “Don’t be shy about it,” Johnny said in a near-whisper as he leaned forward over the table. “It’s kinda nice to see Gabe taking an interest in something.” He cocked his tawny head to one side. “What’s yer story anyway?”

  Eve met his curious gaze. There was something about the young outlaw that invited an easy sort of camaraderie, but she couldn’t afford to be swayed by it. “I’d rather not say.”

  Johnny took another bite of food and chewed slowly while seeming to study Eve and her response.

  She boldly stared back. There was no hint of malice or manipulation in the young outlaw’s brown eyes—eyes surrounded by a thick fringe of lashes beneath eyebrows that had a gentle arch to them, giving an impression of natural amicability. Johnny’s nose was narrow and straight, his cheekbones prominent, and his mouth softly curved.

  Johnny lifted his mug to take a big swig of coffee before saying, “I ain’t one to pry. Lots of people who end up in this valley have secrets. You wanna keep yers, that’s fine. Just don’t bring no harm to these men.” Johnny’s voice dropped to a flat note of warning. “I won’t stand for it.”

  There was a pause as the words of warning settled between them.

  “I have no intention of bringing harm to anyone,” Eve replied.

  “What is your intention?” the young outlaw asked pointedly.

  For some reason, the truth bubbled to Eve’s lips before she could stop it. “I just want to be free.”

  There was a flicker of acknowledgment in Johnny’s brown eyes. “From what?”

  “The past,” Eve answered, surprised at her honesty.

  The young outlaw gave a half smile. “I can understand that. Some pasts are easier to escape than others. It’s okay to accept a little help along the way.”

 
Eve met the outlaw’s earnest gaze. “At what cost?”

  Johnny shrugged. “I reckon that’s up to you.”

  * * *

  “I didn’t expect to see you today. But maybe I should’ve.”

  Gabriel ignored the question in Luke’s tone. “You spoke with her.”

  “Yep,” Luke replied as he leaned back in his chair, a faint smile hovering on his lips.

  Gabriel held silent against a flash of frustration at the man’s amusement.

  “Your woman’s not real forthcoming,” Luke said after a minute.

  Gabriel refused to acknowledge the sensation that flowed through him when Luke called Eve his woman.

  “We can only help her if she lets us, but it’d be nice to know what kind of situation she’s in.”

  “You offered to help her?” Gabriel asked.

  Luke met his stare with a hard one of his own. “We can’t exactly ransom her if we’ve got no one to contact for the payout.”

  Gabriel’s relief was like a swift unraveling of the tension that had been balled up inside him.

  Luke braced his hands on the arm of his chair and rose to his feet. “Maybe Honey’ll have some luck with her.”

  Luke’s twin sister was a no-nonsense kind of person—stubborn, but empathetic and kind.

  “Is your sister expected?” Gabriel asked.

  Luke nodded. “But it depends on when the doc can get away.” Honey’s husband was the doctor for the closest town of Chester Springs and the only medical man in the region. “Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.”

  Gabriel wasn’t too confident Honey would discover anything more about Eve than what they knew already. He’d never met a woman so closed off.

  “What about Sarah Cummings?” Gabriel asked.

  Luke’s expression darkened. “She’s probably reached Freeman by now. If ransom’s no longer an option, I’ll find some other way to damage the man’s bottom line.”

  John Freeman, a wealthy land baron up in Montana, was one of Luke’s frequent marks. Gabriel never bothered to ask why Luke held such a harsh grudge against the man and his wealth, but it seemed to have something to do with Honey, since she hated the man even more than Luke did.