The Outlaw's Heart

by Amy Sandas

  She took a breath to steady the sudden jump in her pulse and was instantly overwhelmed by his scent—cool pine and warm wool.

  Trembling erupted in her belly, and the deep breath she’d taken expelled on a weighted sigh.

  He lowered his head toward her. His voice was a low rumble. “You are braver than you think.”

  Her gaze lifted to his, so close she could see black striations through the rich brown. His expression was so stern. She wished he would reveal something more of himself than hard lines and angled shadows.

  She was terrified. She had been locked in a perpetual state of fear for what felt like forever.

  Yet he called her brave.

  She wanted him to be right.

  He gave a short nod of assurance, of encouragement.

  The movement drew her gaze to his mouth. His full lips were unsmiling, but their softness could not be disguised by the harshness of his jaw. Not even when he pressed them firmly together and raised his chin to gaze straight over her head.

  Warmth flowed through her center, distracting her from her anxiety as she wondered at the softness and heat that claimed her body when she stared at his mouth.

  “Go,” he said. One word, muttered quietly.

  Though she would have preferred to stay in that hallway with him alone, she turned in place and continued into the main room.

  Twenty-Four

  The large red-haired British man still sat at the table, though his food had been cleared away. The older man with the gray beard, who Eve recalled from that first night, sat beside him. The older man was telling what appeared to be a rousing tale of some sort. The Brit suddenly leaned back and slapped his thigh as his great thundering laugh filled the room.

  Johnny sat in one of the big armchairs with a book held close under his nose, though how he could read with so much distraction was a wonder. Not only because of the noise, but also because the outlaw she remembered as Eli with the pretty blue eyes kept flipping the pages of Johnny’s book every time he passed by. Eli was clearly having a lot more fun with the teasing than Johnny, who was getting a bit red in the face.

  “Christ, Eli, leave the kid alone for once,” someone suggested in a calm and even cadence.

  Eve turned her head to see the last of the members she remembered from that first night standing against the kitchen counter with a coffee cup in hand. His skin was a dark, warm brown in the daylight, and his eyes were just a touch lighter than Gabriel’s. He still wore his hat, but Eve could see that his black, curly hair was shorn close to his skull. His expression as he looked over the rim of his mug seemed to reveal a hint of amusement at Eli’s antics despite his admonishment.

  “Listen to Jackson,” Johnny asserted in a grumble.

  “Aww, but it’s just so easy to get your temper up,” Eli argued, taking another swipe at the book.

  Johnny avoided him this time by pulling the book aside at the last minute and shooting his leg out to give Eli a sharp kick in the shin.

  Eli gave a yowl and hopped away on one foot to fall into the corner of the sofa where he sat rubbing his shin with a comical expression of hurt and accusation. “Jesus, Johnny, you didn’t have to aim with the point of your boot, did ya?”

  “It’s the only way to get you to stop houndin’ me,” Johnny replied, unapologetic.

  “But it’s so damn fun to get you riled up,” Eli argued with a wide grin. “And I’m bored.”

  “You’re always bored,” Johnny retorted. “You know I gotta practice if I wanna get any better at reading.”

  To Eve’s surprise, Eli’s expression shifted to one that was almost repentant. “I know, kid. Sorry.”

  Johnny snorted his acceptance of the apology as he slumped down farther into the chair and buried his nose in the book. Which left Eli with no further distraction…until he noticed Eve and Gabriel standing at the back of the room.

  “Hey there, Gabe,” he said before he gave an elegant sweep of his arm followed by an exaggerated bow. “Miss Eve. So nice to see you again.” Then he straightened and gave her a wide wink, destroying the effect of his dramatic greeting.

  She almost smiled at his antics, but then realized everyone in the place had turned to look at her. Her gaze bounced from Eli’s bright-blue eyes to Johnny’s curious side glance, over to Jackson’s calm curiosity, and then to the table, where the Brit and the old man had stopped their conversation.

  “Let her be, Eli,” Luke interjected as he emerged from the hallway. Luke’s gaze swung to Gabriel, and a silent message seemed to pass between them before Luke continued into the room.

  Just then, the door behind Eve and Gabriel opened, and Ramsey came stomping in.

  Eve quickly stepped to the side for the youngest outlaw to pass by.

  “Well, the stalls are clean, the horses watered and fed,” Ramsey declared in an annoyed tone. “Now can I eat?”

  Luke’s gaze was hard. “You know where the kitchen is.” He watched as Ramsey strode past him, and then he slid a studied glance over the room and its occupants. “Since we’re all here, I may as well remind everyone”—Luke’s gaze narrowed on Ramsey—“how we treat guests in this valley.”

  Ramsey’s expression grew pinched at being singled out, but he nodded anyway.

  “Miss Eve will remain in the bunkhouse for now. If she decides to stay awhile, we’ll move her out to the cabin where she’ll be more comfortable.”

  Luke slid his light-dark gaze to Eve’s. “There are only two safe ways out of this valley, and they are difficult even for someone familiar with the terrain. You wanna go anywhere, you let one of the boys know. Leaving the valley on your own is not likely to end well. Understand?”

  Eve returned his steady stare.

  “That’s not a threat,” he clarified. “It’s just a comment on how dangerous the mountains could be for someone who’s unfamiliar with them.”

  “I am well aware of the danger,” she replied.

  His mouth tilted into a half smile, though his eyes remained unmoved. For a moment, it looked as though he intended to say something else. Eventually, he glanced away again, then strode toward the two men at the dining table. “You wanna deal me in or what?” he asked.

  “Me too,” Ramsey piped up from the kitchen.

  As everyone slowly turned their focus back to whatever they were doing, Eve released a heavy breath. She looked over her shoulder to where Gabriel stood in his usual pose, tall and unmoving against the wall, his arms thick across his chest, his jaw firm.

  It struck her how different he’d looked earlier when it had just been the two of them. It wasn’t a great and noticeable difference, but more something she felt.

  Now that they were back amongst the others, he’d closed himself off. Efficiently and completely.

  His gaze flickered to meet hers, and she wished for a return of that depth. But it was thoroughly concealed.

  She tried not to feel disappointed. He didn’t owe her anything. “If there is something you need to do,” she said, “I’m sure I’ll be fine here.”

  He seemed to study her for a moment, then gave a short nod. Pushing away from the wall, he unfolded his arms and strode to the front door, leaving without a reply.

  Eve stared at the door for a while after it closed behind him.

  “It’s not you. He’s always like that.”

  Eve turned to see Johnny peeking at her over the top of his book. She had forgotten the outlaw was so close. She glanced across the room to see the others fully engaged in a card game. “Excuse me?”

  “Gabe,” Johnny said, then waved his hand toward the door. “All silent and…mean-looking. He’s that way with everyone, so don’t let it bother you.”

  “His silence doesn’t bother me,” Eve replied.

  Johnny eyebrows lifted at that. “Really? For the first few years after I joined up with him and Luke, I though
t he couldn’t stand me. Until I realized he doesn’t care much for people in general.”

  “Why is that?” Eve asked, unable to contain her curiosity now that she had someone who seemed quite willing to share.

  Johnny’s eyebrows dipped low in the center, and his lips curled with a hint of disgust. “You can imagine he’s not always treated well by people. Not only on account of him being Cheyenne and all, but also because he’s such a big, scary-looking fella. People just assume the worst about him. Then there are the females who like to treat him like some sort of novelty.”

  Eve’s stomach tightened with a slightly ill feeling. “I don’t understand.”

  “You know…women who get excited by danger and wanna see if they can handle a night in bed with a savage,” Johnny answered bluntly.

  “That’s awful,” she murmured.

  “Yeah, well, Gabe’s dealt with worse.”

  Worse? No wonder he held himself apart from everyone.

  “Have you known him long?” she asked.

  Johnny flicked his attention back to the book in his hands. “I’m not sure anyone knows him,” he admitted coolly.

  Eve sat with that for a bit. Maddy had said close to the same thing.

  Gabriel was obviously a respected member of the gang. Yet he avoided sitting down with them and rarely spoke. The others apparently accepted his distance, but Eve couldn’t help wondering why someone would choose such a solitary existence.

  Twenty-Five

  Gabriel left the bunkhouse and headed back toward his cabin. He didn’t have any reason to go there, but he had no reason to go anywhere else either.

  He’d built the separate dwelling so he could claim solitude when he started to feel the need for his own space.

  But right now, he didn’t want solitude.

  His body craved Eve’s presence. His skin yearned to discover the texture of hers. Her spirit called to him. It was odd to feel the power of such a lure. Gabriel had never experienced anything similar before.

  It didn’t matter.

  Wanting her did not make it possible to have her. It was best for him to stay away. Maybe he should leave the valley. The nearest town was at the base of the mountains, about a three-hour ride away. It had started as a mining base but never grew beyond a thousand people or so before the mine closed. Some residents chose to stick around, but not many.

  But Luke insisted that his men only go to town on the rarest occasions. It wasn’t good for locals to become too familiar with their faces.

  Maybe he should talk to Luke and see if there was anything he needed Gabriel to do. Something that would keep him away for a while—long enough for the woman to be gone by the time he returned. Even as he considered it, his stomach muscles clenched in resistance.

  Leaving her would be difficult. Not because he didn’t trust the others in the gang to treat her well but because he just couldn’t keep from feeling that it was his responsibility.

  * * *

  Eve passed the rest of the day in a mixed state of wariness and boredom. It was not completely unlike spending a lazy day in the drawing room back home, except for the company. The card game continued for a couple of hours, and for a while it was interesting enough to watch their interplay and muse at the challenging and often rudely insulting way they spoke to each other.

  Eventually, Johnny offered to lend her a book from his spare collection made up mainly of dime novels.

  She selected a rather tattered volume about a frontier man named Seth Jones. The story was full of sensational, unbelievable occurrences, but at least it gave Eve something to do for a while. When she reached the end of the thin novel, Johnny glanced up with an expression caught between disbelief and annoyance.

  “You read that whole thing already?”

  Eve gave a light nod. “It was an interesting story. If you can believe any of it actually happened.”

  “But how’d you get through it so fast?”

  Seeing the young man’s frustration, she explained, “I read quite a bit when I was young. It just takes some practice, I suppose.”

  Johnny mumbled something under his breath as he rose to his feet and tossed his own book onto the chair. “I’m going for a ride.” He stalked out the back door of the bunkhouse.

  In the wake of Johnny’s exit, Eve didn’t notice Luke’s approach until he swept the discarded novel up in his hand and lowered himself into the chair Johnny had vacated.

  Eve shifted her attention to the leader of the outlaws.

  Though he lounged casually in the overstuffed chair with one foot planted firmly on the floor and the other extended straight in front of him, there was an alertness about him.

  “I meant what I said before about this valley being a safe place to hide out for a while.”

  Eve studied him for a moment. An essence of danger hovered about him and sparked in his eyes, but she realized she was not particularly afraid of him. In fact, aside from that first night when she’d suspected the men of working for Matthew, she couldn’t say any of them had inspired true fear in her. They were all a little—or a lot—rough around the edges. Their manners and way of speaking were far more bold than what she was accustomed to, but she was surprised to acknowledge that she was not afraid of them.

  Meeting Luke’s watchful gaze, she said, “I have decided to stay. For a short time, anyway, until I can figure out how best to continue my travels.”

  Luke nodded, showing no indication of pleasure or otherwise at her decision. “We could help with some of that too, but you’d have to fill me in on what kind of trouble you’re facing.”

  She considered telling him. For just a second. But then she realized he couldn’t keep her safe from Matthew. As her husband, Matthew had every right to hunt her down and claim her.

  Luke’s gaze narrowed when she said nothing more, the golden flecks sparking with something akin to anger. Then he spoke in a low tone. “Take it from me, darlin’, running isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. At some point, you might have to turn and face whatever demon is chasing you.”

  Eve shivered at the thought of squaring off against Matthew. It took all of her willpower not to start shaking her head in fierce denial. Her only option was to disappear. And though she could see the benefit of staying here for a short time, she couldn’t stay forever.

  * * *

  That night, as dusk started to gather in the valley, the energy of the bunkhouse shifted. Luke had gone back into his office some time before. Jackson and Eli assembled in the kitchen where they started banging around with the apparent intention of preparing the evening meal. Johnny eventually came back, looking wet and bedraggled, as though he’d jumped into the creek, clothes and all. He went straight to his room down the hall and didn’t return until dinner was nearly ready.

  Meanwhile, the red-haired Brit went about hauling in more wood to stack beside the fire, and Pete, the oldest member of the gang, pulled out a fiddle and started playing quietly in the corner.

  Eve almost offered to help in the kitchen, but Jackson and Eli seemed to have things well in hand. She wouldn’t know what to do anyway.

  Besides, she was way too busy glancing toward the door every few minutes, waiting for Gabriel to appear. By the time Eli and Jackson had the dining table covered with steaming bowls of food, she realized Gabriel wasn’t coming.

  He didn’t come the next day.

  Or the next night.

  Or the next.

  Eve discovered almost by accident that Gabriel had not just been avoiding the bunkhouse, he’d actually left the valley altogether.

  She tried not to acknowledge the pang of disappointment she felt in the fact that he hadn’t told her he was leaving. But it was there all the same. And as more days passed without his return, the pang grew to a subtle, pervading ache of disquiet.

  She considered asking about moving to the little
cabin in the woods but decided against it. It just seemed a little too isolated and distant. Besides, once she managed to settle in at the bunkhouse, she realized she rather enjoyed being around the others. She eased into a sort of rhythm that suited her. Most of her direct interaction was with Johnny, who she was coming to see as a friend. The others maintained a respectful distance, but she could imagine even that eventually easing if given more time.

  In her observations, she saw that although Ramsey was young and careless, he held Luke in high regard and truly wished to please him. Eli was clearly the jokester of the group, but Eve suspected the man had more going on his mind than he often let on. Gentleman George was just that, a true gentleman in bearing and demeanor who was also capable of a bellowing laugh that often filled the great room. Jackson was the most reserved and mellow of the men. He seemed to fill the role of mediator and voice of reason more often than not. Lastly, there was Old Pete, who seemed most content when simply enjoying the casual company of his friends. Eve got the sense his life had not been an easy one.

  In truth, she got that sense from all of them. Each of them, in their own way, seemed to keep an aspect of themselves tucked out of sight.

  And then there was Luke. He kept to himself the greater part of every day, though the men appeared to have no problem seeking him out in his office if need be. He didn’t bother broaching the subject of her past again, and Eve certainly had no intention of doing so.

  For the most part, she was left to herself.

  Which allowed her to find her bearings in this new environment, but it did nothing to ease the increasing sense of restlessness inside her.

  In the late afternoon on her fifth full day in the valley, Eve found herself struggling to keep her inner disquiet under control.

  Just the day before, Old Pete, Jackson, Eli, and Ramsey had ridden out with saddle packs full and determination on their faces. They had provided no explanation of their destination or purpose. Considering the discussions she had overheard about how much ammunition and gunpower they’d need, Eve didn’t ask for one. Even Luke was planning to leave in a few days, which would soon leave only Johnny and Gentleman George to keep her company.