Page 10 of A Whiskey River Princess

“Help me! Please!”

“Hold it right there,” the man ordered as he pushed his coat aside, revealing two sidearms, one on each side, tied down to his legs. “Let her go!”

The man with the scruffy beard drew his pistol and fired, but the man with the long hair was quicker, and shot him right between the eyes. He fell against the wagon, and then onto the ground.

The younger man threw Gabriella into the back of the covered wagon, drew his gun, and fired at the long-haired man. “Go, go!” he shouted at the driver and then climbed in, too.

Gabriella tried to push her way past the men, but the man with the gold tooth pushed her down into the wagon as he shot once more. Then the wagon jolted forward as the horses pullingit launched into a full run. People screamed as the wagon nearly ran them over. The wagon weaved back and forth through town, throwing her across the back.

“Great, Clayton!” the redheaded man with the scruffy beard growled as he urged the team on. “You just got Pop killed! And for what? Her?”

“She’s a princess, Harley!” Clayton, the man with the gold tooth, shouted.

“He’s not kidding!” the younger man agreed as he shot out the back of the wagon.

Gabriella slid back against the edge of the covered wagon and wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them to her chest, trying to stay out of the way. She should have known better than to run away like that, unattended.

“Tell him, girl,” Clayton ordered.

Gabriella cleared her throat. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Stop and let me out! If you don’t let me out, I’ll kill you myself!”

“Shut up!” He backhanded her across the face, jolting her backward, causing her to see stars. Then he turned to the younger man. “Blake, tell him! Tell him that she is too a princess!”

Gabriella bounced around in the back of the wagon, and then Harley suddenly made a sharp turn to the left, into some woods. She scooted as far back into a corner of the wagon as she could, trying to think of ways to defend herself if one of them came toward her.

“I think we lost ’em,” Blake announced as he looked out the window. “And, yes, she’s a princess.”

“Like hell I am!” Gabriella lied.

“Shut up, girl!” Clayton growled as he reared back his hand again but lowered it and turned his attention to the younger man instead. “Tell ’im, Blake! Tell him what we heard!”

Blake let out a deep breath. “Yes, she’s a princess.”

“I’m not—”

“Shut up.” Blake bit his lower lip. “She’s a princess.”

Harley looked behind him as he slowed the wagon. “How the hell do you know that?”

“Tell ’im, Blake!” Clayton urged, clearly excited.

“Well, after we robbed the bank, we decided to splurge and ride in style in first class. Who would know? Also, I thought we could steel some jewelry from those hoity-toity women on the train. Anyway, this here girl boarded the train and walked past us like everyone was beneath her.” Blake glared at Gabriella. “Then a man with a mustache, wearing some kind of military uniform, comes on board, yelling that he isn’t going to leave until he finds the Princess of Monaco.” He pointed at Gabriella. “And there she is.”

“Where is Monaco anyway?” Clayton’s eyebrows pulled together, looking as if he was thinking so hard that it hurt.

Gabriella shrugged. “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”

“That’s enough out of you,” Blake bit out.

Harley smiled a toothless grin. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Tell ’im, Blake!” Clayton insisted, his eyes wild.

“Shut up, Clayton!” Blake ordered, and then turned to Harley. “We’re going to hold her for ransom. She has to be worth at least $100,000, I’m sure.” He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back abruptly, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Maybe then she won’t be as quick to turn up her nose to everyone when she walks by.”

Gabriella glared at him. “I’d still walk past you like you were dirt beneath my feet.”

“Why, you little bitch! My father was killed because of you!” Blake growled as he slung her onto the floor by the hair.

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