Page 46 of The Cowboy's Justice

The only way out was up Smoky Hill.

The air was chilly.

Hurrying back to the closet by the door, he was relieved to see he’d left a jacket there. It was thin, but better than nothing. Hastily pulling it on and zipping it up, he put the gun in one ofthe pockets, and stuffed the box with Portia’s jewelry and cash in the other. Returning to the patio, he closed the doors behind him and hurried to the gate. Quietly opening the latch and slipping through to the trail, he started up the hill.

It was dark, and as he continued on it seemed to be getting darker. Glancing up at the sky through the overhead branches, he saw clouds criss-crossing the moon.

A chill rippled through him, a mixture of cold and fear.

He quickened his step.

But a moment later he suddenly tripped and fell headfirst onto the forest floor.

Gasping, he tried to push himself up but there was a weight suddenly pressing on his back.

“Goin’ somewhere?”

CHAPTER THIRTY

Filled with terror, William looked up and found himself staring at Devlin. Portia was standing slightly behind him glaring down with hatred in her eyes, along with three other cowboys holding rifles.

“Where’s your gun?” Devlin demanded.

“Uh, in my pocket.”

“Take it out real slow and place it on the ground. Try anything and I’ll let Jezebel and Jethro have some fun.”

Squinting, William cast his eyes to the side and spotted the two dogs sniffing the ground nearby. With the rifles pointed at him he didn’t need the extra threat, but seeing the big dogs was unnerving. Lifting out the revolver, he placed it on the ground.

“And Portia’s jewelry and cash?”

“Here,” he muttered, retrieving the property from the other pocket.

“Roll over on your stomach and put your hands behind your head,” Devlin continued as one of the cowboys picked up the items.

The thought of being face down on the dank forest floor filled him with dread, but he had no choice.

“What are you going to do to me?” he grunted as he stretched out.

“That depends. Answer our questions and we’ll get you outta here. If you don’t, or if you try to lie to us, we’ll tie you to a tree and leave you. With the wildlife around here you’ll last about—what do you think, Brody?”

“An hour max,” Brody replied.

“I’d say more like thirty-minutes,” Cade interjected.

“That’s what I’m thinkin’,” Devlin said grimly. “Do yourself a favor and start talkin’. Tell Portia every slimy thing you’ve done to steal money from her and her family.”

“How…how…d-do you know about that stuff?”

“That doesn’t matter,” Portia snapped.

“But…but…you never said anything…you never questioned me. You always just signed the papers. I don’t understand. If you were worried why didn’t you—?”

“Tell me about the off shore accounts,” she shot back, cutting him off. “How many do you have?”

“Uh, just the one.”

“Jezzie, Jethro, come here,” Devlin called. “This fella needs a little help with the truth.”

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