Page 38 of The Outlaw and the Heir

The worst part was there was undoubtedly more he could show me, if I were willing to let him. He had experience, but his enthusiasm was more intoxicating for me. That, above anything else, sparked a flame inside me that I only knew was there because I’d felt its below-surface movements before Samuel hadcome along. The confidence, as taunting and playful as it was, had been the exact thing needed to bring out more lust and desire than I’d ever come close to having with another person before.

It was terrifying.

"What...exactly are you wanted for around here?" I asked, the thought popping into my head suddenly.

He eyed me, raising a brow. "Currently? Nothing. I'm under lock and key, remember? So that means I'm serving my time."

I wanted to ask him if he intended to serve that time to its fullest, but already knew there was no way he’d give me a real answer. Or rather, his answer would be sarcastic or smart, and filled with half-truths that would make me want to ask more questions. The result would be more frustration on my part, and it was probably smarter not to fall into that kind of game. He was bound to win.

"Fine, then whatwereyou wanted for?"

"Honestly? I can't remember the exact list."

"It's that long a list?"

He laughed. “No, well, yes, but no, I'm not guilty of the entire list."

"I'm sure every outlaw says the same," I said with a roll of my eyes, not sure why I expected him to treat the conversation seriously.

He turned and eyed me. “Look, here's a fact you're either ignoring or haven't come across yet. Once you step out of line with the law, you set yourself up to continue to fall, whether you're guilty or not. Sometimes, it's because you're trying to survive, and it just starts...building one on top of another. So many of the charges thrown at me are just guilt by association."

"Associatin' with outlaw gangs will do that."

He sighed. “You know, I might consider taking back that comment I made earlier. Maybe there isn't enough about you to be fond of to make up for all the infuriating parts."

"At least now you finally understand where I've been comin' from," I grunted, not caring that I sounded smug.

"I'll explain this once without much detail because the full story is long and exhausting...and probably confusing since I've never tried to tell it before," he said, leveling his gaze with me. "But all it took was one thing for me to be set on this path. Then, I found myself on the run without much to my name. My name and description followed me, so I had to do other underhand things to get ahead of the law. Which meant sometimes falling in with people who knew how to cross the country or cities. Sometimes, I was seen with them, and their crimes became mine. I stole to survive, I've constantly lied to keep myself safe, and I've tricked more than my fair share of idiots to make sure I stay ahead of the noose or someone with a grudge. Those wanted posters, those charges tell part of the story, and they tell just as many lies as I'm willing to tell to survive, got it?"

He was wrong if he thought that was the magic formula for shutting me down. "Then why do it?"

"What?"

"You said it started with one thing. I'm betting that was a crime, wasn't it?"

For the first time, I saw real anger flash behind his eyes. "Perhaps, perhaps not. Depends on your perspective. But I can say this much for sure, you knownothingabout it, so save your sanctimonious preaching when the only world you've known is your family ranch. A place that, no matter how miserable you’ve been, is nothing like the rest of the world. And you know even less about me. So save me the judgment and the lecture. I have regrets, but...not what I did, not in the beginning."

I accepted the rebuke with what I hoped was some measure of grace and took a deep breath. "There aren't many things that would get you so badly wanted you'd have to leave your home."

"No, I suppose there aren't," he said stiffly. "And it's not like you to dance around saying what's on your mind either. So why are you now?"

Of the small list, there was only one I could think he might be capable of, even if I had never seen a trace of violence in him save for the wounds from his scuffle in the jail cell with the other two. "Who...did you kill?"

His eyes flashed again, but the emotion was gone, buried behind a wall that would have put my father to shame. “Tell me something...no, don't scowl at me, I'm being serious. I'll choose how to answer your question based on you answering one of mine first."

"It's alwayssomethin'with you, ain't it?" I growled.

"Yes, that's how the world works. I'm just ahead of the curve," he said, cocking his head. "And I notice your rough and tumble speech comes out when you're frustrated, not just when you're around the others. But when you're calm and around me, some of that education you were given as a boy comes out. Isn't that curious?"

"No," I snapped, knowing I was going to be forever evaluating how I spoke to him from now on. "Ask your question."

"What would...what would you do...if your whole family was killed? And what if you knewexactlywho was responsible?"

I frowned, confused by the shift in topic but knowing better than to question it. "Go to the law."

"And if the law didn't do its job?"

"Why wouldn't it?"

---