Page 88 of Wild Horses

His gaze ran over her form from head to toe before he locked eyes with her. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, not trusting her voice. A lump had formed in her throat big enough to choke her. She coughed to clear it but Jack’s hand on her arm tightened before she had a chance to speak.

“Let’s skip the niceties, shall we? Do you have my money?”

“Right here.” Jesse lifted the bag he carried in his left hand. “This is some of it. The majority is still at the bank. Once I have Alex, you can have the rest.”

Jack’s hand tightened on her arm. “Do I look like a fool to you?” He pulled her closer to his side. “I said I wanted it all, hero, not a part of it.”

“Well, the bank wouldn’t let me walk out with an excess of thirty thousand dollars cash, Jack, so you’ll have to take what they gave me. I set up an account in your name for the rest.” He tossed the bag to the floor, the fingers of his right hand twitching near his gun.

The silence that hung in the air grew heavy. Alex was afraid to breathe waiting for Jack to decide if what Jesse brought was enough or not. Long minutes passed before he nodded to Rose who snatched the bag from the floor and ran for the back of the room, pushing on a tall armoire that slid to the side as if it were on wheels. A door lay behind it.

“Let’s go, Jack. This is enough to keep us happy for a good long while.”

Jesse took two more steps into the room. “Let Alex go, Jack. We made a deal.”

Jack looked at Jesse, then over at Rose, his brows lowering. “Ten thousand will do for a while Rose but the other twenty thousand would have set us up long enough I could almost afford to retire.” He turned back to Jesse. “You didn’t hold up your end of the bargain, hero.”

“I did. The rest of the money is yours. All you have to do is go get it.”

“Let’s go, Jack,” Rose said. She was starting to sweat. “I’ve got a bad feeling.”

She wasn’t the only one. Jack’s hand on her arm was still tight, the tension in the room thick.

“Let her go, Jack. A deal is a deal.”

Jack inhaled a deep breath, blowing it out in an audible gush before smiling. “You’re right, hero, a deal is a deal but,” he looked down at her, his smile growing, “I’ve grown a bit fond of Alexandra.” He turned back to Jesse. “With a face like hers, she’ll make me a small fortune down the road, not to mention how warm she’ll keep my bed at night. Since you didn’t follow my instructions, I think I’ll keep her.” He drew his gun so fast Alex didn’t even realize he’d done it until she heard the gunshot. Jesse hit the floor as Jack pulled her toward the door.

“Jesse!”

“Don’t worry about him, sweetheart. We’re going to have a grand time with your pa’s money. Let’s go.”

The hidden door revealed a set of stairs that led down into the kitchens. Rose yanked the back door open as they hit the landing. The gunshot was still ringing inside her head but she heard a sound that reminded her of a wild animal and turned her head to see Jesse jump from the stairs. He hit Jack in the back, all three of them crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs. She scrambled to the side, her back to the wall as they fought. They were both bleeding in a matter of minutes and she searched around her for a weapon before spotting Rose by the door. She still held the money bag. When she saw her, she turned and ran.

Alex climbed to her feet and ran after her, sliding to a stop when reaching the door. Ben stood on the other side holding a struggling Rose, a lawman coming up the steps behind him. She stepped aside as he came through the door, three other men following close behind.

The sheriff and the other men separated Jack and Jesse, pulling them up from the floor. “All right, break it up you two!” He placed them on opposite sides of the room. “What’s going on here?”

Jack smiled, his lip busted, teeth colored red with blood. He pushed his hair away from his face and straightened his shirt. “It’s all a big misunderstanding, sheriff.”

“He kidnapped my wife and blackmailed me into paying for her return.”

“Is that true?” the sheriff asked, looking from Jack to Jesse.

Jack scoffed. “Of course not. I’m a lawman.”

“You’re a liar.” Jesse pulled away from the men holding him. “He’s a wanted man, sheriff. I’ve seen a wanted poster for him.”

“Is that right?” The sheriff scratched his jaw. “Let’s head over to the jail and talk about this a bit more.”

Jack and Jesse were both handcuffed and taken to jail. After three hours of explaining what had happened, Jack, Lewis, Silas and the others all sat behind bars and Jesse was set free. As quickly as Jack had swooped in and taken over, they were free of him just as swift. The cattle had been sold, the cowboys paid. It was done. Their journey was over.

Or had it just begun?

Jesse pulled the jailhouse door shut behind him, his head turning from right to left as he looked for her. She’d spent the last week hoping and praying he’d come and get her and now that he was here, she didn’t know what to say. How did they go on from here? They were married but as of right now, it was just words on a piece of paper. So much had happened. Did he still want to be married to her? Did she still want it?

Her stomach clenched tight as he started her way. One moment she was contemplating what lay ahead for them, the next she was in his arms being kissed stupid. Every thought she had vanished under the feel of his arms around her, his mouth hot and seeking against her own. The kiss was desperate and much too passionate for the sidewalk in front of the jailhouse.

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