Justice Never Sleeps (The Texas Riders Western #12) (A Western Frontier Fiction) Page 4

  “You know,” said Tom, looking up from what he was doing. “There is one man I can think of who might not be too happy with me right now—Eric Barnett. Didn’t seem to me he was too happy with how things turned out. I guess he wanted this land more than I’d realized.”

  Sebastian frowned. Eric was a low-baller when it came to negotiating prices, but he wasn’t known for vindictiveness. Still, he’d keep his eyes open. Maybe later he’d even take a ride out that way and see if he saw anything unusual.

  An image of those men he’d seen on Eric’s property flashed through his mind, and he wished now that he’d gotten a better look at them. Something about those men had bothered him.

  Maybe some of the ranch hands had seen something. He’d checked with them after the rock came through the window, and none of them had had a clue about who might’ve done it, but maybe they’d caught a whiff of something since then.

  Sebastian got the empty soup bowl and water cup and brought them to the kitchen. Then he went outside and circled the house again, making sure there were no new tracks to deal with. He made his way down to the bunkhouse where Tom’s ranch hands stayed and knocked on the door.

  He’d met them all before but didn’t know them well. Jake opened the door. It was just him and Benjamin in there right now; the rest of the men were all out busying themselves with the cattle. It looked as though Jake and Benjamin were on their way to join them.

  “How’s it going, boss?” asked Jake.

  It was kinda funny being called boss, but Sebastian took it in stride. “Well enough. Either of you seen anyone snooping around our house lately?”

  Jake frowned. “Did you get another rock through your window?”

  “No, just found some tracks out back.”

  Benjamin and Jake exchanged a look. “We haven’t seen anything. We’ll ask the other fellas for you though, if you want. Could be someone saw something and forgot to mention it.”

  “Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

  He left them to their work and went to check in with Pony. He paused outside her stable. There were fresh tracks leading right up to her. That didn’t mean much though, considering the hands all took turns feeding the horses and brushing them down.

  These tracks could’ve belonged to anyone here, except Sebastian got a bad feeling about them he couldn’t shake. He looked around, searching for anything out of the ordinary, and there on the side of Pony’s saddle, he found it. Another note, this one more threatening than the last.

  Get out now... or die.

  * * *

  chapter 0 5 ✪

  * * *

  Gilbert stopped his horse at the edge of downtown Blackgate. It was near midnight, and the whole town was asleep. Even so, Eric had practically begged him not to leave the ranch, terrified he’d be seen.

  It broke Gilbert’s heart a little to know his cousin was nothing but a yellow-bellied wuss when it came to things like this, and he had no intention of letting his little brother grow up the same way. He would teach Billy to be a real man. Maybe Eric would learn a thing or two in the process.

  The way Gilbert saw it, there was always hope for any man who had an open mind and a good gun. Just because you started out a coward didn’t mean you had to stay that way forever.

  Maybe the next time he sent a threatening note over to Sebastian Maddox’s ranch, he ought to make Eric take it. He might return with a little more backbone.

  Gilbert walked around his aunt’s house before even trying to get inside, wanting to see if there were any open windows. There weren’t. It was a warm night, and it irked Gilbert to know that Billy was probably suffocating in this heat. How could his Aunt Norma not allow one open window?

  Gilbert made a full circle of the house then stopped at the back door. He reached out and tried the knob, but the door was locked. Of course, it was, Aunt Norma had never made things easy for him.

  He scratched his head, wondering if he shouldn’t have brought at least one of his men along with him. Renny was a whiz with locks. Whatever he couldn’t pick, he could bust open with one swift move.

  But Gilbert didn’t want to bust things open. He wanted to make the least amount of noise possible. His aunt had become rather protective of Billy since taking him in four years ago after their parents died.

  If Gilbert hadn’t been running from the law, he’d have taken Billy in himself. It still pained him that he’d had to send his only brother to live with a stubborn woman like Norma Conrad.

  Last time he was here, Aunt Norma had forbidden him from ever stepping foot in her house again. She’d called him a whole lot of names that a proper lady wouldn’t use, though he didn’t begrudge her any of that. Most of what she’d said was true.

  It was telling him to stay away from Billy he had a problem with. That wasn’t gonna happen. Norma must’ve known it. He and Billy were blood, and that was thicker than anything.

  He went around to the front of the house and tried the knob there. That didn’t open any easier than the back door. Well, he was just gonna have to break in as quietly as possible.

  He returned to the back and peeked in through a kitchen window. It was dark in the house, and there were no signs of movement.

  Gilbert unholstered his gun and wrapped a handkerchief around the butt of it as best he could, then he broke the window, reached in, and undid the latch. He poked his head in and paused a moment, looking around to see if anyone was coming.

  Far back in the house, he heard someone snoring. He was pretty sure that someone was Norma. Billy had never been a snorer. Even though it had been over a year since he’d last seen him, Gilbert doubted that had changed. The snoring choked a little, and then the house grew silent. For now, anyway.

  Once inside, it was easy to make his way to Billy’s room. It was the first room down the hall, Norma’s was the last. That made things a little bit easier. Gilbert didn’t have to creep past Norma’s door to get to Billy’s.

  He turned the knob on Billy’s door, and this time the knob turned easily. He stepped into a dark room and moved toward the shadowy outline of a bed. “Billy, it’s me. I’ve come to take you home with me.”

  He looked around and thought he saw a lamp over on the nightstand. He turned it on, and Aunt Norma was glaring at him from Billy’s bed.

  Gilbert jumped back. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

  Norma stood up and pulled a robe off the back of a chair. “I could ask you the same thing.” She wrapped the robe around her, continuing to glare at him. “Billy and I changed rooms a while back. I didn’t need all that space, and he’s a growing boy. Now, what about you?”

  She was a short woman, not even coming up to Gilbert’s nose. But the look in her eyes was hard as nails, and she had a tough attitude that most women were lacking. It was one of the few things he actually liked about his aunt, except when it got in his way.

  “How you doing, Auntie?” Gilbert said and moved to kiss her cheek.

  She swatted him away. “Don’t talk to me like an old fool. I thought you were in Mexico. That’s what the papers all say. What are you doing here?”

  From the doorway behind them, Billy’s voice sounded. “Gilbert?” It wasn’t quite a man’s voice, but it was getting there. Gilbert spun around and gave his brother a hug.

  Norma’s glare grew stronger. She pulled Billy away and put her arms protectively around him. “I told you last time that you’re not welcome here anymore. Not after the things you’ve done.”

  Gilbert shook his head. “None of that stuff is true. The newspapers make things up so they’ll sell more copies.”

  Billy nodded and looked at his aunt. “I told you, Aunt Norma. Gilbert wouldn’t do all those things they said. He doesn’t kill people or rape women, do you?” Young, innocent eyes looked at Gilbert for reassurance.

  “Of course not. I never laid a hand on a woman in my life, and the only people I’ve ever killed were trying to hurt me or my friends. It was just me defending myself, but the marshals d
on’t want to hear that.”

  Norma might not have believed him, but Billy had no doubts. He beamed at Gilbert, looking at him with awe and wonder.

  Gilbert ignored Norma and focused on Billy. “I’ve got us a home now, a real home where we can be together.”

  Billy’s eyes widened with excitement, Norma’s with fear.

  “You mean I get to go with you?” Billy asked.

  “That’s right,” said Gilbert. He grabbed a bag he saw sitting on the floor and told Billy to pack it up. Billy got moving.

  Norma’s glare intensified. She tried to stop Billy by taking the bag away from him. Gilbert took it and handed it back to Billy.

  “I won’t let you take him from me,” Norma said.

  Gilbert sighed. He’d known this would happen. “The place I got is right here in Blackgate. You can visit Billy any time you like.”

  Billy grinned. “Sounds perfect. See, Aunt Norma?”

  But she only made small tsking sounds. “You’re talking about Eric’s place. I always knew that cousin of yours would get himself into trouble.”

  “He’s not in any trouble.”

  “If he’s helping you, he’s in trouble.”

  Gilbert could tell she wasn’t gonna change her mind on this, but he couldn’t exactly kill her. Not with Billy standing right there.

  No matter how stubborn the woman was, Billy still loved her. Plus, she’d taken him in and raised him as her own. Gilbert couldn’t just forget that. She deserved at least a warning.

  He looked at Billy. “Why don’t you check out in the living room, make sure you haven’t left anything behind out there.”

  Billy nodded, eager to please his older brother by doing what he said, and hurried out of the room. Gilbert turned back to Norma. He stepped right up close to her so that their noses were almost touching and tapped his gun, drawing her attention to it.

  “If I had to kill you, it would break Billy’s heart. I won’t do that, unless you give me reason to. But if you give me a reason...”

  Norma blinked, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable. When Billy came back into the room, she did not try to stop him from leaving. Instead, she wept silently, not nearly as tough as she let on after all.

  Billy gave her a hug and told her not to worry, but Norma was too choked up to speak. She nodded and watched as they walked off together into the night.

  Gilbert prayed she was smart enough to keep quiet about this. He didn’t have a lot of family left anymore, and killing her would be hard on him. Then again, he’d done far worse things in his life. What was one more?

  * * *

  chapter 0 6 ✪

  * * *

  Sebastian went into town, leaving Tom alone even though he didn’t like the idea much. He started worrying about him just as soon as he set out, but he had to get a few things. They were out of sugar and coffee and flour, even bread.

  Sebastian had never been much of a cook, but he couldn’t just let Tom starve. He needed to have at least the basics in his cupboards.

  He stopped off at the general store first and got what he could there, then decided some fresh bread might be in order. He wasn’t a baker and usually bought his bread from a little bakery just a few doors down from the general shop.

  The fragrance of freshly baked bread wafted out as Sebastian drew closer. He opened the door and went inside. Myrtle was behind the counter.

  “How’s it going, Myrtle?” he asked.

  She nodded at him without saying anything, which was odd for Myrtle. She was in her forties and her kids had all grown and moved away. Her husband was dead and buried, and with no one at home, she usually talked her customers’ ears off.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  She smiled widely and nodded again. “Sure.”

  Sebastian paused and looked at her, taking in everything about her appearance. Her face was rigid, her muscles stiff. When he looked in her eyes, he saw fear.

  He moved closer to the counter, keeping his voice calm, and tried to peek over the edge. He didn’t see anything or anyone, but if they were pressed right up against it and crouched down he might not. Plus, there was a back room he couldn’t see into at all. The entry to it was covered with a curtain.

  “I’ll take two loaves of bread today,” he said. “Just plain wheat will do, nothing with raisins or anything else.”

  She nodded and moved to get his bread together. When he handed her the money, he touched her hand and lifted his eyebrows, mouthing the words, “Where are they?”

  She paused, breathing heavily, then her eyes moved to the left and down. They paused again and then moved left and up.

  Sebastian thought he understood. There was one behind the counter at the far end, and at least one more in the back. He nodded and let her finish up the transaction.

  “Say, I almost forgot to tell you,” Sebastian said, “Tom said to say hello. He’s going to Georgia in a few days and looking forward to the oceans.” As he was talking, he pulled his Colt Navy from his holster and crouched down to the floor, moving slowly around the counter as he paused mid-sentence.

  He peeked around the edge of the counter and saw a man with a pistol in his hand. He saw Sebastian a second too late, and before his gun could even get to eye level, Sebastian was firing.

  The shot blasted out of his gun and into the man’s chest, causing Myrtle to shriek. “Get out of here, Myrtle,” he said, and she ran out of the shop fast.

  The man was still moving, so Sebastian shot him again in the head. Blood splattered out behind him and the man fell back dead.

  From the backroom, shots started pouring out. Sebastian pressed his stomach to the floor and lay flat as a bullet sailed over his head, missing him by an inch.

  He fired blindly into the curtain, basing his target on where he thought the gunfire had come from and heard a man cry out. It sounded like a body fell, and he stood up, pulling the curtain back.

  A tall man with messy hair was twitching on the ground. Sebastian put a bullet in his head and went to check the rest of the backroom.

  He went into a storage area, and two men jumped out at him. One of them tried to grab him from behind. Sebastian flung him off and spun around, firing two shots right into his chest.

  The second man fired two rounds and scraped Sebastian’s arm with one of them. It stung but not by much. He fired back at the man and his bullet hit square between his eyes. He fell to the floor and lay still.

  Sebastian waited to see if anyone else was hiding back here, and when no one showed, he finished checking the place over. No was else was here.

  Outside, Sheriff Rowan Keller and his deputy Timothy Dean were just arriving. Myrtle was in tears. She ran up to him when she saw him emerge from her bakery and threw her arms around him, kissing his cheek.

  “You saved me. Those men came in and tried to rob me. They threatened to... to have their way with me too. If you hadn’t come in...” She kissed his cheek again.

  Rowan gently pulled her back. “Think you can give me a statement?”

  “Sure,” Sebastian said. “Whatever you need. Only Tom’s at the house alone, and I don’t want to leave him there too long.”

  Rowan promised it wouldn’t take long. “Funny, I always heard you were a gunfighter, but this is the first time I can think of you where you ever pulled your gun.”

  Sebastian didn’t like talking about his past. “Just because I don’t shoot anymore doesn’t mean I can’t. Let’s do that statement so I can get back.”

  Myrtle stopped him one last time. “From now on, free bread for you for life. Anytime at all, just come right on in.”

  Sebastian appreciated the gesture, but he intended to continue paying her for his bread. He’d probably wait a while before getting any though. Her shop was gonna need a good cleaning after what had just happened. Blood and bread didn’t exactly go together.

  On the way to the sheriff’s station, Rowan asked him if he recognized the men he’d shot. Sebastian shook his head, th
en thought better of it. “Actually, maybe I do. I passed some men hanging around the edge of Eric’s place a little earlier. I thought they were just drifters but maybe not.”

  He briefly wondered if they could have been the ones responsible for the threatening note he’d gotten then immediately dismissed the idea. These men wouldn’t throw notes; they’d just try and kill him.

  If it was the same men he’d seen earlier, they would have had to move fast to get to the bakery before Sebastian, but he supposed it was possible. Or maybe it was just a coincidence. He wished now he’d gotten a better look at them. “On second thought, I’m not so sure it’s the same men.”

  “Anything you are sure of?” Rowan asked.

  He nodded. “They’re dead, and they’re not gonna bother Myrtle or anyone else ever again.”

  * * *

  Bridget saw the house in the distance and stopped walking. It was a charming little ranch house, bigger than others she’d seen and better built. Whoever owned it had probably built it themselves.

  She ducked behind a large oak tree, using the thick trunk as cover while she watched it closely. A good-looking man in his late twenties exited the house and went down the front yard toward the bunkhouse she’d snuck past. She watched him go, wondering if he was alone in the house.

  Bridget had never stolen anything in her life, not so much as a newspaper. But she had not eaten anything except some wild berries since her dinner at Murray’s saloon, and that was a couple of days ago now.

  Since then, she’d walked all the way from Charbury to Blackgate. The walk was not a particularly treacherous one, but it had left her with a rumbling stomach and sore muscles. She watched the ranch house a bit longer, then licked her lips and headed for the back door.

  She tried the knob, and it turned easily, letting her directly into the kitchen. She paused, looking around for the rancher’s wife or maybe some children, but she heard nothing and saw no one. From the furniture and decorations, she could tell the rancher was not married.