The Charlotte Series: Book 3: The Pretender's Gold

41

Chapter 41

Hank nodded his agreement and added: "I'm still a deputy, so let's keep this legal like, shall we? No shooting."

Stuart laughed. "When I catch the bilge maggot, I won't be wasting a bullet on him."

Hank felt the same about the rustlers that killed old Buck but...he was a deputy and so he amended is statement: "No killing."

"Fine." Stuart groused, and then gave a wicked grin. "Be more fun to play with him awhile anyway."

"Right." Hank raked his bottom teeth over the edge of his mustache. It was something he often did when thinking, or trying not to laugh. "Stuart, you take the saloon. You're big enough you won't get any trouble for waking them up so early."

"With pleasure." Stuart smiled and rolled his shoulders as he broke away and rode back toward the saloon.

Hank thought again that Stuart looked like a man just spoiling for a fight.

"I'll have a visit with the Sheriff. He should know he's got trouble other than the rustlers. I stop by and talk with Widder Mason on the way." Hank nodded and rode off.

"That leaves you and me for the hotel." Richard smiled.

"That leaves you." Quin shook his head. "I'm going to check out the livery."

"Alright." Richard nodded as he stopped in front of the hotel. "I'll see you at the Smithy then."

There were no horses in the corral so Quin left his mount outside the smithy and walked over to the livery. Nothing looked out of place. No one was sleeping in the loft or in any of the empty stalls. He stepped outside just as four riders burned up the road out of town.

"Son of a—" he growled.

The rest of the curse was lost as he ran back to his horse. The noise drew Hank and the Sheriff out of the Sheriff's house with pistols ready. Hank headed for his horse to meet Quin leaving the Sheriff to deal with things in town.

"Should I fetch the others?" Hank asked as he stopped next to Quin.

"Are already on the way. Look."

A moment later they were joined by Stuart.

"Where's Richard?" Stu asked.

"Aw hell." Hank mumbled as he leapt from his horse and ran toward the hotel where Richard staggered out holding a hand to his bloodied head.

One look and Stuart rode off like a mad man, cursing under his breath.

Follow me or don't—I don't rightly care. Summer—we were so close...

There!

He was close enough now he could see a flash of skirts. She was riding double and that was his new focus.

As Stuart chased the four riders he wondered if these were the rustlers Hank was after...and what rustlers would want with his wife...

Stu leaned forward and tried to coax more speed from his mount. This was life or death. This was Summer. And he could no longer fathom life if she were lost to him. Stuart cursed as he realized he wasn't closing the distance.

His horse was desert bred—strong and tough with lots of bottom—but he'd been riding hard for a few days now and the animal was just whipped. It was only because they were riding double that the bloody devils hadn't lost him already.

"OW!"

A sharp sting burned across his cheek and snapped his focus away from the riders. In that moment he registered Richard and Hank closing in on either side as they shouted something. Richard held his riding crop poised to strike again.