Little Sharpshooter

Little Sharpshooter Chap 19

Randy hurried to get to Al before he started banging on the doors of the stable. The stable was not close to the boarding house so she had no idea if he was behaving himself. She opened the door as quietly as she could to not wake Trevor as she left. When she shut the door softly, someone cleared their throat and she jumped completely mortified at who was standing in the hall waiting for her.

“I was gonna see you durin’ the night but you let that little boy stay in there with ya. Probably wise.” The man she didn’t want to see stood in a dark corner in the hall. He slowly stepped closer to her.

Randy had already locked the door before she shut it. Her hands were instantly trembling too much to open it. She backed away from him down the hall closer to the stairs.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to kill ya. At least not yet.” He moved faster cornering Randy against the wall.

Randy moved her face away when he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. He leaned in close to speak in her ear.

“I just want you to know that I’m watching ya. And ya did us a favor by tellin’ no one your pa was dead. Makes things so much nicer for me to keep track of ya without the law breathin’ down my neck. At least not until I’ve done what I wanted with ya.” He lifted a tendril of her hair so he could examine it. “Or maybe I might have a little fun. I haven’t made up my mind. Ernie warned me about how mean you can be though. He always was the weaker one of us and a little stupid too. Just so ya know, there’s no point in leavin’ town. We’ll find ya. Y’all will be outnumbered. I have no problem takin’ out every one of your friends just like I had no problem shootin’ your pa in the back.” He pushed her against the wall with one hand and pressed his nose against her neck and inhaled. “You smell like such a nice girl.”

Randy was ready to stomp on his foot when one of the guests opened a door next to her and stepped into the hall. The man from the room looked at the two of them and she was let go.

“I’ll be seein’ ya.” He gave a little wave as he ducked his head and jogged down the stairs.

“Are you all right?” the man asked.

“I will be now.” Randy nodded, folded her arms tight against her chest so he couldn’t see her shaking hands. She held her breath until she opened the door to her room. On her knees beside the bed, she shook Trevor’s shoulders with tears running down her cheeks.

“He’s gonna kill me. He’s watchin’ us. He might kill you.” Randy was wild with terror.

Trevor gripped her shoulders and gave her a gentle shake. “Now what is this? Why are you all upset?”

“He was out in the hall waitin’ for me. He said he’s gonna kill me. He’s just waitin and wants to torture me. He said I did him a favor by not tellin’ anyone Pa was dead. What have I done?” Randy buried her face in her hands.

“Where is he now?”

“He left. I don’t know.”

“I’m gonna get Bronson.” Trevor threw on his trousers and ran out the door.

Bronson staggered in the room and kneeled in front of Randy.

She told him everything that was said. “I don’t even know his name.”

“I did some findin’ out. His name is Clyde. He’s one of those outlaws from Lincoln County that have been causin’ trouble with cattle for some time now. He was with a group that arrived here the day before yesterday. Clyde probably has it out for your pa because he broke up at least half of their gang. Most of them are in prison now.”