Black Conley (22 page)

"Take a rest, Black,” he heard Roy say. “Between the girls and me, we got the fire out. We lost the roof, but it could have been a hell of a lot worse."

Black leaned against the wall of the barn and gasped for breath. When he did, the smoke that he inhaled brought on a fit of coughing. “Who could have done this?” he finally asked. As soon as the words passed his lips, he knew the answer. Even so, he had to mentally ask the question.

"Think about it, Black,” Roy replied. “It had to be Clayte. This whole thing is getting out of hand. I think we should send a wire to Ed and ask for reinforcements."

"I tend to agree with you. I usually don't ask for help, but things normally don't take this long. Adamson is a threat and one that I don't like. Who knows what he'll try next? We were damn lucky it wasn't the house he set fire to. There is no way we could have gotten Zeek out of there."

"Annie's put on a pot of coffee. I think we all need it. It's cold as a witch's tit out here and if you don't get out of those wet clothes, you'll catch pneumonia. Belle needs a lawman, not another patient on her hands."

Black agreed and followed Roy to the house. The morning sky was just starting to brighten, even though sunup was a long way off. As it did, he turned back toward the barn to see it standing starkly against the horizon without its roof. In the corral, the horses milled around, still frightened by the lingering smell of the smoke that hung in the cold morning air.

"I'll ride into town and get the lumber we need to repair the roof,” Belle announced as they ate breakfast.

"I'm going with you,” Black declared.

"I don't think so. If you go with me, it leaves this place unguarded. We can't risk anything more happening, especially with Zeek still unconscious in the downstairs bedroom."

"Belle's right,” Roy commented. “I'll ride into town with her. It's best that you stay here in case Zeek comes to his senses. In the meantime, one of the girls can send a wire to Ed asking for his help."

"What about the stage that's due in tonight?” Kate questioned. “Do we dare put the passengers in the middle of this mess?"

"Of course we can't.” Belle replied. “When you send that wire to Denver, send one to the stage stop before this one and explain that we're in trouble here and we don't want the stage stopping tonight. It's early enough that we can catch the driver before he leaves."

Belle finished her breakfast and hurried upstairs to change her clothes before going to town. Once in the bedroom, she looked at the bed where she and Black shared their many hours of pleasure. The covers were rumpled from last night's lovemaking, but she knew soon Annie would be up to make it and erase all signs of what she and Black had shared.

She ran her hands over the sheets that he had warmed with his body hours earlier and thought about the lie she'd told everyone. She had quit drinking the tea, but it hadn't been last night.

Once she changed into clothing appropriate for a trip into town, she put her hand over her flat belly.
Dear God, let me be carrying Black's child. Things are moving so quickly, he could leave any day now. I know I did the right thing.

Black watched Belle drive out of the dooryard, followed by Roy on his horse. The girls were taking the time to rest since they had been up all night and the light snow that was falling would hamper anything that had to be done outside. It would take a while for Belle and Roy to return with the materials to replace the roof on the barn, leaving him with nothing to do but to sit by Zeek's bedside.

"I won't leave you here with Zeek for too long,” Annie promised. “I have to get upstairs and make the beds, but as soon as I finish, I'll be down here to spell you."

"It's no trouble, Annie. After last night, I need a little sittin’ time. Last night was hard on all of us."

"You're a good man, Black Conley. I just hope you can put an end to all the goings-on around here."

Black seated himself next to Zeek's bed and prayed Annie was right. The way things were going, he wondered if he'd ever have the evidence he needed to stop the raids on Belle's ranch. He needed to put the men responsible behind bars and get on with his life.

If Belle does get pregnant with my child, will I get on with my life in the way I have before? I doubt it. Things will never be the same for me. I can't, I won't leave another child without a father. Maybe it is time for me to settle down.

With the thoughts running through his head, Black dozed off, only to be awakened by Zeek's moans. The sound in the previously quiet room brought him to full attention.

"Zeek, can you hear me?” He got to his feet and moved closer to the old man to hear his whispered words.

"Black? What are you doin’ here?"

"You're at the Double Bar B, Zeek. Someone wanted you dead. It's a wonder we found you when we did."

"Wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been ridin’ nighthawk on my herd. Damn fools tried to take my cattle. When I recognized them, they started beatin’ on me."

"Who were they?” Black questioned, getting even closer.

"You were right, they were from the Diamond A. I didn't see Clayte with them, but that foreman of his, Rance, was there. He's the one who beat me while the others held me."

Black inhaled deeply. This was the information he needed. Even if one of the girls had already sent a wire to Ed, he could send another one and request back up as soon as possible. It would have been different if the hands on this ranch were men, but women didn't stand a chance against the Diamond A bunch. There was no way he wanted to put any one of them in danger. Especially not Belle, and she was the one who would insist on being smack dab in the middle of everything.

"I think that's just the information we need,” Black said. “You should rest, but until this is settled, no one will know that you've come around."

"What do you mean, until this is settled? Just who are you, Black? I know your reputation with a gun, but there's more to it than that. You ain't no ordinary drifter, and you certainly ain't no ranch hand."

"It don't matter none who or what I am. For now it's best that you think I'm what I've told everyone else I am, a retired gunslinger who drifted into this town looking for a job. Annie should be down from upstairs by now. I'll send her in to sit with you."

Black started to get up to leave, but Zeek's hand on his arm stopped him. “My wife, has anyone let her know what happened?"

"One of the girls was going to send her a wire this morning. She should have it by now. We decided it was best if we told her not to come back home until the danger is over. They've hit you once, there's no telling when or if they'll hit you again. Your men are watching your herd and from what I can tell, they're all mighty good with their guns. Don't think you'll have any more trouble, but one never knows."

Once Black left the room, he saw Annie coming down the stairs. “You should go in and sit with Zeek,” Black advised her. “He's conscious, and could use some of that broth you've got simmering on the stove. I've got to send another wire to Ed."

Annie agreed and left Black standing alone in the parlor. From the room that Belle used as her office he could hear the clicking of the telegraph. As soon as he entered the room, he saw Kate taking down the message spelled out by the dots and dashes the clicks indicated.

"It's for you,” Kate said, without turning around.

"From Ed?"

Kate nodded and handed him the neatly printed piece of paper.

Black scanned the words and understood their meaning. It hadn't come from Ed, but it was from Denver. Ed's superiors were strapped for men, but they would round up anyone they could and come out to help as soon as possible.

"I've got another wire to send,” Black said, after reviewing the message.

Need help immediately if not sooner—Have the proof we need—Don't trust the sheriff—Black

Kate read the message before looking up at him with questions in her eyes. “If you've got proof, it had to come from Zeek. What did he say?"

"It's not for public knowledge, but he told me it was Diamond A hands who raided his ranch the other night. If he hadn't been riding nighthawk, he wouldn't have known, but as soon as he recognized him, they beat him senseless and tried to kill him. As far as anyone outside of this house is to know, Zeek is still unconscious."

Before Kate could reply, the kitchen door opened and Roy started calling Belle's name. Black left Kate to send the message and went out to the kitchen.

"Belle's been with you,” Black began, “so why are you yelling for her like a banshee?"

"Because she ain't with me. I went over to the sheriff's office to report the fire and before I could get back to where I'd left her, she took off with the lumber to repair the roof. Ned Palmer over at the store told me she took off like a bat out of hell. He said she told him to tell me that she wanted to get back here so you and the girls could start repairing the barn. I thought she'd be here, but the buckboard and team aren't anywhere in sight."

"That bastard Adamson has her. We just have to figure out where."

"How can you be so sure it's Clayte who is behind this?” Roy asked.

"First, it's my job, and secondly, Zeek regained consciousness. He told me it was Clayte's foreman, Rance, who was with the rustlers. It didn't take much to figure out the rest of it, based on the suspicions we've all had ever since I got here."

"Suppose not. Do you think we should wait for them to send a ransom note?"

"They won't be asking for money. Clayte wants Belle as well as the Double Bar B. We just have to figure out where they've taken her."

"I remember there was an old line shack not far from our property line. I helped Clayte's daddy build it. That was back when there were no fences separating the two ranches. We both used it for our men who were out on the range keeping the herds separated."

Black listened as Roy gave him the directions he certainly didn't need. He'd seen the shack when he'd been riding the fence line on that first day and again later when he'd gone out to check for damage after the night they'd killed the rustlers.

Belle squirmed against the bindings that cut into her wrists as the buckboard bounced across the rangeland. They'd left the main road quite some time earlier and she knew they had crossed over onto Diamond A land at least ten minutes ago.

If only she hadn't been in such a hurry to get back to the ranch. If only she'd waited for Roy, but she'd been too independent. She cursed the silly law that prohibited the wearing of guns by women while in town. If she'd had them strapped on, she would have at least been able to defend herself. As it was, she only had her rifle and that was in the bed of the wagon, too far out of reach for her to handle the team and reach for it at the same time.

The men seemed to have come out of nowhere and when they caught up with her, they were quick to stop the team and jump into the wagon. One of them tied her hands while the other took over the reins.

As soon as she saw the line shack come into view, she knew exactly where they were. Would anyone else think to look so close to home? She doubted it.

The man beside her pulled the wagon to an abrupt halt, leaving her to totter unsteadily. It didn't take long for the masked leader to pull her from the seat of the wagon and drag her toward the shack.

"Now what do we do with her, Rance?” one of the men asked.

Belle strained to recognize the voice that sounded so familiar.

"Shut your goddamned mouth, Charlie. Now she knows who we are."

Charlie McCasslin. I should have known. This has to be his idea of revenge.

"What difference does it make? She won't be leaving here. I told you we should have set that house on fire and done away with that whole nest of ‘em. Especially that fancy gunslinger she hired. But no, you said only to set fire to the barn. Now God only knows when Zeek will come around and tell them it was us."

"Zeek ain't gonna come around, and you know it. He might still be alive, but he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of recovering. I should know. I'm the one who pumped lead into him. I might have been a bit off-target, but trust me, he ain't gonna make it."

"Well, at least this is one time this bitch won't bust my balls. I plan to show Miss High and Mighty here what it's like to be fucked by a real man."

Belle gasped as Charlie started to unbutton his pants. They planned to rape her and probably kill her so that Clayte could get title to the Double Bar B. She couldn't let that happen, and yet how could she stop it?

The inside of the shack was overly warm from the fire that burned in the stove. Once inside, Rance untied her long enough to take off her coat, blouse and undergarment. When she was naked to the waist, he looped the rope around her wrists and shoved her down on the bed.

"What are you going to do to me?"

Rance leaned so close to her face she could smell his fetid breath. “The boss said we could have a good time with you, just as long as we didn't touch that virgin cunt of yours. Once we get those boots and britches off, there's any number of things that we can do to satisfy ourselves."

Belle cringed. What would Clayte do once he realized her virginity was non-existent? Would he kill her?

"I plan to be first,” Charlie said, as he pushed Rance aside. “She busted my balls when I worked for her, now I plan to show her that women are good for only one thing, and it ain't bossin’ around men."

"What did I ever do to you?” Belle pleaded.

He pulled her britches and drawers from her body to give him a good look at her, then grabbed her wrists and brought her to her feet, attaching the rope to one that was slung over the rafters. “You thought you were so high and mighty then. Well, you weren't. All you ever did was sashay around in front of me and tease me with something that I couldn't have. Well, maybe I can't fuck you the way the boss plans to do, but I can make you regret everything you ever did to me."

Unable to defend herself, Belle could do nothing but endure Charlie's rough hands as they pinched her nipples and slipped between her legs to do the same to her clit.