Dark Warrior: Kid (Dark Cloth Series Book 2) (16 page)

A Different Kind of Range War

Kat stared at her grandfather.
The smell of medicine assaulted her senses. His ghostly parlor alarmed her. His skin seemed almost—grey. She couldn’t help the feeling in the pit of her stomach—telling her that she should prepare for the worst. Kat had sent for help from Kate Anderson, and she’d sent her Shae—a healer.

Shae had immediately gone to work, making her grandfather some kind of tea. Kat didn’t know what she’d put into it, but it did seem to help some.

Kat had just finishing sharing her conversation with Liam, with Jake and Kid. Now, she tried to decide if she should ask her grandfather the question that most burned within her breast. She didn’t want to. Not when he looked so bad.

She swallowed. He looked sick. She’d no idea how long they’d been drugging him—or how sick he’d get, coming off of it. She didn’t know if he
could
come off it, without it killing him.

He opened his eyes, looking at her, through a bleary gaze.

“Grandfather,” she whispered. “Why does my uncle have control over your estates?” She leaned closer to him, speaking quietly. “Especially, if you had planned to leave Liam everything?

He opened his mouth, then closed it. It seemed too much, for him to talk, and sweat covered his brow. He couldn’t do this—not now. He was too weak, she realized. Answers would help—what if he died without giving them—but she couldn’t press him, while he lay in such a state.

“It’s alright, Grandfather,” she said. “You rest. We’ll talk later.”

“I don’t know,” he whispered.

Kat leaned closer.

“I don’t know how he did it,” he said and closed his eyes.

Staring down at him, Kat had a rage like nothing she’d ever known. She didn’t know if her uncle had been giving the orders, or if he’d been following orders, but when she figured out who had been behind doing this to her grandfather—they would pay—Western style.

Jake stepped up next to her. “Who do
you
think did this?”

She glanced up at him. “My uncle,” she answered.

Kid had stepped up on the other side of her. Hearing this, he balked a bit. “How?” he said. “How could he have gained the control over his lands to do this?”

Kat bit her lip. “I don’t know,” she said, staring at her grandfather. “But before I take my blade and skin him, I need to know for sure…. Because I’m probably going to be put in their jail for it.”

She sensed that Jake smothered a smile at this, but Kid didn’t find it funny at all.

That evening, Kat stood at the barn with her grandfather in his wheelchair, watching Jake saddle his horse. He still didn’t wake much, but his chair reclined, and she thought the fresh air—out from the putrid of his room—would do him some good. She’d even sent the maids in to thoroughly clean and air out his room. The smell of the room, alone, was enough to kill him, she thought.

Kat watched, now, as Jake cinched up the saddle and put the stirrup down, turning to look at her. He glanced over her shoulder, and she turned to see Kid coming across the yard.

“You’re heading out?” Kid asked, stepping up beside Kat.

Jake nodded. “I think I’m going to do some nosing around,” Jake said.

Kid settled his arm around her waist, and she leaned into him, as Jake mounted up. He picked up the reins and looked down at them.

“You’re not going to have to stay here, Kat,” he said with grim determination.

Kat swallowed and nodded. A strange thickness seemed to form in the back of her throat as Jake touched the brim of his hat, turning his horse to head down the road.

“Say hello to whoever’s doing this,” Kat called after him. “And tell him I plan to pay him a visit.” Kid’s hand tighten on her waist, but he didn’t say anything.

Jake lifted a hand and waved but didn’t turn around.

Kid squeeze her waist again. She knew he could sense her sadness. He waived over one of the men, they’d hired, to take her grandfather back to his room, to Shae. Then, Kid picked her up and headed for the barn. And she didn’t care, at that moment, what anyone from the house thought. She needed him. She needed the comfort she always found in his arms. And she needed the heat she always found in his kisses.

Kat didn’t want to admit it—she never admitted to fear. Fear had its place, but it usually made people make stupid mistakes. But, right now, she’d never been so scared in her life. She’d never felt so lost—or so down.

She was afraid she’d never get to go home—and that thought made it difficult to want to face her future—one that wouldn’t include Kid.

Kid lay her gently in the hay and kissed her damp face. When he reached her lips, she entwined her arms around his neck—and there she gave herself up to him—and her future—whatever it may lead. She might not be able to control every fork in the trail of her life that broke off and led her to that future—and she had no way of knowing—but she was learning how to follow her heart.

Late that evening, Kat stood on the porch, breathing in the fresh air. The men, they’d hired, were doing their job, helping to watch over her grandfather—and Shae seemed to know a lot about the healing arts. Kate Anderson had known who to send, and Shae sat with him now—in fact, she’d shooed Kat from the room so she could work.

In the meantime, Kat had planted one of the men as her own guard, now, outside her grandfather’s bedroom door.

Kat spotted Jake from across the yard, when he rode in, and she froze right where she stood on the large, open porch. She stared out across the yard at him. He glanced up, feeling her gaze. Jake had astounding senses. He turned to look at her, and she knew by the grim look on his face, he had news.

Time suspended. A light breeze drifted across her face, lifting her blond curls. She smelled the danger, as it pulsed through her blood. Jake had news—and she somehow knew she wasn’t going to like what he had to tell her.

She took off down the porch. She couldn’t get to him fast enough. It seemed as though she’d been waiting a lifetime for this moment.

He headed her way, which she knew he wouldn’t normally do—telling her that the news he had felt as urgent to him—as it did for her. When she reached him, she saw Kid coming across the lawn. Jake waited for him, which had her burning with impatience, but she understood and she wouldn’t have had it any other way. This was the telling moment. This was the moment that would seal her fate.

And she realized she shouldn’t be in a hurry to hear it.

When Kid reached her side, Jake gave them both a hard look, his face grim.

“You figured out who is hunting her?” Kid asked.

Jake’s eyes narrowed into steely-slits, and Kat sucked in her breath. She’d only seen him like this once before—and that was when McCandle had taken Mandy hostage.

Jake shifted. He didn’t seem to want to give her this news, and Kat didn’t like that more than she didn’t like the look of danger in his eyes. “More like, I figured out who he’s not,” he said. “And, frankly, that concerns me more.”

Kat opened her mouth.

He compressed his lips in a hard line for a long moment, then said. “He’s too old to be either one of your cousins—or Liam.”

Kat sucked in her breath.

“Damn,” Kid said. “We have an enemy we don’t know?” he said. He looked at Kat.

Jake gave a curt nod. “That’s exactly what it means,” he said.

“No,” Kat said, with a shake to her head. “It means I’ve been right all along.” She raised her gaze to Kid—then Jake. “It’s my uncle.”

Jake’s gaze narrowed on her. “I still think he hasn’t the spine or the know-how.”

Shaking her head, Kat looked at him. “So maybe someone’s putting him up to it.”

Halting mid-turn, Kid stared down at Kat. “Which also means you’re in a lot more danger than any of us realized.”

Kat looked up into his midnight gaze. “Okay…,” she said. “Well, then, how do we draw him out?”

Jake gave a ghost of a smile. “Well, now,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about that….” His steely-gaze slid over Kid, then Kat. Glancing around them, he turned back to them. “Now…,” he said, “we get him to come after us.”

And Kat saw Kid smile.

Early in the morning, Kat woke to Kid coming through her bedroom window. Cracking one eye open, she smiled sleepily at him, rolling onto her stomach. “This is getting to be a habit,” she said as he tread on silent feet across the hardwood floor.

He smiled as he came over her, leaning over to kiss the side of her face that was still exposed. The other side was buried in her soft, down pillow—one she had every intention of taking home with her. She’d never known that a pillow could bring such bliss.

Kid nuzzled her neck. “I’m not sure how many more of these moments we’ll have like this,” he said. “Things could get very complicated, very quickly,” he said, kissing her neck again, “and we might find ourselves having to steal moments like these.”

Thoroughly convinced, she rolled over onto her back, putting her arms around his shoulders. She loved waking to him like this. She loved the idea of him being beside her, every single day for the rest of her life. “I will miss this,” she said. I’ve enjoyed these stolen moments.”

He grinned at her, leaning up over her and continuing his onslaught on her body, lighting a fire in his wake. “A habit I hope to be committing myself to, for the rest of my life,” he told her.

Smiling, Kat realized how much she liked the sound of that. She’d no idea what had made her think she could run from him, back in Cheyenne. Knowing what she knew, now, she didn’t think she would have lasted a full day, trying to pull away.

Right now, pulling away felt more like separating herself from herself. She didn’t know why it would feel that way. She only knew that she could no more separate herself from Kid—than she could to divide her own self. She loved him. She knew, if forced to, she
would
survive without him—but she didn’t want to.

She never wanted to live without him in her life—to mornings like this. And let’s not forget the nights, she thought.

Pulling Kid close to her, she gave herself up to him—body and soul.

Being with him, felt right. Living with him, felt good. Living alone—would feel like something important had gone missing from her soul. Why would anyone want to live like that? Especially, if they had a choice in the matter.

Moaning into his mouth, Kat shuddered with the force of his kisses over her, of the touch of his hands on her body.

She wasn’t stupid. She’d watched people around her love someone—and found that love wasn’t enough when the other person made them miserable, every single day of their lives. But Kid—he brought only joy to her life. He brought only contentment. They could be in the middle of a war, and had been for most of their relationship, and she still could find bliss in his arms.

Kid made her world feel right.

Sighing into the night, Kat’s eyes fell closed, as he ran his lips across her abdomen. She bit off a moan, when he ran his lips up between her breasts and continued to nuzzle her neck. She arched off the bed, when his hands came down to follow a path down between her legs, and that was the last coherent thought she’d have for quite a while.

Insidious Friend

Around midnight, Kat and Kid went to take their turn watching over her grandfather.
For a long time, Kat sat by his side. She seemed to wait for something—but she didn’t have any idea what. Perhaps she waited for a sign—telling her that he had a chance at joining the living, one more time.

Towards the crack of dawn, Kat opened the door to Jake’s knock. She glanced at Kid, who raised one hawk-like brow in question. Jake, hat in hand, turned to stare at her grandfather. She had a feeling, she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.

“I’ve been thinking on this for a while,” Jake said. “Didn’t mention this last night—cause, frankly—the idea’s foolhardy—to say the least.” He looked at Kid—then Kat.” But I think we have to move him.”

“What?” she said in surprise, “But how?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know this place. But I’ve been doing some snooping around, and your cousin’s father has filed some papers to have us removed.”

Kat’s mouth fell open. Range wars, she could do. She knew what to do about that. She didn’t know how to fight this. This…. This made her feel—helpless.

Her gaze shifted back to Jake. “So what do you think we should do with him?” she said. “None of us know this area,” she pointed out. “And—as Kid keeps reminding me—this ain’t the Wild West. We can’t just go taking him—and shooting anyone who has the guts to follow us.”

Kid grinned. She could see the idea had begun to appeal to him.

Jake nodded. “So we sneak him out. Keep moving him toward Philadelphia—till we can get him on the train, without no one being the wiser.”

“Take him home?” she said. She quickly turned away, as those words caused her eyes to fill with tears. Angry at all these new emotions, she swiped at her face. She knew Kid frowned, but he didn’t bring attention to her behavior, and she secretly thanked him for it.

“We take him back to the ranch,” Jake went on, like nothing odd had happened. “Then, we figure out how to handle your uncle from there. Hell, he can keep this damn plantation, for all I care.”

Kat wanted to agree. She’d rather hand it over—then risk being buried here. But that wasn’t what her grandfather would want.”

Jake raised his hand, as she turned to object. “I know,” he said mildly. “We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

Well, this was new. Her brow raised in question, and she saw Kid grin, out of the corner of her eye. She’d never heard Jake give a promise before. Apparently, neither had Kid.

Kat went to stand beside her grandfather’s bed. She saw Shae glance up her, smiling gently. She reached out and squeezed Kat’s hand. Kat couldn’t help but be amazed at her strength. Like Kate Anderson, this woman had to be in her late seventies, or early eighties. It was difficult to tell, though. Sometimes the healer seemed much younger. Other times, she seemed much older.

Kat could only be thankful that Shae had come to help her grandfather.

At first, Kat had been skeptical about the men they’d hired to guard her grandfather. But in the end, she knew they had to trust they’d do their job. She would watch them, but so far, it appeared Jake had picked well. What more did she expect. It was Jake, after all.

She reached out and took her grandfather’s hand in hers—felt him squeeze her hand for her efforts. She worried, though. He seemed weak. She glanced up at Kid. She couldn’t imagine taking him on a journey—any journey. Yet, right now, it didn’t seem they had a choice.

Kid read the fear in her eyes. “He’ll be a lot better off,” he said to her, “—than what they have in mind for him here.

Frustrated, Kat swallowed, then nodded. He was right. They really didn’t have a choice. At least, this way he had a chance—not much of one—but a chance. The alternative—meant certain death.

Around lunchtime, Kat answered the door to find Liam on the other side. “That old woman is back,” he told her. “She told the stable-boy she wants a word with you.”

Surprised, Kat stared at him. “What do you think she wants?”

Liam shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. But if I were to guess—I’d say she wants to talk to you about why you have your grandfather holed up in here—like one of your Wild West standoffs.”

Kat grinned at that. “No, it’s not nearly a stand-off. Cause if it were that—you wouldn’t be standing on the other side of that door.”

Liam actually grinned at that. “I think I was born on the wrong side of the Mississippi,” he said.

Kat laughed at that, then turned to let Jake know she’d be leaving him to guard her grandfather, while she went to figure this out. Jake nodded at her and went back to reading. She eyed him quizzically. She still couldn’t get over the idea of a gunman reading—more-or-less loving to read as much as it appeared Jake loved to read.

Kid had gone out to stretch his legs. So Kat kept an eye out for him, as she headed toward the livery stable. She spotted the buggy before she managed to see Kid. Kat watched the old woman, who stepped out of the buggy.

Kate Anderson stood before her, still in the quiet sun.

“It’s good to see you,” Kat said.

The wise woman nodded. “I’ve come to bring you back to my place,” she said.

Kat’s brows shot up.

The old woman turned toward the carriage and waited. Kat stared at her, but finally realized the Kate actually meant for her to go with her. She didn’t know if she should be doing this, and looked around for Kid—but finally got into the buggy.

As they took off, she spotted Kid coming across the yard. She put her hands up in a kind of a shrug. And he nodded.

Kate Anderson didn’t talk all the way back to her place, and Kat didn’t ask questions. When they got there, she led Kat out past the house, to a large medicine wheel in the back yard. She walked over to a rugged altar, on a large, flat stone. Kneeling before it, she took some wild sage, placed it in an iron pot, and lit it. Smoke curled up, and Kat moved closer.

She loved the smell of wild sage burning.

The wise woman lifted a bundle and handed it to Kat. She took it, waiving the smoke toward her face, with her free hand. Kate took the bundle back, and picking up a feather fan, she walked around Kat, smudging her.

Kat knelt before the altar, where the older woman had placed several crystals and a smaller medicine wheel. She took a small stick from the fire and lit a candle, offering up a prayer.

After several moments, Kate Anderson walked quietly over, smoothing Kat’s hair back from her shoulders. “You have a trial ahead of you, child,” she told her. “One that will take all the power, you have inside you, to get through.”

Kat had closed her eyes, listening. She looked up at Kate, now, wondering.

“You must choose close to your heart,” the old woman told her. “Only then can you walk well within your center,” she said, then stopped and looked at Kat. “Take good care of your grandfather, while you’re gone.”

Kat frowned at her. How could she take care of her grandfather and be gone at the same time? Unless, they really did take him and run for the West…. But even Jake knew how dangerous that would be. They didn’t stand a chance of actually getting there.

She opened her mouth, but Kate held up her hand.

“You shall see, soon enough, child,” she told her. “For now, let us prepare you for your journey.”

When Kat returned to the manor, she found Kid waiting for her in the barn. Grinning, she moved to pick up a bridle to go for a ride. “Did you wait all this time?” she asked.

He grinned at her. “No—actually I only just returned.”

“Hmmm,” she smiled up at him, then picked out a western saddle. “Only just…?” she teased.

Kid pulled her away from her saddle, encircling her in his arms. “So—what did she have to say?”

Kat grinned and leaning up on her tip-toes, she kissed him. Then, lay her head against his chest. “She had me cleanse, get ready for what we’re about to go up against, soon,” she said. “She said it would take all the power inside of me—and I could only stay in balance, by staying true to my heart.”

Kid kissed the top of her head. “Sounds like good advice,” he said, smiling against her hair.

Kat pulled back and swatted at him. “You only say that—because you
are
my heart.”

Smiling, Kid picked her up and set her down in a large pile of hay, where he spent several moments kissing her soundly.

Wow, she thought, she could do this all night. She’d begun to realize that he couldn’t seem to get enough of her. She hoped that he never did—because she couldn’t get enough of him either.

After a long moment of his teasing kisses, Kid leaned up. “I can’t wait till tonight,” he said, looking around. “I’ll have to get Jake to watch your grandfather.”

Kat knew he didn’t mind kissing her in the hay, but too many people visited the livery stable for any more than that. And these trips to the hay stack, only wound up leaving them both wanting more.

She got up, straightening her clothes. “Have you seen George?” she asked, not turning around.

Kid came up behind her, nuzzling her neck. “Huh-uh,” he whispered near her ear.

Turning around, Kat grinned. “I wonder if you even heard the question,” she teased.

Kid grinned, kissing her lightly. “I wonder if you really wanted to ask that question.” He moved away, grabbing a bridle off the hook.

Kat laughed. “Yeah?” she asked. “Think you got me all flustered, do you?”

He turned, giving her that lazy, sexy smile that always lit her blood on fire. She sucked her breath. Okay, she thought, fair enough. But, just the same, she couldn’t wait until he snuck up to her room that night….

Kat walked out of the livery, into the bright sunlight. As soon as she did, she spotted George coming across the grounds. “Speaking of…,” she muttered under her breath.

He smiled as he came up to her. “You’ve been busy, cousin,” he said. “My father’s having a fit.”

Wondering where this would lead, Kat remained silent and only watched him.

“My brother has sent men to the court house,” George told her in a conspiratorial tone.

Kat’s brows shot up. “Oh, yeah?” she asked. “What does he intend to do?”

George grinned. “I think he intends to have you thrown off grandfather’s estates.”

Kat turned her face away, so he couldn’t see the effect his words had on her. So it was true. Surely her uncle couldn’t find grounds to do so. What evidence could he possibly offer a judge, for him to back up such a lie? Nobody could really be that stupid. Could they?

When she told Jake, later. He didn’t make her feel much better.

“Families manage to pull this stuff all the time,” he told her. “Men find ways to lock up their wives. Parents find ways to lock up their children. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve worked out a way to lock up your grandfather, and then, while he’s locked up—hasten his death.”

Kat swallowed. “But how? Can they really find a way to get away with that?”

Jake nodded. “It’s possible, with the right lawyer, and the right doctor to back up their or accusations.”

Kat turned away, staring across at the manor. Surely, her uncle couldn’t pull such a thing off this time—not after he’d been drugging him. Surely a judge would see through something so completely outrageous. He’d have to be an idiot not to see what her uncle had been up to. How was it possible that no one was able to see through such treachery?

Yet, Kat wasn’t stupid. She knew that these people were just people—and people could be greedy and be paid off. She knew what to do about someone pulling their gun, to kill someone else—but she didn’t know anything about how to fight someone who was managing to commit a murder—with the law watching it happen right under their very nose.