Love Inspired Historical July 2015 Box Set: The Marriage Agreement\Cowgirl for Keeps\The Lawman's Redemption\Captive on the High Seas (67 page)

“What are you going to do to her?” Rose looked at Mary as if she finally believed her sister might be in real danger.

“Nothing she doesn't deserve.”

Will tried to determine Mary's reaction, but she remained expressionless. Mel, on the other hand, looked as though the end of her fuse had been lit, and she was about to blow.

“What do you know of what Mary deserves? Despite the risk to her reputation and safety, she climbed to my window to rescue a spiteful sister who wanted to steal her beau. Rose should be grateful for such a sister.”

“Stop.” Mary glared at Mel. “I appreciate you taking up for me—but this is between my sister and me. Rose, I hope that we can work this out between us. If you truly love Ben, despite what everyone here has told you, then I'll support your marriage. I only want you to be happy. But I hope that you'll decide to come home with us tonight.”

What was Mary up to? Will could hardly imagine that Mary would actually leave Rose here. Not after everything they've been through. So, why was she acting as if she would countenance the match?

Rose looked at Mary. “You would support me? Truly?”

“I would.”

“So touching.” Ben snickered. “But where was this sisterly devotion when Mary left poor Rose to tend Daniel even though she'd promised Rose the afternoon off? When Rose didn't show up to meet Silas, he went over to Annie Garrett's for a piece of pie. Then he married Annie instead.”

“How do you know about that?” Rose said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I never gave details. And the pie? How do you know he went for pie? I didn't even know that.”

Rose slowly began to back toward the door, toward where her sister stood. Will could only hope that Rose was finally beginning to realize that this situation had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with Ben's evil plans.

The door flew open, and three armed men entered, led by Rusty Horton, Century City's sheriff. He'd always suspected Rusty was dirty, and now he knew for sure.

“Will Lawson,” the spindly man said, not masking his unpleasantness. “I've come to arrest you for the robbery of the Colorado Citizens Bank and the murder of Eldon Wormer. I do hope you resist, because putting a bullet in your head would be a pleasure.”

Rusty grinned, showing a few more missing teeth than when Will had seen the man last. “Now that I see you with the murder weapon you said had been stolen, getting a conviction will be easy. That is, if the lynch mob doesn't get you first.”

As Rusty's men barked their laughter in unison, Will met Ben's eyes. This whole thing, from the moment they'd walked into The Pink Petticoat, had been a setup.

He should have killed Ben when he'd had a chance.

Chapter Twenty-Two

A
murderer? Mary looked over at Will in hopes that he would deny the charges. He was too good of a man to be involved in such things. Besides, Mary already knew that the gun had been taken from that other man, Colt.

“Then you have the wrong man,” Mary said, looking at the sheriff. “Will borrowed that gun from a man named Colt.”

“Ah, yes, Colt.” Ben got up from his seat and walked over to them. “And where is my dear friend?”

Ben's gaze landed directly on Mel. From the intensity of it, Mary was glad it wasn't her.

“He had one of his headaches. I gave him something to sleep it off.”

But of course, Mel wasn't her, and she had so much strength that Mary admired. Why, she didn't look frightened at all.

“Idiot.” Ben turned and walked over to the sheriff.

“You said he'd do the job for me,” the sheriff whined.

“And he will. As soon as he wakes up. That Mel creates havoc with all of her potions she gives out. Can we hang her for that?” Ben smiled in such a way that made Mary's stomach turn.

“I'm the sheriff. I can hang whoever I want.”

Mary should have known not to trust any lawman affiliated with Ben. But she'd have liked to have believed that they weren't so easily persuaded. She looked over at Mel, who didn't appear worried.

“You won't hang me, and you know it.” Mel stood straight and proud. Mary wished she had the kind of courage the other woman had. She glanced over at her sister, who seemed to finally be realizing the full extent of the evil they were dealing with.

Mary didn't need to know anything about criminals to know that these were bad men. This sheriff might have a badge, but she didn't feel safe knowing a man like him was the law. And, from the looks of everyone else in the room, they all felt the same way.

Mel continued staring the sheriff in the eye. “Will took the gun off Colt. If you're looking for the man who had the gun, then you need to look in my room. Will is no murderer.”

“Isn't he?” The sheriff looked at Mel with stone-cold eyes that made even Mary shudder. “You've just named him a thief. Is it so hard to imagine he might also be a murderer?”

This time, when the sheriff asked his question, he looked at Mary, as though he was trying to convince her of Will's guilt.

Only Mary knew better.

“He didn't steal the gun. It was his to begin with.”

“So he says.”

Reasoning with the sheriff was as futile as reasoning with Ben. The two men were cut out of the same rancid cloth.

Mary glanced over at Will, whose hand rested on his gun.

“Go for it,” the sheriff urged. “Though I've been looking forward to a hanging, no one will fault me for killing a man who drew on me.”

“Do you know who my father is?” Jasper stepped forward, his hands out. Anyone who shot him would be labeled a coward, if they lived long enough to tell their side of the tale.

“Accidents happen.” Ben spoke smoothly, easily. He pointed his gun in Mel's direction. “It wouldn't be unheard of for a disgruntled soiled dove to shoot a man. Everyone knows that you married the town shrew. No one would be surprised you spent the night here.”

“That's a dirty lie!” Jasper's face reddened.

Ben shrugged. “The victor is the one who gets to write the history.”

“You're not shooting him,” Mel said quietly. “He has no part of this.”

Jasper glared at Ben. “Despite what you think of my marriage, I aim to be a good husband to Emma Jane.”

Mary should have found comfort in his words, but Emma Jane was still at home alone on her wedding night.

Ben laughed. “Don't make no never mind to me. You couldn't pay me enough to tolerate that shrew.”

Such a harsh description of her friend made Mary cringe. Though she was certain Ben had no such opinion of a woman he couldn't possibly know, she knew his words had nothing to do with Emma Jane, and everything to do with riling up Jasper. The redness to Jasper's cheeks told her it was working.

“Stop calling Emma Jane a shrew.” Jasper pulled out his gun. “Emma Jane is a decent woman.”

Though it didn't look as if Jasper had any intention of shooting, Ben drew his gun and fired. Mel seemed to catch the motion of Ben drawing because Mary heard her shout something just before jumping in front of Jasper.

Next thing Mary knew, Will had shoved her to the ground. His body trapped her against the soft carpet. She couldn't see what was happening, but the sound of rapid gunfire echoed through her ears.
Don't let Will die for my sake
, Mary prayed. She thought to Jasper, and Mel and Rose. She tried to lift her head, but as soon as she moved, Will pushed it down with his hand. “Don't be stupid.”

“But—”

“Stay still and be quiet or we'll both be dead.”

A bullet grazed the floor beside them. Mary clamped her mouth shut. Then the shooting stopped. As suddenly as it began, all was quiet. Still. Like death. Though it must have only lasted a few seconds, the exchange seemed to have gone on for hours, Will's body pressing her against the ground the entire time. He'd been so close. Making her feel so safe.

Yet as the air stilled around them, Mary was more terrified than ever. She'd come to rely on Will.

“You idiots,” Ben said, his voice growing louder as he crossed the room toward them. “I was only trying to nick the boy and teach him a lesson. What were you thinking, opening fire like that?”

“Sorry, boss,” one of the men mumbled. “We thought—”

“I don't pay you to think.”

Will stirred, allowing Mary to shift her head to watch as Ben hit one of the men with the barrel of his gun.

How had she fallen in love with a man like Ben? No, that wasn't love, Mary realized as Will's solid mass remained firmly covering her. Love was a man who would shove a woman to the ground and cover her with his own body to keep her from getting hurt.

Not a man who would use a woman as a cover to steal.

Ben's boots crunched the floor around him, probably from the broken glass of lamps being shot out, and stopped in front of them. “You can get up now. These numbskulls aren't going to shoot.”

Will rolled off Mary and got to his feet before helping her up. Once they were standing, she saw her sister, huddled in a corner, but obviously alive.

Mary looked over to where Mel had covered Jasper. Mel lay motionless.

“Get a doctor!” Jasper's voice was muffled by Mel's body.

None of this was supposed to have happened. Will dashed over to Mel and Jasper, quickly rolling Mel off his friend.

So much blood.

“I'm fine,” Jasper said before Will could ask. “It's Mel. She's been shot good.”

“No doctor,” Mel rasped. “No time.”

The gurgle coming with her voice agreed with her. Her lungs were filling with blood, and she'd be dead before the doctor arrived. Even if a doctor arrived before Mel died, there was no saving her. Will had watched too many others pass this way.

“I...” Jasper looked worse than Mel as he seemed to comprehend what she was saying. “You saved me. Why?”

“Can't let an innocent...” Mel gasped, choking on her blood. Will tried to prop her up better to make it easier. Not that there was anything easy about dying this way.

Mel's sacrifice humbled Will. Sure, Jasper was the son of one of the wealthiest men in the state, but Mel's sacrifice wasn't about money. It was about doing the right thing and protecting an innocent man.

“I can never repay...” Jasper's voice wavered as he shifted to better accommodate Mel and make her last moments more comfortable.

“Yes,” she said, her voice thready and garbled. She wouldn't last much longer. “Help.”

Mel tried to cough, but the effort took more color out of her skin. “Daisy.”

The word was but a whisper of a breath and barely discernible. But Will heard. And from the look on Jasper's face as Mel closed her eyes for the final time, so did he.

Ben gave them no time to reflect or mourn. As Mel slipped from the earth, Ben let out such a cackle that Will had to wonder if such evil could exist in a mere mortal.

“Touching, but let's not waste our breath on a harlot. We still have the matter of Will's arrest and—” Ben blew on his nails in such an affected gesture that Will wanted to punch him “—a wedding to arrange.”

Ben turned his gaze toward where Mary had crawled over to Rose. “Personally, I've had the younger sister, so I'd much rather the elder. But, my dear, you've turned into quite the shrew yourself. I suppose the question is, which one of you can I most tolerate as my bride?”

“You don't honestly think you're going to get away with this? Pastor Lassiter won't allow it.”

Will took a step toward Ben, but Rusty pushed aside his coat, showing his guns. “The noose or my revolver. Don't tempt me.”

He was serious. Just as serious as the look on Ben's face.

“Here's how I see it. We have a dead woman of no consequence. A man about to go to jail. A sheriff and his deputies who will testify to the truth of whatever I say. Which leaves me with two potential brides and a dandy who skipped out on his wedding night. Having made myself a reputation in gambling circles, I can safely say that marriage to one of these young ladies is a good bet.”

Another cackle twisted Ben's face into an expression that bordered on demonic. “I have enough ladies here who can make sure that their tales of Jasper Jackson's wedding night make anything he has to say sound like the ravings of a madman desperate to keep his wife from knowing the truth.”

Lies. All of them. And as the memory of Will's persecution in Century City flowed through his brain, he knew that Ben would ruin Jasper's good name. He'd marry either Mary or Rose, and do away with the other, enabling himself to lay claim to a hefty fortune.

Why did God allow such evil to exist? And why couldn't Will have found the courage to have shot Ben when he'd had a chance? Fair fight or no, this man deserved to die.

Unbidden, a verse about trusting the Lord with all your heart ran through Will's brain. Could he trust in the Lord enough to let the chips, as they were, fall? Would letting the Lord have control of the situation impact the outcome?

Will took a deep breath.
Lord, I know we haven't exactly been on the best of terms. I've blamed You and denied You, and tried taking matters into my own hands. But in all my chasing of Ben, none of it has done a lick of good. No one's believed me. There's a dirty sheriff on Ben's side. The room is full of gunslingers who shoot for the fun of making a kill.

I can't do this on my own.

The heaviness pressing on Will's chest lifted. Yet no angels burst through the ceiling, or even through the door. No, Ben still stood before him, eying Rose and Mary as if they were as scrumptious as the wedding cake that was supposed to be served at Jasper's reception.

“So what's it going to be, ladies? Which of you lovely creatures will love, honor and, most importantly, obey me?”

“Neither!”

In a movement that could have only been planned, Mary grabbed a kerosene lamp from a nearby table as Rose did the same. Mary tossed hers at Ben, and Rose aimed straight for Rusty.

The result was chaos. Giving Jasper and Will enough time to reach the girls, then run through the door.

Ben let out a howl, and Will didn't need to look back to know he was hot on their tail.

Hot
being the operative word as they ran down the hallway and flames followed. The room shouldn't have caught fire from those two lamps, but as a loud boom sounded behind them, Will realized there must have been some other explosives in the room, ignited by the smaller fire.

Whatever it was, they weren't safe in this building. Nor was anyone else.

Will grabbed Mary's hand, pulling her behind him as they headed for the stairs leading to the exit.

“Fire,” he yelled, hoping that the inhabitants of the other rooms would hear him in time.

As they reached the stairs, Will noticed US marshal Dean Whitaker standing on the landing, looking ready for a fight. It figured he would show up at some point or another. The marshal had been trailing Ben almost as long as Will had...but now was not the time to think about such things. Another boom sounded from the room they'd just escaped.

“Arrest them,” Ben shouted. “All of them. Those crazy women are trying to burn the place down.”

“No time!” Will kept moving forward. “We have to get all these people out of here!”

The air was so thick with smoke that it was a wonder any of them were able to yell at all. Doors flew open, and people, mostly half-dressed, poured out of the rooms.

In the melee, they were able to get past the marshal and even slow up Ben. Too many people wanted to escape the impending disaster.

“Don't give up!”

Will turned to see Jasper tugging at Rose. Mary turned as well, moving in their direction.

“We have to keep going. You have to keep going.” He stared at Mary for a brief moment, long enough to hopefully instill the sense of danger they faced, but not so long as to lose himself in those eyes. Face streaked with sweat and soot, Mary Stone was still the loveliest woman he'd ever beheld.

And the smartest.

“We'll never make it through the door,” Mary said instead. “The crowd is already too thick.”

She was right. Mary pointed to a window.

He didn't need further encouragement to head in that direction. Jasper followed, pulling Rose, who seemed to find the strength to carry on at the sight of the freedom so close.

Will picked up a chair and hurled it through the window. He started to help Mary out, but she looked in her sister's direction. “Get Rose first. She's coughing a lot.”

Rose had grown pale and, just as Mary said, was coughing, struggling to breathe in all of the smoke. “I didn't mean for it to cause such a terrible fire,” she said between gasps.