To Love a Stranger (18 page)

“What is it, Bill? Did something happen in town?”

“Someone told the vigilantes where to find Pierce. They left late last night for the Circle F ranch near Rolling Prairie. There’s talk of a lynching. If Riley Reed has his way, Pierce won’t reach town alive.”

Chad swung into action. “Round up the boys, Bill. I’ll find Ryan. We ride out in fifteen minutes.”

“What are we going to do, boss?”

“Make sure there won’t be a hanging.”

Fifteen minutes later, twelve armed men rode from the Delaney ranch, their faces grim with purpose.

Circle F Ranch

Zoey couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t think beyond Pierce’s last words to her. Forget him? How could she? He could deny his feelings for her all he wanted, but deep inside she knew he lied. He wasn’t rejecting her personally. It was marriage he rejected. No matter, she couldn’t let him ride out of her life knowing he might never reach Dry Gulch alive.

There were instances when vigilante law served a real purpose in a town with no regular law. More often it was cruel and unjust, making a mockery of the law it served. Riley Reed struck her as a vindictive man, and according to Pierce, Reed had ample reason to hate him. Pierce seemed resigned to the fact that he might not reach Dry Gulch alive, but Zoey was determined not to let that happen. Resolve stiffened her spine as she prepared for a hasty departure.

Zoey left the Circle F a scant hour behind Pierce and the vigilantes. She made a brief stop at the Culpepper ranch, where she arranged for the Culpeppers’ oldest son to tend to the chores on the Circle F during her absence.

Intense rage vibrated through Pierce, and that wasn’t a bad thing, he decided. He needed anger if he was to survive. He’d not willingly go to his death. He had serious doubts about his chances of arriving in Dry Gulch alive, and suspected that the only thing Riley Reed was waiting on was a good sturdy tree from which to lynch him. He’d have
liked to say good-bye to his brothers before he met his maker, but that didn’t seem likely.

His rage intensified. Life was so unfair. He knew Cora Lee Doolittle didn’t have the brains to hatch this plot against him, so it had to be Hal’s doing. Yet according to Chad’s letter, Cora Lee was indeed in the family way, and someone had to be guilty of getting her that way. He couldn’t recall hearing that Cora Lee was being courted by anyone. It was a lamentable mess, but certainly not one of his making. Pierce had been implicated simply because Hal wanted to get his hands on some of the Delaney wealth.

Pierce’s thoughts scattered when he realized that Reed had called a halt at a stream so the horses could drink. The men dismounted and quenched their own thirst, leaving Pierce still mounted.

“Hey, I’m thirsty, too,” Pierce said.

Reed turned and gave him a mirthless grin. “Too bad. You won’t need water where you’re going.”

Ignoring him, Pierce raised his leg over the saddle and slid to the ground. His hands still tied behind him, he walked to the stream, knelt, and drank deeply. Rising clumsily, he returned to his horse.

“Someone either untie me or help me remount.”

One man detached himself from the group to help him. Pierce recognized him as a man he’d once considered a friend. His name was Jim Haskins. Haskins refused to look Pierce in the eye while he gave him a lift up into the saddle.

“Have you turned against me, too, Jim?” Pierce asked quietly.

Jim looked abashed as he said, “I was kinda
sweet on Cora Lee. It hurts to see her walking around with a swollen belly and no husband.”

“I didn’t do it.”

“Cora Lee said you did. Why would she lie?”

Pierce could think of no suitable reply. Visible proof was hard to refute.

“The whole town is aware of how you felt about marriage, but did you have to beat Cora Lee?”

“I swear I didn’t do it,” Pierce vowed.

“Stop jawing,” Reed warned as he shoved Jim away from Pierce’s horse. “Delaney can’t squirm out of this one. He’s guilty as sin.”

“Hey, Reed, can’t we rest a spell?” one of the men asked, stifling a yawn. “We rode all night. I’m saddle-sore and about to fall off my horse.”

Reed seemed to consider the request. “Yeah, all right, I’m beat myself. I reckon Delaney ain’t any too anxious to meet his maker.” He spat a wad of tobacco juice onto the dusty ground. “Remember that hickory tree we passed on the trail last night? Its branches looked strong enough to support a man the size of Delaney. After an hour’s rest we’ll be fresh for the lynching.”

Jim Haskins paled as he spun around to stare at Reed. “You never said nothing about a lynching. You said we’d bring Delaney back to town and give him a chance to marry Cora Lee all proper like.”

“I changed my mind,” Reed said. His chin jutted out and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Are you challenging me?”

“There must be others who agree with me,” Jim dared to suggest.

Reed glared a challenge at his men. “What do
you say, boys? Are you for hanging Delaney?” The majority concurred wholeheartedly with Reed. The rest shuffled their feet and stared at the ground, unwilling to voice their opinion even though they obviously disagreed.

“Then it’s settled,” Reed said with a grin. “Rest, boys, you earned it. Our next stop will be the hanging tree.”

Pierce slumped in the saddle. Not one of the vigilantes had the gumption to stand up to Reed. Thank God his brothers were capable of taking care of themselves without him. Their father had taught them valuable lessons about survival, and they had all learned well.

Pierce’s mind turned naturally to Zoey, and the thought of never seeing her again, never knowing how she was faring, brought a sinking pain in the pit of his stomach. He was glad she wasn’t here to witness his hanging. Would she mourn him? he wondered. She probably wouldn’t even know he was dead. He’d always intended to end their marriage, but certainly not like this. It suddenly occurred to him that as his wife, Zoey would be in line to inherit his estate. He really didn’t believe she had betrayed him, but even if she had, he still wanted her to have the means to remain free of Samson Willoughby’s machinations.

“Reed, I want to talk to you,” Pierce called out.

Reed swaggered over to Pierce, his expression positively gloating. “What is it, Delaney? Hanging you is gonna be a real pleasure. Polly should have been mine. Had she married me, she wouldn’t have run off like she did. I always wondered what you did to her to make her leave.”

“Forget Polly, that’s water under the bridge.”

“Not to me.”

“I want to write a will,” Pierce said. “Give it to my brother Chad after … after …” He couldn’t say the word.

Reed pushed his hat up and stared at Pierce curiously. “A will? What for?”

“Why do you care? It’s proper to grant a man a last request.”

“Very well,” Reed allowed grudgingly. “You got paper and pencil?”

“In my vest pocket. You’ll have to untie me.”

“Hey, Haskins, come and untie Delaney while I hold my gun on him. He wants to write a will.”

Jim hurried over to release Pierce’s bonds. Once free, Pierce rubbed his wrists to return the circulation to them. Then he reached into his pocket for the stub of pencil and pad of paper he always carried with him. He wrote for several minutes, then tore off the paper and handed it to Jim. “Give this to Chad when you reach town.”

Jim nodded and slipped it into his pocket.

“Tie him back up,” Reed ordered. Jim did as he was told, sending Pierce an apologetic glance as he did so.

An hour later the vigilantes mounted up and rode out. Each mile brought Pierce closer to the hanging tree and the end of his life.

Zoey rode as if the Devil were on her tail. The terrible consequences of not reaching Pierce in time were too painful to acknowledge. Pierce couldn’t die. She hadn’t saved Pierce’s life only to lose him like this. He was too vital, too alive, to die an ignoble
death. Even if he didn’t want her, she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t try to save his life again.

Zoey didn’t know what she would do once she caught up with the vigilantes, but she’d do whatever was necessary to prevent a lynching.

“Here we are,” Reed called out when he spotted the hanging tree up ahead. He reined to a halt beneath the sturdy hickory; his men drew up behind him. “Who’s got the rope?”

“Right here!” someone said, passing a new rope to Reed.

“This isn’t right,” Jim Haskins said, placing his horse between Pierce and Reed. “What kind of law hangs a man without a fair trial?”

Reed’s upper lip curled into a sneer. “Vigilante law. Out of the way, Haskins, unless you want to join Delaney. There’s plenty of room on that limb for two.”

“I’m sorry, Pierce,” Jim said, backing away. “I tried.”

“It’s all right, Jim. Reed has nursed a grudge against me for a long time. There’s nothing anyone can do. Tell my brothers I’m sorry it ended this way. And don’t forget the will.”

Jim nodded, too choked up to speak. He turned away from the group and took off down the road. He wasn’t going to be a party to this travesty of justice. After speaking with Pierce, he was convinced that Pierce was innocent. There was going to be hell to pay for this deed. The surviving Delaney boys were going to be out for revenge.

*    *    *

Jim Haskins ran into the riders from the Delaney ranch a short way down the trail. Haskins skidded to a halt, weak from relief when he recognized Chad and Ryan. “Hurry, they’re fixing to lynch Pierce.”

Chad’s blood froze in his veins. “Where are they?”

“Not far. Just down the trail a few miles.”

No reply was forthcoming as the riders left Haskins in their dust.

Zoey rode into a scene straight out of her worst nightmare. It would haunt her for the rest of her life. Pierce stared straight ahead as Riley Reed placed a rope around his neck. Rage and fear drove Zoey when she saw Reed toss the rope over a tree limb and order one of his men into the tree to attach it. Yanking her shotgun from the saddle boot, she fired into the air as she rode fearlessly into the group of men milling around the tree.

“Stop! You can’t hang him. It’s against the law.”

Her random shots sent the vigilantes ducking for cover. Before they gained their wits, she pulled the rope away from Pierce’s neck and flung it away. Then she made a desperate grab for the leading reins of Pierce’s horse. Her plan, which in retrospect seemed feeble and ill conceived, was to get them both away without coming to harm. Her courage nearly deserted her when she realized how stacked the odds were against success. But valiant to the core, she gave it her best try.

Unfortunately her best wasn’t good enough. Reed and a good half dozen of his men surrounded her before she made good her escape.

“Little fool,” Pierce muttered bleakly. “Why can’t you just let go? You’ve really done it now.”

Pierce knew a moment of raw fear when he saw Zoey ride like a madwoman, firing in the air and shouting. No other woman but Zoey would attempt such a damfool thing. All she could hope to accomplish was to place herself in danger while he was in no position to help.

“Look who’s here, boys,” Reed said, eyeing Zoey boldly. “It’s Delaney’s little whore. She misses him already. Ain’t that a shame. What say we give her what she’s panting after, boys?”

Zoey eyed him coolly. “What kind of law are you? You’re supposed to keep the peace, not break it.”

“We make our own law, don’t we, boys?” He grasped her leg and pulled her from the saddle. She landed on her bottom at Reed’s feet. Reed gave a hoot of laughter and dragged her upright.

“Leave her alone!” Pierce shouted in a voice hoarse with fear. He pulled at his bonds, but they refused to give. “Hang me if you must, but let Zoey go on her way.”

Zoey rounded on him. “I’m not going anywhere, Pierce! I’m not going to let them get away with this.”

“What are you gonna do, lady?” Reed smirked. “What can you offer us in exchange for Delaney’s life?”

Zoey was too distraught to grasp Reed’s meaning. “Offer you? How much do you want? I’m sure Pierce’s brothers will add to any sum I can come up with. Name your price.”

Pierce groaned in dismay. “Zoey, they want—”

“Shut up, Delaney. Let the little lady have her say. This is getting mighty interesting.” He turned back to Zoey. “What if the price I demand is your body? Will you spread your legs for us?”

The color drained from Zoey’s face as comprehension dawned. “What? You can’t. I won’t …”

Reed shrugged. “Suit yourself, lady.” He turned back to his companions. “String him up.”

“No, wait! I need time to think about this.”

“For God’s sake, Zoey, there’s nothing to think about!” Pierce cried fiercely. “Get on your horse and ride out of here.”

“And let you hang? I … can’t.”

Reed grinned knowingly. “Thought you might feel that way.” He grasped her arm and pulled her along with him toward a copse of dense bushes. “You’re gonna get more than you bargained for, lady.”

Anguish such as he’d never felt before tore into Pierce. “Don’t do it, Zoey! He’ll kill me anyway, and probably you along with me.”

Things were moving so fast, Zoey couldn’t catch her breath, could barely think. She dug her heels in, but Reed’s superior strength kept her moving. When he reached the fringe of bushes, he threw her to the ground and fell on top of her.

“Wait! Promise you won’t kill Pierce if I let you …” Oh, God, she couldn’t do this.

“What makes you think I’d bargain with you? Willing or not, I’d still have you. There ain’t nothing you can do to stop me from stringing up Delaney or taking you here on the ground. I was just playing along with you, letting you think you could influence me.”

He grasped the waistband of her britches and tried to pull them down her thighs. Zoey screamed and he cuffed her, telling her to stop her caterwaling. She fought him, finding a vulnerable spot with the toe of her boot. He cursed and released her. She leapt up and started to run. He grabbed her leg, dragging her back down.

Pierce heard Zoey scream and launched himself off his horse. He had nearly reached the fringe of bushes before he was tackled and brought down. The terrifying image of Riley Reed rutting on Zoey’s slender body made him want to kill. If someone handed him a gun, he’d shoot every last one of these bastards without blinking an eye.