The Lone Star Collection Page 10

  I tip my hat when she gets close enough. “Miss Shepherd.” One thing I love about Texas is how well my drawl fits in, though I’m originally from Georgia. Miss Shepherd’s clipped, New York tones make her an immediate object of suspicion. But right now, she is ignoring everyone else, eyes fixed on me.

  “Jack.” She is smiling, confidence brimming in her blue eyes.

  “Where’s your gun?” I ask, taking a step closer.

  “They were getting expensive to replace after you kept stealing them from me.”

  I chuckle and take another step. She doesn’t back up. “I think that’s only fitting since you’re trying to steal my freedom.”

  “I’m arresting you.”

  “On whose behalf? The Pinkertons don’t seem to have your back anymore.”

  “I’ll have the sheriff in Presidio on my side soon enough. He’ll either help me or run you out of town when he finds out you’re a bank robber.”

  Another two steps. “And who do you think he’ll believe? You or me?”

  Her eyes widen. She knows I’m talking about the power, but just in case she’s forgotten, I use my will to turn it up, watching her hands. She’s used chemicals before to render me unconscious; I have no desire to be helpless again. The air between us fairly crackles. Her nostrils flare.

  “Why deny what you truly want?” I ask softly. “You’re not following me on behalf of the Pinkertons. You’re after me for one reason only.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Your ego never ceases to astound me.”

  “Just ride with me, and I’ll let you do all the…experiments you want on my body.”

  She tries to keep her disdainful look, but I see her swallow. “I won’t be your accomplice or your harlot.”

  “Such strong words.” Another step. “I would marry you if the law allowed.”

  Now her eyes widen further, jaw dropping. I nearly stop in my tracks as I realize the truth of my own words. I want her, all of her, body and soul. I want her clever mind as much as I want her moaning beneath me. And if anyone could determine just where my power comes from, it’d be her.

  “Jack…”

  My power is creeping up, spurred on by my own desire. I try to rein it in. It’s been a while since I lost control. I do not want a repeat of the orgy of Kansas City. Other heads are swiveling my way, and I don’t want anyone pulled in but us.

  The look in her eye stops me, too. I’ve put Miss Shepherd off her guard, but I’m pretty sure it’s my words instead of my power. She is not perspiring, not breathing hard as she did in the past while resisting me. Her new countermeasure is working well.

  I can’t have that. Words alone won’t be enough to win her. But I dare not ratchet up the power anymore, not now.

  She smiles, a slow, evil-looking grin. “I don’t feel a thing.”

  That sentence wounds me deeply, but I fight the urge to scowl. “Now, I don’t believe that for a moment, darlin’. And I’m not using all I have.”

  “Nonsense. My new potion is working better than expected, that’s all.” She seems smug. I wish we were alone this moment. I could turn my power up so high, she’d tackle me to the floor.

  “Prove it,” I say, the image of her on top of me tightening my muscles in all the right places. I nod toward a hotel behind her.

  She glances that way, and a blush springs to her cheeks. “Don’t be absurd.”

  “What have you got to be afraid of, Miss Shepherd? If, as you say, you are now entirely resistant to my charms, a hotel room should be nothing more than a change of scenery. I tell you what,” I say as I take another step toward her. “If you can resist my power in there, I will surrender to you entirely.”

  She chews her bottom lip, and I know she is considering her options. We may not have the same definitions of surrender, however.

  “I know better than to trust you,” she says, narrowing her eyes. “You’ve tricked me before.”

  With another step, our bodies are almost touching. She keeps her steely gaze focused on mine, but with her bodice, it’s easy to see she’s breathing a little harder. Before I can speak again, a shout from down the street captures our attention. A group of fools has ridden up in front of the bank, the lead one with a red bandana tied around the lower part of his face. They fire pistols into the air as they rush into the bank. The bystanders scatter for cover.

  I shake my head. “Amateurs.”

  Miss Shepherd ducks and runs for a rain barrel on the side of the street. “Jack!” She gestures for me to come with her. That she wants me safe tickles me to the core, even though the bank robbers concern me not a whit.

  “We have but to wait a few moments, and they will surely be gone,” I say. “Hopefully, without further fuss.” At least this solves my dilemma about whether to rob this particular bank. These ruffians will no doubt clear it out.

  A hiss from Miss Shepherd makes me look again. The sheriff has arrived with several deputies. His gun is drawn, too, and as I watch, he commands the robbers to show themselves.

  “Fool,” I mutter.

  Miss Shepherd gives me a glare. “He’s doing his job.”

  “And now there are hostages. People will get hurt.”

  She snorts. “Why do you care?”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, Miss Shepherd, I never hurt anyone, especially not innocent people.”

  “I will not be drawn into a debate with you right now about whether or not your power hurts anyone.”

  “It doesn’t.”

  Her repeated roll of the eyes makes me grin, and I wonder how upset she’ll be if I sneak a kiss on her cheek. No doubt very. Before I can try, a shot rings out from the bank, making the sheriff and deputies take cover. All along the street, people crouch in various hiding spots. Miss Shepherd darts from the rain barrel to the side of a general store. I follow her, staying low.

  “If we can get to my horse, we can be well into the wilderness in seconds.” I wink. “We can come back to collect your mount once we’ve had a little time alone together.”

  “I will be helping the sheriff, thank you very much.” She’s off again, behind the general store, and I realize she’s trying to work her way down the street and closer to the rear of the bank via the alley.

  “Help how?” I ask as I keep up. “You don’t even have a gun!” I’m tempted to grab her arm and shake her. The idea of her being imperiled more than upsets me. It angers me. If these gunmen do away with her, my problems will be solved, but even the imagining of it lights a fire around my heart. I cannot permit it. If they kill her, if they lay but one finger on her…

  I close my teeth on a growl. “Miss Shepherd, you cannot proceed!”

  She raises an eyebrow. “I am an officer of the law, Jack. The Pinkertons—”

  “The devil take the Pinkertons! Your life is worth more than a handful of gold.” Another shot comes from the street, followed by more yelling, including a woman’s scream. The sheriff should have let those moronic idiots get out of town before accosting them. Now many lives are in danger.

  Miss Shepherd smiles at me, a triumphant look. Clearly, she thinks she’s won something by my comments about the value of her life. “So, follow me,” she says. “I won’t need a gun if I have you.” She takes off again.

  I grind my teeth even as I admire her gumption. So, that was her plan all along. She claims to despise me for my power, but she is clearly willing to use it to suit her own interests. And if I want her to live, I have no choice but to follow her lead.

  She works her way to the back of the bank. Two more deputies have the rear door covered, though it is still closed, and the woodwork is marred by several bullet holes. The thieves have no doubt attempted to escape via this route already. But the presence of more deputies might make them desperate. Indeed, some of the shouting sounds like a threat to the hostages within.

  Miss Shepherd crosses boldly to the deputies, and with a curse, I follow. There are no windows in the back of the bank, so we don’t have to fear a stray shot. The
deputies gawk at us, waving us away. Since Miss Shepherd’s steps do not falter, I stay with her.

  “Get back, woman!” one of the deputies says. “Don’t you have the sense God gave a goat? Get outta here!” He reaches for her arm.

  My power springs to life almost without my permission, coming out in a roar. Shivers work up and down my spine, and my teeth clack together from the force of it. The deputies’ arms drop to their sides as they stare at me in wonder. Miss Shepherd skips away, drawing a handkerchief from her skirt pocket and pressing it to her nose. No doubt it is coated with her latest potion. The men reach for me, but I point to the ground. “Sit there, fellas, and I’ll be back to give you what you want.”

  Crazy lust shines from their eyes as they tumble to the ground. One of them is drooling, but they obey because the promise of having me is so strong. I turn down the power a bit. Too much, and they will jump, not listening to my words. I can see Miss Shepherd’s eyes smiling above her handkerchief.

  Damn it. Damn her. I sigh, damning myself as well.

  I cross to the door, noting the splintered look around the edges. It was once locked but has been forced open by the thieves in their haste to escape. I knock. After a moment, there are whispers from inside. Then a voice yells, “Go away, lawman! We ain’t comin’ out!”

  “The deputies have been taken care of,” I say. “It’s safe.”

  “Jack,” Miss Shepherd whispers. “Don’t let them go!”

  I should, just because she doesn’t want it, but when the door opens a crack, I turn up my power again. The door is flung wide, and two thieves await me there, both sets of eyes wide with lust. Again, I edge my power down and send them to wait with the deputies. My power does wear off eventually, but it should keep them tame until the sheriff can wrap them up.

  The deputies are so mad with lust, they’re caressing each other, but what they get up to in my absence is none of my business. They’ve probably wanted each other for a long time but have been bowing to social convention.

  More power to them now, then.

  Lured by the promise of me, the thieves obey. I collect their guns and walk into the bank. It’s a long hallway, but I can hear voices from the lobby up front. I keep my power up, casting one glance behind to see Miss Shepherd following, hanky still in place.

  When I step into the lobby, I note the hostages gathered in one corner. One gunman kneels at a window. Another turns to confront me, but as the power washes over them all, everyone in the room sighs. The hostages’ looks of terror transform into wonder. The standing gunman takes a step, but I point him to the ground. The hostages start for me, some standing, some crawling. I send the women to one corner and the men to another. I give Miss Shepherd a look, willing her to notice the lengths I go to in order to protect everyone’s virtue. If she sees it, she says nothing.

  Some of the hostages are unbuttoning their clothes and licking their lips. I need to wrap this up. I collect the guns from the thieves and cross to the door, ready to call a surrender on behalf of the gunmen.

  “Jack!”

  I whirl around at Miss Shepherd’s cry. Another gunman, the one with his face covered, has walked out of the open vault behind the counter, his pistol raised. He’s all the way across the room, both the distance and the fabric delaying my power. The barrel of his gun looks like the opening to hell.

  I always knew I would meet my end over a woman, but not like this. I had hoped I’d be eighty and die of a heart attack while in the midst of my harem. But no, it will be because Miss Shepherd cannot leave well enough alone.

  Goddamn it.

  My power rages, but before it can do its work or the gunman can pull the trigger, Miss Shepherd hurls a small sack of gold at the gunman’s head. It strikes true, knocking off his aim as he fires. The sound is deafening but not nearly as frightening as the bullet that whistles past so close it ruffles my hair.

  I am so shocked I almost fail to notice that my power is still flowing, and Miss Shepherd’s hanky has fallen to the floor. Unlike the hostages or the thieves, she does not waste time with lustful looks or the undoing of buttons. She is in my arms in an instant, her mouth pressed to mine. The force of her charge knocks me into the wall. I catch her, desperate for her. In that moment, she is my everything. When the bandana-wearing thief attempts to join us, I shove him into the pile of men, breaking the kiss only long enough to bark, “Sit!”

  I know we cannot stay here, Miss Shepherd and me. I don’t want this lobby to turn into an orgy, but I also don’t want this Venus to leave my arms. Her hands are everywhere, as if she’s been thinking about how she’s wanted to touch me in my absence. Now she’s making up for lost time, and I swear to God I am melting in her arms.

  I fumble for the door, opening it enough to call a surrender, then I take Miss Shepherd’s hand and pull her out the back of the bank. The deputies and thieves out back look up hopefully, but I pass them by. Miss Shepherd is still pulling at me, kissing my shoulder, my neck. I finally stop in an alley and pull her hard against me again.

  She’s like wildfire in my arms, and I want to have her here and now, but I keep picturing her lowering her defenses in order to save my life. I cannot have her like this, cannot repay her kindness with trickery. I ease my power down, wanting every moment to last. It’s a while before I realize I’ve taken the power down past where she has resisted it before.

  She is kissing me on her own! The thought makes me want to swoon. But her caresses grow more hesitant as she comes back to herself.

  I can’t have that.

  Before she can break from me, I whisper, “My real name is Jaqueline. That’s why I’ve gone by Jack.”

  She steps back, her eyes wide, and her arms still around my neck. “Ah! Thank you for telling me.”

  “Thank you for saving my life.”

  She chuckles and kisses me again, and it’s all her this time. I slip my tongue between her lips. She moans and leans into me, breaking off to kiss my jaw. “No one’s ever touched me like you. No one kisses like you.”

  And no one understands the female body like me, but I don’t want to bring up my former lovers at that moment. “Stay with me, Miss Shepherd.”

  “Elizabeth,” she breathes as I kiss her neck.

  “Elizabeth,” I say, making her name into a throaty purr. “My dear Lizzie, my lovely Beth, my wondrous Eliza. I’ll follow you anywhere tomorrow if you stay with me tonight.”

  “Do you mean that?”

  “I do.” And for the moment, at least, it’s the truth. Maybe that’s all I can really offer someone.

  She kisses me again.

  “Or come with me,” I say. “Keep me out of trouble.”

  I wonder where that came from. Trouble has been my aim since the beginning, and I don’t need a nag talking me out of it at every opportunity, but as she leans so close, smelling so perfect and staring at me with eyes like liquid silver, I can say nothing else.

  She draws back, suddenly shy. I chuckle and want her back in my arms, but it has to be her choice.

  “I…need to get a few things,” she says.

  My heart leaps. She’s in. I’m so over the moon I have to kiss her, even as my rational mind is telling me I have sealed my doom. She will demand I give up my thieving ways, my dreams of being the queen of California. With time, I can probably ease her into a bit of crime, perhaps by promising that I’ll only steal from those devoid of morals, but that’ll take more time than I want to give, and she’ll keep getting me into scrapes like this one with the bank robbers.

  The closest I’ve come to death.

  She leaves my arms, nearly running away, probably so she can return to me all the faster.

  “Shall I accompany you?” I call.

  “I’ll meet you,” she says over one shoulder.

  When I blow her a kiss, she turns shy again, looking away. I grin, happy to be able to sway her with charm alone.

  I sigh, unable to suppress my grin. Down the way, the shouts from the bank have fallen sil
ent. There are no more shots. My grin falters. This could be a ruse. Miss Shepherd—Elizabeth, with lips so soft—might be going for the sheriff, dosing him with whatever concoction helped her resist me.

  Nah, surely not. But it’s better to be safe. I head for my horse. She can meet me there. And if the sheriff wants me, he can chase me out of town. Miss Shepherd’s mount is still where she left it, but she is nowhere in sight. The minutes stretch on as I stand by my horse, calling myself a fool. Any moment now, the sheriff’s posse will leave the bank and come for me.

  The sheriff exits, scratching his head. His deputies lead out the villains and two of their own men who are casting glances around, looking for me in between leaning on one another. I hide behind my horse and smile. No doubt everyone will be suffering confusion from the bank robbery turned near-orgy. When the sheriff doesn’t turn toward me, I curl my hand into a fist and nearly shout in triumph. My sweet Lizzie didn’t turn me in.

  I lean against the hitching post and wait some more, butterflies dancing all through me. Where should we go first? Besides straight to bed. Hot damn, yes please! Maybe I should get a room at the hotel? But I like to skip town after using my power. Surely my lovely Beth will understand. Tonight, we will make love under the stars. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

  An hour passes as I fidget and pace. The hubbub from the bank dies down, and life returns to normal. My lingering garners several curious looks from passersby. I tip my hat to the ladies and try to give a reassuring smile to the gents. The day has nearly passed. Has my dear Eliza chickened out? I wonder if she’s watching me from nearby, waiting for me to leave, torn between her desire to keep to the straight and narrow or fling herself into my embrace. Maybe she’d never been shy at all but only avoiding my gaze to better resist me.

  Or maybe she’s looking on me with triumph, knowing she has ensnared me as much as I ever had her.