Blood Blade Sisters Series (52 page)

He stopped and cleared his throat, his grip on Lucy so tight it was almost painful, but she wouldn’t have asked him to let go in a million years.

“I lost.”

He was quiet again, but this time Lucy had to ask. Had to know. “What happened?”

“Rachel tried to defend me, tried to help. A blow meant for me struck her. She fell on a rock. When he saw what he’d done, he went wild. I went numb. I don’t remember much of what happened after that. I just kept seeing her, lying there in her own blood. I didn’t fight him. I barely felt the blows. I wanted to die. Wanted to join her. But he wasn’t that merciful. I was injured. Badly enough that I drifted in and out of consciousness for days. He was always there when I woke. I didn’t understand why until I’d recovered enough to know what he’d done.

“He gave me these,” Finn said, tracing his own finger over the marks this time. “He was returning to the village, to tell them what I’d done. Tell them that her death was on my head. I didn’t even argue with him. He was right.”

“Oh, Finn, it wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it was. I’d taken her away from the safety of the village. I’d thought I could protect her. That I would be enough. We didn’t make it two days.”

Lucy wanted to argue, insist that he was wrong. But she knew he wouldn’t listen. Not yet. “What did you do?”

“I couldn’t go back. I wouldn’t have anyway, but with the marks on my cheeks, the marks that only the most important members of the tribe carried. No. I couldn’t face them. It would be as if I’d been trying to set myself up above my place in the tribe. Mocking their sacred traditions. And I had Rachel’s blood on my hands. At least they would believe so. No. I couldn’t go back.”

“How old were you?”

“Nineteen.”

“Oh, Finn.”

“I couldn’t go back to them. But I couldn’t go to any of the towns either. The marks made me an outcast among the townsfolk, though for an entirely different reason. I tried to find work where I could. But most took one look at my face and chased me off. Some took pity. I suppose if I had pretended that I’d been a captive that had escaped, things would have gone easier. I would have been pitied, not reviled. But I couldn’t do that. They had been my family.

“So, I wandered. Did what I had to in order to survive. Begged and stole. Got into trouble. One day, got into too much trouble and ended up with a bounty on my head.”

“And then you met Jake,” Lucy said with a sad smile.

“Yes. Jake saved my life. I’ll never know why he didn’t turn me in. I remember him standing there, staring down at me. He asked if I knew why he was there. I said I sure did and held out my hands, waiting for him to tie me up and drag me in. But he didn’t. He cleaned me up, fed me, clothed me. Got me back on my feet and helped me find work, vouched for me and put his own name on the line when folks balked at hiring me. He made me care about living again.”

“Jake was a good man,” Lucy said, smiling at the memory of Brynne’s first husband.

“Yes, he was. And I failed him, too.”

Lucy sat up so she could look into Finn’s eyes. “No, Finn. You didn’t fail him. What happened to Jake was not your fault. You weren’t even in the country when he died. You couldn’t have saved him. You’d probably have been killed along with him.”

Finn stared sadly at her, brought his hand up to cup her face. “You’re a good woman, Lucy. You deserve better than me. I bring only misery and destruction to anyone I care about. Now you see why you should leave, get away from me?”

Lucy was already shaking her head. “No. You’re wrong, Finn. You are the best man I know. You are loyal, and brave, and strong. You have a kind heart and a warrior’s spirit. I’m not a little girl who knows nothing of the world. I’ve seen the evil that is out there. And I’ve seen the good. You, my love, are the best of them all. Sweet heaven, to have gone through all you’ve been through and to still have your capacity for love and kindness is a testament to just how amazing a man you are. If it takes me the rest of my life, I’m going to convince you of that.”

Finn started to shake his head, but Lucy grasped his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. “I’m a Richardson. We don’t back down and we never give up. You aren’t ever getting rid of me, Finnegan Taggart. Get used to it.”

A small grin broke through the frozen lines of his face and Finn crushed Lucy to him, wrapping his whole body around her. Lucy untangled herself enough to reach his lips, trying to put every ounce of love she felt into her kiss. She breathed him in, let her hands explore the planes of his body, ingraining every inch into her memory. She tried to put into words all the love she felt for him and when that failed her, she showed him with her body how much he meant to her.

Finn pulled her beneath him, brushed her hair out of her face. “I don’t deserve you.”

Lucy just smiled. “You’re right. You deserve someone far better than me.”

“Well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that one.”

Lucy stretched beneath him and he bit his lip and bent to nuzzle her neck.

“Luckily, there are other things we can agree on.”

“Hmm,” Lucy purred. “Show me.”

“Gladly.”

He bent his head to kiss her.

Lucy heard Lilah’s scream seconds before the door burst open.

“Well, now isn’t this a cozy sight. Awfully inappropriate way to be treating your own cousin now, isn’t it, Taggart?”

Philip stood in the doorway, a gun trained on them.

“Halford! What are you doing here?”

Finn jumped out of bed, shoving his legs into his pants. He threw Lucy’s chemise at her, but when he reached for his shirt, and the gun that lay beneath it, Philip stopped him.

“I think you are decent enough,” he said, gesturing with his gun for Finn to move away from his weapon.

His gaze flicked to Lucy, his eyes lingering on her bare shoulders. The leer on his face made her skin crawl and she grabbed her chemise and dragged it on as quickly as she could. That was the only movement Philip allowed her.

“What do you want, Halford?”

Philip looked back at Finn. “A few, shall we say discrepancies in the stories you’ve told me have been made known to me. First of all, you,” he said, pointing the gun at Lucy, “aren’t exactly who you say you are. In fact, far from being our Mr. Taggart’s innocent cousin, you are not a Taggart at all, are you? Now, why you’d keep the fact that you are a Richardson from me is something I’d love to hear. But first I have a few matters I’d like to discuss with you,” he said, aiming the gun at Finn.

“It seems several of my men have gone missing. And you haven’t shown your face in my office since their disappearance. You can see why I assume you might have had something to do with it. When I couldn’t find you at the hotel, I naturally assumed you might be keeping your delightful
cousin
company.”

“You have no business being here. If you want me, fine. Wait outside and I’ll be along momentarily.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see, it appears as though our dear Miss Taggart…excuse me, Miss Richardson, may have found herself in a bit of a compromising position the other night. I’m afraid I can’t let such a breach of manners go.”

Philip held up Lucy’s earring, smiling coldly at her.

“An earring doesn’t prove anything, Philip.”

“Oh, I think it does.” He cocked his head, scrutinizing her. “How ever did you come by those dreadful injuries? You do look appalling, my dear.”

Lucy surged up out of the bed, ignoring the pistol that was now aimed at her. “You know exactly what happened to me, Philip. And I’m fairly certain you know about the burned-out cross someone left at my school as well.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Yes, you do, you cowardly little worm of a man.”

Philip hissed and raised his arm a fraction higher. “You might want to watch your tongue, my dear. You are wearing my patience very thin.”

“Why should I? You don’t have the guts to do your own dirty work. Not with your face exposed to the world at least. Missing any bed sheets, are you?”

Philip sneered at her, his fury palpable. “You miserable little bitch.”

He raised the gun. Finn shouted and dove between them just as Philip fired. Finn jerked, crashing to the floor with a stream of blood running from his head.

Lucy screamed and crouched beside Finn, using her chemise to stanch the flow of blood.

“Don’t worry. You’re next.”

Philip raised his arm again. There was a loud cracking sound and Philip’s eyes widened. His mouth went slack and his eyes glazed over. The gun fell from his hand as he toppled forward onto the floor.

Lilah stood behind him, a heavy iron frying pan dangling from her hand.

“Lilah,” Lucy whispered.

“Is he dead?” she asked.

Lucy looked at Philip. The back of his head had been smashed nearly flat. His chest was motionless. But Lilah’s gaze wasn’t on Philip. It was on Finn.

“No,” Lucy said, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath her fingers. “No, he’s not dead.”

“Good.” Lilah stood still in the doorway, her face blank. Lucy didn’t know if she was horrified or just stunned by what she’d just done. But they were going to have company very shortly and the maid couldn’t be found standing over Philip’s body with the murder weapon.

“Lilah, you need to go. Quickly. Whoever Philip brought with him will have heard the gunshot. They’ll be coming soon when he doesn’t reappear.”

She spoke more urgently, trying to break through the haze Lilah seemed to be in. “Lilah! Listen to me. You need to go. Take the frying pan and throw it away or hide it. But don’t be seen with it. Go. Now!”

Finally her words broke through. Lilah shook her head. “I can’t be leavin’ you. They’ll think you did this. You can’t take the blame.”

“I’ll be fine,” Lucy promised, though she didn’t know if she believed that or not. “I can explain. I’ll tell them it was self-defense. Finn has been shot and Philip was the one with the gun. That will prove it was self-defense. But if they see you, standing there like that…they won’t listen.”

Lilah nodded. She knew Lucy was right. “You’ll be all right?”

“I’ll be fine. Now go, quickly!”

Lilah turned and ran out of the bedroom. The back door off the kitchen slammed shut and Lucy prayed she’d get away before Philip’s men came.

It didn’t take long. Two men came in and Lucy’s heart dropped. There would be no bribing or bullying them into forgetting what they were seeing.

They took one look at Philip and Finn, in all his tattooed glory, lying half naked on the floor, and Lucy standing between them covered in blood.

And all hell broke loose.

Chapter Fifteen

The looks on the men’s faces would have been comical if it all wasn’t so tragic. They both pulled guns from beneath their coats and began shouting and searching for someone to point the weapons at. But there was no one but Finn, who was unconscious on the floor, and Lucy, a woman they obviously didn’t consider a threat. They finally seemed to work out that if Finn was incapacitated, then Lucy must have done the murderous deed.

One of them, an older portly gentleman with a waistcoat stretched so tightly across his midsection that Lucy feared the buttons would pop off, tried to wave her away from Finn, but she refused to budge. He seemed at a loss of what to do. He glanced at his partner.

“Make her move. We need to tie her up until the sheriff gets here.”

“I don’t know, Jed. She looks like she’s been worked over a bit, too. Maybe it wasn’t her.”

Lucy started at the name, her gaze shooting to the other man, who was younger, not quite as thick, though his waistcoat showed signs of strain as well.

“Jed?”

The younger man looked at her with a sneer.

“Have we met?” she asked, her voice dripping with ice and fury.

He smiled at her, like a cobra would smile at a fuzzy, white rabbit, and Lucy’s belly dropped. The older gentleman might hesitate to harm her, but this one…he wasn’t so conflicted and wanted her to know it. He didn’t answer her but turned back to his companion.

“Come on, Thomas. Who else could it be? The savage there couldn’t have done it. I doubt poor Halford could get off a shot after he got hit like that. Must have happened before, and there isn’t anyone else here who could have done it. Isn’t that right, missy?”

Lucy hesitated. She didn’t want to implicate Lilah. But she didn’t want to go to jail for a murder she didn’t commit either. She hadn’t really thought that far into her plan when she’d told Lilah to run though she knew that she had a better chance than Lilah of getting a fair hearing. She’d just have to tell as much of the truth as she could and hope that someone would believe her. She had no illusions about the two in front of her. Or at least about Jed. He looked like he’d gladly hang her right there and then.

“No, that isn’t right. I didn’t hurt Philip. He burst in and shot Finn and was going to attack me as well. Someone hit him over the head before he could and then ran. I…didn’t see who it was. I was too busy trying to help Finn.”

“Well now, that’s convenient, isn’t it?”

“Wait a minute. Did you say Finn? Is that Finn Taggart down there?” Thomas took a step forward, his gaping mouth creating a third chin as he stared down at Finn. “Well, I’ll be.”

“It doesn’t matter who is down there, Thomas. She killed him.”

“That’s Taggart, Jed. Something’s not adding up here. Taggart’s Halford’s right-hand man. Why would Halford shoot him?”

Jed looked at Lucy, his eyes roving over her from head to toe. “Oh, I reckon I could think of a few reasons.”

Thomas followed his gaze, frowning. “You think they’d try and kill each over a woman?”

“No, I don’t. I think Taggart was poaching Halford’s territory. Halford has been escorting her all over town. And you know the temper on him. So what do you think he’d do if he came in and saw that his best man had beat him to the prize, eh? She looks like she took a lick or two as well. I wouldn’t put it past Halford to teach the little trollop a lesson if she was stepping out on him. She always did seem a might too full of herself. Instead of taking what was coming to her like a good little girl, maybe she waited until Halford’s back was turned and then she done him in.”

Thomas looked dubious, but the first threads of worry for herself were edging through her fear for Finn. Jed’s story actually seemed fairly plausible. And it wasn’t far from the truth. Only Halford hadn’t done the beating and Lucy hadn’t done the killing. But Lucy didn’t know how many people would stop to listen to that. Jed’s theory explained everything and with Lucy and Finn already in custody, as she was sure they would both be shortly, it saved the authorities a lot of trouble.

Jed smiled at her, obviously coming to the same conclusion. “I think you’d better come with us, Miss Taggart.”

Lucy hesitated. She didn’t want to leave Finn lying there. And she had no intention of going anywhere in only a bloodstained chemise.

“I’m not going anywhere with the two of you.”

“Oh, yes you are,” Jed said, taking a menacing step toward her.

“You have no authority to make me go anywhere. I told you the truth. I didn’t kill Philip and obviously neither did Finn. If you don’t believe me, fine. Go and get the sheriff. But I’m not going anywhere with
you
.”

Jed ground his teeth and for a second Lucy thought he might force her to leave with him. But Thomas spoke up before Jed could do something stupid.

“She’s right, Jed. We can’t just haul her down to the jailhouse. Besides, the sheriff will want to have a look at all this.”

“Fine then,” Jed ground out. “Go and fetch him.”

Lucy’s sudden panic at being left alone must have shown on her face because Thomas hesitated.

“Perhaps it would be best if we sent someone else. That way we are both here as witnesses. So we can be sure nothing is tampered with.”

Thomas had a hard edge to his voice that wasn’t there before. Maybe he’d finally picked up on Jed’s hostility toward Lucy. Whether he thought she was a murderess or not, he was at least willing to spare her Jed’s particular brand of justice.

“Well then, send one of the Negroes that’s hanging around out in the front. There are enough of them to choose from. And send one of the women in here to help get this mess cleaned up.”

“I don’t think we should clean anything up until—”

“Fine, whatever! But we can’t just leave him lying there like that. He needs to be covered up or something.”

Thomas glanced between Jed and Lucy and then hurried out the door. Lucy tightened her hold on Finn, protecting him from anything Jed might do as much as needing the comfort.

Finn stirred and Lucy risked taking her eyes off Jed for a quick peek. Finn didn’t wake, but there was some color returning to his face. Lucy took that as a good sign.

Thomas was back in moments, towing a woman behind him. Lucy looked up and met Ruby’s gaze. Ruby glanced quickly about the room, took in Lucy in her blood-splattered clothing, Finn unconscious in her lap, and Philip dead on the floor, and nodded her head.

She grabbed a sheet off the bed and managed to shoo Jed and Thomas out the door so she could cover Philip with it. They stayed in the cottage, but they were out of Lucy’s eyesight and for that she was grateful.

Ruby grabbed a skirt and blouse and brought them over to Lucy. “I reckon you’ll be asked to go along with the lawmen once they get here, miss. Best be presentable.”

Lucy looked down at Finn.

“Don’t you worry about him. He’s a strong one. He be just fine. And he be the first to want you covered if you have to go with those men.”

Well, now that was the truth at least. Lucy eased Finn onto the floor, taking a last look at the wound on his head. The bleeding had nearly stopped and though Finn was pale, his breathing was slow and steady.

She stood and let Ruby help her get dressed. She would have liked to don a clean chemise, but she didn’t know how much time she had and would rather have a dress on top than a clean chemise underneath.

“Did you see Lilah?” Lucy asked.

“Don’t you worry none about her, neither. She got away safe. Thanks to you.”

“Good.” Lucy sighed. At least one person in this whole debacle would be out of harm’s way.

“You sure it was a good idea to send her away?”

Lucy nodded. “You know what would have happened to her if she’d stayed. They’ll at least listen to me. They might not believe me,” Lucy said with a tremulous smile, “but they’ll listen. They wouldn’t have given Lilah that courtesy. I doubt they’d have even taken her in for a trial.”

Ruby nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “You’re a good woman, Miz Lucy. You need anything, you just let me know.”

The sound of hoofbeats echoed from the courtyard and Lucy glanced down at Finn. “Take care of him for me.”

Then she walked out the door to face whatever consequences awaited her.

…

Finn woke slowly, the dull throbbing in his skull worsening the more aware he became. He risked cracking an eye open, blinking to clear his vision. He was still in Lucy’s house, in her bed.

Lucy!

He sat up, holding a hand to his head to keep it from exploding, and flipped the blankets back.

Ruby ran in, took one look at him, and attempted to shove him back under the covers. “Don’t you even think of it, Mr. Taggart. You get yourself right back in there.”

“Lucy…”

“Don’t you be worrin’ about her just now. You need to get yourself healed up or Miz Lucy’ll never forgive me.”

Finn gently pushed her away and stood up, leaning a hand against the headboard until his head stopped spinning. It still throbbed, but it was manageable. “Where is she?”

Ruby pursed her lips. “Lord, but you’re a stubborn man.”

“Ruby…”

She held her hands up in defeat. “All right, all right. But here, drink this.” She shoved a glass of water from the bedside table at him. Finn accepted it and drank, grateful for the coolness that washed away the feeling of cotton in his mouth. The water helped the ache in his head a bit too. Now…

Ruby frowned. “She’s down at the jailhouse.”

“She’s what?” Finn shouted, flinching at the renewed pain in his temples.

“She been arrested for murderin’ Mr. Halford.”

Finn sank to the bed, too stunned to react.

Ruby took a cautious step forward. “You all right, Mr. Finn?”

“Halford’s dead?”

Ruby nodded, her worry still creasing her forehead.

“Lucy killed him?”

“No…” Ruby said hesitantly.

“Lilah?” Ruby didn’t answer, but Finn already knew the answer. If Lucy hadn’t done it, there was no one else who could have. Or would have.

“Why was Lucy arrested?”

“His men found her in here, covered in blood.”

“Blood? Was she hurt?”

“No, sir. It was your blood.”

“Oh,” Finn said, putting his hand to his head. The pain creasing through it had faded in the wake of Ruby’s revelation. It was still present, but compared to the pain lancing through his heart, it didn’t matter.

It was happening again. The woman he loved had been left to face her mortal enemy while he’d be out cold on the ground. Arrested for the murder of a prominent politician? She’d been found with the body, with no witnesses to prove anyone else had done the deed. They’d hang her for sure.

Bile rose in Finn’s throat and he stumbled out of the bedroom into the kitchen. He went straight for the whiskey he’d seen on Lucy’s shelf. She wasn’t a drinker. She probably used it for medicinal purposes only. But he needed it now.

He wrenched off the cap and took a slug that made his eyes water. The smooth fire running down his throat burned off some of the panic that was clouding his mind and he took another drink.

Ruby stood watching him, her arms crossed over her chest. “That won’t help anyone, especially Miz Lucy. You try to see her with you all covered in blood and stumblin’ drunk and they’ll lock you up right along with her. What good will that do anybody?”

“I have no intention of getting drunk,” Finn said, taking one last pull on the bottle before replacing it on the shelf. He could hold his liquor. His stepfather had let him take shots of his whiskey before he was old enough to shave. But it did steady him, calmed the nerves that were wrangling out of control.

He couldn’t lose her.
He couldn’t
.

Finn took a deep breath, shoving his roiling emotions back in the deep corner of his heart, and started for the door.

“Where you goin’?” Ruby asked.

“To get Lucy the hell out of that jail.”

“You can’t go lookin’ like that!”

Finn looked down and realized that he was still wearing his bloodstained pants.

“I patched up your head but you didn’t have new clothes here. Sam’s gone to the hotel to fetch your things. He’ll be back soon.”

Finn closed his eyes, breathing deeply through the urge to bolt from the house. His panic over Lucy hovered just under the surface and it took every ounce of strength he had to keep it from overwhelming him.

Luckily, Sam entered carrying a small case of clothing. Finn nodded his thanks and grabbed the case. Sam talked to him through the door of the bedroom as he changed his soiled clothing.

“I checked in at the jailhouse. Figured you’d want word of Miz Lucy.”

Bless the man. “How is she?”

“They wouldn’t let me in. Said visitin’ weren’t allowed ’til three. But I got a cousin that works for the sheriff, cleaning up the cells and such. He tole me Miz Lucy doin’ as fine as can be expected. She look scared, but she holdin’ up real well.”

Finn stopped, his hands twitching with the fury and fear that flooded him. His Lucy was sitting in a cell, scared and alone. And he’d be damned if he’d let them keep him away from her.

Once he’d gotten dressed and looked somewhat respectable, he threw the door open and stalked out.

“Thanks, Sam.”

Sam nodded, following behind him as Finn stormed outside and went to his horse.

“You can’t go visitin’ for another hour, Mr. Finn.”

“I don’t care when visiting hours are, Sam.”

Finn swung up into his saddle ignoring the worried looks Sam and Ruby exchanged.

“Now, Mr. Finn, I know you want to go bustin’ in there, but it just won’t do nobody any good,” Ruby said. “But Miz Lucy goin’ to be needin’ more help than you can give her. She needs one of them fancy lawyers, and I’m sure she’d feel better if her family could be here with her. Somebody needs to be seein’ to those things.”

Finn nearly screamed his frustration out loud. Ruby was right. He knew she was. But the only thing he wanted was to ride straight to that jail and get Lucy out of there.

“I’ll go with you to the telegraph station, sir. And then we can go to the jail. If they still won’t let you in, maybe my cousin can arrange somethin,” Sam offered.