Every Little Thing About You (Yellow Rose Trilogy 1) (35 page)

"I don't want you to do this."

"Slater," Liberty returned, ready to explain, "you don't

know the Potters like I do. You and Griffin need me."

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"I don't want you to do this, Libby, and I mean it."

Liberty began to shake her head, so Slater placed his

hands gently on either side of her face and held it still.

"No, Liberty."

Her look was nothing short of longsuffering.

"I'll ask Griff," she said, and would have moved

toward the door if Slater hadn't caught her hand.

Giving her no time to anticipate his next move, he led

her into one of the cells. Bending once again to catch her

eye, he said, "I can't put you at risk." Slater then exited,

locked the door, and hung the key out of reach.

"Slater," Liberty said on a laugh, sure he could not be

serious. "Stop fooling around."

Slater only shook his head. How could he have let this

go unsettled? Now was not the time to speculate, but that

didn't change his actions. She was not coming to the Potters'.

"I don't want you hurt," he said gently. "I think it

would kill me."

"The Potters will probably do that for you."

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She'd said it with such conviction that Slater sadly

shook his head. "You really are arrogant, Libby. You don't

think anyone else can do this."

She was getting ready to argue with him again, but he

turned away. He glanced back just as he went out the door.

She wasn't happy with him, but neither was she ready to

panic. Something wasn't right, but right now he couldn't

put his finger on it. Slater felt he had no choice but to shut

the door and walk away.

Never before had Liberty Drake been tempted to pinch

herself. She thought she must be in a dream. Had Slater just

locked her in jail? Had he really taken it that far? Liberty

thought the man was amazing.

You'd think I was a criminal and here I am trying to help.

With a shake of her head, she turned away from the

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bars. Griffin Drake was no fool. Every lawman had heard

stories of getting locked in his own jail. Griffin had never

been one to take chances. Liberty was in front of the bunk

now, getting ready to count the bricks, climb up, and fetch

the hidden key. Whether Slater Rawlings thought so or not.

Liberty knew she was needed.

The opening of the door stopped all movement. With

as casual a shift as she could muster. Liberty turned to see

who had come in.

"Dakota!"

"Hi, Libby." His voice held just the right amount of

amusement and surprise. "I can't say as I expected to find

you in there."

"Would you let me out?" she asked sweetly.

Dakota paused. "Why are you in there?"

Liberty thought fast. "You know Slater. He can be such

a joker."

Dakota watched her.

Every Little Thing About You 255

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"In fact," she lied again, "you just missed him. If you'll

let me out, I'll take you to him."

Dakota was amused again but not swayed. She looked

awfully cute behind bars, those hazel eyes making their

appeal, but his brother had given him strict orders.

"How have you been?" Dakota asked, causing Liberty

to blink. Her mind raced as she studied his expression and

knew she'd been set up.

"Dakota," she began, all trace of congeniality gone. "I

want out of here."

"Can't do mat. Lib,"

"Why not?"

"Slater's orders were very clear."

"But they need me."

"Slater doesn't seem to think so."

"Did you ask Griffin?"

"I didn't have to. My brother knows what he wants,

and he wants you safe."

Liberty knew very real frustration for the first time. She

knew she would have to keep calm to get out, but that was

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taking an effort

"Why don't you go," she now tried. "They went to the

Potters', and they're going to need all the help they can

get."

"I can't do that either."

"Why not?" Liberty asked, althougjh she believed she

knew the answer.

"Because Slater thinks you know a way out of here."

Liberty was stunned. How had Slater figured that out?

Surely Griffin wouldn't have told. Liberty's frustration rose

yet again. She was suddenly so angry that tears filled her

eyes.

Dakota had been headed to the desk chair to sit down

but saw Libby's brimming eyes and approached.

"Libby?"

Thinking fast. Liberty played the tears for all they were

worth.

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"I really think they need me, Dak," she managed in a

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quivery voice.

"Libby." Dakota's voice was most tender. "If you could

just trust that--"

Liberty waited only until he drew close. In a move he

wouldn't have believed if he hadn't seen it, Liberty lifted

his gun from the holster. For a second he was stunned.

Then he smiled.

"What are you going to do with that?"

"Let me out of here, Dakota," she said, her voice level.

"No."

"I'm not going to say it again."

Dakota was in the act of turning away, seeing no point

in arguing, when a shot was fired and his hat flew off. He

whirled back to face Liberty with blazing eyes.

"I don't like to be shot at, Miss Drake!"

Liberty didn't appear to have heard. With the gun still

aimed at him, she spoke in that same measured tone.

"Now the next one is going to hurt. You won't die, but

you'll be in pain and probably bleed all over your clothes."

Dakota was so angry he could have spit. When he'd

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come upon Slater and Griffin leaving, having just been

joined by Price who drove a huge wagon, he thought his

brother's idea for keeping an eye on Liberty sounded fun.

He hadn't bargained on how badly she wanted out of that

cell. He didn't honestly think she would shoot him, but

knowing how much she wanted her freedom, he could not

deny her.

He went for the key, just barely keeping his temper. He

didn't know what was worse, having to face his brother

when he found that Liberty had gotten around him, or

having to face a woman who was upset enough to take

shots at him to gain her release. None too happy with himself

or anyone else, Dakota fetched the key, wishing he'd

stayed out of town one more day.

(fflvwteen,

the potters were not prepared for a visit from the

sheriff. Indeed, the drinking in the barn had started a little

early this day. It put Rush and Possum in a good mood, but

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both Ned and Critter were none too happy to see Shotgun's

law enforcement arriving.

"Let me do the talkin'!" the father of the clan snapped

at his boys.

"I think this should do the talkin'/' Critter proclaimed,

a shotgun in his hand.

"Gimme that!" Ned ordered, but Critter was having

none of it. They scuffled around a bit, all four hands on the

weapon, and froze when the gun went off.

Four sets of eyes rounded in fear, just as the first shots

came from without. The Potters hit the dirt. From behind a

small outcropping of rocks, Griffin and Slater let off a

steady stream of bullets as the four inside scrambled for

cover. The barn being ancient, daylight could be seen from

every crack and crevice, with new holes appearing all the

time and wood splintering around them. Ned thought he

would kill Critter himself if he could get close enough.

"Ned!" The firing finally stopped, and that man heard

his name being called. "Do you hear me?"

It was Griffin.

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"Yeah, I--" Ned began, but Critter jumped in.

"We hear ya, Sheriff, and all you're gonna hear is this!'*

Critter fired one shot, and the bullets started up again.

For what seemed like many minutes, the Potters hid in the

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barn and waited yet again for silence, each one wondering

how many guns the law had brought

At last it was quiet, but Griffin did not shout toward the

barn. From next to him, Slater held his peace as well

"Going to let them sweat a little," Griffin said, almost

to himself.

"Something tells me Ned would talk to you,"

"I think you're right. He'll do anything to stay out of

jail, but he hasn't learned to control Critter in all these

years, and now he's going to pay."

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"My guess is Critter won't be able to last much longer."

As though on cue. Critter let off two shots, and both

Slater and Griffin went at it again. This went on for much

longer than either man would have cared for, the youngest

Potter shooting one or two bullets, and the lawmen

answering with a round. Things happened to be quiet

when they heard the voices.

"Knock it off!" one of the Potters thundered.

"Shut up! Get away from me."

Not surprisingly, a few shots came outside, and for the

last time Griffin and Slater went into action, staying well

back since Critter was firing on them as well. It took a little

more time at this point, but at last the guns fell quiet. The

barn was quiet too.

"If you've had enough," Griffin tried again, "throw the

guns out ahead of you and come out of there with your

hands up!"

Slater and Griffin were both peeking out when the barn

door slowly swung open, creaking like the stays in a tight

corset A moment later a shotgun was tossed far from the

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door, and out walked Ned. Behind him came Rush and

Possum, Critter between them. That they had landed a few

blows in his direction was obvious. He was staggering a bit

and the men on either side of him were clearly keeping him

on his feet. When Griffin, Slater, and now Price, who had

come into position, stepped out with guns drawn, they

dropped Critter on his face to put their hands in the air.

Every Little Thing About You 259

"Very nice, boys/' Griffin congratulated them. "Just

step apart a little, not too dose to the gun, and keep those

hands right where we can see them. Easy now, Critter,"

Griffin said to him as he came to his hands and knees.

There wasn't a single argument at this point, mostly

due to the fact that Critter's mouth was too swollen for

talking. The three men moved in on them, and in fairly

short order, the four Potters were cuffed and loaded into

the wagon. That was when Slater spotted him.

To the side of a small outcropping of rocks stood

Dakota. Slater told himself to stay calm, but even as he

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thought it, he felt his temper rising. It didn't help to suddenly