Love Inspired Historical July 2015 Box Set: The Marriage Agreement\Cowgirl for Keeps\The Lawman's Redemption\Captive on the High Seas (65 page)

Chapter Nineteen

T
he heartbreak coming from Mel made Mary wish she hadn't been so quick to judge. She thought back to all of Frank's sermons and how, even when she questioned why they were giving charity to one of the most notorious brothels in town, he often told her that the road to sin was often paved with desperation.

Had Mary spoken up about Ben to begin with, he might never have had the chance to ruin Daisy.

Mary swallowed the lump in her throat. So many ways Mary's mistake had hurt others. She'd barely begun to atone for what she'd done to hurt her family, but how could she fix the way in which she'd wronged Daisy and the child she carried?

Glancing over at Will, she realized that perhaps she'd also wronged Will in another way. Had Will loved Daisy? His words about their courtship seemed to indicate such. It was just as well that the secret feelings Mary harbored for him were never to be expressed or acted upon. Though Mary might have a fondness for him, his heart was already spoken for.

“Ben is a con man,” Will said as he crossed the room. “I'm sure your sister isn't the first woman he's tricked out of her virtue, and if we don't do something, I'm sure she won't be the last.”

Will was right. They had to do something. But after realizing just how badly following her own heart kept ending, Mary wasn't going to make any rash decisions. She took a deep breath, then sent a prayer heavenward.

“What do you suggest we do?” she asked, looking from Will to Jasper, then at Mel. “If Rose is kept in a locked room next door, how do we rescue her?” Mary took Mel's hand. “And Daisy. How do we help her?”

Someday Mary would have the courage to tell everyone that this whole mess was all her fault. She'd been so intent on protecting herself from harm and from Ben's false accusations. How would any of them ever forgive her?

She'd ruined the lives of every single person in this room. Well, all excepting Jasper. But if she hadn't caused this damage, Jasper would be at home with his bride.

Mary looked over at Jasper. “You really should go home now. It's your wedding night. Emma Jane will be worried.”

“I saved her reputation,” Jasper said, scowling. “I've done my duty. We both agreed that this is the extent of our marriage. Emma Jane expects nothing.”

The matter-of-fact tone Jasper used put an additional heaviness on Mary's spirit. It hardly seemed fair that Emma Jane had to resign herself to this. But at least Emma Jane had a husband. Jasper might be angry about the marriage now, but he'd come around. They'd find their way and someday might even have children.

For Mary, such a thing was impossible now.

Colt let out a long snore, as if to remind everyone that he was in the room.

“You're sure he'll stay asleep?” Will looked at Colt as though he'd just as soon put a bullet in the other man. Mary didn't blame him. He had, after all, made it clear that he'd do the same to Will.

But surely, all this killing wasn't the answer.

“All night, and probably all day tomorrow,” Mel said with a grin. “I've used it on a few of my customers. They all leave, happy as can be about the entertainment, never knowing that all they did was sleep. Best nights' sleep I get sometimes, that's for sure.”

Now that Mary had stopped judging Mel for her profession, she had to admit that Mel reminded her a lot of Polly and Gertie. The two women always told it like it was, and Mary always appreciated never having to decipher what they meant.

That had been the trouble in her relationship with Rose. Rose never spoke plainly and always left Mary guessing as to what was going on in her head. She'd never enjoyed talking with Rose because it was always such an exhausting endeavor. From now on, Mary resolved, she'd do a better job of communicating with her sister.

“All right, then.” Will began pacing the room. “How do we get to Rose?”

“She's in Ben's private quarters. We'll have to wait until folks have cleared out for the night and the other girls are busy with their customers.”

A loud crash sounded from the other side of the wall.

“Judging from the sounds next door, I'd say we have a while yet.” Mel sighed. “Ben's gang hit one of the mines today, so they're celebrating.”

“But if the ore can be traced back to the mine, why would they do such a stupid thing?” Jasper looked at Mel with the kind of amazement that showed he had no idea just how brash Ben could be. After all, he'd stolen from the houses she cleaned in broad daylight.

“Not the ore. The payroll.”

“Do we have evidence we can use to pin it on Ben?”

Will's wisdom gave Mary hope that they could resolve this situation without bloodshed. With Ben finally in jail, this madness would stop. Despite Mary's initial fear of Will's connection to the law, she was grateful that he had the knowledge to get them all out of this situation alive.

Mel laughed. “Ben? He doesn't dirty his hands anymore. He plans the jobs and tells everyone what to do, and in the meantime, he sits in the saloon at the Rafferty, where enough respectable men can vouch for his whereabouts.”

Just like no one could prove that Ben was at the houses Mary cleaned. It would be her word against his, exactly why she'd never risked defending herself.

“Think anyone would turn on him?” Will didn't sound hopeful, but Mary had to believe that someone in this organization harbored ill will toward Ben.

“Not likely. The whole reason Ben's in charge is because he shot Iron Mike, former leader of the gang. Everyone who crosses Ben ends up at the better end of a bullet.”

Which meant it all truly was hopeless. Mary closed her eyes, drowning out the sounds of Mel, Will and Jasper debating the ways they could get Ben arrested. If Ben didn't go to jail, he'd be free to roam the streets, inflicting more harm on the good people of this and any other town he visited.

Lord, it's just not right. Don't let anyone else pay for my mistake. The evil has gone on long enough. Help us find a way to stop Ben.

* * *

Will knew what he had to do. Not a day went by when he didn't fantasize about putting a bullet in Ben's head. The man deserved death. Death was actually doing the man a kindness compared to what he deserved. He'd heard Pastor Lassiter's cautions against vengeance, but in truth, vengeance would be subjecting Ben to the level of torture he'd put so many through. Justice was killing the man.

That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

He glanced over at Mary, who appeared to be praying.

Dragging his gaze away, he refused to let himself feel guilty for what had to be done. It wasn't as if Will had never killed before. He had. Every shot he'd taken had been in defense of himself or another life. With Ben, it wouldn't be an immediate danger he was saving someone from, but he was still saving lives.

Mary could pray all she wanted. But it didn't change what had to be done.

He brought his full attention to Mel. “Can I use your gun?”

Mel snorted. “Sadie? She's mine.” Then she pointed at the still-sleeping Colt. “He won't be needing his, though.”

Will walked over to the bed and reached for Colt's side. But as the other man's coat fell away, Will jumped back.

Colt had Will's father's gun.

Will's father had been awarded the gun as a sign of his bravery in saving a mining baron's wife. It reminded Will of his legacy to protect others. A legacy Will had failed.

The same gun that had been used in the bank robbery. Sheriff Horton had said Will had to have been involved because the mother-of-pearl inlay was so unique, so distinctive. No one but Will would have been carrying that gun.

And now Will had the proof that he'd been set up.

“Did a rattler jump up and bite you?” Mel's laugh shook him to the core. But it wasn't a laughing matter.

Would the gun be enough to get anyone else to believe he'd been set up?

Resisting the urge to pick up the gun, he looked over at Mel. “Do you know where he got that gun?”

Mel shrugged. “We don't talk about things like that.”

Then Mary turned to him. “Why is the gun so important?”

“The gun used to belong to my father. He gave it to me when I became a deputy. Said he wanted me to have it so my mother wouldn't worry. It went missing right around the time I was investigating Ben's gang in Century City. A witness saw someone shooting the gun at that bank robbery. Everyone thought it had to have been me. But seeing Colt here with it...”

Will sighed. It didn't exactly prove that he wasn't involved. He couldn't prove that the gun had been stolen. He couldn't prove that Colt had stolen it.

“You know how Colt is about taking trophies.” Mel's words confirmed his suspicions but did nothing to prove the truth.

“I don't suppose we could get Colt to confess that he stole the gun.” The thought sounded even more stupid now that he'd uttered it.

“No,” Jasper said, crossing the room. “But you do have us as witnesses that you found it in Colt's possession.”

“Go ahead and take it,” Mel said.

Even Mary looked as though she thought it was the right thing to do. But as Will grasped the slick mother-of-pearl handle, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to use it again. How many people had Colt killed in cold blood with his father's weapon?

His hands warmed to the feel of the weight of the metal. Oh, he could still use it all right. At least in the dispatching of Ben and his gang.

They couldn't be allowed to continue their evil. And with Will all but rendered useless, this gun was the only thing standing between them and more crime. He'd tried justice the legal way, so maybe it was time to become everything he'd said he wouldn't be.

An outlaw.

A heaviness settled on Will's heart, and he wished he didn't see Mary's bright green eyes shining over Jasper's shoulder. In them, he saw the face of Pastor Lassiter, bringing to mind the words of the Bible and not repaying evil for evil.

He thought of David being pursued by Saul and how David pleaded with the Lord for rescue.

“Lord,” Will said to himself as he closed his eyes. “I'm no David. But I know what I have to do. And I sure hope that what Pastor Lassiter said was right and that you'll forgive me when this is all over.”

Will's eyes flew open. Did the Lord forgive premeditated sin? And was it a sin when he was only trying to keep more people from being hurt? If the Lord had only stopped Ben from succeeding in the past, Will wouldn't be facing these seemingly impossible questions.

If he asked Mary, she'd probably pray for him. Might even be able to give him some of the pastor's wisdom on how to proceed. But Mary was too good, too pure to know the ugliness lurking in Will's heart. If she knew the truth about him, she'd never understand.

No, he'd do the best he could do, what he had to do, and in the end, he'd simply hope that God would forgive the depth of his sin.

Chapter Twenty

T
hey waited for what seemed to be ages. No one spoke much, and Mary figured it must be so that no one would overhear. Occasionally, she peeked out Mel's window and watched the drunken men passing the alley as they walked down the street.

She'd hated this lifestyle for so long. But something in her had softened when she realized that Mel was merely doing the only thing she could do to protect her sister.

Mary glanced at the man snoring on the bed. Colt's facial hair was scruffy and scraggly, so unlike the neat appearance of a decent man. His boots had smelled like something died in them, and she was certain the rest of the man was just as foul.

Mel entertained men like him for the sake of her sister.

Would Mary do any less?

Once again, Mary stole a glance at Mel. Now that evening was fading, and so too Mel's meticulously applied paint, Mary saw a girl who couldn't be all that different than she.

It made her think about her father, and the woman he'd taken up with after arriving in town. Was she like Mel, merely doing the best she could with what she had? She'd kept and cared for her child. Mary could never bear to hear Nugget go on and on about her mama, but now...

Her heart ached as she realized that she'd been denying her half sister the chance to mourn a dearly loved parent. A woman who, aside from her profession, seemed like a decent woman. Like Mel.

Lord, forgive me for judging Nugget's mama. I don't know why my father betrayed my mother with her. I don't know why she took up her profession. But she loved Nugget and was a good mama to her. Help me help her deal with her grief.

Perhaps Mary was the wrong sibling to do right by her sister. After all, she'd failed Rose miserably. Mary took a deep breath. No. She'd rescue Rose, and then she would do better by her sisters. She would be a better example and would devote her life to their loving care. She would make up for her mistakes. Just like she'd always planned.

Mel scooted back in her chair and got up. “Sounds like things have quieted down.”

Mary glanced over at Will, who shrugged. Jasper grinned. She hadn't been able to talk him into going home to Emma Jane, and Will had finally told her to stop interfering in their business. When this was all over, Mary would go to Emma Jane and do what she could to soothe the poor girl's feelings.

Mel opened the door and peered out. Then she turned back to the others. “It looks like we're safe. But I'm going to do some scouting to be sure.”

She hadn't even closed the door behind her when the men sprang into action. Will removed the gun belt from the still-sleeping Colt. Whatever Mel had given the man, it had definitely worked.

Suddenly, it felt cold in the room, and Mary rubbed her arms. This was really happening. They were going to rescue her sister, and it would take guns to do it.

How could Mary have been so deceived?

How could Rose?

Rose wouldn't have suspected Ben of anything nefarious, considering he'd already wormed his way into the family's good graces by claiming engagement to Mary.

But how could Rose have believed he'd fall in love with her so quickly after declaring himself to Mary?

None of this made sense, particularly when Mel returned, carrying two large guns. She held one in Mary's direction.

“You ever use one of these?”

Mary shook her head. Mel rolled her eyes. “Figures. What about you, pretty boy? Does the son of the richest man in town know how to shoot a gun, or do you get people like Will to do it for you?”

Jasper snatched the gun out of her hand. “Thanks to Will, I'm probably almost as good of a shot as he is.”

“Good.” Mel tossed a look at Mary. “Your job is to keep her from getting killed. I'd just as soon have her gone, but I'm not keeping a woman from saving her sister, even if she is completely unprepared.”

Mary supposed her words were meant to be an insult, but they felt like a compliment. At least Mel saw that she was trying to be a good sister.

“Things have slowed down for the night. Mitch says Ben stepped out, and it looks like most of the guards have found companions for the rest of the evening. They probably figure you saw they were ready and gave up.”

Mel directed them through a passageway, which Mary realized brought them straight into the notorious house. When they reached the room at the end of the hall, she pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. “Swiped it off Colt. Being Ben's second, he's got copies of all the keys.”

Mary never would have guessed that she'd end up admiring a fallen woman, but Mel's resourcefulness was a quality Mary wished she possessed. Actually, Mel had a lot of qualities Mary wished she possessed, like bravery and the willingness to do the hard things, even when it didn't sound right. Mary wasn't stupid enough to believe that Mel would walk away from this without getting in trouble herself. Once they got out of here, Mary would make certain that Frank helped the other woman find a better situation.

The third key did the trick. But rather than entering a room to find Mary's sister asleep on a bed, they came face-to-face with the barrel of Ben's gun.

* * *

“So you're the traitor,” Ben said calmly, staring down the barrel at Mel.

Will stepped in front of Mel. This wasn't her fight. “She just wanted to keep another innocent young woman from being kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped. Such a vile word.” Ben kept the gun trained on Mel. “Rose is here because she wants to be. Isn't that right, Rosie?”

Mary's gasp at the sight of her sister coming out of the shadows in a revealing dress brought Will's attention to Mary, not Rose. Everything on her face told him that her sister's appearance shattered something in Mary's heart.

Will turned his attention back to Rose. She bore the look of every working girl in this place, and the haughty way she held her head told him that she didn't mind a bit.

“Of course.” Rose sauntered over to Ben and kissed him.

“Please, spare us.” Mel stepped forward and approached Ben. “He doesn't love you. It's just a game with him.”

Will let out a breath. Thank goodness for Mel bringing some reality to the situation. The gun at his side called to him, but he knew that while he could shoot Ben now, doing so would only turn Rose into the grieving widow, or at least whatever she would be, considering they didn't have the benefit of marriage. A fallen woman. With no chance at redemption.

“Ben loves me. He told me so,” Rose said in a honey-sweet voice.

“He was with me this morning, you twit.”

“Mel!” Ben pointed the gun at her again. “Don't make this harder on yourself.”

Mel smiled at Rose. “Surely you aren't so feeble-minded as to think that he'd meet you and be so overcome with love for you that he'd forsake all of his wild ways?”

From the crestfallen look on Rose's face, it seemed that she had, in fact, believed just that.

At least Mary had managed to remain silent. Will was certain that she'd start in on Ben, but she seemed to be going along with Mel's tactic of making Rose see what kind of man she'd settled for.

Ben cocked his pistol, but Mel laughed. “Really, Ben? I'm standing on your favorite Oriental rug. You won't shoot me here. You'll never get the blood out.”

Then she brought her attention back to Rose. “Go home with your sister, little girl. You don't belong here.”

Ben let out a long belly laugh. “So that's what this is about. Mad Mel's jealous.”

As he laughed, he set the gun down. Unarmed, he was the perfect target. But with Rose so close to him, Ben's grip tightening around her, Will didn't dare risk putting her in harm's way.

“I forgive you, baby. Why don't you go pick something nice out of the jewelry box I keep on the dresser and go back to your room? I'll deal with you in the morning. I do thank you for bringing me these unfortunate souls who just don't know how to mind their own business.”

Mel turned and walked toward the dresser, and Ben brought his attention back to them.

“It's a shame, Will Lost-his-badge. You're going to die here today, and word's going to get out that you died trying to rob me.” Ben let out a long, dramatic sigh.

“We're witnesses.” Mary stepped forward and then turned to her sister. “Rose, surely you don't want to be with a man like this. A murderer?”

Rose kissed Ben again, and Will could feel Mary's shudder even though she wasn't touching him. The spoiled brat deserved Ben. Did Rose have any idea what her sister had gone through to rescue her? Did she even care?

Of course not.

When Rose finished kissing Ben, she tossed her head and looked back at Mary. “You're just jealous. You had your chance with Ben, but you spoiled it. Instead of meeting with him to discuss your wedding, you went on that church picnic, leaving him alone with me. Ben confessed how cold you were and how terrible he felt that he loved you so deeply, but you, you thought you were too good for him, just like you think you're better than everyone else.”

“That's not true!” Tears ran down Mary's face, and Will wished he could do something to make it better for her.

“Mary is a devoted friend and sister,” Will said. He glared at Rose, who still looked more smug than any person had a right to. He'd give Ben credit; at least he'd found someone just like him.

“You have no idea how much she worried about you. How much she risked to save you.”

“I don't need saving.”

“Yes, you do.” Will glanced over at Mel, who was still digging through the jewelry box. Clearly, she was looking for something. He only wished she'd informed him of her plan.

“Has Ben told you about Daisy? She loved him, too. And you know where she is? Stashed on a nearby ranch because she's carrying his child.”

Mel dropped whatever she'd been rooting for. Ben looked in her direction. “Haven't you found something yet? You're a hard one to please. Grab something and get out.”

Mel walked back into their line of sight carrying what looked to be a brooch. She held it up to him. “What about this? It's ugly as sin, but I think Celeste would like it. Tomorrow's her birthday, and I didn't get her a gift.”

“That's Aunt Ina's!” Rose jumped up and snatched it out of Mel's hand, then turned to Ben. “Where did you get this?”

Ben leaned back in his seat. “Why, I got it from your sister, of course. She gave it to me to pawn so we could pay for our train tickets out of town. Only she didn't show up when we were supposed to meet, and then I had family troubles. I couldn't bear to part with the symbol of our love.”

The man looked positively wretched as he stared at Mary. “I know we had some larks together and you stole some things from your employers from time to time, but I can't believe you'd steal from your own family.”

Will wanted to think Ben was playing some kind of game, but as he watched the devastation cross Mary's face, he had to wonder if he'd made another mistake in trusting the wrong woman. Especially as Rose's words seemed to confirm it.

“That's how you were able to afford those spectacles for Bess? By stealing? Aunt Ina whipped
me
because I was the last one to dust her dresser before the brooch went missing. But it was you all along.”

Rose began to sob. “What other punishment did I take for you? Everything I've ever lost has been because of you.”

As the guilt washed over Mary's face, Will's gut turned over. He'd believed Mary to be everything good and honorable in a woman. Finally someone he could trust.

Apparently his instincts had failed him again.