Nevada Nights (24 page)

She stared around in horror. It was too far to jump. Flames were leaping through windows on the lower floors. The fire had spread throughout the dry wooden house. Flames several feet high, fanned by the breeze, licked across the roof. At any minute, the wooden balcony might collapse.

Alex and Jarret rushed through the door and faced her on the balcony.

Below her, in the darkness, she heard the clatter of horses’ hooves and the babble of confused voices.

"She has to die, Jarret." Alex’s voice rang with authority.

Jarret nodded blankly. "I’m sorry, Cameron. I wanted you to have some fun with me first. But he’s right. It’s the only way."

She felt a shudder of revulsion. Her eyes were wide with fright. Backing away from them, she took several steps until she felt the railing of the balcony press against the small of her back.

"Alex. Jarret." Colt’s voice was sharp and clear in the night air.

Cameron stiffened at the sound of his voice. Just knowing that Colt was so near, and unable to get to her, caused her unbearable pain.

The two men peered over the balcony to see the figures of their family and servants huddled below.

"You’ve got to come down from there before the balcony collapses," Colt shouted.

Alex threw back his head with a roar of laughter. "Where’ve you been, partner? We’re about to inherit some more land."

"Alex." Colt’s voice grew sterner. "Quenton Lampton is down here with me. He wants to talk to you about giving you and Jarret his land."

Jarret’s head came up sharply. Alex gave him a narrow look. "You’re lying, Colt. The Lamptons never gave away a thing in their lives. And especially not to a McCormick."

"But that’s just it, Alex. You and your brother aren’t McCormicks. That’s why Quenton wants to talk to you. His feud was with Big John."

Alex seemed to consider this for a moment.

Jarret waited for his brother’s decision. A tongue of flame licked at the floor near his feet. "Maybe we should go down, Alex."

Alex’s dark eyes glittered feverishly. "It’s a trick. Lampton will never part with that land. And that one has to die." His finger pointed at Cameron pressed against the railing. Seeing the unhappy look on his brother’s face, Alex snapped, "Are we brothers?"

Jarret nodded.

"Haven’t I taken care of you all your life? Didn’t I tell you we’d make Big John pay for not loving our mother?"

Jarret nodded again.

Alex’s voice lowered. "And he did pay. Wasn’t it fun, watching Big John McCormick getting weaker and sicklier by the day? Wasn’t it exciting, keeping our little secret?"

"What secret?" Cameron moistened her lips, gone suddenly dry at his words.

Alex’s head swiveled, as if seeing her for the first time. Then his mouth split into a sneer.

"I think we should tell her, Jarret, before she dies. It will be fun to see her face when she hears the truth."

Jarret grinned at his brother. "You tell her, Alex."

"We killed Big John," Alex said triumphantly.

She clasped her hands together tightly. "That’s impossible. You were at the Delta Saloon when my father died."

"But we started killing him months before that." Alex slapped his brother on the shoulder. "We poisoned him. Slowly. So slowly, he never caught on. Every day, when he took his medicine, we poisoned him a little more."

A picture of her handsome father lying weakly in his bed flashed through her mind. He had still been a young man, strong, eager for life. Yet he had been so weak he hadn’t even been able to grip her hand. And then she remembered. The strange odor at his deathbed. She had thought it medicine. He had been poisoned.

"Why?" The word was no more than a whisper.

"Because he discovered something as important as gold on the land." Alex’s satanic eyes glittered. "Silver. The biggest silver vein that’s ever been found. We’re sitting on millions of dollars worth of the world’s richest silver mine. And we got tired of waiting around for him to die. That thieving gambler would have never given up. He would have lived forever, and robbed us of our chance. So we just"— he laughed, and the sound of it rang through Cameron’s brain—"helped him along."

The first time she had ever seen Alex Bannion, she had thought he looked like Satan. Now she was certain. He was the devil incarnate. Feeling the tears welling up, she covered her face with her hands. With an anguished cry, she allowed the tears to flow freely. Her mother and father. Her grandfather. And now she was going to die as well. These two monsters wouldn’t be satisfied until everyone was eliminated. And all because of this land. This barren, hateful land.

Through clenched teeth, she hissed, "You can have my share of the land, Alex. I don’t want it. Even if it is worth millions. Knowing it took everyone I love, I hate it. I don’t care if I never see this place again."

"That’s good, little nun. ’Cause you’re not going to live long enough to see anything again." Alex turned to his brother. "Grab her, Jarret."

As a strong hand clutched at her shoulder, Cameron saw the flames begin to lick along the balcony. A breeze fanned a shower of sparks from the roof, sending a fireworks display of red hot cinders cascading over the three people outlined in the darkness.

Colt stood on the ground, fighting the helpless rage that tore at him. He stared at the bleak scene around him. Beneath the spreading branches of a tree, Quenton held Nina and her child, comforting them. Ti had carried a sobbing Miriam to a soft mound of grass, where he sat rocking her in his arms. At first, the servants had frantically tried to quench the flames with buckets of water. Now, defeated, they milled about, watching the carnage with terror-glazed eyes.

There was no time left. He had to stop those madmen before they were allowed to carry out their threat. If they hurt her ... A blinding fury gripped him.

"Ti."

The young man spread a blanket around Miriam and hurried to Colt’s side.

"Quenton."

Handing Alexander over to a trembling Nina, Quenton kissed her cheek, then ran to Colt.

"I’m going through the house. I’ve got to reach Cameron. Climb those trees and string a rope between them. I don’t know if we can jump that far, but if that balcony goes, it’s our only hope."

Both men stood a moment, frozen, as Colt dampened a handkerchief at the pump, then pulled it over his face and dashed through the smoking doorway. Immediately, he was engulfed in flames. Knowing it was a desperate gamble, Ti and Quenton hurried off to find a rope.

The inside of the house was a raging inferno. Colt fought his way through dense smoke, his eyes streaming tears, his lungs burning. When he reached the top of the stairs, they collapsed beneath him. Grabbing for a railing that gave way at his touch, he leaped and landed in the upstairs hallway on his hands and knees. At the end of the hallway, beyond the flaming bedroom, he could see the silhouette of Cameron being held firmly by Jarret.

Inching closer, Colt realized that Alex was moving toward the far side of the balcony, intent on putting some distance between himself and the other two. As he drew nearer, Colt understood why. The balcony was now entirely in flame, and the weight of too many bodies at one spot would cause it to collapse.

With his gun drawn, Colt sprang through the doorway, facing Alex. When he saw the moving figure, Alex took aim. Above the roar of the fire, the gunshot, fired so near, could be clearly heard. Cameron and Jarret turned. With a look of horror, Cameron saw blood spurt from Colt’s shoulder.

"Oh my God! No! Colt! No!" She tried to reach out to him, but Jarret held her fast, his beefy hands tearing at her flesh.

Turning her head, Cameron suddenly realized that Alex had been shot as well. Falling backward, he slumped heavily against the railing. For a moment, the only sound she was aware of was the splintering of the balcony railing. A moment later, Alex tumbled through space. She and Jarret stared at the body as it landed with a dull thud.

In the same instant, Jarret grabbed Cameron and spun her around with her back to Colt. Using her body as a shield, he shouted, "Take one more step, Colt, and I’ll throw her over this balcony."

"Let her go, Jarret." Colt’s voice was low, demanding. "We’ll all get down safely and talk about this."

The sound of Jarret’s childish laughter rippled on the night air. "You don’t understand, do you, Colt?" He shook Cameron like a rag doll.

Her hair fanned out, matching the flames that danced on the breeze.

"I have to kill Cameron. Alex told me to. And I always do what Alex tells me."

"Your brother is dead now, Jarret. You’re free to make up your own mind. You don’t want to kill a beautiful woman like Cameron, do you?"

Jarret stared at her, then looked beyond her, to the man pointing the gun, who was trying to inch his way closer. "Don’t move, Colt. Stay there."

"You don’t want to hurt her, Jarret."

Jarret caught her chin and forced her head up. "Yes I do. I can’t help it, Cameron. I like being strong. I like hurting things. Alex said it was just something I was born with. Like our mother. Everyone called her crazy."

His vacant eyes glittered for a moment, then became bland.

"Even Big John decided she was dangerous. That’s probably why he hid you away, Cameron. He figured our mother would find out about you, and hurt you. If she hadn’t, I probably would. Look at your pretty red hair and green eyes. I just love having pretty things and hurting them. I like crushing butterflies. I like strangling kittens. And I’m going to enjoy killing you."

His voice, the strangely childlike whine, grew higher in his excitement.

"I’m going to toss you over this balcony now, Cameron. And I’m going to watch you, just like I watched Miriam all those years ago." His voice lowered, coaxing. "Now I want you to scream, pretty Cameron. Scream as loudly as you can. That makes it more fun."

His grasp tightened on her arm until she could feel nothing. It had gone numb from his painful grip. With his other hand, he clutched her chin firmly and lifted it for his kiss. His wet lips covered hers, drooling in mounting excitement.

For long moments, her heart seemed to stop. She felt frozen in time.

The gunshot was muffled. Jarret’s eyes widened. A look of surprise crossed his face. He dropped his hand to his chest. It came away sticky with blood. His surprise turned to horror. For the first time, he glanced down at Cameron’s hand holding the little Remington. His lips pursed, as if to speak. A gurgling sounded in his throat and bubbled on his lips. And then, in slow motion, he seemed to hover a moment in space before hurtling to the ground below.

In quick strides, Colt was at her side. Gently he touched her cheek. It was ashen. Her eyes had widened until they seemed too big for her face. He grasped Cameron’s arm. She seemed dazed by what had happened.

His voice was low, demanding. "Look at me, Cammy. There’s no time left. We have to jump."

She stared at him, unable to speak.

"Trust me, Cammy. See that rope?" He pointed to the lariat outlined against the darkness. "Quenton and Ti secured it between two trees. It’s our only hope. We have to leap into the dark air and catch that rope. Come on."

She stood, rooted to the spot. Recognizing her shock, Colt caught her arm and shook her roughly. Through gritted teeth, he hissed, "Don’t you dare give up on me now. We’ve come too far. We’ve been to hell and back. And we’re getting out of this now, together. We’re going to make it. Do you hear me, Cammy?"

She blinked. Her voice was strangled in her throat. "Yes. I’ll try."

"Good." He slapped at the flames that licked at the hem of her torn gown. "At the count of three, jump."

His words were nearly drowned out by the roar of the fire as it claimed another section of roof. "One. Two. Three."

Everyone on the ground held their breath as two figures leaped through space toward an impossibly fragile-looking lifeline. For a moment it looked as if the flimsy strand of rope had failed. They were falling. The rope sagged under their weight, then held. Bouncing slightly, they dangled precariously. Then one figure dropped to the ground. A moment later, Cameron dropped into his waiting arms. Clinging together, they fell to their knees and watched as the balcony and ceiling timbers crashed through the burning hulk of the once elegant house.

The wagon halted at the charred remains. The weary band of travelers stepped out to gaze wordlessly at the ruins. They had washed and taken a meal at the Lampton house. Colt’s wound had been cleansed and bound. There had been little rest. After the terror of this night, they had seemed eager to return at first light, as if to assure themselves that it was really over.

While Rose tended little Alexander, who slept peacefully in the back of the wagon, Nina clung to Quenton. After a quick survey of the smoldering remnants of her unhappy life with Alex, she turned her head away.

"Where will you go?" Cameron asked Quenton.

"I’m taking Nina home. Back to her beloved Caribbean island."

"But what of your land?"

"I don’t want it, Cameron. I never wanted it. It’s yours now."

"But if Alex was right about my father’s discovery, this land is worth a fortune. If the assayer’s report confirms it, we could be sitting on the biggest silver mine in the country. Quenton, we could be millionaires."

"Send my portion to the Caribbean, Cameron." He smiled gently, then gazed into Nina’s dark eyes. "I want nothing more than to sit in the sun with my love and spend the rest of my days painting her and her beautiful land. Nothing on earth could keep me from her."

Cameron brushed Nina’s dark cheek with her lips. "I’m so glad you love my uncle, Nina. Be happy."

Cameron hugged him fiercely, then lifted her lips for a quick kiss.

"Your share of the land will always belong to you and your heirs, Quenton. Whatever feud there was between the McCormicks and the Lamptons is ended. We’re one family now. I’ll see that you get your share of the mine profits."

Quenton gave Colt a fierce bear hug, then solemnly shook his friend’s hand.

After a brief look at the smoky scene, Ti carried Miriam back to the wagon and tenderly settled her on a folded blanket in the back of the wagon.

"We’ll rebuild your home, Miriam," Cameron murmured to her weeping sister.

"No." Her head came up, and she clutched Cameron’s hand. "I told you I sensed the end of this place. I don’t ever want to live here again. I was never happy here, Cameron. For so long I blocked all my childhood pain and terror from my mind. Finally, I began to believe my fall down that mine shaft had really been an accident. But Jarret’s words brought it all back to me. The threats, the nightmares, and finally, the crippling fall."

She brushed the tears with the back of her hand, and smiled weakly.

"Ti has asked me to go to his home. His and Nina’s. I want to. I want to feel the warm sunlight of his tropical paradise. I want to see bright-colored flowers and lush foliage. I want to hear music and laughter." Her voice thickened. "I need to feel safe. I want to be loved."

Cameron nodded and kissed her cheek. "Then that’s what I wish for you as well. I know you’ll be happy with Ti, Miriam. But I do hope you’ll come back here someday."

Miriam’s eyes widened. "Do you intend to stay here alone, Cameron?"

She studied Colt standing off by himself, staring intently at the ashes.

She stood straighter. "Yes. All my life I’ve been alone. I’ll manage."

Her uncle shook his head. "I can’t believe you are actually willing to stay here."

His lovely young niece smiled up at him as he settled himself beside Nina. "Too many people paid too high a price for this land, Quenton. I have no intention of leaving. This is my home. I intend to stay and work the mine."

"You can stay in the Lampton house. It’s not in a very good state of repair, but it’s shelter."

Cameron smiled. "Thank you, Quenton, but there’s only one place where I can be truly happy."

At his questioning glance, she added, "There’s a tiny crumbling cottage, that stands on the border of McCormick land and Lampton land. Part of the roof is sagging, and I’ll be able to look up and see the stars. The same stars you and Nina and Miriam and Ti will be seeing." She gave them a dreamy smile. "That will be a bond between us. Whenever you look up at the night sky, know that I’m seeing the same sky, the same moon and stars. And think of me."

Amid tears and laughter, the wagon rolled across the hills, in the direction of San Francisco, where a ship would be in dock, soon to be heading for the Caribbean.

When they were alone, Cameron turned to study Colt. He stood rigid, tense. He was staring at the distant horizon. Her heart felt wrenched from her. There was a look of longing on his face. That look told her that he was eager to be off, to join his friends in the excitement of the hunt once more.

"I suppose you’re eager to get back to your home?"

His head came up, but he didn’t speak.

"What are you thinking about, Colt?"

"I’m thinking that I’ve been away a long time. It’s best that I go, Cammy."

He caught the reins and led his horse toward her.

His husky voice washed over her. "You’re a very special woman, Cameron McCormick. You’re everything a man could want. If I were any other man, I’d stay with you." He reached out a finger, to trace the curve of her cheek.

She forced herself to remain perfectly still, though she longed to move against his touch like a kitten. When he pulled himself into the saddle, he faced her. "I have a job to do. You understand."

She nodded, lifting her head higher. Her eyes were dry as she met his dark gaze. "As you said, Colt. You’re very good at what you do."

"Yes." He allowed his gaze to travel the length of her and back, for a moment lingering on the soft auburn halo that drifted about her face and shoulders.

"Thank you for understanding." His voice grew thick with emotion. "In the border towns around Texas we have a saying. Vaya con Dios. It means go with God." He touched the brim of his hat. "Vaya con Dios, Cameron McCormick."

She swallowed. Her throat was so tight, it hurt to speak. "Go with God, Michael Gray."

He wheeled his horse and rode away, without a backward glance.

Cameron stood watching until horse and rider disappeared over the crest of a hill.

Her eyes brimmed. The words of little Sister Adele pierced her mind with blazing intensity. "Oh, Cammy, don’t ever pin your hopes and dreams on a man. For he’ll be a thief and steal your most precious possession of all."

When would she learn? When would she ever learn?

She brushed the tears with the back of her hand in an angry gesture, then turned to the smoldering ruins. There would be much to do before nightfall.

She glanced toward the hill, for a moment hoping to see the black stallion returning. The horizon stretched empty for as far as she could see. She turned away and bent to her task. There would be no tears, she reminded herself sternly. She had always known that Michael Gray was a man of duty, a man meant for the wider world, beyond her narrow border.

He had touched her life. She had loved him. And now, she must see to the job of surviving.