The Brides Of Tombstone 01 Mail Order Outlaw (17 page)

Harvey cursed.

“All right. Get up girlie.”

“Don’t Mal. Don’t give him the money. He’ll kill us anyway once he gets it.”

“No, he won’t, because he’s greedy and he wants the money. He can’t get that without one of us. But if he kills either of us, he’ll get nothing and he knows it.”

“I don’t trust him, Mal. Don’t trust him.”

“I don’t, sweetheart. You just go to Satan,” he jerked his head in the direction of his horse, “and get what I left there for you. Harvey, untie her hands.”

“I don’t think so. She can bring the money back here with her hands tied.”

“She’ll need both hands to get the saddlebags,” insisted Ed.

“I said no.” He waved his gun at Lizzie. “Now you go and get those bags.”

As soon as Harvey waved his gun and had the sight off of Lizzie, Ed attacked. He plowed into Harvey, knocking him to the ground and the gun out of his hand.

“Mal,” yelled Lizzie.

He ignored her and concentrated on his brother.

Harvey caught him with a right to his jaw and rolled away, then tried to get to his feet. They stood at the same time.

Harvey bent slightly at the waist and wagged his finger at Mal. “Come on, little brother, you’ve been dying to take me on for years. Let’s see what you got.”

Mal threw a right hook followed by a left to Harvey’s stomach.

The blow left Harvey bent at the waist gulping for air. Mal laced his fingers together into one fist and brought it down on Harvey’s neck sending him to the ground on his face.

“Get up you piece of dung. Come on, get up.” Ed backed up a bit and raised his fists, ready to fight again.

Harvey got to his knees and pulled a knife from its sheath at his waist and then rolled to his feet.

“Come on now, Eddy. You didn’t think I wouldn’t have another weapon I could still use. The derringer is too hard to get to. But this…” He waved the knife in his right hand and waggled the fingers on his left for Mal to come closer.

Ed was slightly bent at the waist and held his arms wide as they circled each other.

Harvey jabbed with the knife and Mal ducked away.

“Now Eddy boy, is that any way to treat your older brother?”

“I told you before you are no brother to me. You’re the scum of the earth and so was Pa. And my name is Mal. Mal Brandon.”

“Take that back. No one talks about Pa like that. Take. It. Back.” Harvey jabbed wildly.

“Never!”

Ed rolled to the side and then grabbed Harvey’s hand with the knife in it. He squeezed and tried to get him to drop the knife.

Harvey fought back, brought his foot behind Ed’s leg and tripped him sending them both to the ground.

Ed rolled with Harvey, still struggling for the knife.

Then Harvey went still.

Ed rolled off of his brother, the knife sticking from Harvey’s chest.

“Oh, Mal,” squealed Lizzie as she ran to him. She reached her bound hands up, over his head and hugged him close. “I was so scared.” She started crying and giving him little kisses all over his face.

“Lizzie, I’m fine.” He hugged her tight. “I’m fine.”

“He could have killed you.”

“But he didn’t. Here, bring your hands around so I can untie you.”

Still shaking, she lifted her hands over his head and held them out in front of her. He untied the rope and threw it on the ground.

“Now, let’s get out of here.”

“What about Harvey?”

“Leave him. We’ll tell Marshal Earp when we get back to town. Wait here. I have to go get the saddle bags.” His side was throbbing and he wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible.

“You got the money?”

“Yes. I’d have paid him if he let you go. But when I saw he wouldn’t release you, I was left with no other option but to do what I did.”

She sniffled. “I’m so glad you’re alive and…and…”

He grabbed her and wrapped her in his arms, lowered his head and kissed her. Long and hard.

Setting her away from him he said, “We’re not going through this anymore Lizzie. We’re getting married now. The judge can do it tonight and the reverend tomorrow, but I’m not going to bed without you by my side. I came too close to losing you tonight to ever let you go again.”

She smiled. “I love you, too.”

He lowered his head again. “It’s about time you said it again,” he breathed before his lips claimed hers.

They walked arm in arm to where he’d left the saddlebags, and then back to Satan.

“I can’t leave him like this.” Ed took the knife from his brother’s chest and threw it out into the desert. Then he hefted his brother up and over the saddle on his horse, tied his arms to his legs under the belly of the horse for travel back to Tombstone.

His side hurt like hell and he knew he was bleeding again but there was nothing to be done for the wound right now.

They stopped at the City Marshall’s office first.

“Marshal Earp,” said Ed as he entered with Lizzie by his side.

“Hello, Malcolm. What can I do for you at this hour?” Virgil Earp looked at his watch. “It’s ten o’clock. Kind of late for you to be in town.”

“I’ve got a dead man to turn over. He’s Harvey Talbot, head of the Talbot gang.”

“Well, now. Let’s go see this man.” He frowned. “Looks like you need to see Doc Reynolds before you do much of anything else.”

“Yes, sir, guess I better, after we leave you. I’ll be fine ’til then.”

They went outside where the marshal lifted Harvey’s head and looked him in the face. “Looks like the description on wanted poster I have. Too bad there’s no picture on it. Let’s go back inside. How did you manage to kill him?”

“It’s a long story. Right now, I’d like to find Judge Blackstone. Do you know if he’s around?”

“You’ll find him at The Birdcage Theater, just like every other night at this time. He’s got a hankering for one of the actresses there. Goes to see her show.”

The marshal took a little notebook from his pocket. Here’s the receipt for the criminal. I’ll make sure you get the reward. Seems to me it’s gotten pretty large. I think it’s over one thousand dollars now. Dead or Alive.”

“I want the money to go to Jamie Cobb, for his education.”

“Sure thing, Malcolm. Whatever you say.”

The marshal led the horse with Harvey tied to it, around the back of the jailhouse.

Ed put his left arm around Lizzie’s shoulders. “Now, we’re finding Judge Blackstone, because no matter what, I’m making you my wife tonight. No more putting it off.”

“All right. But we have to see Doc Reynolds first.”

“That’s all you’ve got to say.”

“Uh huh.” She nodded.

“Well, all right then.”

They found the doctor’s home. He had a small house with his surgery attached to the side of the building. Lizzie knocked on the house door.

Moments later, Doc Reynolds answered. “Lizzie. Mal. What are you two doing here so late?”

“Mal got shot.” Lizzie didn’t wait to be asked but walked right in. “You need to look at it.”

“Okay. Mal I see from your shirt it’s on your right side. Unbutton your shirt so I can examine you.”

“Atina Cobb bandaged it earlier. I had something important to attend to or would have come by sooner.” Mal shrugged out of his shirt.

“She did a good job, but then Atina always does. The wound doesn’t look too bad. The bullet went through and didn’t hit anything vital. You’re a lucky man.”

“In more ways than you know, Doc.” He winked at Lizzie. “I’m a very lucky man.”

“I’ll clean and stitch it for you. Keep it clean and dry. Change the bandage every other day and come see me in about ten days and I’ll take out the stitches.”

The doctor worked quickly and stitched up Mal, then bandaged him. Mal put his shirt back on.

“How much do I owe you, Doc?”

“Two dollars ought to do it.”

Mal pulled a five out of his pocket. “Keep the change, Doc. Thanks for being home and taking care of me so quickly.”

Lizzie and Ed left the doctor’s office and he put her hand through the crook of his elbow and they walked up to Main Street and then down the street to the Birdcage Theater.

They found the judge sitting at a table close to the stage. He was watching a bosomy woman with bright red hair sing and dance.

She stopped in front of his table and bent over giving him a full view of her assets.

The judge grinned and mouthed the words, “I’ll see you, later.”

“Judge Blackstone?”

“Yes, what can I do for you young man?”

“I want you to marry us. Tonight. Right now.”

“See here young man. Lizzie Cobb is that you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What are you doing with this man? I happen to be indisposed right now. Perhaps tomorrow.”

“Judge Blackstone, this is Malcolm Brandon, my fiancé. Please help us. I realize you’re busy watching your friend perform, but please, it would only take a few minutes and I promise we’ll make it worth your while.”

The judge cocked an eyebrow. “Very well, I’m listening. What are we talking here?”

“I’ll give you one hundred dollars for ten minutes of your time.” Ed reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “You can do it right here if you want, so you don’t miss her next show.”

“Yes, sir, that would be fine with me, too. We need to get married, tonight.” Lizzie touched the judge’s arm. “Please.”

The redhead in question came by the table. “Hello, Albert, honey. Who are these people?”

“Tess O’Banyon, this is Malcolm Brandon and Lizzie Cobb. They want to get married. Now.”

Mal turned to Tess. “Miss O’Banyon, we’d be honored if you would be one of our witnesses.”

“Oh, a wedding. I love weddings. Let me go get Lucille she’ll be your other witness.”

Tess ran backstage and returned with an equally buxom blonde woman with curly hair.

The judge stood and took his bible from his pocket.

“We’ll do the short version of this, if you don’t mind, son.”

“That’s fine judge as long as it’s legal.”

“Oh, yes, that it will be. I’ll do the paperwork tomorrow, but you’re still legally married as of tonight.”

“Thank you, Judge. I really appreciate it.” Ed pulled two one hundred dollar bills from his wallet. “Please take Miss O’Banyon to dinner with our compliments.”

“Uh, yes, don’t mind if I do.” The judge snatched the money before Ed could take it back. “Now, do you have a ring young man?”

“Yes, sir.”

Lizzie looked at him and cocked her head in question.

“I carry it with me all the time.” He grinned. “I knew the minute I saw you, I’d make you my wife, I just didn’t know when and I wanted to be ready whenever you said yes.”

She squeezed his hand and smiled.

“All right. Here we go. Do you Malcolm Brandon take this woman Lizzie Cobb to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, from this day forward as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Mal was filled with pride. Lizzie was becoming his wife. Finally.

“Put the ring on her finger, son.”

Mal pulled the thick gold band from his pocket and placed it on the third finger of Lizzie’s left hand, with a little squeeze and a big grin.

“Lizzie Cobb, do you take Malcolm Brandon to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, from this day forward as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

“Do you have a ring, Lizzie? It’s not required,” the judge said.

“I don’t, but when I get home I have one for him.”

“Then by the power vested in me by the United States of America and the Territory of Arizona, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Mal, leaned down and kissed Lizzie, his wife. Ed Talbot was dead and this was the first real moment of the rest of his life as Malcolm Brandon, who he would forever be.

“Lizzie Brandon, are you ready to go home?”

She blinked back tears and smiled wide. “Yes, I most certainly am, Malcolm Brandon. I most certainly am.”

CHAPTER 12

Mal and Lizzie found their horses just where they left them, tied to the hitching rail in front of Marshal Earp’s office. The marshal was nowhere to be seen, so Lizzie assumed he was still dealing with Harvey’s body.

Once they were mounted they turned the horses north toward the Abernathy place. Um, she guessed she’d have to get used to calling it the Brandon place. Her place. Her home. They walked the horses.

“You’re quiet. Sorry you married me already?”

The night was too dark to see his face but she heard the humor in his voice.

“Nope. Just thinking about our house. Our home.”

“I haven’t had a home in fifteen years, but I can tell you this—I’m home wherever you are, whether we have a house or a tent.”