The Circle Eight: Tobias (22 page)

Two hours passed as Tobias and James followed the tracks. Tobias began to doubt he’d found the right hoofprints. What if they’d been following a rancher with a slab of deer meat strapped to his saddle? Every moment they didn’t find Will a little piece of Tobias died. He couldn’t lose his brother. Not after all they’d been through.
 

“These bastards don’t even stop to water their horses. They’re stupid thieves who don’t take care of their livestock.” James sounded as disgusted as Tobias felt.
 

“We gotta stop or our horses won’t make it.” Tobias noted a stream ahead. “If we’re lucky their horses’ll keel over because they didn’t get water.” Not that he wished the horses any ill will but it would stop the kidnappers so the Gibson brothers could catch up.
 

He dismounted and landed hard, jarring his spine. Damn, he was out of sorts and needed to haul himself back from the edge of stupid. James had more finesse in his dismount. They led the horses to the creek and stood back while the animals slaked their thirst.
 

Every moment they stood there was a moment Will was wrapped in a rug, scared and hurt. Tobias wanted to howl at the moon and beat on his chest. Then find the three men who dared to take Will and make sure they knew what pain meant. One wound at a time.
 

Bloodlust consumed him and he had to splash cold water on his face to try to tamp it down. He was no good to Will if he was out of control. If the last five months taught him anything, it was how dangerous he was when he lost his grasp on his temper. Tobias discovered if he counted to one hundred five times, he could think again.
 

His temper had been the impetus for all the disasters in his life, including the fact he’d burned down Rebecca’s family’s home, lost the woman he loved, and lost his brothers’ respect. It was a much longer road back up to being a man than it was to the bottom of a whiskey bottle.
 

“You all right?” James spoke from behind him.
 

“No but I reckon I will be.” Tobias shook the water from head and startled when James knelt beside him.
 

“Don’t move.” He pointed beyond the row of trees in front of them. “Look.”
 

Tobias peered hard, seeing nothing but a squirrel and stray sunbeams. Then a flash of red. He stepped into the creek and crept across with as
much stealth as he could muster. James was right beside him with the rifle in one hand, pistol in the other.
 

Tobias was never so glad to have his brother there. Together they could do anything. Each step through the water was silent, but as soon as they reached the creek’s other bank, they had to tread carefully so as not to step on a stick or leaf and make a noise. They crept closer to where they’d seen someone. The low murmur of voices drifted on the breeze.
 

Tobias breathed shallow, wishing he could charge through the brush and shoot the fuckers. Instead he yanked back his impatience and waited. He felt James beside him, his body just as taut and ready to spring.
 

“He ain’t right in the head.” The voice was familiar, the same nervous one Tobias had heard in the barn at Donovan’s. They’d found the bastards. His hand tightened on the grip of the pistol.
 

“Doesn’t matter. We got orders.” This was the man who had told the men they should’ve made sure Will was dead. Tobias wondered who it was. This man would be last to receive justice.
 

“That was before he knew for certain Gibson was tetched.” The third voice was also familiar. These were the men who had tried to kill Will and Tobias, for certain. He looked at James and nodded, his jaw so tight his ears hurt from the force.
 

“We gotta find out what he remembers first, but I don’t think he remembers how to wipe his ass. That tree stole his mind. He’s an idiot now.” The man who would die last spoke as if Will was beneath him. “I got no trouble putting him out of his misery. That’s what the boss wanted anyway.”
 

What boss? Tobias and James exchanged a confused glance. There was a fourth person involved, but who? Someone who ordered the men to hurt and kill Will. A puppet master who had ruined people’s lives without a second thought.
 

“Then you’d best get him out of the damn rug. I’m hungry and my ass hurts. The sooner we get done, the sooner we get back to the cabin and get our money.”
 

James pointed right and then at his chest. Tobias nodded and pointed left, then at his chest. They would flank the men, surprise them and gain the upper hand. It was a good plan and they probably weren’t expecting anyone, much less two people.
 

Tobias made it half a dozen steps, very slow, deliberate ones to minimize noise. He was proud of himself and his restraint. He would do the right thing, help save Will, find out who the boss was, and go back to
Briar Creek and finish his conversation with Rebecca. Everything would be all right.
 

Tobias heard a sound that changed everything.
 

Will sobbed and cried out. “Toby!”
 

Tobias’s gut clenched and his temper roared back to life. There was no time to control himself or his reaction. It was time to rescue his brother.
 

He burst out of the bushes with a blood-curdling scream, his gun in hand. Three men stood over Will. They were average-sized men except for the big one in the center. That was the bastard who had kicked him in the balls and the head while he lay on the barn floor bleeding. This was number three—Tobias was sure of it.
 

They stared at him in shock as he took in their weapons—knives and guns. They all went for their pistols but Tobias shot first, hitting the black-haired man in the shoulder. The second man dove for cover behind the horses while number three took aim and fired at Tobias.
 

The bullet grazed his arm, but he didn’t stop. A maniacal need to hurt this man took over him and he couldn’t do a thing to control it. As he reached the big man something tackled him from the left, slamming him into the ground and stealing his breath.
 

James appeared in his line of vision, which currently danced with stars, but the big man hit him in the head with the butt of his pistol. James dropped like a stone. Tobias struggled with the weight on him and recognized the man who had run behind the horses.
 

“Keep him down, Bekins.” Number three pointed a knife at James. “This one is softer than I thought. Damn sure thought he was tougher.”
 

Bekins grunted and put his knee into Tobias’s back. “He ain’t going nowhere.”
 

Will cried harder, curled into a ball, his arms over his head. Tobias’s grand plan to do the right thing and solve all their problems hadn’t worked at all. He’d let his temper take over again when Will cried out. Now all three Gibson brothers might not survive. Tobias should have asked for help, should have waited until men were available to come with them.
 

Regret tasted bitter in his mouth. Tobias had been given a chance at a new life and he’d wasted it. Again. He would never hesitate to tell Rebecca he loved her again. Life was too precious.
 

A gun pressed into his temple. “Now what are you doing out here chasing down this idiot? I thought you’d be happy to be rid of him.”
 

“You Johnston or Travers? I want to be sure I tell the devil who to expect,” Tobias spat.
 

“It don’t matter I suppose. I’m Travers. You shot Johnston and he’s shitting his trousers over there.” He could now match the voice with the name—both of which he knew all too well. Travers.
 

“I’ll kill you last.” Tobias bared his teeth and Bekins pushed his knee so far, Tobias swore the two sides of his rib cage touched.
 

Travers snorted. “Big words for a man in the dirt and a gun to his temple.”
 

“You fuck with my family, you fuck with me, Travers. I don’t forgive and I don’t ever forget.” Tobias had found a calmness inside him and it washed through him. He would somehow make it through and kiss his girl again. She had to know he loved her, that she had saved him.
 

“You won’t remember a thing in about two seconds because I’m going to—”
 

“Let them go. Now.” A new voice broke in.
 

Travers stopped, his surprise turning to anger. “Who the fuck are you?”
 

Tobias couldn’t see who it was but the voice was familiar. Travers’s voice trembled.
 

“It doesn’t matter who we are. I told you to let them go.”
 

Who the hell was “we”? Tobias took advantage of Bekins’s confusion to twist his body and slide out from beneath the other man’s hold. He rolled away and jumped to his feet. Now it was his turn to be surprised.
 

Standing before him were four large, armed men. Every one of them was a Graham. Matt, Caleb, Nicholas and what he assumed was a grown-up version of Benjy since he was the spitting image of Matt.
 

Holy fucking shit.
 

Matt had aged in the last five years, but he hadn’t lost his edge of toughness. The man commanded and, with his brothers beside him, he was damn intimidating. Tobias sure as hell hoped Travers thought so.
 

“I don’t know who you are but this ain’t your business.” Travers pointed his gun at Will, whose sobs had turned to whimpers. “We got a right to do what we need to.”
 

“That’s where you’re wrong. You got my sister’s man right there, and his brothers. That makes them my family.” Matt pulled the pistol from the holster on his right hip. “You got about two seconds to drop the gun or I drop you.”
 

Tobias didn’t have time to think about Matt calling him family. After all he’d done, it seemed impossible to expect.
 

Travers looked between the four of them and must have accepted he was completely outnumbered. Tobias approached the man and threw a
punch that knocked the bigger man on his ass. While his knuckles throbbed, and his fingers were broken, he felt damn good to be able to do that. Rebecca might scold but that would be all right. He would see her again, and his brothers had survived together.
 

Tobias crouched down beside Will and touched his shoulder. “It’s okay, Will. You’re safe now.”
 

Will opened his eyes. “Toby?”
 

“I’m here.” Tobias smiled at his youngest brother. Will threw his arms around Tobias and hugged him.
 

“I was so scared,” he confessed against Tobias’s shoulder.
 

“I know. They ain’t very nice men.” Tobias needed to check on James but Will was stuck like glue.
 

“Hi, Will, do you remember me?” Benjy, now a grown man, crouched beside them. He was the quiet one who had befriended Will five years ago. They were near to the same age. Benjy carried shadows behind his eyes that others didn’t have.
 

“N-no. Who are you?” Will still looked scared to death.
 

“I’m Rebecca’s brother Ben.” Benjy, now Ben, had a calmness to him, as though he’d been through enough in his life that most situations didn’t affect him the way they affected others.
 

“Miss Becky’s brother? She’s pretty.” Will wiped his eyes and let go of Tobias.
 

“Yep, she sure is.” Ben nodded and Tobias scrambled to his feet.
 

“I need to check on James. You stay with Ben.” Tobias ran over to his other brother and rolled him over.
 

James was pale, and a trickle of blood wound its way down the side of his cheek. Tobias tapped his cheek but there was no response. Someone handed him a canteen and he dribbled a bit into his hand and splashed it on James’s face. His eyes finally fluttered open and he blinked hard.
 

“Tobias?”
 

“I’m here. You got a helluva knock to the head. Stay put until you ain’t dizzy.” He glanced up and found Nicholas with the canteen. The man had helped him get his deed and money back five years earlier. Now the darkness was gone from his face, and in its place was a man who appeared content with his life and concerned with theirs.
 

“He all right?” Nicholas asked.
 

“He will be. Rebecca can check him when we get back to Briar Creek.”
 

“I’ll sit with him. You and Matt need to talk. We got some cockamamie story from Rebecca, but none of us know what’s happening.” Nicholas knelt down.
 

Tobias got to his feet and glanced around. All of the Graham men were here. For him and his brothers. No other reason. It made his breath stop to think they stopped what they were doing and ran like hell to help him.
 

Him! Tobias Gibson. The man who burned their ranch house five years earlier. He had helped them rebuild but it didn’t excuse his stupid, reckless crime.
 

Now they had arrived when he needed someone. When he needed help. Still reeling, he watched as Caleb expertly bound the three men as only a former Texas Ranger could do. Matt stood over all of them, gun in hand. Tobias walked over to Matt, hands shaking and gut flip-flopping.
 

Matt nodded at him. “Gibson.”
 

Tobias had to clear his throat three times before he could speak. “I don’t know how to say thank you enough for what you done. Will almost died again and that would’ve broken me.”
 

Matt gestured to Will who was now talking a mile a minute to Ben. “Looks like he’s all right now. Ben don’t talk to many people, hasn’t since Caleb brought him home ten years ago. I hear Will had a knock to the head that sent him backwards, but he appears healthy.”
 

Tobias smiled as he looked at his tousled brother who would only know the experiences of the world the way a child sees them. Everything was so simple to a child. Fear, anger, joy. Love.