The Outlaws: Jess (33 page)

The air left Meg's lungs and her mind went
blank. This couldn't be happening to her again. Though it had been
five years since Arlo had brutally raped her, she'd never forgotten
how dirty and ashamed his attacks made her feel. She wanted to die.
To crawl inside her self, to escape to another realm while Lucky
practiced his obscenities on her.

Then, in some far corner of her mind she
realized she was no longer a helpless sixteen year old, that there
were things she could do, survival instincts she had honed over the
years.

Meg nearly gagged when Lucky kissed her,
thrusting his tongue down her throat. His hands were everywhere,
but mostly they were trying to remove her trousers. She bit down
hard on his tongue, his howl of pain meager comfort as he
retaliated with an open-handed blow to her cheek.

"Stop that! You ain't gonna kick me in the
balls and you ain't gonna get my gun."

He unbuttoned her vest, then her shirt,
clamping a hard hand around her breast. She lurched beneath him
when he bit down on her nipple.

Lucky grinned up at her. "Like that did ya?
Thought ya might."

Meg shook her head from side to side in
vigorous denial.

"I'm gonna lift up a bit so's I can pull off
your trousers. Don't try anything funny. I still have the upper
hand. One hard clip to the jaw and you're out like a light." He sat
on her legs and worked his fingers beneath her waistband.

Meg considered his words, an idea forming in
her head. It was tricky at best, but what did she have to lose? Her
bound wrists and bent arms were pressed against her chest. While
Lucky was occupied with her clothing, she threaded her fingers
together, palms together, making a tight fist and a potential
lethal weapon. She glanced up at Lucky and saw that his head was
tucked down. She had to get him to lift his head.

"Lucky, wait, let me help you."

He raised his head and glared at her. "I
don't need your help. You ain't gonna do to me what ya did to
Jay."

"No, I'm not," Meg agreed as she gritted her
teeth and slammed Lucky in the throat with her doubled fists.

Lucky made a gurgling sound deep in his
throat and his eyes rolled up in his head as he clutched his neck
and fell off the narrow cot. Meg leaped from the cot, her eyes
blazing pure malice as her bound hands scrabbled for the pistol in
her vest pocket. She managed to pull it free but it slipped from
her fingers, landing at her feet.

Lucky was still on the ground, eyes bugged
out, making strangling noises inside his throat. She saw him reach
for his weapon and kicked it away. Lucky's mouth worked wordlessly
as he tried to crawl toward it.

"Bitch," he choked out, his garbled words
barely understandable. "I'll...kill...you."

"Not if I can help it," Meg hissed as she
bent to retrieve her pistol. "Don't move."

"Jay. Jay will...take care...of you."

"Go ahead and call him," Meg challenged.

Lucky opened his mouth and glared murderously
at her when no sound emerged. He could hardly form coherent words,
much less call for help. Meg concentrated on escaping before
Lucky's wits returned along with his voice. She edged toward the
door, holding Lucky at bay with her pistol. She heard the door
latch rattle and whipped her head around as Jay burst through the
door.

"I thought I heard..." His gaze found Lucky,
who was writhing on the floor, grasping his throat and making
unintelligible sounds. "What the hell is going on here?"

Meg whirled away from Lucky, bringing the
pistol around with her. "Drop your gunbelt."

"What did you do to Lucky?"

"Nothing he won't recover from. Drop your
guns, I said. I'm not afraid to use this gun."

"I'll never live this down," Jay bit out.
"How could one puny woman do this much damage? You won't get away
with it, you know. This time I ain't gonna let Lucky talk me outta
killing you."

Meg pulled back the hammer. Jay blanched,
looked at his hapless brother for help, then released his gunbelt.
It fell to the floor. Meg kicked it out of reach.

"Your hands are still bound. How did ya do
it?"

"I'm smarter than either of you. Get over
there with your brother."

"Sure," Jay said amiably, "but you ain't
gonna leave this room alive. There are two of us and one of you." A
crafty expression flitted across his face. "I don't know why I'm
standing here arguing with you. One weak woman ain't gonna bring
the Calder brothers down."

The words scarcely left his mouth when he
launched himself at Meg. Meg pulled the trigger but the shot went
wild, lodging in the hapless Lucky. He let out a strangled gasp and
collapsed, making a slow, downward spiral. Then Meg's head hit the
floor and her thought process shut down. Jay cast but a quick
glance at Lucky's lifeless form and began screaming invectives at
Meg. Before Meg regained her wits, Jay scrabbled for his gun and
brought it to Meg's head.

"Say your prayers, bitch."

Meg closed her eyes and waited for death.
She'd given it her best shot and lost. She regretted leaving this
life without settling things between her and Jess; they'd had so
little time together. She would have liked to look into his face
and tell him she loved him one last time.

She heard the metallic click of a gun hammer
and prayed for a quick death. She had no wish to linger, to suffer
excruciating agony before death finally claimed her.

The loud report of the gun jarred her. She
waited for pain and felt none. She wondered why death felt no
different than life as she waited for the dark specter to
appear.

"Meg. Open your eyes, sweetheart."

Meg was stunned to hear the voice of a loved
one in the afterlife. But Jess's beloved voice was clear as a bell,
as if he were in the room with her.

"Come on, love, open your eyes. No one is
going to hurt you ever again."

Meg's eyes opened slowly, unable to
comprehend why she was still alive. God must truly love her.

"Jay... Lucky..."

"Forget those two, they won't be bothering
anyone again."

Jess helped her to sit up. She spied Jay
lying nearby in a pool of blood and shuddered. Then she launched
herself into Jess's arms, burying her head in his neck. "Is he
dead?"

"Yes. Did you kill Lucky?"

"Yes, but not purposely. Jay lunged at me and
the gun fired. The bullet went wild, lodging Lucky's head."

"Good riddance. You'll have quite a reward
coming for those two. I knew you were resourceful but I think you
topped yourself this time."

She held out her hands to him. "Untie
me."

Jess's shock was palpable as he cut through
her bindings with the blade he carried in his boot. "How in the
hell did you get the drop on them with your hands bound?"

"Can we go outside," Meg asked shakily. "I
don't want to stay in the same room with them."

She tried to stand, felt her knees wobble,
and was grateful for Jess's support. "I can't believe you tracked
us here. How many more surprises do you have up your sleeve, Jess
Gentry?"

"Remind me to tell you about my tracking
skills sometime," Jess said. "Let's get you out into the air first,
you look pale as death."

"I thought I
was
dead," Meg
whispered.

Jess walked Meg over to a fallen log and sat
down, pulling her into his lap. He began to tremble, aware that he
nearly hadn't arrived in time. His arms tightened around her.

Jess's glance slid over Meg's beloved
features, his expression murderous when he saw the bruises on her
face and her gaping shirt. "What did the bastards do to you? Oh,
God, Meg, forgive me. I hoped I'd arrive in time to save you from
this."

Meg eased his fear immediately. "I'm fine,
Jess. A few bruises that will heal, nothing more." Her face
hardened. "Though it wasn't for their lack of trying."

"Do you feel like telling me about it?"

Meg began to talk, revealing how she had all
but crippled Jay with a well-aimed boot heel, and rendered Lucky
immobile with a chop to the throat. "But in the end it hadn't
mattered," she said bitterly. "Jay managed to get the drop on me
and would have killed me if you hadn't shown up when you did."

Meg's awe inspiring tale left Jess nearly
speechless. "You did all that with your hands bound?" he asked, his
chest swelling with pride. His Meg was one helluva woman. "As soon
as I settle things in Dodge I'm going to have to marry you to keep
you out of trouble."

Meg's head jerked up. "What did you say?"

"I said I intended to marry you after the
charges are dropped against the Gentry brothers."

"Is that the only reason you want to marry
me? To keep me out of trouble?"

Jess looked deeply into her eyes. They glowed
like emeralds in the moonlight; he'd never seen a more beautiful
sight. "I want to marry you because I love you, sweetheart."

"Oh, Jess, you don't know how badly I wanted
to hear that. You've forgiven me then for...for everything?
Everything I've done has been for your sake."

"I know. I was a fool to fight the
inevitable. I was afraid to love. I felt you deserved better than a
fugitive from the law. I have nothing to offer you. I might be
returning to Dodge only to end up behind bars. There's but one
thing I am sure of in this life. I love you, Meg Lincoln. I can no
longer deny it or push it away." He grasped her shoulders. "I love
you, Meg, do you hear me?"

"I hear you, Jess. I've loved you for a very
long time. Please kiss me. Show me this isn't a dream."

"This is no dream, love. Come what may,
you'll always have my love."

He kissed her then, putting his heart and
soul into the kiss, showing her without words how very much she
meant to him.

"You're exhausted," Jess said when he broke
off the kiss. "We can share my bedroll and get an early start
tomorrow."

"What about...them?" Meg said, motioning
toward the cabin.

"We'll take the Calders back to town with us.
Sheriff Durant can take care of the bodies and fill out the papers
for your reward. You can stop by to pick it up on your way back to
Cheyenne."

"I'm not going to leave Dodge without you,
Jess Gentry. Once those false bank robbery charges are dismissed,
we can return together. Do you plan on settling in Cheyenne?"

Jess didn't want to burst Meg's bubble. There
was a very good chance he'd end up behind bars for a very long
time. "I have a good practice there."

"The citizens of Cheyenne don't like me. If
it weren't for Zach, I wouldn't mind settling elsewhere."

"I'll make them like you," Jess said
fiercely. "I'll not separate you from your...father."

"My father," Meg sighed. "Zach is all that
and more."

Jess held her for a few minutes more until he
felt her go limp and realized she had fallen asleep. Then he rose
and carefully placed her on a bed of soft leaves while he went to
prepare his bedroll.

Jess awakened early, intending to take care
of an unpleasant task before Meg woke. After seeing to his personal
needs and washing up in the stream, he returned to the cabin. The
stench of death was strong but he'd grown use to it during the war,
and he went about his task with stoic determination. He returned
outside and located the outlaws' bedrolls lying beside their
saddles.

He slanted a glance at Meg to make sure she
was sleeping and reentered the cabin when she showed no signs of
awakening. Then he quickly wrapped the dead bodies in a blanket and
dragged them separately to where their horses were tethered. He
hefted both bodies aboard one horse and tied them in place with a
rope. Then he returned to the stream and washed thoroughly with
strong lye soap he kept in his medical bag.

Meg was just beginning to stir when he
returned to his pallet. He crouched beside her so she'd see him as
soon as she opened her eyes. He didn't want her to be startled or
become frightened once she awakened.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Jess. I
thought I was dreaming." She shuddered. "Or dead."

"You're not dreaming, sweetheart, and you're
very much alive."

He cupped his chin and lifted it so he could
look into her face. What he saw made his eyes darken with fury and
his expression harden. "Damn! I didn't see the full extent of your
injuries last night. Those bastards! Their deaths were too easy,
they should have suffered for what they did to you." He rose
abruptly. "Lie still. I'll get my medical bag and clean the bruises
with disinfectant. There's a nasty cut on your cheek."

Then he noticed the blood encrusted bandana
around her neck and he wanted to howl in outrage. Had he missed
something? "Where did that blood come from?"

Meg's hand went to her throat and a groan
slipped past her lips. Jess was on his knees beside her instantly.
"What is it? What did they do to you?"

Meg merely stared at him. Gently Jess removed
her hands from her throat and slowly unwound the bandana. When her
wound was fully revealed he sat back on his heels, his hands
clenched at his sides.

"My God! Which one of those beasts did this
to you? Another quarter inch and he could have severed your
juggler."

He saw Meg's throat work painfully and red
hot fury shot through him. He would have given his own life to
prevent the anguish Meg had suffered. His throat was clogged with
tears and he couldn't speak, he could only feel her pain as if it
were his own.

Meg sent him a wobbly smile, raised her hand
to his face and stroked his cheek. "It's not as bad as it
looks."

Jess finally found his voice. "This needs
tending. I'll be right back."

Jess returned moments later with his medical
bag. "This is going to sting," he said as he poured a generous
amount of disinfectant on a clean white cloth and applied it to her
throat.