Tracker’s Sin (32 page)

“Caine!” Tracker hol ered. Sam was already riding out, Caden fol owing suit. Ace came forward with Zach. “What?”

“They’re at the cemetery.”

“Son of a bitch.”

“Who died, Maddie?”

“One of Mr. Zach’s men. And Mrs. Desi’s mom and dad.”

They were lucky they’d lost only one, and not the women, but stil , one was too many.

“Maddie, I’ve got a man who’s hurt. Can you care for him until Sal y Mae comes back?”

Sal y Mae was as close to a doctor as they had, and truth be told, Tracker had yet to see a real doctor equal her skil s. It made her pacifist

views tolerable.

“Oh, yes. Sal y Mae has been teaching me what to do. She says I have a real knack for doctoring.”

Ace smiled and dismounted. “Good, then you can practice on Zach.”

Maddie hurried forward, her whole demeanor changing. “Zach is hurt?”

“Yes.”

“What are you waiting for? Bring him into the parlor.”

Tracker dropped the reins and went to help Ace with the unconscious Zach. Damned if she didn’t sound just like Sal y Mae right then.

“You got this, Maddie?” he asked as they carried Zach onto the porch.

She stood soldier straight, a confident smile on her face. “I’ve got this.”

Tracker shook his head. He’d never understand women. Things that should make them cower gave them confidence. Things they should

face without batting an eyelash sent them screaming for cover. For Christ’s sake, Maddie got hysterical at the sight of a spider!

They carried Zach between them into the house. The first room on the right was the sickroom. Desi had dressed it up with some blueand-white curtains, but it stil carried the scent of carbolic, which removed any sense of cheer. Zach moaned as they laid him straight. Right away Maddie

started stripping off his blood-soaked shirt. She didn’t flinch as blood stained her hands.

“Get me some hot water, Ace.”

“On it.”

Tracker fetched the cleaning cloths and basins. Maddie looked up. “You need to leave.”

“You think I can’t stomach a little surgery?”

“I think Miss Ari waits for you.”

Shit.

“She needs you right now.”

“She’s got her sister.”

Maddie shook her head and unbuckled Zach’s belt. “It’s not the same. You’re the one who understands her.” She glanced up at Tracker,

looking so sweet and intent, it was hard to believe she’d been whoring since she was twelve. “That’s important, you know.”

“Desi—”

“Miss Desi has Caine. He’s the one who understands her.”

“I’l go in a—”

She took the pan from his hand. “You need to go now. Mr. Zach would not like you to see him this way.”

“Better me than you.”

She shook her head and placed her hand gently on his stomach. “No. We have an understanding.”

He guessed they did, if unconscious could be considered consent.

Ace came back into the room, carrying the pitcher of hot water. “Mr. Ace wil help me.”

Ace’s smile was gentle, covering the worry in his gaze as he glanced at the exposed wound.

“Sure wil . At least until Sal y Mae gets here.”

The others had likely already reached the smal cemetery and relayed the need to Sal y Mae.

“I’m sure she’s on her way.” As he should be. He had his own goodbyes to say.

It was a solemn circle at the cemetery. Desi, Tia and Ari stood in the center of the half circle of people surrounding the headstones set

under the spreading branches of the elm tree. Caine stood beside Desi, who held Jonah. Ed beside Tia. In the middle, Ari stood holding Miguel, sheltered

from the threats by Hel ’s Eight love. Sheltered in his absence. Protected. By her family. In front of them al , Father Bernard stood, Bible in hand before the

freshly turned earth marking a new grave. Obviously he’d been leading the memorial. Desi must have been planning the family funeral for a while to have

the father out here so quickly.

He pul ed Buster to a stop. Buster snorted and stomped his feet. Ari looked up and smiled, and Miguel squealed with pleasure. Ari

stepped out of the semicircle. She looked beautiful in her borrowed black dress with her braided blond hair shining in the sunlight and her blue eyes

sparkling with tears.

“Tracker.”

His name was her breath on the breeze.

He dismounted. “Sorry I’m late.” He took off his hat. “Who’d we lose?”

“Juarez,” Caine said.

A good man. “Zach wil be pissed.”

“Yeah.”

Too many battles. Too many deaths already, but more to come. He watched Ari as she approached. He wanted so much more for her and

Miguel.

“Caden told us what happened.” She caught his hand. “Are you al right?”

Tracker closed his fingers around hers, part of him expecting her to pul away, to give some sign that she didn’t need him anymore.

Instead she stepped in closer, tilting her head back, lips pursed waiting for a kiss. The damn woman didn’t have a lick of common sense.

“I’m filthy.” From the trail. His choices. His life. And she had to stand there looking so pure.

She opened her eyes. Her right hand cupped his cheek. “You’re perfect.”

Miguel grabbed his hair and pul ed it to his mouth, drawing Tracker closer to Ari. Closer to temptation.

“Hardly.”

She smiled softly and the understanding in her eyes made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Her smile spread. “Tracker

Ochoa, are you refusing, before your family and mine, to kiss me?”

He didn’t know what the hel he was doing, let alone what
she
was doing. “Maybe.”

“Oh.” She blinked and the tears that had been drying freshened. She took a step back. A gun was cocked in the sudden silence.

He looked up. Caine smiled. “You get much more stupid, Tracker, and I’m going to have to plug you just to let some of it out.”

He would, too. Tracker didn’t care. “Stay out of it, Caine.”

“Can’t do that, Tracker. That’s my sister-in-law you’re trifling with.”

“I’m not trifling with anyone.”

Ari stomped on his toe. His boot took the brunt of the hit. Miguel pul ed his hair.

“That’s not what it looks like to me.”

“Nor to me.” The soft thump of a Bible snapping closed punctuated Father Bernard’s statement.

Caine chuckled. “Now you’ve done it.”

Tracker shot Caine a glare before turning it on the priest. “I didn’t ask for God’s input.”

“Tracker!” He ignored Ari’s protest, keeping his eyes on the priest. The man might be of God and might wear robes that resembled skirts,

but he was a wily adversary.

Father Bernard shook his head and stepped closer. “That always was your problem, Ochoa. Always thinking God didn’t have you in his

sights.”

“Hel , Padre, I’ve never doubted being in his sights. I’ve just been waiting on him to pul the trigger.”

“Hijo!”
Tia exclaimed.

“Tracker!” Ari gasped. “You can’t swear at a priest.”

Tracker looked down into her face, that sense of doom building. “I already did.”

Ari turned, placing her slight body between him and the padre. Defending him, he realized. “I’m sorry, Father. He’s had an upset.”

His brother under arrest for murder. A four-hour ride compressed into three because he feared Ari taken hostage or kil ed.
An upset.
He

guessed she could cal it that.

Father Bernard’s “So I understand,” was a bit dry.

Taking Ari by the shoulder, Tracker moved her aside. When she looked back over her shoulder at him, he explained. “I don’t need you

taking up for me.”

He expected more tears, not a sharp “Wel , you’re not doing a very good job on your own.”

Caden laughed. Caine snorted. Sam and Bel a chuckled. Desi covered Jonah’s ear and pressed his head to her chest. Looking around,

Tracker got the sense everyone knew something he didn’t. He hated that. “Good job of what?”

“Making a good impression.”

“Father Bernard already knows me.”

“As a Ranger, not a—” She bit her tongue.

The hairs on the back of his neck stirred again. Everyone went quiet as Ari exchanged an anxious glance with Desi, who nodded. “A

what?”

Ari bit her lip and hoisted Miguel up on her hip. Miguel wiggled and squirmed before holding his arms out to Tracker. Tracker steeled his

heart and pretended not to notice. He didn’t want to hold the boy. Didn’t want to get any closer than he was. Didn’t want to feel any more pain than he had

to when Ari took him and went back to the life she was meant to have. That he was determined she have. Watching them put Shadow in shackles had

driven home how tenuous a life with him would be for her. The little boy’s face fel . Tracker lasted al of one second before swearing under his breath and

taking Miguel from Ari.

“He’s getting too heavy for you,” he muttered.

Ari touched his arm when he would have stepped back. “Tracker?”

“What?”

Not looking away, she accepted his dare, finishing the thought he’d tried to kil . “He only knows you as a Ranger, not as a husband.”

Damn it, the woman was tenacious. Why couldn’t she let it go? Why did she need to make him want too much? “Why does he need to

know that?”

She took a step that closed the distance between them, resting her breasts against his forearm. She stroked Miguel’s head. “Because

we deserve peace. Because our children deserve peace. For that to happen we have to make
our
peace with the past.”

“Our children?”

Her jaw set. “Yes. Married people usual y have children.”

Now was the moment he’d been waiting for. His opportunity to sever her dependence on him. Al he had to do was mock her belief that

he’d ever intended to be honorable.

“Cat got your tongue, Tracker?” Caine asked, more than a little mockery in his own voice.

“Shut up, Caine.”

Caine gave him a look that said he knew the words trapped on Tracker’s tongue. “Don’t do it.”

“Do what? Point out we were never legal y married?”

Desi grabbed Caine’s pistol. “You deceitful lecher!”

Caine sighed and shook his head as Desi pointed it at Tracker. “Yeah, that.”

Ari snatched Miguel from Tracker. The baby squal ed. Ari shouted over the noise. “Shoot him, Desi.”

“Gladly.”

The pistol in Desi’s hand wavered dangerously. Tracker felt a twinge of uncertainty. “She’s going to hurt someone, Caine. That pistol’s too

heavy for her.”

“You’ve got a point.” Caine took Jonah from his wife. “Use two hands, angel.”

“Shoot him now,
hija,
” Tia ordered. “And aim low.”

The muzzle was level with his groin. Tracker got the uneasy feeling the women weren’t joking. “Tia!”

Tia huffed. “I did not bring up a son of mine to be a user of women.”

“Control your wife, Caine.”

“Why? I think she’s doing just fine.”

“Only if Ari wants to be married up with a eunuch.”

“Wel ,” Father Bernard interrupted, “maybe you should have thought of that before taking advantage of this sweet woman, making her fal

in love with you when al you wanted was sport.”

Tracker cut Father Bernard another glare. “I’m not above shooting a priest.”

The aggravating man just smiled. And why not? He did have God on his side. “Enough, Tracker.”

And apparently Ari.

He arched an eyebrow at her. “You’re giving me orders?”

She drew herself to her ful five-foot height. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because we don’t have much time. Because I want to be married to you in truth as wel as word before you ride out after Shadow.

Because I love you and always wil , no matter what wild hares you latch on to on any given day.”

Shit.

She took a breath. “No matter how much you doubt me.”

“Aw, hel .” Reaching out, he cupped her face in his hand and with slight pressure on the nape of her neck, he drew her to him. She came

wil ingly, leading with her faith, offering him the love he’d always been taught would never be his. Thigh to thigh, bel y to bel y, heart to heart. “Ah, damn,

sweets, you make it hard to do the right thing.”

“I think she’s making it darn easy,” Ed cal ed.

Ari rol ed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest, turning slightly so Miguel wouldn’t be squashed. “You have a very intrusive

family.”

Despite the confidence in her tone, he could sense the tension in her. She wasn’t sure of him.

“Look at me.”

She did, the shadows in her gaze reflecting the apprehension she was trying to hide.

“I’m an al -or-nothing man, Ari.”

“I know.”

“If we do this, one year, two years, ten years down the road, you’l be stuck.”

“Sure you want to wake up to that ugly mug every morning?” Luke cal ed.

Ari ignored Luke. “Do you promise?”

“Luke’s got a point. I am an ugly bastard.”

Her fingers caressed his scar, and it didn’t matter whether he had feeling there. The emotion came through. “You’re my beautiful man.”

“You need glasses,” Caden offered.

“Desi?” Ari said. “Yes, Ari.”

“The next person that tries to talk me out of marrying Tracker?”

“Yes?”

“Shoot him.”

Desi lifted the gun and smiled at Caine, who obviously had a comment hovering on the tip of his tongue. “On it.”

Caine didn’t even flinch. “You might want to reconsider where you’re pointing that,” he told his wife. “This is our last night together for a bit.

We ride in the morning.”

Desi exchanged one of those looks with Caine that left no one in doubt as to what the two would be doing tonight. “Can I just shoot them

in the toe, Ari?”

Ari’s gaze never left Tracker’s. “To start.”

“Where do you think she’s going to finish?” Caine asked.

“I hope we don’t have to find out.”

That was from Ari. She stood there, his world, offering herself up as if the sacrifice was nothing, but out here her pale skin would weather.