Blood Blade Sisters Series (3 page)

“What is it, Frank?”

“Well, see, it seems you all have been squatting on my property. The ranch, the house, and everything in it rightfully belong to me. As sheriff, I’ve come to enforce my rights and tell you you’ve got three weeks to clear out.”

Brynne, Lucy, and Cilla shouted and sputtered.

“What?”

“I don’t believe it!”

“You no-good, lyin’ son of a—‘”

“Don’t you three go airin’ your lungs out at me! Cussin’ like liquored-up sailors at your betters.” He shook his head. “Now I know y’all was raised up better than that.”

Cilla ached to wipe the smug smile from the bastard’s face. Instead, she concentrated on breathing.

One heartbeat.

Two.

When she felt like she could speak without shrieking like an old biddy, she said, “This property was our mother’s, Frank. She left it to us when she died. So you can take your lies and just get the hell out.”

“Wrong.”

Cilla stood but Brynne grabbed her arm and hauled her onto the chaise. She carefully took the pistol out of Cilla’s hand. Cilla didn’t want to let it go, but vaguely recognized the wisdom in Brynne’s actions. If Frank didn’t shut his lying, yapping mouth, there was a very real possibility that Cilla would put a bullet through it.

Brynne sighed and turned to Frank. “Look, Frank. We all saw Mama’s will after she died. She left the ranch, the house, and everything on the property to us.”

Frank smiled. “Right. But there’s one unfortunate little detail that everyone’s forgotten up ‘til now.”

Cilla started counting again. She couldn’t take much more of this. “And what exactly would that be?”

“Y’all are underage. Brynne’s not twenty-one yet, and she’s a year older than you, sweet little Priscilla. And Lucy there is only fifteen.”

The girls sat in stunned silence. Cilla stopped breathing altogether as Frank’s words sunk in.

“Which means, my dear sisters, without a husband to claim your property for you, everything you own falls to the jurisdiction of your nearest male relative.” He paused, pinning each one with his greedy gaze. “Which would be me.”

He grinned and leaned forward. “It’s too bad that bastard you were pantin’ after didn’t stick around long enough to marry you,” he said to Brynne.

Brynne sucked in an outraged breath. “He did marry me, Frank, and you damn well know it!”

If their lives weren’t crumbling around their feet, Cilla might have taken the time to be shocked at Brynne’s unaccustomed swearing.

Frank’s thin lips stretched over his tobacco-stained teeth in a grimace that made Cilla’s blood run like shards of ice through honey.

“He ain’t here. And there ain’t no record of no marriage. Your shackin’ up with him ain’t no proof of nothin’ except what a whore you are.”

Brynne gasped, her hand straying to her belly. Cilla lurched to her feet. Her fist shot out, connecting with Frank’s chin. His head snapped back and Cilla nearly grinned at his shocked expression. It felt so good to wipe the smirk from his face. She pulled her hand back for another blow, but this time he caught her fist in his.

He hauled her against his chest, pinning her arm behind her back.

He brought his face so close to hers it blurred in her vision. “Girl, you’re even dumber than you look, and that’s sayin’ somethin’.”

He trailed his finger down the scar near her eye. “Unless you want another one o’these, you better keep your little hands to yourself.”

He flung her away. Lucy was there to steady Cilla before she fell, and kept her arms around Cilla’s shaking frame as Frank stalked to the door.

“Air out Pa’s room for me. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

The door shut, leaving pure, stunned silence in its wake.

“What are we gonna do?” Lucy asked.

Cilla angrily wiped at her nose, grimacing at the metallic smell of her skin. She looked at the blood that stained her hand and sucked in her breath. Maybe…no, it was crazy.

But it was the only thing she could think of. “I may have an idea.”

Chapter Three

Leo thrashed his head, rubbing it against the ground, but the blindfold had been tied too tightly across his eyes. He had no idea where he was, though by the smell of it, he’d guess he had been deposited in a stall of some sort.

His head throbbed where that bastard had hit him. Blood Blade! Well, he’d wanted to find him. Guess he should have been more careful about what he wished for. But what on earth was a bandit doing riding with a woman? Woman…hell, she looked like she was barely more than a baby. Leo had no idea how his plans had gone so horribly wrong. All he had wanted to do was find his brother. He hadn’t heard from Jake in months. The last letter he’d received hadn’t given him much information to go on, either. Jake had heard about Blood Blade and the bounty on his head. And he’d been determined to be the one to bring him in. He’d apprehended other criminals. In fact, Jake had been on his way to being one of the best bounty hunters on the western coast. But something must have gone wrong.

The last Leo had heard, Jake had given up hunting Blood Blade and taken a job working as a ranch hand for three sisters near some dried-up gold mining town called Bethany Ridge, some thirty miles northeast of Sacramento. It hadn’t made any sense to Leo until Jake had mentioned that he’d fallen in love with one of the sisters: Brynne Richardson.

Precious little information to go on, but it was all Leo had. The Richardson sisters must have been the last to see Jake alive, though Leo refused to believe his brother was dead. Perhaps he’d just married the Richardson girl and was living in such a state of marital bliss that he’d forgotten to let his family know that he was alive and well. Anything was possible. Unlikely, but possible.

What was more likely was that Jake had had a run-in with Blood Blade and lost. Though that didn’t fit with what Leo had heard about the notorious bandit. Stories of Blood Blade had filtered down to Sacramento, and from what Leo had heard, the bandit was the one to talk to if you wanted something found.

He seemed like an interesting fellow. Leo hadn’t heard of many bandits who took cases for hire, but then you didn’t often hear of bandits who gave away most of their ill-gotten gains, either. But apparently Blood Blade was something of a Robin Hood. Leo didn’t know if he worked missing person’s cases, but he figured it didn’t hurt to ask. If Blood Blade hadn’t been the one to cause Jake’s disappearance, maybe he’d be amenable to finding him. And if he had had something to do with it…well, Leo would cross that bridge when he got to it.

The problem was contacting him. Bandits weren’t known for being easy to find. But the Richardson sisters supposedly served as a sort of go-between for the bandit and his would-be clients.

Of course, this was all conjecture. The clerk at the general store Leo had passed a few towns back had heard it from his cousin who was a clerk in the general store in Bethany Ridge. Again, thin information to go on, but at this point, Leo was willing to try anything. And he needed to talk to the sisters anyways. Leo always was one for efficiency.

Though it seemed as though he wouldn’t need their help to contact the bandit since the bastard had decided to rob the coach he’d been driving. Oh yeah, and clock him over the head after his female companion had taken a shot at him. So much for the stories about Blood Blade never harming his victims.

Leo had taken the job as a means to get him to Bethany Ridge. All he had needed was a ride and had considered it a stroke of good luck when the rotund couple and their obnoxious daughter had shown up asking around for a driver. The job provided him with the ride he needed and he would make money for the journey instead of having to pay it out. Win/win, he’d thought. He’d had a good feeling about the trip…right until Blood Blade’s gun had smashed into his skull. Now he wasn’t sure what to think.

Leo froze at the sound of doors creaking open. Boots clomped across the hard-packed dirt floor toward him. Murmuring voices filtered in. He sat up. Looked like he was about to meet his captor.

…

Cilla reached down and gave the rope around the driver’s hands one more firm tug before she stood up and dusted the straw from her knees. She hadn’t tried to wrestle his arms behind him, settling for tying his hands together in front of him, and she’d left his feet untied. He wouldn’t be going anywhere with her gun trained on him. But she made a mental note to keep her distance, just in case. His garbled curses through the bandana in his mouth made her sorry for what she was about to do.

A mud-covered Lucy had finally returned from town, her triumphant grin letting Cilla know she’d accomplished her task. Brynne left her post at the barn doors as Lucy shut them behind her. She took up Brynne’s position, keeping a lookout through a crack in the doors. The rain had stopped, allowing the moon to peek out from behind the clouds. Frank wasn’t known for keeping his word, and Cilla wasn’t taking any chances that he’d stay away until morning.

The horses and saddles had been brushed and cleaned, their sodden clothes properly hidden in the laundry pile. The only loose end knelt at her feet, his chest heaving with understandable fury.

Cilla held out her hand to Brynne, who hesitated only a second before giving her the loaded pistol. Leveling the gun at their prisoner, Cilla took a deep breath.
Here goes nothing
.

“I’m gonna remove your blindfold and gag now. We need to have a little talk. I’m armed and I’ll shoot if you try anything stupid. All I ask is that you hear me out.”

A rush of muffled words and angry hand gestures followed. Cilla sighed and stepped forward. She placed the pistol against his head and cocked the hammer. The man froze.

“I really don’t have time to repeat myself, mister. If you will please cooperate, this nasty little affair could be over and done with. Will you hear me out?”

After a moment’s hesitation, the man nodded once. Cilla stepped back and uncocked the pistol. Brynne removed his blindfold. He blinked, turning his head away from the lantern light spilling onto his face.

Cilla studied their captive. When his eyes had adjusted, he turned to face her. Even from his bound position on the barn floor, the fury in his face had her planting her feet to keep from running and hiding. She raised the pistol, refusing to follow the impulse to step back when he worked his way to his feet. Using his shoulder, he jerked the gag from his mouth and glared at her. His bound hands pressed against the side of his head for a moment, coming away smeared with blood. Angry brown eyes burned into hers from beneath a mop of slightly curly black hair. He looked a little familiar, but Cilla dismissed it. All men looked alike to her.

“Sorry if I got a little too rough with you there,” Cilla said.

His rage turned to confusion as he looked around. He took in Cilla with her gun, Brynne, standing warily to the side, and Lucy, who sat on a bale of hay near the door, holding a rifle on her lap. He turned back to Cilla.

“You did this? Three
women
?” His words were gravelly, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat. “Where are your men? Why was I brought here? Wait—are you…are you the Richardson sisters?”

Cilla hid her surprise that he knew who they were. Though they were fairly well known around these parts—three sisters living on their own and running a ranch was not something you stumbled across every day—but a stranger? She didn’t answer him.
She
was the one asking the questions.

She brushed her free hand against her thighs and rolled her eyes as the man took in her clothing. Her father’s remade breeches were snug and left little to the imagination, but she’d figured out long ago that skirts and petticoats were unfit for ranch work. Breeches were more efficient.

Cilla cleared her throat to bring the man’s attention back to her. He drew himself up to his full and considerable height and Cilla had to look up to keep her eyes locked on his. But she wanted his full attention. There could be no mistaking what she was about to ask him.

His eyes narrowed and she licked her suddenly dry lips before she continued. “We had to bring you here, but I never meant you any harm.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You meant me
no harm
?” His gravelly voice coated every word with anger. Recognition finally sunk in as he stared at Cilla and Lucy. “
You
,” he said. “You and her over there. You robbed the coach. You’re not…you can’t be Blood Blade!”

The incredulous amusement in his voice did not endear him to Cilla. “We’ll ask the questions,” she said. “You’re new in these parts. What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t know it was a crime to be new. Surely you get lots of new faces coming in and out of here.”

“Not since the gold dried up. Prospectors generally head north of here. There’s nothing left for newcomers in this town, which brings me back to my original question. Why are you here?”

He shook his head with a disbelieving laugh. “I came looking for Blood Blade.”

“Why?”

“Why does anyone want him? I want to hire him to find something for me. I can pay. I was told the Richardson sisters could contact him for me. Never dreamed I’d find a bunch of women dressed up like bandits and robbing coaches.”

“Yes, and that presents a problem for us.”

“I won’t spill your secret. I told you, I need your help. Female or not, your reputation proves you can get the job done.”

“That’s very un-male of you.”

“No point in arguing otherwise. I call it as I see it. Always have.”

Cilla glanced at her sisters. “What do you want us to retrieve?”

“I’m looking for my brother. He sent a letter from this town three months ago and no one has heard from or seen him since.”

Brynne gasped and Cilla knew the realization of who this man was must have hit her at the same moment it had occurred to Cilla. Cilla flicked her sister a warning glance and turned her attention back to the man.

“Sorry. We don’t do missing persons.”

The man clenched his jaw. Asking for help was clearly not something he was used to doing.

“You are the Richardson sisters, aren’t you? Which one is Brynne?” he looked between Brynne and Cilla, having obviously dismissed Lucy as being too young.

“Look, mister, we don’t know anything about you. And we don’t know what happened to your brother, either.”

“Then let me go and I’ll be on my way.”

“Well,” Cilla said, training her gun at him once again, “here’s where we run into that little problem I mentioned.”

His eyes narrowed as he glared at her, but Cilla held her position. “See, you know who we are now. We can’t have you out there telling the world.”

The man stared at her, the silence between them hanging so heavily Cilla could almost taste it.

“I guess you won’t take my word for it that I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“No,” Cilla said with a slight smile.

“Well, then. What’s it to be? Gunshot to the head?”

“Effective, but messy, I’d think,” Cilla answered.

“Are one of you pretty ladies going to try and strangle me into silence?”

Cilla smiled again. “It’s getting late, Mister…?”

“You know my name.”

Cilla continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer. She wasn’t going to confirm anything just yet.

Finally he answered, biting each syllable out. “Forrester. Leo Forrester.”

Well, that removed any lingering doubt. Cilla fought to keep from glancing over at Brynne.

“Mr. Forrester, I might have a proposition for you that could help us both out.”

He glared at her and waited.

Cilla swallowed. “We won’t kill you. We’ll even help you find your brother.”

“And in return?”

“You marry my sister.” She nodded at Brynne.

Leo stood in silence for half a heartbeat, then took a breath as though he was going to speak. Instead, his laughter rang out, a deep, gut-wrenching laugh that would have been hard to resist had she not been so deadly serious. He sat down on the stool that was in the stall and put his head on his bound hands. Rubbing his face, he took a deep breath and looked back at Cilla.

She hadn’t expected a good reaction—well, she hadn’t been sure what to expect. But his laughter had taken her by surprise.

“I’m glad I can amuse you.” Her hand twitched on the gun. She’d like nothing more than to clock him over the head with it again.

He raised his hands a little, glancing down at the rope. “You have a funny way of expressing affection,” he said, looking around at each of them, coming to rest once again on Cilla.

“None of this appeals much to us either. But since we’re in sort of a rough situation, you are going to have to do.”

“Your tenderness astounds me.” He looked at her again, appreciation for what he saw flickering across his face. “Why your sister? Why not you?” he asked, his eyes burning into hers.

Cilla sucked in a breath, momentarily struck speechless. His lips twitched and Cilla glared. “Because she is the eldest and because she needs…” Her words trailed off as she glanced at her sister.

Leo followed her gaze, his eyes lingering on Brynne’s hands, which were resting on her slightly rounded belly. “She needs a name for her child.”

If there had been one ounce of derision in his voice, Cilla would have reintroduced him to the butt of her gun. But it was said matter of factly, even sympathetically.

“My child has a name,” Brynne snapped. “My hus—”

“Brynne!” Cilla glared at her sister. She understood how hard this was for her, but Brynne had agreed and there was no time to argue through it again.

Brynne folded her arms across her belly, her lips pinched tight.

“Wait! She’s Brynne? She’s the one my brother loved?” He took a step toward Cilla, his face darkening. “Does that mean my brother is dead? What happened to him?”

Cilla looked toward the barn doors. “Lucy?” Her sister glanced over and shook her head before turning her gaze back out the doors. Coast was still clear.

Sighing, Cilla tucked the gun into the waistband of her pants. “Look. We have no idea what happened to your brother. If he were here, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in now, so believe me, no one wants to find him more than we do. But since he isn’t here, we don’t have a whole lot of options. So this is real simple. You marry my sister, parade around as her husband for a couple weeks until a few…annoyances of ours go away. Then the marriage is annulled and you can go on your way.”