chapter 1

“Don’t be stupid, you ain’t gonna shoot me. Put the damned thing away before one of us gets hurt.” Bellowed

the deep voice as it entered the house, the storm outside outlined the figure when the lightning struck. “I…I will do it!” The young trembling voice called out, “He…He got Mama and he ain’t getting me! You ain’t getting me either

mister!” The little boy’s voice cried out holding the colt so tightly that his little knuckles were turning white.

One eye peeked out from under the brim of the old hat and dirty blue handkerchief wrapped around the

strangers’ face. He stood in the doorway so the young tyke couldn’t escape he surveyed the little room. He looked down at the boy after seeing the two bodies on the other side of the room, the man was slumped against the wall with a bullet hole in his chest. The woman on the other hand was in a ball with her

back to the room. “Are you alone?” The deep voice called out after a moment. “No. But I don’t know where my brother is.” The gun was gaining weight in his hands and he was struggling to keep aim. The

tears started to stain his face; no little boy should ever see his mama struck

down. “What is your brother’s name?” “Nick.” Replied the little boy, “He’s 4. I’m Ian and I’m six and a

half.” Ian’s arms finally gave out and dropped to his sides the gun still weighing heavy in his right hand. “You got a last name there Ian?” The man asked calmly, “No, mama never gave us one.” Just as calm fell upon

the boy for a brief moment movement caught the man’s eye and he rushed to grab his gun. The mother’s body began to move and before panic set in a blonde-haired little boy that looked like the first one popped up and looked around. The man gave a sigh of relief not allowing Ian to notice he was actually nervous. “Nick!”

Ian gasped as he dropped the colt and ran to his brother, he pulled him out from under his mother and bear-hugged him. Picking up the gun and putting it in his holster the man looked at the two boys. He took off his hat

and scratched his salt and pepper mop on top his head, “I guess I can’t just leave the two of you here alone.” He sighed. “Go pack a bag for you and your brother Ian I will get some wood to start a fire.” Ian ran to his room and then stopped in the doorway. “Why do you need wood if we are going with you?” Ian looked back at the man with big green eyes judging everything the man had to offer them. “We are gonna burn the house down.” He

choked out. “Not with mama in here!” Ian yelled running back at the man and pummeling his stomach with his tiny fists. The man grabbed Ian’s fists and knelt down to face him man to man, “I ain’t digging no holes.” “Yes,

you are!” Ian yelled back with tears streaking his face again. The man stood up, “No I ain’t.” “Then you pack our things and Nick and I will dig a hole for our mama.” The boys stopped at the front door to watch the wind and rain crash down at their feet. Ian grabbed a small poncho and wrapped his brother in it, “It will help a little bit. Mama

kept a shovel near the chicken coop.” He grasped Nick’s little hand in his and proceeded out the door to the chicken coop. Stomping around for a moment and contemplating everything he had ever done up until this moment the

man turned to their room and proceeded to fill a sack with their needs. Spying a photograph on the nightstand it was of the boys and their mother. The man had no heart to leave it and cramped it in the bottom of the bag and returned to the living room. Leaving the bag on the table he stepped out onto the porch looking for the boys. Spotting them moments later near a large dead tree he took his jacket off and made his way to the boys. Gabbing them up each under one arm he brought them back into the house. “I think it’s time for the two of you to get some sleep.” “I have a job to do!” Ian yelled the man watched the anger and sorrow cover his face when Nick yawned pulling them both out of the trance. “Your job is to take care of your brother. I will take care of your mama, stay in your room and go to

sleep and I will put your mama in the hole you started.” The man’s silver eyes pierced Ian’s soul and he hoped he could trust him. “You promise?” “I promise.” The man stood up and began to leave, “What is your name?” The man stopped. Silence filled the room, his name? Why would anyone want to know his name? It wasn’t anything special and it had no meaning behind it. Finally, “Harrison Ruger.” Fell past his lips and he turned slowly to look at the boys. “I guess that will be your name now too, Ian Ruger.” Ian caught his breath and watched as Harrison proceeded out the door of the small house. As the sun breached the horizon and let in a line of light over Ian’s face Harrison was putting the final stone on their mother’s grave. Ian dressed and ran out the door as quickly as he could to meet Harrison at the tree. He stopped instantly, the youngest ran out and stopped by his brother who was still in his sleep gown. “What do we do now?” Ian asked looking up at Harrison who was covered head to

toe in mud. He scratched the back of his neck and suggested getting her flowers as he cleaned up and prepared to set the fire. Finding an old buckboard, he gathered up his horse and hitched him to it. He gathered what he could of food, and their belongings and threw the two shotguns and ammo he found while scavenging the home and, in the wagon, it went as well. Watching the two little boys place wildflowers on their mother’s grave made Harrison realize that he needed them more than they needed him. Getting Nick dressed and tossing him in the back with their items, Harrison set fire to the house and drove the horse and wagon away. Ian looked up at him after a while. “Will I ever get to see her again?” Not looking at him Harrison sighed, “Hopefully not for a long-time son."

1868

“DON’T PLAY STUPID WITH ME!” Ian shoved the barrel of his gun into the mouth of a man crying for mercy.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about mister honest!” The man cried. The barkeep was wiping a glass clean with a white cloth, “Please for the last time can you do this outside?” Ian looked at him with a twisted face, “You want some of this too Hershel?” The man closed his eyes and let his shoulders drop and allowed for a long sigh before answering. “No Ian I don’t; Aren’t you taking this a little far? Harrison’s been dead for over seven years now.” “BECAUSE HE WAS MURDERED BY THIS ASSHOLE!” “Whose Harrison?!” The man cried, “Oh shut up!” Ian kicked the terrified man off his stool and sat down, the man ran crying from the saloon. “Oh, don’t

look at me like that I let him go.” Ian scowled holding out his hand for a glass. Hershel was not impressed, “Weren’t you an officer in Lee’s army? You don’t act officerly… at least not anymore. Why can’t you be like your brother?”

“WHAT!? Are you insane? He turned blue belly on us and is living it up in Washington licking all their boots! No way in hell would you catch me living like that!” Hershel rolled his eyes, “Oh no an honest living. How terrible.” He

picked up another cup and cleaned it out before filling it and giving it to Ian, “You can’t be a bounty hunter your whole life, you need to settle down and get married.” Ian took a big swig out of the crystal and coughed, “I’m too old

to get married and besides I gotta find who put the bullet in Harrison… Pops back.” Ian looked at the honey-colored liquid in his cup. Hearing a crash and some yelling outside Hershel perked up to see what was going on past the saloon doors when in stormed a young woman repeating every curse word she had ever heard in her life. Hershel sank back to his stool, “You young folk have no manners or decorum anymore.” Ian smirked in his glass realizing that Hershel was over everyone’s bullshit today no thanks to himself he pushed his Stetson to sit on the back of his head so he could see more of what was going on. Hershel glared at the woman waiting for an apology, which he knew wasn’t going to happen. The woman turned red when she heard the barkeep speak the truth. Turning

redder and grinning at the man scowling back at her she made her way to the bar and sat down on the stool next to Ian, her skirts nearly swallowed up Ian’s legs when she settled into her seat. “Let me guess husband problems.” “Oh me? No…no…no…” She turned her head and placed her chin in her gloved palm. A big bulbous man broke through the doors and made a direct line to the young woman, “You have no right to do what you did young lady and you will be severely punished for what you did to your mother and me!” Ian looked at the man from the corner of his eye and then back to Hershel. “Give me two whiskeys. This situation is going to give me a headache.” The large man turned even redder than the young lady and grabbed Ian’s shoulder, “Who do you think you’re talking to?” “Clifford, stop! He didn’t do anything wrong you leave him alone!” The young woman yelled wrapping both her arms around the man’s one. Ian could not have been bothered, he drank both drinks and asked for the bottle. “I am Clifford MacDavonson! I am the bank and mine owner in Kansas and I am well respected in these parts so you better pay me my dues!” The young woman still holding onto the bulbous man’s arm watched for a reaction from the smaller man, he finished what was left in the bottle and snorted. “MacDavonson! That sounds like some bullshit made-up name!” He let out a good hearty laugh. The young woman’s tension eased and she softly smiled at him. “For the

love of God Ian don’t start any more trouble in here what did I just tell you?” Hershel barked trying to pull the bottle from him with no luck. “What is he to you sweetheart?” Ian asked pushing in the cork on the bottle, being caught off

guard she yelped out, “My mother’s husband!” Ian nodded registering the information in his head. Clifford pushed the young woman back, “Enough out of you girl!” She fell right to her butt a few feet away, “Thanks for that.” Ian

said looking back at Clifford, “What was that?!” He yelled in reply to being hit smack dab on the top of the head with the whiskey bottle sending him crashing to the floor near his stepdaughter. Hearing the commotion going on two armed men popped their heads in the front door, “He hit the boss!” One of them yelled. Jumping to his feet Ian tried to flee but the young woman grabbed his leg, “Take me with you!” “No way in hell sweetheart! I’ll pay you later Hershel!” Ian moved her to the side and ran out the back. Hershel tried to yell at him but gave up and went back to his cleaning. The young woman panicked not wanting to stick around for her stepfather to get back on his feet tripped up the two wannabe gunmen and followed the path Ian took. She found him coming out

of the livery yard and ran to stop him, grabbing for the reins of the horse she caught him off guard, “TAKE ME WITH YOU!” Trying to fight the reins away from her, Ian saw a gang filing out of the saloon, “Shit!” He leaned way down and grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up in front of himself and spurred his horse to getaway. Chest to chest she wrapped her arms tightly around his ribcage to hold on for dear life. After a few stray bullets caught him off

guard Ian reigned in the horse to a hideaway just outside of the town limits. Ian hopped off the horse first then pulled his passenger off next, “YOU DON’T NEED TO BE SO ROUGH!” “Shut up lady or they will find us.” Ian barked as he led his horse to the brook in the bushes. “I don’t hear anything she replied sneaking up behind him and startling him, “Jesus’ woman, you can scare a man half to death.” Ian dropped the horses’ reins when they got to the bottom of the bank and the horse trotted into the water to drink. “I have a name.” “And I don’t give a shit.” “It’s Audrey Claymont.” “It’s a whole lot of I don’t give a shit.” Ian took his hat off and knelt down by the water and washed his face and head and neck off of the sand that was picked up in their escape. “Where are we going now?” Ian’s head popped up before the sentence left her lips, “We aren’t going anywhere sister, I’m dropping you off in the next parish and I’m gone.” “Why can’t you take me with you? I can help you!” Ian laughed, “Help me with what?” He pushed past her to look out to see if they were being followed yet. The little hiding spot they were in was good cover, he didn’t see the storm rolling in when they took off out of town but now it was nearing them. “I don’t need your help, Darlin.” Ian looked up at the sky and frowned. “Well, we aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, storms rolling in we will have to hunker down here.” Ian spat out smacking his hat on his pants to knock the sand off it. “Storm! I don’t have anything to keep me dry, I don’t even have a cape!” She cried grabbing his suspenders and pulling him down to face her. “Not my problem!” He replied covering her whole face with his palm pushing her away from him.

Feeling the wind picking up Ian started to pull some branches down to make a covering and tied the

branches together, the best he could, and put a blanket on top of it just as the rain started. He grabbed his Morgan’s reins and tied him to a tree and covered his eyes then sat down under his shelter. Audrey stood with her arms

wrapped around herself as she watched him the rain has soaked her almost instantly and Ian did everything, he could to ignore her but finally gave in to the guilt and skooched over just enough to make space for one more person, he finally motioned for her and she rushed into his safe space. She snuggled up to him the best she could and even made her way into his coat and got his arm around her to keep her warm. The grin on her face annoyed Ian more than the wet coming off her and soaking his clothes as well. Audrey woke up to the sunlight dancing on her face she was wrapped up in Ian’s coat but no Ian she sat up worried that he left her and made her way out of their shelter and found him down by the little creek with his horse. Ian looked up the embankment to see Audrey staring down at him, he frowned when he noticed her dress was ripped up the front to her knees. Raising his eyes to meet hers he blushed slightly realizing she knew what he was looking at. “How’s your horse?” She asked trying

to ease the tension that was surrounding them. “Oh. Caesar is fine. He managed to not get hurt during the storm.” Audrey handed him his coat the roar of thunder caught them off guard, “Maybe we better find better shelter I don’t

think Caesar can take another night in this weather.” Audrey grabbed her dress, “I don’t think I can either.” Ian sighed, “The only place to get to is in the next town over and that’s probably where they will start looking for you.” “Is

that the only place to go?” Audrey asked as she followed Ian and Caesar up the embankment to the road. Ian looked up and down the road, one way led back to town where whatever Audrey was part of was back there

and the other way was to him dropping her off and going on his way. Helping her up on the horse first he jumped up behind her and grabbed the reins from around her, “Look I’m not gonna do any more for you than what I said I would. I have injunctions of my own to take care of than to help out some girl get away from her ‘daddy issues.” He gruffed forcing his hat down where it was supposed to sit on his head. Audrey quietly contemplated what to say, “I can’t help you? You won’t let me go with you?” “Absolutely not. Like I said I don’t need some little girl tagging along dragging me down and adding me into her problems.” Audrey balled her fists, “You don’t even know my issues.” “And I don’t want to know them.” Tears fell down her cheeks as they grew red and hot, “My daddy was hung for murder! He was framed and he was still hung! I need to clear his name!” Ian sat quietly feeling her

sobbing in front of him. This isn’t my problem he thought to himself, not getting the reaction she thought she would have gotten out of him she threw her hand up in the air and threw herself back on him, “OH woes me! And my poor

father who was…” Trying to hold her still from her antics Ian could see a dust cloud rising behind them, and with the amount of rain they had, he was surprised the dust was picking up as it did. It was probably a posse coming

after her sent by her step-father. As she began to lash around jerking them around in the saddle, he jerked the reins as hard as he could tossing them down the embankment on the other side of the road down to a

ravine. It was about a 50-foot slope that they all slid down and came to a stop at the bottom. “YOU COULD HAVE KILLED US!” Audrey screamed making it to her feet, Ian reached up and pulled her down on top of him as they heard the thundering of the horses come to a stop above them. “I swore I saw something over here!” One of the posse members called out “Ah you’re just stupid!” Another yelled hitting him with his hat. “We need to get her back I want that bounty on her head!” A man in a black hat and coat barked back. “That five thousand dollars will do me a lot of good once I get her!” The first one said back, “I don’t think I want the money… He said she was a virgin… She could be worth way more than that.” The three men talked and started to laugh. “Come on she couldn’t have gotten that far.” “That guy that hit the boss in the head may be helping her.” “I doubt it, Conners, he looked like he

wanted nothing to do with her, he probably dropped her off in the next town over, she wasn’t worth his time.” The men started to laugh. Waiting for it to remain quiet for a while Ian finally let his captive go and got Caesar to his

feet. Audrey stood quietly watching him, she did not know what he would do with the information that was just said about her. Fixing the saddle and patting Caesar’s neck he looked over at her still standing and watching him. “You gonna tell me why that stepfather of yours wants you back bad enough to tell a bunch

of men you’re a ******?” Her face lit up red as ever and she crossed her arms over her chest. Ian frowned looking at her. He turned back to his horse and got into his saddlebags and pulled out some jerky. “I don’t think he’s here for your best interests.” Ian made his way to her and handed her a piece of the jerky which she gladly accepted. She didn’t speak. As much as he wanted her to stop talking now was not the time to bottle it up. If

she had a bounty on her head for her ‘safe’ return he might as well have one on his head. The walk through the

ravine was quiet but the information running through Ian’s head was loud as ever what was the secret behind this little lady with such a big bounty on her and why did her stepfather want her back so bad and why was the word ****** popping back in his head every time, he thought about it? Looking back at her she was still covering her breasts and still red and mad as ever. He had to figure out how to get her to spill what dirty little secrets she was hiding. Finally, he gave up and stopped. She did not notice he had stopped and ran into his back. Rubbing her nose, she took a step back to look at him, lifting the brim of his brown Stetson a few locks of brown hair came popping out.

That amused Audrey enough to lower her guard and let out a small giggle. “Now will you tell me what the

hell is going on? If it will be worth it to risk my neck for you?” Audrey’s blue eyes cut through him like daggers making him feel guilty for forcing her into a corner. Her shoulders dropped and her smile faded. After wringing her

hands together for a few minutes, she finally spoke. “Daddy’s will stated that if I was married before my 22nd birthday all his assets would be given to me.” Unmoved by what she had said he waited for the next part. “If I don’t get married all my fathers’ assets will be given to my mother to do with as she sees fit.” “That doesn’t seem that bad why are you worried?” “Because Clifford would have access to all of it being my mother’s husband and I would be left with nothing. All my father’s hard work would be used to whatever Clifford saw fit and he has already told me that when that day comes, he would put me out on the street.” “Come on I don’t think he would do that to you.” “Then why did he tell a bunch of men I am a ******?” Ian stopped and got quiet. She was right it’s not that that would scare her into coming back but it was meant to keep her away and never return due to the shame of what would come of it if a posse got a hold of her. “I need to clear my father’s name first. I know he was framed I know someone was out to get him because of what he had. My father is no killer Ian and I need to prove it before I can even think about getting married.” Audrey grabbed the front of Ian’s coat to keep his attention. “When is your 22nd birthday?” “In four weeks.” Ian looked at the sky and watched the clouds turn from gray to black, the first few drops of rain hit his face. Letting out a slow deep breath Ian finally asked “So, who was he accused of killing?” “A man named Harrison Ruger.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***