James walked to open it when LaRue whispered, “No heroics, boys, or Belle gets it.”
James nodded and just as he opened the door, he said in shock, “Belle?”
Trevor panicked.
LaRue jumped out from behind the storage trunk and rushed to the door. She signaled with the gun.
“Damn it, get in here, or I’ll kill ’em,” she whispered.
Belle stepped in holding her hands up in front of her. “Don’t hurt them, please.”
As soon as the door shut, LaRue frowned, cursing, “What the hell are you doing here?” She took a quick glance outside. “Was this stupid idea Tom’s?”
Belle shook her head. “No. He’s tied up and unconscious back at the inn.”
Flabbergasted, LaRue stuttered, “W–what?”
“Mm-hmm, my brothers and I knocked him out and tied him up.” Belle nodded. “He’s the one who told us about your plans.”
“How the hell did your brothers know where you were?” In apparent confusion, LaRue shook her head.
Belle walked in closer to talk. Trevor opened his eyes wide in astonishment. Instead of shaking in her boots, she was as cool as a cucumber. The lady had spunk. Another reason why he loved her so.
Staring her straight in the eye, she replied, “You had them tied up in the room with me. You see, they are deputies in Little Rock, and now they are outside armed and ready to attack when I give the signal. My other brother, the sheriff, is also with them.”
She glanced behind her and added, “So if I was you, I’d give myself up.”
LaRue laughed. “Give up. Do you think a sheriff and two deputies can stop me? Honey, I’ve had bigger posses after me and my gang.” She peered out the window, and when she noted the coast was clear, she signaled her henchmen. “You boys, go out there and kill ’em.” She pulled Belle in front of her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pointed the gun in Belle’s face with the other.
“I’m gonna stay in here and make sure this here lady and her lovers stay put and don’t cause any more problems.”
Her men nodded and crept outside with their guns held up ready to fire. Belle glanced at them, and Trevor’s heart skipped a beat with utter worry for her safety. When she winked at him without LaRue seeing, his heart pounded erratically, making breathing difficult. He knew she would do something crazy.
She wasn’t trained for this. They were. Why didn’t she just leave everything to them and her brothers, the lawmen outside?
Glancing to the floor, Belle said while slowly slipping her hand up her sleeve, “I don’t think it was a smart idea letting your boys out there.”
“My boys are the best shooters in all of the West. Your brothers are no match for them, honey,” LaRue mumbled while scouting the perimeter through the windows when two shots were heard, one right after the other. She was too preoccupied to notice Belle took out a gun she had hidden in her sleeve.
Readying her gun in one hand, Belle responded, “That’s where you’re wrong. You see, my brothers are the best marksmen in all of Arkansas.” And with the other hand, she pulled LaRue’s arm roughly, freeing herself, and then she shot LaRue square in the shoulder in one split second. “And I’m even faster than they are.”
With an expression of shock, LaRue took two steps backward. Her gun fell to the floor. She never saw it coming. Trevor’s jaw fell at Belle’s speed. And when he glanced at James, he sported the same reaction. But an instant after that, James jumped forward to grab the gun LaRue dropped. He pointed it at her.
Wild LaRue put a hand on her bleeding shoulder and simply gawked at Belle.
Taking a deep breath, she replied, “Honey, I knew there was a reason why I liked you.” Then she forced a laugh as she saw the door open and three lawmen walked inside. “I would have never thought I’d be taken down by a woman.”
Moving to sit on the chair on the side, she added, “Well, I guess it’s better to be taken down by a woman instead of a man.” Then she cackled. “Except if you’re talkin’ sex. Then anythin’ goes.” She glanced at Belle and Trevor and James with her address. “Ain’t that right?”
Trevor saw Belle blush and wanted to run to her and hug her. But Belle looked at him for only a second and then diverted her gaze back to her brothers.
“Are they dead?” she asked,
The tallest brother answered with a frown, “Yes, they are.” He grabbed LaRue by her good arm and lifted her roughly. He spoke to his deputies. “You two, take her out of here and bring her to the doctor to mend her shoulder.” He then looked at Belle with serious eyes. “And you, I need to talk to outside.”
“All right, but can you give me a minute?” She nodded.
He looked at her and then at Trevor and James. “One minute.” Then, speaking to them, he said, “If you’ll come back to Little Rock with us, we’ll make arrangements for you to transport LaRue back to Texas.”
“Thanks. We appreciate all you and your men have done,” James replied.
The sheriff looked at his sister. “If I had been informed of my sister’s and brothers’ plan earlier, I would have been a better help.” He walked over to the door, pointed a finger as if to remind his sister he’d be waiting for her outside.
Once he left, Trevor started to swoop in to hug and kiss her. James tailed him, saying, “Pretty lady, you put us through hell.” But Belle put up her arm to stop him.
The look in her eyes bore a hole through his heart.
How the hell would she pull this off? She had played it over and over in her head while she and John rode to the train station. She promised herself she’d steel her emotions and not risk getting hurt anymore. What they had was over. They’d be heading back to Texas in a day or so, and she would stay here.
There was no room in their lives for their complicated fling to continue. The only person who would continue to get hurt was her because she had fallen in love with them both. And she couldn’t endure any more of it.
Taking a deep breath, she put her arm up to block Trevor’s advance. A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it.
“Look, boys, I’m sorry, but we can’t do this anymore,” she said with inner determination,
Trevor’s expression saddened while James asked, frowning, “Why not?”
She glanced at the window. “Because what happened between us wasn’t real. I planned the whole thing so I could find out what you were up to in Fort Smith.” She moved farther away to avoid their intense stare.
“You see, I came here incognito a few months back when the robberies started, to investigate them. My brothers John and Mat were in on it, but I didn’t tell my brother, the sheriff, Sam, because I knew he wouldn’t allow me to come.
“And when my brothers told me you were hired as the new expressmen, I found it odd that out-of-towners would be hired instead of lawmen from here. I figured you were the ones responsible for the train robberies happening around these parts.”
Trying to keep her emotions buried, and right now it pained her unbearably to do so, she stared at them purposely with a blank expression and added, “I decided to seduce you to try to find out the truth about why you came here.”
“No, it was more than that.” James shook his head.
“Belle.” Trevor tried to take her hand.
She felt the tears brimming, and she wanted to jump into his arms, both their arms, but she couldn’t.
Breaking free from Trevor’s hold, she ran out of there mumbling, “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
Chapter 12
She dragged her feet as she stepped into the office. John took one look at her and frowned. “Boy, did you wake up on the other side of the bed this morning or what?”
