“Begging your pardon, sir,” Will said with a tip of his hat. “Just wanted to be sure I didn’t hurt you with my careless misstep.”
The figure grunted, and Will moved on.
No, this was no place for a lady.
Will turned into the back alley, where he noticed a couple of Ben’s thugs standing by the back door smoking. So much for thinking he’d be able to sneak in the easy way. He sighed. Was there a way in on the other side of the building? The front and back were covered too well for him to get past.
He turned back the way he came, wondering how he could get around to the other side of the building. Surely this place had a fire escape or something. The man he’d encountered remained in a heap, but this time, Will gave him a wide berth. No sense in disturbing an already disturbed man.
When he reached the main street, he sucked in large, deep breaths, though the air here wasn’t much better than in the alley. His timing couldn’t have been better, for as he looked up, he spied the face of a familiar groom.
“Jasper! What are you doing here?”
Jasper stopped and looked at him. “Backing you up, of course. I can’t believe you left without telling me. I thought we were in this together.”
The betrayal in his friend’s eyes almost made Will feel bad for leaving Jasper behind. But as gunshots rang out from the direction of the front door of the saloon, Will’s conscience cleared.
“Ben’s got all of the entrances covered.” Will gestured toward Colt. “With some of the best guns in the West. There’s no way we’re getting in.”
“So, we’re just giving up?” A female voice piped up from behind Jasper.
Mary.
“At the risk of repeating myself, what are you doing here?”
Mary squared her shoulders. “Same thing as you are. My sister is in there, and I’ve got to save her.”
As much as Will admired her courage and loyalty, Mary had no idea the kind of people they were dealing with. Whatever her history with Ben, she’d clearly not witnessed the level of violence the man was capable of.
Will grabbed her by the shoulders and pointed her in the direction of the saloon. “Do you see that tall man by the door?”
Mary nodded slowly.
“His name is Colt. Do you know what his hobby is?”
This time, Mary shook her head.
“He collects the badges of lawmen he’s killed. He’s never lost a gunfight. Never.”
Despite the noise from the street around them, Will heard Mary swallow.
Will continued with his dose of reality. “Every door is covered by at least two of Ben’s men, and from what I’ve seen, they have backup waiting in the wings. Ben is just waiting for someone to come rescue your sister, and he’s got enough firepower to make sure that whoever comes doesn’t come out alive.”
“That must mean she’s there against her will.” Mary’s plea made it sound almost simple. “Besides, they let Frank visit the other day.”
More sweet simplicity that failed to comprehend the duplicity Ben operated under.
“They let the pastor in to talk to Rose in broad daylight. I’m sure Ben knows I’m back, and he knows that I won’t let his actions stand. It’s me he’s prepared against.”
Mary looked at him, so intently that even in the growing darkness, he could tell that she wasn’t going to let him off as easily as she had in the past.
“Who are you that he would need so many guards to keep you out?”
She would never trust him again. Not if he told the truth. But of all the things his association with Ben Perry had turned him into, he wasn’t about to add liar to the list.
The weight of Mary’s stare increased.
“He’s the best lawman this side of the Mississippi,” Jasper answered with the kind of puppy-dog pride that served only to shame Will.
“Keep your voice down,” Will hissed. “That’s not a fact a man goes bragging about in this part of town.”
He swallowed the shame welling in his throat and looked at Mary. “Besides, I’m not anymore. That bank robbery Ben’s responsible for? It cost me my badge.”
And a whole host of other things, but the gist would have to do. Especially since they were starting to attract attention.
“Come on. Let’s head back toward a more respectable part of town. People don’t stand around here jawing for as long as we’ve been.”
At least now Mary seemed willing to listen to him. Maybe he should have told her to begin with.
“I had no idea,” Mary said quietly. “I wish...”
Poor thing already blamed herself for her sister’s troubles. Now she was probably feeling worse, given her refusal to talk to Will when he’d first come to town. Will took her by the arm and quickened his pace toward the more civilized part of town.
“It’s not your fault. Even if you’d been open with me, and I’d told you about Ben, he still would have found a way to target your family’s fortune. If not marrying your sister, then he’d have tried something else—robbery, kidnapping, extortion...”
Mary sniffled a little, as though she was trying to hold back tears. She’d had no idea what sort of man she’d been up against. It made him realize that as much as he’d thought he’d been helping Daisy, the other woman had never been as genuinely horrified by Ben’s actions.
Will should have never put Mary in the same category as Daisy. Mary was too sweet and innocent to have realized what a dangerous game Ben played. He only regretted that some of that innocence had to be lost in seeing Ben’s game play out.
Chapter Seventeen
Mary tried shutting her ears to Will’s words. If she’d told her side of the story to the sheriff, maybe he’d have believed her. Maybe Ben would have been arrested and be in jail. Then he wouldn’t have robbed the bank, and Will would still have his badge.
Yes, Mary was right in keeping her misdeeds from
