Repeating over and over in Judith’s brain was Peyton declaring ‘how could I not love her’? Could he be serious? Oh, how she wanted him to mean what he’d said. When had she fallen so much in love with her husband?
***
Peyton sent Oslo’s horse off to the side and had the next man get down. They repeated the process until all nine men were lined up. Carlos took charge of the horses and took them to the livery corral.
Peyton tied a rope around Oslo’s neck and then wrapped it around the next rat’s neck and so on until all nine were linked by the throat and he had the lead.
“Sit down, men. Take off your boots and toss them in front of you out of your reach.” He figured at least half of them had either a gun or knife or both tucked inside his boot. Diego collected the boots.
Oslo glared at Diego. “Don’t think I won’t remember this, Ramirez.”
Diego returned the glare. “Don’t think I don’t remember all the things you’ve done and said, you conceited pig. You’d better be glad Peyton Knight is a law abiding man or you’d all be strung from a tree by now.” He created a pile of the boots.
Peyton motioned with his rifle. “Get to your feet and walk to the jail. Better move with your friends or you’ll choke.”
Grumbling at one another and the situation, the men got to their feet and walked the short distance to the jail with Peyton leading them and Jeff and Diego walking alongside them.
Once there, Peyton called, “Sarge, we have a new shipment of recruits for you to train. They’re raw and need your discipline.”
Sarge opened the door, careful not to stand in the open portal. “Bring them right in. Reckon it will get cozy in those two cells before morning.”
As the miscreants plodded in, Oscar bellowed, “Oslo, no! I figured you’d be along to get me out of here.”
Oslo looked at his brother. “We sent word to Lawson ’fore we rode here. By now he’ll be on his way. He’ll show these people who’s running this end of the county.”
Sarge locked the cell door behind Oslo. “Well, it isn’t you or your kind any longer so you’d better get used to the idea.”
Oslo crossed his arms. “You’ll see. Only you won’t because you’ll be dead. I’ll bet with this many of us we could rip these bars loose and storm out of here.”
Sarge smiled. “You can try. Then we’ll just have to start shooting into the bunch of you. You two big boys would be hard to miss.”
His smirk gone, Oslo backed away from the bars.
Jeff and Diego piled the collected guns and boots in one corner. Diego turned his back to the prisoners and whispered, “Papa is sending the boardinghouse residents to the church unless they choose to fight.”
Carlos came in. “Horses are in the corral. Wimberly said he’d unsaddle them and give them some feed.” He shook his head. “Wanted to know who’s going to pay for it, as if I’d know.”
Diego looked around. “I’d better get back to the boardinghouse before Lawson gets here. He’ll likely have a bunch of the cowboys with him.”
Carlos looked at the men in the cells. “I think this is all except one of the pistoleros from Mac’s house where I was. A couple that guard Lawson stay at his side.”
Jeff shoved his revolver into his waistband and carried his rifle. “If it’s all right I’ll go to the boardinghouse, too. In a way it’s good we’re split up like this. We can get them in the crossfire.”
Carlos looked at Peyton. “Where do you want me? I’m only a cowboy but I’ll follow your directions.”
Peyton hadn’t forgotten the deputy but he figured the heavy drinker was at the saloon and too drunk to be a real threat. On the other hand, Carlos was a definite plus.
“Would you stay here with Sarge and Ozzie and me? We have plenty of firepower, but Lawson will want to get his men out of jail.”
Dang, he sure wished he could be with Red. He had to believe she could defend herself but he wanted to be where he could keep an eye on her. He had to admit, he simply wanted to be wherever she was.
Carlos shook his head. “Unless I miss my guess, he won’t care about anyone who gets caught. He’ll be more likely to shoot them to keep them from talking.”
Peyton watched the prisoners while they digested that news. From the worried expressions on most faces, the men believed that to be true—except for the Jorgensen twins. Those two sure had an elevated opinion of their worth.
The three men helped Peyton organize a defense. They overturned the marshal’s desk and a table as shields against bullets. Having former soldiers Ozzie and Sarge was especially helpful. Carlos claimed to be ‘only a cowboy’, but he caught on quickly and pitched in to help.
By the time they heard riders pounding into town, they were ready. Dawn was breaking on the horizon.
Lawson was accompanied by five men. He was a large and imposing man who sat his horse well. Peyton couldn’t help wondering what made the man so greedy. He already owned a big spread. Why wasn’t what he had enough?
Lawson and his men stopped in front of the boardinghouse. “Send out McAdams and Carlos or I’ll burn this town to the ground. Others of my men are on the way.”
Peyton opened the marshal’s office door and stepped outside. “Your other men are already here. They and your crooked marshal are in cells.”
The power-hungry rancher whirled. “Who the devil are you?”
“Peyton Knight, I’m an agent with Pinkerton Detective Agency. Had some complaints about the way you’ve been running
