Rexes & Robbers Read online

  “So, since our services have been contracted to take on the Band of Misfits, I think you owe me an explanation about your history with The Croc. Especially since you’re supposed to supply his weaknesses.”

  “You’re right,” she frowned. “It’s not a nice story though.”

  “Neither was mine and you listened to me.” Clem gave her an encouraging smile.

  Taking a deep breath, Ro closed her eyes, and then recounted, “I told you the reason I became an outlaw in the first place, about the bank stealing my father’s land, but I never told you what happened after that. I didn’t just start easily robbing banks. Les Chambers found me in a jail cell with blood dripping from my head, and for some god-awful reason, he decided to keep me. To this day, I think he wanted a pet, but he ended up loving me a little too much instead.” Clem sucked in a breath, but didn’t interrupt. “He never raised a hand to me, never harmed me physically, but he made up for it with his manipulations. Les knew I was against taking innocent lives, and his third rule was no witnesses. It was a contradiction, and because of that, for the first year, my job was to make sure the gold and money was taken, and then I left with it. I never stayed for the nasty part.” Ro shook her head. “But before long, Les’ love became as twisted as he was. He grew possessive, overbearing, hell, he killed a man for asking me to hand him a plate. It got to be too much, the death, and so I started going behind his back and warning the hits that the Band of Misfits were coming, that they shouldn’t be where we planned to.”

  “You betrayed The Croc?” Clem concluded in awe.

  “I tried. It worked ten times. The eleventh, he set me up, and I watched a passenger airship burn for my blunder. That’s the moment he gave me my outlaw name.”

  “I always wondered why your name was The Ghost.”

  Ro opened her eyes and stared at Clem. “It was because I tried to help, but no one could see me, hear me, and because I was already dead.”

  “Christ, no wonder you don’t like to use it.”

  “When I had the opportunity to leave, I wasn’t alone. Five others came with me, including Jiminy and Theo. We tried to slip out under the cover of darkness, but Les caught us before we could. Except… he let us walk away because I asked him to. At first, I thought it was because he did love me, but he made it clear he thought I would come back on my own. I never did, and I never will.” She shook her head. “I haven’t seen him since, having the foresight to stay as far away from his whereabouts as possible, but it seems like he’s about to find me. I guarantee you that he already knows I’m here.”

  “Does that scare you?”

  “It would have, before all this. Now, I just wanna give that asshole a taste of my bullets. The lives I could have saved if I’d only shot him six years ago.”

  “You can’t carry that burden, Ro. It isn’t yours. It’s his.”

  “I know, but it still sits heavily in my gut anyways. When it comes time, if he doesn’t back down and leave, if he tries to harm Embertown, I’ll put a bullet right in his forehead just like I should’ve back then. And if I can’t, I need you to do it.”

  “Me?”

  “You’re as good a shot as any, and if I’m unable to get to my revolver, I trust you to do it, because you know what it’s like to be caged just as I do.”

  Frowning, Clem nodded her head. “I’ll do what needs to be done.”

  “Good. I really think I need a drink. Did you already invite Dolly up?”

  “I don’t know what ya mean.” Her voice was so coy, it was hard to miss the teasing there.

  Ro laughed and stood up. “I’ll see you later.”

  She was halfway to the door when Clem’s voice stopped her.

  “Ro?” Ro looked over her shoulder. “Thanks for telling me, and for future reference, I always thought you were called The Ghost because you’re a guardian angel to so many. Maybe think of it like that when it comes to mind.”

  Ro smiled, nodded her head once, and slipped from the room. She waited until the door was closed before she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She really could use a whiskey.

  Walking to the saloon was uneventful. While many were preparing for the attack tomorrow, others were clearing the roads of hindrances. When such large dinosaurs became a threat, it was best to clear things that could kill people if thrown. Ro had once seen a wagon hurled through the air by a dino tail, only to land on people nearby. It hadn’t been pretty.

  She winced when she passed by the destroyed bank, but repair work had already begun and the vault still stood as strong as ever. Knowing King, it would probably take some holy Armageddon to destroy the thing.

  The saloon was quiet except for a few of the working girls sitting on the steps. None of them paid Ro any mind as she pushed through the swinging doors and made her way to the bar. She received more than a few looks, mixes of fear and anger, disdain and hatred. She wondered how many of them knew who she was, knew that she was an outlaw. No doubt it would have spread through the town like wildfire. Sighing at the turn of events, Ro gestured for the bottle.

  “Could you leave the whole bottle please?” she asked the bartender. True to his form, he didn’t judge her in any way. He set the whiskey on the wood counter, along with three glasses. “I only need one.”

  “Thanks, Riley,” a voice spoke behind her. “Three’ll do.”

  Ro turned just in time for Boone to take a seat on her right.

  “Three it is,” King chimed in, slipping into the stool on her left.

  Ro looked between them, trying to get a read on the situation, but when she couldn’t figure out what they were thinking, she grabbed the whiskey bottle with a sigh and poured a fifth into two glasses and then a triple for herself.

  “Isn’t that a little much?” Boone queried, raising his brow.

  “You tryin’ to say I can’t handle my liquor?”

  “I’m sayin’ you should probably go slow considering we’re expecting one of the most wanted outlaws in town tomorrow.”

  With a heavy sigh, Ro poured half of the amber liquid back into the bottle before taking a sip. “Is there something y’all came to tell me?”

  Ro assumed this was the moment they’d tell her they weren’t really interested anymore, that they thought about it and decided she wasn’t worth all the trouble. She wasn’t gonna lie, she seemed to bring trouble wherever she went. It only made sense that they wouldn’t want that trouble on their doorstep.

  “Maybe we just wanted to spend time with you.” King took a sip and drew her attention. “Last time I saw you, you were sitting pretty in a jail cell with Earl.”

  Ro grimaced. “I’m sorry about your bank.”

  King waved it away. “If you needed money, you could have asked. I was already going to tell you I bought the land you were interested in. The deed is in your name.”

  Ro had lifted her glass to take a sip just as he dropped that information. She sputtered, spewing perfectly good whiskey all over the bar and herself. It burned where it went up her nose and she started to cough.

  Shaking his head, Boone started patting Ro on the back a little too hard to help, but it was the thought that counted. “You can’t say something like that without warning, you idiot. You’re gonna kill her.”

  “How was I supposed to know that my gift would cause such a reaction?”

  “Seriously? You bought her a hundred fucking acres you idiot. How did you think she’d react?”

  “Stop!” Ro wiped her nose with the back of her hand, her voice nearly a croak. “I had to have heard you wrong. You didn’t buy me a hundred acres. You can’t.”

  “Why can’t I?” King studied her. “Did you forget I’m rich?”

  “Rich enough to give away large plots of land?” He only shrugged. “You can’t give that to me. I tried to rob you. I pointed my revolver at your chest for fuck’s sake! Take it back!”

  “Alas, the bank doesn’t accept returns.”

  “Fucking goddamned—”

  “Whoa
, troublemaker. There’s no need for name callin’. Take a deep breath. We’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

  “I won’t accept it,” Ro argued. “I can’t accept something like that for free.”

  King pursed his lips, his eyes meeting Boone’s over her head, as if they were having some sort of private conversion without speaking. “Then consider it payment for priceless information on The Croc and for helping defend the town. Boone told me you sent for the rest of your crew, and that anyone who’s capable will be in Embertown by dawn to help protect it. That is no small thing.”

  “It’s not worth a giant plot of land.”

  “It is to us. That hundred acres is for the Free Outlaws to settle down however they’d want, for you to do with as you please. I won’t take it back.”

  “Just tell him you’ll take it already,” Boone growled. “We have more important matters to discuss.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like us three, and you still haven’t revealed The Croc’s weaknesses.”

  “I’m gonna ignore the ‘us three’ comment for now. Les’ weaknesses are easy enough. I’m one of them.”

  “What?” Boone and King growled the word at the same time, both shifting closer on their stools. “You better elaborate, Red,” King insisted.

  “He’s convinced himself he loves me. He let me walk away from the Band of Misfits. He let me live after I betrayed him. He’s been looking for me for six years. I’m one of his weaknesses.”

  “You and the Spinosaurus were lovers?” Boone asked, and even though he was attempting to use his sheriff voice, he ended up mostly growling instead.

  “I didn’t know how much of a psycho he was when he took me into his crew. I knew he was dangerous, but I assumed it was because of his species. I found out pretty fast how wrong I was, and then it became a means of survival rather than anything else.”

  “Did you love him?” King’s voice was soft, deadly, but understanding. He still didn’t judge her, even after all he’d learned, even after all she’d done.

  Ro shook her head. “No. Les Chambers isn’t a monster to love. I might have cared for him, but that all died long ago. At least, I hope it did.” She frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t know if I’ll freeze when I see him again. It’s been six years.”

  “You won’t be alone,” Boone reminded her. “He may be a Spino, but you have two Rexes at your back, not to mention the rest of the town.”

  “I need to ask y’all something I couldn’t ask of Clem.”

  “Anything.” King listened intently.

  “If everything goes wrong and we lose, don’t let him take me. No matter how you have to ensure that.”

  “What are you asking?” Boone growled.

  “I’m saying, I’d rather be The Ghost than be Les’ pet again.” Ro took another swig of whiskey. “I’d rather be dead than be at his mercy.”

  “It won’t come to that,” King promised, but Ro knew it wasn’t one he could guarantee.

  “Just, please, if it does come down to it, make sure.”

  “I promise,” Boone vowed, and King gave him a sharp look. “It won’t come to that anyways. Don’t look at me like that.”

  Ro knew that neither King nor Boone were prepared for such a situation. She could feel it in the tension settling over them and regretted bringing it up in the first place, but she couldn’t ask it of Clem. The only other people she thought could do it would be Jiminy and Theo, because they knew what it had been like with the Band of Misfits. They knew the hell it was. Theo was a shit shot, though, which left only Jiminy. She hated to ask her friend such a thing, but she knew it was necessary. She refused to be shoved back inside a cage.

  “We have another matter to discuss.”

  “Is this where y’all tell me you’re tired of my trouble?” she inquired, and although her tone was flippant, she dreaded the answer.

  King snorted and Ro looked at him in surprise. It was the most unclassy thing she’d ever heard him do. He hardly opened himself to such things. “You think we’re going to say we don’t want you?”

  Boone shook his head. “You must be crazier than a bed bug. We ain’t saying that.”

  “Not at all.”

  Ro looked between them, her brows wrinkling. “Then what are you saying?”

  “We both want you. Neither of us are backing down.” King laced his fingers through hers and turned on his stool so his knees were against her thigh.

  “Neither of us are willing to let the other have you,” Boone added with a shrug, mimicking King’s motions and turning. He held her right hand.

  “So?” Ro prompted, afraid to voice what she though they meant.

  “We’re asking if you’ll have us both, Red,” King clarified with a chuckle. “’Cause we’re too damned hardheaded to decide. So we’re leaving it up to you.”

  “If you choose one of us, that’s it. The other will walk away. But we’re open to you choosing both, if you’re up for it.”

  “But you’re Tyrannosaurus Rexes,” she gasped. “What about being territorial?”

  “Do you really think we could live in the same town and hold high power jobs if we were always fighting each other?” Boone questioned. “We learned to work with our differences long ago.”

  Wide-eyed, Ro opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Lord, Clem was right, Ro thought.

  “Now you’ve sent her into shock.” King frowned, leaning forward. “Red, you okay?”

  “I’m. . .” Ro didn’t know what she was. Surprised? Yes. Confused? Not anymore. Alright? No idea. “Are you certain? I come with a lot of baggage.”

  “You mean you come with a lot of trouble,” Boone corrected. “We know. You did try to distract us and rob the bank, remember?”

  “I don’t think I could stay tied down.” Ro frowned. “What if I’m not ready to settle down?”

  “That’s alright too,” King replied. “We aren’t looking for a bird with clipped wings. Red, that’s what we like about you. You’re as wild as our Rexes. Why would we want to tame that?”

  Ro threw the rest of her whiskey back and slammed the glass on the counter. “You’re sure I can’t have any more whiskey?”

  “That’s probably for the best.” Boone stared at the whiskey glass. “We can drink after we win.”

  If we win, Ro thought, because Les “The Croc” Chambers wasn’t just some normal outlaw. He was the baddest of the bad, the monster among innocents. He wouldn’t be easy to take down, no matter how many people they had on their side.

  “I need my revolver,” she commented.

  “What about your hat?” King asked, frowning at her bare head. “I like your hat.”

  “It was Les’.”

  “I changed my mind,” King snarled at the new information and Ro laughed.

  “I stole it when I left to remind me what I survived.”

  “I’ll buy you a new damn hat,” King growled. “Fucking walking around wearing that asshole’s hat. Are you pulling my leg? I’ve imagined you in nothing but your hat. Now that image is tainted!”

  “Maybe you should have focused on her other assets rather than her hat,” Boone teased with a grin on his face. “I’m pretty fond of the image of her wearing only her belts and holsters.”

  “I imagine y’all in Rex form. Well, before I saw King in his.” Both men turned to her. “What? I’m amazed by the whole process.”

  “You’ve done lost your mind.” Boone shook his head. “We’re comparing how you’d look naked in our fantasies and you’re talking about us in Rex form.”

  “What? I thought it was appropriate since both talks involved riding of some form.”

  Both their eyes heated and Ro laughed.

  “Maybe we need to throw her back in the jail,” Boone grumbled.

  “No. We can’t do that. She’d like it. She has a jail fantasy,” he commented, and he was so was matter-of-fact, it almost made her choke again.

  “She has a what?”

  Ro ran out of
the saloon so fast, she nearly tripped down the stairs in her laughter. King and Boone followed slowly behind, but neither made a move for anything more. Being on the empty street brought things into perspective, and while it was tempting to forget what was coming, they couldn’t, not if they wanted to win.

  This would be most difficult showdown Ro had ever been a part of, and she wasn’t sure if she was a quick enough draw for Les Chambers.

  She only hoped that she could somehow best the man that shaped her.

  Twenty-Four

  When the sun rose the next day, it brought a heavy somberness to the whole town. Ro had told Boone that whatever they expected, expect the opposite. They might think that Les would attack at when the sun was at its highest point in the sky, but he was just as likely to attack at sunset.

  “Well, how are we supposed to be prepared if we don’t know what time he’ll attack?” King asked, but Boone only looked at her.

  “The Croc’s weakness is also our secret weapon. He might have heard rumors that Ro is here, but he doesn’t know for sure. You know the Spino. What do you think he’ll do?”

  Ro bit her lip in thought, imagining herself in Les’ boots. “If I were Les, I wouldn’t attack at first light. While it might catch everyone off guard, everyone will also be well rested, and ready to attack. I’d leave it until the last moment, when the sun starts to fall toward the horizon, to attack. The town would be weary, reactions might be slower, and the light might hide their approach better than a bright blue sky would.”

  “Then we plan for sunset,” Boone agreed and nodded. “We’ll keep someone on the lookout, but move them in shifts. No one should stand in bright sunlight. That’ll only drain your energy. Drink lots of water. Make sure to eat. If we’re gonna do this, we’ll need as much energy as possible.”

  “Does the butcher have enough meat for the carnivores?”

  “He does. He’s a Diloposaurus. He’s a fast son of a bitch and hunts his own meat.” King shook his head. “I have a scar on my foot from his acid.”

  “Y’all both need to eat. Take Danny with you. We’ll need all the help we can get.”