Ain't No Angel (29 page)

“I was in town today, asking some questions at the telegraph office. Abner Hodchkins confirmed that Gabe stopped by to ask if Laney had bought a ticket for the stage, which she hadn’t. I went to the saloon, and—”

“Dammit, Ian. My wife wouldn’t be at the saloon.” Tyler’s voice rose in anger.

Ian held up his hand. “I wasn’t implying that I thought she’d be there, but it was worth a shot to check. I’m glad I did.”

Tyler stared at the man. “What the hell are you saying?”

“I was asking Clay if he’d seen a woman matching your wife’s description, since I doubt he’s ever seen her. One of his girls, Alice, overheard me. She came to me and told me she’d seen Laney in town the day she disappeared.” He paused, and held Tyler’s gaze. He looked over his shoulder again. “With Gabe.”

“Gabe?” Tyler choked out his friend’s name. A sinking feeling swept over him, just before renewed anger boiled inside him. Gabe had always acted strange around Laney. Why had he lied to him?

“I suggest you have a talk with your foreman,” Ian said calmly. “There’s something he ain’t telling you.”

Tyler didn’t respond. He leapt from the porch, and ran toward the bunkhouse. He kicked the door open, his eyes darting around the room. Three of his men jumped up from their seats around the table, Gabe being one of them.

“Tyler, what the—”

Tyler lunged at Gabe, and grabbed a fistful of his foreman’s shirt with both hands. He slammed him into the wall.

“Where the hell’s my wife?” he ground out between clenched teeth, his face inches from Gabe’s. The man’s eyes widened briefly, a hint of panic in their brown depths.

“How should I know?” Gabe choked. He strained against Tyler’s hold on him, his hands wrapped around his wrists to try and break free of Tyler’s firm grip.

“You forgot to tell me that you were in town with Laney the day she disappeared,” Tyler growled in a low voice. “What else are you lying to me about?”

A slow, triumphant smile spread across Gabe’s face. Then he laughed.

“You will never find her, Tyler. That’s the beauty about your wife. She’s gone, and you’ll never get her back.”

Tyler groped for understanding. The man before him became a stranger all of a sudden. “What did you do to her?”

“She messed up all my plans, Ty. I couldn’t let her stay. For a while I thought she’d ruined everything, but I was able to turn the tables on her, and you. You’re going to be miserable for the rest of your life, just like I planned.”

Tyler released Gabe’s shirt with one hand, swung back, and his fist connected with Gabe’s jaw. Blood instantly trickled from Gabe’s nose. He laughed again. Tyler stared into the eyes of a madman. Had the man he counted as his friend killed Laney? The urge to hit Gabe again overpowered him, but he restrained himself. He needed answers first.

“Everybody out,” Tyler bellowed over his shoulder. Boots immediately shuffled on the wood floor. Men murmured behind him, and Tyler waited until the door closed and all was quiet. He pulled Gabe away from the wall and shoved him into a chair, then loomed over him.

“You’re going to tell me exactly what is going on, or so help me, I will kill you,” Tyler said in a low, menacing voice.

Gabe laughed again. “Sure, Ty. By the looks of you, I’ve finished what I came here to do. You’re a broken man, and you’ll live the rest of your life like Jonas.”

“Jonas?” Tyler hid the surprise at hearing his father’s name. What did he have to do with any of this?

“After I made sure your stud lost that race, I arranged for a whore to come and marry you. I admit, I had my doubts that you would follow through with it, but I counted on you to do the honorable thing. Tyler Monroe, always the noble man, doing what is right.” He laughed a bitter laugh.

Tyler’s mind raced to understand what Gabe was telling him.

“
You’re
responsible for Rap’s injuries?” he asked slowly.

“There were two ways I wanted to ruin you, Ty. Ruin your precious horse ranch, and make you miserable by being saddled with a whore for a wife.”

“What did I do to you to make you hate me, Gabe? I thought you and I were friends.”  Tyler groped for understanding.

As if he hadn’t heard him, Gabe continued. “I didn’t count on Laney showing up, until I understood that I got something much better than simply a soiled dove. This is much sweeter revenge.”

“Dammit, what the hell are you talking about?” Tyler roared. He pulled Gabe from his seat in frustration.

“Didn’t you ever wonder why your wife acted so strange? How she could know all the things she knew? The stuff she did with horses?” Gabe asked, sneering at him.  “These are all things that aren’t done or known about in our time. But what about in the future? Hundreds of years from now, people might know these things.”

Tyler blinked. A jolt of adrenaline shot through him. Laney’s conversation with him, speculating about what things might be like in the future rushed back to him. He scoffed.

“You’re absolutely crazy, Gabe. You’re saying my wife came here from a future time?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying. And that’s where she’s gone back to. So, you see, I didn’t need to kill her. Unlike my dear mother, I didn’t stoop that low.”

“Your mother?” Tyler echoed. Things were making even less sense now.

“Yeah, CoraLee McFarlain was her name, but no one ever knew her last name while she lived in Landry and worked at Clay’s. Two years ago, before she died, she finally told me who my father was, how she was his regular girl.”

Hatred filled Gabe’s narrowed eyes.  “Jonas Monroe, the man who left her pregnant when he found a new whore who caught his eye. CoraLee had no choice but to leave town. Old Clay would have been furious if he found out that one of his whores was with child. Of course, when Lizzy, your mother, ended up in the same predicament, Jonas didn’t hesitate to marry her.”

Tyler stared, dumbfounded. He released Gabe, who slumped back onto the chair behind him. He never knew that his father had married Lizzy because she’d been pregnant with him.

“You’re my brother?” Tyler choked out. Nothing in his world made sense anymore. Gabe believed Laney came from the future. Gabe was his brother. His father, Jonas, had married one woman he’d gotten with child but abandoned another?

“CoraLee had me and raised me. I grew up wandering with her from one whorehouse to the next. She had to hide me away while she was entertaining men.”

Gabe ran a trembling hand down his face. His lips drew in a tight line, and he sneered.  “For years, I watched my mother get beaten and abused. I left when I was old enough to fend for myself. I couldn’t stay and watch her anymore. I moved from ranch to ranch, always wondering who my father was. That’s when I found that I had a way with horses.” Gabe paused and laughed. “Guess that runs in our blood.”

Gabe leaned forward, and rested his elbows on his knees. He stared at the ground, then abruptly lifted his head. He grimaced.  

“When I was twelve, CoraLee wrote a letter to her former friend and fellow whore from Clay’s. She begged Lizzy to ask Jonas to acknowledge his other son. I don’t know what ever came of that. I’m guessing nothing good. Lizzy showed up one day to talk to CoraLee, and I remember them arguing. Your mother fell down a flight of stairs, or maybe she got pushed.” He shrugged.  “CoraLee and a few other whores buried her before anyone ever got wind of it.”

Tyler was rendered speechless. He tried to comprehend all that Gabe was telling him. His mother had died, and his father never bothered to go looking for her? Jonas had always firmly believed that she had simply left him.

“Why didn’t you tell me when you came here a year ago?” Tyler’s limbs weakened. He slumped into a chair opposite Gabe. He had no energy left. He stared over at . . . his brother.

“The Double M is rightfully half yours. We could have been partners. Do you know how often I’ve wished for a brother? You and I could have turned this place into the best ranch in the territory.”

Gabe’s stare widened. He paused for a moment, and some emotion that Tyler couldn’t name passed through his eyes. It vanished almost instantly, and he laughed scornfully.

“What? You, the chosen son, share all his wealth and privileges?” His gaze hardened on Tyler.

“I don’t want any part of this place, Ty. I want to see it destroyed. I’ve wanted to watch you suffer a miserable life, to see what it’s like, with a whore for a wife, and a ruined ranch.”

“You injured my horse. You planted a sick colt on the property.” Tyler didn’t ask. “But Laney changed everything. She stood in the way of you doing more harm.”

Gabe sneered. “That woman coming here was the best thing that could have happened. She may have interfered with the horses, and I have no explanation who or what the hell she is, but this worked out better than having you simply saddled with a whore.”

“Where’s my wife, Gabe?” Tyler catapulted out of his chair, his body fueled by renewed anger.  “How did you send her back to where she came from? How did you even know?”

“She tried to tell you, did she?” Gabe smiled up at him. “But you didn’t believe her, did you? Well, I took a chance and believed it. And now she’s gone. You can kill me if you want, and I will never tell you. I’ll die, satisfied that I’ve crushed you.”

“Tyler won’t need to kill you, Gabe.”

Tyler wheeled around. Ian Frazier stood under the doorframe, his glare on Gabe.

“You’ll hang for what you did to my horses.” Ian pointed a six-shooter at Gabe’s chest.

Tyler stared from one man to the other. A fleeting hint of panic passed through Gabe’s eyes. For the first time, Tyler recognized his father in those eyes. Why hadn’t he ever noticed it before? What would he have done, had he grown up as Gabe had, not knowing who his father was, watching his mother abused by drunken scoundrels. Gabe’s scars ran deeper than his own. Gabe hadn’t known who his father was until two years ago, and had to live with the knowledge that Jonas refused to acknowledge him as his son. Tyler realized with more clarity than ever that he never truly knew his father.

“I’m taking him with me, Tyler,” Ian said firmly. “When my men find out what he did, there will be a hanging in the morning.”

Tyler’s eyes darted from Ian to Gabe. Sympathy for his brother vanished. His past was no excuse for what he’d done.

“Where’s my wife, Gabe?” Tyler demanded.

Ian pulled him up from his chair. “Hold out your hands,” he ordered.

Gabe offered no resistance. He held his hands together in front of him, and Ian quickly tied some rope around his wrists.

“Where’s Laney?” Tyler pressed through gritted teeth.

Gabe laughed loudly. He nodded his chin toward Ian. “You’ll never find her. Let’s go, Frazier. Take me to my just reward.”

Gabe stepped toward the door. He stopped, and glared at Tyler once more. A slow smile spread across his face.  “I’ll hang, but you’re gonna be in hell right here.”

Ian turned toward Tyler. “You know I have to do this, Tyler. He has to be punished for what he did to my stock. If I can get some answers out of him, I will, but I won’t be able to stop my men from stringing him up.”

Wordlessly, he shoved Gabe out the door. Tyler stared after them, his mind too numb to react.

Chapter 27

Laney curled up on her bed, her feet drawn up to her chest. She hugged her pillow close. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, and she sniffled. How long had she lain here like this? She had no idea what the time was. The curtains in the window of her motel room were shut, and only faint light seeped in along the wall. They could be street lights, for all she knew. She’d been back in her time, in this lonely room, for seven days. She’d hoped beyond hope that she had done the right thing.

“Tyler,” she whispered into the empty room. “I love you.”

Dammit! Why had she done Gabe’s bidding? When he forced her from the barn and onto Mariah’s back, he had pulled a gun from his belt, and pointed it straight at her. The angry gleam in his eyes left no doubt that he would have pulled the trigger if she hadn’t complied.

She’d been given a chance at true love for a short time. She should have just let Gabe kill her rather than force her back to the future. Back to her meaningless existence. The loneliness and anguish descended on her like a mountain of rocks during an avalanche. Had she been wrong about the reverend? When she and Gabe arrived at the church, she had been almost sure that . . .

Laney had ridden next to Gabe in silence all the way to Landry. Several times, she thought to kick Mariah into a run and try and get away from the deranged man. It would have been impossible, for Gabe held tight to one of the mare’s reins. He’d chosen a route that brought them to town from the opposite end, closer to where the church stood. She had hoped to see a familiar face, and call for help, but none of the two or three people they met along the way looked familiar.

Gabe had led them in front of the mercantile, which was the last building in town, and dismounted his horse. He’d quickly come around to her side and pulled her from the saddle, his hands firmly at her waist. To any onlookers, he would appear as the friendly, easy-going foreman of the Double M, helping the boss’ wife from her horse. He wore his easy grin, but the tips of his fingers bit into her sides. If she hadn’t been wearing that cumbersome dress, she might have been able to dash away before he had a chance to take hold of her.

“Don’t make a fuss, Laney. The townsfolk know me better than they know you,” Gabe warned. “They’re much more likely to believe a trusted citizen than a woman who’s already raised eyebrows and caused speculation.”

He held firmly to her arm and led her toward the church.

“Why are you doing this, Gabe? What has Tyler done to you to make you hate him so much?” Laney tried one more time to reason with him.

Gabe glared at her out of the corner of his eye. “He needs to know what it’s like to live a lifetime of misery, cause that’s all I got. While he grew up living the good life on that horse ranch, my Mama and I scraped together what we could to survive.”

“And how is that Tyler’s fault?” Laney turned toward him. “I don’t know the circumstances of your upbringing, but I’ve had it pretty bad myself growing up, and I’m not going to go around and try and make someone else’s life miserable because of it.”

Gabe’s jaw muscles worked furiously along his cheeks. He stared straight ahead. Just before they reached the church, he stopped.

“We’re gonna go in that church, and you’re gonna tell that preacher to send you home,” he said coldly. “I’m gonna be right there with you so I know that it’s done. And if you say or do anything to him that might tip him off that you don’t want to go, I will kill him.”

Laney’s mouth dropped. “You are crazy,” she said quietly. How did someone reason with a madman? Whatever had happened in his past had left him so bitter and disillusioned, he couldn’t see anything but revenge in front of him.

“Why don’t you just kill me,” she suggested.

Gabe laughed. “I ain’t got nothing against you, Laney. Fact is, I kinda like you . . . women in the future ain’t as stuffy as the girls around here, are they?” He shot her a cocky smile. “Killing you would be too easy. That wouldn’t serve my purpose where my dear brother is concerned. But I know you’ll do exactly what I say in order to save the lives of Tyler and that preacher.”

He pushed her up the stairs to the church. “No more talk. Do what you need to do with the reverend.”

With a trembling hand, Laney opened the door to the church. “Reverend Johnson?” she called into the one-room building. She cleared her throat. “Are you in here?”

Her heart pounded in her ears. A shuffle came from the front of the room, and the gray-haired man in his black suit materialized from the small anteroom to the right.

“Mrs. Monroe,” he called brightly, and held out his hands. He walked up to her, and clasped her upper arms. “What brings you here on this fine day?”

Reverend Johnson’s eyes darted to Gabe, and lingered on the man’s face. His smile faltered momentarily, then he quickly looked toward Laney again.

Laney wrung her sweaty hands in front of her.

“Remember a few weeks ago, you told me you would send me home if I still wanted to go?”

The reverend nodded slowly.

“Well, I want to go home. I did what you told me to do. You need to send me back.”

The reverend glanced again toward Gabe.

“Mrs. Monroe asked me to bring her here, Reverend,” Gabe said, his voice more friendly than she’d ever heard before. “Her husband forbade her to ride alone, and she told me she needed to see you.”

He smiled brightly at the reverend, and Laney couldn’t help but stare. She wondered again what had made him so bitter. He was ruggedly good looking, especially when he smiled like that. Her eyes darted to the pistol at his belt. His fingers were inches from the holster.

Laney swallowed. “I told Gabe my secret, Reverend, so that he’d bring me here without Tyler’s knowledge.”

The reverend’s eyes widened. He didn’t say anything for a long time, his gaze darting between her and Gabe.

“Mr. McFarlain, I was hoping to see you here someday. I just hadn’t anticipated that it would be under these circumstance, but it’s just as well.”

Laney caught the perplexed look Gabe shot the reverend.

“Very well, Laney. If you truly don’t feel that you belong here, I will send you home. I must warn you, however, that you haven’t completed your assignment.”

“I understand, Reverend,” she said, not meeting his perusal. She understood all too well that it meant she would be going back to her old life. If she had completed Rap’s treatments, she would be guaranteed a job working with horses on a prominent horse ranch. What did it matter now? Without Tyler, even the most lucrative job in the world meant nothing.

The reverend nodded silently. “It’s not often I return someone without them fulfilling their requirements.” He walked toward the anteroom and disappeared.

Gabe shot her a questioning look. She simply shrugged. She didn’t need to tell him anything. He would get what he wanted.

When he returned, the reverend held a cup in his hand. He handed it to Laney. “Drink this. By morning, you will be back in your time.”

Laney eyed the liquid inside the cup, then glanced up at the reverend. He nodded in encouragement. She narrowed her eyes. Why had he agreed so quickly to her request? A few weeks ago, he had argued with her that her place was here. Did he know that Gabe was forcing her to do this? Was he somehow helping her?

Reverend Johnson was like her guardian angel. He knew things about her, and what was best for her, even if she didn’t know it herself. Was he simply playing along with Gabe’s request?

 For a split second, the urge to dump the contents of the cup at Gabe overpowered her. His fingers twitched close to the gun strapped to his hip. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. If Gabe shot the reverend because of her, she’d never forgive herself. She’d rather return to her old life than be responsible for the death of the old man, or Tyler. For now, she clung to the hope that the reverend was helping her somehow, and had a plan.

Laney drained the cup with one gulp, the tasteless liquid sliding down her throat. She handed it back to the reverend. His searching eyes unnerved her.

“Will it be like the first time?” she asked, fighting back tears.

The reverend nodded quietly. “When you wake up, you will be back where you came from.” He waved a hand to the door. Disappointment was written clearly in his eyes. “You can stay here for the night,” he said softly. “If you’ll excuse me, I have things that need my attention.”

He paused, and his eyes traveled up and down Gabe’s body. Laney almost smiled when Gabe shifted his weight uncomfortably under the old man’s perusal. Almost. If she hadn’t felt so much like crying. She’d put all her hope and trust into the reverend, that he could make this right somehow and not send her back. The man had powers no one understood. She had to believe that he knew exactly what was going on. She clung to that tiny spark of hope.

“I expect to see you in church again very soon, Mr. McFarlain,” the reverend finally said. He turned, and disappeared again in the tiny chamber.

Gabe scoffed.

“Now what?” he asked impatiently.

Laney’s eyes narrowed on him. “You heard him. I’ll be gone by morning. You got what you wanted.”

A loud knock on her door startled Laney from her memories of a week ago in 1872. Reluctantly, she pushed herself to a sitting position, and wiped the back of her hand across her damp face.

“Laney, open up,” a voice called from the other side of the door. Jason!

What was he doing here? She hadn’t spoken or seen anyone in the week that she’d been back in this time. She stood from the bed, her legs trembling weakly. Her stomach grumbled loudly, not that she had much of an appetite. Meals had consisted of stale dry cereal and the jar of peanut butter in her cupboard. She didn’t have any money for food. The motel manager would surely come knocking any day to let her know she was overdue on rent.

Laney adjusted the tank top she wore, and pulled her pajama pants up past her hips. Listlessly, she shuffled to the door. She reached up to remove the safety chain, and opened the door several inches. The bright light streaming in from outside blinded her, and she averted her eyes.

Jason pushed the door fully open, and swept into the room. Laney quickly closed the door behind him. She preferred the darkness of the room.

Jason’s arms wrapped around her waist, and he drew her up against him. Laney pushed her hands against his chest, and braced against the unwanted advance.

“Where have you been hiding, baby?” he drawled, his lips nuzzling her neck. “I called but kept getting your voicemail.”

Laney leaned away from him, and pushed harder against his chest.

“Let go, Jason,” she said firmly.

Jason raised his head. “Is that any way to greet your guy?” he asked.

“What do you want?” Laney asked, the annoyance evident in her voice.

Jason’s hold on her eased. “Why the foul mood, baby? I’ve got some exciting news for you.”

“I don’t want any news,” Laney grumbled. She ducked out of his embrace, and sat on the bed, wrapping her arms around her middle. “I think what I really want is for you to leave.” She raised her head to look at him.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Jason raised his voice. “I’m about to make you a rich girl.”

Laney suppressed a gasp. He hadn’t asked her yet to be an escort. An overwhelming sense of déjà vu swept over her.

“I’m not interested in becoming a hooker for you, Jason,” Laney said loudly. She stood, and faced him. “I said I want you to leave.”

Jason stared at her, dumbfounded. Apparently he hadn’t expected her to know about his proposition. His eyes narrowed in sudden anger. “You owe me, Laney. I’ve kept this roof over your head, bought you clothes. How else are you going to pay me back?”