Nicademus: The Wild Ones (13 page)

“You sure they dead?” the sheriff asked.

Jeremiah shrugged. “I think so.”

“Come with me,” the sheriff said.

He followed him off the porch. They walked around and found three dead men. The sheriff took off his hat and slapped it against his leg in frustration. “I will get the boys back down here to take these bodies down to the mines,” he said through clenched teeth. “Bury them where not even the coyotes can find them.”

“I’m sorry for this. All of it.”

The sheriff approached him. “You will be. Because right now you gon’ tell me what you really running from. Or we gonna bury four white men tonight.”

**

“Ow, Ms. Kitty …” Annabelle said. She knocked her surrogate mother’s hand away.

“Put it there.” Ms. Kitty pointed to Annabelle’s split lip. Annabelle returned the cool rag to her face.

“Where’s Jeremiah? Is he okay?” she asked.

“He fine, you the one that was attacked.”

Annabelle covered herself and blushed. “I’m fine too. He saved my life.”

“Your life wouldn’t be in danger if it weren’t for him! What you thinking? That outlaw your hero, your man? He gon’ get you killed or lynched, or worse!”

“He cain’t help who he is, and he has a name. They call him Jeremiah, like in the bible you read.”

Ms. Kitty narrowed her eyes. “And?”

“And he ain’t no outlaw, not really. He just runnin’ like the rest of us, from a whole lot of hurt. From a man you know!”

The words hit Ms. Kitty hard. She stood and walked away.

“He said he had girls in New Orleans. Girls like me. Said he was mean to them, broke them.”

Ms. Kitty glanced back. “He told you this?”

Annabelle nodded. “Said he would hurt me the same.” Annabelle winced and sat up. The blow to her head had her dizzy, but she’d live.

“I know the man. I was sold to him as a child. At first he used me as his slave to do his bidding. But that changed. I cain’t remember how long before it changed. It’s like my memories of innocence and happiness back then were erased the day Shepherd … put his hands on me.” Ms. Kitty sucked down a deep breath. “All I can say is the man is evil. The real evil, not just mean and hateful, but void of a soul. That kind of evil don’t die easily. And people like us don’t get justice from it. Nicademus is doomed now that you and that outlaw done spilled blood. Shepherd will come back and he’ll have the law on his side when he burn this town to the ground.”

“We can fight him!” Annabelle reasoned.

“And how you suppose we do that? What happened to your tribe when the chief decided to fight? Huh?”

Annabelle stood. The dizziness made her sway. Ms. Kitty was at her side in an instant to keep her standing. “Sit for a spell,” Ms. Kitty warned. “Give your body a chance to heal.”

“What have I done?” Annabelle moaned.

“Shhh,” Ms. Kitty brought her to her chest. “You right about one thing, Annabelle. We gon’ fight to the very end. Sometimes fighting back is the freedom you need.”

“And Jeremiah? What will the sheriff do now?” she looked up at her.

Ms. Kitty smoothed Annabelle’s hair back from her face. “You laid with him? Didn’t you?” she asked.

Annabelle slowly nodded.

“You know a man like him cain’t love a woman like you,” Ms. Kitty said.

“But I think he does,” Annabelle said.

“Your color ain’t gon’ change, and neither will his. That means you two ain’t neva gon’ be nuthin’. Don’t confuse his words and those feelings between your legs with love. I should know.”

“Red Sun loves you,” Annabelle said in a defiant tone.

“Yes he does. I’m his soiled dove. But I can’t give him no babies. And he can’t change what I am. Never married me. He loves me by default. And it’s okay, I accept it.”

“He loves you, Cora,” Annabelle said, using her real name. Ms. Kitty looked her in the eye. “Not by default,” Annabelle said. “Ain’t nothing wrong with you. He loves your strength and your loyalty. And he may want babies, but he wouldn’t let you go to have them with another. I know this because he told me. Cain’t you trust him?”

Ms. Kitty let her go. Annabelle sat upright and stared at her surrogate mother as she stood. “You gon’ heal. Bring the outlaw to the saloon by sunrise. If’n the sheriff hasn’t already thrown him in a jail cell.”

Annabelle watched in silence as she left. She heaved a heavy sigh over their parting. There was plenty of truth in Ms. Kitty’s story. Annabelle had learned the Chickasaw way, and that meant she could write her own story. She wasn’t ready to give up yet.

**

The sheriff looked up when Cora left the cabin. Nothing the outlaw said mattered at that point. Tyler Shepherd had materialized. Gone was the mystique of the man who made his woman into stone. Now they’d all have to face the bastard. He stepped to her as she started down the porch stairs.

“Is Annabelle okay?” the sheriff asked.

“She’ll live.” Cora looked past him to the night. “Did you send someone to ride out after Red Sun?”

“He was already too far gone,” the sheriff said.

Cora gave him a look of disgust. “Since when does that matter? He could be in trouble!”

He touched her hand. She flinched.

“Are you okay? Shep being here, and all,” he asked.

“I can handle Tyler Shepherd. I’ve had plenty of practice. It’s the town you need to be worried about. Excuse me.”

Without a word to share to comfort her, he watched helpless as she walked off down the dirt road back to her saloon. The sheriff turned his head and narrowed his gaze on Jeremiah. “Did Shepherd or any of his men see you? Do they know we have you?” he asked.

“No one saw me. I’m sure of it.”

The sheriff tipped his hat. “Gonna send my deputy down here to post watch until sun up. I’m doubtful ole Shep will ride again tonight. But you never know.”

“I’ll be ready this time,” Jeremiah assured him.

The sheriff cut his eyes at him. “Right. You be ready. By daybreak bring Annabelle and meet me at Blue Moon. I’ll decide how this ends. Got that, outlaw? I decide, not you.”

“Understood.”

The sheriff started off.

“Wait! What about the Indian?” Jeremiah asked.

The sheriff’s eyes went dark. “Fuck the Indian. Just make sure you and Annabelle at the Blue Moon by sunrise. If not before.”

**

Annabelle looked up. The side of her face felt numb, swollen. She knew she looked a sight. She pulled her hair over with her hand in a futile attempt to cover it. “They gone?” she asked.

“The sheriff wants us at the saloon at sun up,” he said, bolting the door.

“Fine with me. I can’t sleep no how,” she sighed. She watched as he picked up his guns and her Colt. He laid them out on the table. “Where are the bullets? We need to be prepared.”

“I’ll get them,” she said. She closed her robe tightly and started for her room. His hand found hers when she tried to pass him. She kept her head down and eyes averted. She waited.

“Will you look at me?” he asked.

Annabelle sighed. She struggled to find her voice. It broke over her words and she had to stop and restart again to be heard clearly. “I’m sorry,” she managed.

“Why? For what?” he asked.

She looked over to him. “I could’ve gotten everyone killed. Red Sun … he might get killed. And it’s my fault.”

He pulled her hand and drew her closer. This time she had no choice but to lift her gaze and meet the look of concern in his eyes. “Don’t ever apologize to me. Never. Nothing you did or said brought about any of this. It was my choices that got us here.”

He dropped her hand and touched her hair. Gently he moved it from the side of her face and inspected the bruise. “Does it hurt?”

“Only if you make me smile,” she said.

“Then we have a problem,” he replied. He brushed a sweet kiss across her jaw. She turned her face and kissed him, ignoring the sting to the cut on her bottom lip. At first he stiffened. His reaction to her passion was surprise and caution. But she grabbed his face and swept her tongue in his mouth, claiming him by pressing her curves against him. His arms circled her waist, bringing her up against him.

The embrace brought relief and spilled down her spine, releasing her from the tension and fright of the night. Her mouth broke from his only to undo his belt. And he was just as hurried, yanking her robe from her shoulders and off her body. Jeremiah groaned deep in his throat. He grabbed a fist full of her hair and tugged back so he could run his tongue up her neck. This time passion for them was raw and unapologetic.

Having her healed him.

It was that simple. The pain of the night, both physical and emotional, was set aside. The smell of her skin, pussy, the feel of her body, all of it broke down his walls of defense. Weakened him. He cupped both buttocks and lifted her while seeking her mouth for another feverish kiss. She hitched her legs around his waist and he carried her through the moonlit cabin. Their garments were left where they met.

Before long he had her on the bed. And to her surprise he urged her to roll to her tummy, bringing her up on her knees. In the dark he could admire the slender curve of her back as it dipped and gave her round beautiful ass a rise. And with her knees forced apart her wet pussy glistened. Parting the folds he found her clit beneath and teased it. She mewled and sucked in several breaths, but her hips swayed in a natural response. She was ready. He angled his cock at her opening and pushed in.

“Sweet Annabelle,” he wheezed. He found her pussy was still tight. If this was their last night together, then he’d spend it here, buried deep in her. He gripped her ass and worked his hips. He thrust harder and harder. Her legs and buttocks trembled. Swirling his hips he slowed his rhythmic pumping to shallow circles. Yes, he wanted to go hard and fast, but a woman like her was to be savored. And he wouldn’t waste a minute of their passion on his haste to be satiated.

“Yes, Annabelle,” he said softly to her. She glanced back at him from over her shoulder while biting down on her already swollen lip. She moved back at him with each delivered thrust of his hips forcing him to increase speed.

“That feels so good, Jeremiah, more, give me more,” she pleaded. Annabelle enjoyed every inch of him this way. She’d seen animals in the wild join this way and never imagined it could also be for the coupling between a man and woman. There was so much to learn about sex, about him. Her lids fluttered and her head dropped when he squeezed her clitoris as he fucked her from behind. Her pussy cinched around his cock and her thigh muscles burned with mounting tension. He kept a hard grip on her hips and didn’t break his stride. When she dared look back at him there was a feral glint in his eyes. She kept the image of his restraint and weakening to the front of her mind as she too gave into the melting pleasure swirling up her pussy. The first time had been nothing like this.

His breath caught and held. The hold on her hips tightened like a vice and he pounded his dick deep, bringing them both down on the bed. Flat beneath him with her legs forced closed and his hard thighs keeping them that way, he kept going until his cock jerked and spurted hot juices into her womb.

He dropped his forehead to the back of her head, his hands gripped hers with their fingers intertwining, and their arms stretched to the headboard. Together they rode the final wave of ascension.

**

“What are you doing here?” Cora asked.

The sheriff removed his hat. Cora had cleared the saloon. She sat at the table by herself with her pistol and a bottle of whiskey to keep her company. The girls were all banished to their rooms. She’d sit all night while she waited for Red Sun to return. Prayed for his return.

“Drinking alone? That isn’t you, Cora,” he said with a gentleness in his tone she didn’t care for. She tossed back the final shot in her glass and let it scorch her throat before pouring herself another.

“You need to go,” Cora warned.

“I’m not leaving.”

She glanced up at him. “It’s not your decision to stay.”

“Yes it. I’m the law in this town. I make the call,” he said. “Figured you’d be waiting for the Indian. We wait together.” He picked up a glass from the bar and came to the table she sat at. He turned the chair around and sat on it backward. He poured himself a shot.

“What do you want from me tonight?” she asked.

“Just tonight?” he said with a wry smile.

“You know what I mean. What is it you want?”

He didn’t bother to answer her. He never did. He just lay in wait for her judgment day. For the day when she had nothing left but him. Just like a man. So much like Shep. She closed her eyes and sucked down a breath. “Do you want to know how I escaped Tyler Shepherd?” she asked.

“Tell me,” he said.

She blinked back her tears and allowed her mind to unlock those dark memories. “I got help from the man I loved.”

The sheriff’s smug smile dimmed. “Man?”