Tip of the Spear (16 page)

Despite
the shortage of females in Four Corners Territory, the majority of them lived
in major towns. With Morrow’s recent burst of growth over the past few years,
they’d seen more and more respectable females moving in and settling into
familial protectorates. One female to several men, a legal necessity to
increase the population;  Increasing the population was one Nature Law no one
in the Territories objected to. Now if Butch could stop his men from mauling
the female citizens of Morrow, he might have a shot at the power he desperately
craved.

“The
female,” he said slowly, aware of Gregor’s intent study. “What can you tell us
about her?”

“She
didn’t like us fooling with Daisy and Tilda. And she was one sexy piece of ass.”

Gregor
leaned forward, all but salivating. Clearly the traits of their father took
root in the youngest McKenzie. He hadn’t the discipline or stamina of their
dead mother. Not like Butch. He knew better than most that without control,
power and strength meant nothing.

“Long
dark brown hair in a braid. Tanned skin, like she sees the sun a lot. No pretty
bonnets for her. She wore man’s clothes, but up close I could see her tits
straining to be free,” Cedric said, his description almost poetic. The main
reason Butch tolerated him. Not many in the Territories read, let alone could
speak a civil tongue. Not like it was in the East, where he’d been born and
raised for half his life.

“’Straining
to be free?’  What the hell you talkin’ about, Cedric?” Ralph, another Nolan,
asked with a scowl. “Just tell the boss what he wants to know without all the
flowery talk.”

A
glare from Butch shut him up.

“Yeah,
well. She was sitting on top of a pretty little mare and holding the reins to a
real fucking vore. Damned thing was huge. When she came at me and Freddy, she
used some weird moves, fluid, almost. Stabbed him with a wicked looking knife
that had the prettiest blue gem snug under the blade’s guard.”

“Yeah,
it had a white hilt and jewels on it. Like it might be worth somethin’,” Freddy
added.

“And
she hit me hard, no warning. Just wham. I knocked her some, think I hit her
back. But she didn’t slow down. When the gang from the bar showed up, she
didn’t look happy to see anybody.”

She
hit him hard.
Butch’s cock twitched, and he ignored
Gregor’s knowing grin. “So the vore is hers?” Butch needed to know more. “Ralph,
tell John and Malcolm to find out all they can about our mystery woman. I want
them to find her and bring her here, to me, unharmed.” He looked his men in the
eye. “No one lays a hand on her. Or you’ll die apologizing for disobeying a
direct order. Understood?”

They
nodded and quickly left.

“A
new toy, Brother?” Gregor asked. The smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes.

“Perhaps.
It’s been a while since I’ve had anything fun to do. Taking over the Territory
keeps me busy, but it’s all work, work, work. Something you wouldn’t know much
about.”

Gregor
forced a laugh. “Jealous?”

Butch
snorted.

“And
speaking of avoiding work… Remember that train robbery you wanted me to look
into?”

“The
Flower Gang?”

“That’s
the one. Apparently, they have a thing for the railroad. They’ve hit the line
between Watchco and Redville four times and a Runner once.”

Butch
found their targets almost more interesting than their supposed leader. “Why
hit the Runner? Who was he carrying for?” Runners carried money and notices for
people that didn’t live along train routes. Building in the Territories was a
slow and expensive process. Unlike the East, nothing electrical worked out
here. Not a damned thing.

“Runner
had a fully guarded wagon and close to six thousand gold nuggets for some
cattle baron up north. Andy, Amery…I’m not sure.”

“And
it was the same gang. You’re sure.”

“Yep.
Two rugged bastards… and one tall, muscular woman with a purple flower on her
cheek.”

His
thoughts racing, Butch asked, “The descriptions of her. She fought with a grace
and style very different from what we’re used to seeing, correct?”

Gregor’s
eyes narrowed. “Yeah. What are you thinking?”

“That
Freddy’s ferocious female and our bank robber have more in common than makes
sense.” He’d been intrigued with the Flower Gang since they’d first robbed from
the train line. A small but efficient group of thieves who didn’t leave much to
chance. Witnesses died, gold disappeared. And a woman led them, one who killed
as coldly as her companions.

“Gregor,
have Elliot run a note and disseminate news about Cedric and Freddy’s defeat by
a woman warrior to anyone who’ll listen, to include the railways. In fact,
spread the word that this woman was wearing a flower tattoo as well.”

“Fucking
Freddy. And Cedric, good God.” Gregor sneered. “I can’t imagine taking a
beating from a woman. That’s just shameful.” He smiled at Butch. In his
arrogance, he assumed Butch didn’t know what lay behind the forced grin. But
Butch knew everything. Gregor tried but couldn’t mask his distaste for his own
flesh and blood. An unfortunate happenstance that in no way detracted from
Butch’s duty to his family.

He’d
learned everything he needed to know from his mother. Family always mattered,
no matter how he felt about his sibling. It was all about the McKenzie name,
and making sure his mother’s bloodline carried into the future.

Gregor
leaned back in his chair and called out for Butch’s newest servant, never
taking his eyes from his brother. “Celia, honey, come here.”

Celia
appeared. Young, innocent, and soon to consider herself very unlucky. Gregor
could have the naive misses, the ones that bruised and bled and begged so
prettily. Butch preferred a stronger female, one that could dish out more abuse
than she took. Just thinking about finding a woman that—like the one who’d
carved up Freddy—made him hard. He’d been too long without and he knew it.  

“You
staying?” Gregor asked and pulled a slim blade from his pocket.

Only
to make sure Gregor didn’t kill her. “Leave the face alone. I like this one. She’s
actually good at her job.” He paused. “Get a child on her and she’s yours.”

Celia’s
eyes grew wider but she didn’t move. She couldn’t or risk killing her family,
who were indebted to the benevolent Butch McKenzie for putting them up in a
nice house on the edge of town. The Lassiter children had food, Mr. Lassiter
had a job in the accounts office, and Mrs. Lassiter had the satisfaction of
caring for her family. It had only cost them one little thing. Their precious
oldest girl.

Excited
by her helplessness, Gregor stood, stripped off his clothes, and got to work. A
“master,” just like their father.

Butch
absorbed it all even as it repulsed him.

Gregor
wielded his blade as effortlessly as he took the girl, spurring her moans into
cries and then screams. But Butch’s mind was on another woman. One who’d bled
two of his men and commanded a wild vore. He imagined her shoving that knife into
him, making
him
bleed. A swell of arousal warmed him from the inside
out.

He
couldn’t wait to meet her.

***

Hinto
woke once during the night, fetched a blanket, and covered himself and Thais
with it. Now as the sun rose, he blinked awake. He felt more than well-rested,
but satisfied. Thais remained in his arms and didn’t seem to mind when he
nestled closer, one arm under her cheek, the other hand palming her slender
belly.

Truth
is, the little liar likes me. Damned Amazon just won’t admit it.  

Smiling
because he liked her a helluva lot after what she’d done for him last night, he
carefully pulled himself away and settled the blanket over her. After taking
care of his personal needs, he thought about what they should do next.

Though
he hated the idea of Thais in danger, she’d proven herself more than capable
yesterday. How many men, let alone women, could throw a man of his stature? So
long as Gregor didn’t use a gun, she’d hold her own. Hinto would see to
disarming him. Then again, Gregor was known for using knives, not guns. Kitty’s
description of how he’d carved up one of her girls troubled him.

He
resolved that the bastard wouldn’t put so much as a scratch on his Amazon. Gregor
would die first. Hinto didn’t sit well with harming a woman. His father had
raised him to respect the fairer sex, and in the violent Territories, there
weren’t many who’d stand up for those in need. But Thais didn’t seem to require
his protection at all.

Her
resourcefulness confounded him. On one hand, he felt an odd pride that this
woman could take care of herself. Yet on the other hand, he wanted her to lean
on him. To look to Hinto to protect and provide, to care for her. He didn’t
understand his urge to constantly touch her. Sex made sense. A man had to
spread his seed, and women had been made to collect and care for the seed once
it took root. Why then did he care that Thais should desire him in the same,
fierce way?

He’d
tasted her. Under her amazing hands he’d come twice already. He should have
been over his fascination by now. But he couldn’t stop wanting her. Damned if
he didn’t also like her. A real complication.

Hinto
groaned when his dick spiked. Thais was under his skin and sinking deeper. He
wanted to know more about the people who’d hurt her. Why she held onto that
black rock until she bled. Where she really came from, and where she thought
she was going. She had vengeance on the mind, no matter what she preferred to
call it. But did it stop with the flower woman and this Aaron Bartel? Or were
they a stepping stone to get her closer to someone else?

For
that matter, why was he letting his cock dictate his thoughts and actions? His father
wasn’t getting any better. Time was one commodity he didn’t have. No amount of
bounties would bring him more. So what the hell was he doing in Morrow?

He
glanced at Thais and sighed.

“What
troubles you?” asked a thick voice from beneath a blanket.

His
blanket.

His
woman.

Shit.
I must be losing my mind.

She
pushed the cover from her face and turned to him. “Hinto?”

The
concern in her voice soothed him, much like his deep timbre calmed Beast. The
uncomfortable notion that she was the one taming him surfaced.  

He
growled, “My father is dying and I’m no closer to helping him.”

“So
go find the cure.” Her simple answer. “I can handle Gregor. Kitty will never
know.”

He
scowled. “
I’ll
know.”

At
that, she smiled, disconcerting him.

“What?”

“You
are a strange man, Hinto.”

“You’re
calling me strange?” He snorted. “You claim to be an Amazon. You’re after a
woman with a flower painted on her cheek. You threw down with the Nolan
brothers and won. And what really screws with my head: you kiss like a virgin
but have no problem milking my cock.”

She
flushed, and he felt like an ass. For a moment when she’d smiled, she’d looked
as if she actually liked him.

“Sorry.
I can’t…  It’s early.”
And I want you again.
He worried that when he
finally did take her, once wouldn’t be enough.

“Your
father concerns you. I understand.”

 She
rose from her position under the blanket and stood. Her long brown hair,
usually pulled back in a severe braid, hung loose and framed her face, making
her look softer, sexier. She stretched and uttered a small moan.

A
burst of lust speared straight through his groin.
Much better. Don’t think
about Dad, now. Think about sex. Nothing more to this thing with Thais than
unruly hormones
.

He
couldn’t look away when she bent over to look into her saddle bags. By the
Mother, what he wanted to do to that fine ass…

“Hinto?”
She straightened, saw where he’d been focused, and shook her head. “What is it
with men and sex? You are forever thinking about it.”

“Hell,
yeah. I’m human, I’m male, and you’re—you.”

“That
is a compliment, yes?”

He
rolled his eyes, pleased when she smiled again, the warmth back in her gaze.

“You
said your father’s…lungs…are the problem?” She stumbled over the word “lungs.”

“Yeah,
the organ in his chest he uses to breathe. His lungs.” He tapped his chest.

Thais
nodded, reached back into her bag, and straightened. She held out something in her
hand. “I don’t know how much this might help, but take it. Carefully.”

“What’s
this?” he asked, as she dumped several seeds in his palm.

“Something
that might actually help your father.”

“What
is it?” A kernel of hope underscored the lust ruling his mind.

“The
seeds of the
nucca
plant. They grow plentiful if tended in a warm
environment. At home, we used the
nucca
plant to heal most everything. The
root, when ground, makes a salve, a paste that cures most infections. The
leaves can be boiled and drunk as a tea.”