Read Online Wanted by Patricia; Potter - Free Book Online Page B

hadn’t wanted to let her go. She’d felt good in his arms, soft and supple and not stiff at all. But she’d been soft, he knew, because he’d startled her. There was nothing soft about her feelings where he was concerned. She would as soon stick a knife into his heart, and he didn’t fool himself about that, either.
    He wished that she wasn’t a part of this. Outside of the Rangers, he’d seen damn little loyalty in his life, even less selflessness. Too bad—Nick Braden didn’t deserve it. There were altogether too many witnesses in Harmony who’d seen Braden draw on an unarmed man.
    As they rode into Laramie, the streets were busy, filled with wagons and soldiers. Fort Laramie, he knew, was north of there, and he wondered if something had happened. General Custer and his men had been massacred just months ago, and he’d heard there were punitive expeditions being readied to confront the Cheyennes and Sioux in northern Wyoming. He wished them luck. He’d had his share of Indian fighting in Texas.
    He looked back. Braden sat stiff and proud, even as men and women on the street stared at the three riders moving over the dusty road. Morgan found the sheriff’s office in the center of town, asked a loiterer if the sheriff was in, and dismounted when the man nodded. He again offered his hand to Lori, knowing she would refuse it, then unlocked Braden from the saddle horn, taking his arm and ushering him into the sheriff’s office.
    The heavyset man sitting behind a desk glanced up as they entered, then stood as his gaze went from man to man and back again. He immediately assessed the handcuffs and the Ranger’s badge. His eyes rested briefly on Lori, widening with appreciation; but he quickly turned back to Morgan, staring pointedly at the badge.
    â€œTexas Ranger?”
    Morgan nodded.
    â€œLong way from home, aren’t you?” His eyes still flickered from man to man, considering them both. “Brothers?” he asked.
    â€œHell, no!” Morgan’s reply was more explosive than he’d intended, but he was damned tired of this. And he knew he probably looked more like an outlaw than his prisoner did. He had taken no time to shave that morning, and he wore several weeks’ growth of beard. He took the folded poster and a Texas arrest warrant from his pocket and handed them to the sheriff.
    â€œI’m Morgan Davis. Braden’s wanted in Texas for murder.”
    â€œLen Castle,” the sheriff said, identifying himself. “What do you want from me?”
    â€œKeep him in custody until I can get his sister on a stage to Denver. Couldn’t leave her alone out there. I think there’s some bounty hunters on the look for him.”
    â€œYou think right,” the lawman said. “Two men through here two days ago, asking about your man. I told them to get the hell out of my town.”
    Morgan’s gut tightened. “Man with blond, almost white hair?”
    The sheriff nodded. “Said his name was Stark.”
    Stark. Whitey Stark. The man who had trailed him weeks ago. Morgan knew he should have killed him then, but he’d been tired of killing over a damned look-alike. It was a mistake he wouldn’t repeat “Which way did he go?”
    â€œHe headed toward Cheyenne.”
    Which meant, Morgan realized, that Stark was about three days behind him. Morgan had also stopped in Cheyenne, the territorial capital, to search for Braden’s land deed. Stark would find it, just as Morgan had.
    â€œWhen’s the next stage to Denver?”
    â€œTwo days. It runs twice a week.”
    â€œCan you keep Braden that long?”
    The sheriff looked regretful. “Court’s next week. I have a full house. But you might try the territorial prison, half a mile down.”
    â€œHotel?”
    â€œBest one’s down the street. Bill Hickok’s there. So is Bill Cody. Getting ready for one hell of a fight up