Since he had first witnessed the death of his father at the hands of this man, Cole had dedicated himself to putting an end to his reign of terror.
He had earned a reputation as the toughest lawman in Texas.
He would not rest until the man was stopped.
Cole thought about his beautiful ranch here in Texas.
Since he had accepted this thankless task of searching, hunting, he had not been home.
A year.
One whole year, and he had not slept in the big feather bed or watched the peace of a sunrise or the beauty of a sunset over his vast holdings.
He'd been denied the frenzy of a branding and the touching miracle of a calf being born.
The ranch was now in the hands of a foreman, a friend who would do his best to keep it the way it had always been.
The graves of his parents and brother and sister lay on a steep hill overlooking a lush, fertile valley.
He yearned to visit them, to draw strength from the land that had been in his family for three generations.
But he could not rest until this thing was finished.
By then, Jessie could be anywhere, he thought, running a hand wearily across his eyes.
He would have to be content with the memories.
But, he knew, she would haunt him Until his dying day.
How she would have loved his ranch.
She was born for such a place.
In no time, a woman like Jessie would have it humming with life, with laughter, with---children.
He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the vision of Jessie walking toward him in the creek, offering herself in love.
She was magnificent.
She hypnotized him.
She thrilled him.
He frowned suddenly.
She infuriated him.
Marshal Smith had reported that they'd found no trace of her or her family.
The little witch had spirited her father and brothers away to Indian Territory.
Once there, Cole knew, the Comanches would shield her from view.
Be safe, Jessie, he breathed.
Wherever you've gone, be safe.
He pushed on, keeping his gaze on the fresh trail.
Soon, soon he would catch up with the man who had shot his father in the back.
The same man who had cheated and killed ranchers from one end of Texas to the other.
And when he did, only one of them would walk away.
As he topped a ridge, he stared down at the little sod shack, the poor neglected ranch.
In the corral stood several horses.
He would stop here a minute and refresh himself.
And he would ask if any strangers had passed this way in the past day.
Jessie stifled a scream as Knife held the blade to Thad's throat.
"You'd better hurry up and tell Mr. Pierce what he wants to know." ' Her mind raced. She knew that the minute she told these men the location of the gold, she would seal the death of her brothers and herself. A man as prominent as Y. A. Pierce would never be foolish enough to leave witnesses to his crime. She had to find a way to keep her brothers alive.
"Please."
She held up a hand and the two men watched her through narrowed eyes.
"Pa mentioned the gold. But we were trying to stay one step ahead of the marshal. There was no time to talk about it."
"Don't play games with me, Miss Conway," Y.A. Pierce said coldly.
"You're a very clever young lady. A man as sinpid as Knife here might believe your lies. But I'm no fool. I know that a man like Conway would want to provide for his children's futures.
Even in death he would have found a way to tell you where he buried my gold.
Knife gave an evil leer.
"Give me a few minutes with her alone, Mr. Pierce, and I'll have the information you want.
Pierce seemed to consider that for a moment, noting the fear that crept into the girl's eyes.
"Perhaps you're right, Knife. You do have a knack for getting what you want."
The long-haired man grinned and began walking toward Jessie.
"Come on, honey. You and me are going to have a real good time."
"Tell him, Jess."
Danny's voice stopped him.
Jessie shot a look toward her brother that pleaded with him to be quiet, but he persisted.
"I mean it, Jess. Tell him what he wants to know. We don't want the gold. You know you'll never use it."
"Smart boy."
Knife grabbed Jessie by the hair.
He pulled hard, jerking her head back painfully.
"Looks like your brother doesn't want to see my initials carved into his sister's pretty skin."
"I don't know where the gold is."
She spoke each word carefully, staring directly into Knife's narrowed eyes.
"I'm about to make a liar out of you, girlie."
As he fastened a hand around her throat, they heard the sound of a horse's hooves.
Instantly Y.A. Pierce aimed a gun at Jessie.
"Expecting anyone ?” She shook her head.
"Knife. Keep the boys out of sight. If either of them makes a sound, slit their throats."
As Knife motioned for the boys to move to a corner of the room, Pierce caught Jessie roughly by the arm and dragged her toward the front door.
"I'll be standing right behind you, Miss Conway.
Unless you get rid of whoever this is, you'll be dead before he can step inside.
" He dug the pistol into her back and hissed, " Is that understood?
Jessie nodded.
She stood at the door and listened as booted feet moved nearer.
A knock sounded.
Jessie threw the bolt and pulled open the door.
And found herself face-to-face with Cole Matthews.
Cole felt as if he'd just taken a bl0w to the stomach.
For a minute he was speechless.
Then, finding the words, he said, "Jessie."
Was it really his Jessie?
For long moments he simply stared at her, drinking in the tumble of golden curls, the mouth pursed in a little meow of surprise.
She couldn't speak.
She felt a wild rash of emotions as she stared into the face of the only man who would ever hold her heart.
Cole.
She wanted to weep, to throw her arms around his neck and beg him for help.
She wanted to cry out that their lives were in danger.
He was a gunman.
A cold, calculating gunman.
She'd seen the look in his eyes when he'd first encountered Knife and the others threatening her.
He'd killed three of them without a moment's hesitation.
But now.
She felt a sudden rash of sheer terror.
Even Cole couldn't save all of them in time.
Some would have to die.
"Is this your ranch?"
She made her decision instantly.
She couldn't risk it.
"Yes."
She felt the pistol pressed between her shoulder blades and flinched.
Her mind raced.
If Pierce discovered that there was a federal marshal outside her door, he would shoot Cole before he even had a chance to defend himself.
She had to be as cold as possible and get Cole away from here before his identity was discovered.
Even though it meant that she and her brothers would once again have to face these men on their own.
"Are you alone?"
"My--brothers are here with me."
"Where are they?"
"Out on the range right now."
"And your father?"
She swallowed.
"Pa died. We buried him on the banks of the Red River."
"I'm sorry, Jessie."
He reached out a hand to touch her and she drew back, resisting his touch.
Feeling her rejection, Cole experienced a thrust to his heart as painful as any knife wound.
/>
He couldn't really blame her.
He'd kept his identity a secret.
In fact, he'd shared very little of himself with her.
They had loved.
Desperately.
But he had kept himself, his life, apart from her.
She had every right to hate him.
But he owed her the truth.
"Your father's name has been cleared, Jessie."
Her eyes widened.
"How? Why?"
"I met privately with the federal judge and testified that Jack Conway couldn't have been the cattle thief."
"How could you know that?"
"It doesn't matter now. All you need to know is that the Conway name has been cleared of all criminal charges."
Tears blurred Jessie's vision and she blinked them away.
"Thank you for that, Cole. At least Pa has died with a clean record."
"You weren't listening. The record of the entire Conway family is clear. Your name's been cleared, too," Cole said softly.
"The judge is convinced that you and your brothers acted out of desperation to save your father's life."
She let his words sink in.
"We've all been cleared? We're no longer wanted criminals?"
The warmth of his words washed over her.
"You were never a criminal, Jessie. But let's just say that the marshal has more important things to do than chase an ornery little woman and two kids through Indian Territory. He figured it was easier to clear your record than to chase you halfway to hell and back."
The beginnings of a smile on Jessie's lips faded as Y.A. Pierce jammed the pistol against her back and whispered, "Get rid of this trail bum.
Or he dies.
"Thank you, Cole. For everything."
She made a move to close the door, but he stopped it.
"Wait, Jessie."
For a brief moment their fingers touched.
Jessie felt the heat and closed her eyes, absorbing the shock of his touch.
Cole studied her, drinking in the haughty upturned nose, the eyes the color of a stormy sky.
"Is everything all right?"
"Everything's--fine."
She said the words quickly, the way she always did when she wanted to be convincing.
Cole lifted an eyebrow and tried to peer beyond the slightly open door.
But all he could see was Jessie barring his way.
He felt the familiar prickly feeling and knew that something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"I thought I might stop here a while."
"I'm sorry. I've sold the ranch and there's a lot to do before we leave for the East."
"East?"
He experienced an ache around his heart that left him stunned.
"It was Pa's last request before he died. He asked me to sell the ranch and take my brothers East for a proper upbringing. My neighbors, the Starkeys, have agreed to buy the ranch."
He stared deeply into her eyes and saw a flicker of emotion.
Just as quickly, it was gone.
"Then I guess I'd better be on my way."
He touched the brim of his hat and turned away.
"Cole."
She spoke his name with a sense of desperation.
But as soon as the word was out of her mouth, she realized her foolishness.
Jessie sucked in her breath as the gun was pressed so hard against her back she could feel the heat from the gunman's hand.
He turned.
"Yes?"
She bit her lower lip to keep it from quivering.
"Safe trip."
"Thanks."
Jessie stood a minute longer, staring hungrily at the width of his shoulders, the slope of his waist, the power in his thighs as he moved.
And then the door was forced shut, and she was slammed against the wall of the shack.
"You're testing my patience, woman."
Pierce slapped her so hard her head was snapped to one side.
With a growl he added, "We'll just wait a minute, to make certain your cowboy leaves."
Everyone in the room grew silent, listening to the sound of fading hoofbeats.
Knife stood by a window and watched as the rider disappeared over a rise.
"He's gone. Wish I'd had a look at his face. Something about his voice bothers me."
"A passing cowboy doesn't worry me."
Y.A.Pierce motioned to Knife.
"It's your turn. Do anything to the girl you'd like, Just get me the information I want."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Cole urged his mount forward until he was safely over the rise.
Then, sliding from the saddle, he turned and studied the little sod shack and the surrounding countryside.
Though everything appeared quiet and normal, he sensed that something was very wrong here.
It was true that Jessie had every right to treat him with disdain.
But her conversation had been too stilted.
With the shock of her father's death and the ordeal of selling the ranch, even a strong woman like Jessie should have displayed some emotion at seeing him.
Emotion.
That was what was wrong.
She neither laughed nor cried.
Merely listened to his words and made polite responses.
As he studied the land, he realized that the tingling sensation hadn't ceased.
It was still there.
And so was the danger.
Taking his rifle from the boot, he made his way back toward the sod shack.
He'd been so sure of himself.
He'd planned everything--the way he'd track the killers, the way he'd confront them.
But suddenly everything had changed.
He had no plan now, no way of knowing how he would react.
Because he hadn't counted on seeing Jessie.
The sight of her left him confused, disoriented.
Jessie.
His hand clenched firmly around the butt of the rifle.
If she was in any danger, if so much as a single hair of her head was harmed, he'd track the ones who did it to the ends of the earth.
He bit down hard on the rage that seethed inside him.
She was so good, so decent, and she'd been through more than most people suffered in a lifetime.
He had to be certain she was safe.
When he drew near, he crawled on his stomach and inched closer until he reached the ranch building.
Circling the shack, he paused beneath the only window.
Slowly, carefully he straightened until he could peer inside.
What he saw from his narrow vantage point made his blood run cold.
Thad and Danny were seated on the floor in a corner of the room, staring tearfully toward Jessie, who was facing a man with a knife.
The same long-haired man who had once before held a knife to her throat.
The man moved closer to her, reached out with the blade of the knife and held it to the top button of her faded shirt.
With one quick motion he cut away the fabric and moved the knife lower to the second button.
Cole's hand tightened around his gun.
"Now, honey."
Knife's words filtered through the window, causing a chill to course along Cole's spine.
"We're going to see just how long you can keep your little secret."
He turned to Danny, who sat frozen in horror, and Thad, whose cries sounded like the bleating of a lamb.
"If either of you two boys knows anything about the gold, I'd advise you to speak up now."
He laughed with a low scratchy sound that stretched their nerves to the breaking point.
"Or you'll get to see how much fun a pretty thing like your sister can be."
Gold?
Cole had no idea what the man was talking about.
At the moment, it didn't matter.
All he cared about was Jessie.
This crazed gunman had somehow found her and
was tormenting her again.
The fury inside Cole erupted.
Racing around the shack, he kicked in the door, startling the occupants.
"Drop the knife, or I'll blow you away where you stand."
Knife whirled and stared in surprise at the man who had once before held a gun on him.
"You. I knew I recognized that voice."
Cole's words dripped venom.
"Drop the knife and step away from the woman."
Jessie's eyes widened and she cried out a warning, but it was too late.
A voice behind Cole said, "I'm afraid you're the one who'd better drop the weapon."
Stunned, Cole turned to find himself staring at a face he'd carried in his memory for over a year.
The face of the man who had shot his father in the back like a coward.
"You'll drop your gun," Pierce said, grabbing Thad and pressing his pistol to his head, "or the boy dies."
Cole remembered a time when he would have calmly shot the man's gun away without even giving a thought to the boy in his arms, and would have spun around and killed the knife-wielding madman, as well.
But that was before Jessie's love had touched him in a special way.
Knowing what Jessie and her brothers meant to him now, he couldn't risk harming them.
Cole's gun fell to the floor.
"Knife," Pierce shouted, "take up his weapon."
Instantly Knife picked it up and grinned.
"This is the cowboy who spoiled all my fun the last time. And the one who was with the girl in the hotel in Fort Worth. Now," Knife said, his lips curling in a sneer, "let's see how brave you are without your gun."
"I don't have time for your little game of revenge," Pierce barked.
,Finish with the girl and get the information.
I'm tired of waiting for my gold.
"What's this about gold, Jessie?"
Cole turned to her and cursed himself for the terror he could read in her eyes.
"This man is Y. A. Pierce."
Pierce.
At last, he had a name to go with the face he'd carded in his mind for so long.
"When Pa found out that he was cheating the ranchers, he stole Mr. Pierce's strongbox filled with gold. To get even, Mr. Pierce accused my pa of cattle rustling."
"And my little plan was working perfectly until you came along and spoiled everything with that jailbreak. Now, Miss Conway, for the last time," Pierce said with a low growl of anger, "tell me where I can find the gold. Or would you rather have Knife persuade you?"
"Tell him, Jessie."
As he spoke, Cole stared around the little sod shack, his mind alert for anything that could be used as a weapon.