Chapter Twelve

"He's not here!" Jessie exclaimed tossing her things on the hotel bed. "All this damn time we've wasted traveling here and he's gone. What now?"

Langley sighed. The hotel clerk had informed them when they'd checked in that Jessie's 'uncle' Benjamin Gray had checked out a week ago and left town and hadn't mentioned where he might be heading to.

Crossing the room, Langley slipped his arms around Jessie's waist from behind. "The last few weeks were such a waste of time," he countered, kissing he wild hair.

He heard her smile. "Weren't they? I still have my virtue."

Langley chuckled and released her. "So do I."

"Liar," Jessie mumbled sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Langley felt his ears begin to burn. "Not lying."

Falling onto her back with a laugh, Jessie sighed. "I reckon I know you're not."

It had awhile since their first kiss and in that time their kisses had grown hungrier and the touches more intimate. Much to Jessie's surprise, her trust in Langley had also grown. It worried her that he made her feel safe. She had given him so much of herself... what would happen when he hurt her?

"What are you thinking about so hard?" Langley asked, lounging against the wall with his arms over his chest. "I can see the smoke rolling out of your ears."

"That's the fumes I'm running on," she countered. Jessie grabbed a pillow and propped it beneath her head.

Langley crossed the room and pulled a blanket up to her chin. "Sleep. I'll go get us some lunch."

"I'm not going to sleep," Jessie assured him, her eyes closing. "I'm just gonna search my eyelids for any clues as to where to look for Benjamin."

Langley laughed. "Alright then. Maybe when I get back, I'll check mine awhile too."

"Well go on then," Jessie insisted.

Langley slipped from the room with a smile. His first stop was the post office in town. He sent out a letter for his parents letting them know he was alive and well. Langley wasn't sure if Jeremiah had told them about jail or not but he knew how much his mama would worry if he didn't write.

After that was complete, Langley headed to the café to get himself and his traveling partner some lunch. He let his mind wander to Jessie and realized that just thinking about he made him smile. She was starting to trust him, starting to open up more every day. Langley was having the best time of his life.

Jessie was his best friend and more.. he saw a future with her even if she refused to speak of it. She was clearly not the type to make plans. Maybe if she didn't have Benjamin Gray hanging over her head she'd be more willing to think about the future.

Langley didn't want Jessie to kill the man. She was too good a person to have cold-blooded murder resting on her conscience. But he knew he couldn't stop her. He'd already tried the 'murder is bad for your soul' routine and she hadn't listened.

Maybe they wouldn't find any more leads and Jessie would give it up. Yeah, and maybe pigs would sprout wings and fly right out of their pens. Langley sighed. He'd like to take her home. He was pretty sure his mama would welcome her with open arms and he knew that his pa and Duke would like her since she seemed to be cut from the same cloth as them.

Langley blew out a long breath before stepping into the café. He ordered two of the lunch specials and leaned against the far end of the counter to wait. He couldn't help but overhear the conversation going on behind him.

"If that French bastard ain't here by tomorrow, I'm leaving."

Langley glanced across the café to see a middle-aged man with a balding head and a thick mustache sitting at a small table with a younger man sporting dual pearl handled revolvers.

"If you take off before Pierre gets here with that Jessie Burke then you'll be putting your boss and my brother in danger," mustache man warned.

Langley's interest was thoroughly captured. "Benjamin might have wanted that woman for himself but as far as I can see, she's uncatchable," the younger man countered while picking at a tear in his trousers. "She must have killed, Pierre. It's the only explanation for why he ain't here yet. The man is never late."

"Benjamin had to head home but he left us here to wait. He'll make sure you pay if you take off."

"If catching that well-built filly means so much to the bastard, then he needs to do it himself," ivory handles snorted.

"Ben has a wife and kids to tend to, Billy. He can't just run around and do what he wants all the time."

"If Dorothia knew about his 'wants', she'd shove a heated branding iron up his rear," Billy mumbled.

Langley bit back a chuckle at the image those words brought to mind. He moved a little closer to the duos table, pretending to study some papers on the wall.

"You're leaving today, ain't ya?" Billy asked the mustached man.

"Yeah, I'm leaving on the train at four. You had better stick around until you hear from Pierre."

Billy grumbled and threw himself back against the chair. "Fine. There's a poker going on at the Greenhorn tonight and I reckon there's a few women over at the brothel I haven't been introduced to yet."

"See, you'll be fine!" mustache man assured him, smacking Billy on the back. "And Pierre should be here within a couple of days."

Billy snorted. "Unless that little hellcat killed him. Then I'll be waiting here awhile."

"Pierre is the best at what he does," the other man countered. "Remember, when Pierre shows up, you're to transport his tiny little package up to Oklahoma."

"Yeah, yeah," Billy waved his hand. "To the gang house so his precious Dorothia doesn't catch wind of her husband's fetishes."

"You'll go far in this business, Billy boy. Just keep your head down, do as you're told and don't ask questions."

Mustache man walked passed Langley and the bloodlust that Langley felt shoot through him shocked him. He wanted to kill both these men and be done with it but he couldn't just pull his gun here and get it done. Armadillo was a large place with lots of witnesses and plenty of law.

Langley didn't miss the look on Billy's face as he watched the mustached man leave. It was clear that Billy was annoyed and bitter at being forced to wait on Pierre. Langley figured Pierre wasn't as good at his job as everyone seemed to think—Langley had killed him fairly easily.

"Sir!" a voice behind him called just before he was nudged in the arm.

Langley turned to see a tired woman holding a tray of food. He offered her an apologetic smile and took the tray. "Sorry ma'am."

She seemed taken off guard by his politeness as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I apologize for nudging you that way. I tried to get your attention several times but you seemed distracted."

Langley laughed. "Don't worry about it, ma'am. My family has to nudge me all the time. They've actually given up on getting my attention politely and just holler and hit me first thing nowadays."

She giggled as she smoothed out her apron. "I'm glad you're so understanding."

Langley tipped his head. "I better be getting this food to the hotel before my lady comes running for me."

"Oh.." Her face fell. "You have a lady?"

"Yes ma'am," Langley replied, realizing the woman looked as if someone had just taken her puppy out to the road and kicked it. "I best be getting back to her. I'll return the dishes."

The woman simply nodded and went back to her work. Langley left the café, not quite sure what to do. He needed answers and he figured Billy was the best one to give them to him. But how was he going to get those answers? Langley was sure that Billy wouldn't simply volunteer them.

Langley entered the hotel room and realized that Jessie was sleeping soundly. He sat the try on the bedside table and crouched beside the bed to watch her dream. He loved watching her sleep. It was only in those moments that every bit of her guard was down and she looked completely at peace.

When her lips curved in a smile, Langley wondered what she was dreaming. He reached out his hand and ran a gentle knuckle down her cheek.

Jessie's eyes flew open at the contact and her knee came up and collided solidly with Langley's jaw. He was laughing as he fell back onto his backside.

"Langley! Damnation, have I killed you?" Jessie demanded, flying out of the bed and kneeling on the floor beside him.

"I'm fine," Langley assured her, still chuckling. "It's good to know you can defend yourself just fine, even when you're asleep."

"You should have known better than to touch me like that when I was sleeping," she scolded.

He nodded as she got to her feet and helped him to his. "I'll keep that in mind. I'll be waking you up with a real long stick from now on."

Langley could tell by the flush in her cheeks that she was embarrassed and the way her teeth nibbled her bottom lip let him know she felt guilty. He chose not to mention either thing to her.

"I'm starving. Did you bring food?" Jessie inquired.

Langley pointed to the tray of food and the duo began to eat in silence. Langley knew he had to bring up what he'd heard about in the diner. "While I was at the café getting lunch I overheard some men talking."

Jessie frowned as she sipped at her soup. "You shouldn't eavesdrop, Langley. That's not what a polite outlaw such as yourself would do."

"Well, they stole my attention. One of the men was a younger guy, real jittery with dual pearl handled revolvers. Said his name was Billy."

"Hell, I know Billy!" Jessie exclaimed setting down her fork. "I've met him a few times. He tried to take advantage of me in the hayloft once."

"And what happened to him?" Langley asked.

Jessie ran her fingertips over the red welt on Langley's jaw. "I got him with my knee too. Only it was a bit further south." When her gaze moved south Langley cleared his throat.

"Ouch..." he muttered.

Jessie sighed. "I really hope we don't see Billy tonight. He always was an annoying little rat."

"Tonight? What are we doing tonight?"

"My eyelids came up with a plan." Jessie winked. "We're gonna get all fancied up and head over to the Greenhorn to play some poker and listen to gossip. Benjamin likes those high class places and I'm thinking we might hear something useful."

Langley nodded but said nothing. There was no way he was going to let Jessie step foot inside the Greenhorn. Billy knew what she looked like and if he saw her, he would know Pierre was dead and would go after her himself.

Langley would go by himself take care of things.

There was just one problem. How did you convince a stubborn, determined, strong-willed, outlaw woman to stay in the bedroom safe while you went and fought her battle?