Chapter Ten

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Jeremiah exclaimed three days later after Marston tipped over a cup of water and proceeded to throw the cup a hundred yards into the distance.

Marston just grumbled and stalked back inside the lean-to. He went rifling through his saddlebags, hunting for the flask of whiskey he knew was stashed inside, when his hand closed around a bundle of money.

Marston frowned. He hadn't realized he had so much left. He pulled the money out and counted it slowly.

Three hundred dollars.

Every single wall Marston had built around his heart in the last few weeks to block out the memory of Rose and Langley came crashing down in an instant.

This was their money. It was the money he had stolen from them and Marston had forgotten all about it. They needed this money. They needed it a whole hell of a lot more than he did.

Marston shook his head. No they didn't.

'Yes they do.'

"Shut the hell up," he grumbled. He didn't make a habit of being sorry for things and he sure as hell wasn't gonna start now. Marston forced those walls to rise one more as he shoved the money back into his saddlebags.

He tossed the saddlebags over his shoulder and strode from the shack. "Where are you going?" Jeremiah asked with a frown.

He was worried about his brother. Marston had always been prickly like a cactus but here lately the man seemed to be one giant prick. Jeremiah had no idea what had happened to the man but he was getting tired of dealing with his over the top grouchiness.

"We've been sitting around this shack for days like a couple of women," Marston grumbled as he began saddling Buck. "It's time we loaded up and did something."

"We could ride into the town a couple of hours away and play some cards," Jeremiah offered, tossing his saddle over the gray.

Marston squinted into the sunset and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

***

"They've got some fairly good whiskey in that saloon over there," Jeremiah noted, tipping his head toward the two story building as they rode down the rutted street.

Marston nodded and led Buck toward the saloon. It was the nicest building in this town which was merely a stopover for outlaws, cattle drivers and any other traveler headed west.

"Nice place," Marston said as he glanced up at the second story and saw the scantily clad woman leaning over the balcony.

"Well aren't you a big piece of man," she called down to him. Her voice had a husky quality and she waved coyly. "Care to come on upstairs in a while and offer me some company?"

Marston merely shrugged and headed inside. "You gonna take her up on the offer?" Jeremiah questioned, elbowing him in the stomach.

"Depends.." Marston shrugged. "I might just decide to get good and drunk. If that happens I'll have to say no. I wouldn't wanna get up there and embarrass myself."

"Surely you wouldn't have that problem!" Jeremiah exclaimed as the two brothers settled down in some empty barstools.

"I'm not as young as I used to be," Marston grinned, tapping the bar.

"You're younger than me," Jeremiah noted, catching the beer the barkeep slid his way. "You can't be much more than thirty."

Marston caught the next beer and stared down into it. "Well I feel damned old."

"You look old too. Do you realize just how bad you're looking these days?" Jeremiah asked, downing a big swig.

Marston glared at him. "Mama should have drowned you as an infant."

Jeremiah laughed. "Hell for all we know she probably tried!"

Marston chuckled. "Let's go play some cards."

The brothers made their way to a back poker table and tipped their heads to the four men already playing. "Mind if we play a few hands?" Jeremiah asked, swaying a bit on his feet as if he'd had twenty beers instead of half of one.

Marston placed his own smooth grin on his face. "Yeah, we ain't never had much luck at the game but it sure does pass the time."

The four men at that table shared predatory glances before nodded. "Well come on then, gentlemen. Sit down and play with us."

***

"Was it good?" Jeremiah asked as the two men met back out on the boardwalk of the saloon. Their pockets were full of their poker winnings and Marston had just gotten done paying a visit to that real friendly lady from earlier in the night.

He smirked as he lit a rolled cigarette. "A gentleman never kisses and tells."

"But we ain't gentlemen," Jeremiah winked.

Marston took a long draw. "She was decent," he admitted.

'I think there's a certain woman back in Louisiana that wouldn't be a bit happy with you right now,' that damn voice spoke up.

Marston grumbled under his breath. Marston didn't want to think about Rose or Langley or even the entire damn state of Louisiana. He didn't have a heart to give to them and even if he did Rose wouldn't want it. Not once she learned that he'd stolen their money. Money that they could have used to get through the winter. Money that would have taken some of that giant burden off Rose's shoulders.

Marston growled as he tossed his cigarette down and snuffed it out beneath the toe of his boot.

"Hey, Marston, check that out," Jeremiah nudged him with his elbow. Marston followed his gaze and saw the sharply dressed gentleman and his fancy lady friend exiting a gilded wagon across the street. Marston had never seen so much damn money and pomposity glittering in one place before.

"What are folks like that doing in a place like this?" he inquired.

"I don't know but that chest that man is attempting to lift looks awful heavy."

Marston grinned. "Well what do you say we just head over there and help lighten the load a bit?"

"Howdy folks!" Jeremiah greeted cheerfully as the brother's crossed the dark street.

The woman instantly moved closer to her man while his grip tightened on the chest in his arms. "We don't want any trouble, sirs."

"What makes you think we're trouble?" Marston asked with a chuckle as he hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and rocked back on his heels. "That hurts our feelings a bit, doesn't it brother?"

Jeremiah circled behind the couple. "Sure does."

Marston raised a brown when Jeremiah leaned in close and sniffed at the woman's powder blond hair. "Step away from my wife," the man shakily warned.

"That's a heavy looking trunk you've got there," Marston noted as he pulled his knife and tipped his head.

The woman let out a gasp and squeezed her eyes shut tight while the man's gray eyes widened. "It is heavy but there's nothing of real value inside."

"Why don't you let us be the judges of that?" Jeremiah whispered as he leaned in close and let his lip brush against the woman's ear. She gasped and jerked away from him and the man tossed the trunk to the ground.

"Help yourselves!" the man insisted before grabbing his wife's arm and pulling her body closer to his.

Jeremiah circled the trunk and used his own knife to break the lock. As he rifled through the contents, Marston focused on the couple. "I don't have much in the way of monetary comforts," Marston mused. "And here you folks are all dressed up in finery with more than you need. I'd be much obliged if you could give me any jewelry you might have and empty your pockets."

"But..." the woman gasped as she lay her hand over the large emerald at her throat.

"You can't be wearing those kinds of things around here, ma'am. You better be glad I came along when I did." Marston used the blade of his knife to lift the giant stone from her skin. "Now give me what you have." He shrugged one shoulder. "Please?"

***

"Damn, we made out good!" Jeremiah exclaimed as the brother's climbed on their horses with heavier pockets and saddlebags.

"Sure did," Marston agreed, feeling better than he had in weeks.

A commotion broke out from the hotel and cries of alarm filled the air. "Get them!"

"They stole from those fine folks!"

"Thieves!"

Jeremiah grinned. "Reckon they're talking about us?"

Marston smiled as he grabbed Buck's reins. "I reckon I don't want to stick around and ask."

A gunshot blasted and Jeremiah's wispy blond hair blew in the air as the bullet passed dangerously close to his head. "Yeah me either!" he agreed.

The two brothers were laughing as they rode off into the dark of night. They continued at a quick, steady pace until they were sure that no one was following them. They'd had plenty of practice in learning how to remain elusive and evade capture. It came as natural to each brother as breathing.

"That's the most fun I've had in a while," Marston admitted as the brother's stopped their mounts and looked out at the star filled sky.

"See! We still got it, little brother," Jeremiah said with a friendly smack to Marston's arm.

Marston let out a hiss of pain. "That's the arm you shot me in, you bastard."

Jeremiah flashed a sheepish grin. "Oh yeah..."

"Glad to see you boys are still at it."

Jeremiah and Marston shared a smile when they heard that unmistakable voice and turned to see Duke riding up behind them. Duke was six feet tall and rangy lean. His face was a mess of scars and his black hair and beard were full of gray. Duke had been the man to take both brother's under his wing when they had left the orphanage and he had taught them all about surviving.

"Well how the hell are you, Duke?" Marston asked, holding out his hand. "It's been a while."

Duke shook the offered hand and nodded. "Yes, it has. But I got a proposition for you boys."

"What's that?" Jeremiah asked.

"I got some jobs lined up and a few empty spots in my gang. I could use some men that I know can handle themselves to ride along with me this time."

Marston and Jeremiah glanced at each other and shrugged. "Sure," Jeremiah replied. "It's not like we have anywhere else we need to be."

The three men rode off together and with every step Buck took Marston's memories of Rose, Langley and Louisiana and the man they seemed to believe he could become became more and more distant.