Page 31 of Prince Charming
Then she sat down. Sheâd started a ritual of her own the night she found out the babies had disappeared. Every time Lucas left to search for the little girls, she prayed for him. Her plea to God was twofold. She asked Him to keep Lucas safe from harm and to help him find the babies. When Hunter had joined in the search, she of course added his name to her petition.
She couldnât sit still long. Pacing, it seemed, had also become a ritual. She would worry and pray and pace until Lucas and Hunter were safely home.
Perhaps tonight they wouldnât come back empty-handed.
âPlease, God,â she whispered over and over again, âlet them find my babies.â
Hunter and Lucas both felt they had a solid lead this time. They found the man named Boyd. They were in the process of becoming his best friends, and all because Hunter was paying for his whiskey. They sat with him at a round table in the corner of the saloon. Their goal was to get him liquored up enough to betray his own mother.
An hour later, they had accomplished their goal. Boyd took one look at the money Lucas was offering and started talking. He thought he was doing the Borders a good deed, because Hunter had hinted at the possibility of buying the twins. Money, Hunter boasted, wasnât a concern since heâd made his fortune.
Boyd was an extremely unpleasant individual. Demons, after all, usually were. He was completely devoid of morals. He was also as ugly as sin. He had thick, pockmarked skin and eyelids so heavy, the folds hung down over his eyes. He squinted in order to see. He had the disgusting habit of puckering his lips together every time Hunter mentioned money. It was as though he was tasting his own greed.
Lucas barely spoke a word. He was afraid his voice would betray him. His loathing for the creature sitting across from him made his insides burn. The animal pretending to be a man was calmly discussing the pleasures to be had from young flesh.
Lucas wanted to kill him.
He had to give Hunter his due, however. He knew his friend was just as repulsed by the obscene man. Yet he didnât let his hatred show in his expression or his voice.
âHowâd you come by so much money?â Boyd asked Hunter. âYouâre a half-breed, ainât you?â
Hunter ignored the second question and answered the first. âGold,â he lied.
âYou hit a strike?â
Hunter nodded. Boyd grinned. âMust have been a mighty big one,â he remarked.
âWhat about the Borders?â Hunter asked, trying to bring the man around to the main discussion.
âThey already got themselves a buyer,â Boyd said. âThey could be convinced to go back on their word. It was a woman buyer, after all.â
âA woman?â Hunter asked. He couldnât quite hide his surprise.
Boyd gave Lucas a worried glance. âYour friend doesnât talk much, does he?â
Hunter didnât answer him. âYou said the woman was a buyer?â
Boyd nodded. âShe wants twins for her brothel. Least thatâs what she told the Borders. You really willing to pay triple the asking price?â
âI got the money,â Hunter replied. âMight as well use some of it. If the twins are worth it,â he added. âIâd have to see them first.â
âAnd youâll give me a split because I told you about them?â
âI already said I would.â
âWhat if they ainât twins?â Boyd asked then. âI canât be certain they are,â he admitted. He took a long swallow of whiskey, let out a loud belch, then wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. âI havenât seen them. I heard the brothers had a pair of twins and their older brother. The boyâs a half-breed. Could be his sisters are, too. If that be the case, none of them will be worth a plug nickel.â
Hunter turned to Lucas. The message was clear in his eyes. He wanted to kill the bastard. He couldnât stand to look at him another minute, and heâd heard quite enough. He reached for his knife.
Lucas shook his head. âNot yet,â he told his friend.
âNot yet what?â Boyd demanded to know.
âTell me where theyâre keeping the children,â Lucas ordered. He couldnât keep his anger out of his voice and didnât even try. Boyd didnât seem to notice. His full attention was directed on the stack of bills Lucas had just placed on the table.
Boydâs gaze was riveted on the sight. He puckered his lips together and reached for the money. Hunterâs knife stopped him. The blade sliced through the crack between Boydâs fingers.
âNot so fast,â Hunter announced after Boyd had finished screeching at him.
âGive us the address first,â Lucas insisted. He poured Boyd another drink under the guise of friendship.
Boyd gave Hunter a glare and then drained his glass. He stared at the money another long minute, obviously trying to make up his mind. Then he blurted out the address.
âYou wonât be telling how you found them, will you?â
Hunter wasnât paying any attention to Boyd. He stared at Lucas, waiting for permission, no doubt, to kill the bastard.
Lucas denied him once again. âBoydâs going with us,â he explained. âIf heâs lying, you can kill him.â
âAnd if he isnât lying?â
Since Boyd was following the conversation, Lucas lied. âWeâll give him the other half of the money.â
âI got me enough money here,â Boyd argued. He was so drunk now, his words were slurred together. âI ainât going anywhere with you.â
It took all Lucasâs discipline not to reach across the table and grab the bastard by his neck. He forced a mild tone of voice when he spoke. âMy friend likes to use his knife,â he said with a nod toward Hunter. âHe does some pretty fancy work with his blade.â
Hunter raised an eyebrow, then smiled. âThank you,â he replied, pretending to be pleased by the outrageous lie.
Boydâs face was turning pale. It wasnât good enough for Lucas. He acted as though he was discussing the weather when he continued. âHeâs partial to skinning a man. He keeps him alive while he works on him. Isnât that right?â he asked his friend.
Hunter nodded. âWouldnât be any fun if he were already dead. Whatâs the point then?â
âExactly,â Lucas agreed. âWhatâs the point?â
Boyd was shaking now and giving worried glances around the saloon. He was apparently looking for someone to help him.
No one was giving him the time of day. âIâm a white man,â he protested.
Hunter smiled. âItâs all the same to me,â he drawled out.
Lucas nodded. âYou called it, Boyd. My friendâs a half-breed and therefore a savage, right?â
Boyd nodded, then shook his head. He couldnât seem to make up his mind to agree or disagree. He snorted. âYou arenât going to take me anywhere. Iâm staying right where I am. There are too many people in this here saloon. Witnesses,â he added with a smug smile.
Five minutes later, Boyd had tears in his eyes. He was being dragged down the street between Lucas and Hunter.
They were looking for an alley. They found one two blocks later. They left Boyd there, bound and gagged and unconscious, behind a stack of wooden crates. They didnât want Boyd having second thoughts and possibly alerting the Border brothers of trouble, and as Lucas patiently pointed out to Hunter when he demanded the right to kill the son of a bitch, they might need to ask Boyd more questions if the Borders had moved the children to another location. There was also the telling fact that neither one of them was a cold-blooded murderer.
âWe might want to kill him, but we wonât,â Lucas said.
Hunter didnât like being reminded of the truth. He growled low in his throat. âIf we were in Montana Territory . . .â
âIt would still be murder,â Lucas countered. âWhen this is finished, weâll make certain everyone in town knows Boyd sold out his friends. That should make his life miserable.â
Hunter cheered up. He fell into step beside Lucas and walked down the main street. Neither said a word for several minutes. Then Hunter broke the silence.
>
âSo I like to skin a man alive, do I?â
Lucas grinned. âI thought it was a nice touch.â
Hunter laughed. âExpectations,â he said with a nod. âHe expected me to behave like a savage.â
âAnd I merely reinforced his own ignorant beliefs.â
The two men put Boyd out of their minds. They found the address they were looking for twenty minutes later. They had to backtrack twice. They were in the heart of the slum of the city, surrounded by tenement buildings. Clothing hung down from broken rails, windows were broken or altogether missing, and the sound of human misery echoed all around them. Babies cried while adults shouted. The dilapidated buildings were gray. The ground surrounding the housing was covered with garbage and worse. The stench was almost unbearable.
âTheyâre inside. I feel it in my gut, Lucas.â
âI got the same feeling,â Lucas said. âIâm going to have to go and get Taylor.â
âWhy?â
âSheâs the only one who will know for certain if the twins are her nieces,â he said. It was a lame excuse and they both knew it.
Hunter rolled his eyes heavenward. âHow many twins do you think the Borders have up there? For Godâs sake, Lucas, either way weâre going to get those children out of there.â
Lucas nodded. âI know,â he agreed. âBut Taylor deserves to go with us. I promised her.â
Hunter quit arguing. âIâll wait here,â he said. He was already moving into the shadows between the two buildings, looking for a spot where he could keep his gaze on both the front and the back doors. If the Borders decided to move the children, he wanted to know about it.
Lucas hailed a cabbie three blocks away. He had the driver wait for him in front of the hotel while he went upstairs to get Taylor.
She opened the door for him. She took one look at his dark expression and tried to brace herself for bad news.
He stopped her questions with an abrupt order. âGet your coat.â
She didnât take the time to ask him where he was taking her. She ran to the wardrobe, grabbed her coat, and went running back to her husband. She patted the pocket to make certain her gun was still there.
Lucas gave her only a partial explanation of what had happened. He didnât go into any detail about Boyd. He didnât want to waste the time.
Taylor was gripping her hands together. She was tense and frightened.
âYou say the little girls have an older brother with them?â
âThatâs what we were told.â
They reached the vehicle. Lucas assisted Taylor inside. She waited until they were on their way before speaking again.
âIf they have an older brother, they canât be my sisterâs twins.â
âDo you want to go back?â
âOf course not,â she cried out. âYou insult me by asking such a question. Weâre going to get these children away from the vile animals first. Then we keep looking for my babies.â
He was pleased with her answer. âI want you to stay between Hunter and me the entire time weâre inside.â
âYes.â
âYouâll do exactly what I tell you to do. No arguments.â
âNo arguments,â she promised.
The list of his orders continued. Taylor understood why he was being so harsh and sounding so angry. He wanted to keep her safe. Worry made his voice take on a hard edge. She found it comforting.
They were nearing the tenements when Lucas finished with his instructions. Because she looked so frightened, he decided to give her something positive to think about.
âBy next week, you could be on your way to Georgeâs relatives with the twins. Think about that happy reunion, Taylor.â He was offering her a glimmer of hope. He was surprised when she shook her head. She was staring out the window, taking in the godawful view, and barely paying any attention to what Lucas was saying.
The smell of boiling cabbage and human stench made her want to gag.
âDid you ever meet any of Georgeâs relatives?â he asked.
He had to repeat his question because of her inattention. âThe twinsâ father,â he said. âDid you meet any of his relatives?â
She couldnât imagine why he was asking such a strange question now.
âNo, George was an orphan. He didnât have any relatives. Look, thereâs Hunter. Heâs walking toward us.â
Taylor had the door opened before the vehicle came to a complete stop. Lucas paid the driver and offered the man a handsome bonus if he would wait for them. The lure of the money outweighed the cabbieâs concern about the safety of the neighborhood. He pulled out a rifle from under his perch, put it across his lap, and then promised to wait as long as thirty minutes.
Taylor waited next to Hunter until Lucas crossed the street. Then she moved to his side and took hold of his hand. She put her other hand in the pocket of her coat and held onto her Colt.
They walked in silence up the rickety steps of the tenement. Lucas went inside first. Taylor followed. Hunter was right behind her.
The apartment they were looking for was on the third floor and in the very back of the building. The floorboards creaked, but there was so much noise inside, they could have pounded their way down the hallway and not been overheard.
The walls were paper thin, as were the doors. When they reached the number they wanted, Lucas motioned for Taylor to stand against the wall several feet away. If there was gunfire, he didnât want a stray bullet hitting her.
Hunter already had one of his guns out. Lucas readied his own, nodded to his friend, and then slammed his shoulder against the door and rushed inside. Hunter followed him.
A young man, around the age of twenty, had been asleep on the divan. He awakened to find Hunterâs six-shooter pressed against his temple.
A woman twice his age came running into the living room from the kitchen. She wore only a sheer nightgown. She had orange-colored hair and a heavily painted face. She didnât try to cover herself. She sneered at Hunter and went running toward him with her hands out and her jagged nails ready to do injury, but she came to a quick stop when he pulled out his second gun and leveled it at her.
She apparently decided to take a different approach. She put her hands on her hips and pulled the material of her nightgown tight against her so heâd be sure to see what she was offering and thrust her breasts out. âMy nameâs Shirleen. I do my business out of the bedroom back yonder. Why donât you put your guns away, sugar? I can show you a real good time. It will only cost you a dollar, two if you want to use my mouth. Iâm worth the money, arenât I, Charlie?â
The man on the divan was too frightened to answer her. He didnât even nod.
âYou wouldnât shoot a lady, would you, sugar?â she crooned at Hunter.
His voice was devoid of emotion when he answered her. âIâm not looking at a lady.â
She didnât care for the insult. Her eyes became bare slits again. Hatred glowed from her expression. âYouâre in the wrong place,â she told him. âThis here belongs to the Borders.â The sneer was back in her voice. âThey donât take kindly to being robbed. Theyâll cut you good if they catch you. Youâd best get out of here while you still can.â
Hunter didnât show any reaction to her threat. He simply stared at her and waited for her next move. Lucas had already made his way around the cramped apartment. There were two bedrooms. The first was empty, and from the rumpled and soiled bedding, he assumed that was the room the woman used to conduct her business. The second bedroom door was locked. He started to use his shoulder to break the barrier down, but then he heard the sound of a child crying. The noise was faint, yet still recognizable. Lucas stepped back. He was afraid to crash through the door for fear he would injure the child if he or she were standing close to the opening.
He needed the key.
âSurely youâve heard of the Borders,â Shirleen muttered. âEveryone has heard of Billy and Cyrus.â She snorted with laughter. âYou got to be new in town, sugar, or you
âd know how dangerous and foolhardy it is to dare to rob . . .â
âGive me the key to the bedroom door.â
Lucas issued the order from behind the womanâs back. She jumped a foot and whirled around. Until he spoke to her, she hadnât realized there was more than one man inside the apartment with her.
This one was far more threatening to her than the other one holding Charlie captive. He didnât make a sound when he moved. Only a man used to breaking the law knew how to walk like a shadow. Shirleen took a step away and tried to hide her fear.
Taylor walked inside then. Hunter told her to shut the door. She did as she was ordered, then turned around again.
She gave the scantily clad woman only a passing glance. It was enough, however, to convey her disgust. Her gaze moved on to the man stretched out on the divan. She noticed what he was doing, and since both Hunter and Lucas were watching her, she gave the warning.
Her gaze was on her husband when she spoke to Hunter. âHeâs reaching for his gun. Itâs probably under one of the cushions.â
Hunter smiled. âI know.â
She didnât understand. If he knew what the man was doing, why didnât he stop him?
Lucas understood. Hunter was waiting for an excuse to kill the vermin.
âNo gunfire,â he called out to his friend.
Hunter frowned with disappointment. Then he let out a sigh. He flipped the gun around in his hand, and before his prisoner understood his intent, Hunter slammed the butt of his gun against the side of his head. He didnât kill the man, but when he woke up, he was going to wish he were dead. His head was going to feel as though it had been split in two.
Hunter shoved the unconscious man onto the floor, then reached down between the cushions. He found the pistol hidden there and tucked the weapon in his belt.
It suddenly dawned on Shirleen that the strangers werenât there simply to rob the place. Her gaze was locked on Taylor. She watched Taylor cross the room to the bedroom door, thinking that she looked like an angel. And for that reason alone, the threat she issued carried all the more substance.