An Outlaw's Weakness*Fifth in Crane Gang series*

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Xavier was happy to leave town, and even happier to do so with Preston at his side. He still wasn't sure what had caused the sadness and sudden distance the man had shown but he assumed it was homesickness—hell, Xavier had never had a home to get sick for but he knew that Preston did.

"We could have spent a bit longer in town," Preston said, adjusting himself in his saddle. "Real meals and a nice bed..."

Xavier grunted and pointed at the pack mule he'd purchased. "I got ya some damn potatoes to eat and some canned fruit. Ya oughta be happy."

Preston blushed a little as he smiled. "Thank you."

Xavier's response was a grunt but inside he was feeling pretty damn proud as he sat up a little straighter in the saddle. He'd spent what money he'd had left on that pack mule and supplies to ensure that Preston would be comfortable. Preston hadn't asked him to do that and that's why Xavier had done it.

Problem was, now Xavier was broke and he'd have to find some way to make a bit of money before they ran out of supplies. He thought about the bounty he'd been chasing. That would have been a nice payday but Xavier wouldn't go chasing bounties with Preston—not until he knew the other man could defend himself.

He glanced over at Preston and felt his heart beat a little harder in his chest. That blond hair caught the sunlight, those pale cheeks were flushed, and his body moved so fluidly with the horse below him. Xavier was reminded of Preston's trick riding antics from a few days ago and he shifted in his saddle.

He wanted Preston. He wanted to touch the man, taste him, feel that tiny body against him as he thrust himself into that tight ass. That thought had a growl leaving Xavier's throat as he shifted once again in the saddle.

Preston glanced his way. "Are you okay?"

"Yep."

Yeah, Xavier was just fine and he'd be even better once he got Preston beneath him—there wasn't any reason for it not to happen. They were both grown men and Xavier could tell that Preston wanted him too. There wasn't a thing wrong with two grown men giving in to urges—Xavier had never been a man who made a habit of doing so but he figured now was as good a time as any.

"So where are we going?" Preston asked after they'd been riding in silence a while and had left town well behind them.

Xavier shrugged. "Don't have a particular destination in mind. Wandering is part of the adventure."

"My pas did a lot of wandering before they settled down," Preston admitted with a smile tugging at his lips.

"You don't talk about your family much but you seem happy any time you do."

"You don't talk about your family at all," Preston countered.

Xavier pulled his hat lower and dug a cigarette and matches from his pocket. After lighting his cigarette, he took a long draw and slowly blew out the smoke. "Never had a real family to speak of."

"I didn't either—not until I was eight. You must have had somebody if you didn't grow up in an orphanage."

Xavier thought about his abusive, drunk, whore of a mother. He didn't tell people about his past, hell, he didn't generally talk to people much at all. But this wasn't just any person—this was Preston. And Xavier had already come to terms with the fact that Preston brought out something new in him.

"My mama was a whore in some backwater brothel where the rats will eat you in your sleep if you ain't careful. I grew up in that place. Wasn't a day that went by when I wasn't hungry or beaten or lonely. So, at twelve I took off and I've been on my own since."

Preston was quiet a moment and when Xavier stole a glance at the man, he realized he looked real sad. Sad for him? "I'm really sorry that happened to you, Xavier."

Xavier felt something in his heart cracking. It hurt. Emotion rose up in his chest and he desperately stomped it back down. He hadn't wasted a moment feeling sorry for himself or dwelling on his past since leaving it behind and he wasn't going to do his mother the favor of crying over her now.

"Made me stronger," he stated once he'd ensured he had control of himself.

"It's still sad."

Xavier didn't reply. Preston sighed. "I have a big family. There's my pas Gill and Jeb. Then there's my uncles Craig and Wyatt with their men Zachariah and Ezekial. My cousin Jane and her husband Pete, they have a son named Willie, he's nine now. Craig and Ezekial have a daughter named Delilah and she's seven. Then there's Eleanor and Willa."

Xavier took a moment to let the new information sink in and then Preston was speaking again. "Most of us live on Jeb and Gill's ranch but there's lots of land so we're spread out a bit."

"And people just leave them alone and let them live how they want?"

Preston's laughter rang out causing Xavier's heart to once again beat oddly in his chest. "If you met my family, you'd understand. They aren't people you want to go against. They're all pretty damn deadly in a fight."

"So why are you so damn helpless?"

Preston grumbled under his breath. "I'm not completely helpless."

"You aren't entirely helpful either," Xavier stated honestly. "With a family like that, Id expect you to be a bit better at protecting yourself."

Silence reigned. Xavier knew he'd hurt the other man but it had never been in his nature to sugarcoat what he wanted to say. Still, he didn't like seeing Preston hurt. Maybe he shouldn't be so harsh.

Finally, Preston spoke. "I told you I was a sick child. I'm small and pale and weak and I guess that made everyone want to protect me. I know how to shoot a gun but not as good as most people and I'm too small to fight."

"Nobody is too small to fight," Xavier countered. "And you being small just makes it even more important to know how to defend yourself. Cowards pick on folks that are smaller than them and that means you. You gotta know how to prove they made a mistake."

"So, you were serious? Earlier when you said you were going to teach me how to fight, you meant that?"

"Of course I did. I won't always be around to save your ass."

Preston rolled his eyes. "I never asked you to save my ass. You could have just walked away."

Xavier sighed and took another draw off his cigarette. He squinted into the sunlight and shook his head. "No. I couldn't."

A/N:  Some serious Preston/Xavier 'action' next chapter.. wink wink!