Give My Love to Rose(1st in Outlaw Series)

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

When they entered the cabin's clearing, Marston glanced down at Langley as the boy rubbed at his cold-reddened nose and sniffed. The boy's eyes widened and Marston followed his gaze to see a horse hitched beside the barn.

"That's his horse, Marston!" Langely exclaimed. "That's the banker's horse. What if he's in there hurting mama?"

Marston laid his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Calm down, Langley. How do you know that's the banker's horse?"

"Because of those fancy golden stirrups!" Langley was near tears. "What if he's in there with mama?"

Marston breathed deep through his nose, fighting back his own worry and rage. "Calm down. He's not in there with your mama," Marston assured him, glancing around the clearing.

"How do you know?" Langley demanded.

"Do you see any fresh dew tracks going up the porch steps?" Marston asked. Langley studied the steps from a distance and shook his head. "Well alright then."

Marston studied the grass and saw the tracks in the dew. Footsteps leading around toward the back of the cabin—toward Rose's bedroom window.

His blood began to boil.

"Langley I want you to go to the barn and feed the horses."

"But..."

"Don't argue with me!" Marston snapped. Langley's blue eye widened and he took a step back. Marston took a steadying breath. "Just go tend to the horses and the stalls while I tend to the banker."

Langley nodded and scurried off, disappearing inside the barn. Marston dropped the doe to the ground. Skinning the dear would have to wait; Marston had a banker to tend to first.

He slipped as silent as a shadow around the back of the cabin and pulled out his knife. He stopped dead in his tracks when he came to the back of the cabin and found who he assumed was Winston Meade, peeping into Rose's window.

The man opened up the shutters and began hoisting himself up, clearly intending to climb right in. "Can I help you?" Marston whispered, stepping in close to the banker.

Marston grabbed Winston Meade and clamped a bloody hand over the man's mouth to keep him silent as he pulled him from the window. Marston saw that Rose was still inside sleeping peacefully.

Marston looked down at the man who had threatened to force Rose the last time he'd been around and who was now attempting to crawl through her window. Marston stared down at the man who was going to die.

"I see no reason to wake the lady," Marston growled. "You're probably wondering who I am," Marston mused. "Let's take a long walk down the river and I'll tell you."

Marston continued to hold the man's arm tightly in one hand and keep him silent with the other. Marston dragged the bastard a good half a mile into the woods, following the river. He didn't stop until he came to a place where the bank was swollen and the current roaring. It would be impossible for screams to carry back to the cabin from here.

Marston released his hold on the banker and the man instantly spun and staggered backward. Marston looked the man up and down, sizing up his quarry. Winston Meade had pale, nearly colorless gray eyes that were wide and shining with fear. His thick black eyebrows were raised high and nearly hidden beneath his heavy bangs. His body was short but it was stocky and strong and Marston assumed the man used that build to help him take advantage of women on their own.