want this no good snake getting that kind of treatment.”
Ivy looked down at Chuck, whose mouth was open showing his missing teeth, and his eyes rolled back in his head. “Somehow, I don’t think there’s any danger of that.”
“Nevertheless.” Dean had his pants on and was buttoning his shirt. “I’ll take him down the mountain and leave him in town for someone else to deal with. And make sure I get my horse back.” He stepped into his boots and nudged Chuck in the ribs with his toe. “He sure is out, hope he stays that way for a while.” Dean grabbed the unconscious man by the arm to heave him over his shoulder.
“Are you coming back?” Nell asked, and Ivy waited for the answer, more anxious than she’d have admitted if anyone had asked her.
Dean rebalanced and leaned in to give Nell a peck on the cheek. “Are you kidding me? I will come back as long as I have an invitation.” He turned to look at Ivy, and she didn’t miss the uncertainty in his eyes. “Do I have an invitation?”
Ivy smiled, and watched his dimples appear in response. “Consider yourself invited.”
“I might be a bit,” Dean said. “There’s a few other things I’ve gotta do, but I’ll be back.”
Nell twined her arm around Ivy’s waist. “We’ll be here.”
Dean looked at the two of them for a long moment. “I’ll hurry,” he said, then he was gone, out into the bright post-storm sunlight.
Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:
Outlaw Rose
Celeste Rupert
Excerpt
Chapter One
A branch cracked. Rose crouched down in the shadow of a nearby bush and hoped her dark dress and the overcast night would be enough to hide her from view. The footsteps grew nearer and she held her breath. Her heart pounded so loud in her ears that she was afraid it would lead him straight to her. She tried to calm down.
It was quiet. She strained her ears for any sign he was coming closer. The silence pressed in on her as she squinted through the darkness, searching for movement. There was nothing but the faint rustle of nearby leaves in the night breeze. She breathed out a sigh.
He was gone.
She sensed the movement a split second before she felt the hand close over her arm. She fought with all her strength, jerking backwards to try to break his grip, until the loud, metallic click of a hammer being drawn back echoed through the night. She froze.
“That’s better.” His voice was a low growl and she felt the steel barrel of his pistol against her cheek. He lifted her to her toes, bringing his face down close to hers. She could smell the coffee on his breath, then his face was close enough to see clearly. His strong jaw and full lips had been hidden by the mask the day before, but she remembered his eyes, which registered surprise as he recognised her. “You! You’re that little snip of a bank teller.” He pressed the gun harder into the soft skin of her face. “What the hell are you doing sneaking around our camp?”
“I followed you.”
“Why?”
“The posse took off to the south, thinking you’d head for Mexico. I…” She hesitated, until the pistol jerked again. “I took a chance.”
“Stupid of you. I can’t let you go now, or you’ll just run to the sheriff.” He twisted, and she realised he was looking around him. “I don’t like killing women, but you’ve put me in a bad spot.”
“No!” Her heart pounded in her ears.
“No?” He leaned over her menacingly. “Do you have another suggestion? We’ve made plans for that gold, and I don’t plan to let some pretty little bank teller get me hanged before I get around to spending it.”
“If you’ll let me live…” Her voice trailed off.
He gave her a shake, bouncing her off his broad chest, his hand like steel on her arm.
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
He froze and she collided with him again. “What?” he said.
She relaxed against him, trailing a trembling hand across his
Ivy looked down at Chuck, whose mouth was open showing his missing teeth, and his eyes rolled back in his head. “Somehow, I don’t think there’s any danger of that.”
“Nevertheless.” Dean had his pants on and was buttoning his shirt. “I’ll take him down the mountain and leave him in town for someone else to deal with. And make sure I get my horse back.” He stepped into his boots and nudged Chuck in the ribs with his toe. “He sure is out, hope he stays that way for a while.” Dean grabbed the unconscious man by the arm to heave him over his shoulder.
“Are you coming back?” Nell asked, and Ivy waited for the answer, more anxious than she’d have admitted if anyone had asked her.
Dean rebalanced and leaned in to give Nell a peck on the cheek. “Are you kidding me? I will come back as long as I have an invitation.” He turned to look at Ivy, and she didn’t miss the uncertainty in his eyes. “Do I have an invitation?”
Ivy smiled, and watched his dimples appear in response. “Consider yourself invited.”
“I might be a bit,” Dean said. “There’s a few other things I’ve gotta do, but I’ll be back.”
Nell twined her arm around Ivy’s waist. “We’ll be here.”
Dean looked at the two of them for a long moment. “I’ll hurry,” he said, then he was gone, out into the bright post-storm sunlight.
Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:
Outlaw Rose
Celeste Rupert
Excerpt
Chapter One
A branch cracked. Rose crouched down in the shadow of a nearby bush and hoped her dark dress and the overcast night would be enough to hide her from view. The footsteps grew nearer and she held her breath. Her heart pounded so loud in her ears that she was afraid it would lead him straight to her. She tried to calm down.
It was quiet. She strained her ears for any sign he was coming closer. The silence pressed in on her as she squinted through the darkness, searching for movement. There was nothing but the faint rustle of nearby leaves in the night breeze. She breathed out a sigh.
He was gone.
She sensed the movement a split second before she felt the hand close over her arm. She fought with all her strength, jerking backwards to try to break his grip, until the loud, metallic click of a hammer being drawn back echoed through the night. She froze.
“That’s better.” His voice was a low growl and she felt the steel barrel of his pistol against her cheek. He lifted her to her toes, bringing his face down close to hers. She could smell the coffee on his breath, then his face was close enough to see clearly. His strong jaw and full lips had been hidden by the mask the day before, but she remembered his eyes, which registered surprise as he recognised her. “You! You’re that little snip of a bank teller.” He pressed the gun harder into the soft skin of her face. “What the hell are you doing sneaking around our camp?”
“I followed you.”
“Why?”
“The posse took off to the south, thinking you’d head for Mexico. I…” She hesitated, until the pistol jerked again. “I took a chance.”
“Stupid of you. I can’t let you go now, or you’ll just run to the sheriff.” He twisted, and she realised he was looking around him. “I don’t like killing women, but you’ve put me in a bad spot.”
“No!” Her heart pounded in her ears.
“No?” He leaned over her menacingly. “Do you have another suggestion? We’ve made plans for that gold, and I don’t plan to let some pretty little bank teller get me hanged before I get around to spending it.”
“If you’ll let me live…” Her voice trailed off.
He gave her a shake, bouncing her off his broad chest, his hand like steel on her arm.
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
He froze and she collided with him again. “What?” he said.
She relaxed against him, trailing a trembling hand across his
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