Free Lone Star 05 by Wesley Ellis Page B

not as if the kid had ten thousand dollars riding on him. He’s got plenty, but maybe not enough to get everybody killed over. How’s that?”
    â€œBetter,” she said. “But I want more.”
    â€œMaybe I’ll just finish up my bath here and be moving on. Are my clothes back yet?”
    â€œNo, and you’re not going anywhere until they are.” She cracked a smile now, her eyes twinkling at his discomfort.
    â€œSo that’s why you’ve been so generous. To get me up here, strip me, soak me down, and hold me captive—until I give in to whatever scheme you have up your sleeve.”
    The young woman shrugged coquettishly. “I never thought of any such thing,” she protested. But her sparkling smile betrayed her. He was sharp-witted as well as handsome; she liked that in a man. And he seemed to be honest, someone she could trust. Perhaps he would join up with her and Ki to protect the boy and see that he was released and brought to a proper court of law.
    â€œI really don’t have a scheme, Thad. Not like that. All I want is to see justice done—and to find out why Thomas is saying he’s my half-brother. If you help me, I can see that you’re rewarded for your trouble.”
    â€œI never take money from widows or orphans,” Thad said.
    â€œDon’t be like that,” Jessie countered. “It would be a purely business proposition. The company would pay you—not me.”
    A smile played on the man’s lips. He took another sip from the whiskey glass. “Well, if you put it that way—how much will the company pay me?”
    â€œOh, I knew you’d do it!” She bent over and placed a kiss on his wet forehead. “Let’s see, how does fifty dollars a week sound? Plus a bonus of five hundred dollars when we have him safely in Provo?”
    â€œIn Provo?” Thad almost choked on his drink. “Jesus, that’s two days’ ride from here. Who knows what can happen on the trail from here to there—unless we can eliminate some of the potential danger beforehand.”
    â€œYou mean kill your friends Fagan and McKittrick?”
    â€œFirst of all, they’re not my friends. And second, if they try to take the boy from us, we’ll have to kill them, yes. Then there’re those detectives. And Mueller might not like to lose sight of the kid and decide to send his two bulls after us. And the marshal—what will he think of you escorting a killer all that way?”
    â€œI’m sure we can persuade Marshal Scott to go along—make him see it’s the only way. And with Ki, that will make three men, which ought to be plenty, along with me. And I can handle a gun and a horse with any man.”
    â€œRight, but who the hell is Ki?”
    â€œHe worked for my father. He is my friend. You’ll meet Ki before long. I hope you like him.”
    â€œIs he that funny-looking fellow you rode in with today?”
    â€œThat’s not how I’d describe him, but yes, I rode in with him.”
    â€œWhere does he come from?”
    â€œHe was born in the Japans. His father was an American, his mother Japanese. He came to this country several years ago and went to work for my father. Don’t underestimate him; he’s a good man and surprisingly capable. He surprises most people.”
    This beautiful girl was growing more and more fascinating by the minute. Thad was entranced with her charm and her powerful, attractive personality. To say nothing of her lovely body, which strained at the seams of her clothing.
    There was a knock on the door and Jessie went to get his clothes. She set them on a chair by the tub and retreated to the other side of the screen. It was a good thing, because as Thad emerged from the bath to towel himself dry, his attraction to Jessie was painfully obvious. He quickly slipped into his freshly laundered clothes and felt like a million dollars—or at least