Devils on Horseback: Nate Read online

  The rider burst from the trees, startling a flock of quail. Nate cut off the stranger’s escape and yanked Bonne Chance’s reins hard enough that he raised his hooves. Predictably, the other horse shied from the war-trained sorrel’s offense. Nate launched himself at the off-balance rider and they both tumbled to the ground.

  A solid fist landed in his diaphragm, stealing his breath. Nate held on, rolling along the grassy ground, fighting for his life. Punching, snarling and grunting, the two of them were locked in combat until he found himself beneath the stranger and the unmistakable nose of a pistol pressing into his balls.

  “One more punch and I’ll pull the trigger.”

  The voice was familiar, very familiar.

  “Elisa?”

  She scrambled off him, breathing heavily. “What the hell are you doing attacking me?”

  “I wasn’t the one sneaking around in the trees,” Nate snapped, all too aware of how her body felt on top of his. Unwelcome and licentious thoughts whooshed through his brain. Jesus, she was all woman, all over, regardless of her clothes or the dirt on her face.

  “I wasn’t sneaking. This happens to be my land.” She holstered the pistol and put her hands on her hips.

  “Anything you need help with, Nate?” Gideon asked from behind them.

  Elisa’s head snapped up and she glared at the other two men. “I suppose these are your friends.”

  “Yes, they are. Gideon and Zeke Blackwood, this is Elisa Taggert.” He stood, wiping the dirt off his pants.

  “Ma’am.” Gideon tipped his hat.

  “Ma’am.” Zeke simply nodded.

  She returned the nod, but continued to glare at Nate. “Happy to meet you, fellas.”

  Nate tried to find the right words to apologize. “We were on our way to an appointment. I, ah, apologize for the mix-up. I certainly didn’t mean to assault your person.”

  One eyebrow shot up. “You sure do talk fancy.”

  “I treat all ladies with respect, ma’am.”

  She laughed, a husky sound that echoed through him. “Sure as hell ain’t talking to a lady, but I’ll take your respect since you’re standing on my property.”

  Zeke and Gideon mounted up and waited. Nate stared at Elisa, almost overcome by the urge to kiss her pouty pink lips. He could still feel the press of her breasts on his chest, the memory of them would likely be embedded there for weeks. Dammit.

  “Are you leaving or you gonna stand there and stare at me all day?” She frowned.

  “My a-apologies, Miss Taggert. We’ll be on our way.” He picked up his hat and nodded to her, too embarrassed to do more. Just the fact that he’d punched her was enough to make him stammer like an idiot.

  Her blue eyes nearly bored holes into him as her right hand rested on the pistol strapped to her nicely curved hip. He hadn’t really known how curvy she was until he’d decided to tackle her. As it was, he had trouble remembering what the hell he was doing before Elisa’s horse caught his eye. Life as he knew it had changed so much so fast and now it just changed again. Drastically.

  As they rode off, Nate could feel Elisa’s gaze locked on him and he hoped like hell he didn’t run into her any time soon. She was the kind of woman who could make him lose control. That situation must never happen. Nate kept a leash on his sanity with an iron grip.

  Elisa stood in the shadows, watching the men ride away. Her heart seemed about to burst from her chest it beat so hard. She’d never touched a man before, not a real man anyway, much less get into a tussle with one. A tussle that made her blood race and every last bit of her come to life. Even her heart.

  She knew Nate Marchand was going to be trouble, which is why she’d told herself to avoid him. Yet there he was on her property and instead of doing the smart thing and simply ignoring him and his friends, she followed them. Along with the men who were following Nate. She’d noticed them immediately and thanks to Nate, they knew of her presence.

  Midnight seemed to sense her unease, because he pranced around beneath her, whinnying softly. Elisa took deep breaths, yet her body still hummed. Nate and his friends were heading toward O’Shea’s ranch. That meant he was definitely not for her.

  Now if only she could convince her body of that fact.

  * * * * *

  “Was that the woman?”

  Nate started. “Huh?”

  “Was that her? The woman you said wouldn’t be any trouble?” Gideon’s voice held just a trace of amusement.

  “Yes, that was her.”

  “Hm, no trouble? I think that’s already not true.” Gideon smiled at Zeke. “What about you, Ezekiel?”

  “I think if you call me that again, I’ll have to punch you.” He glanced at Nate. “But as far as Romeo goes here, oh yeah, big trouble.”

  Gideon and Zeke both chuckled, shooting sidelong winks at Nate.

  “Oh shut up, both of you. I didn’t come here to Grayton to find a woman. You know that. I, uh, certainly didn’t mean to get into a fistfight with her.” Nate shifted uncomfortably on his saddle.

  Gideon laughed so suddenly, Nate couldn’t help but laugh with him, then remembered why he was laughing.

  “It’s not funny.”

  “Oh yes it is.” Gideon smiled. “It feels too good to laugh about romance again, Nate. Long time since any of us have had a sweetheart.”

  “She’s not my sweetheart. For God’s sake, she probably hasn’t bathed in a week.” Nate felt guilty for even saying that out loud. It wasn’t true and it was downright mean to boot. “I mean, she’s not my sweetheart. She’s just a w-woman.”

  “A beautiful redhead,” Zeke mused.

  “Leave her alone, Zeke.” The words burst from Nate’s mouth like a gunshot.

  Gideon and Zeke looked at each other and smiled.

  “No trouble at all. Nope, not even a smidge.” Gideon tried to smother a smile with his hand.

  “Let’s pick up the pace so we’re not late for our appointment,” Nate snapped, desperate to change the subject, to get his mind off Elisa Taggert and what she did to him.

  “Yes, sir.” Gideon saluted Nate and it was so ridiculous, all three of them laughed.

  Nate’s mind kept drifting back to Elisa, so he forced himself to focus on the horizon and reaching O’Shea’s ranch without anything else happening. Gideon and Zeke kept Nate between them, constantly scanning, watching. During the war, Zeke had been their planner, the one who created and executed raids with amazing precision. Nothing had changed there. Gideon still looked to him.

  “Anybody watching?” Gideon asked quietly.

  “At least two of them, but I’m thinking there’s a third.” Zeke shifted and unsnapped the leather on his holster. “They’ve been tracking us for at least five miles.”

  “Any threat?” Nate swallowed hard. He was hoping he’d never have to hear the sound of battle again. Hoping, of course, never got him anything. If he never heard a cannonball whistling through the air again, he’d die a happy man.

  “Some, but I think they’ve been ordered to just watch.” Zeke gestured to their right. “They could have picked us off if they wanted to.”

  Nate felt the familiar tickle of danger on his back and freed his own weapon. He saw Gideon do the same. No doubt the men watching them knew the Devils were not inexperienced fools. By the time they reached the gates to the O’Shea ranch house, the tension had only increased. Nate was glad they’d left Lee behind. Damn fool would’ve ridden straight toward the men watching them, more than likely screaming like a lunatic.

  Two armed men at the gate nodded as they passed by. When they reached the front porch, two men emerged from the shadows of the late day sun, O’Shea and Rodrigo.

  It was the biggest house Nate had seen since leaving Georgia. A palatial mansion by most standards with Doric columns, acres of windows and even a balcony out on the second stor
y. All in perfect condition with nary a paint chip in sight.

  “Evenin’, gentlemen.” O’Shea’s steely gaze swept over them. “I’m glad you were able to accept my invitation.”

  “Thank you for the invitation, sir.” Nate tipped his hat, then dismounted and gestured to the others. “May I present my associates, Gideon and Zeke Blackwood.”

  “Brothers?”

  “Cousins.” Gideon dismounted and held out his hand to O’Shea. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. O’Shea.”

  Zeke followed suit and stood to Gideon’s left, his gaze soaking in everything he saw. No doubt tucking it away in that clever brain of his.

  O’Shea shook Gideon’s hand, and a small battle of wills ensued. Nate could see the grip between them neared the point of breaking bones.

  “Well, what do you say we sit down and get acquainted?” Gideon gestured to the ranch around them, bustling with prime horseflesh, dozens of cowboys and a few Mexican women hanging wash. “This ranch is beautiful.”

  O’Shea finally let loose his death grip on Gideon’s hand. “Thank you, Mr. Blackwood. I’ve worked hard to get what I have and aim to keep it.”

  “I know what it means to lose what you love, so I fully appreciate the sentiment, Mr. O’Shea.” Nate smiled his winningest smile and stepped up to the porch.

  “Let’s go inside and have a bit of whiskey. I think you boys might be just what I’ve been looking for.”

  As Nate followed O’Shea into the house, he couldn’t stop the shiver of unease that crept up his spine. He reminded himself that food and fact were more important than feelings.

  “What do you mean, remove the Taggerts?” Nate thought perhaps he hadn’t heard correctly.

  “They’re squatting on my land. Land I purchased fair and square a year ago.” O’Shea took a drag from the fat cigar in his hand. “That daughter of Sean’s is a stubborn little thing, thinks she has a right to it since her granddaddy founded the town. Every time we tell them to leave, she takes a shot at us.”

  The four of them sat in a living room on more expensive furniture than they’d seen since before the war. Fresh-squeezed lemonade had been placed before them on a shiny wooden table, virtually untouched. Nate probably couldn’t drink it if he tried. As it was, he was having trouble keeping the food down they’d eaten earlier.

  Nate swallowed hard. “So you want to hire us to remove them? Exactly how?”

  “That ain’t my problem. You see, I’ve tried everything I can but they won’t leave.” O’Shea stretched his legs out and shifted in the leather chair he occupied. “That’s where you come in. You remove the Taggerts, I pay you five hundred dollars.”

  “Each,” Zeke interjected. “Plus a fifty dollar advance.”

  “I wondered when you’d speak, Mr. Blackwood. You’re the quiet one in the bunch, ain’t ya?” O’Shea took a gulp of his lemonade. “Each, eh? How many of you are there in D.H. Enterprises?”

  Gideon met Nate’s gaze for a moment before turning to O’Shea. “There are five of us. If we take this job, we want certain assurances.”

  O’Shea’s steely eyes narrowed. “What kind of assurances?”

  “My guess is that you are, shall we say, friends with the local law enforcement. If we have to employ certain tactics to remove the Taggerts, I want your assurances that we won’t spend any time in jail.” Gideon’s tone brooked no argument on that point.

  Nate’s entire body broke out in a sweat. Gideon was already talking about what they’d have to do, illegal or not, to the Taggerts. Fact was, they had to take this job, regardless of how he felt personally. Nate had to forget his fascination with the exasperating Elisa and grab what life was offering. A chance.

  “I insist on putting the agreement in writing, as well. No offense to you, Mr. O’Shea, but as a businessman, I’m sure you understand.” Nate gulped a bit of lemonade to unlock his throat.

  O’Shea puffed the cigar again. “I didn’t know what to expect from you, Mr. Marchand, and I’m pleased to find that you are a smart man.”

  “Thank you kindly, Mr. O’Shea. Now about the fee.” He glanced at Zeke. “As Mr. Blackwood says, it’s five hundred each, for a total of two thousand five hundred dollars, plus any supplies we might need. In return, we shall remove the Taggerts within one month’s time.” Nate held out his hand. “Do we have an agreement?”

  O’Shea regarded them for a long, silent moment. Nate stepped on the small part of him that protested the thought of forcing Elisa off her property. O’Shea had shown them the bill of sale signed by her mother. If she refused to leave, then she left herself open to be moved by any means necessary.

  “We have an agreement. Five hundred dollars each with a fifty dollar advance.”

  O’Shea shook Nate’s hand. The coldness of his skin was not lost on Nate.

  D.H. Enterprises finally had a paying job.

  Chapter Three

  Lee was practically hopping like a jackrabbit by the time they made it back to camp. Gideon had the forethought to ask the cook for enough of the delicious chicken dinner to feed two men. Jake smiled and dug in with gusto, not even bothering to ask questions. Lee had other ideas.

  Before they even unsaddled the horses, he peppered them with questions.

  “What’s the job? What does it pay? Are we working for O’Shea? Did you take it? What the hell happened? Isn’t anyone going to tell me?” His brown eyes snapped in the firelight.

  “I would if you’d stop talking for five seconds,” Zeke groused. “Sit down and eat, Lee. We’ll be right there.”

  “Don’t think you can order me around. I might be younger but I’m—”

  “Sit down and eat.” Gideon touched Lee’s right shoulder. “It’s really good chicken and the biscuits remind me of your mama’s.”

  That seemed to take the air out of Lee’s anger. He shrugged off Gideon’s hand and walked over to Jake. When he sat down, Jake handed him a chicken leg with a smile. Lee stared at them intently while they took care of the horses, looking as if he wanted to shake the story out of them.

  Nate knew the morning would bring the first real day of their job and he wanted an evening of quiet. Lee probably wouldn’t let that happen. As Gideon and Zeke headed to the fire, Nate walked off toward the stream alone.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  He heard Lee curse and Gideon’s quiet murmur. No doubt Gid would be able to tell them the entire story without Nate’s help anyway. There wasn’t that much to tell. The Devils had to remove a young woman, her crippled father and younger brother from the land O’Shea claimed was his. The Taggerts only had about two hundred head of cattle left. O’Shea said they’d had to sell off most of it to survive.

  How hard could it be to remove them?

  * * * * *

  Elisa watched as the man walked toward the stream, knowing it was Nate without even seeing his face. He had a way about him that was recognizable in the moonlight. When he reached the stream, he sighed as he lay back on the grass with his knees up and his arms folded behind his head.

  She crept closer, careful not to disturb any of the foliage around her. If Elisa was good at anything, it was being stealthy. She’d had to become a hunter to feed her brother and mother while Da had been off to war. They’d had plenty of meat those two years.

  When she was within a few yards, she could see his face quite clearly in the light of the moon. His expression seemed contemplative, almost melancholy. She wondered what he was thinking about—probably how much money he’d make working for O’Shea. Dirty, rotten stinker.

  Before he could sense her nearby, she pounced. She pinned his elbows down with her knees, slapped a hand across his mouth as her knife rested comfortably on his throat. The scent of man and of Nate wafted up at her, tickling her nose and her sleeping arousal.

  “I see you had a nice visit with that bastard,” she hissed in
a whisper. “Did you agree to work for him? Or should I even bother to ask judging from the fried chicken grease on your lips.”

  He shook his head, wiggling beneath her, but Elisa was no featherweight. She held him down securely.

  “If I lift my hand, will you promise not to yell for your friends?”

  Nate’s eyes narrowed but he nodded against her hand. When she lifted it, he growled at her. Growled!

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Trying to figure out what you were doing at O’Shea’s.” No need to lie to the man. They both knew where he’d been that day.

  “None of your business. Now get off me and I’ll let you get away.”

  She laughed and pressed the knife into his skin a bit more. “I think I have the upper hand here, Johnny Reb.”

  “It’s Nate. Or if you prefer, Nathaniel. I’ll even answer to Lieutenant.”

  “Oh, I touched on a nerve, did I? I’ll have to remember that.” She pushed down on his elbows, digging them into the hard ground beneath them. “Are you going to tell me what you were doing today?”

  “Go to hell.”

  “Tsk, tsk. Such language and in front of a lady too.”

  Nate jerked his body, almost throwing her off, but Elisa held fast. She nicked his throat, allowing a small drop of blood to well.

  “I ain’t playing with you, fancy man. You tell me what I want to know or I cut you deeper.”

  Her blood rushed around so fast, it made her heady. The feeling of power over the big man was intoxicating. Arousing.

  “You don’t have the heart to do something like that.”

  “Don’t doubt it,” she snapped.

  Her euphoria pinched by his words, Elisa shifted her knees slightly. That must have been the opportunity he’d been waiting for, because within seconds, their positions were reversed and he pinned her to the ground. The knife landed useless on the ground somewhere behind him.

  A rock dug into her back just as his body flattened hers from top to bottom. It was an astounding, startling sensation completely foreign to her. Nate Marchand was no boy. He was a man, all man, with a hard, strong body that had obviously spent a great deal time doing chores. A lot of chores.