WildOutlaws (12 page)

“Yeah buddy,” Jared said, standing in the middle of the street alongside Tuff, Buck, and David. “She sure looks worried to death to me. How about you, Buck?”

“Angst ridden, if I had to guess.”

The men were on the covered porch staring across the street at the saloon. They weren’t the only ones. The whole blasted town was watching. And Tuff didn’t like it. Hell, Tuff wasn’t the only one.

“I swear I’m gonna bust her ass for this,” David said, starting across the street.

“Wait there a minute, cowboy,” Jared said. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

“We don’t have the right,” Tuff said.

“The hell we don’t,” David informed him, pursuing the front door of the saloon.

“You’d better go get him,” Tuff said, turning to Buck.

“I’m not moving,” Buck said, glaring up at the beautiful vixen in the glass.

Tuff couldn’t blame him. She was like a porcelain doll on display for the entire world to see. A corrupt doll, no doubt, but that was the way they liked their women anyway.

“Jared?”

“Tuff, you have two feet. You get to walking. I’m not interested in breaking them up. I like what I’m watching.”

“Damn it!” Tuff exclaimed, realizing he’d better follow David inside before he made a scene.

He scoffed at that. Who was making a scene here exactly? He looked down the sidewalk. Women tried to encourage their men to move a little faster. Most of them wouldn’t budge. Some of them—the smarter ones no doubt—began making comments about the man sliding in from behind. One woman even asked her husband why he couldn’t “reach from back there”.

He wasn’t too interested in gaping at another woman after her deliberate, and quite public, insult.

Tuff hurried inside and barely caught a glimpse of a familiar man sitting at the end of the bar. He took a double take. At first he hardly believed his eyes. Shit. This was just what he needed.

Tuff removed his hat and dusted off the snow-covered brim. “Marshal Doyle,” he said, extending his hand. “It’s good to see you.”

The marshal stared at his outstretched hand. “Do you mind telling me what my daughter is doing upstairs at the moment?”

“She’s uh…she’s uh…” he was at a loss for words. Every single time he opened his mouth, the marshal tilted his head and stretched his neck as if he were encouraging him to finish his statement.

Tuff took a seat next to him. “Uh, how long have you been in town, Marshal?”

“Quit stuttering, Tuff. I know what’s going on out there. What I’d like to know is why. You’re supposed to be protecting my daughter. You aren’t supposed to put her on display, damn you!”

“Sir, in case you failed to notice, it’s not me up there with Mary Margaret.”

“What a way to throw your buddy underneath the carriage,” the marshal said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tuff said. “If you’ll take a peek outside, you’ll see my men.”

“David just rushed upstairs a second ago. Apparently, you don’t have a good accounting of where your men are, Tuff.”

“In this snow, it’s been hard. Things went to hell and back earlier. David took Mary Margaret up to Pikes Peak to replace a tombstone and they returned later than expected due to the weather.”

“You let my daughter take off to Pikes Peak in the middle of winter?”

“It’s fall, sir, with all due respect. And in case you’ve forgotten, my crew is used to Southern California. We’re not accustomed to this kind of weather.”

“You’ve seen some of it in Arizona,” he reminded him.

Tuff chuckled. “Not recently and certainly not much.”

Marshal Doyle stood. “I’m staying at the hotel. Unfortunately, as long as my daughter is in that window putting on a show, I’m not able to walk back over there and feel comfortable with the view outside my window.”

“Yes, sir. I understand. I’ll take care of it.” Tuff rose, too.

“Now, Tuff. Get her out of that window now.”

“Yes, sir. Give me a minute.”

“That’s about all you have. She’s been up there now for about an hour.”

He gulped. Good God, Creed was a lucky man.

“Are you sure?”

The marshal didn’t say another word. Of course he was certain.

“It’s taken care of.”

“Not yet but it better be. I’ll be at the hotel. Thanks to this weather, I’ll probably stay in town for a while.”

“Do you want me to tell Mary Margaret you’re here?”

“You may have to do that in order to get her out of that damned window!”

“Right,” Tuff said, trying to think of the best way to coax Mary Margaret away from the window. Like her father, he wanted the exhibitionism to stop.

Mary Margaret had once told him her father was dead. Unless she believed his ghost still resided in Cripple Creek, there were slim chances she’d do anything to please a father she barely remembered, if she remembered him at all.

* * * *

 “Oh fuck!” Mary Margaret screamed, her palms scouring the cold glass as Creed entered her from behind.

Her breasts were mashed against the windowpanes and her nipples felt like icicles as she rubbed against the chilly surface. She wasn’t about to complain. She was afraid if she said a word, Creed would yank her away from there and make love to her on the bed.

There she went again. Since when did she think of sex as anything more than a recreational activity for which she was paid?

Exhibitionism had always been one of her favorite things. Having an audience made her as wet as foreplay. In fact, with a large crowd forming and watching, she couldn’t think of any better foreplay than the action in the streets below.

She’d spotted David and Tuff there. They were enraged and their fury was obvious. David had sprinted across the road, as much as possible, given the snowdrifts. Tuff soon followed. She’d expected them to come busting through the door but they’d disappointed her there. Now, she was watching Jared and Buck.

Now there were two horny men, another couple of studs, she couldn’t wait to ride.

Creed bunched her hair at the nape of her neck. “Are you satisfied?”

“No,” she admitted. “But I’m getting there.”

“Good,” he whispered, nicking her lobe with sharp teeth. “I’m waiting on you.”

She arched her back and threw her hips toward him. Rolling her body with his, they began a timed beat. The fucking became more intense as he entered her, pounded away, and retreated, drawing completely away.

“Show off,” she rasped, looking down, watching as the tip of his cock pressed through her folds again.

“You’re not the only one who gets to flaunt what you’ve got. The women want to see what I have, too.”

When he pulled out again, she faced him, realizing she left him completely open for exposure when she changed positions. “What if I don’t want you to be seen by them?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “It didn’t stop you.”

“I didn’t think you’d care about that. Most men love fucking in front of others. They get off on it.”

“Do they?” Creed asked. “What man made you think that, Mary Margaret?”

“Well don’t you?”

“No,” he replied. “Honestly? I just want to please you.”

Mary Margaret couldn’t believe her ears. She took his hand and led him to the bed. “Then come over here and show me.”

Creed lowered himself to the bed, lying next to her. With his palm behind his head, he stared down at her, dragging his finger up and down her stomach until she closed her eyes.

“This is nice,” she admitted. “I’m almost happy.”

“Almost?” he asked.

“True happiness is a gift,” she told him. “And it’s out of my reach.”

“Why? Because you don’t think you deserve such a present?”

“No, Creed. I don’t. That’s one package a whore will never unwrap because of the sins preventing her from seeing the world beyond a bedroom door. I’m not entitled to peace of mind. I don’t deserve it.”

“Don’t say that, Mary Margaret. If I can find peace? You can, too. We’ll find it together.”

She touched his cheek. “I don’t deserve to be happy. I’ve caused too many people pain.”

“I don’t know why you’d think such a thing. You’ve also brought a lot of people a great deal of pleasure.” Creed dragged his finger higher. Soon, he was traveling between her breasts, his fingers tracing the area around her nipple. “You will be happy, Mary Margaret. I’ll see to it myself.”

“I don’t think I can be.”

“Says you.” He pressed his lips to hers and after a lingering kiss, he said, “I aim to defy you. Go ahead and try to make a liar out of me.”

“I might.”

“I dare ya.”

“You’re on.”

He framed her face and looked deeply into her eyes. “Hide and watch. You will become the happiest woman alive.”

Their eyes met and she felt a stabbing sensation in her heart. She wanted his words to turn into a promise, perhaps even into a commitment of some sort. Instead, Creed said, “At least for a little while.”

And her heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

Chapter Twelve

They entered without knocking and much to David’s surprise, they found them cuddling on the bed rather than fucking against the window.

“Look what we have here,” David grumbled. “The two of you look like lovebirds.”

“Is that jealousy I hear?” Creed asked, tucking Mary Margaret in the bend of his arm.

“You’re damn right it is,” Buck said, his gaze working over Mary Margaret’s nude form. “After a front row seat down there, I couldn’t wait to get up here and try the real thing.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were finally coming around.” Mary Margaret patted the empty space beside her. “There’s room.”

“Evidently Creed needed a short break,” Jared remarked, standing behind Buck and David. “You missed a hell of a finale, David. I hate it for you, brother.”

“I ain’t your brother,” David said. “Right now I’m not even sure if I’m your friend.”

Mary Margaret crooked her finger back and forth, trying her best to entice Buck to move a little closer. If Buck knew what David knew, he wouldn’t stand there with his hands in his pockets. He’d move heaven and earth to claim that vacant spot.

Buck kicked off his boots and sat next to Mary Margaret. She clasped his hand and drew his fingertips to her lips. “Now then, is this so bad?”

David snarled. “He’s not as innocent as he acts.”

She batted her eyelashes. “That makes two of us.”

Tuff hurried inside and slammed the door, locking out the rest of her world. David, Buck, Creed, and Jared immediately reached for the gun. Creed’s was under the mattress and he nearly fell in the floor when he went for it.

“Trouble?” David asked, still brewing.

“Yes but not the kind we were expecting.”

Jared narrowed his gaze. He studied Tuff with a hard glare. “Is it Strain’s boys?”

“No. It’s the marshal.”

Mary Margaret waved her hand. “Leave the marshal to me, fellows. He’s not a threat. In fact, when these snow storms roll in, he’s generally so tied up trying to help the miners and their families, we rarely see him around here.”

“That’s probably not a good thing,” Creed said, getting cozy with Mary Margaret all over again.

“Creed, if you don’t mind my saying so, I believe you have my spot.”

Creed chuckled. “David, you missed your chance, boy.”

The boy comment chapped his ass but he let it slide when Tuff said, “Did any of you hear me when I said there’s a bit of
unexpected
trouble?” A beat later, he added, “And I spelled it out for you, too.”

Mary Margaret sighed. “I swear, you never listen either, do you Tuff? I told you the marshal won’t bring you any problems. I need to sit down with you and make a list. You guys need to practice listening.

“If you’re serious about being the kind of man a woman would want to marry, you have to know what women need. Right up there at the top of the list is a man who can hear what his woman has to say. Hone in on those listening skills. Brush up on those and you’ll be a gem for your woman right from the start.”

“Thank you for the advice,” Tuff said politely.

Or was he being sarcastic? Hell, David was so confused he had no idea.

“Marshal Doyle is here,” Tuff clarified.

“The name doesn’t ring a bell,” Mary Margaret said.

He thinned his lips and studied Creed. “He saw an interesting show in the window and wants me to put a stop to his daughter’s exhibitionism.”

Mary Margaret stared at Tuff in utter disbelief. “What do you mean Marshal Doyle wants you to put a stop to this? The man is obviously mistaken. My parents are dead. He has me mixed up with someone else.” She quickly turned to Creed. “I hope I haven’t caused you any unnecessary problems.”

“No,” he replied firmly.

David shook his head in warning. He wanted to protect her from what came next, from the devastating truth destined to rip her world apart. Tuff nodded slightly. He understood David’s concerns but he planned to tell her anyway.

Doyle had likely left him without better options.

“Unfortunately, Creed may have caused you some unnecessary issues, without realizing it.” Tuff took a deep breath and added quickly, fiercely, firmly enough so Mary Margaret would believe him, “Marshal Doyle is your father. He was the marshal here in Cripple Creek prior to your birth. Your mother had a secret affair with him when your father was in jail for a crime which he didn’t commit, a crime your real father, Marshal Doyle likely pinned on him just so he could spend time with your mother, though I don’t know that for a fact.”

David grunted. “Let’s stick to the facts, Tuff. It will be less confusing in the end.”

“David is right,” Jared said. “This mess is complicated enough already.”

“Yes but we all know the marshal. He’s used to getting what he wants and taking what is his.”

“I hope he doesn’t already think I belong to him,” Mary Margaret said. “I needed a father when I was fifteen. I’m not about to call someone daddy now, not after all these years. The only man who earned the title is in a little cemetery right outside of town. He’s buried next to my mother.”

* * * *

Mary Margaret snuggled closer against Creed. His body warmed her and his strength was what she needed.