I knew everyone in the saloon was looking at us.
“That woman yours?” the guy with the shot ear shouted. “She took my money!”
“She took your money, and your pride, too,” Spur said, looking at the man over my shoulder. “Be lucky she only took off part of your ear instead of your balls.” He aimed my gun at the man. “Now I have the gun and I’m not as steady as a shot, which means I might not hit your ear. It’s time you left my wife alone.”
The whispering and chatter started then. Wife? I thought Doc died.
“We’re not in Pueblo. Do I have to wait this time?” Lane asked Spur.
“Hell, no.”
Before I could even wonder what they were talking about, Lane leaned down and I was tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Before I even started to pound on his back he’d turned and was heading out the door. The men whistled and shouted at my departure. Humiliated, I could do nothing but be thankful I’d already put my winnings into my reticule that slapped against Lane’s bottom as he moved, coins jingling.
Lane didn’t stop when he got outside, but kept walking down the block. I pounded at his back and yelled at him, but I gave up because when he shifted me on his shoulder, my wind was knocked from me and pounding on his back was like pounding marble.
Finally, finally, he stopped and put me down, keeping hold of my upper arms to steady me for a moment, then I stepped back.
“Like I said, what are you doing here?” I looked from one to the other, both whole and clearly healthy. They looked as handsome and rakish as ever and I hated them for it. I wanted to hate them, but my traitorous body remembered what we’d done together and wanted more.
“Claiming our wife,” Lane said, his gaze serious.
There wasn’t a better time to tell them the truth because for once, I could use it like a weapon. “I was going to tell you that day the Tates came, but I changed my mind. Now I think it was a good thing.” I took a deep breath, let it out. “I’m not really your wife.”
&
nbsp; Spur moved to stand directly beside Lane. “We know.”
My mouth fell open. “What… what do you mean you know?”
“They mean they know you’re not married to them.”
I whipped around, my skirt tangling about my legs to find out who spoke.
“Oh, shit,” I muttered. “Knox. Jed. What the hell are you doing here?”
My brothers looked angry. Knox had his arms folded over his chest, Jed had his hands on his hips.
“To find you,” Jed said.
“You always did like to swear,” Knox added.
“I learned from the best,” I replied, a tad bitterly.
“Nice shot, by the way,” Jed added, tilting his head to indicate inside the saloon. While I hadn’t seen him, he must have witnessed what had happened.
“Again, I learned from the best.”
I had no idea what to say after that and the silence was awkward.
“It seems there’s some things that need to be cleared up,” Spur said. I turned and positioned myself so I could look at all four men at once.
“Everything’s clear now,” I replied. “You have your mistress and I’m not your wife. I think it makes it simple, really. Go to Lil. Have fun. I’ll go my own way.”
“You’ve been with two men, Piper.” Jed narrowed his eyes at Lane and Spur, but didn’t get closer. He looked ready to beat them up. Had that been how Lane got his black eye? “That means you marry them.”
I felt my eyes widen. “What? They don’t want me! They want some whore named Lil. Lane didn’t even make it one day before he went to her. I… I can’t be in a marriage like that. Fortunately, I don’t have to be.”
“Oh, yes, you do,” Knox countered, pointing at me.