Caden's Vow

“Is this where Tucker lost them?”

Ace looked around. “Looks like what he described.”

Caden crisscrossed the clearing, step by step. Tucker had already decoded what was in the dirt, but what he needed was a clue, something to give him an idea of who had Maddie.

He was on his third pass over the small clearing when Ace called his name.

“Caden?”

“What?”

“If there was anything to find, we’d have found it by now.”

Caden shook his head. “Keep looking.”

“For what?”

“Anything.” There had to be something here, something to show where Maddie was, but if there wasn’t, he’d simply search house by house, town by town, until he found her or someone who knew where she was. And then there’d be hell to pay.

He pictured her face with her big eyes, rosebud mouth and that smattering of freckles across her cheeks. Kisses of the fairy folk, he’d say. He looked around the little glen, the sunlight filtering through the leaves in small rays, giving it almost a magical feel, and whispered, “If she is one of you, give me a goddamn sign as to who has her.”

He waited in vain for a clap of thunder, a whisper in his mind, a touch on his shoulder. His da always said the wee folk were particular, but then, as he turned, out of the corner of his eye he saw a gleam of metal. It took him four steps to get there. Four steps in which he thought he must be losing his mind, but when he got to that spot, the shine didn’t go away. It grew stronger until he was standing on top of it, and then he couldn’t see it anymore, covered as it was by a low-growing fern. He squatted.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know yet.” He moved the fern aside, and there, camouflaged against the rock, was a button. He picked it up. He felt more than heard Ace arrive at his side. The man was as light as a cat on its feet. He held the button up.

“Hard to see as it was against the rock.”

Ace nodded.

The button had a unique design. Almost a cross but not quite.

“A button,” Ace said, his disappointment as strong as Caden’s should have been.

“Yeah.” Caden whispered a thank-you to the fate, God or whomever had brought him to that button.

Caden stood. Ace cocked his head and observed his face.

“Except you recognize it, don’t you?”

“It’s got a distinct pattern.”

He closed his fingers around it, his mind consumed with all the reasons a man’s button would pop off his shirt. None of them were good.

He ran his thumb over the raised design. “It’s the Culbart brand, a lopsided cross.”

“Culbart has her?”

“So it would seem.” Culbart was a bear of a man. Rough around the edges. Not known for his soft ways with anything, let alone women. His crew was rougher still. And he had Maddie.

“That button could have fallen off for a wide variety of reasons,” Ace pointed out with an utter lack of conviction.

That was true, but in his gut Caden knew what that button meant.

He dropped the button in his pocket and swung up into the saddle. He spun Jester in a circle and kneed him back up the trail.

“But there’s only one that matters to me.”

CHAPTER FIVE

LYING LOW ON a hill above the Culbart spread, Caden surveyed the goings-on below. He’d liked to have seen chaos, but for the day and a half he’d been observing, Caden hadn’t seen anything that he wouldn’t have seen at Hell’s Eight. Animals were tended on schedule, guards were rotated through shifts and buildings were maintained. What he hadn’t seen were any signs of Maddie, but Caden knew Culbart had her. Had had her for two weeks doing Lord knew what to her.

Caden tried to remember what Fei had said her cousin Lin had endured when her father had sold her to Culbart to pay a debt. He couldn’t remember much. Fei had been sketchy on those details. Not surprisingly. There were things a good woman didn’t want revealed. Besides, whatever had happened to Fei’s cousin wasn’t particularly relevant because a man approached a woman of good family differently than he did a known whore. Whether the woman had been sold or not, virginity had value. Hell, women had value in general, but if Culbart and his crew saw Maddie as a whore...

Caden closed his fist around the spyglass and ground his teeth. If they treated her like that, he’d gut them and skin them and leave them out as buzzard bait. Maddie might not have had a good beginning, but she was better than anyone down deep where it mattered, and he’d made her a promise when she came to Hell’s Eight. He promised her she’d never have to serve a man again unless she lay down by her choice. He remembered the disturbance of footprints in the dirt, the isolation of her location. The popped button. The blood in the dirt from the dog. Fuck. Nothing about her being with Culbart was her choice.

Putting the spyglass back to his eye, Caden surveyed the Fallen C. He had to give Culbart credit. He might be a son of a bitch with some questionable morals when it came to women, but he ran his ranch with an iron hand. The evidence was in the well-kept buildings, the tidy outhouses, the numerous corrals and the condition of his animals. Probably the only thing that kept him from giving Hell’s Eight a run for its money when it came to stocking the cavalry was the fact that the Fallen C was smack-dab in the middle of Indian country. The man didn’t just have to battle wolves and drought. A tribe could decide anytime that he was trespassing on their land, and with the unrest in the East over separation, fewer and fewer cavalry were being sent to protect the West. In the coming years, Culbart would be lucky if he got out of this with his scalp intact. Of course, that was always supposing Caden left anything for the Indians to scalp. Caden popped his elbows on the ground and continued his surveillance. He needed to know the routine to get Maddie out of there.

It was early morning and the men of the Fallen C were going about their usual business. Men were going in and out of the bunkhouse, heading up to the cookhouse for breakfast. For the day and a half that Caden had been surveying the place, he hadn’t seen any sign of Maddie, but her little horse, Flower, was in the corral and not looking too happy with that stallion next door. Caden sighed again. Obviously from the stallion’s behavior, the mare was coming into heat, which complicated things because another promise Caden had made Maddie was that Flower would also not have to lay down with any man unless she wanted to, and from the looks of things, that stallion was about to take that corral fence down.

“That’s a mighty big sigh,” Ace said.

“Looks like we’re going to have a romance to break up, too.”

“You see Maddie with one of the cowmen?”

“Nah. I haven’t seen her yet, though I imagine they’d be keeping her under lock and key.”

“Maybe. So what romance are we breaking up?”

“That stallion and Flower.”

To his credit, Ace didn’t bat an eyelash. One of the things that Caden enjoyed about Ace was that the man was unflappable.

He took the spyglass from Caden and trained it on the corrals.

“Nice-looking stud. Might be worth letting it happen.”

“I promised Maddie her mare would be safe.”

Ace lowered the glass and raised a brow at him. “You promised a woman her horse wouldn’t be...deflowered?”

Caden grabbed the glass. “Maddie’s sensitive on the subject.”

“Uh-huh.”

It was a ludicrous request and he’d been stupid to make the promise. Knowing it didn’t mean Caden wanted it shoved in his face. “Shut up, Ace.”

“Didn’t say a word.”

“Good.”

“If you’re planning on ending a romance, though,” Ace drawled, “then you’d better get over there soon.”

“Yeah. That’d occurred to me.”

“Got a plan?”

“Besides ride in and take her?”

“How about something better than suicide?”

“Not yet.” The ranch was well guarded with men who wore their guns in a way that said they knew how to use them. Short of walking up and knocking on the door, he couldn’t think of anything.

“We’ve been here two days,” Ace pointed out. “We haven’t seen a sign of her.”

“I know.”

“You think she’s still here?”

“I do.”

“Based on what?”

Caden put the spyglass in his pocket. “Based on my gut and the fact that Culbart hasn’t come out of that house for more than two minutes in two days.”

“I had that thought myself.”

Caden nodded and crawled back off the edge. “The only thing keeping me from charging in is the fact that Culbart doesn’t have the look of a satisfied man.”

Ace smiled. “You think he’s finding Maddie’s flights of fancy a bit draining?”

Caden stood, brushing off his pants. “For his sake, I sure as hell hope so.”

“How are you intending on getting her out of there? Storming the place isn’t exactly our best bet.”

“Yeah, I’ve come to that conclusion.”

Of course, Ace had to pin him down that first day to keep him from charging in, but now that he was a little calmer, he could see the foolishness of that plan.

“So what are you going to do?”

“First, we’re going to break up that romance.”

“Steal the horse?”

“Uh-uh. It’s not stealing if it’s ours to begin with.”

“Gonna be tough to prove to a judge if Culbart put his brand on Flower.”

“Let him be so stupid as to take me to court.”

“That man has a fierce temper and strong will. Rumors are, nobody crosses him and gets away with it. Reminds me a lot of Caine.”

“Caine doesn’t hold women prisoner.”

“We don’t know that Culbart is, either,” Ace pointed out with that reasonable side that grated on Caden’s nerves.

“Maddie’s the second woman he’s taken against her will.” He shifted his hat on his head.

“To be fair, Lin’s uncle sold her.”

“Doesn’t mean she didn’t say no.”

“True enough, but I got the impression she wasn’t raped.”

“Only because Fei slipped Culbart saltpeter.” Every man who heard that story cringed on the telling.

Ace chuckled. “She’s a resourceful bit of a thing.”

She was, but Maddie didn’t have Fei looking out for her. She just had him. “She is that.”

“Not to keep grating on your sense of vengeance without reason,” Ace drawled, walking that coin over his knuckles the way he did when he was thinking, “but Maddie’s been here two weeks, and Culbart’s not looking like the cat that ate the canary. Are you really so sure that he’s forcing her?”

Caden spun around and swung, his fist connecting with Ace’s jaw. The man stumbled back four steps before he landed on his ass. Instead of coming up swinging the way Caden wanted, he sat there and rubbed his face.

“You imply she’s a whore again and you won’t get up for a week,” Caden snarled.

Ace wiped the blood from his hand on his pants. “The only one who jumped to that conclusion is you. I meant she might be a welcome guest. Women are scarce out here, and Maddie is pretty enough for Culbart to overlook her past.”

“Maddie’s beautiful.”

Ace cocked a brow at him. “All the more reason for Culbart to be thinking marriage. A man building a spread like this will want someone to pass it on to.”

“Over my dead body.”

“Culbart’ll probably arrange that for her.”

“Like hell.”

Caden held out his hand to Ace. The other man didn’t take it.

“Feel better now?” Ace asked.

No, he didn’t feel better.

“You get up and take a swing back, and I’ll let you know.”

“I’m not fighting you, Caden. We both know I’d win anyway.”

“Like hell.”

“You’ve had too much coffee, too little sleep and too little food.”

“Whereas you’ve slept.”

Ace shrugged and took his hand, getting to his feet. “I always sleep. Best way to be ready for a fight. But yes, I’ve got my head straight on my shoulders and we’re about even matched in the best of conditions. You,” he said pointedly, “are not at your best.”

“Anybody ever tell you you’re damn irritating?”

Ace smiled, revealing even white teeth and a charm the ladies appreciated. “Nobody whose opinion mattered.”

“What do you think we’re going to do?”

“Culbart isn’t an idiot.”

“No, he’s not.”

“You’re going to have to do something.”

“I could just walk up to the front door. Say hello.”

“There’s a slight chance he’ll shoot you down before you get halfway across the yard.”

“Why? He won’t like the set of my hat?”

“He won’t like the fact that you’re Hell’s Eight. Don’t forget what Fei did to his men.”

“There’s always a chance he doesn’t know that Fei married up with Shadow.”

“A very faint chance.”

Yeah. News did travel fast. “Well, one way or the other, I’ve got to get into that house.”

“I could go.”

“Why you?”

“I’m more even-tempered.”

“Somehow I don’t see Culbart appreciating your even temper.”

“You think he’s going to appreciate you swinging?”

“I think I’m going to want you with that rifle up here on the hill covering my ass in case I have to break out of there fast.”

“So you’re using the excuse that I’m a better distance shot.”

“You’re always bragging on the skill. About time you proved it.”

“This isn’t much of a plan, you know.”

Caden nodded. “We have to know if she’s there.”

“True enough.”

Ace reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a derringer. Caden looked at him.

“You been chewing on locoweed?”

Ace handed the weapon to him. Caden took it reluctantly. A derringer was a woman’s gun or, worse, a cardsharp’s.

“They’re gonna search you for weapons, but they aren’t going to expect you to be hiding something this small.”

“And where would you have me put it?”

Ace looked up. “Under your hat. I don’t know, down your pants. Stick it wherever the hell you want. Just stick it somewhere you can reach it quickly in case things go bad. You’re not going to do Maddie any good if you’re dead.”

That was true enough. Caden took the gun. He debated putting it under his hat, but really, that wasn’t a secure option. Instead, he slid it up his sleeve and tied the wristband tighter.

“What time you plan on going over?”

“No time like the present.”

It was early in the day. Everybody was there. There’d be less suspicion.

“If we waited until later, the hands would be out.”

“If we waited until later, they’d be more gun happy. I want them to feel safe. For now.”

“I don’t like this plan.”

“I don’t like it, either, but you got another option?”

“I still think I should go in.”

“And I still say no.”

Maddie was his responsibility. And she’d waited long enough for him.

* * *

CADEN HADN’T EXPECTED to be able to just walk right up to the door, so he wasn’t surprised when within a quarter mile of the ranch he was met by two men on horseback, guns drawn. Culbart wasn’t a fool and these were dangerous times.

“Stranger,” the older man with the graying beard greeted him.

Caden nodded back. “Mornin’.”

“What brings you around these parts?”

Caden took the measure of the men, their hard eyes, their dirty appearance and the way their fingers rested on the triggers of their well-tended guns. Culbart didn’t hire fools.

“Business.”

“What kind of business could you have way out here?”

Caden smiled. “Nothing I care to talk about with you.”

The other man with him, not a youngster but clearly younger, maybe even family because he had the same muddy-colored eyes and the same set to his narrow mouth, spat.

“Well, if you want to get any farther than six feet under right now, I suggest you be telling us the nature of your business.”

“I came to talk to Culbart about a filly.” He figured it was a safe gambit. Everyone knew Culbart aimed to beat out Hell’s Eight as a breeder of horses.

The younger man rode around until he could see the brand on Jester’s side.

“Since when do Hell’s Eight go searching for fillies?”

“Since we’re always on the lookout for new breeding stock. Can’t improve the herd without it.”

It was the truth. The older man grunted. “What’s your name, stranger?”

“Caden Miller.”

Only by a blink of an eye and a tightening of his hand on the trigger did either man give any indication his name meant anything. Caden made note of the response. Only hired guns had that instinctive shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later attitude.

With a motion of the gun barrel, the older man indicated to go forward.

“I can find my own way. No need to give up your post.”

“You let us worry about the guard here. You just worry about keeping your hands clear of those guns.”

From that Caden deduced, they were done with their shift, and their replacements were in position. Another thing to note. Culbart’s men weren’t slipshod when it came to switching the guard. That was going to complicate things.

Nobody attempted to make conversation on the ride up to the ranch. Caden didn’t, either. Silence worked for him. It gave him time to study the lay of the land, looking for potential dangers, spots to hide and whatever he might need to utilize on the escape. There was no telling what condition Maddie would be in. He had to prepare for any eventuality. His index finger pulled on an imaginary trigger. If she was hurt at all, they were all going to die. Maddie was Hell’s Eight. More than that, she was his friend.

Caden was the center of attention when they rode into the ranch. He wasn’t surprised. He doubted the Fallen C got many visitors. The remoteness of the location, plus the hostiles around, pretty much guaranteed that. Under the watchful eyes of his guards, he swung down from Jester. Cutting a glance at his guards, he mentioned too casually, “I expect to be leaving with all that I came with.”

The younger man spat to the side. “I’d worry more about leaving with your life.”

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