When ’Ring didn’t answer, Maddie drew in her breath. She hoped he wasn’t going to try to play the hero with this man pointing a gun at them. “Yes, in my saddlebag, I have a bag of gold dust,” she said quickly.
“Don’t give it to him,” ’Ring said.
Maddie began to be afraid. Sometimes a simple robbery could turn into murder if the victims refused to be victims. “You can have everything,” she said. “Take it all.”
“Now, there’s a sensible lady.” The man took a step toward her. “Do you come with that package? Can I have you too?”
Instinctively, Maddie moved closer to ’Ring, but ’Ring kept his eyes on the man and paid no attention to her.
“The lady seems to like you.” The man grinned and Maddie almost smiled back at him. He was certainly a handsome man, and when he smiled like that, something happened to the hairs on the back of her neck. ’Ring noticed her reaction to the man and, out of the corner of her eye, he gave her a quelling look.
The man gave a bit of a laugh. “Jealous, mister? I would be, too, if I were you. That there is one fine figure of a lady. One real fine figure.” He tipped his black hat back with the barrel of his pistol, showing black curls on his forehead. “Now, what am I going to do with the two of you?”
“We’ll give you the gold and you can go away,” Maddie suggested. She couldn’t figure out what was wrong with ’Ring. Usually he had a great deal to say about everything, but now he just sat there saying nothing. A quick glance to his back and she saw that he was trying to unfasten the handcuffs. Oh, no, she thought, he’s going to free himself and jump on the man. She wasn’t sure what to do, but risking his life for a bit of gold wasn’t worth the risk.
The man saved her from doing anything. “You’d better give me the key,” the man said softly, smiling at ’Ring. “I think I’d rather have a guy your size chained than unchained.”
Maddie let out her breath as ’Ring handed the man the key to the handcuffs, and when ’Ring looked as though he was about to spring and attack the armed man, Maddie rolled against him.
The man jumped away from the two of them. “It looks like the little lady don’t want you to try anything funny. That suits me.” The man straightened to his full height. He wasn’t as tall as ’Ring, Maddie noted, but he was quite tall just the same.
“Now, let’s get down to business. I’m going to take everything you two have.”
“Like hell you a
re,” ’Ring said.
“Please don’t fight,” Maddie said.
“Hear that? The little lady don’t want us to fight. That’s fine with me. I’d hate to have to whip your ass, mister.”
Maddie knew that she was going to have to do something to keep the men from fighting. “Take everything,” she said. “We don’t need anything. Take it all.”
“Includin’ the big black?”
“Satan?” Maddie said. “Of course. Take him, but, I warn you that he is the devil’s own to try to ride. He’ll not let many people ride him.”
“Satan? Good name for such a fine animal.”
The man walked toward the horse, and as he presented his side to them, Maddie sensed ’Ring’s muscles coil for the spring. She leaped on his back. “Please don’t. He has a gun. You could be hurt.”
“I could take him,” ’Ring whispered.
“Not with me chained to you. ’Ring, please don’t try. They’re only possessions. They mean nothing. We’ll walk down the mountain and buy more horses. I’ll give you the money if you don’t have any.”
He turned his head to look at her. “You’re afraid I’ll get hurt? It would get me out of your hair.”
She put her head on his shoulder. “Please don’t play the hero.”
He kissed her forehead. “All right.”
The man turned back to them. “You two finish your little confab?”
“Take whatever you want,” Maddie said. “Just give us back the keys to the cuffs and leave us alone.”
The man smiled at her, and again she was charmed by his smile. She could feel ’Ring turning to glare at her, but she didn’t mind. The man smiled again and began putting the saddles on the horses. She held tightly on to ’Ring while the man took the weapons that were around them.
“I’ll have those blankets too,” the man said.