Bud gave her a quick, hard look before using the knife to cut away the torn part of Wesley’s shirt.
“Them boys won’t kill nothin’,” Abe said in disgust, rubbing his arms where Leah had struck him. “Let Bud take care of Stanford and you come with me.”
“I won’t leave him,” Leah said stubbornly. “I’ll get you for this, Abe Simmons. If my husband dies I’ll—”
“He ain’t gonna die. I’m a good shot and it took me all day to come up with this plan. I figured you’d do most anythin’ to keep from losin’ all that Stanford money so I thought if maybe I laid him low you’d be willin’ to do somethin’ for me while he was healin’.”
“You stupid—,” she began. “How could you shoot someone just to get help with your criminal ways? Wesley, can you hear me?”
Leah was vaguely aware of the big man, Bud, as he began to feel Wesley’s ribs. Leah was glad for the help as her eyes were full of tears of rage and frustration.
“Here,” Abe said, grabbing Leah’s arm and pulling her upright. “Let the boys see to him. They’re good at doctorin’. You and me got some talkin’ to do.”
“I wouldn’t talk to you if—.”
“You want me to finish him off? It seems to me you ain’t in a position to do much bargainin’. You already showed me you ain’t got no real family feelin’s so I don’t know why I should care about you.”
“You’ve never cared about anybody but yourself.”
Abe stood still, glaring at her. “You tell me when you’re ready to listen.”
“Never, I—,” A groan from Wesley made her turn back to him.
“Leah,” he whispered, his eyes barely open. “Get out of here. Save yourself.” With that, his head fell to one side.
“No!” she cried. “He isn’t—?” She looked up at Bud who shook his head once.
“You got a choice, missy,” Abe said. “You help me and I’ll let you take care of your rich boy, but you keep refusin’ me and callin’ me names and I’ll let him rot right here. And you better make up your mind fast ’cause he looks like he’s about to bleed to death.”
Leah didn’t take more than a few seconds to make up her mind. “I’ll help you,” she whispered, her hand on Wesley’s cool forehead. “What do I have to do?”
Chapter 16
Leah looked down at Wesley’s sleeping form. His wound was clean now and she realized it wasn’t as bad as she’d thought, although he’d lost a lot of blood. He lay on a fairly clean bed in an old cabin that was hidden on the side of a mountain.
Slowly she moved from her seat on the side of the bed and took the pan of dirty water outside to empty it. Standing outside the door, silhouetted in the early dawn light like mountain guardians, were the young men, Bud and Cal. She’d been too upset about Wesley to know exactly when the brother had made his appearance, but now there were two of them, both massive, both silent, almost indistinguishable from each other. The brothers had carried the unconscious Wesley to the cabin, and without speaking a word they’d helped her wash and bandage him.
“He’s sleeping,” she said tiredly to the silent men, one on either side of the door. “In time I think he’ll be all right.”
“Told you he would be,” Abe said loudly, making her jump as he slipped around the side of the cabin.
“Do you always have to sneak up on people?” She seethed at him, her eyes blazing.
“You’ve got to be the unfriendliest sister a man ever had. You gonna listen to me or we gonna fight over that rich man of yours?”
Everything in her hated having to cooperate with him. She’d do what he wanted in order to save Wes, but as soon as he was well, she’d get away from Abe. “What is it you want from me?” she asked belligerently.
Abe grunted but otherwise ignored her tone. “You don’t have to do much to help out a member of your very own family. All I need you for is to do a little brain work. And maybe a little cookin’,” he said under his breath.
Her head came up sharply. “So that’s it, is it? You don’t need me to help plan your robberies, all you want is someone to fetch and tote for you.”
“Now Leah,” he began, then stopped and gave her his rotten-toothed grin. “Sure, that’s all we want. You come along and cook for us, do a little cleanin’ and them other things women do. Ain’t nothin’ wrong in that, is there? There ain’t nearly as many of us as all them kids Pa had.”
Leah felt almost relieved. She’d hated the idea of having to plan robberies and although the running of the camp would be hard work, she’d rather do that than something directly bad.
Abe was watching her. “That makes you feel better, don’t it?” he said as if talking to a kitten. “You just have to do a little cleanin’, a little cookin’, although these here boys eat a powerful lot.”
“And what do I get in return?”