Heart of an Outlaw *First in the Crane Gang series*

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen 

Gill shook his head and stared out into the night. Pete stood beside him with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. “I don’t know, Gill. I’m not sure where it all goes.” 

Gill sighed. Three days they’d been riding hard but Jeb had informed them all that they’d reached the land they’d been traveling toward and tomorrow night they’d be relieving the obscenely rich man who called this land home, of more than a few of his valuables. 

“It doesn’t make sense, Pete. These people we’re riding with don’t seem wealthy. They don’t wave money around. And yet they’ve stolen enough in recent months to be living high on the hog.” Gill scratched his cheek. “Where does all the money go?” 

“I’d say them pants of Willie’s probably cost a pretty penny, not to mention that fancy shirt.. Maybe they do all this stealing to pay for his wardrobe.” 

Gill chuckled. “That could be.” He shrugged. “We really do need to figure all this out…. Something isn’t right about all of this and I want to know what it is we don’t know.” 

“You could always talk to your lover man,” Pete teased, winking in the moonlight. 

Gill bristled and chose not to encourage his friend by arguing over the fact that Jeb wasn’t his lover man. “No. He’d get suspicious if I started asking questions like that.” Gill didn’t add that he and Jeb hadn’t said two words to one another in days. He also didn’t add that his body was craving contact with the outlaw and dying to feel that hungry mouth stealing his breath and caressing his body. 

“I’ll talk to Jane tonight,” Pete offered.

“You can’t be obvious about it, Pete. Neither one of us are very good liars and I don’t want to have to answer questions that I can’t give a half honest answer to.” 

“I’ll woo her with my charms,” Pete winked. “Besides we’re riding with the gang now so it’s our business too.” 

The two friends fell silent and stared up at the star lit sky a while. Gill stiffened and his hand went for his gun when he heard footsteps behind him just before two strong arms snaked around his waist. “You shouldn’t be out here,” Jeb’s warm honey voice washed over Gill the way it always did and had him trembling and melting in Jeb’s arms. 

Pete’s quiet laughter made Gill snap out of his daze and he quickly pulled away from Jeb. Pete held his hands up. “I’ll go back to the camp. You two have fun out here….” Pete paused and fixed Jeb with a stern stare that was very out of place on the jokesters face. “You better not mean him any harm, Jeb. That’s my best friend you have there and he’s not nearly as tough as he thinks he is.” 

Gill glared at him. “Get the hell out of here.” 

Pete grinned. “Of course, of course… I’ll leave you two alone..” he winked and disappeared back toward camp.