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

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen 

Gill pulled Pete aside the instant the man popped his head out of Jane’s tent at dawn the next morning. “Well hells bells, Gill! If you want me alone, all ya gotta do is ask,” Pete teased. 

Gill just rolled his eyes and pulled Pete a safe distance from camp to ensure they’d have privacy while everyone else slept. “We need to talk.” 

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Pete mumbled. “Anytime I’ve ever heard those words, I ended up in pain shortly after.” 

“Pete, I’m damn confused,” Gill muttered, pulling off his hat and running his hand over his short, course hair. “I can’t eat, can hardly sleep and I can’t turn this off!” he added, tapping at his temple. 

“It shows,” Pete acknowledged. “You look like hell lately.” 

“Well, aren’t you!?” Gill demanded. “Hell, none of this is what I thought it would be including the people!” 

“What about our job?” Pete asked sadly. 

Gill shrugged and looked his best friend in the eyes. “Could you honestly turn her in, Pete? Could you watch them lock her up?” 

Pete was quiet for a long moment and then he sighed. “No.” 

“Well I feel the same way about Jeb. I can’t do this to him.. Or to any of them for that matter. These people know who I am--except perhaps my job title--and they accepted me without question. I’ll never have that with the rangers, Pete.” 

“I know you won’t, Gill. Bunch of narrow minded sons of bitches is all they are.” 

“We’ve given them seven years of our lives. Can we really walk away from that? Can we walk away from that to be part of a gang? We’ve spent years bringing down people like this..” 

Pete shook his head. “No, we spent years bringing down murderers and rapists like ol’ Bigfoot McGee and Raindancer. These folks aren’t them.” 

“Do you know that nearly every dime they make off what they steal goes to help orphans?” Gill whispered. “What kind of people do that?” 

“Good people…. They have to have their reasons, Gill. These aren’t bad folks and I don’t wanna see them hang.” 

Gill sighed and rubbed his neck. “So that’s it? We just walk away from the rangers and become bonafide members of the Crane Gang?” 

Pete grinned. “Hell, I was only ever a ranger because my best buddy wanted to be one. I really don’t care much for the badges or those hoity toity sons of bitches at the base… and Captain J.T. don’t like me none at all.” 

“Probably because you flirt with his wife and break something nearly every time you’re in his house,” Gill noted.