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

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Jeb approached the tent just in time to see Willie make his exit. Jeb frowned. As far as he knew, Willie and Gill weren’t friends and Jeb couldn’t think of any good reason why they’d be having late night meetings in Gill’s tent. 

Quickly he slipped through the night and took Willie by the arm, silencing his protest with a quick shake of his head. Willie allowed himself to be dragged away from the tents and Jeb released his hold. “What are you doing?”

“Standing here talking to you,” Willie snapped. “Before that I was heading to the bed. I’m tired.” 

Jeb stared down his nose at the other man. “You might as well cut the act with me, Willie. I know you ain’t as tough as you act. I still remember the time I had to save you from the killer caterpillar.” 

Willie flushed and kicked the dirt as his fists clenched. “I was five.” 

Jeb sighed. “Why were you in Gill’s tent?” 

Willie picked at the frayed fringe on his pants. “We were talking,” he replied. “I wasn’t trying to steal him or anything. He’s all yours.” 

Jeb rolled his eyes. He didn’t doubt that. Gilliam Tomlinson had been his for a while now. “What were you talking about that was so important you waited until night to do it?” 

Willie shrugged. “I just needed to ask him something.” 

Jeb wasn’t about to let Willie walk off and leave it at that and so he caught the man by the arm once again when he tried to turn away. “Dammit, Willie. This group is my responsibility and if there’s a goddamn problem, I need to know about it.” 

Willie grumbled and jerked his arm free. “I just don’t trust them is all!” he hissed. “I think them showing up was just too damn convenient.” 

“Too convenient how? Craig said y’all met up in a saloon…” 

“We did,” Willie agreed. “But don’t you reckon it’s strange that those two just happened to be there looking for us on the night that we were there? And what about the fact that they didn’t know anything about this gang and yet claimed to be such fans….” 

Jeb felt a prickle of unease deep in his gut. “And what did Gill say when you voiced your thoughts on the situation?” 

Willie just shrugged. “That he didn’t know the things he didn’t know because he’d only heard tales and stories about us that came from the people we steal from.” 

“Did he say anything else?” Jeb asked, his gaze going toward Gill’s tent. 

“Yeah.” Willie rested his wrists on his revolvers. “He said that he doesn’t mean anyone here any harm and made it clear he wanted me to leave him the hell alone about it all.”