Keep My Heart

Chapter 3

Sighing, Millie let the drapes fall back to their original position and went to unpack her satchel.

*****

Trey smiled as he shut the door to Millie’s room. She seemed just as innocent and sweet as she looked. So far he had no qualms about leaving Quinn in her care while he was gone.

Hearing the front door open, he made his way back downstairs. When he saw the three characters there, he groaned.

“What are you three doing here?” he asked before hearing a wail.

Clayton came from the parlor with Quinn, who immediately put on a watery smile when he saw his father.

“He’s conspiring agin me, sir” Clayton said.

“I see” Trey resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he took Quinn from his overseer.

The three men standing in front of him snickered.

“Shut up and get to my study. Act like you ain’t never seen me hold my kid before” Trey said.

They heard footsteps on the stairs.

“I heard him cry. Do I need to take him?” Millie stood there.

The three men gaped at her. Trey cleared his throat and gave them a pointed look.

“I think it’s near time for his nap, if you don’t mind putting him down” he said to Millie.

Millie finished coming down the stairs and Trey held Quinn out to her. The child immediately started wailing again when she took him. She shushed and smiled at him all the way back up the stairs. Once she was out of earshot, Trey looked at his visitors.

“Do you mind?” He said.

“Who is she and when can I have her?” One of them said.

“Never. Any of you touch her and I’ll hang you up by the highest tree I can find with your own innards, understand?” Trey threatened, watching Clayton cringe at the image his words portrayed.

“Yeah, we get it” Another said.

Trey led them up to his study, and shut the door.

“Bottle’s where it always is” he said.

One of the men, Wes, reached behind some books and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

“What are ya’ll doing here?” Trey asked, collapsing into his desk chair.

“We figured we need to talk about he next job” Adam Lukas said.

“Yeah, we’re gettin’ stir-crazy” Wes took a swig from the bottle.

“I’m leaving you, Mr. James, out of this next job” Trey said.

Wes swallowed hard. “What?!”

“You heard me. You need to learn that we don’t tolerate certain ‘mistakes’ like that one you made” Trey said, glaring at Wes.

“That ain’t exactly fair, Boss” Wes protested.

“You brought it on yourself, Wes” Jed Samson leaned against the door.

“How many times to I have to say that was an accident” Wes growled.

Adam took the bottle from Wes. “We ain’t stupid, Wes. The people’s eyes are gonna be on you. How YOU’RE built, YOUR hair color, and YOUR voice. We can’t risk that”.

Wes sighed.

Jed walked up and leaned onto Trey’s desk. “I’ve got our next place. Clayville”.