Innocence and the Outlaw

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"He deserves his death." Chase ground out, keeping his eyes on Yancy instead of his angry wife. Leah snorted.

"Yes I know. I know he does. It was me he choked remember? Me he mocked and told to just be a good girl and give Tobias what he wanted. I know how badly Yancy deserves to die but I also know that I don't want you to be that man anymore."

"I am who I am." Chase growled.

"I know and I love you but surely this can be settled without killing." Leah looked over her shoulder at Yancy and the man shrugged.

"If he says he won't come after me then I'll leave the territories and never show my face again." Leah turned back to Chase and he looked into her green eyes that were pleading with him.

"See? We can let this go. We can move on and there doesn't have to be bloodshed. I don't want bloodshed to mar our paradise." he added.

Chase took a deep breath as instinct and emotions warred within him. Every instinct he had was telling him to shoot Yancy where he stood so he would no longer have to worry about the man and yet here was his wife asking him, pleading with him, to just let the past go and let Yancy leave.

Could he do that?

Would he do that for her?

Yes.

Chase nodded as he ran one knuckle over the welt on Leah's cheek. He looked at Yancy and could see the relief on the other man's face.

"Leave the territories. If I ever see you again I will kill you. And nothing will stop me." he added pointedly for Leah's benefit.

"I can do that, chief." Yancy promised. He tipped his head to Leah as he walked past her and she simply glared at him in return. She hadn't done what she'd done for him. She had done it for Chase. To help end the cycle. To keep their place pure and free from the violence and the death that had made up the first few months of their time together.

"Thank you, Chase." Leah whispered as Yancy walked away. Chase didn't like standing with his back to Yancy and yet he didn't want to turn and watch the man walk away because he wasn't sure he could resist the urge to put a bullet in his back.

Leah wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her toes and hugged him tight. Chase hugged her in return, allowing her touch to wash away the anger and rage he currently burning inside of him.

Chase became lost in that touch. So lost he almost missed the sudden movement behind him.

Almost.

He knew Yancy was drawing his gun. Yancy was going to shoot him in the back, with no regard to the fact that Leah was close to him and could also be struck if the bullet went through. Chase was pulling his gun and preparing to turn, hoping that he would be able to take a shot in time when suddenly a gunshot rang out in the peaceful evening air.

The birds resting in the oak let out a racket and quickly flew away and everything stilled. Chase waited for pain but none came as he froze in place.

He heard a grunt behind him and someone fall to the ground. It

It took a moment for Chase to realize what had just happened. He pulled away from his wife and looked down at her to see that she was pale and shaking as she continued to hold her .38 colt revolver in her hand.

Chase gently took the gun from her and then turned to see that Yancy was lying dead, facedown in the grass with an exit wound through his back.

"I just killed a man." Leah gasped.

"You've killed before." Chase replied quietly, remembering the way she had fired that revolver in the cabin. Leah nodded as her eyes widened.

"Yes but this was different. I was looking right in his eyes. He was going to kill you. He was going to shoot you in the back and it would have been my fault because I told you not to kill him....."

"It would not have been your fault. I made the choice to let him live."

"I'm too stupid for this kind of life, Chase. I make mistakes and trust the wrong people." Leah cried as tears filled her eyes. Chase shook his head and then moved his body to shield her eyes from seeing Yancy any longer.

"And what of me? I trust Yancy and Tig as well and I have been in this life for my entire life."

"From now on I don't trust anyone." Leah stated matter of factly as she swiped at her tears with shaking hands. Chase raised his brow.

"No one?" he asked and she looked up into his eyes. She laid her hand on his cheek.

"Only you." Chase captured her hand in his own and kissed her fingertips before smiling.

"We are all we need."