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

Chapter Nineteen

Gill frowned. “Questions?” 

“Yeah…” 

“You sure you’re here out of concerned curiosity and not simply jealousy because of Pete and Jane?” 

Willie all but snarled. “I won’t never understand why she chose him over me..” He sighed and his shoulders slumped with defeat. “But I’ve come to accept it. Hell, I knew I never stood a real chance with Jane. I’ve fancied myself in love with her since we were kids and I guess it never did fade away.” 

“So what questions do you have?” Gill asked, not feeling comfortable with the direction the conversation had taken. He’d rather answer tough questions and be forced to lie than to have to have a heart to heart about who Willie fancied. 

“Where the hell did the two of you come from?” Willie asked, meeting Gill’s eye and studying him carefully. “I don’t think I buy the whole stumbling into each other by chance story you told. I don’t think y’all were no fans of our gang and desperate to ride with us.” 

“Why?” Gill shrugged. “You all have made quite a name for yourselves.” 

“Yeah, but you didn’t know anything about us,” Willie countered, his gaze sharpening. “You didn’t know that Jeb was our leader, you didn’t know what we did with our loot.. Hell, you didn’t know anything but me and Craig’s names and you could have learned those from anyone in that saloon!” 

Gill cursed under his breath. Damn Pete and his Casanova ways that had Gill in this tent answering Willie’s questions alone. “You’re right, we didn’t know first names. Me and my pa weren’t the best of friends and so I didn’t have many dealings with folks who knew him back when…”

“Why weren’t you friends?” Willie questioned. 

Gill shook his head. “That’s my own business,” he replied sternly. “But I will say that sitting in that saloon that night was the first time I’d ever heard your first names.. I’d always just heard of the Crane Gang and that wasn’t from my father.. It was from hearsay and gossip that came from pissed off ranchers and wealthy businessmen. That would also be why I was unaware of what your group did with what you stole. That part hadn’t really gotten around.” 

Willie appeared to be turning that over in his head to see if he believed it and then he tapped at the pearl handle of the revolver on his right hip. “Something just don’t feel right…” 

Gill rolled his eyes, laid back down and pulled his hat over his face before folding his hands behind his head. “I am too tired to deal with your feelings,” he stated. “I’m not here to hurt anybody and I still say you’re only suspicious because you’re sore over the red-haired Casanova gaining Jane’s affections.”

Willie grumbled under his breath. “How about I just give you a warning?” 

Gill heaved out a sigh. “I’m all ears.” 

“If you do a single thing to harm any member of this gang, the only family I have, I will kill you myself. I don’t care how tough everyone seems to think you are, I’ll end your life and do it gladly--Pete’s too.” 

“Well alright then,” Gill mumbled beneath his hat. “You can leave now. I’m tired.” 

Gill listened to the sound of Willie standing and striding out of the tent. He let out his breath slowly and willed his conflicted mind to shut down but knew it was going to be no use. 

What was he going to do? 

Give up the rangers and all he’d done for the past seven years to stay with this gang and these people? Or turn his back on these people, do his job and send them all to prison and the gallows? 

Hell, that wasn’t even a hard choice. 

And that scared the hell out of him. 

He was his father’s son. He was willing to turn his back on law and order. He was willing to rob from men and steal their belongings. He was willing to do all of that and give himself to an outlaw--a man who he’d been sworn to bring down.

Gilliam Tomlinson was finally going to be doing something that would make his father proud because like it or not, he’d made his choice. Gilliam Tomlinson, Texas Ranger, wasn’t the title he wanted any longer. 

***

Jeb stared out over the grazing cattle in the darkness and let his mind drift to the near future. They’d be hitting another ranch and then heading for Swilly’s to lighten their load before they took care of two more ranches. Then they’d head for the orphanages and see that each received a good load of supplies. 

After that, it would be time to lay low awhile. He was sure that they were probably fairly high on a lot of wanted lists and they needed to give thins time to settle down. Jeb wondered what everyone would do during their hiatus. 

Instantly his mind went to the tiny cabin he owned over in New Mexico. It was secluded, private and he found himself wondering if Gill would come and join him there. 

Jeb moaned as images of that cocoa skin pressed tight against his own flashed through his mind. With clenched fists, Jeb stood and breathed deeply through his nose, willing himself to calm down. 

A sudden tap on Jeb’s shoulder had him whirling around and ready to fight. Wyatt held up his hands and grinned. Jeb rolled his eyes and forced himself to relax. “Don’t sneak up on me like that, Wyatt.” 

‘Sorry,’ the other man mouthed. 

“What are you doing up? You should be resting.” 

Wyatt shrugged and then pointed at Jeb. Jeb sighed. “I’m watching the cattle.” 

Wyatt shook his head and pointed to himself before pointing once again at Jeb and then back toward camp. Jeb nodded. “Alright then. Are you sure you want to take over watch instead of getting some extra sleep?” 

Wyatt nodded. ‘Craig snores,’ he mouthed with a roll of his eyes. 

Jeb laughed quietly. “Yeah, I learned that when we were boys.” 

Jeb patted Wyatt on the shoulder and left him to watch the cattle. Jeb had somewhere else he wanted to be and he quickly let him legs carry him toward Gill’s tent.