Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman Page A

different name and carrying himself all confident, no one batted an eye.
    I step onto the porch and peer through the saloon window. A body’s standing right ’gainst it, blocking any view I mightta had. For a moment I consider dropping my groceries and plowing inside anyway, pistol blazing. But I’m worried ’bout hitting innocent folks in the process, and besides, you can’t gun down seven men unprovoked and walk away whistling. Assuming I can even make that many perfect shots, I’ll still need Silver nearby so I can run when it’s over.
    I turn my pace brisk and head for my horse. Soon as she comes into view, I swear. My saddle’s missing, swiped right off her back, and I’d bet all the gold left in Pa’s pouch who took it.
    I charge into the parlor.
    Jesse’s still at the bar—Will now drinking ’longside him—and he don’t even look up as I march over.
    â€œWhere is it?” I says.
    Jesse strikes a match and lights a new smoke. Then he exhales slow and runs his thumb ’long the rim of his whiskey glass like he ain’t even heard me.
    â€œJesse, where’s my damn saddle?”
    â€œWhy, you going somewhere?” His words are clipped, and I can’t tell if it’s on account of the smoke wedged between his teeth or how much he’s drank.
    â€œJesse, I ain’t kidding. I want my saddle back.”
    â€œAnd I want in.”
    â€œWhat?” I says.
    Jesse straightens and squares to me so fast, I know for certain he ain’t drunk.
    â€œWill and me’s been talking. We’ll help you track down Rose if’n we can have a share of what’s waiting in those mountains.”
    â€œOh, we’re in agreement now?” Will cuts in. He’s playing with a poker chip, letting it dance over his knuckles. “’Cus I recall arguing it weren’t the smartest of plans.”
    â€œI’m sick of scraping by every day,” Jesse says to him, “wondering if we’re gonna have enough for Sarah to eat or the means to get a doctor for Jake next time he falls ill, leaving ’em alone and unprotected every time we need to take a job running cattle. We do this and we’ll be set for life.”
    â€œIt don’t got nothing to do with the fact that yer gonna find gold when Pa never could? Yer gonna save the family where he failed?”
    â€œDamn it, Will!” Jesse snaps, his hand curling into a fist.
    â€œWhat, you gonna hit me for saying the truth?” Will shouts. “Go on and do it, then, Mister I Let Go of the Past. Do it!”
    â€œHey!” I shout as Jesse lunges at him. He pauses, lets his fist drop to his side. I ain’t never wanted the Coltons on my tail, but suddenly they don’t seem such a hindrance. Rose’s gang is seven men strong, and two extra guns on my side certainly ain’t gonna hurt things. We can all benefit, and this is a way to tip the odds in my favor.
    â€œI ain’t got no need for the gold,” I says, “so if’n yer serious, we got a deal.”
    â€œDeal,” Jesse echoes.
    We shake on it. Will frowns.
    â€œRose is in town right now,” I continue, “ready to play a few hands of cards at the Tiger. I reckon we can end everything tonight, and if we do, I’ll hand over the journal and you boys can carry on yer way.”
    â€œHang on,” Jesse says. “Rose is in Phoenix?”
    â€œI saw his men. The law ain’t round and it sounded like they’re fixing to enjoy themselves a few hours.”
    â€œSo what are you aiming to do—barge into the Tiger and shoot Rose?”
    â€œNot quite so recklessly, but yeah,” I says. “Walk in, sit at a distance, watch and wait till I got a shot. This is a lucky break, catching up with him here. We got him in a room with four walls ’stead of in a mountain range. He can’t dodge us.”
    â€œAnd we can’t dodge him, neither. His