Lawyers, Guns & Money

Author: Crystal Goddess
Category: hetero fiction
Archive: Yes
Summary: ALIAS SMITH & JONES – 2nd installment of Emerald City series With the bounty hunter closing in, the hunt for the gold is on, & wherever there’s gold, there’s Clementine. If Curry & Heyes finally get their freedom can their bond even survive it?
Feedback: If you know what’s good for you.
Genre: Hetero
Characters: Curry/OFC, Joshua Smith/OFC, Clementine Hale
Rating: FRAO, NC-17
Warnings: Graphic sex, humor, foursome, bondage, violence
Chapters: 9
Disclaimer: boys aren’t mine, blah blah blah, not for profit, blah blah blah, just like to play with them, blah blah blah sue away sparky.


CHAPTER 1


Victoria rambled through the formal garden behind Black Cove, snipping roses, hydrangeas, and lilies. Whatever caught her fancy. She missed Black Cove whenever she was away but somehow she just couldn’t stay put. She looked up and waved at Heyes and the Kid, sitting on the porch smoking cigars and lost in conversation.

A horse and rider came plodding down the back trail behind the ranch directly to the cottage and stopped. A red haired stranger in a three-piece suit dismounted and reached into his saddlebags for a small leather case. He had a distasteful look on his face as he approached the steps. “ Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am looking for Miss Morgan, please. I was informed that she arrived home a few days ago.”
The Kid stood up, but didn’t hold out his hand in greeting. “And you are?”
The stranger looked as though the Kid had slapped him. “ And you are, sir?”
“ Thaddeus Jones.” He stared him down. “ Victoria’s husband.”
“ Well, I was not informed of that.”
“ Didn’t know you needed to be.” Curry threw back at him.
“ Mr. McTavish!” Victoria rounded the side of the cottage with an armload of flowers and started up the steps. “ I imagine you’re here to review the accounts. Well come on in. Oh, introductions! I’m sorry.” She turned back around. “ Mr. McTavish, may I present my husband, Thaddeus Jones and his cousin Joshua Smith. Boys, this is Mr. McTavish, my lawyer. We’ll let’s go get us some lemonade. Wanda!” she called as she entered through the door the Kid held open for her.
The Kid just smiled smugly as Mr. McTavish went by. They had lemonade, sandwiches and small talk until Mr. McTavish tossed his napkin on his plate. “ Shall we get to business, Victoria?”
“ If we must, let’s go into the parlor.” She got up to lead the way, tapping the Kid on the shoulder, “ C’mon darlin’”
The Kid pointed to himself, and when Victoria nodded, got up to follow them, casting a what the hell look back over his shoulder at Heyes.

In the parlor, McTavish began to unload various papers and ledgers from his satchel; laying them in piles on the table. He seemed annoyed at the Kid’s presence but said nothing. That made the Kid smile. “ Well, where would you like to begin?”
“ Deed the West Wind Mine over to my husband.”
The Kid could tell McTavish was floored. “ Why that is the largest producing mine of precious stones in the entire country!”
“ Really?” Vic replied sarcastically. “ Execute it, now let’s move onto the saloon.”
“ Miss Morgan….” The lawyer started.
“ Mrs. Jones.” The Kid interrupted.
“ Well, I need to see a marriage license!” he demanded.
Vic held out her left hand and McTavish’s jaw dropped open. “ Very impressive, but hardly a legal document.”
“ Mr. McTavish, I do believe I am able to give my property to whomever I wish without having to show you so much as a note from their mother. Isn’t that correct?”
“ I beg your pardon, Victoria, I mean no disrespect, but I have been attorney to this family for many years, and simply have your best interests at heart.”
“ As do I.” The Kid stated forcefully. “ And I don’t want you to argue with the lady.”
Vic interceded. “ Mr. McTavish I assure you that once I lay my hands on it. You will receive a copy, but for now please execute my instructions. We have a lot of issues to cover and I don’t want to be here all night talking business. My flowers are getting droopy.”

Heyes busied himself at the kitchen table making a supply list for the trip. It starting to get late and Wanda began to fix the evening meal. He couldn’t believe he was going along with this. A treasure hunt? For hidden pirate loot? He couldn’t think of anything crazier that he had done. Except for maybe robbing trains and banks.
He was starting to get a little restless at the cottage, even though it had only been a couple of days. He was tiring of watching the Kid and Vic chase each other around like a couple of teenagers and listening to them fuck like a couple of rabbits. Though, he had to begrudgingly admit, he didn’t remember ever seeing the Kid that happy. He planned to go to the Lucky Strike after supper for a little poker and a little of whatever else came up. Especially if the triplets were there.

Finally, the trio emerged from the parlor and the Kid showed Mr.McTavish the door, clearly annoyed. Vic took off upstairs and everyone heard a door slam shut.
Wanda shook her head and laughed. Heyes looked at the Kid, who just stood there with his arms crossed and the damnedest expression on his face. He got up, grabbed the Kid’s arm and dragged him out the front door. “ Supper in thirty minutes ya’ll!” Wanda called after them.
“ You know, we ought to just stash a bottle out here as much time as we are beginning to spend out here.” Heyes said lightly.
“ I did,” Curry informed him as he walked over to a Boston fern and pulled a bottle of bourbon out of the mass.
“ Great!” Heyes exclaimed. “ Now all we need is glasses.”
“ Fuck the glasses.” The Kid said as he took two swigs and handed it to Heyes. He started pacing back and forth on the porch. He snatched the bottle back from Heyes and took another long drink.
“ Kid, what happened?” Heyes was almost at a loss for words.
“ Heyes, show me a shooter and I can drop him where he stands, give me a bronc and I’ll bust it. I can track, play a fair game of poker, fight when I need to and know when I shouldn’t. But THIS! This place, this life is like a whole other country. I don’t know the damn rules, I don’t know the lay of the land.”
“ Gosh Kid, I wish I could have seen this coming so I could have warned you!” Heyes snipped sarcastically.
“ I can always count on you to say I told you so, Heyes.” Curry grabbed for another drink. “ You know, when I met Vic, she just looked like a cowgirl, pretty smart, not too prissy, maybe a little money, a lot mysterious. She loved the outdoors, horses and trail riding. You know, a girl that could hold her own pretty well. But, this whole thing has grown into this monster that I can’t control.”
“ You know, Kid. They say the wanting of a thing isn’t as pleasing as the having of a thing. You met this woman two weeks ago and you married her. In those circumstances, any man is bound to have second thoughts. Remember, it’s not legal, you can still walk away. You haven’t gone past the point of no return.”
“ Heyes, what are you talking about?” Curry barked. “ I think I fell in love with Victoria the minute I saw her…”
“ That sure was a time saver.” Heyes muttered.
“ That hasn’t changed.” The Kid shook his head. “ I don’t know how to explain it to you.” He started back into the cottage, shaking his head.
Heyes hated to admit it. “ She worships the ground you walk on, Kid. But is that going to be enough to build a lifetime on?”

Vic and Wanda had finished setting the table, and Vic was placing the flower arrangement in the middle of the table when Heyes and Curry returned from the porch.
“ These were just left out of water too long.” Vic said as she placed the centerpiece on the table and went to get Wanda’s fried chicken from the sideboard.
Heyes and Curry sat at the table and waited for the ladies to finish and be seated. As the food was being passed and the plates were being filled, Vic cleared her throat. “ So, Jed, what did you think of McTavish?”
The Kid couldn’t believe she wanted to start this at the dinner table. “ He was disrespectful and a little on the annoying side. He shouldn’t have spoken to you that way and you shouldn’t have stopped me from calling him out on it.”
“Well, Jed, I can’t have you shooting the lawyers. “ she started pensively. “ You should have seen the way he talked to father, sometimes I swear they would come to blows. He knows his business and he knows his place….”
“ And you think I don’t know my place…”
“ That is not what I’m saying. Now, you saw the way he backed down when he found out the West Wind was yours.”
“ And then he turned around and talked you into buying a quarter million shares of stock in a company that is going to build horseless carriages! “
Heyes dropped the peas that were on his fork. “ Horseless carriages…that sounds pretty…”
“ Foolish.” Curry finished.
“ He employs a dozen associates whose job it is to read newspapers and periodicals nationally and keep up on things. I don’t have the time or the inclination to do that. When he sees opportunities of interest, I can assure you he dispatches someone to physically go to the location and check out the investment.” Vic assured him.
“ A steam engine is never going to pull a carriage the same as a good team.” The Kid shook his head.
Wanda shook her head. “ I rememba when the railroads come along and yer Paw wanted ta invest in that. McTavish said that weren’t nothin’ but foolish. They’ll just git robbed, he said…”
Heyes chuckled to himself and scooped up some more peas. “ Amazing foresight!”
“ He told Father to stay in shipping because larceny on the high seas was a thing of the past; and all countries would still be moving their goods by ship a hundred years from now. And he’s been right so far, railroad stocks over the years have simply not performed…” Vic insisted.
“ It too blasted confusing…” Curry muttered.
Vic reached over and grabbed his hand. “ I know it is, I only know it because Father made me sit in those sessions since I was five years old. Now, put a gun in my hand, that’s confusing…”
“ An’ damned dangerous, if ya ask me…” Wanda laughed. “ Lord, I still remember when ya shot the mule in the butt!”
Kid couldn’t help but laugh. “ You shot a mule…”
‘ in the butt..” Wanda was dissolving in a fit of laughter.
Vic got up to get the cherry pie. “ Ya’ll just go ahead and laugh. Father said we all have our talents, so be grateful for the ones you have.”
Kid looked at her with a sparkle in his eye, “ Do you wanna learn?”
“ Lock tha bunkhouse and dive for cover!” Wanda cackled.
Vic shook her head. “ I’m unteachable.”
“ Wanna bet?”
She suddenly jerked back the slice of pie she was holding out to Heyes. “ I’m sorry, I didn’t know you don’t like cherry pie.”
“ Well, it’s not a particular favorite, but…” Heyes stammered.
“ Next time say something.” Vic admonished.
“ Or think it!” Wanda was still laughing as she started to collect the dinner plates.
“ Vic, go bring me your gun.” Kid requested.
Heyes looked amused. “ You’re really going to do it?”
Kid just ignored him.“ I need to clean it, I don’t want it to blow up in your face. I have no idea what condition it’s in.”


Vic sat with her head in her hands, watching the Kid clean her gun. “ Heyes is going to the Lucky Strike tonight.”
Curry looked up. “ Wanna go?”
She jumped up, gave him a kiss. “ I’ll go get ready,” she called over her shoulder as she scurried up the stairs. “ Wanda, tell those boys to saddle two horses, we’re going to town!”


The Kid watched her dismount and bend over to smooth the front of her burgundy and black dress. He couldn’t get over the fact that her hair, with it’s signature interwoven ribbons, didn’t look like they had just galloped ten miles. She took his arm and they walked through the door. Heyes was already at a poker table with Faith, Hope and Charity Andrews hovering nearby, bringing him drinks and whispering encouragement.
A cry went up across the floor. “ Victoria!”
Vic blushed and waved. The Kid shuffled nervously. He had forgotten he was walking in with the owner.
A woman behind the bar came rushing forward, “ Oh, sweetie, is it true? “
“ Stella!” Vic exclaimed as she kissed the woman’s cheek. All of the sudden a crowd was gathering around Vic, and then she was gobbled up into it. Curry just chuckled to himself and shook his head. He spotted an empty chair at Heyes’ table and decided on a few hands of poker.
“ Deal me in.” The Kid said as he sat down.
“ Thaddeus!” Heyes looked genuinely surprised to see him.
Faith sashayed over to the Kid. “ Bring you a drink, cowboy?”
He smiled, “ Whiskey.” And then he picked up his cards to play. The commotion in the middle of the floor just seemed to get louder and larger until the Kid could hear Vic yell, “ Enough!” He looked over at the mob and saw two gentlemen lifting Victoria onto the mahogany bar.
“ Okay everyone, I will say this once only and then I want you all to get back to your gaming. I am officially unavailable, as though I had ever been available to any of you mangy dogs.” She stuck out her left hand and let her prize sparkle.
“ Oh, I’m blind!” someone called. The crowd roared and applauded. “ Who’s the groom?” someone else yelled.
“ Well, I tell you what. The first lady or gent to pick him out will get an unlimited bar tab for this evening. How’s that?” She then reached for the gentlemen to help her down from the bar as the applause continued.
The Kid lit a cigar and thanked Faith for the whiskey. Unexpectedly, Heyes stood up and yelled, “ I’ll claim that prize!” The bar turned around to look at him. He grabbed the Kid by the shoulder and pulled him to his feet. “ Mr. Thaddeus Jones!” The Kid just brushed his two fingers to the brim of his hat. The crowd applauded again and a few women whistled.
The Kid didn’t like the look in Vic’s eye, but she simply said. “ We have a winner. You have compliments of the Lucky Strike this evening; and for the entire house, the next round is on me!” Vic turned and headed up the staircase as the applause continued.
The Kid looked over at Heyes. “ Now what did you have to go and do that for?”
“ Because I knew the answer?!”
“ I think she was trying to make a game out of it for the evening.”
“ And I won.” Heyes stated as he sat down. Faith, Hope and Charity gathered back around him; taking off his hat and tousling his hair. Heyes just looked up at them. “Do you ladies like Napoleon brandy?”


Heyes had bought drinks for everyone he played with that night, for the serving girls, for all the high rollers. He made sure plenty went to the triplets. He was starting to grow fond of the triplets. The Kid had played with him most of the night, won a little, lost a little. Then he had disappeared, presumably to find Victoria. Heyes knew she was steamed at him for standing up. But it wasn’t like she had said ‘everyone but you, Heyes’. She had taken off up the stairs and the Kid hadn’t followed. He was proud of him for that. Then he had a small twinge of conscience, he honestly hoped he hadn’t provided ammunition for a battle between Vic and the Kid.
A whisper in his ear roused him back to the game. It was Faith or was it Charity? “ Aren’t you tired of playing this game?” Another of the triplets whispered into his other ear, “ Would you like to play a new game?”
“ Why ladies,” he said, “ You have my attention.”
“ You have been so good to us this evening, we want to be good to you.” Another one said boldly. Was that one Hope? It didn’t matter, he’d had way too much to drink and he wasn’t sure which was which when he was sober. He liked the attention of these lovely ladies and they had been showing him plenty all night. He wasn’t surprised when he found himself climbing the stairs in the hotel next door with all three. They burst through the door, laughing and hugging each other in order to stand up. Two of the girls helped him to the bed while another went about lighting the lamps.
“ Would you like us to dance for you?” they cooed. Without waiting for an answer, they began to sway slowly and then they started to take each other’s clothes off.
“ Well, ladies…” was all Heyes could get out. He watched them strip and begin to caress each other. One of the girls came over to the bed while the other two continued their slow teasing.
“ We think you have too many clothes on.” She said, reaching for his shirt buttons.
“ You’re probably right.” Heyes considered this situation, ever so briefly. Three at once? And I’ve had a bit to drink. What am I doing? Trying to talk myself out of it? He grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her in for a kiss. He felt his boots coming off and his shirt being unbuttoned. Oh yeah, three at once. He was pretty sure he had never been undressed so fast in all of his life. He wasn’t quite sure how he got that way so suddenly, but he didn’t care. He felt another girl’s arm and pulled her up next to his face.
“ Your turn.” She giggled as Heyes took her mouth. He felt hands running over his naked body and playing with his nipples until they were hard and erect. Then there was a mouth at the tip of his cock, teasing and licking; then another one sucking on his balls so gently. He pushed up with his hips to bury more of his cock into the mouth of whichever triplet was being so bold. One kept his mouth busy, nipping at his lips and dancing with his tongue. He felt a silk stocking being dragged across his body as his cock was taken entirely into a mouth. The sucking on his balls grew a little harder. He felt one hand being tied to the bedpost with the stocking and then the other. And then the lips were back, kissing. Hands rubbing his nipples. The sucking on his cock grew stronger, up and down his shaft. Then it all stopped. He could feel a breeze blow over his still wet cock.
“ Ladies!” he protested as he opened his eyes. Standing on the bed above him was one of the triplets, with the other two on either side of the bed holding her hands.
“ Watch us.” One of them said. Slowly the girl above him began to lower herself on his cock, the other two playing with her breasts and giving them tiny kisses. She moved her hips in circles and then rocked back and forth; gradually picking up the pace. He felt one of them reach down to play with his balls. Heyes groaned with delight. Then it stopped. Two of the girls helped the one off of his cock and another one stood on the bed above him. Then she turned around and was helped down onto Heyes by the other two. She began to thrust hard, not gentle like the other one had; it was a completely new sensation. Then there was a mouth at his, kissing and licking and whispering all kinds of things that Heyes could only half hear. The girl riding him reached down to grab his balls and knead them, almost roughly.
The mouth kissing him stopped once more and whispered, “Watch us.”
Heyes couldn’t help but comply. He could see the back of the girl impaled on his cock, and she leaned over more to give a greater view of her ass. The other two stepped up on each side of her and began to spank her. Heyes was pretty sure he was never going to top this for the rest of his life. The harder they spanked, the harder the girl rode him. Heyes was doing his best to hold out and stay on the edge for as long as he could. It wasn’t that long. His head exploded and he could swear there were flashes of light in front of his eyes. She just kept riding him. The silk hose was being loosened and his arms brought down, with a girl on each side kissing up and down each one. He was floating back to earth and loving it. A mouth kissed the tip of his cock ever so slightly, kissing more and more of his shaft each time; coaxing it back to hardness. It didn’t take long until he was rock hard again. Hands on either side of him were pulling him up off of the bed, and he could see one of the triplets leaning over the end of the bed smiling, her ass swaying back and forth. He was led to the end of the bed and the other two girls took their places bending over the edge of the bed. Heyes looked at the three beautiful behinds in front of him and tried to choose which first. He decided to go for the middle. He spread her cheeks apart and slowly inserted his cock. He hadn’t gotten but a few inches in when she turned around and said. “ No, honey, not that hole.”
“ Oh, ladies.” Was all he said.

The Kid and Vic had ridden home slowly, holding hands and enjoying the moonlight. “ You sure you’re not going to lay a hatchet in his back as soon as I’m not looking?” Curry asked.
“ I should have seen it coming. He sees the opportunity and he takes the opportunity. That’s Heyes, right?”
“ Yeah,” Curry admitted. “ that’s Heyes. He’s not spiteful. He’s just ornery sometimes. Have a good time tonight?”
“ It’s so nice to see some of those people. I just don’t realize how much I miss them when I’m away. How’d you do at the tables tonight?”
“ Oh, pretty much even.”
“ Manage to resist the triplets?” she half-joked.
“ Aw, Vic. Now I was wondering if that was going to come up.” The Kid laughed and looked over at her. “ Who am I married to?”
“ Me.”
“ And who am I riding home in the moonlight with?”
“ Me.” She stopped her horse so suddenly it broke her grasp with Curry.
He turned around wondering what was going on. “ Victoria?”
“ You just called it home.” She observed.
“ So I did.” He admitted. Just then a light rain started to fall.

The Kid and Vic managed to make it back to Black Cove before they were too damp. Matthew was still up and waiting to take their horses. Curry picked Vic up when they got to the stairs and carried her up to the bedroom. He knew she loved it when he carried her anyplace.
“ We should get dried off.” Vic sensibly suggested.
“ Yep, “ he put her on the floor and went to close the door. And locked it, he was still wary of Wanda and her seeming run of the cottage. He walked back and turned Vic around. “ Let me help you with that.” He lifted her long black curls and swept them to the front. He unfastened the clasps, and bent over to cover the side of her neck and shoulder with kisses. He had learned it drove her mad and would fuel her desire faster than almost anything. As he stood behind her, he let the dress fall to the floor and let his hands roam to her chest, her stomach, her hips. He untied her slip and let that fall as well. He knew what was left; her corset, her garters, her French silk stockings, her French silk underwear. With a small tie on each side, they came off immediately. He had never seen any like it before, and thought they were absolutely scandalous. He loved them. In a second they were on the floor, and he lightly brushed his hand between her legs. He delicately stroked her ear with his tongue and whispered into it,” Stand right there, I’m going to get undressed.”
Vic could hear the leather of his gun belt creak as he discarded it. She was beginning to realize just how wet that sound made her. She heard his boots hit the floor and imagined his shirt unveiling that magnificent chest and strong arms. Soon she felt his naked body behind her again, his erection pressing into the small of her back and she leaned back into him. His hands were once again at her breasts, embracing them; his breath in her ear. She ran her hands the length of his thighs and around to run her fingernails lightly across his ass.
Little by little the Kid had been getting his new bride used to lovemaking. Each time showing her something new, some new game. He wanted to do that before he showed her how to fuck. Her picked her up and placed her lovingly on their bed; he started to bring himself down over her, to kiss her. Suddenly she was sitting up and pushing on his shoulder. “ Want to play a new game?” She kept pushing until he was on his back and the she crawled on top of him. He stared up at her in shock and awe. She straddled him and he could feel her silk stockings along his side, and her wet pussy on his stomach. She leaned down to deliver a demanding kiss. She forced herself inside of his mouth, searching for his tongue.
He ran his hands up her legs and around to that luxurious ass of hers. He returned her kisses with a fervent passion, to let her know this might be a good game.
“ Guide me there.” She implored, and he knew what she meant.
He pushed back on her shoulders and she scooted down his stomach slowly. “ Now lean down and kiss me.” When she did, he grabbed his cock at the base and found her ready center with the tip. She gently bit his bottom lip and with her hands, began to push herself back onto him.
‘God,’ he thought,’ she’s still as tight as when I first took her.’ She wrapped around him like a glove, so moist, so warm. He could feel every inch of his cock being sucked into her center. She had half of his length in; then she sat up completely and let her body slide down the rest of the way. She reached behind herself and began to unhook the corset. He found the garter straps on her legs and freed them from the stockings. She pulled the corset away from her and threw it on the floor. He watched as she ran her hands through her hair, pushing the long locks behind her and he reached up to fondle her nipples and embrace her breasts.
“ Now, here comes the fun part,” she said throatily.
“ Hell yes.”
She placed her hands over his and guided them down to her stomach. “ Feel it.”
He wasn’t quite sure what she meant, but he was pretty sure it was more than just her stomach. He shut his eyes and just concentrated on what he could feel, searching for something. She pressed harder with his hands on her flat stomach and repeated, “ Feel it.”
She began to rock slowly back and forth and suddenly it dawned on him. He could feel a bump inside of her as she started to move. He pressed harder and she moved his hands down her body quickly. It sent electricity through his body. “ Feel yourself inside of me?”
“Oh, God,” he groaned. She kept her hands on his and kept stroking up and down on her stomach as she rocked back and forth. ‘How did she figure this out?’ he wondered, but the thought was fleeting. He could feel his shaft impaled in her up to her belly button and she was starting to moan with little cries of pleasure escaping her lips. He started to thrust with his hips, shallowly at first; but it was hard for him to hold back. He slid his hands to her hips and held them firmly; then he started to help her pump up and down on his shaft. She kept stroking his cock through her stomach. They seemed to stay in that moment forever. Him pumping and her stroking. He wasn’t worried about hurting her and somehow, he didn’t think she was either. It had been a slow build but now it was becoming intense and harder to hold back. He wanted to make sure she was pleasured first before he came; but it was getting too hard to hold back. He saw her arch her back and he thrust as deeply as he could; rewarded with a cry that sent chills through him. He felt her muscles contracting all around him and he surrendered to it all.


Vic lay in Kid’s arms listening to the light rainfall outside. “ What do you want to hear tonight?”
He thought a moment and kissed her hand. “ How about French?”
“ French it is.” Vic suddenly frowned. “ Why do you like me to recite to you?”
The Kid laughed and pulled her tighter. “ It puts me to sleep.”
Vic was amazed. “ How can you possibly NOT be tired? You just wore me out.”
“ I’m building up my stamina.” Curry chuckled, “ are you too tired to recite?”
Vic looked up at him and smiled. Then she began to recite Homer’s Iliad in French.


The next morning, bright and early; Curry was lining up bottles on the barn fence as Heyes looked on. Vic walked up with her riding leathers on and gun belt tied down.
“ Okay sweetheart, rule number one,” Curry called as Vic ducked under the fence to join him in the corral. “ don’t take the revolver out of the holster unless you are prepared to fire the gun.”
“ Got it,” she said, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
“ Rule number two, never aim it at anyone unless you are prepared to kill them.”
Vic turned argumentative. “ Well, that’s a little harsh, isn’t it? Can’t I just wing ‘em?”
“ Rule number three,” Curry continued without missing a beat. “ Never aim the revolver at me, Heyes or the horses.”
“ Now, just repeat those back so I know you have it.”
“ I have it!” Vic snapped.
“ Then repeat it!”
Heyes was looking on in amusement, head still pounding from last night.
“ Okay, it was…fire the gun as soon as you take it out of the holster, shoot to kill, and never shoot you or Heyes while you’re on the horses.” Vic recited proudly.
Curry put his head in his hand and Heyes started looking around for another perch a little farther back. “ You know Kid, maybe you ought to mount this horse from a different side.”
“ Okay, we can talk about the theory of gunplay later; let’s just get you used to the feel of the revolver in your hand.” Then Curry screamed. “ Keep your finger away from the trigger! Just grab the handle with two fingers and lift it out of the holster.”
He started walking toward her. “ That’s it, nice and easy.” When he got behind her, he took the gun from her hand and held it in his. “ Look at where my hand rests on the handle. Now you try it, but don’t put your finger on the trigger.”
Curry deposited it back into her hand and she looked at it for a moment before letting it settle in. She looked up at him for approval. “ Good girl,” he eased up behind her, one hand on her hip and the other under her wrist helping support the gun.
“ Ouch, not so hard! Those bones are still mending.”
“ Sorry, darlin’.” Curry had forgotten her broken hand of a month ago. “ Feet farther apart, about shoulder width. Okay good.” He raised her arm up to bring the targets more into range. “Aim the sight right at your target. Let’s shoot the green one, okay? Now you aim where you think the target is.” He gave her a minute to line up the revolver and bent down to she how well she did. “ A little more to the left. No, your other left. That’s good.” He whispered in her ear. “ Okay, now pull back the hammer with your thumb. Good girl. “ He gave her a little kiss on the ear.
“ Quite distracting the student.” She whispered back.
Heyes had fallen back as far as a wagon parked outside of the corral, and stood watching.
“ Now put your finger on the trigger, just rest it there, don’t do anything yet.” He made sure he had a firm grip on her wrist.
“ OUCH!’
“Sorry.” He moved his hand up more to cover her hand and the handle of the revolver. He slid his hand to the middle of her stomach and braced her against his body. He whispered into her ear again, “Now when I tell you to, take a deep breath and when you exhale, stop. Then we are going to pull the trigger. Okay?”
“ Okay.”
“ Ready?”
“ Yep.”
“ Okay, take a deep breath, exhale and stop. Pull the trigger.”
Vic closed her eyes and pulled the trigger and heard the report of the shot and Heyes yelling.
“ What?” she opened her eyes.
Heyes had watched her pull the trigger and saw the smoke go off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a chunk of the barn fly off, and heard the whiz of a bullet go by his head. He started yelling. “ What the hell are you doing? That shot ricocheted
off of the barn and damn near took my ear off!”
Curry turned around clearly annoyed, “ My hand was on hers the whole time, and we couldn’t have been that far off.”
Heyes hopped the fence and walked over to the side of the barn, pointing to the fresh chip out of the wood. “ Well, it was.”
“ There is no way the bullet came out of the barrel and took at right turn for Yuma.” Curry stressed. “ C’mon, Vic. Let’s try it again.”
“ Not with me in here, you’re not.” Heyes yelled as he dove back through the fence.
He got her lined up again. “ Okay same bottle, but I have to hold your hand a little tighter, okay?”
Vic nodded.
Once more, they took up their stance. “Okay, take a deep breath, exhale and stop. Pull the trigger.” A loud metallic ping was heard off to the side and Heyes peeked up from over the wagon.
He stormed over to a fence post on the left and pointed to a feed pail hung over it. “ Okay Kid, explain that.” There was a hole in the side and grain was pouring out.
The Kid took the revolver away from Vic and walked toward the pail with a dumbfounded look on his face. “ There’s just no way I was that far off. That’s a complete left turn.”
“ You weren’t that far off, she was.” Heyes looked at in amazement. “ That’s just not natural. That’s like something in a sideshow. Bullets run from her like General Lee from Appomattox.” Then he started laughing.
“ I am in the same corral!” Vic screamed, put her hands on her hips and stood there shooting daggers from her eyes.
“ Aw, dammit Heyes,” Curry whispered.
Vic stepped to the side of the corral and screamed toward the bunkhouse. “ Ox! Bring my whip out of the stable.” She crossed her arms and starting tapping her foot.
Heyes leaned over to whisper to Curry, “ Are all of her ranch hands named after animals?”
After a considerable spell, she screamed again. “ Ox, get over here.”
A voice called slowly from the trees. “ Does she have the gun?”
“ NO!” Heyes and Curry yelled back, and from the woods, a figure emerged that looked like Paul Bunyon. He carried a curled black whip in his hands and threw it to her over the fence.
Vic turned to address the boys, “ Okay which one of you want to hold something for me?” Heyes and Curry looked at each other and shook their heads.
“ I will Miss Vic.” Ox said as he climbed over the fence.
“ We’ll so far, he’s living up to his name.” Heyes whispered to Curry.
“ Stand over there next to the barn.” She pawed at the dirt with her boot until she came up with a nail and rubbed it on her pant leg. She presented it to the Kid. “ Just walk over there and put it in his mouth.”
“ Just walk over there….” Curry started.
“ …and put it in his mouth.” Vic unfurled the whip behind her back with a loud crack and Heyes jumped. Curry obliged while Vic she paced slowly back and forth with the whip swishing behind her like a cat’s tail. As soon as the Kid was out of the way, she quickly cracked the whip forward with her left hand and reached up and caught something with her right. She walked over to where the boys stood and showed them the nail in her hand. “ Want to check his face for nicks?”
Heyes wasn’t buying it. “ That’s a different nail.”
The Kid could swear that Vic’s ears were starting to smoke. “ Well then, you pick something.” She shot back at Heyes.
Heyes thought for a moment and pulled the lock pick from his boot. “ Try this.”
Vic held up her arms and challenged Heyes. “ Don’t you want to search me to see if I have one on me?”
“ Certainly, madam. If you insist.” Heyes held his hands out.
“ Heyes!” came the sharp warning from the Kid.
“ Just kidding.” He went over to Ox. “ Okay, just bite down.”
Before Heyes got completely clear of Ox, he heard a loud crack and felt a slap of air on the side of his face. By the time he turned around, Vic was standing there with the lock pick in her hand. She tossed it to Heyes. Curry looked slightly amused. “ Very fancy, but you’ve got to get close enough to use it and no man with a gun is going to let you.” To prove his point, Heyes pulled his revolver on her.
“ Heyes!” Curry shouted a warning.
Vic had stuffed the handle of the whip in the back of her leather pants and started walking towards Heyes. Then she started to unbutton her blouse. “ You don’t want to shoot me.” Her shirt was gaping open and Heyes could see the tops of her breasts spilling over her corset. She just kept walking slowly forward, biting her bottom lip and unbuttoning another one. “ That wouldn’t be very nice.”
The Kid jumped in between them, closed her blouse and swung around to Heyes, who stood there wide-eyed. “ What is with you two?”
“ He started it…” Vic protested. “ And I was already close enough to tan his hide.”
“ You two are acting like children.” Curry yelled. “ and it’s gonna stop!”
“ I was just trying to prove a point…” Heyes started. “ And I would have ripped that whip right out of your hands.”
“Yeah, I know; and then she has to prove hers and the next thing you know, you two are back in the schoolyard.” Curry looked between them. “ So help me God, this is going to stop!”
Vic buttoned her blouse back up and shouted to then stunned Ox. “Go saddle my horse, I’m taking a ride.”
“ Ox, stay right there. And you,” he pointed to Vic, “You’re staying right here.”
“ Ox, go saddle my horse!” she insisted. Ox turned to leave.
“ Stop right there,” Curry warned, arms crossed over his chest.
Ox stopped and turned around. “ Miss Vic, I don’t know who’s in charge of the ranch anymore.”
Victoria looked stunned and she stood there momentarily holding a stare with the Kid. “ My husband is in charge of this ranch.” She said slowly. “ But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still want my horse saddled. “
Heyes stood there, watching this power struggle between the pair. Curry looked back at Heyes and then Vic. “ Ox, go saddle three horses. We’re all going for a ride. Make sure we have some canteens.”