Justice Served
Part 3
Ben held her down as she screamed. He knew the answer but the words had to come from her lips. “Who are you! Is that why you killed that old man to hide your lies? Say it Lilly!”
She stopped struggling long enough to yell back at him. “Lillian Evans!” All fight gone she gazed into his face not really seeing Ben Wade. “Daniel Evans was my brother.”
Ben bent back her wrists. It hurt her he wanted to hurt her. Justice, no, Lillian had lied to him. His hands found her throat and began crushing. She looked him in the eye ready to die. “Why’d you lie to me Lilly?” He growled.
Gasping for breath. “You didn’t ask, I didn’t tell. I didn’t lie to you Ben!”
Damn she was right. He never cared about her real name and she didn’t volunteer it. Because she knew he might kill her. Lillian Evans was just trying to survive. Hell he could be pissed at her but he had no just cause to take her life. Letting go he rolled off of her.
Rolling to her side coughing, struggling for air, her voice raspy. “Lillian Evans died five years ago on a plantation. Dan was the only one to take me back until he found out what I had done. Of course his pious wife Alice didn’t help.”
Ben snorted and some of his anger ebbed away. “Sounds like Dan. But what are you saying Lilly? In my company you’ve been reborn? I’m not the one who saves souls.”
Her throat was starting to open again but it was work for each breath. “You didn’t save my soul, Dan did. I was there, in Contention. I saw you ride in and watched Dan sitting in the hotel window. I watched him run over the rooftops Watched him gunned down. Then I watched him die more alive than he had been in years. Problem is I’m not like Dan. I can’t take the highroad he did.”
He watched her take long breaths relearning how to breathe. She hadn’t shot an old stable hand Lilly was killing her past once and for all.
“You’re a killer now in the eyes of the law, Lilly.”
“I know.”
“You ready to live with that Lilly?” He kept trying to make the name fit her it didn’t.
Sitting up she slapped him across the face. The impact echoed into the night. “I’ve lived with it for five years.”
There was a touch of venom in those words as she glared at him. His favorite expression besides the one she wore as she pulled that trigger on her past. Standing and putting out a hand. “Come on Justice. Patton’s had enough time to rummage through the saddlebags.”
She sat there just staring at his hand. When she didn’t take it he bent and grabbed her arm pulling her to her feet. “I said come on. Would it make you feel better if I let you kill Andy?”
Justice jerked away from him and turned back toward camp. “Waste of a bullet.” Ben agreed as he followed her back watching the way she walked. If Dan hadn’t had a limp it was the same walk. Come to think of it there was a bit of a resemblance to Dan and his son. William was more like her in personality.
At camp Ben moved his bed roll closer to hers facing Andy. The other man didn’t say a word to either of them. He knew when not to get shot. That was about the only Andrew Patton understood.
The next morning Justice woke to the smell of meat cooking. Propping up on an elbow she saw Ben turning a rabbit over the fire. “Almost done.”
She grinned to herself as she remembered the last bunny he ate. It was only weeks past but it seemed longer. Picking up the canteen she drank slowly. Her throat was sore. Part of her wished he had just finished it. Another part looked out over the horizon and felt renewed. Justice should have feared him, hated Ben Wade in the least, but she couldn’t.
Ben had risen with the sun and sent Andy in search of food. Patton tilted his head toward the slumbering woman. “You should leave her here.”
“I should leave both corpses here.” Was Wade’s reply. As she sat now with her hair pulled back he could see his hand prints on her neck. Swallowing wasn’t comfortable by the way she ate. He’d damn near killed her. Why was she still here? Should he feel remorse for what he had done to her? He could feel the soft flesh of her throat and rubbed his hands on his legs to rid the thought from his mind.
Two days later the trio looked out over another town. Justice wore a high necked collar, her voice was back to normal but there were still finger shaped bruises. “Same ruse to bust him out?”
Ben shook his head. “They don’t know what demons walk among them.”
Andy mockingly crossed himself. “Ain’t it the truth. The sodimite probably has made the saloon home.”
Justice have the men a once over. Andy had actually taken a bath for the occasion and Ben wore a drab over coat and had switched hats with her. “You sure you want to go down there? Patton and I can fetch him.”
Handing her a pouch of money for supplies they needed. They had decided last night to keep a low profile here. Ben leaned over to her. “And let you have all the fun again? He added with a sneer. “Don’t worry Justice I’ll stay away from the dancing girls.”
Shaking her head she trotted into town first. “When hell freezes over.”
Andy watched her go. “We better follow the she-devil.”
“That’s not a devil Andrew, that’s an angel a fallen angel.”
The town was quiet but full of people busily going about. Children ran past them chasing a puppy. Ladies sat on the porch of the inn drinking tea and chattering merrily. There were three wagons parked before the general store. Justice went in and made some supply purchases. She grew a bit anxious to get this over with as she heard someone talking about the jail break and shooting a couple of towns over. Quickly she got the goods and took them over to the counter. The clerk eyed her suspiciously. “You’re not from around here, new in town?”
She tried to smile and relax. “No, just passing through.” He quizzed her further and she gave short answers with enough holes in them to make Swiss cheese jealous.
Finally on her way out the man watched her closely. Justice packed the bags and made for the saloon.
Once inside she didn’t see Ben or Andy. She started to ask the barmaid if they were upstairs being entertained when the two came stumbling out of a room trying to carry a large man. Andy started down backwards with his feet first. Ben strained to keep from dropping him on his head down the staircase. “Damn Solomon what have you been eating! You weigh a ton more than last time.”
Ben spotted her watching them. “Grab something will ya!” She looked from one to the other. Turning she grabbed the door and opened it. She kind of felt sorry for the poor horse that was going to carry the brute. He wasn’t necessarily fat just big. The two men unceremoniously dumped him in the horse trough.
He came awake flailing and sputtering curses. “What the hell!” His eyes settled on Justice and a large grin started. Shaking her head she pointed at Ben and the grin immediately fell. “Oh. We leav’in now?”
Ben gave him an annoyed glare. “Unless you have something pressing to attend to.” The big man shook his head as he climbed out. He shook like a dog and started back inside. “Just where are you going?”
He turned around and slapped his thigh. “Ah come on boss, at least let me change cloths. I’ll catch my death.”
Ben watched Solomon stride back into the saloon and noticed Justice looking like a cat by a rocking chair. She pulled the brim of her hat down. “An old friend.” It was then that the friend’s voice carried.
“Of course we are concerned that Wade is in the area that is why we’re here. And if he’s broken a man out of jail he may be putting a gang together. What kind of a woman would be riding with these men?”
The local lawman shrugged as they stopped next to the trio. Andy nonchalantly made his way back inside to hurry Solomon the hell up. “I don’t know Mr. Butterfield but the deputy who survived the jail break watched her shoot down an old man. She told the sheriff her name was Rose Patton but the dead man called her Lillian something.”
Ben grinned as he winked at Justice. She shook her head at him but there was no stopping him when he had something in his mind. “Shit.” She said as he quietly pulled his gun and pressed it into Butterfield’s back.
“Imagine meeting like this Mr. Butterfield.” Justice was already at the sheriff as he reached for his weapon. She tossed both the men’s arms into the trough. Butterfield’s jaw dropped as he looked at her.
“Lillian Evans?” Andy and Solomon came rushing out and mounted the waiting horses.
Ben snickered. “This here is Justice. Lillian Evans is dead.”
The sheriff scoffed but Butterfield began to sweat. The vision of the outlaw gunning down his own men at the train dancing before him. “You should know your nephew got home alright but they are losing the land. They said the deal was for Dan to get Wade to the train not his son they refused him the money. Will is doing what he can but it’s not going to be enough.”
Justice shrugged. “And this should matter to me why?”
“Because you’re Dan Evan’s sister. How could you ride with the man who killed your brother?”
Justice didn’t answer she just gave the lawman a shove into the trough and mounted her horse. Ben followed and the good Mr. Butterfield made no move to stop them.
When Ben finally let them stop it was well into night. Justice sat by the fire braiding blades of grass she had pulled. Ben noticed when she was bothered she fiddled with things. It had been two days since he had touched her and that touch had meant to choke the life out of her. Today had been the most she had spoken, not like she was talkative to begin with. Justice was his enigma.
Solomon started to speak to her but Andy elbowed him. “Ow, what the hell was that for?”
“You don’t want to fuss with that. Not in the mood she’s in.” He pointed to the healing cut on his throat. “Just leave be.”
Justice just stared into the flames. It was a cool night but she didn’t feel the cold. Why should she care about Will losing the ranch? It wasn’t like they were really family, especially now. If Dan was vexed over her first act of murder what would he say about her second, along with robbery, and a jail break.
Ben sat next to her and set a bottle in her lap. “Have a sip of Oh-be-joyful here you’ll feel better.”
Uncorking the bottle and taking a long draw. Justice got up and walked into the night out of the firelight. The last time she did that it wasn’t pretty. Exciting but not pretty. Ben followed her. She stood leaning against a tree. “The problem is I don’t really feel anything. Should I?”
Taking the bottle from her he swallowed the dark liquid. “Maybe Lilly isn’t as dead as you would like her to be.”
The glare she tossed him was pure hatred. As she opened her mouth to speak he sized it with his own. This only pissed her off when she broke the kiss she started to slap him then just grabbed a fist full of hair and pulled him back to her lips. He growled at her. “What do you feel now Justice?”
She pressed her body against the hardness of his. “Lust.” As he ran hands under her shirt and her body responded. “I hate you Ben Wade.”
He chuckled huskily against her throat. “Good.”
Solomon was starting to get concerned. “They been out there a long time. Think we outta go find out if they’re alright?”
Patton snorted as he plopped his hat over his eyes. “Hell no, it’s fine she ain’t screaming this time.”
Solomon slid down on his pallet but kept an eye out after that last comment.
Just before daybreak Justice was the one waking them up. “We gotta move, now.”
Wade looked out over in the direction of her eyes were pointing. There was dust kicked up from horses. Shit. “Butterfield. Damn Pinkerton.”
“Pinkerton!” Solomon was up and moving quicker than Justice thought a big man could.
They broke camp leaving behind what wasn’t a necessity. Once they had gone a mile or two Ben brought them to a stop. “Which way Justice?”
Andy glared at her with daggers. “What the hell are you asking her?”
Ben ignored him and circled her. “Do we run or do we kill Lillian for good?”
Without a word she turned toward Bisbee and the Evans ranch. It was time to sever the family ties once and for all. Ben followed with Solomon and Andy on his heels.
Night fell on the quartet for the fourth time. They were maybe a day and a half away. Justice had barely said a word. “She don’t talk much.” Andy shrugged at Solomon’s comment as they watched her tend the horses. Ben watched her with a different eye. He could see the tenseness of her shoulders, the set of her jaw. The closer they got to the Evans home the tighter she wound. It wasn’t something he could relive with a visit to the hayloft either.
Justice, Lillian, who was she? What the hell was she doing? There was no going back, not after Ben confronting Butterfield. Now there would be little posters with her picture on them. What name would they have? Lillian Evans, Rose Patton, or Justice. Why did she want to go back to Dan’s ranch? She owed them nothing. Will had been cordial in Contention, asked her to come home. She knew Alice would have none of it. Hell she wanted none of it. Dan gave his last dying breath to show his son the right thing. What would she be showing them by going back with Ben Wade?
Stopping before she brushed the poor beast bald she attempted to settle down by Wade. “That bastard is setting a trap and I just headed us straight for it.”
Ben lay back next to her. “You did. But the question is Justice do you intend on getting caught?”
The next morning they made for the ranch. Andy was tickled pink at the prospect of killing a few Pinkertons. Solomon thought they were biting off too big a piece. It was late afternoon when they finally reached the Evans place. Justice sat looking over the small hill. “Maybe you should wait here for a bit. I don’t think Will or Alice will take kindly to your presence.”
Ben scoffed. “My manners were impeccable on my last visit.” She cast him a skeptical glance before riding down.
Will saw a rider coming and was on the porch rifle ready. Justice dismounted. “Ease off William.”
“Aunt Lil?” There was a look of confusion on his face as his mother and younger brother joined him.
“Something like that.”
Alice shook with anger as she strode forward. “How can you show your face here!” The young boy stood behind his brother questioning the strange woman’s presence.
“I came to make it right for Dan. Then you’ll never see me again.”
The other woman came screaming. “What do you care about Dan? You weren’t here when he needed you!”
Justice took a deep breath to keep from lashing out at the woman. “Huh, let me nail this to the counter. I wasn’t here because Dan asked me to leave. He asked me to leave because you wouldn’t let him forget what I had done.”
“What you had done! You’re a murderer!”
Ben rode up with the others. “To the manner born it seems.” Alice ran back to the porch grabbing the young boy. Will aimed the rifle.
Justice stood in front of the barrel. “He’s with me.”
The young man looked at the outlaw then to his aunt. The last time he saw Wade the man had gunned down his men and boarded the prison train. Ben smirked. “You didn’t really think they could keep me.”
Andy laughed. “Ain’t this a touching family moment.” Solomon slugged him. Will motioned for them to come in against his mother’s protests. Ben sat at the table and helped himself to a plate. Andy followed as usual; at least Solomon had the courtesy to apologize first.
Will looked to his mother. “Go to the other room.” She started to protest but the younger boy went to Justice.
“Will said you were my aunt.”
Justice twitched his nose and tried to give him a warm smile. “I was for a time. Last time I saw you you were just toddling around.” Alice snatched the boy and went to the other room.
William stood with a confidence he didn’t have in Contention. His experiences had brought him into manhood though he still had a couple of years to make it official. “So what do you want Lil, why are you with them?”
He looked at her differently too. Gone was the mournful boy she gave comfort to when they buried her brother, his father. He had apparently been told her truth. “Ran into Butterfield. Like I said I want to make it right for Dan. He was my bother Will. Let us stay here tonight and we’ll be gone tomorrow. In a few days you won’t have to worry about the land.”
He shook his head and leaned on the wall looking a whole lot like his father. “Why do you care?”
Justice blinked then smirked. “I don’t.”
“You killed those men, that’s why my father sent you away.”
She looked him in the eye unashamed, for the first time. “I killed those men because they killed something inside of me.”
Ben pointed out the window with a fork. “You rebuilt the barn.”
Young William glared which only served to amuse the outlaw more since it was like a boy version of Justice. He turned that glare on his aunt. “You can all stay in the barn then leave in the morning.”
Alice and the youngest stayed in the bedroom. Justice stood on the porch watching the sun sink. Ben came up behind and wrapped his arms around her. “That went well.”
Needing some comfort just for a minute she turned and nuzzled into his embrace. “I’m a fool. I don’t want to be here. I don’t owe Dan or his family anything. Lillian Evans is as dead to them as she is to me.”
Ben smoothed her hair resting his chin on her head. “Maybe you should tell him all of it.”
Shaking her head Justice looked out at the nephew she remembered singing lullabies to. “He has the only truth he’ll accept. My word means nothing.”
He saw Alice watching them from the window. He tilted Justice’s face to kiss her. He backed her up against the post and was relentless in his kisses and touch. Justice gave into it returning the heat. When she wrapped her legs around him he laughed that deep whiskey laugh men get when they have a need to fulfill. “You’ve never been properly taken to a hay loft have you Justice.”
“How come you don’t use that smooth talk on me? I don’t deserve seduction?”
“You don’t need seduction. You are a different kind of woman, not the kind who bats her long lashes at a fella to catch his eye. Your eyes are open Justice; you don’t see sweet romantic trysts under the moon. You see me for what I am.”
“And just what are you Ben Wade?”
“Right now a man with a need. Of course I’m willing to return the favors and fill yours.”
Alice watched them go to the barn. Thinking back on her first meeting Ben Wade she wondered how far his silver tongue would have talked her to. She hated Lillian from the moment she saw the young woman. Dan fawned over his sister and in return she cared for him. Lil had pushed her out of her own family. He tried to justify her act as one of self defense. He was already worn from his own war experiences. Ashamed of his injury it wasn’t hard to convince him that Lil was not someone he needed around his children.
The day she watched the girl leave with nothing but a few coins they could spare and tears to look through Alice wondered if it was jealousy of Dan’s love for Lil. Now she felt justified that woman had come back as Alice had feared. And brought the devil with her. The devil that took Dan from both of them.
The next morning Will stood on the porch with his aunt. “Don’t come back.”
“You won’t be here so what difference does it make.”
The young man turned on her then stepped back and swallowed the angry words he wanted to spew. Justice laughed and shook her head. “We are more like me than you know Will. You’ll need that to start over. Here.” She pulled a roll of money from her pocket. When he made no move to take it she dropped it at his feet. “Don’t be a prideful fool like your father. It might be dirty but it spends the same.”
She met the men on the hill. Andy was grinning ear to ear as he showed her a grave marker. Lillian Evans R.I.P. Knocking off his hat she kissed the top of his head before riding off with Ben.
That night Solomon came back into camp. “There’s a fire over the ridge and it looks like pinks.”
Andy scoffed. “How do you know that?”
“Ranchers don’t wear fancy suits.”
Ben tossed a bone into the fire. “Let’s find out what their here for.” He and Justice moved close enough to listen at their chatter. It was a clear night the words of the three men carried as they boasted. One of them with slicked back hair laughed about finally getting to do a little barn burning himself. Only this time it wasn’t just the barn it was the house and to kill anyone who tried to stop them, even the widow.
Exchanging looks they went back to Andy and Solomon. Andy was all for taking them down. Solomon felt it was a worthy cause. Ben wasn’t interested in it either way but Justice was quiet. After listening to them argue for a bit she finally stood up and started to strip. “I’ll take care of it.”
As the other two sat agape at the woman, now standing in a camisole and little ladies skivvies, Ben grabbed her bare ankle. “What are you going to do about it?”
She only looked into his eyes and held them for a time. He let go and watched her walk back into the darkness. Solomon was completely confused. “Why’d you let her go?” He offered no explanation instead Ben settled down for the night. Either she came back or she didn’t.
Justice sat in the dark she should have been cold. She watched the three men as they talked a while longer then two of them settled in to sleep a while before the burning. Slick was the one who kept watch. She waited. The others began to breathe in rhythm and it wasn’t long before the spirits Slick had been drinking moved him.
He walked into the dark by a set of brush. He wasn’t a big man, kind of skinny and short. Justice crept up behind him and as soon as his hands were occupied the knife flashed. He fell clutching his throat as she stepped out of reach. Slick tried to hold the warm liquid in but it kept coming until he stopped crawling. As his eyes emptied of life she turned toward the sound of snoring.
Ben sat up and looked around at the sound of the horses stomping. A figure stood by the little pond. He walked up and saw her. Justice stood staring into the water. He wondered if it was her refection she saw. He stepped closer loudly so she would know he was there before his vision joined hers in the pool. She was spattered with blood on her face and chest. Her hands were covered in it. The bloody knife had been dropped by her feet. “Justice, you did what you came to do.”
She looked at his reflection. Ben continued to speak as he undressed. “You saved Dan’s family. You did right by him.” She just gazed into the water he wasn’t sure she heard him. He reached for her and she cringed putting up her hands.
“I’m covered in blood.”
Ben grabbed her before she could pull away again. He pressed those gore covered hands to his mouth and kissed them. “I know.” He tore away the soaked garments from her skin. It was then that she felt cold. But his touch became the focus not the cooling liquid. The warmth of his skin pressed to hers. Ben pulled her head back to kiss her mouth. She tasted of need and copper. Justice was dark and beautiful.
She felt him pressed against her already hard from the sight of her. Ben pulled her down to the ground with him. He wanted her like this. He wanted her bathed in the blood of his enemies. She was breathing hard and arched as he reached down to feel her need. Justice cried out as his fingers teased her. He was throbbing as her cold wet hands closed around him. He bent down and licked a taut bud clean and suckled.
Justice was ready to let it end here it would be so hard. She could cut a man’s throat surely she could do her wrists. She didn’t know how long she had stood by the pond before his refection appeared next to her. The desire in his eyes was unmistakable. Her body tightened in response to his breath on her neck. He said something to her. It wasn’t important right now. Right now all she wanted was to fill her primal urges. The first had been satisfied now the second was calling.
The sight of him smeared from her body sent her over the edge as he touched her. She didn’t want his hands she wanted him. She arched up into him and he finally obliged. The feeling of him sliding into her brought her as she dug nails into his shoulders. What they did in the sand wasn’t tender love making it was wild, feral. Teeth, nails, rough unforgiving.
It wasn’t enough he wanted her eyes he made her look at him. “Tell me.” She started to cry out but he yanked on her hair. “Tell me what you did Justice.”
She clutched at him as he pounded their bodies together. “I killed them. I cut their throats and watched them bleed.” Finally as she came again he found release. Wasted and panting he picked her up holding them together as he walked into waist deep pond.
He dipped them under and began to wash the blood off her hands first. “You did it for Dan? You did it to protect them?”
She looked up and he saw the truth in those dark eyes. As she spoke he knew Lillian Evans the teacher and nanny was dead. “Yes. And because I could.” When she was clean he pleasured her again until she begged him to stop. Justice was now his completely. Now they could ride.