Abby's Last Stand Read Online Free
Author: Michelle Marquis
water basin once again. The sky was a soft blue-white, letting her know the sun would be up soon.
She dressed and picked the men's clothes up off the floor, then folded them neatly on the only table in the room. That was when she noticed one of them had a tear in his jeans.
Abby went to the closet and pulled out one of her carpet bags. She settled in the chair closest to the window and lit one of the kerosene lamps. Even with the lamp the light was poor, but Abby did her best to sew up the tear so it would be almost invisible at first glance. When she was done with that one, she went over their other clothes, fixing any damage she found.
She was so intent on her work she didn't pay any attention to Bear when he sat up in bed. "What you doing there, girl?"
Her face and throat felt hot. She avoided looking at him.
"Just fixing stuff."
Bear ran his hand over the sheets as if he was looking for something. "You don't gotta mend stuff for us like a serving girl."
"I know."
He looked thoughtful. "You know, it don't mean nothing to me one way or the other, but I'll wager you've been with a man before."
27
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
Tightness made her chest ache. "Yes, I have."
"I take it there's a story you don't want to talk about."
She frowned and shook her head in apology. "I'm sorry, Bear. It's just that—"
He held a hand up. "You don't need to explain yourself to me, Abby. I'm an outlaw. I ain't gonna judge you for nothin'."
Snake groaned and rolled to the far end of the bed. He covered his face with a pillow. Abby grinned and went back to sewing.
"You mind if I ask you a personal question?" she asked.
"I ain't got no secrets. Ask away."
"Why are you and Snake holed up in this hotel room? It seems like the two of you are waiting for something to happen."
"We are. We're waiting on a murdering thug named Cassius Barker to come into town. He's about due, and we want to give him a proper greeting." He leaned over the bedside table, grabbed a thin cigar, and lit it. "Now ole Barker ain't never been a nice man. He done his share of killing and robbing and . . . " He squinted at her. "And violating women like a lot of men around these parts. But Barker went over the line when he killed a good friend of ours, and we're fixing to get revenge."
"What do you mean by 'he's about due'?"
"He owns a farm just a few miles outside of town. He only comes to town two times a year for supplies. Each times he goes to the saloon, gets drunk, and starts a fight with some poor bastard. That's how he come to kill our good friend Willie. Barker started talking his drunken trash, and Willie 28
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
invited him outside. But before poor Willie got to the swinging doors, Barker shot him in the back. He bribed the sheriff into saying it was an accident, and that was that. Willie's wife contacted us with the story, and we decided to come on out and make things fair."
"An eye for an eye," Abby whispered.
"I suppose that shocks a fine young woman like yourself?"
"Actually, it might surprise you to know it don't shock me at all. In fact, revenge is the main reason I came to this town, too."
"I don't follow you."
"I didn't just run out of money and end up in this town. I planned to come here. I saved every dime I earned sewing until I had enough for my stage ticket. I'd been warned about this place, but I came anyway. And do you know why? I'll tell ya. I came to learn how to shoot and kill from the best outlaws in the land. I want to learn how to handle a gun as good and even better than any man who ever lived. And when I get good enough, I'm gonna put a few bullets in that low-down pig who hurt my sister, Ann."
Bear shook his head slowly. "I know where you're coming from, Abby, but that's a losing game. You're young. There's all kinds of possibilities for you. Doing what you're aiming to will change you for the rest of your life."
"Why is it so wrong for me? You do it all the time."
"I
She dressed and picked the men's clothes up off the floor, then folded them neatly on the only table in the room. That was when she noticed one of them had a tear in his jeans.
Abby went to the closet and pulled out one of her carpet bags. She settled in the chair closest to the window and lit one of the kerosene lamps. Even with the lamp the light was poor, but Abby did her best to sew up the tear so it would be almost invisible at first glance. When she was done with that one, she went over their other clothes, fixing any damage she found.
She was so intent on her work she didn't pay any attention to Bear when he sat up in bed. "What you doing there, girl?"
Her face and throat felt hot. She avoided looking at him.
"Just fixing stuff."
Bear ran his hand over the sheets as if he was looking for something. "You don't gotta mend stuff for us like a serving girl."
"I know."
He looked thoughtful. "You know, it don't mean nothing to me one way or the other, but I'll wager you've been with a man before."
27
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
Tightness made her chest ache. "Yes, I have."
"I take it there's a story you don't want to talk about."
She frowned and shook her head in apology. "I'm sorry, Bear. It's just that—"
He held a hand up. "You don't need to explain yourself to me, Abby. I'm an outlaw. I ain't gonna judge you for nothin'."
Snake groaned and rolled to the far end of the bed. He covered his face with a pillow. Abby grinned and went back to sewing.
"You mind if I ask you a personal question?" she asked.
"I ain't got no secrets. Ask away."
"Why are you and Snake holed up in this hotel room? It seems like the two of you are waiting for something to happen."
"We are. We're waiting on a murdering thug named Cassius Barker to come into town. He's about due, and we want to give him a proper greeting." He leaned over the bedside table, grabbed a thin cigar, and lit it. "Now ole Barker ain't never been a nice man. He done his share of killing and robbing and . . . " He squinted at her. "And violating women like a lot of men around these parts. But Barker went over the line when he killed a good friend of ours, and we're fixing to get revenge."
"What do you mean by 'he's about due'?"
"He owns a farm just a few miles outside of town. He only comes to town two times a year for supplies. Each times he goes to the saloon, gets drunk, and starts a fight with some poor bastard. That's how he come to kill our good friend Willie. Barker started talking his drunken trash, and Willie 28
Abby's Last Stand
by Michelle Marquis
invited him outside. But before poor Willie got to the swinging doors, Barker shot him in the back. He bribed the sheriff into saying it was an accident, and that was that. Willie's wife contacted us with the story, and we decided to come on out and make things fair."
"An eye for an eye," Abby whispered.
"I suppose that shocks a fine young woman like yourself?"
"Actually, it might surprise you to know it don't shock me at all. In fact, revenge is the main reason I came to this town, too."
"I don't follow you."
"I didn't just run out of money and end up in this town. I planned to come here. I saved every dime I earned sewing until I had enough for my stage ticket. I'd been warned about this place, but I came anyway. And do you know why? I'll tell ya. I came to learn how to shoot and kill from the best outlaws in the land. I want to learn how to handle a gun as good and even better than any man who ever lived. And when I get good enough, I'm gonna put a few bullets in that low-down pig who hurt my sister, Ann."
Bear shook his head slowly. "I know where you're coming from, Abby, but that's a losing game. You're young. There's all kinds of possibilities for you. Doing what you're aiming to will change you for the rest of your life."
"Why is it so wrong for me? You do it all the time."
"I
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