WYOMING TERRITORY, 1868

The sun was hot on a mans back, especially if he was wearing black clothing like I was at that moment. It wasn't very clever to wear dark articles on such a warm day, but I refused to go back to the regular man's clothes. I was no longer a regular man and these pieces of clothing told stories about not only me but also my past and the past of my brothers.

The black horse I was astride snorted, tired of standing in the sun. I patted his midnight neck, calming the gelding. Of course George Grover wasn't very happy that I'd 'borrowed' the prize stallion from his ranch. He had, in fact, shot at me with his dirt old shotgun when I'd taken off with the hulking beast. But I'd return it...once it got too old for a getaway horse.

I still remembered the first time that I'd stolen a horse. I'd been a mere nineteen years old when Carlisle had ordered me to snatch the new mare at Jack Kingston's ranch. I knew Jack to be a good and honest man, so stealing from him was something I was hesitant about. I thought that if I told him about what had really happened on that cliff those few weeks ago, he would believe me and help me get away from Carlisle Cullen and his band of outlaws. But when Jack had seen me, he immediately tried to kill me, shouting out things about how I had killed little Harry and tried to murder James as well. I was frightened of this man who used to be my friend. So I'd jumped on the nearest horse and took off into the forest.

It just so happened that the mare I had taken was the one that Carlisle had been asking for. He praised me for my 'stealing abilities' when he found me hiding in a canyon cave. I wasn't impressed with myself. I was guilty for stealing and frightened of what my life had become. That night, around the fire at the Cullen camp, I snuck away and headed for my hometown of Forks. Charles would help me. He had to help me.

I crept around the back of the sheriff building to where Charles' office was, not wanting to frighten anyone in town since I was supposed to be dead. On the way I passed my office and stopped in my tracks when I saw who was inside. Sitting comfortably at my desk with his feet propped up was James Hunter. On his shirt was my badge. The badge of a deputy.

"I was sure I saw him come runnin' up to my barn and steal my filly, Deputy Hunter!" the other man, who I noticed as Jack Kingston, barked at James.

James grinded his teeth together before slamming the knife he'd been playing with into the desk. It swayed back and forth ominously as Jack took a step back from the seething new deputy. "He's like a goddamned cockroach!" James snarled. "He just won't die!" He took a moment to calm himself, breathing deeply and closing his eyes before looking back at Jack. "You didn't see anything, you hear?"

Jack sputtered. "Wha-what?" he asked in confusion. "But Edward was there…"

"No he damn well wasn't," James snapped, getting to his feet and making the other man jump. "Edward Masen is dead. His rotted corpse is floating down the Forks River as we speak. You ain't gonna mention this to the sheriff or anyone else, that clear?" Jack hesitated a moment before nodding. "Good," James continued, sitting back into the chair. "You can keep your mouth shut."

"And what about my loss?" Jack snapped.

James waved his hand. "I'll get you another mare," he stated. "One that's already pregnant so you don't have to do all the work. How's that sound?"

Jack looked like he was considering for a moment before he nodded, smiled and held out his hand. "I hear you, Deputy," he said. "My mare just suddenly got a pregnant. Ain't that a miracle?"

"Sure is," James chuckled, shaking with Jack before pulling out a cigar, which he offered to the other man.

Jack grinned and took one from the box James offered. "I gotta get back to the ranch. Need to set the barn up for a pregnant filly." He winked at James, who had already lit a smoke and was puffing out large grey clouds. Jack turned towards the door to leave.

"Kingston," James crowed. He puffed out another grey cloud as Jack turned back to look at the new deputy. James reached into the desk drawer and pulled out a newer pistol, checking to see there were bullets in it. "Next time you see Masen," he said, tossing the pistol at Jack, "…don't miss."

That was the moment when I decided that the world was truly a disgusting place. There was no justice. There was no truth. There was no fairness. Charles had believed James when he told him I had killed Harry when in truth the kid was my best friend. Of course I had a part in his murder since I had been unable to keep him safe but I would never have pulled the trigger on Harry. He had been the picture of innocence and that night, before I left Forks, I went to his grave to apologize for being apart of his death.

As I kneeled by the stone that read his name, I felt the innocence that used be inside me disappear. It was replaced with hatred. Hatred so deep, dark and raw that it would have frightened my old self. I had a hatred for James who had killed my best friend and ruined my life. I had a hatred for the town who believed this liar so easily. But above all else, I had a hatred for Charles Swan who had promised to be a father to me. He promised to care and love me, but one word from James had changed his mind. I hated the Sheriff with a passion and I would make sure he felt the suffering I did.

So I joined and embraced Cullen's band of outlaws. Carlisle, our leader, was my real father. He cared for me and wouldn't turn his back on me. I was his son and he taught me exactly how to be a good outlaw. How to steal, cheat and lie my way to paradise. The old Edward would have hated what I had become but he was no longer around. Cullen, the outlaw, had taken over.

Now I was the leader of the group. Carlisle, who used to be called just Cullen, was killed when one of the men, who was supposed to be one of our brothers, ratted our camp location out to the Sheriff. Our leader was shot while trying to save one of our other men, his dying words naming me as the new Cullen leader. So I had taken over and given the Cullen Clan even more of a name and a reputation. Even though we stole and wreaked havoc, I made sure none of my men killed without reason. I could not sully Harry's memory like that. The guilt would be too much to bear.

The stallion's ears twitched suddenly and I knew that he had heard a sound that was far too low me to hear. There seemed to be silence surrounding me until the sound of a bird's whistle made me turn my head. The bird call wasn't one that was native to the area. It was quite obviously a signal for me.

Pulling on the gelding's reins and tapping his belly with my heel, I turned him until he could carry me slowly down the small incline that led to the valley in which the small town of Forks was located. As we came around the canyon, I pulled the horse to a stop when I noticed a head of blond hair in the near distance. Out in the open. Rolling my eyes, I rode up to one of my brothers.

His real name was Jasper Whitlock although we all called him Whit to make it all easier and to hide our real identities. I was quite protective of Whit since he reminded me a lot of Harry. The blond hair, blue eyes and fresh innocence almost made him a ringer for my former partner. It had been a full year since Whit had joined the Cullen Clan so he was still a young boy at heart, although he wasn't afraid to get down and dirty with the rest of us outlaws. The kid had spunk that was for sure, but I couldn't help but worry like some sort of mother hen. He'd lost his parents a while back and now the Cullen Clan was his only family. I planned to keep him safe and I refused to fail again.

"Cullen!" Whit cried out with that big smile of his and that glimmer of innocence in his eyes. I was told by one of my other brothers that it was a glimmer of admiration, not innocence. Apparently Whit looked up to me like I was some sort of hero. Obviously I wasn't since I was the leader of an outlaw gang. That didn't spell out hero in my books. That spelled out liar, cheater and murderer.

"Whit," I snapped making him flinch slightly as I rode up next to him. "What've I told you about being out in the open?"

The boy looked around with wide eyes, apparently just noticing that he was out in the middle of the valley where everyone could see him. "Oh," he muttered, his face going pink in embarrassment. "I wasn't…watching."

I merely sighed and shook my head, leaning over to pat him on the shoulder. "It's all right. Just remember to always be aware of your surroundings next time," I told him before changing the topic. "So have you seen the target yet?"

His mood immediately changed from sullen to excited. "Oh yes!" he cried before pointing wildly towards the road that led away from Forks. "Carty told me that he saw them coming. He went out to have a better look."

Carty was a man that was a little more like myself. He'd been in the Cullen Clan longer than I had but didn't seem to mind much when Carlisle named me as the new head of the gang. Emmett McCarty had been wrongfully accused of attempted murder on Royce King, a southern socialite who had forced Carty's woman, Rosalie, to marry him. The guilty party of the crime was actually Rose but Carty refused to have her charged with anything. He managed to stop her from killing Royce and took the blame for the attempted murder. Now Carty was an outlaw, running from the law all the while knowing that his woman was married to Royce King, who had apparently been hit so hard on the head by Rose's iron skillet that he'd forgotten what had actually happened that night. You could tell that Carty still loved her but he knew that Royce would be able to keep her safe and provide for her unlike himself.

Carty was my right hand man. I had depended on him since I first came into the gang. He was like the older brother that I never had. I cared about his safety as much as he cared about mine. He was the one who had wanted to bring me back to Forks after Carlisle introduced me to the gang, saying I was "a poor kid that needs stability, not danger." But I'd proved him wrong. I was stable on my own. I didn't need the law to keep me stable. All I needed was myself…

"Here comes Carty!" Whit said pointing behind me. I turned to see the hulking form of Carty on a horse, thundering our way.

I rode closer, meeting him halfway to find him out of breath. He grinned when I arrived by his side, wiping his brow and sitting up straighter on his saddle. "I got one coming," he chuckled. "Should be around the corner in a few minutes."

I couldn't help but grin back in excitement. It was wrong to have fun while stealing from others but years as an outlaw had made that guilt fade away. I actually took pleasure in taking things from others. But of course stealing wasn't as bad as killing others, which I would never do.

"Places then," I said.

Carty nodded before calling Whit to follow him. The two of them took off at a gallop, hiding behind some large boulders and trees, leaving me alone in the valley. Turning the stallion around, I let him canter gently towards the side of the canyon wall. As I came to the corner I could see our target. One small stagecoach pulled by two large horses going at quite a pace was coming quickly towards where I was standing. It was obviously headed for Forks but it would be a lot lighter of weight by the time it got there. I'd make sure of it. Those suitcases on the roof of the stage could surely hold a lot of valuables.

I made sure that my black bandana covered my nose and mouth, hiding my features from the passing stage, before pulling my gelding backwards into the shadows. There was no way that I was giving my identity up. No need to let Charles know that the boy who used to be a son to him turned out to be an outlaw.

The stage raced past my hiding spot, allowing me to follow easily behind it. But it didn't get far. Carty and Whit had already jumped in front of the coach, forcing the driver to pull sharply on the reins and come to jarring stop. Carty immediately rode forward, holding the stage's two horses' bridles to keep it where it was, while aiming his pistol at the driver. "Get off," he ordered, having to yell so the man would hear him through the bandana covering his mouth and nose. "Now!"

The driver dropped the reins and put up his hands, slowly making his way off the stage and to the ground. Carty called for Whit, ordering him to tie the man's wrists and ankles together just as I'd planned. The young one did so, eager to please the gang.

While he was tying up the driver, the coach door swung open and an angry man stepped out. "For great goodness sake, Tom! What's the - " and then he noticed Carty and Whit. His hand immediately went for the gun hanging off his belt but I was faster. I managed to shoot the pistol out of his grasp. We all watched as it slid across the dirt before stopping under Carty's horse, leaving this new angry man defenseless. Slowly he put his hands in the air, his head hanging.

"On your knees," I told him, making my gelding slowly walk closer to him. He did as he was told, getting down on his knees with his hands still in the air. As I rode closer, my horse and I cast a shadow over the man, making him look up, giving me a good look at who it was.

"Sheriff Swan," I chuckled. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

His eyes immediately narrowed in anger. "Cullen," he snarled.

I touched my fingers to the brim of my hat. "At your service." I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the saddle horn. "So what special items have you got in that little coach, Sheriff? Money, perhaps? Jewelry?"

"There's nothing in there," he stated but I could see the lie in his eyes. Something important to him was in that stage. I just had to find out what.

"Whit," I barked and the kid came rushing over to my horse. "Add the good 'ole Sheriff here to our pile of tied up cattle, would you?"

Charles locked eyes with me as Whit came towards him with the rope. "You wouldn't dare!" he spat, turning to stare down Whit. "Stop right there, boy! If you touch me with that rope I swear to you that I'll have you charged and hanging from a tree. Hell, I'll tie the noose myself!"

So that was what Charles believed was justice. Mess with the Sheriff and he would shoot you down without a second glance. I had been right. There was no justice left in the world.

Whit had hesitated, allowing me to swing down off my horse and come up next him. The kid looked at me with those scared blue eyes and I almost felt guilty for making him do it. But I couldn't let Charles see that there was a weak link in our group. Taking the rope gently from Whit, I tossed it over to Carty and allowed the bigger man to tie up the Sheriff. Charles tried to scare him too but Carty had seen and done too many things to be frightened of a little threat like that. He easily shoved our prisoner over to where the driver sat and tied his wrists and ankles together, taking care not to get punched by Charles' flying fists.

I patted Whit on the shoulder. The kid wasn't looking at me but I could tell he was ashamed of himself for not following my orders. "You can only do so much," I whispered to him. "Every man has his limits." He smiled sadly but didn't say anything. I would do more to cheer him up but it was all the comfort I could give him at the moment. I could feel Charles' eyes burning a hole on the back of my head. Whit's innocence couldn't be shown to him. That meant not only danger to him but also to the gang as a whole. I just hoped my words were enough.

Turning back to the situation at hand, I crouched in front of the Sheriff who was still staring daggers at me. "So care to tell me what's in that coach?" I asked.

"I already told you," he snapped. "There is nothing in there."

I shrugged. "I don't know but I get the feeling that I shouldn't trust you on that," I said, turning to look at the stage. The windows were covered with curtains, hiding whatever was inside. My curiosity peaked and I took a step towards the stage.

"On the roof!" Charles frantically called. Frowning, I looked back at him to see his eyes shooting wildly back and forth between me and the stage. "The valuables! It's not inside. It's in the trunks up there."

Now I was more curious as to what he was protecting. Ignoring his pleas, I went straight for the door he'd left ajar, yanking it open and allowing the sunlight to pierce the darkness inside the stage coach.

The first thing I noticed was the pale pink of a dress followed by the delicate feet sticking out from the bottom of the long skirt. Of course I realized it was a woman but I couldn't recognize her behind the fan she held in front of her face. So Charles had brought a pretty little lady back with him. I always remembered him pining after his lost wife Renee but he seemed to have moved on…with a much younger woman. So this was what he was hiding. Well it was obviously the way to prolong his suffering. Messing with this little one was very wrong but my Cullen side overtook the Edward side. My mind told me that Charles deserved whatever he got but there was that small voice in the back of my head that whispered about his part in my upbringing…

The woman suddenly moved towards the door on the other side of the coach, obviously meaning to escape. "Ah, ah!" I crowed, jumping inside and grabbing her little gloved hand. I yanked it away from the handle, slamming the door behind me and plunging the coach into almost darkness. The bright sun still managed to shine through the curtains slightly, so I was able to see the outline of her sitting there with that damn fan covering her face.

I sat across from her, still gripping her wrist in my hand. Suddenly I was extremely curious about her hands. My own were much larger and rougher compared to her delicate ones. Even the gold bracelet around her wrist was much too big. I would bet every penny my gang had 'borrowed' that her hands were smoother than that velvet shawl around her shoulders. My fingers were already tugging the glove off her hand when she whapped me with that damn fan. And gosh darn if it didn't hurt! Yanking my hand away, I cradled it against my chest, watching an angry red mark appear on the backs of my fingers. This woman could hit real well and good. She had fire in her, that was for sure.

But she had covered her face with that fan again! Now I wasn't the type of man who manhandled a woman, my Mama had brought me up to be better than that, but this one woman was getting on my last nerve. Leaning forward, I pulled that flowery object from her hand and tossed it aside. In response, she sat farther back into the shadows. I growled. "Don't play games with me," I told her. "Now stop hiding or so help me I'll…I'll come over there." It was an empty threat since I was beginning to think better of my idea of scaring her. Was it really worth it to hurt Charles? My Cullen side nodded while my Edward side shook his head.

"You cannot order me to do something I do not wish to do," she answered in a high voice. "My father - "

"You're father is not here to save you, dear lady," I teased. "He is in some far away place while you are here entertain Sheriff Swan."

"Entertain?" she spat, her voice becoming higher with each word as her anger grew. Yes, she definitely had fire in her. "I am not here to entertain anyone! My father is Sheriff Swan and he will not be happy to know that you have -"

"What?" Her father was Sheriff Swan? But…but that couldn't be true. Charles didn't have any children other than…

Forgetting everything else, including her cry of protest, I grabbed her arm and yanked her into the light. I was met with the face of a grown woman…with eyes I knew so well. Deep brown eyes that had haunted me from my childhood. But they didn't match the face on which they were placed. I remembered the round, pink cheeks and lips far too big for a little girls face. On this face…everything was perfect. This face that was so foreign…yet so familiar.

"Bella…"

Her eyes flashed with something that I hoped to be recognition. Tilting her head to the side, she slowly reached forward and took hold of the bandana covering my face. Surprisingly, I didn't stop her when she pulled it away and let it drop at her feet. I should have, to protect my identity, but I didn't. I wanted her to see me like I was seeing her. I wanted her to see how much we both had changed since those carefree days of hide and seek and tag. After all, I had been merely sixteen and she twelve when she had left with her mother to go to the big city of San Francisco on the coast. That had been nine long years ago, without any means of communication. I had always believed that she had found new friends and had forgotten about me. She was the one I wished for when my parents had died. She always knew how to make things better, even when she was young.

It was at that moment when I realized how much I had missed her. She had been my playmate, my confidant…my best friend. And now she had grown into a woman.

"Edward?" she finally murmured. "Is that…is that really you? Edward Masen?"

I smiled half-heartedly, still shocked to see her in front of me, before nodding.

She seemed out of breath. "I thought I recognized…but it…I can't…oh!" she stuttered, gripping my hand with both of hers. "Truly, is it you?"

Now I couldn't help myself but grin back at her excited face. She seemed to have forgotten my behavior before, but I couldn't complain about that. I was now ashamed of treating her so badly. The Cullen side had taken over…but I had to stop myself from making excuses. I had to just learn to live with my decisions, good and bad.

"If it weren't me, how could I know about how awful Mrs. Newton's blueberry cobbler tasted?" I chuckled.

She laughed and the sound was like music to my ears. God, I'd missed her. And now here she was and I'd messed up. I should have known it was her right away.

Our laughter soon died and left us in an awkward silence. "Edward," she finally whispered. "What…what happened to you?"

I looked away from her, unable to look at the pity or disappointment on her face. "Things didn't work out well for me," I muttered.

"So you went into a life of crime?" she demanded.

My eyes shot up to hers, suddenly angry. "It's not like I chose this life, Isabella," I spat. "My life hasn't been as fair as yours, obviously."

The fire was back in her eyes as she glared back at me. "You don't know how unfair my life has been!" she cried.

"Oh yes!" I said sarcastically. "The most difficult thing you've had to do in your life is to wear a hat that didn't match your dress. To eat duck instead of goose. I've had to steal to eat for years now while you sat on your feather bed in fancy San Francisco. So forgive me if I don't sympathize!"

We went into silence again and I suddenly felt the guilt of yelling at her. Hissing out a curse, I put my head into my hands, refusing to look at her. "Bella, I'm sorry," I muttered. "I shouldn't have said those things. It wasn't…right."

"No," she murmured. "It wasn't right." She sighed before I heard the rustle of her dress and a small click. Looking up, I was surprised to see her holding out the gold bracelet that had been fastened around her tiny wrist. "Take it," she whispered, looking at the object instead of me. "You can feed yourself and your men for a few weeks if you sell it to the right person."

I shook my head, pushing her hand away. "No. I can find another way -"

"No," she stated firmly, grabbing my hand and shoving the bracelet into my grip before curling my fingers around it. "It is the only thing of value I have within my reach. I would rather you take it than someone else."

I looked down at the offending object in my hand, wishing to drop it but knowing I had to come out of the stage with something for Carty and Whit. Bella was giving it to me even after I had shouted at her. Her kindness knew no boundaries apparently. When I looked up at her I saw she wasn't looking at me. She had hid her face in the shadows like she didn't want me to see her emotions, which were usually written all over her face.

"Just take it and leave," she told me. "You have what you came for, now leave me be."

Sighing, I stuffed the bracelet into my pocket and picked up my bandana from the coach floor. Wrapping it around my nose and mouth, I felt Edward leaving my body and Cullen taking over again.

Without another look at her, I opened the door and stepped out into the sun again. It blinded me for a moment as I slammed the stage door shut and walked back over to where Carty and Whit were waiting with the driver and Charles still tied up. The Sheriff struggled as soon as he saw me.

"What'd you do to her?" he snarled. "You're a dead man, Cullen! A dead man!"

"I couldn't agree more," I said, shocking Charles by agreeing with him. He was right. I was a dead man and had been ever since I joined Carlisle's gang. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at Carty and Whit. "Leave them be. There's nothing here to take."

Turning on my heel, I went to my horse and pulled myself into the saddle. Carty and Whit followed quickly, leaving Charles and driver tied up just outside the stage door. She'd come out and untie them so there was no worrying they would die. The two of them went riding off towards the hills where our camp was hidden. I turned and looked at the surprised Charles once more before turning the stallion around and galloping away.

I didn't turn back to look at the silent stagecoach, but that bracelet suddenly seemed very heavy in my pocket.

NOTES

Sorry for the late chapter, ladies. Life has been pretty busy. But here it is. Hopefully it's worth it and hopefully my grammar and spelling is getting better. I have grammar class two times a week now so maybe it helps…

CHAPTER NAME MEANING

Man-a-hanging = a man having difficulties