No one in the saloon relaxed until the despicable looking man had completely gone. Only then did Kitty let out the breath she'd been holding and Duke relaxed his stance. Standing as rigidly as he was, had been hard on him but he showed no pain or distress as he finally moved back to his chair and sat down.

"Buy you a drink, Marshal?" He looked up at Matt with a smirk.

Matt glanced over at Kitty, reassuring himself she was okay, before looking back down at Duke. "You got any idea who he was or what he wanted?"

"Nope." Duke shook his head firmly. "Nor do I care who he was. That's your job to worry about, not mine."

Matt's scowl deepened. "You don't make it easy."

"I don't intend to make it easy." Duke smiled at him, humorously. "Not for you or anyone else. And there isn't a damn thing you or anyone else can do about it." He dropped the grin when he saw the lawman's expression. "I know. You don't want trouble. But he brought it, I didn't."

"Sam told me." Matt looked over at Kitty then back at Riley. "But whether you brought it or not, it comes to you and anyone you're with. I don't want innocent people hurt."

Duke understood then what was troubling the Marshal the most and he grinned again. "Don't worry, Dillon. I won't let her get her hurt. I'd take a bullet first."

Matt forced himself to take a deep breath. Duke Riley was sick. In fact, Duke Riley was dying and from what Doc told him, he wouldn't be long in doing it. But Matt knew the potential risks the man incurred to anyone around him until he did die.

Anyone.

He looked back over at Kitty.

"Matt." She stepped over to him, gently placing a hand on his arm. "It's over. That man is gone and I doubt he'll be back." She understood the war he was waging with this. He couldn't throw the man out of town or in jail or even restrict his movements and yet Riley staying in town presented problems not easily solved. "It's alright." She repeated softly.

Matt finally eased his rigid posture and wearily grabbed a seat, sitting down beside Riley. "You don't make it easy." He repeated.

Outside, Brady hastily led the way down the street as he hurried to catch up to Riley's most recently defeated challenger. Kid wasn't sure what his partner was up to but he came along anyway to find out. Brady usually had some pretty good ideas.

"Hey! Mister!" Brady called when he got close enough for Jake to hear him. "Hold up a minute. I want to talk to you."

Jake turned a cold glare on the dandy at his heels. "About what?"

"You know Duke Riley, do you?" Brady asked, watching the man closely.

"What's it to you?" Jake was not in too much of a mood to talk. He was angry at once again being embarrassed by and over Duke Riley and he wanted to take it out on a bottle of whiskey and any girl he could get.

"Cause I have a problem with the man and I need to know if I have a problem with you too." Brady answered.

"A problem?" Jake frowned at him. "What kind of problem?"

"Let's find some place to talk." Brady answered with a nod of his head at the Lady Gay.

Once the men had their whiskey and a table in the corner, Brady poured each of them a drink, never taking his eyes off of the gruff, scraggly stranger. He had a feeling this man was just what was needed to secure a large sum of money and a reputation as the fastest draw in the west. He just had to work it right.

"Alright." Jake sat back and took a sip of whiskey. "What's this about? What kind of problem do you have with Duke Riley? He kill your pa or something?"

Brady grinned and shook his head. "No. No, I've never met the man before and he's never been near my pa. No, you see, the problem I have with him, is he's got a reputation and I don't. He's got money and I don't. And I want to fix that problem."

"Hmpf." Jake snorted. "Easier said than done. And even if ya could, what's that got to do with me?"

Brady's grin widened as he refilled the older man's glass. "I figure Duke Riley has enough reputation and money for all three of us." He saw the interest in the man's eyes and knew he'd hooked him. Now to reel him in.

"I have a plan to take Mr. Riley's name and his money, but I can't do it alone and even as good as Kid here is, we still need a third. That's where you come in. You agree to help us, we give you a third of the money we get and you get yourself a nice reputation as one of the men that took down Duke Riley."

Jake's eyes lit up. "You got a plan to get that done?"

"I do." Brady solemnly nodded. "It won't be easy, that's why we need help. But it will be worth it. If we play our cards right, there might even be a little bonus in it for us."

Jake couldn't believe his good fortune. He was being handed a chance to not only get even with Duke Riley but also get his money and maybe more. But a lifetime of looking over his shoulder and his natural distrust of anything easy made him keep his enthusiasm in check. "What you got in mind?" He asked, showing no interest in it and yet not rejecting the idea.

"You in?" Brady asked. "I'm telling you nothing until I know I can trust you."

Jake considered his options. He wasn't sure of this man or his friend but right then he didn't have a whole lot to lose. "I'm in." He sighed. "Tell me your plan."

Brady refilled his glass as well as Kid's and raised his own in a mock toast before answering. "It's simple." He said after he took a drink. "We take something special to Duke and sell her back to him. I figure he'll pay every dime he has and give up his reputation to boot for that red head."

TBC