Epilogue:
Worth Waiting For
Once he was sure Miller and his gang were gone, Chris Larabee went in search of Vin and Alex. It didn't take the gunslinger long to find the couple shrouded within the woods flanking the river. Despite himself, Chris was relieved to see Riley Marshall, or more accurately Riley Mason, still in one piece when he reached the place of their final confrontation. Considering Vin's extreme reaction to anyone who harmed Alex, Riley was lucky to still have his head attached to his body, even if he didn't entirely escape Vin's wrath. Chris could see enough blood and wounds on the man to indicate he had not emerged from his abduction of Alex unscathed.
While Vin's mare's leg was still in its holster, Chris assumed the unfamiliar weapon the tracker was aiming at Riley was the man's own gun. Vin was holding the man at bay, appearing as if he were waiting for one of his comrades to arrive. The younger man let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was Chris stepping into the small clearing. With Alex's ruises and injuries, Chris wasn't surprised. He hadn't seen her in such a state since the night of her abduction by the Klan and a repeat of it now, made his jaw clench in anger. There and then, Chris made up his mind, the couple needed to get riding to Four Corners right away, or to any town close by with a doctor.
"Vin," Chris announced himself.
"Chris," Vin acknowledged him with a nod. "You want to deal with this trash while I take Alex back to town."
"I got him," Chris replied. He hadn't holstered his gun since the gunfight with Miller and his men, and now aimed the peacemaker at Riley's direction. "Miller's gone," he directed the comment at the foreigner. "Decided he wasn't going to get cut down in a crossfire, when it didn't look like he was going to get paid. So, it looks like it's just you and Cassandra, Mr Mason."
"Go to hell," Riley hissed angrily. "You call yourselves lawmen? You're protecting a murderer! This isn't over I'll come..."
But before he could finish that sentence, Alex who until now seemed barely aware of anything as she clung to Vin, suddenly came alive and pulled away from her fiancé, to cut him off.
"You'll do nothing." She hissed, taking a slow but ginger step towards Riley Marshall.
"Doc, be careful," Vin warned, not wanting her anywhere near the bastard.
"I'll be fine," she spoke as if she barely registered the warning and paused beyond arm's length of the prisoner, confident both Chris and Vin's guns would protect her if he tried to make a move. She had more faith in these two men than the heavens above. Staring at Riley, she glared at him with cold hatred.
"Get this through your head right now because after today, I'm done with you and your family." Her voice was so cold and so far removed from her usual tone, it chilled Vin's blood to hear it. Chris merely watched in interest, thinking he had seen killers with kinder eyes.
"If you manage to slither out of what you've tried to do to me and get home to England, you better stay there because you're not the only one who has family there. Mine may not care about me, but I swear to you they will very much mind what your brother did to my father. I'll make sure if anything happens to either me or Vin, the whole of London society will know Randall murdered my father, was prepared to kill me and butcher and entire village of women and children."
"You don't have any proof of that!" Riley spat.
"In London society, that's not really needed is it?"
Vin and Chris who knew nothing about English aristocracy or the reverential attention it paid to propriety and reputation, caught Riley flinching at the threat and knew Alex was absolutely right.
Riley said nothing because his decision to kill the woman instead of bringing her back to England, was based on that ugly possibility. Scandal was more fatal to the aristocracy than the loss of a favourite son. His mother would have to accept that as unpalatable as it might be to her. Still, the defiance hadn't entirely left Riley and he glared at the doctor, furious at being thwarted by this woman and her primitive associates.
"So, what, I am to let you get away with killing my brother?"
"Why not?" Vin spoke up before Alex could. "Your brother got away with murdering her pa."
"And we do have proof of what he did here," Chris added. "I can have a dozen folk from the Seminole village willing to put down on paper, your brother ordering his men to gun them down. I got three decent, law abiding women who are willing to make a statement that your brother's employee, Mr Rihs ordered their abduction to keep the law busy while he went after Doctor Styles. We have a lot more proof about what your brother did, than your confession from the lady, extracted under the threat of rape."
Chris's words were like a lash and Riley glowered in impotent fury, because each word drew blood.
"And if that's not enough," Alex said after she gave Chris a grateful smile before returning her attention to Riley. "If you ever come back here, I'll be as merciful to you as I was to your brother. Don't make the mistake of assuming my being a healer, will save you if I ever see you again."
Leaning forward, she spoke with a tone of menace not unlike that of a she-wolf ordering away interlopers to her den. She spoke in a tone so cold it told the Englishman, her next words were a warning he better pay attention to. Randall, Francis and now Riley had created a perfect storm of hatred inside her that was finally finding its voice.
"I know how to keep you alive while I'm carving you up like a Sunday roast. I know what arteries to keep the blood flowing so you're conscious while I amputate every limb on your body, until all that's left of you is a stump that needs wheeling around on a cart. With a scalpel, I can make you do it while you're deaf, dumb and blind. The worst they can do to you is kill you," she glanced at Vin and Chris respectively. "I can keep you alive and make you wish you were dead. Randall went to his death screaming. With you, I won't be that kind."
"And we'll be happy to help," Chris remarked with a vicious sneer as he exchanged a look with Vin who seemed somewhat taken back by the vehemence of Alex's threat, but said nothing to refute her words.
In truth, Vin had no idea whether Alex could ever carry out such actions but judging by the fear he saw in Riley Marshall's eyes, it didn't matter, she sounded convincing enough to make him believe it.
Leaving Chris and the others to deal with Riley Marshall and Cassandra Heglund, Vin decided not to waste time getting to Four Corners by wagon, not when Alex's formidable rage had burned itself out and her remaining strength had finally dwindled. When her legs gave out under her, Vin was there to catch her, and he spared just enough time to wrap up her wound and stem the bleeding, before they were riding hard to Four Corners.
During the ride, he ruminated on what took place in the clearing. Vin had no idea she harboured such darkness inside of her but supposed after the ordeal of the last two months, he couldn't blame her. Being pursued by Randall Mason, brutalised by Francis Lamont and by extension, the Klan, and then abducted by Randall's brother Riley. After all that, he couldn't blame her for her rage. People often underestimated how smart and resourceful she was, because of her beauty and gender. However, Vin knew what she was capable of when she aimed her intelligence at something other than healing.
At any case, it mattered little if she had some darkness inside her. So did he.
If there was any consolation to be had in this entire affair, Vin believed this would quash any feelings of guilt she felt about her actions regarding Randall Mason. In having to explain herself to Riley, she was given a timely reminder about just how insane Randall had been and how much danger he posed towards their life together. Confronting her guilt would allow her to live with it and heal.
Holding her close to him as Peso carried them home, Vin also considered the future Alex had been so willing to kill Randall to protect. Honestly, he considered their engagement as little more than a device to silence the wagging tongues of Four Corners and assumed, she believed the same. It never occurred to Vin, she considered a lifetime with him as early as the night they first made love.
Vin fell in love with Alex from the moment he saw her and the odyssey of discovery leading them to the same place in each other's hearts had been difficult enough without him thinking so far ahead. Truth be told, he never considered her the marrying kind because she was so independent, then realised with shame, he never asked the question to know any different. Listening to her speak to Riley, made Vin realise she had been waiting for him to make some kind of declaration of understanding between them, as it was the proper thing to do for two people who were courting.
Vin felt somewhat ashamed he hadn't seen it. After all, she gave herself to him body and soul, even with a bounty on his head and earning a dollar a day, while she despite her exotic parentage, was a lady in every sense of the word. He never thought someone like her could love him and yet she did, enough to want to bear his children and spend her life with him. It filled his heart with such a swell of happiness, Vin didn't think he could feel any more for her than he already did.
As a young man, he seldom gave thought to a family, let alone having children but Alex's hopes for the future made him turn his mind to the question. While he knew nothing about what kind of father he would make, he did know, any child of his would never experience pain or abuse while it was in his power to prevent it. They would never be forced to run away to the wilderness because it was kinder than a state-run orphanage. They would be loved and more importantly, they would have his name without ever needing to fight to claim it.
Thoughts of the orphanage turned Vin's mind to Jay. While they were never friends at the orphanage, but they gained a healthy respect for each other. Vin truly believed Jay's sincerity in claiming he would not have come under Mason's employ if he had known about Vin's relationship with Alex. Nevertheless, he had stood by and allowed Alex to be manhandled by his men and that was a slight Vin did not forgive easily. When they next encountered each other, he would decide whether to put a bullet between the man's eyes for that sin.
After all, it was nothing personal.
Hours after Vin Tanner returned to Four Corners with Alexandra Styles Buck Wilmington found himself at the Standish Tavern in dire need of a drink.
With Mason and Cassandra, safely tucked away in jail, charged with kidnapping and attempted murder, they learned Nathan was still with the doctor at his Infirmary. Chris and the others had gone to see how she was doing and offer Vin their moral support, while Ezra kept watch over the prisoners. The gambler had a day to recover from his injuries and while he was nowhere fully restored, was well enough to guard the prisoners for a stretch.
Before Buck fronted at the Infirmary to see how the doctor was doing, he needed a drink or two to numb the pain of his guilt and the humiliation of being played by a woman he genuinely cared for. Even though Chris and JD assured him no one harboured any ill feeling towards him, Buck still felt the finger of accusation pointed in his direction, because once again, he'd been swayed by a pretty face.
Raised in a bordello, surrounded by women Christian society called 'working girls', Buck had known nothing but love and kindness from them and knew it coloured his view of the sex at times. His mother loved him like he was the most precious thing in the world and he supposed to her, he really was. Growing up, he saw the indignities suffered by women, not just the ones in the bordello with him but even the good Christian ones, who were expected to be virtuous, obedient and respectful, even though most of them were married to men who treated dogs better. Buck swore he would never be the same. Unfortunately, it was a trait, women like Cassandra found easy to exploit.
"You okay Senor?" Inez asked, having noticed Buck's melancholy the instant she served him his drink before having to go attend other patrons at the bar. Now that it was quieter, she took a moment to observe him and saw the sadness in his eyes, an emotion she did not at all like seeing on his face.
No matter what Inez might tell herself, she knew she cared for the man. When he smiled, it was like seeing the sun come out from behind the clouds to cast golden rays on an otherwise grey day. No one who stood in his presence could feel unaffected by that light or the warmth it generated. Women were drawn to it; the way ancient princesses were drawn to gods visiting them as showers of gold. However, it was more than just warmth Inez saw. She saw his reverence for women, saw a heart so big, it made for an easy target. There was a fierce need in her to protect it but also stay away because she knew if she fell for him, it would be the end of her.
She would love Buck Wilmington until the day she died but was unwilling to put up with his philandering ways, no matter how much she cared for him.
Buck looked up and saw Inez staring at him, her expression not impatient or flippant as usual, but soft with genuine concern.
"I've had better days," he frowned. "I suppose you know about Miss Cassandra?" He was certain Ezra would have told her about Cassandra's complicity in Alex's abduction by now, if not his part in the stage ambush.
"I do," Inez remarked, glad to see her instincts about the woman had not been wrong. She hadn't trusted Cassandra, not because of the way the woman had put her down, but the way she'd pursued Buck. It was all together too forward of a lady of her supposed refinement. "It is not your fault Senor, she uses her charms very well."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better," Buck grumbled, taking a sip of his beer.
"Si," she nodded, "but also because it's true. She played you because she's good at it Senor. There are women who know how to do that because for them, there is no other way to get along in life."
Buck raised his eyes to her and said seriously, "that ain't right."
"It is the way it is Senor," she said kindly, feeling her affection for him surface a little more at how sincerely he said those words. "Buck, you cared for her and she took advantage of that. I am sorry she hurt you but what happened is not your fault. If she couldn't use you to get what she wanted, she would have tried something else. This plan to kidnap Alex was in motion long before she met you. It would have taken place with or without your presence."
Buck tried to tell himself that all the way home, but it did not penetrate until she said it with such conviction. Once again, the feeling of heart stopping excitement filled him whenever he looked at Inez, with her lovely skin and dazzling smile. He realised as beautiful as Cassandra was, she did not have the power to make his heart skip whenever Inez served him a drink with a smile, and how even a kind word from her could make him whistle all day.
"Thank you, Inez," he said gratefully.
She reached for his cheek and touched his face, intending only to offer him comfort when his big hand covered her own. For a few seconds, that simple gesture generated more heat than a thousand suns and Inez felt her breath catch as she looked into his blue eyes and became lost in the intensity of his feelings for her.
"Why ain't we together?" He asked, pleased by the fact she hadn't drawn away yet.
"Because I'm worth waiting for," she replied with an affectionate smile, breaking contact by withdrawing her hand. The smile remained on her face even when she turned away from him and went to serve other customers.
As he watched her go, Buck had to admit, he felt slightly better and agreed with her assessment.
"You sure are," he said quietly, watching her take the sunshine with her. "You certainly are."
They lay in her bed, both of them bare, facing each other across the cool sheets, the moonlight pouring through the open window of her bedroom, bathing them in sapphire colours. A slight breeze made the curtains flutter as they felt it across their skins, offering a stark contrast to the heat of their bodies.
It was almost a week since Alex's abduction by Riley Marshall and though she was recovering nicely, she was nowhere entirely healed. Upon returning to Four Corners, Nathan had promptly performed a blood transfusion, using Vin and Mary Travis as donors, before he would even begin to think about repairing the damage caused by the gunshot.
As Alex suspected, she was nicked in the intestines and it was nothing less than luck that prevented her from becoming septic. The healer had done the best he could, repairing the damage and administering tinctures of cone flower to fight the infection resulting from her night in the river. Vin had kept watch over her during the days and snuck back at night when Inez, Mary and surprisingly enough Julia Pemberton, were unable to spare the time.
Riley Marshall and Cassandra Heglund had been moved to Eagle Bend for their trial, charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and attempted rape. Neither Riley nor Cassandra made any mention of Alex's complicity in Randall Mason's murder. A confession extracted by duress was worth nothing and Chris was convinced, Alex's threat to release the truth about Randall's activities in Four Corners to London society kept the man silent.
Meanwhile, rumour had it Johnny Miller and what remained of his gang, crossed the border not long after their confrontation. If they remained there, Chris was content to let them be someone else's problem. Vin saw no reason to disagree with the gunslinger. He had no desire to face his old acquaintance any time soon. Not when he was more concerned with Alex's recovery.
"I'm sorry Doc," Vin said staring across the bed into her eyes.
While she was in no condition for anything lusty, Alex still wanted Vin to share her bed and they'd spent the nights he stayed with her, spooned against each other, simply enjoying each other's warmth. Tonight, Vin thought with some pleasure, they had talked for the first time in ages, something that was absent since her ordeal with Francis Lamont. It was the surest indicator Vin had, Alex was finally moving past the traumas of the past few months.
"Sorry?" She looked at him, her fingertips brushing his lips. "What do you have to be sorry for, cowboy?"
"I should have asked you to marry me a lot sooner than that whole thing with the Klan. I should have asked you as soon as you woke up after Randall shot you." He held her hand in place over his lips and kissed her fingertips gently.
"You weren't ready," Alex shrugged, not at all upset. She knew it was hard for him to make such solid plans, not with the price on his head. "I understood."
"It still wasn't right," he replied, not about to absolve himself. "I love you Alex, I loved you from the minute you got off that stage. It wasn't a matter of being ready, it was just assuming you were always going to be in my heart and there weren't any need to say it because you knew it already."
"I did," her heart melted at his declaration. "Vin, I love you more than anything in this world. When I think of tomorrow, there's only you and I could have waited for you forever, because I knew you'd never break my heart. I trust you."
"As soon as this price is off my head Alex," he swore to her. "We'll be married the way we should be. I can't see tomorrow without you either. I want to grow old with you Doc."
Alex blinked and through the darkness, Vin could see the moisture glistening in her eyes at the pleasure she took in hearing those words. It still astonished him, he could mean so much to anyone but what was reflected in her eyes, spoke nothing else.
"You know" she said with a sad smile. "On the day my father died, he actually said he wanted me to meet someone. I think he was starting to worry I'd follow him forever and forget about having a life of my own."
Vin wished he could have met the man and then worried what William Styles would have thought of him. "I don't think he reckoned on you settling for someone like me."
Alex shook her head and slid forward across the mattress towards him. Vin was more than willing to roll on his back and let her rest her head against his shoulder, while they held each other in the shadows and watched the moon staring at them through the window.
"Actually," Alex replied, nestling comfortably into Vin's arms. "I think you are exactly what he would have wanted."
THE END