The Outlaw Blaine Anderson
Chapter 10
"Fill it up, kid," Jesse said, throwing a burlap sack towards Kurt and watching the fearful travellers smugly. "I'll search the lady!" He rubbed at his hands gleefully.
"You just try it and the only thing they'll be searching for is your body, St. James. Kurt here can see to the woman." Rachel flipped her hair over her shoulder and climbed down from her horse to join Kurt and Jesse. "We apologise for the inconvenience, ah- lady and gentlemen, but we would be mighty obliged if you were to hand over just a trifle of your belongings." She smiled brightly. "No doubt you've heard of us. Perhaps seen my wanted poster?" She turned to the side, then back to the front. "They really got the fierce ingenue character in my eyes."
Ms. Jones paid no attention but kept her own eyes fixed on Kurt's. He tried to convey his regret, his resolve that he would keep them safe, but knew by her unchanging expression he was having no effect. Well, what did he expect? He bowed his head and rubbed the rough material of the sack between his thumbs.
"Sure, I know you, miss," Cooter drawled. "You're that Carmel gang. Folks all over be looking for you."
Jesse laughed, holding out his palms. "Your dukes, if you would be so kind." He took the guns from Cooter, turning them this way and that and admiring the make. "Folks can look. Looking never harmed anyone."
"But findin' us now?" Sebastian grinned down from his horse. "Findin's a whole other matter."
Jesse laughed harder and handed the guns and Cooter's coin purse over to Kurt, who dropped them into the sack dutifully. He risked a glance upward but Blaine's gaze was fixed on the three travellers, a tiny twitch in his cheek.
"What you doing, son?" Cooter directed this at Kurt. "You ain't one of these. You got good people out there looking for you. You don't have to let these outlaws bring you down." He gestured to Jesse, who looked back at him with an amused grin. "You'll end up with lead in your spine or swinging on a rope."
"I ask you kindly, sir, not to harass the boy," Blaine spoke up, riding closer. "He's following orders, that's all." Blaine nodded at him. "He's got about as much choice as you in this transaction, on account of being our prisoner."
It felt like Blaine was trying to give him a way out of this, but the look on his face indicated he didn't want him going anywhere. Was Blaine trying to protect him? Kurt shivered. He supposed he wasn't the only one feeling conflicted.
"Now, don't get feisty, madam, I ain't going to hurt you. I just want that pretty thing around your neck." Kurt looked towards Rachel, who was struggling with Ms. Jones. The latter slapped at Rachel's hands and covered her neck protectively.
"Please- please not this," Ms. Jones pleaded. "Someone very dear gave me this."
Rachel tilted her head, her face troubled as she looked back towards Jesse. "Well, I guess we do have the coin purse. And we can probably pawn the rest. It's probably not worth much-"
"This is the trouble of letting women ride with us," sighed Sebastian. "So full of mawkish sentiment. Cryin' over varmints and flowers and ever'thin."
"I am never mawkish!" snapped Rachel.
"Less mawkish feminine caterwauling and more robbing," he retorted.
"Let her keep it!" Kurt spoke up, glaring at Sebastian. "You've- we've got enough. We don't need that, too."
Sebastian sighed heavily. "Case and point."
Jesse and Rachel both turned to Blaine, ready for instructions. Kurt's heart sank as Blaine passed over him with a cold glance and then gave a brief shake of his head.
With a grunt, Jesse pushed past Rachel, slapped at the woman's hand and yanked at the chain. Kurt didn't miss the apologetic look that he gave Rachel before the locket was sailing through the air towards him. He caught it quickly, the cool of the metal hitting his palm squarely and sending a chill throughout his body. The woman watched him with downcast eyes, the fight ebbing out of her, and somehow that was the worst part. He glanced down at the locket, at the twine of blonde hair that lay behind the glass.
Someone dear gave me this.
He thought of the handkerchief that had belonged to his mother and how he kept it close to his heart, even though he knew all trace of her had left it, and it was nothing but something dead and remote and not even her, but that it didn't matter. It meant what it meant.
Casting an eye over the others, he dropped the locket into the sack, catching the link of the chain before it fell then rolling it up and pressing it tight into the dip of his sleeve. He glanced around again, none of them were watching him.
Except Blaine.
His expression didn't give away if he had seen Kurt's actions. His face gave nothing away at all, in fact. It was such a change from this morning that a trickle of fear made its way down Kurt's spine. What if, in this foolish plan to be with Blaine he had pushed him away all together?
"- know who I am? Why this is an outrage! To be held up by common thieves, by low lives! "
"What's his problem?" said Sebastian. "And can I solve it with a shot to his caboose?"
"He ain't happy that I found his dirty pictures," chuckled Jesse, holding up a crude, caricature of a naked woman. "Now what kind of man keeps this in his Bible?"
"Mr. Goolsby!" Ms. Jones turned to him, outraged, as Cooter discreetly laughed into his sleeve.
"That isn't mine! They planted it there! To make a mockery of my devotion to the Lord!"
"Jesse," said Blaine softly. "Stop showing everyone. There are ladies present."
"Ladies?" spat Mr. Goolsby. "Is that what you're calling that?" he indicated his head towards Rachel who was on tiptoe, trying to peek at Jesse's find.
All at once the atmosphere was charged. Dangerous. And they all sensed it.
"Mind your tongue, Mr. Goolsby," hissed Ms. Jones.
Goolsby turned to her, his eyes wide in anger and a sneer staining his face. "Mind my tongue? Mind it? Oh, I have surely fallen foul to be on the end of such orders from a woman. Much worse than that mind, a goddamn-" His words stuttered to a stop as Rachel's Colt pressed up against his chin.
"The lady told you to button it. I would pay her mind now. Before you lose the ability to talk altogether." He pressed his lips into a tight line, and nodded as a bead of sweat broke free of his temple and made its way for his jaw line.
She backed away slowly, finger still hovering over the trigger.
"I know you," whispered Goolsby. "You're that whore that was raised Comanche. Feral. That's what you are."
"Easy, Rachel. Easy," Blaine whispered as fury covered her face. Kurt heard the click of Smythe's gun behind, while Jesse gave her his full attention, hands occupied with Goolsby's drawing. And that's when Kurt saw it.
"Never would have taken you for a gang o' Injun lovers!"
"Jesse!" Kurt cried. "Look out!"
The words weren't even out of his mouth before Goolsby was diving for Jesse's waist, for the holster that contained his guns. A shot rang out, Blaine, Sebastian; Kurt didn't know, but it missed. He simply reacted. Diving his hand into the bag, he retrieved Cooter's Smith and Wesson, drew it out and took aim.
The gun jumped in his hand and the noise filled Kurt's head. Slower than Kurt knew to be Goolsby hit the ground, the Colt. fumbling from his hands.
"Oh, Lord," Ms. Jones murmured. "Oh, Lord in heaven."
"Yee-haw! Did y'all see that? Didja?" Jesse tore off his hat and swung it above his head. "Did ya ever see such a quick draw?"
"Is he-" Kurt stammered. He couldn't bring himself to say it. He couldn't bring himself to think it.
Jesse nudged the body over with his foot. "Nah, you clipped his shoulder. He's just as much of an annoying streak of piss as ever."
The relief nearly made Kurt's knees buckle and he was surprised when a pair of arms curled around him and pulled him up straight.
"He's okay, Kurt," Blaine said into his ear. "He's alive."
"I say we fix that," said Jesse, toeing the man's wound and smiling at his cries of pain. "Making me look like a darn fool. Don't you know no one touches my steel? Hell, I say we put down a curse just for talking to Rachel like that."
"Don't!" said Kurt and Ms. Jones in unison. Kurt quickly glanced at her, as his hands cupped over Blaine's at his hip, thumb brushing over Blaine's knuckle again and again. "Don't do that. He was just scared and stupid. Let them take him to the nearest town. Let them help him."
"Help him?" Sebastian's brows raised. "Help him open his yap. Don't we have enough hayseeds after us?" He cleared his throat. "Maybe we should plug all the noise. Maybe that's what we should do."
"Don't you dare," Kurt said evenly, his hand tightening on the gun. He raised it high and Sebastian looked almost pleased at the development. "We've done enough to these people. You let them by, now."
"Or what, chicken feed?" He spat to his side. "You'll ventilate me?"
Blaine's hand clamped round the wrist that held the Smith and Wesson. "Kurt, there's no need for that. We aren't in this to hurt innocent folk." He gave Sebastian a dark stare. "None of us are." He lowered Kurt's arm and then slipped the gun from his grasp, callused fingers pressing gently against Kurt's skin as he did. "We'll help you get him all bandaged up. And you people can be on your way."
A pale Cooter and clearly shaken Ms. Jones nodded and stepped back as Kurt approached.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching out a hand and placing it on the woman's hip. Anger crossed her face and her lips pursed. But then she must have registered the hard object pressing against her pocket. Her eyes widened as Kurt let the locket slip into the folds of the dress, patting it once more before stepping back. She gave him a small tentative smile and slight, barely there, nod of her head. The thank you shone bright in her eyes.
"Kurt, you sly dog!" said Jesse, and Kurt held his breath. "Quick on the draw and an eye for the ladies? We'll get you a cowboy name yet!
As Kurt watched the wagon disappear into the distance, he released a much-needed sigh of relief.
"Not much of a haul," said Sebastian, peering into the bag.
"What do you expect?" Rachel shrugged. "They were school teachers."
"You doin' okay back there, Kurt?" Blaine said under his breath. "You're still pretty pale."
"When isn't he?" Sebastian muttered.
Kurt tightened his grip and fought the urge to bury his face into Blaine's shirt. "I guess-it didn't seem real until it was happening. I- I didn't know it would feel like that."
"Don't kid yourself it gets better," grunted Blaine. "You just get harder, that's all. And that ain't no way to be."
"Why not?" snorted Kurt. "You let it happen to you."
"Mayhap I did and mayhap I didn't. Thing is, Kurt, you got yourself a choice. Don't make it a fool's one." Blaine glanced back over his shoulder. "You got nothing to prove to me, Kurt."
"I don't want to go back," he said softly. "I mean, back to the way I felt before. I want to feel the way-the way that I feel when I'm with you."
The silence stretched out between them as Kurt waited for Blaine's response. Despite the intimacy of their bodies, Kurt felt as if a chasm lay in front of him. Keeping Blaine at bay.
"You gave that woman her locket back," said Blaine at last.
Kurt stiffened. "Yes. I don't regret that. It was important to her."
"It was sentimental. And you respected that. You put that above the needs of the gang. Because you're-" He swallowed thickly. "You're good. You don't belong here with us. You don't belong here with me."
"But you're good!" Kurt insisted. "I know you are! Why you-"
"Hush your tongue!" Blaine hissed. "Listen, boy. It'll pass." His voice softened. "That's just the trail talking. We'll be at the border soon. Let it lie, Kurt. Let it lie."
Kurt was saved from answering by Jesse's horse falling into step alongside them. "Laws, you sure is fast on the draw, boy. Almost as fast as me! Or...Rachel." He muttered the last part. "Obviously, I didn't require no help. But I'm mighty grateful all the same."
"Didn't need no help?" laughed Rachel. "Why Jesse, you almost ruined a clean set of pantaloons."
"Pay her no mind." Jesse rolled her eyes. "Hey, I got me an idea. Let's stop off. Celebrate Kurt's faltering steps into manhood in style."
Sebastian tutted. "You foolin'? We could be at the border in no time-"
"What's the rush?" Jesse shot back. "I think we can afford a night at Sugar's, don't you?"
"Oh, Jesse!" Rachel sighed. "What is your fascination with that horrible little place?"
Jesse elbowed Kurt with a crude leer. "As if I haven't tried to show her enough."
Kurt could barely focus. His mind full of Blaine's harsh words, of his rejection. Images of stolen kisses, flashes of gunfire and the disappointed eyes of his father flashed before his mind. He'd made a mistake. Blaine didn't want him. Had only used him. A mistake.
So severe was his sorrow that he almost didn't hear Jesse's next announcement. Almost.
"I think it's high time that Kurt here lost his virginity."