Her gaze darted in search of Christopher. Braddock now leaned against the juniper’s slick trunk, tucked in the shadows. The fact that he had moved away, given them some privacy, said he trusted her.
She turned back to Corey. “Do you know where to find Mulcahy?”
He let out his breath. “Yeah.”
Lorelei paused to keep herself from shouting at him for withholding the information. “You have to tell Braddock. You have to tell him everything you know about Mulcahy and the robbery.”
“You won’t like it.”
“I already don’t like it. I don’t like any of this.”
“I’m not going with him to Mulcahy’s hideout, and neither are you. You’d better make sure that’s clear before I talk.”
“Fine,” she said, not sure she could talk Braddock put of anything once he made his mind up, but she knew she had no one else to turn to. “Let’s go talk to him together.”
Corey put his hand on her shoulder to stop her. “What do you expect to get from him?”
“Nothing,” she answered. In the same instant, her daydream from the adobe reared up to tell her she lied. A life as husband and wife didn’t seem possible for them, but the knowledge didn’t stop her from wanting it.
“You aren’t really sweet on him, are you?”
Lorelei felt herself blush. Denying it would be pointless.
“I know you have needs.” Corey cleared his throat. “I mean, just because you scratched an itch doesn’t mean you have to be sweet on him.”
Lorelei opened her mouth to tell him her relationship with Christopher was much more than an “itch,” but she stopped before she gave herself so pitifully away. “He’s been good to me, Corey.” She tugged on Corey’s arm. “Come on, I’m hungry”
Christopher straightened from his relaxed position and stretched. “Think you two can stop fighting long enough to get some food in your bellies?”
“Corey knows where you can find Mulcahy.”
Christopher looked bored rather than surprised by the revelation. “Is he going to tell me?”
“Only if you swear not to put my sister in danger again.” Corey shrugged off Lorelei’s grip and stepped closer to Braddock.
Lorelei tried to drag him back.
Christopher stuck out his right hand to Corey. “You have my word.”
Corey seemed as surprised as Lorelei by the gesture. He hesitated, then gave Braddock his hand.
Christopher yanked him forward. “But don’t lie to me, kid. I can’t protect your sister when I don’t know what you have up your sleeve.”
Corey tried to pull his hand away. Lorelei touched Christopher’s shoulder in a gentle suggestion. “He’s going to tell you everything he knows. Right, Corey?”
“Yes.”
Christopher released Corey. “Good. See to the horses. We’ll talk after we eat.”
When she nodded that it was all right to leave them alone, Corey followed Christopher’s less than subtle request.
They watched Corey disappear. Christopher squeezed her shoulder with his free hand. “You gonna make it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t have a choice. Though I don’t think I can take many more afternoons like that.”
Christopher dropped his hand from her shoulder and moved away, instead of pulling her into his arms as she would have liked. “You won’t have to. I never should have taken you to Coyote Pass.”
“Corey should have told you the truth,” she blurted.
She could see Christopher mentally closing himself off. “I knew better,” was all he said, and she feared he meant so much more than their excursion to Coyote Pass.
She didn’t want him to dismiss all that they had shared as a mistake. “I never should have said I’d slit your throat. I was angry and hurt, but you were right.”
He kept his hands by his sides, his body stiff. He left no opening for her to push into. “No matter what you said, I shouldn’t have handcuffed you. But I guess we both learned what kind of man I am.”
“No.” She tried to embrace him. “I don’t believe that’s who you are.”
He caught her arms and gently lowered them to her sides. “Don’t. It’s better this way.”
“Not for me.” She hated the pleading tone in her voice. To keep from touching him again, she folded her arms in front of her and squeezed. “I’m sorry I pointed the rifle at you. I never would have hit you.”
He actually smiled at that. “I’m not so sure.”
She returned his smile, but it was a weak effort. She wasn’t so sure, either. “I wouldn’t have killed you. I can’t change the fact Corey is my brother.”