Braddock blinked. “What the hell?”
“Don’t worry, I have some for you, too,” said Wade Langston from somewhere behind him.
Braddock spun around, reaching for his guns that weren’t there. The quick motion knocked him off balance, but he quickly caught himself.
“Looking for these?” Langston had a pistol in one hand, Braddock’s gun belt in the other. “Turn around with your hands behind your back. And your little wife isn’t around to save you this time, so you better just do it.”
Out of habit, Braddock’s first concern was for Lorelei. Hopefully she had escaped in the commotion and would head back to Jay’s farm. The thought kicked him in the shin. He wanted her caught, didn’t he?
The idea of Langston getting his hands on Lorelei disturbed Braddock enough to let Langston shackle his hands behind his back. He told himself it was because he wanted to bring her in himself, but wholly didn’t believe it.
He lifted his head and met Corey’s confused gaze. What are you doing? the boy mouthed silently.
Braddock kept his face expressionless. Having his hands full with both of them would keep Langston too busy to go after Lorelei. And when he was ready, Braddock would sort out exactly why that was so important to him.
Langston turned Braddock around, then directed him to the ground with a firm hand on his shoulder. He carefully secured his feet. Braddock didn’t offer an ounce of resistance, though kicking Langston in the nose tempted him.
After Langston guided Corey to sit next to Braddock, he stood back and admired his handiwork. “I never liked you, Braddock, but I hate to see you come to this.” He shook his head. “To think you finished West Point with honors. Now I know it was your father’s influence that landed you your rank in the army. I came upon your horse first. Looks like he hasn’t been properly tended to in days. I better not find Pegasus in that condition or I’m liable to string you up before the law gets a chance.”
“I told you, your horse is fine. I took good care of him,” pleaded Corey.
Langston waved his hand to dismiss them both. “You both can wait on your dinner while I groom that poor stallion.”
“But I’m hungry,” Corey called to Wade’s back.
Langston wound his way through the overgrown sage and disappeared behind a small hill in the lumpy landscape, ignoring them both.
Corey kicked Braddock’s boot. “Why in the hell did you let him capture you? Now we’re both screwed.”
Braddock strained against his bonds with the urge to have another swing at Corey. “You were screwed anyway. I didn’t come to save your ass. I came to see you hang.”
“I told Lorelei all you cared about was my bounty. I hope she didn’t have to ride all the way to Specter Canyon to figure out you’re a lying bastard.”
“Quit the bull, kid. I know about the gold. I know what you two were up to.”
Corey swallowed. “You didn’t meet up with Lorelei before you made it to Specter Canyon?”
Braddock smiled. “Nope. Made it to Specter Canyon. Ricochet sends his regards.”
“You don’t get it. Lorelei went after you. She went to Specter Canyon.”
Braddock studied Corey, looking for the con behind the kid’s panicked expression. As painful as it was, Braddock could accept that Lorelei had used him. Her betrayal fit with his worldview better than the fact that she sincerely cared about him. He steeled himself against the thawing burn in his heart. Anything else was romantic nonsense.
Corey jangled the chains attached to his wrists with his attempts to tug himself free. “We have to see if she’s still at the ranch. Hopefully Jay told her the idea was stupid.”
“Why would she come after me?” As if from far away, Braddock watched Corey squirm around in the dirt. Lorelei hadn’t turned against him?
Corey sagged against his bonds when he managed to do nothing but stir up a cloud of dust. “We’ve got to get out of here before she makes it to the dry creek bed. She won’t stop there. I know her.”
The idea of Lorelei stumbling into Mulcahy’s camp sharpened Braddock’s senses. He had no more time for the fuzzy circles his heart and head were spinning in.
“Tell me what you’re talking about. Everything. What happened when I left the ranch?”
Corey hesitated. Finally he glanced away, defeated. “I never bought that load about you letting me go. I knew you’d be back to take me in.”
“Because you knew you had the gold, and that’s what I was really after.”
Corey’s jaw tightened. “Do you want to hear the story or not? Lorelei could be in a lot of danger because of you.”