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Deepening darkness enfolded him and he had to pull the horse to a walk to see his way. He continued on for the better part of an hour. With each passing mile, his lungs filled more easily. He planned to ride through the night as long as he could make out enough of the path before him to prevent his horse from stumbling. With every step, he expected to be stopped by the Duggan gang, but he rode onward without any sign of them. Had he been mistaken in thinking they’d found him? Not that he meant to hang about and wait for that to happen.
He settled into the saddle, prepared for a long ride.
Did he hear a horse whinny? He reined in and strained to listen. It came again. Was someone camped nearby? He waited, straining to hear any sound above the heavy thump of his heart.
Suddenly a horse and rider appeared before him, a dim shadow in the darkness.
Brand’s hand stole toward his gun belt and he gripped the handle of his pistol.
“We been waiting for you.” Cyrus’s low voice broke the fearful silence.
Brand’s hand relaxed at the same time his insides clenched.
Cyrus rode closer, reined in to press close to Brand’s side. “Pa said I should bring you to visit.”
“Like I said before, I ain’t interested.”
“Now, ain’t that downright unforgivin’ of you. After all we done.”
Yeah, like make my life unbearable. Force me to be on the run. But Brand kept his opinion to himself. He’d said it all since he was a kid. His protests had earned him a smack across the head and accusations of being ungrateful. As an adult, he’d tried again to say he wanted nothing to do with the gang. Pa had voiced his displeasure at Brand’s lack of loyalty, and Cyrus had threatened to tie a licking on him. Only seeing the anger in Brand’s face and his clenched fists had convinced him Brand was no longer a little brother who couldn’t or wouldn’t defend himself.
Cyrus pushed the horses forward. Brand considered reining away and riding until they couldn’t find him. But he knew Cyrus would chase him until both horses collapsed. The man had a stubborn streak as wide as the sky.
So he let his brother edge them along. “Care to tell me where we’re going?”
“I think it’s time you showed Pa a little respect. I’m plumb tired of your high-and-mighty attitude. Your ma was no better than my ma, despite what she taught you.”
“She never taught me anything of the sort. ’Sides, it wasn’t either of our mothers who robbed innocent people. It’s our pa.”
“Don’t you think he done it for you and your ma?”
Brand did not think so, but he knew arguing would only add fuel to the fire of Cyrus’s bad attitude.
“We leave the trail here,” his brother said, grabbing the reins of Brand’s horse. “Just to ensure you don’t change your mind,” he explained, his voice full of sneering mockery.
“I don’t plan to change my mind.” Ever.
They crashed through the bushes with little regard for the amount of noise they made. And Cyrus certainly had no concern for the branches he pushed aside and released so that they whipped at Brand, stinging his face, bruising his arms, almost unseating him. He did what he could to protect Dawg.
Dawg hated Cyrus, but knew better than to growl at him. Cyrus wouldn’t hesitate to kick Dawg, saying the animal needed to learn some respect.
Brand finally saw a campfire ahead. Made out half a dozen men lounging around it. None of them showed any concern at the approach of riders.
Only Pa rose to greet them. “Howdy, son,” he said, as Brand and Cyrus rode into the circle of light. “Nice to see you again.”
“Hi, Pa. Sure wish we could meet under better circumstances.”
Cyrus gave a mocking laugh and ordered him off his horse.
Brand struggled to get down while still holding Dawg.
“See you still got that mangy mutt.”
Dawg barred his teeth as Brand set him on the ground at his feet.
The fire flared, throwing grotesque shadows.
Cyrus saw the stitches on Dawg’s side and whooped with harsh laughter. “He looks like a crazy quilt.” He laughed some more.
Brand wanted nothing more than to silence that laugh with a fist to Cyrus’s mouth. But he was outnumbered seven to one, and didn’t trust Cyrus not to shoot Dawg out of spite, so he ignored his brother and studied his pa.
