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“We?”
“That’s right.” He noticed the look of doubt on her face. “What is it?”
“I don’t know, Sam,” she whispered, doubt paling her face. “Ye turned against me when I needed ye most. I don’t know if I can go through that again.”
“That’s not going to happen. Not again.”
“But it did.”
He fixed her with a hard stare. “It’s not.”
When shadows of doubt still spewed from her eyes, he reached through the rails and grasped hold of her hands. “I’m here now, ain’t I?”
He relaxed when he noticed her beginning to soften. “Aye.”
“We’re quite the team, you and I. We made it this far.” He reached up and stroked the side of her face. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll get through this. Together.”
“Oh Sam,” she whispered. “I want to believe that, I do. But I don’t want to get hurt again.”
It killed him to hear how much pain he put her through. If it took the rest of his days, he would show Ivy that she could trust him again. “I won’t watch you swing, Ivy. I’d rather go to the gallows myself before I allow that to happen.”
He saw her eyes sparkle with unshed tears. The urge to reach in and pull her close was strong, but he needed to remain focused. There was plenty of time for that later. For now, he had to get her out of there. Dropping her hands, he gestured toward her leg irons. “Get to work. I’ll be right back with the key.”
“Sam,” she stopped him. “What about Roy?”
“I’m sorry about that. He’s not a bad man. Really. He only wants to do what’s right. For the law and for me.”
“Oh Sam, have ye truly thought about this? Ye’d become the one thing ye hate most in this world. An outlaw.”
He looked up to see sorrow in her eyes. The fact that she was more concerned about him than her own hanging touched him greater than anything ever had before. Immediately, warmth filled his heart. He gave her a reassuring and genuine smile. “I’ve never been surer.”
It took a few seconds, but then she finally returned a wobbly smile. As he turned to leave, he heard her whisper, “Be careful.”
Sam hurried up the stairs and rattled the gate. “Hey! I’m done in here.”
He heard the sound of a chair scraping on the wooden floor before the shadow of the officer came into sight. “About time. I was about to come and fetch you.”
Sam looked down nonchalantly to the man’s gun hanging within easy reach from his waist. With patience he waited until the key turned in the lock and the officer was drawing the large iron door open. Then he made his move. Quick as lightening, he snatched the man’s gun the same moment he slammed his body with the iron gate, knocking the officer’s head against the stone wall behind him. Instantly, the man’s body crumbled to the floor where he lay unconscious.
“Sam?” Ivy cried out in alarm from the cellar, obviously having heard the scuffle.
“It’s all right. Keep at what you’re doing.” Leaning forward, he checked for a pulse on the officer’s neck, then hoisted him over his shoulder and made his way down the stairs. Before he did, he snatched up the large ring holding multiple keys the officer had dropped on the floor before being knocked out.
Back at Ivy’s cell where she was undoing the last restraint, he chose a large black key and slipped into the cell door; he smiled with satisfaction at the sound of the lock clicking open. Giving her a wink and a grin, he said, “Not bad for first try.”
Because his arms were full, she helped him slide the heavy door open. “What are ye going to do with him?”
“Make less noise down here, I reckon’.” Moving over to the cot, he dropped the officer onto it then turned and grabbed Ivy’s hand before dragging her out of the cell. Locking the cell once more, he grabbed the lantern in one hand and Ivy in the other and headed for the stairs.
They raced up the stairwell and down a corridor to an exit, which led to the side of the prison. At a slow crawl, they crept through the shadows of the deserted town, purposely keeping out of sight of any person who may happen to be wandering the streets at that hour.
“Wait here.” He tucked her into a corner and went to fetch his horse. Keeping his eye on the lobby of the station, he quietly jumped up onto its back then rode back to Ivy. Reaching down, he grabbed her upper arm and hoisted her behind him, then headed away from the jail.
From the satchel, he produced a huge overcoat similar to his own, but in a smaller size and passed it over his shoulder to Ivy who was trembling slightly from the early morning chill.
“Put this on.” He felt her moving and acknowledged how wonderful it felt to feel her soft body pressed up against his own. “We best hurry. It won’t be long before they sound the alarm.”
“Where are we going?”
