|
|
Learning to Improvise…
|
|---|
Vin walked in step with Ezra as they headed for the saloon. He kept his hand resting on the butt of his gun. It wasn’t that he really intended to use the weapon against Maude…at least not unless she gave him reason to. Keeping his hand on his gun was just a habit developed from knowingly entering dangerous situations and being prepared for them. The tracker wasn’t surprised to see Chris doing likewise.
The gunslinger walked with them, but half a step ahead. Vin suspected Chris did it without realizing he was doing it. Probably thinks he can just put himself between Maude and Ezra. Not the same as takin’ a bullet for ‘im, but pretty damn close.
Josiah, in contrast to Chris, walked half a step behind. Vin didn’t think the man was lagging out of nervousness or cowardice, more like he was flanking them, guarding the rear. Vin had been very reassured to know Josiah had made up his mind to stand with them. He hadn’t been entirely certain the former preacher would. Vin knew far too well how stupid desire for a beautiful woman could make a man.
Ezra slanted an amused look at him. His eyes touched on Chris before he tipped his head slightly toward Josiah. In French, Ezra spoke the words, ‘honor guard for a duel’. Vin grinned in response. Can’t quite picture either o’ them in uniform. Not like the ones Ez described from that book ‘The Three Musketeers’. Although, I’ll bet Chris coulda gave the Cardinal a run fer his money.
Vin’s grin faded as he considered the female villain from that story. S’pose the whole thing fits seein’ as how we’re about ta tangle with M’lady. Makes me wonder if that Dumas feller ever met Maude. She coulda been the model.
Chris gave them an inquiring look. Ezra returned it with one of absolute innocence. Vin shook his head slightly, lips quirking upward in his usual half-smile, letting Chris know that what was said was not something he needed to worry about. He wasn’t sure he could explain it anyway.
They entered the saloon with out much fuss or fanfare. At this time of day, the saloon was normally empty except for the town drunk, Eddie, who seemed to be perpetually asleep on the corner table and Inez, who took this time of day to tidy the place up. Vin was not surprised to see Maude ensconced in what he thought of as Ezra’s chair.
It was the best seat in the house. His lover’s preferred seat gave the most complete view of the room. And what couldn’t be seen directly from Ezra’s chair could easily be viewed through the mirrors behind the bar.
The state of those mirrors was something Vin had taken seriously ever since he’d first seen Ezra wound a man using a cracked one to aim. Ezra had claimed he’d have killed the man but his aim had been affected by the crack. Vin was confident his lover would have killed the man if he meant to, cracked reflection or not.
Maude glanced up from a game of solitaire she had laid out before her. She smiled warmly when she spotted Ezra, eyes sparkling with delight. Vin’s jaw tightened as he tried to read how much of her obvious joy at seeing her son was an act. Can’t help but wonder if she’s really happy ta see him or if she’s jus’ real happy cause she needs somethin’ from him.
Vin glanced at Ezra and wondered if his lover had similar thoughts. If he did, they didn’t show. The tracker clamped down hard on the urge to place himself between Maude and Ezra, knowing it wouldn’t do any good. Ezra would simply sidestep him.
"Ezra, my darlin’ boy." The conwoman rose gracefully to her feet, holding out a hand in welcome. "I was beginning to lose hope that you would finally appear to pay your respects to your mother."
"Nonsense, Mother." Ezra stepped forward to take her hand, leaning in to place a kiss on first one cheek and then the other. "You have stated more than once that hope is the emotion best left to fools and small children. Having none to begin with, you hardly need worry about losing it."
Maude gave him a narrowed-eyed look for a moment. Vin knew she was trying to determine if her son was being serious or not. He smirked, finding the fact that she wasn’t certain rather amusing. Bet that ain’t the first time my Ez has confused her a bit.
Ezra gestured toward him, Chris, and Josiah. "I’m sure you remember my colleagues Mr. Tanner, Mr. Sanchez, and Mr. Larabee."
Cool eyes regarded them. "Yes, of course darlin’. How could I forget such interesting companions?" Her gaze hardened slightly, although her overall expression remained politely neutral. "Mr. Larabee and I renewed our acquaintance earlier today."
Chris smiled. It should have been a polite expression, but Vin was reminded more of a wolf baring its teeth. He would have liked to do the same, but remembering what Ezra had said earlier in the day about open hostility limiting their options he decided it was better for her to think him less of a threat than Chris. So Vin settled for simply raising two fingers to the brim of his hat. "Ma’am."
Josiah’s deep voice rumbled a greeting from slightly over his shoulder. "Mrs. Standish, you are looking as lovely as ever."
Man sure sounds sincere when he says that. Vin gave the former preacher a sharp look. He took it as a positive sign that the big man didn’t have that stunned look reminiscent of a pole-axed steer he’d had the first time he met Maude.
Maude smiled at Josiah, eyes dropping coyly. "You are too kind, Mr. Sanchez."
"You got that right." Chris muttered just loud enough for Vin to hear.
Vin wished they were seated so he could kick Chris under the table. Normally the man don’t say ten words a day. You’d think he’d realize pissin’ Maude off isn’t gonna make it easier for Ez.
Vin didn’t think his own behavior was likely to trigger much of a warning for Maude since they hadn’t interacted enough in the past for her to gauge what constituted normal for him. But she had to be aware of the undercurrents radiating from the others. Josiah was polite but not fawning as he’d been the last time she visited. Chris was openly hostile. Hell, JD and Nathan are about as subtle as sledgehammers, so she probably knows they been avoiding her. An’ she’s yet to lay eyes on Buck. That’s unusual right there since he’s always ‘round town.
Maude gave them a speculative look and Vin could almost see the wheels turning. He had the feeling she’d been planning to dismiss as soon as good manners dictated she could. He couldn’t quite pin it down, but the tracker knew she was keen to talk to Ezra, preferably alone. There was an impatience he could feel from her that from anyone else he’d have thought was anxiety.
A look passed between her and Ezra, one Vin couldn’t decipher, but from the way she huffed ever so slightly he knew she wasn’t happy. She gestured toward the table. "Would you care to join me?"
Josiah offered his arm the blonde and she took with a gracious tip of her head, every bit the regale lady she pretended to be. The former preacher escorted her the few feet to the table. He even pulled her chair out for her, a gesture that gave Vin visions of pulling the chair away entirely and letting Maude fall on her ass. It would be a petty thing to do, and not even close to half the things he’d like to do, but the image of her floundering around on the floor, all shock and outrage, made it easier to sit at the same table with her.
Normally Ezra would have been expected to take the chair next to Maude’s, but Vin slid into it with his usual boneless grace. He just couldn’t bring himself to allow her to get any closer to Ezra than absolutely necessary. ’Sides, she already knows somethin’ ain’t right. And this way she can’t say anythin’ to him the rest o’ us can’t hear. Won’t be any o’ those whispered conversations going on. Not today.
Ezra didn’t even raise an eyebrow at Vin’s choice of seats. He settled himself in the one next to Vin, left arm lightly brushing Vin’s shoulder has he sat. His left hand rested on Vin’s thigh under the table, and the tracker brushed Ezra’s knuckles with the tips of his fingers. He knew his lover found their physical contact just as reassuring as he did.
In an unusual display of trust, Chris took the seat that had his back toward the door, but allowed him to face Maude directly. Vin realized Chris probably regarded the blonde woman as being more of threat than anything that might come through the door. Given how quiet the town had been lately, he was probably right to think so.
Josiah sat next to Maude. The big man seemed far more at ease being so close to Maude then Vin did. The tracker envied him. Vin would have felt more at ease if he’d taken a seat next to an angry rattlesnake.
Ezra raised his head to make eye contact with Inez. She brought one of his bottles of scotch and several glasses. "Thank you, my dear."
"De nada, Senor." Inez murmured quietly, dark eyes moving from Chris to Maude and back again.
Vin knew it was Maude who’d hired the pretty Mexican, but over the past year, it was the seven who commanded her loyalty. Too many times they’d come to her rescue for her not to feel some sense of obligation to them. Inez was too good a reading her patrons not to be aware that there was a storm brewing at their table despite the cordial surface.
"No afligir, Senorita." Ezra spoke softly, his Spanish accented with his native Southern drawl and blended with that of the old world where’d learned the language. "Promesa."
Inez nodded, but still looked wary as she left them. Vin didn’t blame her for having doubts. Don’t think Ez is right to say there’s no trouble. Got me a feelin’ there might jus’ be trouble aplenty coming.
Ezra poured several drinks and deftly placed one in front of each other them including Maude. She regarded the shot glass for just a moment. She spoke demurely, "A lady really should not imbibe such a strong spirit."
"A lady really should not take up residence within a saloon, but that’s never stopped you before. You are hardly what one would call a conventional lady, Mother." Ezra arched an eyebrow, a small smile forming.
Vin bit the inside of his cheek, checking the smile that threatened to blossom at the reproachful look she’d sent Ezra. "I do not care for Scotch, as you well know, Darlin’. Perhaps something else is available."
"Forgive my lapse in memory, Mother." Ezra sipped his drink with obvious enjoyment. "But unless you want to sample the only other alcoholic beverages to be had, rotgut whiskey or beer, I suggest you partake of the drink before you." The gambler sat back in his chair. "I dare say there isn’t a bottle of brandy for at least a hundred miles, much less sherry or wine."
Ezra made a small ‘tsk’ noise with his tongue. "Really, Four Corners has not altered significantly since you’re previous visit." Green eyes regarded Maude for a heartbeat. "Surely, you were not expected this dusty, backwater, miserable excuse for a town, as I believe you described it, to have suddenly experienced a metamorphosis into a respectable city with all the corresponding comforts."
"Now, Ezra, don’t exaggerate." Maude chided him with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I would never say such disparaging things about this lovely little metropolis."
"Of course not." Ezra sipped his drink. He didn’t roll his eyes, but somehow managed to suggest the action.
Any further dialog between mother and son was interrupted abruptly when Chris bluntly asked, "Maude, why are you here?"
So much for subtle. Vin sighed silently, and wondered if he could reach Chris’ shin from where he sat. Although, to be fair, the sharpshooter was rather relieved to have the issue out in the open and plainly asked.
He saw his lover calmly regarding his mother with undisguised curiosity, clearly waiting to see how she would answer the question. If it weren’t for the way Ezra’s left hand had curled into a fist under his fingers, Vin would never have known that his lover was pissed. Bet if he was close enough to kick Chris under the table, the man would be sporting one hell of a bruise ‘bout now.
"You ask that as if I were a maleficent intent on causing trouble, Mr. Larabee?" Maude arched an eyebrow in much the same manner as her son was wont to do.
Vin wondered what ‘maleficent’ meant. It certainly didn’t sound good. Have to remember to ask Ez later. The tracker shot a look toward Chris. If the look on Chris’ face is anything to go by, he knows what it means.
Chris smiled coldly as he withdrew a cheroot from his pocket and lit it. He puffed on it before speaking slowly, as if considering his words. "If I remember it correctly you brought some trouble with you on your last visit, Mrs. Standish." Blue gray eyes regarded the conwoman carefully. "Jus’ doing my job makin’ sure things around here stay peaceful."
"That was just a small misunderstanding." Maude insisted with a light laugh and a wave her hand. "Hardly worth mentioning really."
"Small misunderstandings seem to have a way of growing into more around you." The gunslinger observed dryly. His tone was without malice, but obviously revealed his belief that she not only caused trouble she also made it worse.
Maude glanced from him to Josiah, clearly expecting the former preacher to come to her defense. Sky blue eyes returned her look mildly, offering neither comfort nor condemnation. The big man sighed softly, somehow managing to increase his distance from her without actually moving.
"You do have a way of adding excitement to the day." Josiah conceded after a moment. He hesitated for a beat before speaking again. "Excitement this town could best do without."
The conwoman huffed slightly. "I can hardly be blamed for coincidences." Maude dismissed the issue as she reached for her drink and sipped it, deliberately ignoring Chris and Josiah. She made a small moue of distaste. "This is horrid, Ezra."
"It is an acquired taste, Mother." Ezra punctuated his statement with a graceful one-shoulder shrug. "Perhaps were you to remain on the fringe of civilization long enough, you too might acquire it." The gambler’s long fingers lightly stroked the top of his glass. "Although, in some parts of the world, scotch is considered the true mark of civilization."
"You didn’t answer my question." Chris interjected, once again forcing the conversation back to him.
"Question?" Maude looked at him blankly. She’d obviously expected him to drop it.
Vin looked from one to the other, wary and alert. No one who knows him would expect Chris to let it go. ‘Course, it ain’t like she really knows him. Still…woulda thought she’d have read him better than that. Guess she’s not as good a reading people as I thought.
"Why are you here?" Chris repeated his earlier inquiry, his voice deceptively gentle.
"A mother can’t spend some time with her son?" Maude raised both eyebrows, expression shifting to one of innocent surprise. "I realize to you Ezra is a man capable of taking care of himself," she smiled sweetly, "but he is my darlin’ baby boy."
The vein in Chris’ forehead began to throb. Never a good sign. Vin unconsciously shifted his weight, ready for action. He saw Josiah doing the same. The big man looked prepared for anything.
Ezra sighed audibly. "Chris." The gunslinger looked at Ezra, and the gambler shook his head slightly. "Frontal assaults are not always the best approach." The rebuke was mild. "However, once committed to a course of action retreat is rarely a viable option."
The gambler’s jade green eyes squarely met his mother’s light blue. "You have never possessed that so frequently lauded maternal instinct." He waved his right hand to encompass the table. "While I don’t doubt your being here is related to me in some fashion, no one at this table, least of all myself, is going to believe the sole purpose of your visit is to see your son."
Maude’s eyes narrowed. "You were always an ungrateful child."
"That only stands to reason since I have so little from you to be grateful for." Ezra’s sardonic expression hardened, green eyes unwavering.
Maude flushed. She opened her mouth to say something and then thought better of it, closing her mouth with an audible snap. Vin got the impression that for the first time Maude realized her son was no longer someone who’s life she could blithely turn topsy-turvy. It just added fuel to his anger that it took her this long to realize that. From the look in Josiah’s eyes it had a similar affect on him.
"We should speak privately."
"Tell them here, or I tell them later, it makes no difference." Ezra finished his drink, placing the glass with precision on the same wet circle he’d lifted it from. "If you have brought trouble to Four Corners, they need to know."
"I didn’t bring trouble to your precious town." Maude glared at him. "Although it boggles the mind what you should find so worthy of your attention in this backwater little burg."
"Like scotch, it is an acquired taste." Ezra smiled, gold premolar glinting. He poured himself a second glass. "Why don’t you tell us what it is that brought you here? Enough time has already been wasted."
Maude took a sip of her drink. Vin absently noted she didn’t seem to dislike it as much as she made out the first time. He hadn’t touched his own drink and didn’t intend to until he could relax his guard. Vin suspected Chris and Josiah hadn’t touched theirs for the same reason.
"I need your help." Maude dropped her eyes as she made that admission.
"I had deduced that much for myself." Ezra cocked his head, a bitter smile forming. "You would not have come here otherwise."
She smiled at him, looking up through her lashes. "I knew you’d understand."
Vin realized she’d heard the words but had blindly overlooked the tone of Ezra’s voice. His jaw tightened and he bit back a growl that was forming as he thought about how many times she’d ignored her son or ran roughshod over him, never giving a thought to what Ezra might have wanted or needed. He felt the fist resting on his thigh uncurl. Ezra turned his hand over, and wove their fingers together.
"And exactly what is it you need my help with?"
The answer to that was one they were all waiting for, and the conwoman finally delivered, albeit indirectly. "Denver is such a bustling city, Ezra." Maude’s eyes sparkled. The sparkle reminded Vin of Ezra. When the gambler was very pleased with something his eyes took on the same inner light. "It is growing so fast, darlin’. There is so much promise there."
Ezra arched an eyebrow at her non-sequitur. "Yes, I believe you mentioned something to that affect in your last letter."
Maude’s gaze shifted to touch on Vin, Chris and Josiah. She seemed reluctant to proceed. Vin was not surprised that she’d hesitate. This was definitely a conversation she wanted to have in private. Too damn bad.
"Honestly, Mother, it isn’t as if there is anything about how you make your living that these gentlemen are unaware of." Ezra snorted, rolling his eyes. "You need not worry that you will be diminished in their eyes when you reveal you have spent your time in Denver running a con trying to swindle some poor bastard out of his hard earned money."
"Ezra!" Maude glared at him.
"Am I wrong?"
"That is not the point." She all but spat her reprimand at him.
Ezra tipped his head. "Perhaps then you should get to the point."
She pursed her lips, displeasure plain to read on her face. "Living among these cretins has done nothing for your manners."
Ezra chuckled. "True. But I am developing an appreciation for the direct approach." The gambler sobered. "Now, Mother, tell me why you are here." Ezra’s soft drawl took on a cutting edge. "I will not ask you again."
Vin took pleasure in seeing her flinch. ’Bout damn time she realizes Ezra ain’t some puppy she can just kick around. He saw his satisfaction mirrored in Chris’ eyes.
Maude took a breath. Her face shifted into a blandly neutral mask that Vin recognized as being similar to Ezra’s poker face. The conwoman seldom used that expression when playing poker though. When she played cards Maude was animated, distracting her opponents with pleasant conversation, beguiling them with her wiles and feminine beauty.
"Harrison Randolf is a millionaire." Maude stated baldly. "He made his fortune via railroad expansion and mining interests."
"I imagine he is the sort who does not take well being crossed." Ezra casually sipped from his shot glass.
"Naturally." Maude shrugged one shoulder. "Men who amass wealth and power seldom do so by being congenial."
"Quite." Ezra nodded. "And did you abscond with Mr. Randolf’s fortune?"
"No."
Vin’s eyebrows rose at her blunt response. He was expecting more. From the looks on Josiah and Chris’ faces they had similar expectations.
"But not for lack of trying, I’m sure." Ezra smiled. "Losing your touch, Mother?"
Icy blue eyes glared at Ezra. "The man is in his eighties, Ezra."
"Ah." Ezra nodded sagely, almost saluting her with the glass in his hand. "Age has a tendency to diminish the influence of your feminine charms."
Vin caught the double meaning in his lover’s statement. The wolfish smile Chris sported made it a safe bet he did as well. Josiah just shook his head sadly.
"I’d spent most of my time with his son, Harrison Randolf the second." Maude sighed, ignoring Ezra’s comment completely. "A more imbecilic man I have yet to encounter, but daddy knows his son well and retains a firm hand on the purse strings. There was no way to access his fortune directly." Maude pursed her lips. "Unfortunately, by the time I’d realized this I had already expended a great deal of capital creating the appropriate façade."
Vin raised both eyebrows trying to figure out what that meant. It became clear to him when Ezra spoke. "So you were spending money you didn’t have, pretending to be someone you were not, and found yourself short of funds, unable to pull off the con you’d intended."
"In essence, yes." Maude shrugged one shoulder. "I was so close, Ezra. So very close. I simply couldn’t walk away."
"Couldn’t or wouldn’t?"
She sighed. "It doesn’t matter."
"No, I don’t suppose it does." Ezra’s lips quirked in a sad smile. "So unable to simply walk away you did what?"
"I managed to locate additional resources."
"From?" Ezra made a ‘go on’ motion with one his right hand.
"Martin Vuocolo."
"Are you out of your mind?" Ezra sat up straight, back rigid. "Were you that desperate or simply that stupid?"
"Darlin’, there is no cause for—"
"Who is this Vuocolo fella?" Vin asked quietly, breaking his self-imposed silence, interrupting Maude cutting through her words as easily as a hot knife through butter. Ezra’s reaction to his name was sufficient cause for concern. Vin could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise.
Ezra grimaced before downing the remainder of his drink returning the glass to the table. "I’m not sure there is an official designation for one such as he, but the best descriptor would be loan shark."
"A what?" Chris interjected before Vin had a chance to.
"He loans money to those in need, who can not get capital any other way. And he loans those funds at interest rates far higher than an established, conventional bank would utilizes. Usually at rates that ensure an inability to ever repay the debt in full."
"Usury." Josiah offered with a disgusted tone.
"Precisely." Ezra tipped his head toward the big man before returning his attention to Maude, green eyes narrowed. "Vuocolo guarantees continued payment rather brutally should the occasion call for it."
"Meaning?" Chris glanced from Ezra to Maude.
"Meaning," Ezra sighed heavily, "he has a tendency to employ many men who utilize violence to convince his clients to continue to pay. Everything from simply breaking knees to outright murder has been attributed to him."
"You know him personally, Ez?" Vin asked carefully, uncertain if he might not be unearthing some dark secret from Ezra’s past. Promised myself I wasn’t gonna push him to tell me stuff about his past any more, and I meant it. But if this ‘loan shark’ hurt Ez, I’ll be settling that score.
Ezra shook his head. He squeezed Vin’s hand once, offering a small reassuring smile. "I know the man by reputation only." The gambler’s expression turned sardonic as he again regarded Maude. "Unlike my mother, I do not lightly dismiss reliable accounts of what Mr. Vuocolo or those in his employ are capable of."
"Oh please, Ezra." Maude chastised her son as if he were still a little boy. "There is no need for melodrama. Mr. Vuocolo will not be a problem."
"Provided you can pay." Ezra snorted. "Your presence here is clear indication you can not."
Chris’ lips tightened into a hard line as he glared at Maude. "You said you hadn’t brought trouble to Four Corners. I’m thinking you lied."
Maude waved a hand in dismissal. "He doesn’t know where I am."
"But he knows who you are." Ezra contradicted smoothly. "And it wouldn’t take a genius to track you down."
Maude flushed. She snapped at him. "If you wouldn’t insist on staying in one place it would prove more difficult."
"If you didn’t seek me out as a source of your salvation where I was would matter little." Ezra responded acidly. "A little forethought on your part, Mother, would not be remiss."
Maude paled in anger. "I’ll have you know—"
Ezra held up a hand effectively stopping her tirade before she even had the chance to start. Vin was impressed at how easily his lover silenced her. He might not understand the dynamics of their relationship, but it was obvious that for the moment, Ezra was in control. Gonna see to it that it stays that way too. Watch out for him and make sure she don’t get the upper hand. Or get him to play her game her way. Was how he lost the saloon to her. Playin’ her way, no one watchin’ out for him. We got us some new rules.
The gambler took a deep breath. When he spoke again his voice was carefully neutral. "In any event, the fact remains you owe him, you can’t pay, and he will find you. That is how the man makes his living. I would go so far as to hazard a guess that he had you followed. I am fairly certain he would not have allowed you to leave Denver without seeing to it he knew where you were headed."
"How much to you owe him, Maude?" Josiah frowned.
"Fifteen thousand."
Vin’s eyes widened, Josiah’s mouth dropped open, and Chris downed his shot of scotch in one long swallow. Fifteen thousand dollars was a phenomenal sum of money. The most money any of them had seen at one time, in one place, was the ten thousand dollars the assassin had been paid to kill Mary Travis.
Vin tried to imagine what someone could spend that kind of money on. It was more than he was likely to make in a lifetime. The largest bounty he’d ever turned in had been a measly fifteen hundred. It had taken six months to track the bastard down and another two before he managed to collect the reward.
"Is that what you owed when you left Denver?" Ezra didn’t seem shocked by the amount. "Because it won’t be what you owe now."
"I am aware of that." Maude snapped at him.
"Are you also aware that I don’t have that kind of cash?" Ezra asked.
"But we can get it." She declared with confidence.
"Oh really? And how to you propose to accomplish that?" Ezra poured another shot. Vin realized that was his third. This conversation was obviously not as easy for Ezra as he made it seem. Otherwise his lover would not have been so free with his prized scotch. He made a note to keep a closer eye on his lover.
"I’ve already laid the groundwork with the banker and some others in town."
Ezra hung his head. "No."
"All we need to do…Excuse me?" Maude stared at Ezra. "What do you mean ‘no’?"
"There is no ‘we’ here, Mother." Ezra shook his head, eye rising to meet hers squarely. "I will not assist you in absconding with funds from any legitimate business in a town I’ve promised to protect."
Maude sat back with a stunned look. After a moment, she laughed. "You must be joking."
"No, I am not." Ezra glanced around the table. "And even if I were, you would be a fool to think the other peacekeepers of this town would allow you free rein to wreck havoc here."
Maude followed Ezra’s gaze around the table. She seemed to be measuring each of them. Vin couldn’t say for sure what it was she saw, but he was fairly certain she realized they were united. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head.
"Perhaps that mine, the one just out of town—"
"No." Ezra countered again. "There is nothing in that mine. It played out years ago, if it ever had much gold to begin with." Ezra favored her with a stern look. "And even if you were able to create the fictitious documents to make it appear profitable, salt it so that it looked like a good venture, at best all you would buy is time. Vuocolo is not the sort to gracefully accept a loss. Nor would is ire be diminished when he realized you cheated him."
Maude scowled at him. "Honestly, have you nothing but negative things to offer?"
Ezra chuckled. "Were you expecting me to wave a wand? To simply make it all right?" The gambler snorted. "Perhaps you are hoping that he will be the one to have followed you and not one of his many minions. Then you can have one of us execute him, and thereby relieve you of the obligation you so stupidly made."
Maude started and Vin knew she had been thinking something along those lines. It wasn’t really surprising. Killing Vuocolo was a direct and simple solution to her problem. Goddamn woman. Miserable bitch would set us up, set Ez up to take out a guy we ain’t ever met just to get her ass out of the fire.
"So sorry to disappoint you, Mother." Ezra’s tone contradicted his words. "This is your mess, I think it is up to you to fix it."
"You can’t leave me to fend for myself." Her voice broke toward the end. "Leave me defenseless…without recourse. Please, Ezra, darlin’ you have to help me. The man’s a brute, vicious. He’ll think nothing of hurting me. Please, darlin’."
Maude’s eyes got shiny, as though with unshed tears and she looked desperate. Vin didn’t buy her act and he didn’t think Chris did either. Josiah looked torn, but made no move to do anything that might comfort her.
Ezra sighed. He bit his lower lip. Vin could see his lover waffling. Ezra might not like his mother, might question whether or not he truly loved her, but there was no doubt he felt a sense of duty, an obligation to her. Vin squeezed the hand he held, and shook his head ‘no’ when Ezra’s gaze settled on him.
"Would she do anythin’ for you if your positions were reversed?" Vin asked quietly, already aware of the answer, but wanting to make sure Ezra was aware of it as well.
"She’s my mother." Ezra responded.
Vin clenched his jaw. A lot in life came back to blood ties. He could understand how no matter how bad things were family should count for something. But you ain’t s’posed to abuse that. Not s’posed to sell your children to pay off debts. Not s’posed to be only one person givin’ all the time an’ the other taking. And it’s high time she paid for her own mistakes and quit askin’ Ezra to do it for her.
Vin’s eyes met Ezra’s. "Her givin’ birth to you ain’t a reason, it’s an excuse."
"True." Ezra admitted with a smile, his jade green eyes warming considerably softening his entire expression. It was a look Vin had grown used to seeing, one that Ezra reserved for him alone.
Vin was suddenly aware of Maude watching them keenly. He met her gaze easily, and waited. All traces of her earlier turmoil vanished like so much fog under the warm rays of the sun. She smiled slyly like she’d just discovered a secret.
Vin’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t sure what it was she thought she saw, but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what happened next. Without thinking, Vin released the hold he had on Ezra’s hand, unconsciously wanting both hands free to deal with whatever she was about to throw at them.
"So," Maude’s gaze when from Vin to Ezra, "I see some things never change." Sharp blue eyes measured her son. "You still have proclivities for deviance."
Josiah looked slightly puzzled by her statement glancing away from her to regard Vin and Ezra. The big man had missed much of their byplay since his focus had been almost exclusively on Maude. But Vin knew immediately what she was getting at and it looked as if Chris did as well. The gunslinger’s right hand had never really strayed far from the butt of his gun and his fingers curled around the walnut grip.
She must have realized what Ezra’s look meant. God damn. Should have figured that would happen.
"Your point?" Ezra returned his mother’s look without flinching.
Her smile widened. When she spoke again it was in French. "You have strong feelings for the one beside you. Feelings he no doubt does not return." She placed her hands on the table as though she fanned a deck of cards.
Vin figured she was speaking in French thinking the others would not understand her. He was increasingly grateful Ezra had taken the time to teach him the language. He might not have understood every single word, but he was having no trouble following the line of conversation.
Maude continued speaking, the lilting accent making what she said seem so innocuous. "It would be such a shame for such un-welcomed affection to come to light. It could be so detrimental for you here in this place you’ve grown so fond of. I understand that Martin Vuocolo shares interests similar to yours. For a man like him, it must be very hard to find compatible playmates. Perhaps a mutually beneficial deal can be arranged."
Vin drew his knife in one smooth move and deftly planted the blade a hairs breath from where her fingers rested on the table. The blade quivered slightly as though it resented being denied tasting her flesh. He leaned forward, voice low and vicious. "You better not be suggesting what I think you are, or the next time I might not be so willin’ ta leave you with all your fingers. You understand me?"
No one at the table moved for several seconds. Chris had already drawn his gun, reacting to Vin’s sudden movement with one of his own. Josiah had pushed his chair back giving himself room to move. Ezra remained seated, seeming unaffected if one overlooked the fact that his derringer had been sprung and the fire in his eyes.
Maude remained very still, holding her breath. Vin’s icy rage was clearly reflected in his eyes and she wasn’t so much a fool as to push him further. The conwoman watched him with wide eyes.
"I asked if you understood." Vin commented softly more than a little satisfied to know he’d surprised her by understanding what she said, as well as scared her with his threat. He didn’t make it idly. He wouldn’t kill her but he could make her wish he had. It would be very hard to deal cards missing a thumb and forefinger.
"I want an answer to my question." Vin reminded her when she remained silent too long suit him.
She swallowed hard and nodded once shortly. "I understand."
"Good." Vin pulled his knife from the table. With deliberate care he laid in on the table leaving it as a visible reminder of his threat. "And you want to keep talkin’ to Ez, you’ll be doing it in English."
Maude nodded again and drew in a shaky breath. Chris looked at Vin, slowly holstering his gun, eyebrow raised in question. "What did she say?"
"It is not important." Ezra answered a bit too quickly as he reset his derringer.
Chris snorted. "Don’t think I agree with you there, Ezra." The gunslinger tipped his head toward the large bladed knife still lying on the table. "Don’t think Vin would have drawn that for no reason."
Josiah seconded that observation with just a look. Vin preferred that to the parables the former preacher tended to spout. The looks he always understood, but the rest of it was just so much gibberish.
Vin wasn’t sure he should tell them the truth or not. With an evil smile, Vin hit upon the perfect solution. "Tell them Maude."
The conwoman sat back, trying to put more space between them without actually pulling away from the table. She eyed all of them warily. Vin knew she was wondering about what Chris and Josiah’s reactions might be in light of his own.
"I don’t think—"
"Now that much is obvious." Vin’s gaze was fixed on her the same way a hawk watched a careless rabbit. "If you’d been thinking, you never would have gotten into your current predicament. Nor would you need to solicit assistance from the likes of us."
Vin almost laughed at the look on her face. He wasn’t the sort of person one would expect to be as well spoken as his gentile lover. Hanging out with Ezra had done wonders for his vocabulary. "Appearances are not everything, Maude."
Maude’s eyes leveled daggers at him, but Vin didn’t care. "You tell them how you just threatened Ezra. Tell ‘em how you were gonna blackmail him into prostituting himself in payment for your debt."
Josiah’s hand clenched around his shot glass, knuckles turning white with the force he exerted. Vin could almost hear the glass straining to remain intact under the former preacher’s grip. "You did what?"
Maude hesitated. She sent a look toward Ezra clearly asking for assistance. The preacher looked ready to inflict serious damage. Vin hadn’t forgotten what it was like to have Josiah’s hands around his throat. If the big man thought Maude posed serious threat to Ezra, Vin was fairly certain she would get chance to share his experience. If Josiah doesn’t kill her Chris just might. Haven’t seen him look that pissed in a long time.
The gambler sighed softly. "Josiah." Ezra waited until his friend looked at him. "I promised Inez there would be no trouble. Please do not make a liar of me."
Josiah took a deep breath. And then another. "Vin’s telling the truth about what she said?"
Ezra looked rueful. "Unfortunately, yes." He laid a hand lightly on Vin’s arm. Vin didn’t know if it was an effort to reassure him or restrain him, but he didn’t shake it off.
"Mother," Ezra spoke softly, "you made a grave misjudgement." He sighed. "Vin is not only aware of my affections, he shares them. And not only is he aware, so are the other gentlemen at this table."
Ezra smirked, green eyes aglow with dark amusement. "I am beginning to believe there might be some validity to the statement ‘the truth shall set you free’." Ezra chuckled. "You can not extort me to by threatening to reveal me as a ‘sissy boy’ or catamite. The fact is already known to those whose opinions I value. The rest are immaterial."
The gambler shook his head. "Did you really think I have not already considered the reaction of the good Christian people of this town?" Ezra rolled his eyes. "Alternative plans have already been made. They were made over a year ago…before I even dismounted from my horse. Oh they have been modified to keep pace with current events," Ezra squeezed Vin’s shoulder letting him know he was part the new plan, "but rest assured Mother I have no intention of being caught unprepared."
Ezra smiled. "Yes, I like living here. But Four Corners is not the only place I could choose to reside."
Green eyes lit with amusement suddenly took on a hard, unforgiving mien. "If you see nothing wrong with bartering one’s body then perhaps you should offer your own for trade. I understand Mr. Vuocolo has invested in numerous bordellos, cat houses and the like. His own tastes may differ from convention, but I’m sure he is aware of the value in catering to the vices of others."
Maude paled. "How dare you suggest—"
Ezra’s lips twisted in a bitter smile as he rudely overrode her. "Oh but then you would not stoop to such a degrading position. As if selling others into it is somehow a more lofty ambition. But then having done so before, I’m sure familiarity has lessened the sting to your self-esteem."
Maude’s eyes dropped. The gambler picked up his shot glass and downed his scotch without taking time to savor it. He corked the bottle, and pushed his chair back from the table. Vin was rising to stand with him, sheathing his knife, before even realized he was doing it.
"I believe I have had as much of this conversation as I can stand at the moment." Maude’s eye snapped up, darting from Ezra to the others, the anxiety clear in her finely drawn features. "Chris, Josiah, I would be grateful if you would escort my mother to the jail."
Maude’s mouth opened to protest, but Ezra cut her off before she could utter a single word. "You utter one complaint, attempt to enlist anyone’s aid and I will see to it that every person in this town is aware of the solutions to your plight that you proposed." Ezra cocked his head to one side, his mild expression at completely at odds with his tone. "And they will believe me. Maybe not all of them, but more than enough to exact retribution. You have enough trouble. I would suggest you not borrow any more."
Ezra straightened his cuffs. "You will not be residing there permanently, never fear. But I think it would be the safest place for you. Safe from whomever Mr. Vuocolo has sent to follow you. And safe from my comrades."
"Oh no need to worry, Mother." Ezra waved a hand lightly in dismissal. "They will not hurt you. I give you my word on that. But they will not permit you to hurt anyone else either. This way you will not be in a position that might tempt you to provoke them into actions they might otherwise manage to refrain from executing."
"How long?" She asked, voice strained.
"Until a solution to your predicament can be arrived at. One that does not necessitate swindling the citizens of this town, or defrauding Mr. Vuocolo further exacerbating the problem." Ezra leaned forward, resting his fists on the table, eyes level with hers. "Barter of my person, or any I hold dear, will not be permitted. Bring it up again at your own peril."
Ezra pushed off from the table and headed for the stairs. Vin felt a flash of concern when he took the bottle of scotch with him. He sent a look Chris’ way.
The gunslinger pointed with his chin toward the gamblers retreating back. "Go with him." Storm cloud eyes shifted to Maude. "We’ll take care of her."
Vin nodded and headed after his lover. Sure hope Ez has got some kind of plan in the works. Only thing I got to suggest is just turning Maude over to this ‘loan shark’. Let her face the music. Pretty sure Ez won’t want to do that though. Damn shame.
Comments: dragon00@chilitech.net