Xenia’s Renegade Read Free Page A

planned, so we better be well organized when they return.”
    “I agree, Eldridge. I’ll hurry back.”
    True to his word, Ray returned in a short time. He not only had the blankets, but he had a couple of rifles with him. “Had the one I use and an extra under the seat. Brought all the ammo I had on the stage, too.”
    “Good. We may need it.” Ty took the blankets and spread them across the bodies. “Get the money hidden?”
    “Put it in the feeding trough and scattered hay about. Don’t figure they’ll look there.”
    “You’re right. They probably won’t.” Ty opened the kitchen door. “Now, let’s go see if anybody among the passengers can handle a gun or if it’s going to be up to you and me to defend the place when the outlaws return.”
    Ray chuckled. “Bullins might be able to shoot a little, but I got my doubts about the women.”
    “So have I. More than likely, I was right. This is going to be up to us. I just hope there aren’t too many of them.”
    “Maybe it’ll only be a few. Lots of tribes have splinter groups.”
    “This wasn’t done by Indians, Ray.”
    Ray’s brow wrinkled. “But the arrow…”
    “That was to make us think it was an Indian attack. If they’d been smart they’d have used an Apache weapon or one from one of the other tribes around here. I have no idea where they got it, but they messed up by using a Sioux arrow. You don’t usually find the Sioux in Arizona. They’re mainly in the Montana and Dakota areas.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Positive. My grandmother was Sioux.” 
    ****
    Xenia wondered why Ty and the stage driver closed the door when they left the room. She almost followed them, but decided Mea Ann was too upset to be left alone.
    “I don’t much want to sit at that table, Xenia.”
    “Neither do I, but as Mr. Eldridge said, we don’t have much choice. I can’t see us getting down in the floor and Mr. Bullins has already claimed the only chair.”
    Mea Ann almost smiled. “Then, I guess we either have to sit on the opposite bench or stand.”
    “Looks like it. Come on. I’ll sit first if it’ll make you feel better.” Xenia dropped to the bench on the opposite side of the table from where the body had been.
    Mea Ann eased down beside her. “Xenia, do you ever wish we’d never come on this trip?”
    She did, but she wasn’t going to tell her sister. “It’s too late to wish such a thing, now. We’ve come too far to turn back, so we might as well make the best of it.”
    “Why in the world did you ladies come on such a trip in the first place?” Lou turned in his chair to look at them. “No woman from the east should be traveling alone in an area like this. Anything could happen to you.”
    “We came to take care of family business,” Xenia said, and hoped Mea Ann wouldn’t elaborate.
    Mea Ann didn’t say anything else about family. Instead, she changed the subject. “How often do you come to this sparsely populated area, Mr. Bullins?”
    “This is my third trip, and hopefully, it will be my best one so far.”
    Mea Ann gave him a tentative smile. “Why is that?”
    Xenia watched him give her the lustful smile he’d been bestowing on her and didn’t like what she saw. “It doesn’t matter, Mea Ann.”
    He ignored her and patted the suitcase. “I was just about to say the company of you beautiful girls have made it a success whether or not I sell any of my equipment.”
    Mea Ann looked at the floor, and changed the subject. “There’s blood on the floor. I hope that poor man didn’t suffer too much.”
    “Damn Indians,” Bullins muttered.
    “Please, Mr. Bullins. I’d appreciate you not cursing.”
    “I’m so sorry, Xenia. I should have controlled my temper, but it makes me mad when the renegade Indians do something like this. The army should’ve killed them all.” He gave her that smile she couldn’t help but think was oily. “Ladies like you and your sister should be spending your time where men can look after