Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" TV series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
Thanks to Jeremy Seacourt, when the group returned to Four Corners, they were able to do so without the fear of a posse bearing down on them to arrest Mary, Alex, Julia or Inez for various crimes ranging from bank robbery to wanton destruction of property. Using his influence as a government agent, Seacourt had spoken to the local authorities and convinced them to drop the charges since their intervention had saved the United States government from a potential fiscal disaster.
The engraved plate, they were later told was soon in the hands of the Treasury Department where it was promptly melted down. After leaving them, Seacourt had gone to retrieve Lawrence Preston whom they were told was languishing in a federal prison awaiting trial, before they had even saddled their horses to return home. It appeared that the justice system moved with incredible speed when it came to men who would attempt to destabilise the economy of the nation.
There was only one thing that concerned Seacourt as well as Mary Travis was the fact that when it was time to collect the bodies. Selena Quint had disappeared from where she had fallen. The blood that had seeped into the earth where she had been shot was abundant enough to believe that even if she had escaped, the woman could not have gotten very far. The bullet that Julia Pemberton had put through the mercenary was substantial enough to be fatal and yet Alex could not shake the uneasy feeling that she might have survived.
In any case, Selena Quint was just as wanted for a multitude of crimes as her former master.
The journey back to Four Corners saw a slight detour to Stone Creek where as promised to the local sherrif; Chris Larabee delivered the horses stolen by Mary and the women during the flight from the saloon, back to their rightful owners. Mary was not happy to return to the town but did feel obligated to pay a call to Doris Stanley to thank her for her assistance in passing her message of help along to Chris. The woman was most curious as to the nature of Mary's relationship with the gunslinger and seemed somewhat disapproving after Chris and the others had torn up the local saloon during their brawl.
In the meantime, Ezra who simply had to know whether she had thrown all their poker games was badgering Alex to distraction. Although he remained close by Julia and was attentive in everyway to her injuries, he still found enough time to sidle his horse alongside Alex's periodically during their ride home to convince her to play him again. After awhile, the doctor was so irritated by the constant harassment not merely by the gambler but also by Vin who was determined as a point of honour that she proved Ezra wrong about her gambling skills. Alex was almost tempted to strangle them both.
While Alexandra Styles found herself caught in a tug of war between Vin Tanner and Ezra Standish, Inez and Buck's conversation during the trip home were strangely silent for two people whose encounters were normally so very fiery and spirited. Yet both were deep in thought about everything that had transpired during the sojourn from Four Corners. Until now, Buck had always assumed that she would be there for him, waiting for the day when he finally ready to settle down and raise a family.
Even when she had stated so clearly that she was done waiting for him and that she was moving on, there was a part of Buck that refused to believe she might make good on her threat. While he took her concerns to heart and was somewhat hurt when she had snubbed him before her departure from town, Buck had conceded that she did have a right to be upset. Still, he never imagined that someone else might come into the picture so soon.
Seeing how she had behaved towards Seacourt had frightened the hell of out Buck Wilmington and finally he was forced to concede that he did not want to lose Inez under any circumstances but had no idea what he ought to do to keep her either. He knew he was not ready to make the commitment and he was not about to enter any relationship with Inez prematurely because he was afraid of losing her. That just did not seem fair to Buck. He cared too much about Inez to risk his resenting her in the years to come if he entered anything he was unprepared for.
Buck Wilmington could only come to one conclusion as they rode home to Four Corners; he had a great deal of thinking to do.
And then there was Chris and Mary.
The leader of the seven and the newspaper woman had bickered constantly. Actually, she bickered and he merely gave her one of those long cool stares that served only to raise her ire more. Despite the circumstances, Chris enjoyed watching her trying to explain herself. He remained silent, completely aware that his lack of speech would only drive her to distraction. As far as Chris was concerned, he was entitled to a little payback after the hell she had put him through the past few days.
Unfortunately, by the time they returned home to Four Corners, Mary had ceased to find his annoyance tolerable. None of what transpired over the past few days had been her fault really, even though she had to concede that she did take a man hostage, hold an entire room at gunpoint, stole horses, not to mention blowing up a bank and taking refuge within a bordello. Okay, so he had some reason to be mad.
"You know, it was not my fault." She said for the hundredth time as they entered her house in the dark of night. The others had scattered to their respective homes and lodging houses, undoubtedly exhausted from their ordeal these past four days. Ezra wanted to get Julia home as quickly as possible while Vin and Alex just wanted to get home.
"I know." Chris replied as he followed her into the hallway after Mary had closed the door shut behind her.
"No you don't know," Mary glared at him with an accusatory glare. "You say you know but you don't know and you're thinking that I don't know that you don't know either." She retorted before her brow knitted in confusion as she replayed that sentence and tried to see if she could understand it herself, let alone expect him to.
Her choice of words only forced a smile across his lips despite himself. Chris cleared his throat and returned her gaze. "Naturally." He answered with the same sombre expression once he managed to compose himself. Still, had she looked closely, Mary would have seen the twinkle in his eyes.
"Ooooh!" Mary huffed and turned on her heels. How could he stay so calm like that? Did nothing every get under his skin! With a sudden start, Mary realised that she did know of something that might bring down the walls of superiority from which he was presently looking down at her. She paused in mid stride and turned around to face him. She knew she was not being fair but obviously more persuasive methods were going to be required to snap Chris out of his dark mood. Besides, she had to do something to make him feel better or he was never going to let her leave town again. Her lips curled into a smile of pure evil as she took a step towards him.
Chris knew the look as well as the gleam in his eyes. Instinctively, he found himself thinking; things were about to get interesting.
"Chris," she said in a voice that oozed pure sex. "I guess I did misbehave a little."
Chris swallowed, suddenly aware that she was going to play dirty. Real dirty. He should be walking out of here with his skin intact and his virtue in place, but the lustre of her lips as she ran her tongue over its soft pink silkiness kept him rooted to the spot. He felt a little incensed that she was resorting to such tactics but found it quickly diminishing with the seduction that was coming at him with the force of a locomotive.
"Mary, don't even think about it." He warned. "I ain't doing it this way." It was true. He did not want her just because she was trying to pacify his anger. It felt wrong somehow. Although he was starting to wonder why he was giving her such a hard time.
Wrong choice of words, Larabee.
"I'm sorry," her mouth met his as they stood in the middle of the hallway. "I don't rightly know what you mean." Mary looked at him with pure innocence before leaning down to kiss him again.
Her tongue slid past his lips and explored the inner recesses of his mouth; taunting his with slick and seductive movements as Mary pressed herself against him. Chris felt the heat of her body against him and immediately felt stirring's that did not correspond with the irritation he felt. He knew what she was doing and decided that she not going to get away with this. However as her hands slid over his back and through his blond hair, tipping his hat so that it fell to the floor, Chris wondered if he was not being just a little unreasonable.
"This is not going to work." He mumbled when she parted long enough to allow him to catch his breath.
"What's going to work?" She asked softly before loosening her hair from the bun that held it in place. Her hair spilled over her shoulders like a golden cascade and took his breath away as it crowned her lovely face. Despite himself, he felt becoming increasingly aroused, as she lowered her head to his meet his lips once more, except this time it was not his mouth she sought but the sensitive skin of his neck. Chris felt himself weaken at the knees as Mary started nipping gently at the flesh, her tongue doing all sorts of sensuous things as he staggered backwards and came to a stop at the wall. There was a moment of clarity when he wondered if the front door was locked, however as her tongue started licking him gently across the collarbone, Chris decided he did not care.
People ought to knock anyway.
He became aware of her palm sliding down the length of his taut body and closed his eyes at how slowly she glided over her skin, forcing the fabric of his clothes to aid in her caresses as she moved towards his dark trousers. Chris had no idea under the right ministrations; his shirt could produce such pleasurable sensations. Her fingers came to halt at the waistband, before an index finger slipped behind the tough material and belt to trace a seductive line over the velvet soft skin beneath his stomach. Chris closed his eyes and shuddered as he felt his manhood straining to be free of his clothes. Mary slid her other hand lower until her palm could feel his growing erection struggling to meet her bare skin through the cloth.
Mary looked up at Chris and purred. "Why Chris," Mary met his hungry eyes with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "You're not that mad at me." She smiled and removed her hand, feeling him shudder at the sudden withdrawal. However, she did not give him time to protest as her mouth met his again with rising desire of her own. She could feel the heat inside her body at the anticipation of what was waiting for her beneath those too tight pants of his. However, Mary was not about to forget that he had been mean to her so he could just wait a spell while she tortured him a bit.
Chris closed his eyes, running his fingers through her hair as she started working on the buttons of his shirt. He was perfectly aware of what she was doing of course and Chris convinced himself that no amount of teasing by those soft pink lips even when they were at their worst, could convince him to ever let her out of his sight again. Still, it was hard to stay at all objective when Mary's mouth started moving down his neck, her tongue laving every inch of skin in its downward descent. His cock was throbbing so hard behind his pants that Chris knew that he had to get out of them quickly or else he was going to explode from the sheer anticipation of her what her lips were doing to him
The buttons of his shirt came undone and Mary started kissing his chest with soft, innocent kisses that reminded him of his first lover, a sixteen year old who had took delight in exploring his body because it was new to her. Mary lavished him with soft, innocent kisses across his chest reminiscent of a young girl trying to seduce a man for the first time. She carefully avoided his nipples even though she knew perfectly well how sensitive they were to the touch. Her lips against the nubs of erect skin that were hardening with each kiss planted near or around the tender flesh, was driving him insane.
"Mary... ."he tried to speak. "You're going to pay for this." However the pleasure forced him to close his eyes shut and draw his breath into ragged pants as she started licking the skin around his nipples with long, wet lashes of her tongue. Her hands had pinned his to the wall, so he could not even direct her where he wanted her to go. Her grip was firm as she held him in place, fully aware that he was fighting her even though she was pleasuring him. He wanted to be in control. In fact Chris Larabee absolutely craved it in almost every sexual encounter.
Not this time.
When she took his nipple into her mouth, she did so with brutal force. She plucked it into her mouth, gripping the tip with her teeth before her tongue laved it in hard, forceful licks. She could feel him wanting to cry out but he was fighting hard to maintain his dignity. His stomach muscles were clenched to keep himself from verbalising his pleasure but the cock that was starting to peek through the top of his waistband was telling her how utterly aroused he was. As her mouth worked on his nipples, alternating from side to side as she nibbled, nipped and then laved the tip in hot, wet strokes, Mary slid her hand down to his groin and wrapped her fingers around his erection over the fabric.
She looked up to see the muscles in his jaw tighten as he fought to remain silent but the pleasure of her hands as she slid up and down his shaft was beyond description. Mary was capable of driving Chris so insane with desire that their couplings almost set the sheets on fire at how much satisfaction they could achieve from pleasuring each other. However this was the first time she had ever taken charge like this. Her initiative was not only tantalising, it was making him so hard that if she did not do something very soon to alleviate the pressure building in his cock, he was not going to be responsible for his actions.
Suddenly, he felt her slide further down his body as her hands started working the buttons of his trousers fee. God, he was so ready for her to do this! He stared at her mesmerised as she smiled at him; the pure lust in her eyes was enough to make his jaw drop from the sheer expectation of what those incredible lips had in store for his tortured cock. She undid all the buttons and the last thing he saw as his pants were pulled down to his knees, was the crown of gold hair before she slid his hard member as far down her throat as she could.
God, god, god. He was not going to make it.
He tried to hold back, tried to bite down hard so that she would not force it from him but the moment he felt her soft lips sliding up and down his shaft, culminating with an insistent laving on the tip of his cock, his defenses were effectively destroyed. His hands released were running through her hair in complete abandon as she sucked his cock into her mouth with such relish that he had no idea where he was and did not care when he finally surrendered and gave her what she wanted.
"Oh god Mary," Chris groaned out loud, making himself heard and not caring that he had. "Don't stop," he cried again. "Please... ."
Mary tried to smile which was an effort in itself, considering what she was doing and abandoned the idea as her hands massages his heavy sacs, full of semen awaiting discharge. Chris was thrusting into her mouth, his hips swaying back and forth as she gripped his cock with mouth, allowing him to slide so far down her throat that she could gag if she were not careful. However Mary cared little for the discomfort, more enthralled by the idea that he was moaning and groaning with a total lack of control, something he rarely displayed in their lovemaking. She had always let him take the initiative but decided now that had been a mistake.
Still, he was very close and she could not deny how much she wanted to feel this beautiful cock slid into her with its unrelenting ability to make her just as oblivious to anything. She left his mouth and heard the groan of disappointment that escaped him as she slid up to his mouth once again. She kissed him passionately as his hands started tearing at the buttons of the dress she was wearing.
"I want you to take me Chris," she whispered heavily into his ear just before she started sucking the lobe into her mouth. Her tongue ran along the crest of his ear and whispered again. "Right now Chris. I want you take me right against this wall."
Chris smiled at her; one of those smiles that was almost a cruel sneer. Roughly, he ripped the dress from her shoulders, his large hands taking delight in the luxuriant feel of soft skin as he forced the material away and revealed naked flesh. His mouth dug into her neck as he felt the feverish need to taste her as completely as she had tantalised him with her sensuous mouth. What would not come free in his hands, Chris tore without hesitation. The seconds it took for her chest to be free of clothing were seconds too long before Chris slid his mouth over the rosebud nipple on her heaving chest.
Giving her no quarter for preparation, Chris took the tiny nub of dark pink flesh in his mouth and sucked it past his teeth. Unlike him, Mary had no fear of giving herself fully over to desire and the groan of pleasure that escaped her lips as her fingers dug into his back expressed it most clearly. Her skin tasted so good, it never ceased to amaze him how powerfully arousing the salt of her flesh could be in his mouth.
"Oh Chris," she sighed breathlessly as he manoeuvred her around until it was Mary whose back was against the wall. His hand slid up the folds of her dress, until his palm met the firm flesh of her thigh. He tugged at the material, cursing the stockings that kept him from bare skin until finally they were discarded and all the other garments hidden beneath the length of her skirt. He travelled along the gentle curve of her bottom, grabbing its smooth roundedness and relishing the feel of it as he hooked her leg over his hip.
Instinctively Mary ground her pelvis against his, the length of his manhood pressing hard against her leg as he nursed on her nipple hungrily, wondering if close was ever going to be enough when lost in thrall of that insistent nibbling that was sending waves of delight through her. Half delirious with sensory overload, Mary slid his dark shirt over those well honed muscles, groaning with pleasure as she felt the taut skin under her palms. He dropped his arms long enough to discard the shirt completely and it joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor. She ran her hands over his bare back and moaned at how hard the muscle was before her nails raked across them in a spasm of desire.
Chris closed his eyes shut as he felt himself hardening at her sharp nails across his skin, finding pleasure in the pain as she no doubt left red welts across his back. The onrush of feeling shattered the last of his resolve and he left her mouth long enough to divest her of the dress that kept him from having her naked against him. The bundle of cloth slipped from her like a curtain falling. It revealed magnificence in every curve of her breasts, in her slender hips, even in the way her leg had snaked over his hip as his fingers trust deep past the tatch of golden hair that preceded the throbbing folds of her inner passage.
Chris met her mouth fiercely at the same time his fingers were probing inside her. Her gasp was silence by his brutal kisses and she could hardly breathe as she felt him explore her femininity with every intention of finding the weaknesses that would break her into a thousand pieces. His mouth moved over her lips, kissed her flushed face, moved to her ear lobes before devouring the soft flesh where neck and shoulder joined. He remained poised over her, bracing his weight against the wall with one hand while the other prepared her for his eventual entry. They were both naked in the hallway, if one considered the trousers wrapped around his ankles as his being still dressed, beautiful bodies glistening with a fine sheen of sweat as they moved towards apogee.
"Please Chris," she moaned as he felt his fingers pressing gently against her moist walls, each touch sending a surge of warmth coursing through her body. She wanted him so badly, no needed him to be inside her as he drove her beyond arousal, beyond need, beyond caring. "I need you so much." Her breathless voice began to take on the fluidity of a whimper and the desperation in her demands collapsed whatever restraint had thus held him back so far.
She was so wet that it was relatively easy for him to find his way inside her as he positioned himself so that he could impale her deeply with that first initial thrust. The air in his lungs was forced from Chris Larabee when he pulled her leg further around his waist until she was standing on her toes of her other foot when he finally forced himself all the way in with one brutal thrust of his hips. Chris clamped his eyes shut, biting down hard as he buried himself deep inside her, immediately falling prey to the intense pressure of her muscles as they crushed his throbbing cock with beatific pleasure.
"Mary... " He whispered as he began to pump into her hard and forcefully, watching her eyes glistening as her swollen lips quivered with wave after wave of pleasure. "God, Mary." He wanted to sing her name each time he felt himself impact against the abrupt end deep inside her. She was shuddering in delight; her golden hair tossing over shoulders as her head started to sway from side to side from complete abandon. Her hands had dropped down to his rump and she wall pulling him deeper as she started moving with him, until each stroke was making them bounce off each other.
Chris started gasping as he continued to thrust into Mary with such brutal force that his knees felt ready to give out if he dared to pause and allow himself to catch a breath. He had no idea when he was moaning out loud with her because he was too lost with the pleasure of what he was now enduring. Each hard stroke made her grind her hips against him, until she was squirming from the fullness of his engorged cock inside her.
Her mouth met his with feverish passion, until they were breathing each other's heated pants as Mary started to feel herself slip over the edge. His tongue thrust into her mouth as forcefully as his manhood was turning her insides into quivery mounds of tingling flesh, moving with the same rhythm until she felt the last vestiges of sanity, snap with a final rush of explosive pleasure. "Oh lord," she cried out as she felt herself swept away on the crest of a brightly coloured wave. "Chris!" Her body bucked against his in total surrender.
When Chris felt her go, her warm fluids all around his hardened cock made his let out a groan of relief because he knew he could not longer hold on. Her muscles tightened around his erection with such merciless application of crushing pressure that it snapped his control like kindling. She had broken him with such intense pleasure that the satisfaction escaping him when he ejaculated was beyond description. He had been flying so high that when he finally crashed, there was no adequate way to prepare for it.
"Mary!" He growled her name full of guttural intensity, like it was more than a word but the impetus through which he drew breath to live or the hope that allowed him to wish for tomorrow.
He continued pumping into her, forcing all his seed into the deepest crevices of her body, watching the glow in her cheeks as she smiled at the sight of his pleasure. The meeting of hot juices was so sweet, so wonderful that Chris could only collapse against her, knowing the wall was the only thing holding him upright. Chris swallowed thickly as he felt her hold him in her arms, in the way that made him feel so good to be alive where there had only be darkness in his soul once. Chris rested his head against her shoulder, enjoying how she stroked his back with her fingertips.
Mary sighed in complete contentment as she luxuriated in the intoxicating scent of him in her lungs. It was even more tantalising intermingled with the salty smell of their heated bodies after their lovemaking. She rubbed her cheek against his hair, enjoying how wonderful he felt inside her even when he was spent and the frantic passion of a short time ago had melted into something less torrid and steamy.
After awhile he looked up at her, his normally cool blue eyes were warm and twinkling, despite his exhaustion. "I suppose you think this means I'm ready to let you out of my sight again." He teased.
Mary sighed with contentment and responded with the same breath. "I know it does."
Chris looked at her. "You're pretty confident there Mrs Travis. How do you know for sure?"
Mary met his gaze with a smile. "I know for sure because unless you want to be spending the next six months in your shack alone, that's the way its going to be.'
"You'd miss me as much I miss you." He declared confidently.
"I'd be willing to make the sacrifice." She said firmly.
"I had no idea you were so mercenary," he grinned, knowing that she was merely joking with him. Besides, confining Mary to his rules was like trying to lasso a twister and make it stay in one place, utterly pointless. She would get into trouble no matter where she was, that much Chris had come to learn about her long ago.
"I've learnt a few things since I've became such an outlaw." She joked and saw him chuckle slightly at the name he had been teasing her with since their reunion in Winston Falls.
"I noticed." He grinned. "There's just one thing though," he met her eyes seriously.
"What?" Mary asked genuinely puzzled at what he was about to spring on her now. Frankly, she was no longer in the mood for surprises.
"Well, I thought we'd go up to your room," he said suggestively. "And then I'd like to see what you'd look like in my shirt."
Mary did not whether to oblige or hit him. She ended up to doing the former.
"Will you two kindly get lost!" Alexandra Styles growled as she stood in the middle of the boardwalk, glaring at the two men. Vin Tanner on one side of her and Ezra on the other. She felt like she was in a tug of war between these two men although the only ones liable to get torn limb from limb would be themselves, if they did not leave her alone.
"Come on Darlin'," Vin said tenderly, using that husky voice of his that was so irresistible to her, except today. Alex was far too annoyed to let any of his cajoling or coaxing get to her. "It's only a game of poker."
"Exactly," Ezra added his voice to the argument in a renewed attack of solidarity between the two. "Just a friendly game of poker. One game, we do not even require a stake. I just want to satisfy my curiosity."
Alex let out a visible groan knowing that she was not going to get a moment's piece from either of them until she agreed to play Ezra and prove the legitimacy of her gambling skills. Although Vin had been good enough not to mention it during their first night together in days, giving her some respite after their journey from Winston Falls, he had been gently inferring that she ought to satisfy Ezra's burning desire to know if she could really play or not. Alex had no wish to meet Ezra at the gambling table mostly because if she beat him, he would hound her to death until he finally returned the favour by beating her. Frankly, Alex had too much going on in her daily routine to be distracted by such competitive nonsense.
"Why is it so important that we play Ezra?" Alex replied as she continued walking towards Gloria Potter's store to stock up her pantry. After almost a week away, she was in severe need of groceries. "So I won a few dollars." She shrugged her shoulders, trying to down play the incident as much as possible. "I could have just been lucky."
"Darlin' you won $250 in one night." Vin reminded dutifully. "Not even a working girl flat on her back for a week straight could make that kind of money."
Alex whirled around and glared at her lover tempestuously. "Do not mention working girls or bordellos in my presence Mr Tanner." She said icily.
"However, he is apparently correct." Ezra retorted. "Even on a good night, I can come away with a hundred dollars that is of course, the losers do not get perturbed by my luck at the tables. Sometimes, these skills are so hard to live with."
Alex and Vin exchanged glances before rolling their eyes collectively in a mixture of disgust and sarcasm. "And you want me to play poker with that?" She eyed Vin critically.
"I know you can beat him." Vin said confidently.
"No you don't know!" She gushed furiously. "You want me to play so that you can know and personally, I don't care if you don't know whether or not I can play because it's not that important!"
"It is to me." Ezra spoke up indignantly. "How can I live with myself knowing that a woman has thrown all her games of poker with me? How am I supposed to look in the mirror?"
"You better," she snapped. "Or else you'll cut your throat shaving."
With that, she entered the store to do her shopping. Fortunately, neither of the men followed her and Vin found himself laughing at her departing remark to Ezra. The gambler fumed at not getting his answer and sent Vin a dark look when he heard the tracker's laughter. "I thought you were on my side?" Ezra complained.
"I ain't on no one side," Vin pointed out quickly so that Ezra would not misunderstand. He wanted Alex to play because he believed she could do it and because Ezra needed taking down a peg or two after claiming that all Alex could play was 'Go Fish' when it was obvious that she quite skilled to take money from those men. "I just want Alex to beat you, that's all."
"It will be stone cold day in Perdition's Fire before a woman beats me at poker other than my dear mother." Ezra said full of pride. Only Maude had ever been able to beat Ezra at poker and that was mostly because she had taught him everything she knew... well almost everything, that's why she could still beat him. However, to think that a scholarly female could beat him at his own game was more than he could stand. He had gambled in some of the finest places in America and to know that Alex had thrown her games with him, incensed him down to his egocentric core.
"That may be," Vin grinned wickedly. "But I still say she's going to kick your ass."
Alex emerged at few seconds later to find them still waiting outside the store for her to emerge. Alex saw them both and let out a frustrated groan. "I hope you're both still here out some overwhelming need to help me with my bags."
When she was greeted with two guilty expressions, Alex shook her head and disgust and turned on her heels to leave them both behind. "Vin," Alex said before leaving, "if you wish to see me for any other reason, I will be cooking dinner tonight. You can join me if you wish but there will no more talk about gambling."
"Sure." He said hurrying up to her before she left him behind. Vin made her turn around and look at him and Alex was treated with an expression of apology and affection in his small smile. "I understand." He said stroking her cheek with his hand. "I'll see you tonight."
"Okay then," Alex replied, somewhat taken back by the sudden withdrawal on this subject but deciding that she was not going to complain. "I'll expect you this evening cowboy." She offered him an uncertain smile.
Vin turned back to Ezra who promptly hissed. "You traitor!"
"Now Ezra," Vin looked at him reproachfully as Alex started walking away, holding his hand to his lips to signal the gambler's silence. "If Alex doesn't think she's good enough to play you then I don't think its right to force her. I mean just because she's real smart and pretty and a doctor, doesn't mean a lady is any good at poker."
Vin said this loud enough to be heard and succeeded most spectacularly.
Alex whirled around and glared at him with narrowed eyes, reminding him of those furious looks she used to give him when they were in the heat of one of their more intense verbal jousts. Even though her colouring was all-different, Vin could tell that her cheeks were flushed just by the way her teeth were biting down to control her anger. She dropped the bags on the floor and stormed up to him, practically smouldering from rage.
"You low down, dirty rat." She growled quietly. "You know I can play him under the table any day of the week and it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a woman!"
"Then prove it Madam." Ezra grinned, appreciating completely the deviousness of Vin's plan and was able to take the rest from here. Vin had given him a convincing platform to make his final argument.
"Alright," she nodded, deciding that she was going to make them both pay for this. They wanted her to play poker? Fine, she was going to play. "Set it up." Alex said with a glacial tone to her voice. "I'll meet you in the saloon in an hour and bring your money. We're playing for real."
"I shall accept your challenge." Ezra smiled triumphantly at Vin who was trying to wear a neutral expression on his face. In truth, the tracker was wondering just what he had sacrificed in order to gain this particular victory. After all, he had used the unfair advantage of exploiting her abhorrence to being considered anything less than equal because she was a woman.
"And you," Alex turned to Vin and grabbed him by the collar of his buckskin jacket savagely. "You had better be so prepared to make it up to me tonight because I am going to have you begging for mercy!" With that, she picked up her groceries and stormed off.
Ezra and Vin watched her go before the gambler turned to the tracker. "Mr Tanner?"
"Yeah?" Vin said distracted, admiring how seductively her body moved when she was good and mad.
"I think finally understand why you have been walking around here with that grin on your face. You lucky bastard." Ezra remarked, following his gaze.
Vin was still staring after Alex when he said with a grin. "Ain't I though?"
The game had been going on for an hour now.
Somehow, everyone of the seven had managed to be in the saloon for the gambling stand off between Ezra Standish and Alexandra Styles. Even Chris and Mary were present, just to see what the conclusion to this test of wills would be. In fact, it seemed that the saloon was unusually busy today in the wake of the news that Alex and Ezra would be playing a hand of poker solely against each other. No one spoke as the cards were dealt by Josiah who was sitting in as dealer, since no one could find a person with a more impeccable qualifications than the preacher.
The table occupied by the two players was an island in a sea of bodies who kept close watch but remained far enough away to catch every detail of the event. Even Inez, who was behind the bar, was paying close attention to the proceedings as she moved along the length of the counter, ensuring that all the patrons were rarely dry for more than a moment.
"Inez," Buck interrupted despite the tension in the room.
Inez whose eyes were darting from her customers to the gambling table in the centre of the room was in no mind to be distracted by Buck when there was so much going on around her that required her attention.
"What?" She asked quietly, feeling it inappropriate that he be speaking when it was already so quiet.
However, Buck had more important things on his mind rather than Ezra's need to prove himself better than a woman. Since Seacourt had proved how easy it was for him to lose Inez, Buck had been deep at thought trying to find a solution to his dilemma. However, nothing had presented itself and he realised that for once he was going to have to make a decision instead of running away and putting it off, like he did with almost everything else in his life.
He was not willing to risk losing Inez under any circumstances.
"I need to ask you something." He said straightening up and speaking most formally.
The tone of his voice immediately made Inez meet his gaze, because he did not normally look so serious. Buck was all about carefree fun and even though he was utter scoundrel, Inez had to admit rather begrudgingly that it was one of his most endearing qualities. God help her.
"What is it?" She asked, wondering if something was wrong. She could not imagine what that might be since all their friends were presently in the room, a captive audience to Ezra and Alex's display.
"I want permission to court you." He said taking his hat off his head as he asked the question.
Inez's eyes widened, from surprise or astonishment, she was unable to say for certain at the moment. For an instant, she thought he might be joking with her but when she saw that earnest expression on his face, she realised he was completely serious about it. "You're not kidding."
"Of course not." He said trying to hide his exasperation. "What was so funny about him wanting to do the right thing by her? "I would like to court you and I promise there won't be any other women in my life. I am going to do the right thing by you."
Inez was still too astonished by this sudden pledge of commitment. She knew what was at the heart of it of course. Jeremy Seacourt's interest in her had frightened him. On their way home, he had been so attentive to her, despite his attempts not to bring up Seacourt's name. Obviously, this idea to court her had come from some fear of losing her.
"Ain't ya gonna say something?" Buck asked, unable to fathom if her silence was a good thing or not.
"Is that what you want Buck?" Inez finally responded, meeting his blue eyes and loving him more than ever for willing to do this just to keep her. Just when she thought that he was a complete ass, he did something that was utterly charming and flattering.
"Of course it is," he said firmly although she could tell by the look of him that he was not sure about this at all. It was some desperate bid to ensure that he not lose her to someone else as he had almost lost her to Seacourt. "I don't want to lose you." He insisted, clearing away any doubt in her mind.
"Senor Wilmington," she sighed. "I have been thinking a great deal lately and I know that you were frightened by Mr Seacourt but my feelings for you have not changed. I still love you, idiot that you can be and I know your wish to court me is because of some fear that I will run off with someone else."
"That ain't true." Buck hastily countered but knew deep down inside that she was right.
"Buck," she reached for his hand and held it. "I may meet someone else some day and I may not. For right now, I can wait for awhile." She smiled. "When you are ready to come to me with all your heart, I will be more than happy to let you court me."
Buck looked at her uncertainly, not knowing what to say. In a way, he was almost relieved but also wondered if she had ulterior motives for turning him down. However, no sooner than the thought crossed his mind, he knew that Inez would not lie to him. Their relationship may have been fiery, spirited and barely bordering on civil at times but lies and deception was in neither of their vocabularies.
"I am going to marry you some day you know," he said firmly with no doubt or hesitation in his mind. That much he was clear on anyway.
"Maybe you will." Inez smiled and then added with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Or maybe if you wait too long, someone else will."
"Don't count on it." Buck grinned glad that things were somewhere back to normal between them. As normal as they could be anyway. "I'll fight em for you."
"Then let us pray for your sake, it is not a battle of wits." She laughed and went back to serving customers again.
"You better treat me right," he called after her. "You ain't getting any younger."
Inez threw him a tempestuous look and responded in kind. "And you're not getting any smarter."
It had come down to this.
All their money was now in the middle of the felt covered table. There was no doubt in anyone's mind by now that Alexandra Styles expertise did not merely include doctoring. She was indeed a formidable poker player. She had held her own against Ezra throughout most of their game and they were almost evenly matched with neither gaining the advantage. Skill had brought them to this point in the game and now it was left solely in the hand of chance to decide who the winner would be.
While Ezra seemed nervous mostly because he allowed himself to be preyed by thoughts of losing to a woman, Alex on the other hand seemed cool as ever. For her, the gambling had been the least of her concerns. She had been forced into this match by duress and revenge was her only agenda. She was rich enough to be able to stand the loss of the money should it come down to such an outcome and they were less than a hand away from that final moment of truth.
Vin was standing next to Chris and Mary, pleased as punch because as far as he was concerned, he was vindicated in every way, no pun intended. Alex had proved she could play poker better than Ezra or any of them had given her credit. While he would love to see Ezra put in place by being defeated by her, it no longer mattered whether or not she won. She had proven Vin right and that was a victory that was terribly satisfying, if the look on Ezra's face was anything to go by.
"How did you get her to play?" Chris asked as the three of them stood by the bar, watching the proceedings.
"It took some convincing." Vin swallowed, not wanting to discuss really how he had manoeuvred her into agreeing to participate in this venture.
"How?" Mary pressed, "I thought Alex was adamant about not showing her gambling skills to anyone."
Vin cleared his throat and then told them.
Mary laughed at hearing how Alex's refusal had been circumvented. "You are a brave man Mr Tanner." She chuckled, picturing the calamity that was coming at the tracker at full steam when this was all over.
Chris merely met his eyes with a steely gaze and remarked. "I guess there's no kitchen table in your immediate future pard."
"Chris!" Mary exclaimed reproachfully and smacked him on the arm.
"That's all right ma'am." Vin answered good naturedly. "Just don't take no trips to Sweet Water when the Davis gang is supposedly roaming the place."
"You weren't going bring that up again Vin." Chris turned to him with a hint of annoyance.
"And you were going to leave the kitchen table out of it... "
"Boys!" Mary interceded. It was hard to remember they were grown men when they were like this. "And I use the term very accurately here, you're causing a scene."
"Sorry ma'am." Vin replied and turned back to the game before muttering softly with a faint smile. "Davis gang my ass."
Chris sneaked a grin and retorted. "Like you've ever eaten food on that table... ."
Mary rolled her eyes in exasperation and mumbled. "Men. Can't live with them, can't shoot them."
"Do you think Miss Alex will win Nathan?" JD asked as they continued watching the display like spectators at a gladiatorial match.
"She might." Nathan had to admit as he sat at the table with JD and Julia Pemberton. He did not like the idea of the young woman moving about after less than a week sustaining her injuries but Julia had been adamant about being present during this match. He could not blame her. After hearing about Alex's skills in that saloon with those tough men, seeing her beat Ezra was almost worth the effort of escorting Julia to such seedy surroundings.
"I didn't know she could even play." JD said confused. "I mean she always lost when she played Ezra before."
"It's the oldest trick in the book," Julia said to the younger man. "No faster way to catch a man then to let him win."
Nathan gave the woman a stare and then frowned as he remembered all those games of horse shoes he played with Rain on occasion when he visited with her at the Seminole village. In fact, she never ever seemed to win when they played and suddenly, Julia's words started to leave a very unpleasant taste in his mouth. What if Rain were doing the same thing that Alex had done? Suddenly, the idea of riding out to the village to challenge her to a game was starting to look very attractive.
"The oldest trick in the book?" He looked at the Emporium owner.
"There's only one other older." She mentioned with a smile, seeing the kernel of suspicion she had planted in his wrinkled brow.
"What's that?" JD had to know.
"Let me demonstrate." Julia replied taking a deep breath and then saying in her sweetest voice. "Why JD, I can ride and shoot better than you can." Reverting back to her own voice, Julia then added. "Then of course she lets him beat her at all those things."
"But that's what Casey said to me when we first... " His voice trailed off as the realisation hit him and both Nathan and Julia started laughing as the young man understood how completely he had been snared by the most ancient of feminine arts.
Julia was in good spirits today because earlier that morning, Alex Styles had paid her a visit at her home. It was the first time the doctor had ever deign to call on her. They had shared tea, trying to move past the awkwardness that had still lingered even after their adventures in Stone Creek and Winston Falls. Necessity had brought them to a temporary truce but now it was over they were back to where thing had been when they had originally left for Denver.
"I won't lie." Alex had replied. "We didn't get off on the best footing. Stealing another woman's man is never the perfect ice breaker to begin a friendship."
"I'm sorry it went that way," Julia apologised and was surprised when she actually meant it. "I won't lie and say that was a different me because that sort of behaviour has been the heart of who I am. I'm finding a new way to live and its taking some getting use to."
Alex had nodded imperceptibly and then added. "But you were right. Things with Vin had started progressing beyond my control and perhaps it would have ended between myself and Ezra anyway. You were just the catalyst to make things move a little faster."
"I behaved badly," Julia admitted freely. "I cannot take away the pain I caused you so I am only going to apologise once."
It was enough for Alex because the doctor took a deep breath and remarked. "I don't know whether we'll be the best of friends, at this point I'm not even ready to admit that I like you. However, you saved my life and that counts enough to make us sort of even."
It was not the best response that Julia could have hoped for but it did prove that there was nothing Julia Pemberton could do if she set her mind to it.
God, it was good to be bad.
"Are you raising the stake Alex?" Josiah asked now that it appeared that the two parties were down to their last dollar.
Alex stared at the lonely dollar note on her corner of the table and felt that she had played well enough to prove that she was good enough to give Ezra Standish a run for his money. This was never about winning. She took a deep breath and looked at the preacher who had been dealing the cards all this time and had been wearing that bemused expression every time he saw a bead of sweat running down Ezra's forehead.
"No," she sighed and gave her cards one final look of disappointment. "It's not worth my time."
"Then you fold?" Ezra said almost exclaiming it for the entire crowd to hear. The relief in his voice was unmistakable however. Not only was she good, she was very good and he had not met such a formidable opponent since he had left the bright lights of New Orleans and Charleston. Half way during the game when it appeared she might actually win, Ezra was visited with horrible visions of being defeated so publicly; knowing everyone would take great delight in amusing themselves over his loss especially at the hands of a woman.
Alex nodded sombrely. "I guess I do." She threw Vin an apologetic look that showed her regret not being able to win for him.
The tracker smiled warmly, telling her in his cool stare that he did not care for such things. He was proud of her anyway because she had actually made Ezra sweat and that was something almost no one did without the aid of firearms or a particularly large Bowie knife.
Satisfied that she had his support, Alex lay down her cards and turned to Josiah. "I fold."
The sound broke out around them was a mixture of cheering and disappointment as supporters of either opponent voiced their feelings on the outcome of the game. Ezra presented his cards and revealed a full house, a formidable hand to say the least. Easing back into his chair, he wore a smug grin on his face as he rested on the laurels of the sizeable pot before him.
"That was well played Alex." Josiah commented as he collected the discarded cards and started returning them to the deck. "You could not have played any better than Ezra here. It was just luck."
"Yes," Alex said innocently. "Luck does seem to be the vital ingredient."
"Miss Styles, I must say I am impressed." Ezra, ever the gentleman, added politely. "You were a challenging opponent."
"Why thank you Ezra." Alex smiled as she rose to her feet, tired of sitting on this hard chair. "I hope your curiosity is properly sated." She replied as she saw Vin coming to join her at the table.
Around them, the crowd had started to dissipate with the end of revelries, bets made were being settled and the tense atmosphere of the saloon soon disintegrated into something closer to the norm. In either case, Alex had no intention of remaining in such seedy surroundings but she did have one final thing to impart upon the gambler now that they were no longer the centre of attraction.
"By the way Ezra," Alex said quietly, her eyes darting around so that no one would notice her words or what he would discover after she had revealed her parting gesture. "You know that situation between you and me with Julia?"
Ezra knew perfectly well what she meant by that as Josiah picked up the cards she had placed face down when she had folded. "Of course and you know I still feel regret at how I behaved towards you."
"Whatever," Alex dismissed it with a shrug because she had dealt with that hurt long ago but had yet to find the opportunity to avenge herself until now. "I just thought I'd let you know, we're even."
Ezra did not understand and Alex swept out of the saloon without another words, bringing confusion to Vin who was about to join her at the table. Ezra started after her in confusion. "What does that mean?" He asked Vin and Josiah. Vin shook his head blankly, having no idea what Alex meant by that enigmatic statement.
"I think it means this." Josiah said barely stifling a guffaw as he revealed her hand to Erza and Vin. The tracker started laughing and Josiah found himself unable to resist joining in that infection expression of amusement as Ezra stared open mouth at the cards Alex had held when she had chosen to fold and let him win.
A perfect Royal Flush.
THE END