"No one leaves once they’ve started,” Sampson said, answering his unspoken question. “Some of it's the pay, which is decent enough. But mostly, they stay out of fear." His gaze bored into Gil's. "Everyone's afraid Mick will hunt them down or find their families if they try to leave."
The words churned in Gil’s gut. He swallowed hard and forced the next question out. “What about Jess? What does he do to her?”
"His daughter?” Sampson shrugged, dropping his gaze back to the ground between them. "I don't know much about her situation."
Frustration pressed through him. Not that he would expect Sampson to know her well. But did Jess have no one she could confide in? No one who helped her?
Maybe Ezekiel?
Sampson lifted his eyes again. "I’ve never spoken to her, but she comes up here once or twice a day. She only talks to the men who are sick or injured, and Ezekiel tells her who they are."
He would have to learn Jess’s secrets from her then. But one thing Sampson might know… "Have you found the sapphires they stole from our ranch?"
Sampson’s eyes narrowed. "Forget about those.” His gaze hammered into Gil. “They’re not worth getting killed over.” Henodded toward the mountain behind them. "You take your newwifeand get out of here as quick as you can." He paused to swallow hard. "Pretend you never heard of Mick McPharland."
Gil clenched his fists to keep from grabbing his brother’s shoulders to shake some sense into him. “I'm not leaving without you."
The sapphires didn’t matter, not compared to convincing Sampson to flee. "Come with me. You don't belong here."
His brother wouldn’t meet his gaze now.
Gil pressed. “Don’t you want to get away from here?"Please say yes.
But when Sampson finally looked up again, he shook his head hard. "I can't leave yet."
Yet?
"Why not?"
Sampson took in an audible breath, then let it out slowly. His voice was so low, Gil barely heard the words. “This is the place I have to be right now. To learn what I need to.”
What kind of answer was that? "Learn what?"
Sampson shook off the question. "Take the girl and go."
He started forward, past Gil and around the boulder the way they’d come, and Gil shifted to follow. Just before Sampson stepped into view of anyone who might happen along, he faced Gil one last time. The hardness had left his expression. "It's good to see you, Gil."
If only the circumstances could have been different.
Gil’s throat ached. "We miss you. Everyone's worried."
A hint of a smile tugged at one corner of Sampson's mouth. "Tell them I’m fine. Now go on home." With that, he turned and walked back toward the mountain.
Gil had no choice but to do the same.
CHAPTER 10
Jess soaked in the aroma of frying bacon as she turned the strips in the frying pan the next morning. So far, Gil and her father still slept. She didn’t have to wonder why Gil was extra tired this morning.
When he’d slipped from his covers in the night and crept out of the cave, she’d followed of course. She’d expected him to search for his brother.
And Sampson had already been up to meet him.
Had they somehow scheduled the meeting? Or were both so desperate for conversation with the other that they’d had the same idea without planning it?
She’d crept close, straining to hear their words, but only caught snippets—sapphiresandwife.
Didwifemean her? Possibly. Sampson must be curious how his brother could be suddenly wed to his boss’s daughter. Had Gil told him the truth?
