Even though the kid had fixed up the place, it was obvious that Isabelle did not feel comfortable being there. Honestly, Deadshot did not feel comfortable leaving them there as well. Quincy knew where their ranch was, and if he was going to go looking for Isabelle, that would be the first place.
They were all seated in the living room. The kid had started a fire in the fireplace, and Isabelle had made them some coffee. To anybody else, they would have looked like a happy family, but they weren’t. Isabelle and the kid were happy in the sense that they had each other’s backs, but their family had been broken apart. Isabelle’s husband and the kid’s father was dead, and Sarah was out there somewhere with a murdering psychopath. As for Deadshot, he wasn’t a part of their family at all. He was simply there because the kid had asked him for help. Once he had found Sarah and all of it was over, he would have to go back to his house and carry on with his life alone.
Deadshot did not like that idea at all, and the fact that he didn’t like it upset him even more. He used to be perfectly happy being alone, and it shouldn’t bother him now.
“I think you two should stay at my cabin while I go look for Sarah,” he stated. “It’ll be much safer there.”
Isabelle’s face lit up. “You wouldn’t mind doing that for us?”
“Not at all,” Deadshot replied. “As long as you agree to take care of my vegetable garden.”
Isabelle laughed at that, and Deadshot’s heart sped up. He shook his head and pushed the feeling away. There was no use in getting attached to her or the kid. It would only hurt him once this was all over and he had to say goodbye. He had spent his entire life without forming any attachments. It was better that way.
“Quincy was here at your ranch, and he might come looking for you, but he hadn’t been at my cabin. He doesn’t know where it is.”
“That’s true,” the kid agreed. “He only sent some of his men after me, and you killed all of them that night. Nobody would have known where I went.”
“It’s settled then,” Deadshot said. “It’s too late to leave now. We’ll stay here for the night, and then we’ll head to my cabin before sunrise. We should be able to get there by noon if we leave early enough.”
They were all tired, but none of them wanted to go to sleep in separate rooms, so they ended up sleeping in the living room. Isabelle and the kid slept on one couch, and Deadshot slept on the other. The couch was too small, and his legs stuck over the end, but it was so much better than the hard ground, and he fell asleep quickly.
The next morning, Isabelle made breakfast for them, and then they headed to Deadshot’s cabin. Once they got there, Deadshot would make sure they were settled in, and then he would restock his supplies and be on his way. He had no ideawhere Quincy would have taken Sarah, so his plan was to head back toward the desert and find one of the closest towns to the cave. He would start his search there, and hopefully, it wouldn’t be as difficult to find Quincy and Sarah as it was to find Quincy’s original hideaway.
The three of them were discussing Deadshot’s plans when they came to a sudden stop. There on the cabin’s porch stood none other than Quincy and a very pregnant girl whom Deadshot immediately knew was Sarah. Her belly was enormous, and she looked absolutely terrified as Quincy readjusted the pistol against her head. Next to him stood three armed men, ready to attack if necessary.
“Deadshot,” Quincy said, his voice filled with venom. “So glad you could join us.”
“Quincy,” Deadshot greeted, readying his hand. “Didn’t know you knew who I am.” It was true. They had never met before, but Quincy must have done some digging after he left the cave with Sarah.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Quincy replied. “I couldn’t care less about you. I just want my gold back that the kid stole.”
“And then what?” Deadshot asked. “Do we get Sarah in return?”
Quincy only hesitated for a second. “Sure, why not? But first, I want my gold.”
Deadshot did not believe a word he was saying. There was no way he was simply going to hand over Sarah while she was carrying his child. There was also no way that Deadshot was going to allow Quincy to go free.
“I have a better idea,” Deadshot said, taking a deep breath. “Why don’t you and I have a shootout? Winner takes all.”
Excitement washed over Quincy’s face. “It’s been ages since I’ve been challenged to a standoff.”
“Well, now’s your chance to show everybody that you’re still the best.” Deadshot knew that Quincy wouldn’t be able to refuse a duel. The man was known to always accept a challenge.
“All right,” Quincy agreed. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
“We’ll do it in the city center this afternoon at four. We’ll bring the gold. You bring Sarah.”
Quincy laughed excitedly. “I’ll see you there, bounty hunter.”
Chapter 45
Needless to say, Isabelle was in quite a state after Quincy left with Sarah. On the upside, they knew that Sarah was still alive. That fact eased Isabelle’s mind a little, but she couldn’t get herself to calm down. Deadshot tried to assure her that everything would be okay, but she simply didn’t believe him.
“What if he kills you?” she asked, pacing up and down in his living room.
“He won’t. I’ll make sure of it. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Quincy has never lost in a duel. You told me that yourself,” the kid pointed out.
