Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

C al was dreaming again, and just like the other nights of sleep since bringing Jesse into town, his thoughts seemed not to want to let him go. Each day he was able to tuck away a couple hours of decent rest, he was tormented by the wild outlaw that had burrowed into his head. Or he relived the same discolored memory of West leaving for the war.

Ever since losing his necklace, the connection between Cal and his brother had gotten more sideways in his mind. This time around, West was leaving again, but he was almost like a shadow of himself, a faint glimmer of the man Cal had known and adored. His voice seemed far away, his wording incorrect and in the wrong language, and his eyes seemed…

Empty?

"West." Cal moved to try and catch him. "Wait… wait! If you go, I'll never see you again!"

"I can't stop you… you never listen."

He never said that to me.

"Why can't I find you? What happened to you? Goddammit, West. I need you to be home. I can't think straight anymore! Why has this gotten so fucked up?!" Cal wasn't sure what he was talking about anymore, if it was missing his lost brother who he'd failed or if it was about how lost and lonely he was feeling around Jesse.

West was smiling over his shoulder again, no more than a faint ghost among the setting sun over a starry night, the color scheme all wrong and backwards. When had this beautiful memory turned into a nightmare? This was the last thing he had of West, and it was all wrong.

"I'll find you," Cal whispered, wanting so badly for the dream to be right again, for the ache to stop. "I'll find you, West."

West's smile faded, his eyes suddenly snapping into crystal clarity to pierce into him like a twin set of silver blades.

"No, you won't. Because I don't want you to find me. You've lost me, little brother."

"Cal!"

Mack's voice sent him shooting up in bed, panting in alarm and reaching for his gun hanging on the bedpost beside him. Mack was scrambling inside, coming to a halt at the bedroom door, sweating and winded.

"Cal, we've lost him!"

A wave of icy dread flooded Cal so quickly that he lost all ability to speak, his throat tightening and his heart seizing.

"What?" Cal managed to push out, his world slightly blurry around the edges.

"Jesse! We've fucking lost him!"

Another stab, a knife twisted in his chest. Unable to do much else, Cal shook his head, desperate to understand.

Lost him. Lost West. Lost Jesse. Lost. Lost?

"He fucking escaped! Knocked Cody out and split!"

Cal inhaled and let the painful spiking in his heart calm down slightly before he swallowed and blinked back the blur in his vision. Getting to his feet, Cal finally was able to pull his shit together.

"Is Cody alright? "

"Yeah, just a goose egg on his head, but he's okay. Cal." Mack made his way to Cal, studying him closely before lowering his voice. "He had your keys."

"What? My keys?" Cal barked, offended. "No, he doesn't—"

Swiping a hand over his pockets, he realized with a slap that he didn't have his keys. The panic and dread that had flooded him slowly started to boil into rage. A deep, betrayed rage that cooked on high fucking heat.

"That son of a bitch," Cal ground out, his pulse throbbing in his temples. "Son of a bitch!"

Cal was moving now, ripping his shirt over his head and practically tearing his pants off his legs as he made his way to his rifle hanging near the door. Mack was following, trying to say something to calm him down, but Cal's racing heart was too loud in his ears.

"Which way did he fucking go?" Cal bit out, stomping outside, nude and pissed.

Mack grabbed him by the arm and spun him around.

"Cal! What the hell is the matter with you? I haven't seen you this pissed off in a long time." Mack's hazel eyes were steeped in concern, his brows furrowed. "You gotta calm down."

"Which. Way. Did. He. Go?" Cal punctuated through his teeth, unable to reel in the hurt consuming him. Jesse had used him, played him so goddamn well that he made a mocking sonnet out of something Cal had tucked away as a treasure.

You knew he wasn't yours.

You did this to yourself.

Like hell that mattered now. Cal was going to find that fucker and drag him back kicking and screaming.

Mack straightened himself and pointed a very displeased look of disappointment his way, moving his jaw to the side to likely bite his cheek and not fire off with something hurtful. He gave a nod eastbound and muttered, "East on horseback, according to a witness. "

With that, Cal shifted and took off running after the man who'd stomped all over his stupid, foolish heart. Mack yelled after him about him being long gone, probably something about having a weapon, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered other than catching up with him and bringing his sorry ass back to jail.

Once he was about an hour east, avoiding any roads and trying to cover his tracks as much as he could, Jesse took a break from riding and washed off in a nearby river. The river was long and wound through the area, and Jesse knew better than to follow it outright because he was sure they'd be following him soon enough. To avoid his horse and himself from falling over, he had to try and swing back around to it to get refreshed and hydrated.

Sitting by the bank, Jesse washed his face and let the cold water cool him off from the heat of the summer sun. Normally, he'd have a canteen, some food, way more supplies than just a gun and a horse, but hell… at least he was free. Cooper and Jesse's little niece were a couple days' ride, and he was sure he could make it slow and steady. He'd have to get to them before Cal coughed up his last name and the marshal could send word to his family demanding information.

It was hard for Cooper's stupid mistakes and crippling gambling problem not to make Jesse beyond furious at the situation it had put them all in. There wasn't a chance in hell Jesse would have taken up with the Iron Bandits if he wasn't scrambling to save his big brother's ass. But that was neither here nor there at that point. Things were all cocked sideways as it was, and bitching about it wasn't going to change a damn thing.

Even with the threat of death and his family's welfare hanging in the balance, there was still a small voice whispering in the back of his mind asking how Cal was taking all of this. The man couldn't be surprised that he still tried to escape, even after everything. The sheriff wasn't stupid, he knew there was no chance in hell Jesse was going to avoid swinging and sure as shit wasn't about to cough up any information about the Bandits to save his skin. Fleeing was all he had, even if that meant putting Cal in a really bad way.

Losing a prisoner couldn't be good for a man of the law, especially one meant to be a message not to screw with powerful people.

And breaking his heart.

Jesse laughed bitterly. They had a fun night together, played some poker, and swapped stories.

That ain't love, you dipshit.

Even still, it hurt to know he'd never see the man again after this. Hurt more to know that running didn't mean the same to the sheriff as it did Jesse. He'd become a little smitten with the stupid man because of course he would. Nothing could ever be simple.

"Like that asshole would see anything beyond that goddamn badge anyway," Jesse muttered, splashing his face and taking a good gulp of water from his cupped hands. "I'm not in love with him. I'm just a jackass."

"In love with who?"

A voice took him off guard, causing him to jerk to attention with his hand on his gun. A couple feet away, resting his folded arms on a half-submerged rock in the river, was a youthful-looking man with deep, black hair that gleamed a purple hue in the sun. Shirtless, the man was tan and fit, almost hairless, and Jesse wasn't sure the state of undress his lower half was since it was hidden by the big rock he leaned on.

The man cocked his head to the side and watched him with an almost playful expression.

"Didn't anyone tell you eavesdropping is rude?" Jesse relaxed, squatting back down by the river to continue washing his face .

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I was passing by, and you were talking out loud about being in love with someone."

"I ain't. Did you hear the rest of it?"

"That you're a jackass?" He grinned. "Yeah, I heard that too." When Jesse ignored him, moving to head back to his horse, the man spoke again. "You running from someone?"

That made Jesse pause a little too long, his brain running to the wrong conclusions quickly before he aimed a weak, charming smile his way. "Not running. Just leaving."

"You ain't have much in the ways of supplies, stranger."

"You got any for sale?"

"You got any money?"

"You're looking at what I got." Jesse spread his arms out at his crumpled clothing, stolen gun, hat, and horse. When the man took his time properly sizing him up with a slow up and down of his eyes, Jesse was a little amused by how it didn't affect him like it typically would. If a man like that was giving him that look a week ago, he'd be excited as hell at the prospect. Now?

Now, I don't feel a damn thing. Fucking Centaur.

"Maybe we can think of an arrangement." The man licked his lips slowly, and Jesse let out a snort.

"Not interested."

"Oh." He raised his dark brows. "Cause you're in love with someone."

"I'm going now." Jesse grabbed his horse's reins and heard a splash behind him. Glancing back toward where the man had been just moments ago, the rock was now void of any beautiful strangers. Jesse glanced up and down the river, wondering for a heartbeat if maybe the man slipped and fell under.

"Shit." He dropped the reins and moved to the water's edge, peering around with his hands on his hips. The water was quiet, no thrashing desperation of a drowning man anywhere that he could see. The deep, greenish-blue water of the river whispered by with the soft sounds of nature, sparking with the warm rays of sunshine.

Movement under the surface drew Jesse's eyes to a large form making its way back upstream with slow ease. At first, it seemed to be a person swimming toward him, but the bottom half tapered to a point instead of shaping two human legs. The figure moved up to where Jesse had been kneeling and surfaced, and the pretty stranger from before pulled himself up onto a rocky ledge to sit with some items in hand.

Closer now, Jesse could make out the sculpted skin that was in fact totally hairless beyond what was on his head, the long, slicked-back purple hair brilliant when wet and shining in the sunlight. His eyes were a haunting lilac with flecks of blue, which matched the brilliant scales on his fishtail lower half. Just below the man's hips, his tan skin melted seamlessly into the tail, like how Cal's Centaur half did just below the navel.

The man was gorgeous and moved with the grace of a koi fish, even out of the water.

"Here," the man said, holding out a simple, silver canteen and a line of about four fat fish. "So you don't go die out there."

"You're a mer—"

"Iara? Yep." The man slowly moved his long fin under the water and tucked his hair behind his ear. "I'm not much of a maid; I can promise you that."

"Iara. Right." Jesse never knew what they called themselves, since he never met one in his life before, and moved to take the gifts offered. Just as he reached them, the cheeky Iara pulled them back just out of reach and gave him a smirk.

"What's your name, mister?"

"Jesse."

"Jesse…" He rolled it around on his tongue, then slowly handed him the canteen and fish. "I hope you figure out that whole, not-in-love-but-obviously-are situation, Jesse. "

"Yeah, thanks." He plucked the items from the Iara's hands before retreating back with a tip of his hat. "Take care, then."

"Take care, Jesse." He smirked, watching him go from his perch by the river.

As the afternoon sun started to drift lower, Jesse broke away from the river since he had water and food to eat. Finding some relief from the sun, he found a good cliffside to stop and cook the fish gifted to him a couple hours earlier. The fresh-water fish tasted damn good and helped give him a boost of energy after traveling for so long. Cody's horse seemed to be doing alright, grazing nearby and sticking close to their little makeshift camp.

After finishing up his meal, Jesse stood and started kicking dirt over his dying campfire when something caught his eye. Off in the distance, back west of the direction he'd come from, was the unmistakable shape of a horse. Squinting, Jesse peered out with his hand blocking the sun to try and see if anyone was attached to said horse. As soon as it registered that someone was astride, the rider picked up speed and started to gallop.

"Shit." Jesse abandoned his fire and rushed to his stolen horse, leaping on and kicking it into a run. He had been spotted, but that didn't mean he couldn't shake whoever had been sent after him. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw the figure was still running his way, but no other people were seen in the distance. There was no way in hell they'd send someone alone to capture him. Jesse figured the sheriff would have sent his whole crew after him or at least two or three of them.

The sky was clear of any Native Skinchanger, so at least he had that blessing, but the rider wasn't slowing down. Cody's horse was already huffing and tired from the long journey. The poor animal's stamina waned, but Jesse kept urging it to go fast, to keep going just a little longer. Out east, there wasn't much in the ways of cover or places to shake a pursuer, so the only course of action was to run and eventually shoot. The last thing Jesse wanted was to have to gun down anyone, but the rider was giving him little choice.

By the time the figure had gained significantly, there was no doubt in Jesse's mind who it was that was running him down like a stallion from the mouth of hell.

Cal tore through the landscape with eyes locked on Jesse, rifle strapped to his back and a hateful look in his eye.

"Don't make me shoot you!" Jesse screamed back at him as the Centaur started closing in on him. Cody's horse tried its best to keep going but was losing speed fast. Cal looked too determined and pissed off to be tired, but there was no mistaking the sweat coating not only his naked torso but foaming on his hide. The thunder of hooves roared through the otherwise silent surroundings as Cal inched up alongside the tiring horse and reached out, putting his hand to the animal's neck.

"Cal, goddamnit!" Jesse ripped his pistol free and cocked it, aiming it right at the man's head. "I don't want to have to kill you!"

Cal knew he was full of shit. The man's dark eyes locked right with his in a bold, angry glare, panting from exhaustion and fury. Cussing, Jesse eased the hammer back down and pulled it away as his horse slowed and started to ease its pace, Cal whispering for it to calm and stop. The animal did as Cal asked, slowing down to a full stop and seemed to want nothing more than to be close to the man who had come to its rescue.

"So." Jesse sighed as he pushed his gun back into the waistband of his pants. "What now?"

Jesse's eyes were as big as saucers as Cal ripped the jackass clear off his mare by the front of his shirt. Without something under him, Jesse kicked and tried to gain purchase as Cal held him up off the ground by his shirt, both fists wringing the material tight in his grasp.

"What now?" Cal hissed, giving the man a good shake to drive home how incredibly pissed off he was. "What now is I take you back to fucking jail, you piece of shit!"

"Back to jail? Are you insane?" Jesse screamed, grabbing Cal's wrists with both of his hands and glared up at him as he dangled.

"What did you think was going to happen? Huh? I was gonna let you just run off into the sunset? You really think I'd let that happen?"

"You're taking me back to my death! You really expect me to just sit around and wait for them to hang me? You're a stupid son of a bitch if you think I'm gonna lie down and take that!"

"I'm trying to save you, you fucking idiot! Running away after assaulting someone sure as hell ain't gonna sit well with anyone. You're just sprinting your way to a goddamn firing squad." Cal spoke through his teeth, anger causing a vise grip around his temples that dulled the ache in his arms and burning in his chest. The red-hot fury blinding him helped ease how utterly exhausted he was from tracking him down, how worn thin he was from the emotional turmoil this stupid asshole had caused him.

"No one's here. It's just me and you. You can put me down, and I can vanish," Jesse spoke, gripping Cal's wrists and trying not to squirm. "You can tell them you lost me."

Disgusted, Cal let him drop to his feet to stagger to the side, almost crashing to the earth. "No one would believe that. If I can find you, Jack sure as hell can find you. He was a bounty hunter for years before he took the badge. He'd find you, and you'd be good as dead."

"So what? You want me to just walk back to town and wait patiently to get my neck snapped? Is that what you fucking want, lawman? Am I that big of a fucking trophy for you?" Jesse spat, venom lacing each word so it stung a little more, cut a little deeper .

Cal shifted back to his human form so he could be eye to eye with the man, not giving a goddamn he was naked as a jaybird.

"You used me," he hissed, unable to curb the hurt in his tone. "You picked my fucking pocket."

"Used you?" Jesse laughed, stabbing Cal so deep in the heart he almost forgot how to breathe. "You didn't seem to care about me using you when your dick was down my throat. What did you think, Sheriff? Huh? We had a little bond because we swapped some come? Is that what you thought?"

He stepped up close to Cal, his once pretty whiskey eyes now a vicious tint of ugliness Cal could hardly stand.

Jesse leaned in like he was going to whisper something affectionate. "You ain't the first badge I've tugged into a free ride out of jail, doll. You ain't special."

Cal balled his fist to punch the man in the nose, setting his jaw from the surge of anger that flooded his senses like a blast of fire to the soul. The fragile grip he had on the situation was slipping fast, and his heart felt like it was falling to pieces. There was no way to grasp how stupid he felt in that moment, how ashamed and broken. Instead of hauling off and punching the man, he just tucked the pain back into the same place he kept his broken promise to West.

Locked away and stored, to quietly ache and turn into nightmares.

"You're coming back with me." His voice sounded hollow, even to him, but he couldn't seem to care. Jesse didn't respond right away, and Cal's broken heart made it seem like the handsome, devious face before him flashed with something like remorse before hardening again.

"And if I refuse?" Jesse lifted his chin defiantly.

"It wasn't a question." Cal reached back to the rope strapped to the rifle holster. "If you're going to try and shoot me, do it now."

Jesse's jaw ticked, and his eyes swept over Cal's face before he slowly shook his head. "You really don't care they're gonna kill me."

"Put your wrists together, Jesse." Cal wasn't able to keep the ice from his words, the coldness of it all numbing him to the core. Complying silently, Jesse stood in silent hatred as Cal bound his wrists and shifted back to his Centaur form. Grabbing the tired mare's reins, he began walking back toward Stallion Ridge, holding onto Jesse's rope like a leash.

"You're gonna make me walk the whole way back?" Jesse asked, staggering some as Cal tugged on the rope.

"Yep."

"You're a real asshole, you know that?" Jesse spit, but Cal ignored him, hoping the man would stay silent for the sake of his sanity.

Luckily, Jesse seemed not to be in the chatting mood as they walked. They didn't stop often except to get water or to rest for a couple short bursts. Cal stuck to the river once they got back to it, following the water back up toward town.

"Hey, Cal," sang a voice from the river bank, a body hopping up to sit on a large fallen tree trunk near the water. The man flashed a charming smile Cal's way as he tucked his long, purple hair back. "Oh, you found him!"

"Yeah, I found him. Thanks, Wade." Cal couldn't manage to smile back, but he gave the Iara a polite nod.

"You tattled on me?" Jesse's jaw dropped as he stared at the smiling merman.

"Aw, poor thing. Of course I did. I would never keep anything from the sheriff." He batted his pretty eyes Cal's way.

Jesse ground his teeth and mumbled something to himself, learning the hard way to never trust an Iara. If Cal had been in a much better mood, he would have laughed outright at the man's folly or told him you had to give them something for their silence, but he didn't care to tell Jesse a goddamn thing.

It was dusk by the time they got back to town, Mack and Cody waiting on the steps of the jailhouse with a very smug, annoyed-looking Jack.

"Well, well," Jack announced flatly. "How was your vacation?"

"Not so bad. Got to meet a backstabbing Iara and eat some fire-roasted fish." Jesse tried to adjust his wrists some from the ropes. "Bit tired though."

"You're gonna be sore by the time I'm done with you." Cody fumed, getting to his feet to pummel the prisoner who'd caused the large knot on his forehead. The thing still looked swollen and angry, but Elliot had most likely given him something to keep it from looking too monstrous.

Mack stepped in and put the younger man back on the steps, going to Cal to take the rope.

"I got it," Cal said, accepting the Kadah instead and shifting back down to his human size. "Jack, can you keep watch tonight?"

"I can do that." Jack eyed Jesse like he was already a dead man, giving Cal another twist in his guts.

"Give me a minute." Cal grabbed Jesse by the back of his collar and shoved him up the steps, the push almost knocking the man onto his face before he could catch his balance and walk inside. Exhaustion was settling deep as Cal crossed the jail's threshold with Jesse's stiff form in front of him, glaring down at his boots. As Cal untied the ropes and opened the cell door, Jesse finally spoke up.

"Cal…"

"Don't," Cal warned.

"What I said before…"

"Can't be unsaid. You're right. You don't mean shit to me. You're a goddamn outlaw who made his bed. Now fucking lie in it," Cal hissed, not meaning a damn word of it but hurting too much to care as he shoved him the rest of the way into the cell.

Jesse shut up, and Cal didn't look back as he walked out of the jailhouse.

"I started building the gallows behind the jailhouse." Was the first thing out of Jack's mouth as Cal walked down the steps. The news almost made his feet falter.

"Gods." Cal scrubbed a hand over his face. "You can't give me a fucking break, can you?"

"Sorry my job is inconveniencing you, Sheriff. But that little gallivant just sped shit up a little bit. That kid's gonna hang after this crap, no ifs, ands, or buts, and it's happening as soon as I finish."

"What about the Wraith, Jack? He saved my life," Cal yelled.

"And he knocked out Cody, stole a horse, and ran. Assault, more theft, and evading arrest. He's done, Cal!" Jack waved a hand at the jailhouse. "Why are you defending this piece of shit? He made you look like an idiot!"

"What the fuck." Cal felt his body wanting to shift, to turn into something big and powerful and beat the shit out of the son of a bitch who was throwing everything back into his face. It was too raw, too true, and hurt too goddamn much.

"Whoa, easy, easy… gentlemen." Mack slipped in, putting his hand on Cal's shoulder and easing them apart. It was only then, with a calming breath, that Cal realized he had stepped up close to Jack and caused the man's eyes to flare with confrontation. They had been about to fight, and not in a human way.

"Why don't you get some rest, boss. Nothing's happening tonight. We can talk about all this in the morning. Right, Marshal?" Mack looked over at Jack, his hand still on Cal's shoulder.

Jack sniffed, turned to the side, and spit, never taking his eyes off Cal.

"That's right," Jack agreed. "Let's revisit this tomorrow once we had time to… properly evaluate the situation."

"Nothing happens unless I'm present. You owe me that, Jack," Cal said through his teeth.

"I don't owe you shit, Calhoun, but I'll wait for you out of professional courtesy. Now, go the fuck home and rest. You look like warmed-over death." The big Minotaur walked past him, brushing his shoulder harshly as he did, his heavy footfalls disappearing into the jailhouse behind him.

"You alright?" Mack asked. "What happened, Cal?"

"I need to sleep," he mumbled, pulling away from his concerned friend to head toward his house. "Come get me if anything happens."

"You got it, boss…" Mack said with a heavy sigh, and Cal knew his friend was worried about him. Hell, he'd be worried about Mack if he looked half as bad as Cal felt.

And he felt like a stampede had just trampled his heart into the earth.