“All right,” I say, pleased that he isn’t holding a grudge in this case. “He did also say that, as of now, Maddock has refused to lodge an official complaint that states I was letting him win before, so we don’t have that to worry about either. There’s nothing on record. See, told you I’d fix it. Besides this last part…which I still would.”
“No,” Aiden murmurs, giving me a look. “You’ve done plenty.”
I smirk. “Hardly anything.”
“We were nearly shottwiceon the way here.”
“Well…it was a long journey. Might have been dull otherwise,” I defend. “I did offer to take the train.”
Aiden shakes his head. “No more trains.” He sighs. “We should probably get a wagon.”
“We had one.”
“One that’sours.”
“Right.”
“Just so we’re not carrying everything with us all the time,” Aiden further explains. “You hide the rest of the money this morning?”
“Depends on your definition.”
“That mean you burned it all?”
“Most of it. Should be enough left for your wagon and anything else that might catch your fancy.” Aiden shakes his head again, but I can tell he’s trying not to smile.
“Oh,” I say before we leave the topic entirely. “I did also send some money to Charley.”
“Who?” Aiden stows his gun again—formerlymygun since he had been kind enough to offer to hang onto this one while I obtained a new matching set. Something about how itmade good sense, and nothing at all about how he thought it might be good fortune, since he doesn’t put faith in such things. Similar to how one of my black hatsjust fits him betterandwhy bother getting a new one if what we have will do?
My response, that thebotherwas that he deserved to have things from someone who loves him, was met with a long period of tight-lipped silence before he responded, “Well, now I do.”
That, along with him spending the night showing me what types of things he feltIdeserved, had managed to mostly put an end to the topic. Although, we had at least agreed for the sake of common decency and self-restraint that I could buy him some new clothes.
“You probably wouldn’t know that name,” I admit, giving him a pass in this case on his typical reluctance to learning more than a select few people. “He was the old cowboy at the poker table in Soldana. Honest sort. Good man like Clayton. Gave Maddock a hard time whenever he could, so while I didn’t end up taking any of his money, I felt like giving him something for that at least.”
Aiden nods. “Not taking from men like that should be considered one of our rules. Not that either of us would.”
“Our rules?”
He shrugs. “Was thinkin’ we should have some. Like Dolly does. Rule one can be that we don’t take from good men. Rule two can be…”
“That they think they’re untouchable,” I offer, watching as a hired coach comes into view.
Aiden straightens, head high as he subtly leans into my shoulder. “I still can’t believe he agreed to this.”
“Pride goeth,” I murmur, leaning back.
“And idiocy before that.”
The coach stops directly in front of us, the door promptly swinging open as the three occupants shuffle out before the coach is gone again. The driver apparently not eager to be a witness, and seeing the assembled party, I can understand why.
“Nice of you to finally come out of hiding,” Maddock says to Aiden, the former heir looking quite a bit less pampered than the last time I saw him. Also looking quite a bit less influential, since the only people he now has tailing him are an extremely anxious-looking Arty and another equally uncomfortable man with a notepad. When Aiden doesn’t immediately respond, Maddock’s eyes flick to me. “See that you’re still associating with criminals.”
“Better company,” Aiden replies coolly, folding his arms across his chest as he meets Maddock’s gaze. “Better morals, too, more often than not.”
His former employer sneers, his fury intensifying when I politely offer my own greeting. “Hi Maddock, how’s the family been keeping?”
He takes a step forward but when Aiden does the same, putting himself between us, Maddock seems to think better of it. “I’ve brought a reporter here from Galveston,” he says, gesturing to the tidy man with the notepad. “He will be acting as a witness to these events.”