The Circle Eight: Tobias by Emma Lang

Author:Emma Lang
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Beth Williamson
Published: 2015-02-20T16:00:00+00:00

As promised, or threatened, Deputy Ellis appeared right after the sun. Tobias sipped at coffee while Rebecca coaxed Will to eat some eggs. Ellis swaggered in, his copious ego filling the room. He wasn’t a bad looking fellow, but his self-important stupidity made him ugly.

Tobias wanted to punch him.

He represented all that had gone wrong in Tobias’s life. The law hadn’t protected Pops when Vaughn Montgomery stole his deed and money. Then Pops grew ill and died, leaving his foolish oldest son in charge. The law didn’t protect the little ones when Tobias failed to be a good substitute father.

The law sure as hell didn’t protect Will from the bastards who tried to kill him. And now the law was there to arrest Tobias for protecting his brother. It was twisted, the way the law worked. And Tobias was damn sick and tired of it.

“I’m here to take my prisoner into custody,” Ellis announced to the room.

Tobias slurped the hot brew. “I ain’t your nothing.”

Ellis frowned. “The agreement was you’d go to jail in the morning. You going back on your word?”

“I didn’t give my word.” Tobias slurped again, enjoying the annoyed expression on the other man’s face.

“Somebody gave me their word. I ain’t leaving here without you in custody.” Ellis’s hand itched to touch the butt of his gun, but even beaten and weak, Tobias could take the man’s weapon in a blink. The lawman knew it and so did Tobias.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t go with you.” He was being a complete jackass and he knew it. This time it was deliberate and satisfying.

Rebecca frowned at him but he ignored her. Right about then, he didn’t need female interference, not that he ever needed it, but sometimes it might be welcome.

“Now you’re just being ornery.” Ellis hitched up his britches and straightened his shoulders.

“You don’t know how true that is.” Rebecca set the plate down on the table. “I think that’s enough foolishness.”

“No it ain’t.”

“You’re upsetting your brother,” she hissed.

Tobias peeked at Will, who stared at the lawman as though the boogeyman had come to life. After an evening of trying to keep his brother calm, Tobias had gone and stupidly undid all of it. He shouldn’t be allowed to be around people he could hurt.

“I’ll go.” Tobias waited a moment. “But I’m finishing my coffee first.”

“Fair enough. I’ll go fetch a cup myself.” Ellis, a self-satisfied smile on his face, quit the room.

“Toby, are you leaving?” Will’s high-pitched voice cut through the silence.

“I have to.”

“No! You can’t leave me here.” Will looked truly panicked. Tobias didn’t know how to make him feel better. Hell, he was as scared as Will. If he left his younger brother, who would take care of him?

“The Doc is here.” Tobias shouldn’t throw responsibility on Rebecca, but he was desperate.

“She’s a pretty lady but I don’t know her, Toby.” Will tried to get out of the bed again, His agonized screeches of pain cutting through Tobias’s heart.

“Stop!” Tobias shouted and Will froze in mid-motion, his eyes so wide, he looked like a frog.

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