The Devil's Crossing by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2022-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Preacher and Lash looked toward the Kemp wagon. Virginia Kemp had stepped out from behind it. She held a revolver in both hands. Preacher recognized it as a Colt Navy. He figured it was the same one Wesley Kemp had been packing lately. Wesley wasn’t wearing a gun belt at the moment.

Virginia held the gun so that its barrel angled up toward the sky. However, she lowered it and aimed at her husband and brother-in-law as they lay on the ground. Harrison, startled by the shot, had let go of Wesley’s throat. Wesley gasped for air as he tried to catch his breath.

“I ought to just shoot the both of you and put an end to this,” Virginia said into the shocked silence that followed the gun blast.

“Virginia, put that down,” Harrison told her in a shaky voice. “You don’t want to hurt anybody.”

“Are you so sure about that, Harrison? How else am I going to end this constant battle between the two of you and ever know peace again? Even when you’re not trying to kill each other, the hate you both feel is almost suffocating!”

As if to confirm his wife’s words, Wesley Kemp cursed bitterly and pushed a hand against his brother’s chest. “Get off me, blast you!” he said.

Harrison rolled off and sat up. Wesley pushed himself onto an elbow and glared at Virginia as he went on, “This is all your fault! You could have had him if you wanted him that bad. But you chose me! You can’t go back on that now. You’re my wife. Nothing will ever change that!”

“The vows said until death do us part,” Virginia reminded him. The words sounded especially ominous, coming as they did over the barrel of a gun with a few wisps of powder smoke still curling from the muzzle.

Simon Lash stepped forward, his right hand half lifted, and said, “That’s quite enough, Mrs. Kemp. I know you feel justified in your anger, but I don’t believe you really want to shoot anyone, let alone your husband or his brother.”

“I just want them to leave me alone and stop fighting over me.”

“And so they shall. Why don’t you ride on one of the other wagons for a while, until things calm down? The rest of the way to Oregon, if need be.”

Constance had followed Preacher and Lash. She stepped forward now and said, “You can travel with me, Virginia. I’d enjoy the company, and I could certainly use someone to spell me at the reins now and then.”

The Colt Navy sagged in Virginia’s grip. “I . . . I’m not sure I could drive a wagon . . .”

“Of course, you can. If I can, you can, too. I’ll teach you.”

Wesley Kemp had caught his breath. He climbed to his feet and snapped, “Wait just a minute here! She’ll stay with me, and no one has a right to say otherwise.”

“She’ll still be your wife,” said Lash, “but if she rides with Mrs. Bradley, you and Harrison won’t have a constant reason to clash.

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