Page 43 of The Bastard Heir (The Gilded West #2)

Derringer glanced down at Castillo’s gun and back up before cocking his own gun. The metallic click sent a cold chill down Castillo’s spine.

“Figured you’d prefer the fast way.” Derringer grinned and the muscle in his hand flexed.

Castillo couldn’t get a clear shot, but that didn’t matter. He only had a second to act, so he launched himself forward, planning to plow into them. The bang of a gun firing sounded loud in his ears as he fell forward. Carolina screamed.

Castillo landed hard on his knees, stunned that he couldn’t move forward and uncertain about what had happened.

Derringer crouched before him, blood spewing from behind the hand that cradled his nose.

He groaned like an old man in the throes of death, but Castillo couldn’t figure out how that had happened.

Castillo hadn’t shot the man. Derringer had shot.

He’d seen the flash of Derringer’s gun firing.

The man still held that gun loosely as he cradled his nose.

The ringing in his ears faded enough that he could hear Carolina calling his name.

“Castillo!” She landed on her knees beside him.

He tightened his grip on his gun and put his other arm around her, trying to get her behind him.

A searing pain shot through his side, like he’d been stabbed with a hot branding iron.

But he couldn’t pay attention to that. Derringer was coming back to his senses, lowering his hands to show a nose that was slightly askew and spewing blood.

Castillo realized that Carolina must have hit Derringer in the nose as he’d fired, likely breaking it from the amount of blood that poured out.

The man raised his gun, but Castillo raised his first and fired three shots to Derringer’s chest.

Then it was over. Dear God, all these years his life had been put on hold as he searched for this man…

and it was over. Derringer fell backward, his arms splayed out wide.

Castillo could only stare at him and wait for the triumph to find him.

It didn’t. It was over, and he felt relief, but there was no feeling of victory.

Just a grim certainty that he’d accomplished his goal and a glimmer of satisfaction that Derringer would never hurt anyone else.

Dimly, he became aware of the strength leaving his body, but he couldn’t focus on it.

Carolina was at his side and her arms went around his shoulders.

“Carolina,” he said her name over and over as he gathered her in his arms. “Forgive me. I didn’t know what was important until I saw him put that gun to your head. Please forgive me.”

She clutched him back briefly and then tugged away to look down at his stomach. “We need to get you inside.” She looked down the alley toward the street and then the other way.

“Carolina,” he said again, reaching for her face. His arms felt like lead weights and he didn’t understand why, but he needed to hear her forgive him. “Forgive me, please.”

Her eyes shone with absolute terror when she looked at him. “Yes, yes, of course I forgive you.”

He smiled and noticed how soft her skin was beneath his palms. “I love you.” Suddenly, his knees wouldn’t hold him anymore and he fell forward. She moved with him to brace his fall. The horrible pain shot through him again, twisting him up on the inside.

“Cas!” Zane called to him, but his voice sounded far away.

“Down here!” Carolina called back. She was hovering over him now, worried lines across her forehead. “Keep your eyes open. It’ll be fine, but keep your eyes open.”

“What’s happening?” He should know. His ears still rang with the gunshot. Dammit. He’d been shot. The knowledge had been there all along, but he’d only just now allowed himself to recognize it.

Panic overtook him that her train was due to leave soon and he might not see her again. “Don’t go, Carolina. Don’t get on the train.”

“I won’t,” she assured him as she tore off a length of her skirt and wadded it up. “I’m staying here to take care of you.” She pressed it against the wound and he nearly came out of his skin from the pain.

Zane ran up beside them followed by Hunter. “Let’s get him to Glory’s. She has a room, and it beats that damn butcher they call a doctor at the hospital.”

Castillo nearly blacked out when they picked him up.

***

Castillo awoke to a room full of his family. Hunter and Emmy sat in a chair in a corner consoling each other, while Zane stared out the dark window and Tanner sat on a chair right beside the bed. But the most important person was Carolina and she was nowhere to be seen.

“He’s awake.” Tanner’s proclamation alerted them all so that four sets of eyes turned to him.

The room was sparsely furnished and clean, but he couldn’t place it. “Where am I?” he asked through a throat that felt like sandpaper.

“Get him some water,” Tanner called to no one in particular, but Zane moved first, crossing the room to a table with a pitcher. “We’re at Victoria House.”

Castillo laughed, but it hurt so he groaned instead. “I nearly die getting shot and you bring me to a brothel?”

“Take it easy.” Hunter had walked to stand on his other side, opposite Tanner, and put his hand on Castillo’s shoulder to gently hold him still. “We brought you here so you could have a better doctor.”

“Caroline patched you up, with the help of her father.” Tanner grinned like he was proud of her. “We didn’t know what to do…you lost so much blood, but she came in and had us all following orders. The bullet passed right through you, and she had you stitched up before your head hit the pillow.”

“Where is she? Did she take the train to Boston?” He’d been so stupid to ever think his revenge was more important than her.

“I’m right here, Castillo.” She stood inside the open door of the room. She was beautiful, her face beaming in the gentle glow of the light, but he immediately saw the blue shadows under her eyes. She was tired, and her hair was a mess, pinned up with tendrils falling down around her face.

She was beautiful.

“Carolina. You stayed.”

She smiled as she walked over to him, taking Hunter’s place at his side and holding his hand. “You got yourself shot. Someone had to fix you.”

“You stayed and you saved me.” He could hardly believe it.

With her other hand, she touched his forehead, her fingers stroking his hair. “My father helped.”

He brought her hand to his mouth and placed a kiss on her palm.

“I was so stupid to let you go. When I saw him grab you, it became clear to me everything that I had to lose. I don’t want to lose you.

I want to go to bed with you every night and wake up to you every morning.

I want to live my life with you. Say it’s not too late.

I know I don’t deserve it after putting you in danger, but I swear I’ll live my life making it up to you. ”

Her smile widened and tears formed in her eyes as she leaned over him. “It’s not too late. I want that too. I want to spend my life with you, Castillo.”

Despite the pain, he pulled her forward until he could tangle his fingers in hair and take her mouth in a kiss again. She laughed but kissed him back.

“I love you, Carolina.”