Chapter 19

The ride back to town was a blur of dust and anticipation. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on Ben’s neck and making his eyes water. Yet, he didn’t dare slow down. The sheriff was out of the picture, but there were still plenty of other dangers lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike.

As the carriage approached Lawless Ridge, Ben couldn’t shake the image of the bandit corpse they’d left behind. The sight of the condor birds, picking at the flesh of the men who had threatened their very existence, was a grim reminder of the harsh reality of the Old West. It was a world where only the strong survived, and the weak were picked apart piece by piece until nothing remained but bones and regret.

The town was eerily quiet when they pulled into the main street. The Blossom’s doors were open, and Goldie and the others were waiting anxiously outside. Goldie’s eyes lit up with relief when she saw Ben, and she rushed over to him, her voluptuous figure swaying with each step. She threw her arms around him, her breasts pressing against his chest as she whispered, “Thank God you’re back.”

Ben kissed her hard, the taste of dust and fear mingling with their saliva. “We’ve got the sherrief,” he murmured into her ear, the words a promise of a new future for all of them.

Goldie took his hand, her eyes shining with excitement. The other women, Beulah and Lois, flanked them, their expressions a mix of awe and determination. They knew that the gold they had secured was more than just a treasure; it was the key to their town’s redemption.

Ben carefully lifted the gold sacks from the carriage, feeling the weight of their newfound riches and the gravity of their situation. Each step echoed through the otherwise silent room, a reminder of the immense responsibility they now bore. With a nod to Goldie, he placed the gold in the sturdy wooden chest at the foot of their bed, the same chest that had held their meager possessions just days before.

“Goldie,” he began, his voice thick with emotion, “I want you to take this money.” He handed her a bag filled with the profits from The Blossom. “We don’t have to buy the captives anymore.”

Her eyes widened, and she took the bag, feeling the weight of the gold coins. “What are you saying, Ben?”

He looked at her with a fierce determination that seemed to burn through the dust on his face. “I’m saying we’ve change the law in Lawless Ridge,” he said, his voice firm. “Human trafficking, slavery, all of it—it ends now.”

Goldie’s eyes widened with hope. “How do we do that, Ben?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“We will have a new sheriff,” Ben said, his eyes scanning the room, resting on the faces of the women they had rescued. “Someone who’ll stand up to the scum that’s been running this town into the ground. Someone who’ll make sure no one else has to go through what you all have.”

Goldie’s hand tightened around the bag of gold, her knuckles whitening. “I hope the townsfolk make the right choice,” she said, her voice tight with hope. “We can’t have more of the same.”

Ben nodded solemnly, his gaze never leaving hers. “May God grant our wishes,” he murmured, invoking a divine intervention that seemed so far removed from the dusty, corrupt town they called home. He took a deep breath, the weight of their newfound power pressing down on his shoulders.

“Goldie,” he began, his voice firm and unwavering. “Three soldiers from Tyller’s company will come to The Blossom.” He paused, letting the significance of his words sink in. “They’re not just any customers. They’re warriors of justice.”

Goldie nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. The town had to know what they had done, and she knew Ben wouldn’t rest until the message was clear. “I’ll be ready,” she said, her voice steady. “We all will.”

With a final, lingering kiss, Ben climbed back onto the carriage, the gold still in the back. The journey to Sly’s ranch was a blur of dust and determination. His heart raced as he approached the outskirts of town, the buildings that had once loomed over him now seeming smaller, less imposing in the face of their victory. The town was still, the only sound the distant hammer of the blacksmith’s anvil and the occasional shout of a drunken patron leaving the saloon.

When Ben arrived at the ranch, he found Sly sitting outside his big house, his sharp eyes taking in the gold-laden carriage with a greedy glint. “Well, look what the winds of fortune have blown in,” Sly playing on his lips.

Ben climbed down from the carriage, his legs stiff from the long ride. “We got him,” he said, his voice low and hard. “The sheriff’s in Crooked Hill, getting a taste of his own medicine.”

Sly’s smile grew wider, his eyes gleaming with a greed that Ben had come to recognize all too well. “Good, good,” he said, clapping Ben on the back. “Now, let’s celebrate!” He gestured to the open door of his ranch house, and Ben followed, his boots heavy with the weight of his secret.

Inside the dimly lit ranch house, Ben saw Mattie, Sly’s wife for now, setting out a bottle of fine wine and two crystal glasses on the oak table. She had a knowing look in her eye as she met Ben’s gaze, a silent acknowledgment of the gravity of the situation. Her movements were swift and sure, the clink of glassware punctuating the tense silence.

“How’s Goldie holding up?” she asked, her voice gentle despite the harshness of the words.

Ben nodded. “She’s tough,” he said, his voice thick with pride. “The Blossom’s still in business, and she’s got the gold stashed safe and sound.”

Mattie’s smile grew, and she leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. “Good for her,” she said, pouring the wine. “And good for all of us. You’ve made a powerful enemy today, Ben. You’re going to need all the friends you can get.”

They cheersed, the delicate clink of glass against glass the only sound in the room. The wine was smooth, the taste of oak and dark berries lingering on Ben’s tongue as he took a sip. Sly leaned back in his chair, his eyes on the gold. “This is going to change everything,” he said, his voice filled with greed. “We’re going to be kings, Ben, you and me.”