A Lethal Lady

-Ah!” he exclaims painfully. You brute, what the hell do you think you're doing? -He groans as he sees Tom removing his bandage.

I'll clean his wound, what else do you think I'm doing?

-At least do it more tactfully.

She watches as the huge man loosens the bandage from his foot, he was so careful in that instant, why was he behaving like that? Rouse frowned as she followed Tom's every move. First he cured one of his feet, and then continued with the other. He bandaged them, and as he did so neither of them said a word.

There was really nothing to say....

That's it! -You mustn't get up, you'd better go back to bed.

-Don't give me orders, I don't take orders from anyone. Least of all from you, even if you are the sheriff of this place.

Tom watched her for a moment, what a stubborn woman she was. Stubborn as she was, she denies as she stands up. -Don't make unnecessary trouble with me.

“You'd better leave, Mr. Wesley. And I'll thank you not to come back here and try to act like a doctor.

-1 don't make a promise I know I won't keep, so you just hold on.

The sheriff slips on his hat and leaves Rouse's room. She lets out her breath and bows her head at her feet, which had been perfectly bandaged.

How could he be so careful and yet be such an idiot?

[.]

On leaving Rouse's room, Tom meets Harry, who was on his way to the same place as him. The sheriff stops on the spot, 2 the same time as the young man does, a strange negative feeling began to form inside him that he didn't like, he had ney felt that way about his right hand.

“Where are you going? -Tom gets in his way.

-Sheriff, I was looking for you.

“What's the matter? -He tries to let his guard down a little, he didn’t understand what was happening to him.

Miss Miller asked me to send for you, she’s at the front desk.

-All right, I want you to go to the police station.

“What about Miss LeRoy? -Tom frowns.

she’s in bed, she won't be able to stand up. When I need you to keep an eye on her, I'll let you know.

His right hand nodded, and with it he walked away. Tom watched him go, then glanced over his shoulder at Rouse’s room wasn't right, these absurd emotions. It was as if she didn’t want anyone else to be looking out for her.

She denied, and walked into the hotel...

By the time Tom approached the lobby where Hilary noticed him, a male figure appeared out of nowhere down the stairs, causing him to look up. The sheriff stood right where he was without taking his eyes off the man.

The famous sheriff of Coloma -exclaims the man coming to his side. It's a great pleasure to finally meet Tom Wesley,” he adds, smiling, with his perfect white teeth.

“Wyatt Butter, what brings the Mayor of Tombstone to town? It's not often I see him visit the smaller counties near the cit I'm here on business, my dear sheriff. You needn't worry about that, or do you intend to run me out of town like any oth dastardly stranger? -the mayor hints, sharpening his gaze.

Tom holds his gaze, those words sounded rather like a warning. As sheriff, he had authority in his town, but the man was important figure in town, which didn't mean he liked him very much.

Tom kept looking at him, those words sounded a lot like a warning. As sheriff, he had authority in his town, but the man was an important figure in town, which didn't mean he liked him very much.

-As the important person he is, he should know how to behave in my town. You are already aware of my own laws.

“What do you mean by that, Mr. Wesley?

-1 don't think it would be convenient for me to make it clear to you, Mr. Butter. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business tc attend to.

The sheriff nods goodbye with his hat, both to the man in front of him and to Hilary.

He knew she had asked to speak to him, but under the circumstances it was not going to be possible. They would have ti for that... Tom leaves the hotel, but without getting the new visitor to town out of his mind, and of course, the rebellious blonde resting in that room.

He would leave her unattended, since with those wounds she wouldn't even go to the corner...

ic].

I was tired of being locked up, I had been in that room all day and all afternoon. And it was time to go out at least to get some fresh air. After several unsuccessful attempts, she managed to stand up, and as she went outside, the cool night breeze comforted her soul.

The temperature had dropped several degrees, so the night was cold, but fine. In the distance, the blonde noticed Lauren picking up the laundry, and didn't hesitate at all to approach her to ask how things were going at the hotel.

with so much work that girl had to do, it was obvious that she didn't even have time to stop by her room, just to leave he some food and she was leaving. Not that she was much of a conversationalist, but the truth was that the confinement didn't suit her at all.

While she was near her, the blonde noticed her mother coming out of the door, giving a big shove towards the girl. Rouse stops a few feet away from them, as she didn't want to run into Hilary and have her claim that the sheriff was paying for everything.

“You're stupid, you haven't even set up the rooms yet. What have you been doing all this time? -She yells at her daughter, grabbing her by the hair.

“Mother! You're hurting me.

You're a good-for-nothing, you'd better hurry up with that and get upstairs and get the rooms ready before the guests go bed.

“You must hire help mother, I can’t do it all by myself.

I've already hired someone, but that damned stranger is still a dying woman, accepting favours from the sheriff’ she replies, more irritated than ever.

“Mother! Don't say that, Mr. Wesley is helping her. She has no one.

Rouse listens carefully to the girl, and immediately looks down. That girl was too good to be the daughter of such a nasty woman.

she’s a bloody meddler, that's what she is, and if she doesn't get better by tomorrow, I swear I'll throw her out of this place. I won't keep her another day.

The sheriff is paying her expenses, you can't take her out, mother” says the young woman innocently.

suddenly Hilary slapped her right across Lauren's cheek, Rouse looked up and realized what had happened. That girl was defending her, and because of her, that brute hit her.

-Don't you dare defy me, because it's going to get worse, you stupid girl. And if you keep defending that woman, I swear /L.." Hilary raised her hand once more, but just then Rouse grabbed it with great force.

The woman looked over her shoulder, realising who was holding her...

-If you lay a finger on this girl again, I swear you'll be the one who won't tell,” the blonde warned.

-How dare you touch me? -Hilary reproaches her angrily.

She makes an attempt to push Rouse away, but then the blonde bends her arm behind her back and shoves her, knockin her to the ground. Hilary falls to the ground completely stunned by the blonde’s reaction, from there, she looks at Rouse and driven by rage and even jealousy, she stands up and tries to attack her once more.

-Mother, no,” Lauren intervenes, but the woman pushes her away, all to lash out at Rouse.

That push towards the young woman was the last straw. The woman didn't care about her daughter, and that made the blonde angry.

Quickly, Rouse threw a punch right on Hilary's nose. She didn't know if she exerted too much force, or if the woman was t soft. The truth was, she ended up falling back to the ground with a bloody nose.

1 warned you not to lay a finger on your daughter again.

Mother! -says the daughter, bending down to help her mother.

-Don't touch me,” she replies in return. Leave me alone.

She stands up, not taking her eyes off Rouse. Who is also watching her carefully...

It won't stay like this” she threatens.

But Rouse didn't give a shit whether she threatened her or not, she could teach her another lesson whenever she wantec All sore, Rouse watches as Hilary walks out of the hotel. Next, the blonde looks at Lauren, who was shedding tears of pair or 50 she thought.

Ym 50 sorry.

“Why did you hit her?

Rouse doesn't answer her, instead she fixes her eyes on the ruffling of the sheets. It wasn't right for a mother to be like tf with her daughter.

“You're a good girl, Lauren. Don't let your mother treat you like you're worthless," I look at her seriously.

-But she’s my mum.

-It doesn't give her the right to hit you, no one has the right to humiliate another person like that. Do you understand? Miss..." He whispers.

For a split second, the young woman detected a glimmer of sadness in Rouse’s eyes. It made her wonder, what had she h to go through? In defending her from her mother, she had seemed so fierce, but there, rather, she was kind of vulnerable. Her mother...

-Finish your work, so you don't have to be scolded anymore,” he interrupts her.

she knows that my mother will charge her to the sheriff, and it's quite possible that she might be thrown out of here.

Of that I had no doubt, but Hilary deserved it...