An Outlaw's Weakness*Fifth in Crane Gang series*

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Preston stood against the wall and pinched his nose between his fingers as he watched his family minus Eleanor, Willa, Delilah, and Willie, and prayed they wouldn't scare Xavier right out of his life. The man was currently sitting in the same rickety chair that three other family members had once found themselves tied to. At the moment, Xavier was not tied up, but with the family forming a tight circle around him, he was just as stuck.

Preston wished he could put a stop to the current interrogation but, there was nothing he could say or do that would accomplish that. Every member of his family was protective of Preston—overly protective.

"So, your name is Xavier Black?" Jeb asked, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his brow.

Xavier nodded. "Yes sir." Preston could tell that Xavier was trying hard to appear confident and unfazed but Preston knew the man well enough to see the nervousness in his eyes and catch the slight shaking of his hands. Preston didn't blame him with so many bodies looming over him.

"And you've been sharing a bedroll with my son?"

Preston groaned as Pete, Craig and Wyatt laughed. Color rose in Xavier's cheeks. "Yes sir."

Jeb growled. "How did you meet Preston?"

Preston cleared his throat. "I'm right here. You could ask me."

Jeb glanced over at him before shaking his head and turning his gaze back to Xavier. "I'd rather ask him."

Preston loved his papa. He really did. When the man had first seen him today, he'd hugged Preston for a full two minutes before letting him go. But just now, Preston was mad enough at the man to smack him.

Xavier met and held Jeb's gaze. "Some men were giving Preston a hard time and I stepped in."

Jeb turned to Preston. "Didn't I tell you you'd end up in trouble?"

Before Preston could speak, Gill put his hand on Jeb's arm. "Is that really important just now?" With a sigh, Jeb shook his head.

"You got any family, Xavier?" Gill questioned.

Xavier shook his head. "None that I know of. I was born to a whore who isn't worth remembering, never knew my father, and have been on my own since I was twelve."

"So, what do you do for a living, Xavier?" Jane asked, pushing her sombrero back.

"Gambling and bounty hunting."

Zachariah cast an expectant glance at Gill and Jeb but neither man moved and this had the giant scarred up man throwing his hands in the air with a growl. "Really? You knocked me on the damn head when you found out that I was a bounty hunter!"

"I got knocked out just for showing up in town," Ezekial agreed.

"And I did knock out Willa just for saying Craig's name and because she looked like bigger Willie."

When Jeb and Gill shared a thoughtful look, Preston had had enough. He stormed forward, shoving his way through the circle of bodies to stand beside Xavier. A quick tug of the man's shirt had him rising to his feet.

"That's enough," Preston warned his family. "Xavier is a good man. He saved my life more than once and I saved his. I trust him so that ought to be enough. He has no bounty, no wanted poster, and no criminal record. He treats me good. I love him and he loves me so back off."