Almost emotionless.

“For good.”

Maeve blinked.

Then laughed.

“She ain’t livestock, mister. You can rent the company. You can’t buy the woman.”

The stranger stepped closer.

He didn’t raise his voice.

He didn’t touch his gun.

He simply looked at Maeve.

“Then we’re going to have a problem.”

The smile disappeared from Maeve’s face.

She named a price.

It was outrageous.

Enough to buy a ranch.

Enough to purchase several horses.

Enough to make an ordinary man walk away.

The stranger reached inside his coat.

Eliza’s breath stopped.

He placed a leather pouch on the table.

Gold coins spilled across the wood.

Maeve’s eyes widened.

The room became silent.

“That’s more than she’s worth,” Maeve whispered.

The stranger’s expression hardened.

“Don’t say that again.”

Maeve stared at him.

Then at the gold.

Then at Eliza.

“You really mean to take her?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

The stranger looked at Eliza.

“Somewhere she can breathe.”

For the first time that night, Eliza felt something other than fear.

It was tiny.

Fragile.

Almost impossible to trust.

Hope.

Maeve reached for the pouch.

The stranger’s hand closed around her wrist.

“Not yet.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“You paid.”

“I paid for her freedom.”

He pointed toward Eliza.

“Not for your permission to keep her frightened.”

Maeve slowly pulled her hand away.

“There’s one problem.”

The stranger waited.

“Blackwood.”

At the name, something changed in his face.

Not fear.

Recognition.

“He’s coming back for her.”

“I know.”

“He’ll kill you.”

The stranger glanced at Eliza.

“Then he should hurry.”

His name was Gabriel Vale.

Eliza learned that much an hour later.

They left the Gilded Cage through the back door.

Maeve’s guards were either bribed, intimidated, or too drunk to care.

Gabriel gave Eliza a gray wool coat and told her to wear it.

She climbed onto his horse behind him.

For several minutes, neither spoke.

The town disappeared behind them.

The lanterns of Redemption shrank into distant yellow sparks.

Eliza expected Gabriel to ride toward the main road.

Instead, he turned west.

Into the darkness.

“Where are we going?” she finally asked.

“Six miles from here.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see.”

She hesitated.

“Why did you buy me?”

Gabriel’s jaw tightened.

“I didn’t.”

Eliza stared at the back of his coat.

“You paid Maeve.”

“I paid a debt.”

“My father owed Blackwood.”

Gabriel said nothing.

Eliza’s voice became sharper.

“Did you know my father?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

Still nothing.

The silence became unbearable.

“You could have bought a horse.”

“I have horses.”

“You could have bought land.”

“I have land.”

“You could have bought anything.”

Gabriel finally looked back at her.

“Not anything.”

She frowned.

“What does that mean?”

He turned forward again.

“You’ll know when you’re safe.”