Bass placed Charlie down carefully in front of the door to their room, and spun her around so she could open the door. She turned the key in the lock, pushed the door open, and groaned softly.

Bass looked past her to see what had disappointed her. He saw a small, slightly dusty room with sparse furnishings. The majority of the space was occupied by a brass bed frame; green around the joints, tilting slightly to one side. It had a patchwork of quilts tossed haphazardly over the worn mattress. Bass would have bet money then and there that the slightest touch on that mattress would result in a multitude of squeaks and groans from the dilapidated structure. Bass felt a sudden wash of guilt and regret that this worn out mess was the best he could offer her.

"Charlie, we can go look for something else," he hesitated, not quite believing they could actually find anything this late at night.

Charlie turned to him, eyes widened in shock. "Are you kidding?! That bed is the most glorious thing I've seen in a month!"

Bass could not stop himself from laughing out loud as she pulled him through the doorway. He closed the door and double-checked the lock. "You know that thing's going to squeak like hell."

"Prove it," Charlie taunted with a glint in her eye.

Still laughing to himself, he walked right past her, threw himself onto the mattress, and flopped to his front and back again, bringing forth a cacophony of protest from the aged springs.

Charlie began to laugh herself, then. "Not exactly what I had in mind."

He stilled and leaned back, propping himself on his elbows, with legs spread wide. He returned the same tempting look she'd given him, "prove it."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Connor waved to the bartender for another shot. Drew finished with the men in front of him, then headed Connor's way, but without the drink.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Drew asked. "Don't you want to at least know why they're looking for you? I could go ask questions."

"Look, man. You've been a good friend, and I'm grateful you didn't tell Charlie about me, but right now I just need you to mind your own damn business." Connor's voice became more heated as he spoke. He rubbed his hands over his face, trying in vain to clear the emotion from it. "I just feel like such a freakin' idiot! Was she only using me to get to the old man, or did she just decide to move on to the nearest breathing male the second I was gone?!"

"Have you ever considered they were faking it?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Connor spat back.

"I'm just saying, didn't you say Gould had her chained up, sold her to the highest bidder last time she was here? Maybe Monroe figures by claiming her in public like that he'll keep her safe. She seemed really interested in finding you. Why would she use you to get your father and then come looking for you. Just doesn't make much sense, is all I'm saying." Drew cleared the empty shot glasses from in front of Connor and moved back down the bar to the waiting customers.

He could hear Connor muttering under his breath, something about bartenders who won't serve drinks, but once he handled the customers and turned back to his friend, Connor was gone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Charlie straddled Bass and teased the tip of his cock with her wet folds. His hands cupped her bare breasts as she slowly lowered herself, allowing him to fill her slowly. Bass slid his hands around to her ass and groaned in pleasure, but froze as someone began pounding on the door to their room.

Charlie reached to the right and grabbed her gun from the floor, then slid back to the left releasing Bass. She pulled the sheet up to her chest with one hand, while aiming the gun directly at the door with the other. Bass took only a few seconds to slide his pants back up his legs and grab his gun before looking back at her.

He paused, with pants unbuttoned and unzipped, barely hanging from his hips and stared at her.

"What?" she whispered inquiringly.

He took in her wild hair, the curve of her naked ass where the sheet pooled on the bed, and the gun in her hand. "That may be the hottest fucking thing I've ever seen."

She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. "Just go see if that's someone trying to kill us or not."

Bass looked back at her once more, then cracked the door open, leading with the barrel of the pistol he held in his right hand. He nearly dropped it when he saw it was mere inches from his son's face.

He lowered the gun, shaking slightly as the adrenaline left him. "Connor, how did you…"

Connor reached past his father and pushed the door open fully to see into the room. Connor's eyes took in Charlie's state on the bed, then went back to Bass who still hadn't bothered fastening his pants. He smirked, then glared at Charlie, who had not lowered her gun. "You fucking whore."

In an instant Bass pinned Connor against the hallway wall opposite the door, with his forearm across Connor's throat. He fought not to point the gun at his son as he hissed. "You will NOT speak that way about her, EVER. "

Charlie put her gun down on the bed as she rose and wrapped the sheet around herself. She walked to the hallway, took the gun from Bass's hand, returned to the room and shut the door.

The pressure on Connor's throat eased slightly, as Bass watched her go. "What are you covering up for, I've already seen it!" he shouted at the closed door. Bass's now empty right hand closed into a fist and connected with Connor's nose.

Charlie opened the door again seconds later, now fully dressed. "Bring him in here before you kill him."

Bass threw Connor into the chair near the door, then closed and relocked it. Connor cupped his nose with both hands, tears streaming from his eyes. Charlie grabbed a towel from the washstand and threw it to him.

She looked at Bass, "You, don't hurt him. You'll regret it tomorrow." She then turned to Connor, "And you, shut up and listen. Try not to be a jackass." She then gave Bass a quick kiss before walking back over to the door. "Lock this behind me, I'm going back down to the bar to see if I can find something to eat. I'll be back in about an hour." She grabbed one of the pistols, tucked it into her waistband, and shut the door behind her.

Connor took the towel away from his nose just long enough to speak. "Who the hell does she think she is, giving us orders like that?"

Bass was still staring at the closed door as he spoke. "She's the woman I love."