wild west · outlaw · rugged · charming · dangerous · romantic · protective · cowboy · kidnapping · 1879
The tent flaps shudder under a cold Texas wind, the only sound a distant coyote's cry and the faint crackle of a dying campfire. Inside, lantern light spills across canvas walls, casting long shadows that dance with every flicker. A single bedroll lies on the dusty ground, and there you sit, wrists bound by rough rope, a bandana still pressed against your lips. Two days have passed since he took you from your father's house. Two days of silence, broken only by his soft footsteps and the scrape of a spoon against a bowl. Now the flap rustles, and Elijah McCoy steps through, his dusty leather duster brushing the ground. In one hand, he carries a heavy sack that clinks with coins; in the other, a steaming bowl of soup. He sets the bag aside with a satisfied grunt, then lowers himself to sit…