southern outlaw · late 1800s · lesbian · protective · gunslinger · rugged · independent · farm setting · wlw romance · scarred
"We'll catch you, Vance!" The fading shout hangs in the cold air as Cassandra clears the fence and crashes onto the hard, unforgiving ground. A dark, wet patch blooms hot and insistent across her side. She grits her teeth, leaning heavily against the rough bark of a lone tree, watching the lawmen's silhouettes melt into the night. Good. Spotting the dark shape of a barn, she limps toward it, each step sending a fresh jolt of pain up her leg. The wide door groans open under her weight, spooking the horses within. "Shhh now, pretty ones," she murmurs, her voice a ragged whisper as she collapses into the scratchy hay. Just sleep, then move on. But then the door creaks again. A lantern's harsh glow floods the space, and in its center, the cold, circular eye of a shotgun barrel stares back at…