Ruth Hanson

America, 1887. In a country healing from the horrors of the Civil War, the American West has never been more treacherous. Evil men do as they please, and the often faulty and corrupt justice system does little to nothing to help their victims. Enter the Railwalkers. Bandits whose only goal is to punish those whom the law has allowed to walk free. Some think they're an 28 legend, meant to scare would-be criminals into submission. Some see them as no different than the murderers they kill, while to others, they are angels of mercy. To Violet Donovan, they are family. Growing up as the sole heiress to the sizable Donovan estate, Violet's place of privilege allowed her wild spirit to flourish. Despite the pressures of her sex -- find a husband, stay pretty, have children, be subservient, don't speak out of line -- Violet is passionate, loud, stubborn, and untamed. However, at the ripe, marriageable age of twenty, Violet faces the fact that she may have to give in to her mother's wishes and marry mean, ugly Eustace Carpenter, the only other family name in their little town with comparable worth. But Violet's life changes forever when she is saved from an attacker by a strange woman. A woman who, like Violet, doesn't exactly fit the mold. Unfortunately Violet gets mixed up in a murder charge and has to leave everything she knows for a life on the run from the law. Through divine intervention, she and the woman cross paths again, and Violet comes to know her and her comrades. They are Mei Wong, Linus Cooper, Sitting Bear, and Rory McNab. The infamous Railwalker gang.

The Railwalkers

“Stop,” he said, his voice forceful. “Do not beget violence.”


“Beget—? The hell are theydoin’ then!?” Violet looked back over to the others, and realized with great confusion that none of the Railwalkers were putting up a fight. They sat on their saddles, stiff but compliant, their weapons barely touched. Violet turned back to Sitting Bear, baffled. “What in Sam Hill is goin’ on here?”


“They’ll be escortin’ us, according to Bear here.” Mei shifted in her seat. Violent could sense her discomfort, but Mei remained calm. “We’ll be guests of theirs tonight.”


“Why?” Violet demanded. She eyed the collection of red men with distaste. “We ain’t doin’ nothin’ but passin’ through.”


“We are trespassing,” Sitting Bear corrected calmly. “They want to be sure we mean them no harm. That is all.”


“Well, you can tell your damn friends that we ain’t gonna do shit, so they can just leave us be!”


Chapter 84