When Catalina reached Shady Springs, the sun had already long set behind the horizon, turning the sky an inky black like that of a raven's feather. The only light came from the bonfire in the middle of the town's square, its logs shooting out orange sparks before being carried off into the the night by the howling wind.

Coming to a stop beside the fire, she placed her hands out, trying to capture as much of the fleeting heat as possible. The happy tune of a piano floated through the night, filling the lonesome silence with the promise of whiskey and women close by.

"C'mon, Cortez." Catalina gave her horse a gentle pull, guiding him towards the saloon across the street paved in the dirt. Light poured out from its many windows along with the drunk laughter of its patrons, growing louder as the stallion trotted closer.

"Stay here," she ordered, caressing his black locks. "I'll be back soon." With no rope to tie him with, Catalina had no choice but to leave him with the other horses. She only hoped no one would steal him in her absence. But with the rowdy lot that frequented this place, that was probably too much to hope for.

"Tienes que ser valiente," Catalina whispered to herself as she stood right outside the doors. Inhaling one final breath, she gave the swinging doors a push and stepped inside.

Everyone's head turned instantly- their eyes narrowing at the girl as she crossed the wooden floorboards towards the bar. Even the music had come to an abrupt stop as all eyes fell on Catalina.

Although she kept her gaze steady and straight-ahead, Catalina could feel her entire body trembling. Desperately in need of something to hold, she clutched the hem of her cardigan in her fist. By the time she reached the empty stool, she felt as though she walked the entire Chihuahuan Desert.

"What will it be?" The bartender slammed his hand on the mahogany countertop, startling her.

"I-uh." She gulped. "I don't need a drink-"

"Then what are you doing here?" The permanent scowl on his face seemed to cave in deeper. "If you're not buying, get out of here!"

"I just need to make an announcement, and then I'll leave." Catalina tried to reassure the man. "Trust me, I want to get out of here as much as you want me to-"

The sudden grip on her shoulder made her stop. Whipping her head around, Catalina turned to see the filthy hand belonging to one of the meanest and ugliest men she had ever laid eyes on. His black hair was to his shoulders, looking as if it hadn't been washed in years- as did the rest of him.

"This ain't no place for little girls," he hissed into her ear.

"I am aware of that." She met his steely gaze. "I just want to say something first."

"And what would that be?" Another man- one not as ugly but just as mean-looking, slid into the stool beside her.

Clearing her throat, Catalina slowly rose to her shaking feet and turned around towards the rest of the gawking patrons. "An animal attacked my family's goats last night. All of their blood was drained from their throats. I don't know what kind of animal could do something like this, but maybe one of you might. That is why I'm here. I need someone who can help track the animal and kill it."

Other than the sound of someone coughing, everyone remained as silent as the dead. As their stares remained fixed on her, Catalina could feel her face growing hot as if it was on fire.

This had been a mistake.

The ugly man roared with laughter. "See, little girl. This ain't no place for you."

The other man brushed his greasy, blond strands out of his blue eyes as he leered at her. "This ain't no place for spics."

Feeling as if she had been slapped in the face, Catalina lurched for the door. But before she could even hop off the stool, a pair of hands shot out and held her in place.

"Where do ya' think you're going?" The ugly man's beady eyes glared into her alarmed ones.

"Yeah, we ain't finished with you yet." The other man chuckled as he watched her squirm.

"Alright, boys. Enough is enough," the bartender warned.

"Aww, but we were just having some fun. We don't mean nothing by it." The blond man reached out and caressed Catalina's curly hair. "Besides, those aren't your goats. And neither is that your land your spic family is living on. It's ours."

Catalina shook her head furiously. "It is my land! My family has owned that ranch for generations!"

"Look at her, Dwight!" The ugly man glanced at his friend. "Using big words. She's smarter than you!"

Dwight growled, slamming his fist on the table. "No, she ain't!"

"Please! Just let me go!" Catalina looked towards the black-haired man. "I won't return!" But the only answer she got in return was a painful squeeze as he gripped her shoulder tighter.

"Are you deaf? Or just as stupid as you look, Billy?" A voice as smooth as freshly-sanded leather spoke up from the corner of the saloon.

The pressure on her shoulder was instantly released as Billy spun around. "Who said that?"

Finally free of his hold, Catalina turned around, rubbing her shoulder. There, at the back of the room, sat a man with his boots propped on the table. His brown hat was tipped over his eyes, obscuring them.

"You blind too, Billy? You know who the hell I am." He leaned back in his chair, which Catalina thought he might fall off from how dangerously close he was to the wall.

Billy's eyes went wide and his already light skin seemed to grow even paler. "The Viper?! Since when did you get here?"

The man's lips pulled into a smirk. "Since you became too drunk to notice." The chair suddenly scraped back against the floor. "Now, are you two idiots going to move or am I going to have to force you?"

The two men instantly parted like the Red Sea as the Viper swaggered up to the bar- his boots thudding heavily over the wood. Taking a seat beside Catalina, he gestured wordlessly at the bartender for a drink. No sooner had he lowered his hand, the bartender placed a glass filled with tequila down in front of him.

Catalina shifted her gaze to her dusty boots as she whispered, "Thank you."

The Viper gulped his drink down. "No problem." He wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Why- Why did you-"

He finally looked at her- his sky blue eyes locking with her brown ones. "I want to help."

"Ha!" Dwight guffawed from behind. "Since when does the Viper 'help?' You some kinda Robin Hood now? Helping the poor?"

True to his name, the Viper's eyes narrowed into slits like that of a hungry snake. "Don't worry, Dwighty- boy. I haven't given up what I'm best at." In the blink of an eye, he had whipped his gun out from his side and pointed it straight at Dwight's head. Immediately, Dwight shut his mouth and went back to a card game.

Catalina nodded, never taking her eyes off his hand as he placed it back in its holster. "Then you must know I can't pay you much."

Billy scoffed. "Of course!"

With the flick of his wrist, the Viper had his gun back out again. "The next time either of you spouts off, you'll be having a burning hole for a mouth." He turned back to Catalina. "You were saying?"

It was at that moment Catalina knew she had found the man she had been looking for.

**

The trotting of the horses' hooves echoed through the soundless night as Catalina and the Viper made their way from Shady Springs back to the ranch. For a long time, that was all that could be heard until Catalina broke the long silence that had fallen between them.

"So you don't mind if all I can offer is a ring?" Catalina asked.

The Viper shook his head. "Nah. I usually don't get paid for what I do anyway." He grinned at her- his teeth surprisingly white and in one piece. And yet, he had no fangs that could earn him the name, 'the Viper.'

"Why do they call you 'the Viper' anyway?" She glanced at him.

He kept his stare on the dark path ahead- a light smile playing on his lips. "Because when I strike, you don't see it coming."

"Hm, well, I've never heard of you." Catalina shrugged.

The man blinked, lifting a thin eyebrow. "The whole South's heard of me."

"Well, not the whole south then." She teased, enjoying his growing irritation.

"Well, probably because you live way out in boondocks and don't get out much. Oh, you don't think I didn't know? No one with half a brain would walk into a place like The Rusty Spur unless they were either an outlaw or a whore. Especially not someone like you."

Catalina scowled at him. "Like me? What is that supposed to mean?"

He let out a deep sigh as he gazed up at the twinkling stars overhead. "You know what I mean. Just look at yourself. You saw how those men treated you."

She couldn't help but bite her lip at the memory. It had been hours since it happened, but it seemed like only seconds ago. "Yes..."

"How could your parents allow you to go?" His usual, husky voice had grown soft.

"They don't know I went." Catalina heard his horse skid across the dirt as it came to an abrupt stop.

"Are you kiddin' me?"

She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the deep frown etched over his face. "I had no other choice. My father- as you'll see- cannot go out hunting alone. I'm the oldest child. My family depends on me."

The Viper sighed again. "It's been a long time since I've seen someone want to be a hero."

"It's not about being a hero," Catalina said. "It's about protecting my family and making sure they don't starve. But I guess you wouldn't know anything about that..."

His eyes locked onto hers. Even in the dark, she could still see the glare reflected in their blue hue. "You don't know anything about me, little girl."

He had never frightened her before, but now, with the long stretch of desert around them and only a gap of a few inches between them, Catalina realized just how dangerous this man was. Before she could utter a word, he turned his gaze towards the horizon and pointed at the dark outline of a house. "Is that it?"

She nodded, gulping down the dry lump that had formed in her throat. "Y-Yes."

As they rode up the path that led into the ranch, two figures suddenly emerged from the house and started directly for them.

"Catalina!" Her father shouted as he staggered up to her. "My God, where have you been?!"

"Hi, Papá." Catalina offered him a sheepish grin. "I went to town."

"What?!" Dolores ran past her husband before coming to a sudden halt. "You went to town?! Alone?!"

"Yes..." Her eyes darted toward the man beside her. "But I didn't return empty-handed. Mamá. Papá. This is the Viper."

Her parents turned to the man, gaping at him as if they had just realized his presence.

He waved his hand and smiled at them. "Hola."

"Who is this gringo?" Tomás hissed.

"He is going to help us," she answered. "Don't worry, I already paid him-"

"You mean he's a hired gun?!" Her father pointed at the visibly confused man.

"I'm guessing they're not too happy about me being here." The Viper leaned in closer to Catalina and whispered.

Catalina shook her head and confirmed his guess. "No. But oh well," she said before switching back to Spanish. "He is going to stay the night."

"Catalina-" Her mother began.

"Mamá, I understand how you feel. But I trust him. Out of everyone, he was the only one who offered to help. He was the only one to say something when some men started harassing me." Catalina climbed off Cortez and gestured for her partner to do the same. "He is our guest and we will treat him as such."

Her parents exchanged a worried glance before her father cleared his throat and relented. "Okay," he sighed. "He can stay, but only for a night."

She shrugged. "That's fine. We will be leaving in the morning."

"You mean, you're going alone with this man?!" Dolores shrieked.

"Yes, Mamá." Catalina ran an exasperated hand over her face. "Now, if there are not any more questions, I'm going to put the horses away."

Not bothering to wait for an answer, she and the Viper walked off with their horses.

"Are they going to allow me to stay?" He asked as they started for the stables.

As she heard the door slam shut, Catalina's lips curled into a satisfied smirk, knowing that her mother was probably already preparing a cot for him. "Oh yeah. But know that I'm going to be sleeping right beside you."

His head snapped to the side. "Uh, what?"

"You are an outlaw, after all." She brandished her machete for him to see. "And I have to make sure you don't get stupid and try anything."