Love and Fury: The Coltrane Saga, Book 4 (18 page)

Dirk kept quiet and listened. As he listened, he started wondering what was going on. Mason was acting like a raving maniac. Why was he so protective of the girl? He became even more suspicious when Mason drew him aside and nervously asked him whether Dani had said anything when he found her. Dirk’s mind raced. He’d heard all the gossip from the wranglers. Dani was the long-estranged daughter of the
big
boss. All of a sudden, after all these years, she’d shown up to claim her half of the family fortune. Everyone was wondering how her brother, Colt, was going to react when he came home and found her there.

Now, observing Mason’s nervousness, Dirk decided to play a hunch. He looked Gavin Mason in the eye and said coolly, “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” Mason yelled, then realized the servants were watching and lowered his voice. “What did she say?”

Dirk couldn’t stop his gloating smile. His hunch was right. Mason was hiding something and was afraid Dani had let the cat out of the bag. “Maybe she did, and maybe she didn’t.”

Gavin began sweating. If Briana had babbled that she wasn’t really Dani, if she had said anything incriminating, all hell would break loose. “What is that supposed to mean?” he snapped. How dared this impudent cowboy talk to him this way?

Dirk was enjoying himself and decided to let Mason squirm. Since he was bluffing, he had to be very careful if he wanted to learn what Mason was hiding. He drew a cheroot from the pocket of his worn leather vest and took his time lighting it, then said slowly, “It means, my friend, that I’m the type who minds my own business. Besides, when a person has been knocked out, how can you believe what she’s saying?”

Mason’s face took on a scared, stricken look, and Dirk became proud of himself. Not only was he on to something, he was also setting up his defense for when Dani screamed to high heaven that he’d tried to rape her.

Gavin swallowed hard, glancing around the room uneasily. They were in the main parlor, a large room, and there were many people around, fussing over Briana, who lay on the divan. Then Gavin studied Dirk. How much did the man know? Damn it, he couldn’t take any chances. “Come with me,” he said, and abruptly led Dirk from the room.

Dirk followed him upstairs to the guest room Gavin used when he stayed overnight at the ranch. Once the door was closed, Gavin began fidgeting, pacing the floor as he struggled between saying too much and not finding out what he had to know.

Dirk made himself comfortable on the elegant canopied bed, propping himself against the satin pillows, his dirty boots on the lace bedspread. He was enjoying himself immensely, for it was becoming obvious that he had Gavin Mason by the balls, and that the situation might just be worth something.

Gavin continued to pace in silence, and Dirk said gruffly, “I have a job. I can’t sit here all day.”

Gavin eyed him narrowly, then slowly approached the bed. “I want you to tell me exactly what Dani said.”

“Let’s just say you don’t have to worry,” Dirk said cleverly. “I know when to keep my mouth shut.”

Gavin’s mind whirled, and then suddenly he exclaimed, “How would you like to work for me? I need a man I can depend on.”

Dirk smiled. “I’m listening,” he murmured.

Gavin couldn’t be sure how much, if anything, the man knew, but he was also starkly aware that he could take no chances. “For now, I will triple whatever you are making here. Keep your mouth shut. Ask no questions. Later, when I think the time is right, I’ll tell you everything you need to know. There will be plenty of money then.” He jabbed his finger in the air for emphasis. “Understand me? Plenty of money.”

Dirk pursed his lips, then closed his eyes, pretending to be in deep contemplation. It was a game. He might lose. Then again, he might come out a big winner. Mason was definitely up to something, and he thought Dani had spilled the beans. All Dirk had to do was wait. Eventually he would find out everything.

“All right,” he said. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

He didn’t miss the look of relief that passed over Mason’s face.

“For now, go on with your work here as though nothing has changed, and I’ll be in touch.”

He turned toward the door, but Dirk called out, “One thing more.” Dirk spoke without any apology in his voice. “When Dani comes around, she may babble about me attacking her.”

Gavin tensed. “Did you?” he asked very quietly.

Dirk gave him an arrogant smile. ‘Well, Mr. Mason, when someone’s suffered a bad blow to the head, she’s liable to say anything, and you don’t know whether to believe her or not—do you?” With that, he brushed past Gavin and went out the door.

Gavin stared after him, eyes narrowed. The arrogant bastard would bear watching.

He returned to the parlor and found the doctor there. He said Dani wasn’t badly injured, just bruised, and would be sore for several days. She needed rest. She was starting to come around, and since there was nothing more he needed to do, the doctor took his leave.

Gavin dismissed the servants. Once he was alone with Briana, he roughly shook her, demanding that she wake up. She opened her eyes and looked at him blankly for a while, and then it all came back. She struggled out of the fog into pure rage. Struggling to sit up, she cried, “That man assaulted me!”

The words came in a torrent. “I got away, but he caught up with me and knocked me off my horse!”

Gavin slapped her, not hard, just sharply enough to stop her frenzied outburst. “Now listen to me,” he ordered harshly. “You nearly ruined everything.”

“But he almost—”

Gavin raised his hand in warning, and she fell silent.

“As long as it was ‘almost’, you’re all right, aren’t you? Just forget everything. I’ve taken care of things.” Then he informed her that he had finished his audit and was ready to continue with his plans. Pausing to give her a frosty smile, he said, “Rest. As soon as you’re better, we will talk about the lavish party we are going to give to present you to Silver Butte society.”

Briana shook her head. Why didn’t he just take the money? Then they could leave. “I don’t understand.”

“There’s no need for you to. Just do what I tell you to do.”

“But how long are we going to be here?” she cried as he got up to leave.

He paused at the door to look at her in that affected, condescending way she so despised. “For as long as I deem necessary, my dear.”

Chapter Eleven

“It must stop, Becky.”

Aunt Candy was seated behind her desk. Her heavily made-up eyes were compassionate, but her voice was harsh.

Candy lifted a glass of wine to ruby-painted lips before continuing. “You know I’m right. You know you’re sitting on a keg of dynamite. Sooner or later Colt is going to find out.”

“I haven’t actually lied to him,” Becky hedged, gazing out the window behind her aunt.

Candy nearly slammed the wineglass into the desk. “You lied to him when you broke that vial to pretend you were a virgin.”

Becky looked at her helplessly. “You know I had no choice.”

Candy sighed, exasperated. “I was a fool to help you, but I didn’t think it would go on and on and get worse. I didn’t know he’d keep hanging around here. And
why
is he still here?” Candy demanded accusingly, then rushed on. “Because he fancies himself in love with you, that’s why. And you and I both know
why
he fancies himself in love with you.”

Becky wished for the thousandth time she had not confided in her aunt all that Colt had told her about Charlene.

Candy’s tone became gentler. “Honey, he’s trying to make up for Charlene. He sees you for the gentle, sweet girl you are, and he’s fighting with himself to keep from doing the same thing to you that he did to her. He doesn’t even realize it—but you do. And you’ve got to put a stop to it.”

Becky shook her head defiantly. “No, I don’t. I could walk away from here and never look back. He would never know I’d been a prostitute.”

Candy shook her head, knowing that even Becky herself didn’t believe that. “And live the rest of your life in fear that some man you’ve bedded will recognize you? Oh, sure, it might never happen, but you’ll never be sure, will you? Are you prepared for how Colt would take it if he found out? No, honey”—she shook her head—“you can’t live a lie. Either tell him the truth and let him decide if he still loves you, or walk away now and don’t look back.”

“But other prostitutes have gotten married, and it worked out,” Becky whispered.

“Most of the time the men they married knew about their pasts,” her aunt said firmly. “No, baby,” she repeated as she reached to clutch her niece’s hand, “it’s not worth the risk, not worth living every moment in fear. You’d never have any happiness, and Colt would wonder what was wrong.”

Becky stood, pulling the yellow satin robe tightly around her. She had been sleeping in Colt’s arms when Luly tiptoed in to tell her that her aunt wanted her, so she had obediently come, knowing what Aunt Candy wanted to talk about. After all, Colt had been there nearly two months.

Becky sighed. Nothing had been accomplished by this conversation.

“Well,” Candy demanded, also getting to her feet. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Has he said anything about leaving?”

Becky shook her head.

“Do you know that there isn’t a single night when at least one of your old customers doesn’t show up asking for you? I give them other girls, but they want you, and sometimes they get nasty. A few of them know about Coltrane—”

“What?” Becky jerked her head up in alarm.
“How
do they know? You told me you’ve forbidden the girls to talk.”

Candy gestured helplessly. “Everybody in Golconda knows Coltrane is staying here. And since he’s here, and you’re not available anymore, folks put the story together for themselves. Just be glad Coltrane isn’t hitting the saloons, or he’d probably hear comments you wouldn’t want him to hear.”

Becky nodded. It was true. Only luck had kept Colt from hearing something, and luck wouldn’t hold forever.

Candy crossed the room to clasp Becky’s shoulders and give her a gentle shake. Softly she implored, “Get rid of him, honey. Send him home. If you don’t want to tell him the truth, then, tell him you just don’t want him hanging around anymore. Or tell him I’m tired of him being here. Anything. But it has to end.”

Her hands fell away, and Becky asked, “What if I tell him you want him to leave, and he asks me to go with him? What do I do then, tell him I’ve got a job here as a prostitute?”

Candy sighed. “Why would he ask you to go with him, when he’s hell-bent against getting married? He believes a girl lies dead because he broke her heart, and he’s not going to forget
that
soon. No, he might be falling in love with you, but he’s not falling that hard.

“But,” she rushed on, seeing the pain on Becky’s face, “if he does ask you to go with him, bear in mind it’s only to be his mistress. Maybe he wouldn’t mind having an ex-prostitute for a mistress, I don’t know. You’d better think about everything; consider all of it. But I warn you, he’s got to go, Becky. I’ve got a business to run, and you can’t go on like this.”

Becky turned to go, and Candy called out, “I mean it. This isn’t good for you.”

Becky went downstairs, to where she had left Colt sleeping. What was she going to do? The truth was she was helplessly, hopelessly in love with Colt and didn’t want to lose him, didn’t want him to leave…without her.

Colt was asleep, lying on his back, and she stood staring down at him. How handsome he was, how magnificently built. She felt a warm rush, a tremor in her heart fired by love.

How she wished she
had
been a virgin for him!

Colt’s eyes flashed open, and he smiled up at her. “Come here.”

She went, pausing only to loosen her robe and allow it to fall softly to the floor.

He began to caress her hungrily, and suddenly she knew that, for some reason she couldn’t fathom, she wanted to be the giver this time, not the taker. She slid downward, burrowing her face between his thighs. She took all he had to give, delighted by his moans of ecstasy.

Afterward he held her tightly against his chest, stroking her hair lovingly. Abruptly he said, “I want to take you away from here.”

She stiffened.

“Becky, you know my situation,” he went on. “You know I’ve got to face up to my past before I can think about a future.” He propped himself on his elbow to look down at her. “I can’t offer you anything for now except friendship, but it’s a beginning.”

She let her breath out slowly until she trusted her voice not to falter. “What would you do with me? Where would I live?”

He had thought of that. He had friends in Silver Butte, nice older ladies who would give her a room and help her find a job.

Maybe she could be a companion to other old ladies, like a nurse. “It would be a new beginning for you. I can’t leave you in this place,” he said scornfully.

She trailed her fingertips down his cheek, and he caught them and pressed them against his lips. “Do you love me, Colt?” she dared to ask.

A shadow crossed his eyes. He released her hand and whispered, “No. I don’t, Becky. If I did, I guess I’d ask you to marry me. It’s as I told you: I don’t want to get married and settle down for a long time. That’s how I know I don’t love you. But I care for you a great deal. I want you around me. I want to look after you, see that you’re treated well. For now, I can offer you only my friendship.”