Quicksilver Passion (206 page)

Not now, honey. Stay here!” Her heart in her throat, Silver sneaked through the brush in the darkness, expecting that at any moment, she would die.

Silver slipped through the darkness. She heard a whip crack like a pistol shot and a cry of pain through gritted teeth. Cherokee! Throwing caution aside, she raced headlong through the underbrush. She saw him in the moonlight, and thinking of nothing else, she ran into his arms.

Silver! What in God’s name—”

Wal, Gawd Almighty, look who’s here!”

Only then did she realize Cherokee had a whip mark across his face. Turning slowly at the drawling voice, she saw the huge, grinning man with the whip. She had unwittingly run into a trap.

Cherokee put his arm around her protectively.
Let her go, Dallinger. She’s got no part in this!”

Now why should I want to do that?” Jake leered at her, the moonlight gleaming on the handle of the big whip in his hand.
Don’t know why I didn’t recognize you before, missy, just because you’ve disguised yourself a little. I’ll bet your body is just as nice as it was when I sold you to the Velvet Kitten.”

He drew back his arm, playing with the long lash.

What could she do to save Cherokee?
Look, Jake,” she pleaded,
you let him go and I’ll leave with you.”

By damn, no!” Cherokee swore, and tried to push her behind him.
He’ll have to kill me first!”

Jake grinned.
That can be arranged easy enough. What I can’t figure, gal, is how you escaped Lon Brett. He was determined to get revenge for his brother’s death after I told him where you were.”

So you’re the one responsible for that mob and the fire!”

Brett promised to give me the Palace for telling—”

You can forget that,” Silver said.
The mob burned the Palace down. The Duchess is dead.”