“I’m not paying you to think White, least of all to bring me a load of shit like this. Come back when you have something solid otherwise don’t waste any more of my time.”
Leonard stared open mouthed at Big Jim’s curt dismissal. He got up stiffly and backed out of the door without a word. Now, back out on the boardwalk, he stood for a moment and vented his fury.
“Godammit,” he cursed. “I will show Big Jim! When all Hell breaks loose and he gets a taste of what that gambler really is…why Mr. Almighty Big Jim Diamond will be beggin’ for the information that O’l Leonard has and then I’ll make him pay out the arse for it.”
Devlin lay awake in his bed. The heavy velvet drapes shut out the early morning light and the soothing darkness enveloped him. He could still smell Esmeralda on his skin. She was the lodestone that drew him into this world of the living and he felt that he was mentally and emotionally sinking into the gossamer web of her delights. Sensations, that went beyond the feel and taste of her lush body. They had lain dormant inside of him for nearly a hundred years.
He realized that he was hungry. Not for the blood that sustained him but for the taste of normalcy and the mundane everyday life of a mortal being. Contact with his Angel had wrought some changes within him. They were subtle, elusive wisps that fascinated and compelled him to consider a different path. He closed his eyes but dreams were no longer enough for him and he felt a beat of excitement for what tomorrow might bring.
For once he pushed away the quest at hand. Virginia City held a strange magic over him although he held no illusions about its dangers. Big Jim had been thwarted and would pull out all the stops to get to him and the mine. He believed it would not be long before he sent another one of his curs against him again.
Devlin took a perverse pleasure in anticipating their demise.
Prophetically, he would not have long to wait. Even now as he lay there in his bed a train was barreling towards the town bearing a motley crew of gun slinging desperados with a human horror as their leader.
Midafternoon was when Esmeralda took some quiet time in the small parlor connected to her boudoir. She sipped cold champagne and went through the paperwork for the salon. She was tempted to pull a tarot card for the day but did not think she could read it objectively. Devlin’s presence in her life was beginning to cloud her thoughts, creeping slowly in to a heart that she had built a fortress around. She needed to focus on her work. She was quickly finding out that the spiritual undercurrents of this city were not only evil but also dangerous. It would take all her skills, magical or otherwise, to deal with it. She had never encountered a town so full of spirit possessions. Nearly every night some unfortunate victim would arrive at her back door. So much so, that last week, she had taken on one of Grandfather Woo’s sons as an assistant.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she opened it to see Jamie. He had a frown on his face.
“Ma’am, it’s that gambler, he’s back again and askin fer ya.”
Esmeralda was surprised. She smiled at Jamie’s protective stance. “It’s alright Jamie, send him up.”
Jamie paused in the doorway his hat in his hand. “Miss Esmeralda…”
“Yes, Jamie, is there something wrong?” Jamie shifted from one foot to the other. She saw his hesitation. “Come in Jamie, close the door and sit down. You look like you have something weighing heavy on your mind.”
Jamie closed the door and sat down. He started to speak but blushed furiously.
"It’s alright, Jamie. You can speak freely here.”
“Well Ma’am, I ain’t one to poke around in a person’s business but livin’ in this here city I’ve seen my share of badmen and that gambler Devlin Winter he’s a bad’un. I just knows it in my bones, you best take care ain’t nothin’ but death follows a man
Leonard stared open mouthed at Big Jim’s curt dismissal. He got up stiffly and backed out of the door without a word. Now, back out on the boardwalk, he stood for a moment and vented his fury.
“Godammit,” he cursed. “I will show Big Jim! When all Hell breaks loose and he gets a taste of what that gambler really is…why Mr. Almighty Big Jim Diamond will be beggin’ for the information that O’l Leonard has and then I’ll make him pay out the arse for it.”
Devlin lay awake in his bed. The heavy velvet drapes shut out the early morning light and the soothing darkness enveloped him. He could still smell Esmeralda on his skin. She was the lodestone that drew him into this world of the living and he felt that he was mentally and emotionally sinking into the gossamer web of her delights. Sensations, that went beyond the feel and taste of her lush body. They had lain dormant inside of him for nearly a hundred years.
He realized that he was hungry. Not for the blood that sustained him but for the taste of normalcy and the mundane everyday life of a mortal being. Contact with his Angel had wrought some changes within him. They were subtle, elusive wisps that fascinated and compelled him to consider a different path. He closed his eyes but dreams were no longer enough for him and he felt a beat of excitement for what tomorrow might bring.
For once he pushed away the quest at hand. Virginia City held a strange magic over him although he held no illusions about its dangers. Big Jim had been thwarted and would pull out all the stops to get to him and the mine. He believed it would not be long before he sent another one of his curs against him again.
Devlin took a perverse pleasure in anticipating their demise.
Prophetically, he would not have long to wait. Even now as he lay there in his bed a train was barreling towards the town bearing a motley crew of gun slinging desperados with a human horror as their leader.
Midafternoon was when Esmeralda took some quiet time in the small parlor connected to her boudoir. She sipped cold champagne and went through the paperwork for the salon. She was tempted to pull a tarot card for the day but did not think she could read it objectively. Devlin’s presence in her life was beginning to cloud her thoughts, creeping slowly in to a heart that she had built a fortress around. She needed to focus on her work. She was quickly finding out that the spiritual undercurrents of this city were not only evil but also dangerous. It would take all her skills, magical or otherwise, to deal with it. She had never encountered a town so full of spirit possessions. Nearly every night some unfortunate victim would arrive at her back door. So much so, that last week, she had taken on one of Grandfather Woo’s sons as an assistant.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she opened it to see Jamie. He had a frown on his face.
“Ma’am, it’s that gambler, he’s back again and askin fer ya.”
Esmeralda was surprised. She smiled at Jamie’s protective stance. “It’s alright Jamie, send him up.”
Jamie paused in the doorway his hat in his hand. “Miss Esmeralda…”
“Yes, Jamie, is there something wrong?” Jamie shifted from one foot to the other. She saw his hesitation. “Come in Jamie, close the door and sit down. You look like you have something weighing heavy on your mind.”
Jamie closed the door and sat down. He started to speak but blushed furiously.
"It’s alright, Jamie. You can speak freely here.”
“Well Ma’am, I ain’t one to poke around in a person’s business but livin’ in this here city I’ve seen my share of badmen and that gambler Devlin Winter he’s a bad’un. I just knows it in my bones, you best take care ain’t nothin’ but death follows a man
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