could be, Mike stomped off to the saloon. Hank and Juan lounged at the bar.
“Hey, boss, thought you was headed out.” Juan’s soft voice didn’t sooth Mike’s frustration.
“I can’t find Kathleen.”
“You think she’s hiding from you?”
“That, or she skipped town with those two outlaws. Heard anything?”
“Yeah, they hightailed it out of town right after the wedding. So, she didn’t go with them unless they agreed to meet up later.”
“Damn it. I wanted to be gone by now. Any ideas?”
“Wal, boss. Could be she’s scared of you.” Hank always emphasized his Texas drawl when he wasn’t sure if you’d like what he said.
The bitter taste of shame filled Mike’s mouth. He didn’t like Hank’s suggestion. Because it was probably true and the thought of any woman afraid of him caused his gut to twist. He had been too rough yesterday. “I’m not going to waste any more time looking. Let’s go home.”
A tiny niggle of fear joined the fray in Mike’s stomach. He had taken all her money. “I’ll catch up with you later. I need to make one more stop.”
“Sure, boss. The roan is at the livery.”
Mike rushed outside and ducked down the alley. He didn’t want everybody in town to see him pay a visit to the whorehouse. Deep down he felt sorry for the unfortunate women who were forced by circumstances to sell their bodies. He just really hoped Kathleen wasn’t there.
He knocked on the gaily painted door and shifted from foot to foot. This early in the day, business should be slow.
A sleepy-eyed blonde with a cigarette in her hand answered the door.
“Come in, handsome.” She blew a cloud of smoke.
“How much do you charge?”
“Depends on how long you want me.”
“Information.”
“Ten bucks.”
Mike dug out two fives. “Did a young woman, green eyes, brownish red hair, and skinny show up here any time between yesterday and now?”
The woman snatched the bills. “Nope. You’re wife ain’t here.”
“Does everybody know?”
She laughed. “Not much exciting happens around these parts. Of course it’s the current gossip of the town.”
“Great.” Mike pivoted and left. Worry gathered like a thunderstorm. Was Kathleen in some sort of trouble? He shook his head. She’d managed to hoodwink him into marriage; she could take care of herself.
He stopped at the mercantile to pay off his bill. Sheriff Barker came in with a woman on his arm. Mike cocked a brow and bit his lip. Pretty brazen of the sheriff to escort one of Madam Violet’s girls around town.
“Baca, this young lady’s been looking for you.”
Mike stilled at her cold, calculating eyes. She sauntered up to him. “Thought you could sneak off on me, did you?”
Mike blinked and glanced around. “Are you talking to me?”
“Don’t act surprised. Did you really think I’d just let you get away with ruining my good name and skipping town? Or that Pa would?”
What the hell? Mike crossed his arms a shot a frosty glare at the woman as ice crystals formed in his veins, stabbing and slicing as his pulse galloped.
“I. Have. Never. Seen. You. Before.”
“Oh give it up. Pa ain’t far behind and he shore is out for blood. So, I suggest you make an honest woman of me pronto.” Her high-pitched whine abraded Mike’s nerves like the scream of a screech owl.
She planted her hands on her ample hips and turned to Barker. “He ruined my good name back in Dodge City, promised to marry me, and then up and ran out on me. Pa is hot on his trail, but since I beat him here, we can get this fixed up before he gets here. It’ll shore save a lot of trouble.”
The sheriff shot Mike a look of pure disgust. “Can’t be done, lady, ‘cause he’s already married. Seems he done a lot of fooling around and some other girl beat you to him. Her pa and brother done seen to it last night.”
Raw fury burned Mike’s throat. He stepped forward and stuck his finger in her face. “You’re lying.”
“You’re
“Hey, boss, thought you was headed out.” Juan’s soft voice didn’t sooth Mike’s frustration.
“I can’t find Kathleen.”
“You think she’s hiding from you?”
“That, or she skipped town with those two outlaws. Heard anything?”
“Yeah, they hightailed it out of town right after the wedding. So, she didn’t go with them unless they agreed to meet up later.”
“Damn it. I wanted to be gone by now. Any ideas?”
“Wal, boss. Could be she’s scared of you.” Hank always emphasized his Texas drawl when he wasn’t sure if you’d like what he said.
The bitter taste of shame filled Mike’s mouth. He didn’t like Hank’s suggestion. Because it was probably true and the thought of any woman afraid of him caused his gut to twist. He had been too rough yesterday. “I’m not going to waste any more time looking. Let’s go home.”
A tiny niggle of fear joined the fray in Mike’s stomach. He had taken all her money. “I’ll catch up with you later. I need to make one more stop.”
“Sure, boss. The roan is at the livery.”
Mike rushed outside and ducked down the alley. He didn’t want everybody in town to see him pay a visit to the whorehouse. Deep down he felt sorry for the unfortunate women who were forced by circumstances to sell their bodies. He just really hoped Kathleen wasn’t there.
He knocked on the gaily painted door and shifted from foot to foot. This early in the day, business should be slow.
A sleepy-eyed blonde with a cigarette in her hand answered the door.
“Come in, handsome.” She blew a cloud of smoke.
“How much do you charge?”
“Depends on how long you want me.”
“Information.”
“Ten bucks.”
Mike dug out two fives. “Did a young woman, green eyes, brownish red hair, and skinny show up here any time between yesterday and now?”
The woman snatched the bills. “Nope. You’re wife ain’t here.”
“Does everybody know?”
She laughed. “Not much exciting happens around these parts. Of course it’s the current gossip of the town.”
“Great.” Mike pivoted and left. Worry gathered like a thunderstorm. Was Kathleen in some sort of trouble? He shook his head. She’d managed to hoodwink him into marriage; she could take care of herself.
He stopped at the mercantile to pay off his bill. Sheriff Barker came in with a woman on his arm. Mike cocked a brow and bit his lip. Pretty brazen of the sheriff to escort one of Madam Violet’s girls around town.
“Baca, this young lady’s been looking for you.”
Mike stilled at her cold, calculating eyes. She sauntered up to him. “Thought you could sneak off on me, did you?”
Mike blinked and glanced around. “Are you talking to me?”
“Don’t act surprised. Did you really think I’d just let you get away with ruining my good name and skipping town? Or that Pa would?”
What the hell? Mike crossed his arms a shot a frosty glare at the woman as ice crystals formed in his veins, stabbing and slicing as his pulse galloped.
“I. Have. Never. Seen. You. Before.”
“Oh give it up. Pa ain’t far behind and he shore is out for blood. So, I suggest you make an honest woman of me pronto.” Her high-pitched whine abraded Mike’s nerves like the scream of a screech owl.
She planted her hands on her ample hips and turned to Barker. “He ruined my good name back in Dodge City, promised to marry me, and then up and ran out on me. Pa is hot on his trail, but since I beat him here, we can get this fixed up before he gets here. It’ll shore save a lot of trouble.”
The sheriff shot Mike a look of pure disgust. “Can’t be done, lady, ‘cause he’s already married. Seems he done a lot of fooling around and some other girl beat you to him. Her pa and brother done seen to it last night.”
Raw fury burned Mike’s throat. He stepped forward and stuck his finger in her face. “You’re lying.”
“You’re
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