said, squinting into the sun. “That’s why they call me Killer.”
“Murder the market?” She laughed appreciatively. “Did you learn that in college?”
Killer threw her a funny look and went back to wrenching. “What makes you think I went to college?”
“No reason.” Edwina suspected she’d hit a nerve, and it made her even more determined to get some answers. She was going to take a risk, she decided, studying him, a calculated risk. She didn’t have the rubber snake with her, but if she could surprise Killer with the picture of Holt and get a reaction out of him, she just might hit the jackpot.
She glanced around, checking out the near-deserted campsite. Most of the gang had headed into town for supplies, including Diablo. They’d been gone a couple of hours, and they could show up at any time.
She dug the picture from her pocket and frowned. It was much the worse for having been in the river with her and Diablo last night. “Got a minute?” she asked Killer’s back.
He craned around again and squinted at her, then glanced at the picture as she held it out.
“Anybody you know?” she asked.
“You yanking my chain?”
He looked so incredulous that Edwina’s heart began to pound. “Why? Do you know him?”
“Hard to tell,” he said with a disdainful snick of laughter. “Is this before or after?”
“I was hoping you could tell me.”
He straightened up, looked Edwina over suspiciously, then took the photograph out of her hand and gave it another quick hard glance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, lady. I never saw this kid before.”
The roar of approaching motorcycles warned Edwina that her time had run out. She whisked the picture from Killer’s hand and jammed it into her pocket, turning in time to see Squire roll in, Carmen seated behind him.
Diablo trailed at the back of the pack, wearing mirrored sunglasses and the red bandanna around his head. He gunned his bike and roared up beside Edwina, the dust flying. “What are you doing?” he said, his glare flicking from her to Killer.
“Having a conversation.” She flagged the dust away with her hand. “Is that against the rules?”
“Get your butt on the bike, woman.”
The undisguised hostility in his voice made Edwina bridle. Somehow she managed to keep her mouth shut under the penetrating stares of the Warlords, but her heart burned with outrage. Silent, furious, she climbed on the bike and crossed her arms, refusing to touch him as he sped off toward their camp.
The second he pulled into their campsite, she slid off and glowered at him. “Don’t ever do that to me again,” she said. “I don’t care what our deal is. I don’t care how the Warlords treat their women. If you ever humiliate me like that again, I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” He swung off the machine, hit the kickstand, and loomed over her.
“I’ll beat you to a bloody pulp with your own bike chain.”
A smile flickered. “That tough, huh?”
The threat had been a bit more graphic than Edwina intended, but she stood by it. “That tough.”
“The rodeo starts day after tomorrow,” he said. “You and I have got forty-eight more hours to get through, and we’re going to get through it.”
Edwina returned his stare defiantly, holding her ground, daring him to cross the symbolic line she’d drawn. He snagged her wrist and jerked her toward him, staring down at her until she felt herself weakening. She held her breath as his eyes flared, rich and emerald green. Seconds flew by, quick silent beats that connected them in some frightening way she didn’t fully understand.
“We’re going to do this my way, Princess,” he said, bringing her face up as though he were going to kiss her. And then Edwina realized that he was going to kiss her. His eyes had gone black with desire, and she could almost feel the stirring of his breath on her lips.
She rose up, trembling, lifting her mouth to his. Their lips touched, and she’d barely
“Murder the market?” She laughed appreciatively. “Did you learn that in college?”
Killer threw her a funny look and went back to wrenching. “What makes you think I went to college?”
“No reason.” Edwina suspected she’d hit a nerve, and it made her even more determined to get some answers. She was going to take a risk, she decided, studying him, a calculated risk. She didn’t have the rubber snake with her, but if she could surprise Killer with the picture of Holt and get a reaction out of him, she just might hit the jackpot.
She glanced around, checking out the near-deserted campsite. Most of the gang had headed into town for supplies, including Diablo. They’d been gone a couple of hours, and they could show up at any time.
She dug the picture from her pocket and frowned. It was much the worse for having been in the river with her and Diablo last night. “Got a minute?” she asked Killer’s back.
He craned around again and squinted at her, then glanced at the picture as she held it out.
“Anybody you know?” she asked.
“You yanking my chain?”
He looked so incredulous that Edwina’s heart began to pound. “Why? Do you know him?”
“Hard to tell,” he said with a disdainful snick of laughter. “Is this before or after?”
“I was hoping you could tell me.”
He straightened up, looked Edwina over suspiciously, then took the photograph out of her hand and gave it another quick hard glance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, lady. I never saw this kid before.”
The roar of approaching motorcycles warned Edwina that her time had run out. She whisked the picture from Killer’s hand and jammed it into her pocket, turning in time to see Squire roll in, Carmen seated behind him.
Diablo trailed at the back of the pack, wearing mirrored sunglasses and the red bandanna around his head. He gunned his bike and roared up beside Edwina, the dust flying. “What are you doing?” he said, his glare flicking from her to Killer.
“Having a conversation.” She flagged the dust away with her hand. “Is that against the rules?”
“Get your butt on the bike, woman.”
The undisguised hostility in his voice made Edwina bridle. Somehow she managed to keep her mouth shut under the penetrating stares of the Warlords, but her heart burned with outrage. Silent, furious, she climbed on the bike and crossed her arms, refusing to touch him as he sped off toward their camp.
The second he pulled into their campsite, she slid off and glowered at him. “Don’t ever do that to me again,” she said. “I don’t care what our deal is. I don’t care how the Warlords treat their women. If you ever humiliate me like that again, I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” He swung off the machine, hit the kickstand, and loomed over her.
“I’ll beat you to a bloody pulp with your own bike chain.”
A smile flickered. “That tough, huh?”
The threat had been a bit more graphic than Edwina intended, but she stood by it. “That tough.”
“The rodeo starts day after tomorrow,” he said. “You and I have got forty-eight more hours to get through, and we’re going to get through it.”
Edwina returned his stare defiantly, holding her ground, daring him to cross the symbolic line she’d drawn. He snagged her wrist and jerked her toward him, staring down at her until she felt herself weakening. She held her breath as his eyes flared, rich and emerald green. Seconds flew by, quick silent beats that connected them in some frightening way she didn’t fully understand.
“We’re going to do this my way, Princess,” he said, bringing her face up as though he were going to kiss her. And then Edwina realized that he was going to kiss her. His eyes had gone black with desire, and she could almost feel the stirring of his breath on her lips.
She rose up, trembling, lifting her mouth to his. Their lips touched, and she’d barely
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