he wanted to please her, and Keely seemed to know it, the wily woman. How was Dietz supposed to get her out of this mess?
Waters nodded toward two men. "Relieve Gaffney," he said. "Gaffney." Waters nodded toward Keely.
"You're making a mistake, Mr. Waters. I don't believe President O'Brien would approve of your methods. How convenient you didn't see fit to notify him."
Gaffney stepped up behind Keely, took her by both elbows, and pressed himself indecently close to her. "Miss Byrne didn't mean any harm. You know women and their delicate sensibilities. Their hearts are always bleeding for someone. I'll see Miss Byrne safely home. She won't be causing any more trouble. I promise." In that instant, the look on Gaffney's face as he touched Keely cut through Dietz. Dietz saw something darker than love written there. He saw obsession. It sent him reeling with disgust and an emotion he'd never felt before—jealousy.
As to seeing her safely home, did that include ravaging her? Gaffney craved Keely. That much was obvious.
Dietz stepped from the shadows into the long lantern light with his gun at ready. "I'll take Miss Byrne home."
Waters smiled at him. "How good of you to join us, McCullough. Couldn't imagine you'd want to miss the action." Waters nodded at Gaffney again. "Give McCullough his woman."
Keely clenched her jaw at Waters' comment. She didn't like being possessed, huh? With obvious reluctance, Gaffney let her go. Dietz stepped up to take her arm. Right now the woman needed a protective man. She needed him.
"McCullough." She threw herself into his arms.
Dietz had to clench his jaw to keep from crying out in pain. His shoulder throbbed like hell at the jolt.
Gaffney glared at him. His lips formed the word bastard. Dietz took it as a warning.
"McCullough, make them stop." Keely's eyes sparkled with tears as she looked up at him. He hated that she used the same method of appeal on him that she had used on Gaffney. And Heaven help him, he wanted to please her, too. He was really no better than Gaffney, except that an overwhelming desire for her safety overrode any notion of humoring her.
"What do you think of our little excitement, McCullough?" Waters asked.
Dietz smiled in reply.
"What should we do next, McCullough? Tell us." Waters' smile resembled more of a leer, an angry scowl. With his question, he clearly tested McCullough, and Dietz knew it. Was McCullough loyal to the union or his woman?
"Torch the place."
The miners cheered at Dietz's confident reply. Keely gasped. Behind him, Dietz heard the men who carried the torches stomp up the board stairs into the decrepit cabin.
"Run the old man out. But let's be gentlemen. Dispatch him to Wallace, and put him on a train. Hell, pay his fare. Miss Byrne is right. There's no need for bloodshed tonight."
"No, indeed." Waters smiled. Dietz saw admiration and a sinister form of victory shine in Waters' eyes, like he'd figured out how to solve a dark puzzle to his own ends. Dietz didn't like it. "Gaffney, get your men and take Catridge away." Waters spoke with the ease of a powerful man.
Gaffney slunk off sullenly with Catridge and a group of thugs in toe. Keely wrenched free of McCullough's embrace and ran off toward home, obviously angry and upset with Dietz. Waters laughed. "Good luck with your woman, McCullough. Looks to me like you better marry her soon. So as to keep her in line."
"Yeah." Like hell. He didn't need the kind of trouble she brought on him. Usually he'd be enjoying himself to no end over the excitement of the mission. Plotting and planning. Hanging out in bars. Drinking with the boys after the excitement finished up, energy coursing through him giving him the high he lived for. Now he'd have to go make up with a woman and damned if he didn't half want to.
On top of it all, Gaffney appeared more dangerous than Dietz originally had thought. A man obsessed with a woman was a loose cannon for sure, too unpredictable for any measure of safety. Well,
Waters nodded toward two men. "Relieve Gaffney," he said. "Gaffney." Waters nodded toward Keely.
"You're making a mistake, Mr. Waters. I don't believe President O'Brien would approve of your methods. How convenient you didn't see fit to notify him."
Gaffney stepped up behind Keely, took her by both elbows, and pressed himself indecently close to her. "Miss Byrne didn't mean any harm. You know women and their delicate sensibilities. Their hearts are always bleeding for someone. I'll see Miss Byrne safely home. She won't be causing any more trouble. I promise." In that instant, the look on Gaffney's face as he touched Keely cut through Dietz. Dietz saw something darker than love written there. He saw obsession. It sent him reeling with disgust and an emotion he'd never felt before—jealousy.
As to seeing her safely home, did that include ravaging her? Gaffney craved Keely. That much was obvious.
Dietz stepped from the shadows into the long lantern light with his gun at ready. "I'll take Miss Byrne home."
Waters smiled at him. "How good of you to join us, McCullough. Couldn't imagine you'd want to miss the action." Waters nodded at Gaffney again. "Give McCullough his woman."
Keely clenched her jaw at Waters' comment. She didn't like being possessed, huh? With obvious reluctance, Gaffney let her go. Dietz stepped up to take her arm. Right now the woman needed a protective man. She needed him.
"McCullough." She threw herself into his arms.
Dietz had to clench his jaw to keep from crying out in pain. His shoulder throbbed like hell at the jolt.
Gaffney glared at him. His lips formed the word bastard. Dietz took it as a warning.
"McCullough, make them stop." Keely's eyes sparkled with tears as she looked up at him. He hated that she used the same method of appeal on him that she had used on Gaffney. And Heaven help him, he wanted to please her, too. He was really no better than Gaffney, except that an overwhelming desire for her safety overrode any notion of humoring her.
"What do you think of our little excitement, McCullough?" Waters asked.
Dietz smiled in reply.
"What should we do next, McCullough? Tell us." Waters' smile resembled more of a leer, an angry scowl. With his question, he clearly tested McCullough, and Dietz knew it. Was McCullough loyal to the union or his woman?
"Torch the place."
The miners cheered at Dietz's confident reply. Keely gasped. Behind him, Dietz heard the men who carried the torches stomp up the board stairs into the decrepit cabin.
"Run the old man out. But let's be gentlemen. Dispatch him to Wallace, and put him on a train. Hell, pay his fare. Miss Byrne is right. There's no need for bloodshed tonight."
"No, indeed." Waters smiled. Dietz saw admiration and a sinister form of victory shine in Waters' eyes, like he'd figured out how to solve a dark puzzle to his own ends. Dietz didn't like it. "Gaffney, get your men and take Catridge away." Waters spoke with the ease of a powerful man.
Gaffney slunk off sullenly with Catridge and a group of thugs in toe. Keely wrenched free of McCullough's embrace and ran off toward home, obviously angry and upset with Dietz. Waters laughed. "Good luck with your woman, McCullough. Looks to me like you better marry her soon. So as to keep her in line."
"Yeah." Like hell. He didn't need the kind of trouble she brought on him. Usually he'd be enjoying himself to no end over the excitement of the mission. Plotting and planning. Hanging out in bars. Drinking with the boys after the excitement finished up, energy coursing through him giving him the high he lived for. Now he'd have to go make up with a woman and damned if he didn't half want to.
On top of it all, Gaffney appeared more dangerous than Dietz originally had thought. A man obsessed with a woman was a loose cannon for sure, too unpredictable for any measure of safety. Well,
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