Devil in Texas (Lady Law & The Gunslinger Series, Book 1) by Adrienne deWolfe
Book: Devil in Texas (Lady Law & The Gunslinger Series, Book 1) by Adrienne deWolfe
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Authors: Adrienne deWolfe
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her old friend. "You two had a wager ?"
As discreet as Wilma was, she'd never tried to hide the fact that Cass used to come to her bed in Dodge, during the days when he'd been green enough to learn something. Wilma had originated his Rebel Rutter legend. Her joke had spread like wildfire, mostly because Cass enjoyed living up to his fame.
"Did you bet against me or Cass?" Sadie demanded in wounded tones.
"My bet was against Baron."
Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Wilma slipped the ticket into her bodice. "Now then. Let us discuss more important matters, like a new paste for your chestnut sideburns. And the code name you will use, when you communicate with Rex..."
* * *
One Week Later
Lampasas, TX
"Well, if it isn't the sweetest little rosebud—"
"Shut-up."
Cass smirked. Hidden by silver sage bushes on the alley side of the swanky Globe Hotel, he craned back his head to watch Collie in a third story window. The kid's ludicrous widow weeds and four-foot mourning veil made him look like a grandma-lumberjack. He was pushing Sterne's darkened casement higher to lower a rope.
"Did you remember to shave?" Cass demanded, sotto voce. "'Cause when we make our getaway, folks in the lobby'll think—"
"Still yakking."
Cass snickered. After riding for a year with the Prince of Lock Picks, Cass was used to Collie's moods, but the boy was more surly than usual, thanks to his pet. Vandy had stolen a trout from the hotel's horrified, French chef and had broken $200 worth of crystal while fleeing out the window. Until Baron "fixed" matters with the manager, Collie was forbidden on the property. He'd been forced to concoct a disguise.
"What did you stuff inside your corset? Watermelons?"
"You gonna climb?" Collie countered in murderous tones.
"Well, I don't know. You gonna make it worth my while, sweetheart?"
"How 'bout I give you a shiner?"
Cass chuckled.
The rope finally swished within reach. He planted his boots on the limestone. To any insomniac, who happened to be peering through his shutters, Cass suspected his all-black attire would make him look like an enormous spider, crawling up the moon-splashed stone. To be caught in the night's cosmic spotlight would have strained the nerves of any self-respecting footpad.
But not Cass. Not anymore.
After Sadie had died, he'd started taking wilder, ever crazier risks. Cheating the devil, that had become Cass's way of coping with guilt. Tonight, he was actually hoping to run into Rexford Sterne. Ever since that pretentious, Scotch-drinking prick had stolen Sadie from his arms four years ago in Dodge, Cass had wanted revenge.
Now Baron had reason to believe Sterne's sudden retirement from the Ranger Force had been a cover up for misappropriation of funds. Everybody knew that Sterne, who'd grown up on a cotton plantation, had a soft spot for sodbusters. Since Ranger pay was notoriously poor, Baron suspected Sterne had been siphoning taxpayer money until he could get sufficient backing from the Farmers Alliance to fund his election campaign.
Cass's smile was smug. No one wanted more than he did to find evidence that Sterne had tarnished the Ranger badge.
Now I have something to live for.
Hauling himself over his enemy's window sill, Cass began to drag the rope back up the wall. "How much time do we have?"
"Tito's good at smashing, not yakking."
"That's why I sent Poppy as back up."
At the mention of Baron's wife, Collie screwed up his face like he'd choked down castor oil. " She'll make Sterne run for the nearest saloon, that's certain."
"Works for me."
Cass tugged the bandanna off his face. His eyes swept over oblong shapes, like a bed and a shaving stand, while his nose singled out lemon-balm hair tonic and something more ominous: sulfur. "You been burning powder?" he demanded, his right hand straying to his trigger guard.
"I didn't shoot nobody, if that's what you mean."
"Tarnation, boy! You're supposed to be a girl. Girls don't fire guns while they're
As discreet as Wilma was, she'd never tried to hide the fact that Cass used to come to her bed in Dodge, during the days when he'd been green enough to learn something. Wilma had originated his Rebel Rutter legend. Her joke had spread like wildfire, mostly because Cass enjoyed living up to his fame.
"Did you bet against me or Cass?" Sadie demanded in wounded tones.
"My bet was against Baron."
Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Wilma slipped the ticket into her bodice. "Now then. Let us discuss more important matters, like a new paste for your chestnut sideburns. And the code name you will use, when you communicate with Rex..."
* * *
One Week Later
Lampasas, TX
"Well, if it isn't the sweetest little rosebud—"
"Shut-up."
Cass smirked. Hidden by silver sage bushes on the alley side of the swanky Globe Hotel, he craned back his head to watch Collie in a third story window. The kid's ludicrous widow weeds and four-foot mourning veil made him look like a grandma-lumberjack. He was pushing Sterne's darkened casement higher to lower a rope.
"Did you remember to shave?" Cass demanded, sotto voce. "'Cause when we make our getaway, folks in the lobby'll think—"
"Still yakking."
Cass snickered. After riding for a year with the Prince of Lock Picks, Cass was used to Collie's moods, but the boy was more surly than usual, thanks to his pet. Vandy had stolen a trout from the hotel's horrified, French chef and had broken $200 worth of crystal while fleeing out the window. Until Baron "fixed" matters with the manager, Collie was forbidden on the property. He'd been forced to concoct a disguise.
"What did you stuff inside your corset? Watermelons?"
"You gonna climb?" Collie countered in murderous tones.
"Well, I don't know. You gonna make it worth my while, sweetheart?"
"How 'bout I give you a shiner?"
Cass chuckled.
The rope finally swished within reach. He planted his boots on the limestone. To any insomniac, who happened to be peering through his shutters, Cass suspected his all-black attire would make him look like an enormous spider, crawling up the moon-splashed stone. To be caught in the night's cosmic spotlight would have strained the nerves of any self-respecting footpad.
But not Cass. Not anymore.
After Sadie had died, he'd started taking wilder, ever crazier risks. Cheating the devil, that had become Cass's way of coping with guilt. Tonight, he was actually hoping to run into Rexford Sterne. Ever since that pretentious, Scotch-drinking prick had stolen Sadie from his arms four years ago in Dodge, Cass had wanted revenge.
Now Baron had reason to believe Sterne's sudden retirement from the Ranger Force had been a cover up for misappropriation of funds. Everybody knew that Sterne, who'd grown up on a cotton plantation, had a soft spot for sodbusters. Since Ranger pay was notoriously poor, Baron suspected Sterne had been siphoning taxpayer money until he could get sufficient backing from the Farmers Alliance to fund his election campaign.
Cass's smile was smug. No one wanted more than he did to find evidence that Sterne had tarnished the Ranger badge.
Now I have something to live for.
Hauling himself over his enemy's window sill, Cass began to drag the rope back up the wall. "How much time do we have?"
"Tito's good at smashing, not yakking."
"That's why I sent Poppy as back up."
At the mention of Baron's wife, Collie screwed up his face like he'd choked down castor oil. " She'll make Sterne run for the nearest saloon, that's certain."
"Works for me."
Cass tugged the bandanna off his face. His eyes swept over oblong shapes, like a bed and a shaving stand, while his nose singled out lemon-balm hair tonic and something more ominous: sulfur. "You been burning powder?" he demanded, his right hand straying to his trigger guard.
"I didn't shoot nobody, if that's what you mean."
"Tarnation, boy! You're supposed to be a girl. Girls don't fire guns while they're
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