hour of the auction drawing closer. All hell was about to break loose while he walked aimlessly up and down a street filled with whores.
He ran restless fingers through his hair. After the auction he'd locate her. Right now he didn't have the time. He had made promises and he had to keep them. He prayed his Angel was not a prostitute, and he prayed he would find her soon. He didn't like the thought of her left alone and vulnerable.
Devil headed back to the livery, his mood tense and irritable, calling himself a fool in several languages. His Angel was too sweet to become one of those hardened ladies of the evening. She had responded to his kisses as if she'd never been kissed before.
He had jumped to conclusions.
His heart relieved, he whistled a tune from the old country as he walked down the sidewalk.
~ * ~
Devil mounted Jabbar and cantered the big horse through the streets of Denver until he reached the edge of town. Misha rode with him. They turned their horses into the hills and let the stallions have full rein. A hot spring sun shone down on them. Sweat-slipped down Devil's neck.
One hour later Devil rode between two granite cliffs and then down into a hollow sheltered on four sides by stately evergreen trees. A cool breeze dried his sweat-soaked shirt. Misha stayed behind, preferring not to show himself to the other men.
In front of Devil, Dakota, Sam and Trey were mounted, and a fourth man leaned against a boulder. The fourth man's head was wound with a stark white bandage.
"Jacob?" Devil asked.
The man nodded. "Devil Blackmoor."
"You've found proof?"
Once again Jacob nodded. "A senator, a colleague of Stevens', came forward." Jacob's smile was grim. "Told us enough to put Stevens away for life."
Devil understood the subtlety behind Jacob's words. "I take it the man wasn't excited about telling the truth."
"He needed a bit of pressure."
"Our witness as well as Stevens has been dishonest for years," Sam said. He pushed back his hat.
"Emma didn't kill her mother,'' Dakota's voice was quiet, his dark eyes pensive. "I'm getting her out of the house now." Dakota turned to leave.
"Wait!" Sam's command held Dakota back.
"For what?" Dakota's voice, pencil thin and threatening, stopped Devil cold.
"For the sheriff to arrest him. We don't want him to fly now."
"Not when we're so close to putting the two of them away for life." Jacob touched the bandage on his head, pausing as if distracted. When he looked back to Devil, he offered an answer to Devil's question. "Lawrence Stevens killed her, and the madam helped," Jacob said. "He poisoned our mother slowly, day by day, until she didn't have the strength or the will to live.
"Emma would be free right now except for the fact that Stevens has her in the bordello. He's killed once, and as long as he has nothing to lose, we're afraid for Emma's life. Until we can get her out of there safely, he can't know what's going on."
Dakota dismounted, and the tension in the set of his jaw and the lines of anguish in his face disturbed Devil. This was a tricky situation. A hotheaded husband would accomplish nothing.
As if guessing Devil's concern, Sam spoke up. "The auction goes forward as planned."
"Dakota has already placed a silent bid. In disguise he's been to see her," Jacob said. "If the bid isn't enough, we're prepared to go as high as necessary. If he pays enough for her, he can walk out of the bordello with Emma on his arm then we can storm the place."
"Did Emma recognize Dakota?" Devil dismounted.
"She knew him."
"Perhaps that has its own merits. She'll understand we'll be there for her."
"Perhaps."
"And pigs fly." Dakota's heated reply made Devil jerk around. "She thought I betrayed her."
Once again Jacob touched the bandage, choosing to ignore Dakota's outburst. "Tonight at the auction Sam will be at the bordello, as well as Trey.
He ran restless fingers through his hair. After the auction he'd locate her. Right now he didn't have the time. He had made promises and he had to keep them. He prayed his Angel was not a prostitute, and he prayed he would find her soon. He didn't like the thought of her left alone and vulnerable.
Devil headed back to the livery, his mood tense and irritable, calling himself a fool in several languages. His Angel was too sweet to become one of those hardened ladies of the evening. She had responded to his kisses as if she'd never been kissed before.
He had jumped to conclusions.
His heart relieved, he whistled a tune from the old country as he walked down the sidewalk.
~ * ~
Devil mounted Jabbar and cantered the big horse through the streets of Denver until he reached the edge of town. Misha rode with him. They turned their horses into the hills and let the stallions have full rein. A hot spring sun shone down on them. Sweat-slipped down Devil's neck.
One hour later Devil rode between two granite cliffs and then down into a hollow sheltered on four sides by stately evergreen trees. A cool breeze dried his sweat-soaked shirt. Misha stayed behind, preferring not to show himself to the other men.
In front of Devil, Dakota, Sam and Trey were mounted, and a fourth man leaned against a boulder. The fourth man's head was wound with a stark white bandage.
"Jacob?" Devil asked.
The man nodded. "Devil Blackmoor."
"You've found proof?"
Once again Jacob nodded. "A senator, a colleague of Stevens', came forward." Jacob's smile was grim. "Told us enough to put Stevens away for life."
Devil understood the subtlety behind Jacob's words. "I take it the man wasn't excited about telling the truth."
"He needed a bit of pressure."
"Our witness as well as Stevens has been dishonest for years," Sam said. He pushed back his hat.
"Emma didn't kill her mother,'' Dakota's voice was quiet, his dark eyes pensive. "I'm getting her out of the house now." Dakota turned to leave.
"Wait!" Sam's command held Dakota back.
"For what?" Dakota's voice, pencil thin and threatening, stopped Devil cold.
"For the sheriff to arrest him. We don't want him to fly now."
"Not when we're so close to putting the two of them away for life." Jacob touched the bandage on his head, pausing as if distracted. When he looked back to Devil, he offered an answer to Devil's question. "Lawrence Stevens killed her, and the madam helped," Jacob said. "He poisoned our mother slowly, day by day, until she didn't have the strength or the will to live.
"Emma would be free right now except for the fact that Stevens has her in the bordello. He's killed once, and as long as he has nothing to lose, we're afraid for Emma's life. Until we can get her out of there safely, he can't know what's going on."
Dakota dismounted, and the tension in the set of his jaw and the lines of anguish in his face disturbed Devil. This was a tricky situation. A hotheaded husband would accomplish nothing.
As if guessing Devil's concern, Sam spoke up. "The auction goes forward as planned."
"Dakota has already placed a silent bid. In disguise he's been to see her," Jacob said. "If the bid isn't enough, we're prepared to go as high as necessary. If he pays enough for her, he can walk out of the bordello with Emma on his arm then we can storm the place."
"Did Emma recognize Dakota?" Devil dismounted.
"She knew him."
"Perhaps that has its own merits. She'll understand we'll be there for her."
"Perhaps."
"And pigs fly." Dakota's heated reply made Devil jerk around. "She thought I betrayed her."
Once again Jacob touched the bandage, choosing to ignore Dakota's outburst. "Tonight at the auction Sam will be at the bordello, as well as Trey.
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