one can ever know that I’m the one who told you about the gang.” She stood up to leave.
“Don’t worry. No one will ever find out from me. You have my word on it.”
Dolly stared up at him in the lamplight, taking in the sight of him standing before her with his shirt off. He looked so handsome. He was a good man—a truly good man, and they were so hard to find in a town like Black Rock. She regretted that she hadn’t been able to get him up to her room at the saloon, but she also knew he wasn’t like any man she’d ever met before. “I have to go.”
“Be careful.”
“You, too.” She started from the room.
“Dolly—”
She looked back at the Ranger.
“Thank you.”
“Find them…,” she whispered as she left the room. She closed the door quietly behind her, leaving Lane alone.
Destiny had no idea how long she’d been standing over Bryce’s inert body, trembling in horror. She was immobilized by terror, for she feared he was dead. He lay facedown on the floor, bloodied and unmoving.
Panic filled her, and she knew she had to run away. She knew she couldn’t leave by the front door for fear that one of the servants might see her. She rushed to let herself out a pair of French doors that led to the balcony. It wasn’t easy climbing over the railing in her dress, but she did it, and then clutching the torn bodice of her dress to her, she fled into the darkness of the night.
Destiny remembered Sylvia’s earlier offer of help, and she knew the servant’s home was one place she would be safe for the time being. She ran through the night-shrouded alleyways, trying to stay out of sight and praying Sylvia would be at her home where she lived with her thirteen-year-old daughter, Mary. Destiny’s relief was great when she saw the soft glow of a lamp coming from the front window of the small cottage located behind her own house. Destiny ran up to knock quietly on the back door.
Sylvia heard the knock and went to see who in the world could be at her door at this time of the night. She opened the door and was completely shocked to see Destiny standing there, her lip swollen and her gown torn.
“Come in—Hurry—” she whispered, urging Destiny inside as she looked up and down the alley to make sure no one else had seen her. She closed and locked the door behind her and then quickly pulled down the window shade to ensure no one would be able to look in. She turned to Destiny and saw the misery in her expression. Sylvia led her over to the small sofa so she could sit down.
“Who is it, Mother?” Mary asked, appearing in the doorway. She gasped at the sight of Destiny looking so abused and ran to her mother’s side.
“Mary—go to your room—” Sylvia insisted.
“No, I want to help,” the girl said.
Sylvia sat down beside Destiny, and Mary stayed nearby, looking on nervously. “Destiny—What happened? Who did this to you?”
Destiny was trembling as she told her friend the awful tale. “He was terrible…,” she managed, realizing for the first time that her lip was swollen where he’d slapped her.
“Who was?” Sylvia asked, expecting to hear that Raymond had attacked Destiny.
“Bryce Parker—It was Bryce—He tried to force himself on me, and when I resisted him, he hit me—” She went on to tell them all that had happened, how Bryce had told her Raymond had sold her to him to pay off his debts.
“Mr. Howard is a horrible man. I knew it.” Sylvia swallowed nervously as she asked, “Are you sure Bryce is dead?”
“I think so—He wasn’t moving, and there was blood—” Destiny lifted her tortured gaze to Sylvia’s. “Oh, Sylvia, I have no place to go—I can’t go home ever again—”
“I know…” Sylvia had had enough. She had loved Destiny almost as if she were her own daughter, and there was no way she was going to let the girl suffer any more because of Raymond and his horrible ways.
“What am I going to do?” Destiny asked tearfully.
“I heard some
“Don’t worry. No one will ever find out from me. You have my word on it.”
Dolly stared up at him in the lamplight, taking in the sight of him standing before her with his shirt off. He looked so handsome. He was a good man—a truly good man, and they were so hard to find in a town like Black Rock. She regretted that she hadn’t been able to get him up to her room at the saloon, but she also knew he wasn’t like any man she’d ever met before. “I have to go.”
“Be careful.”
“You, too.” She started from the room.
“Dolly—”
She looked back at the Ranger.
“Thank you.”
“Find them…,” she whispered as she left the room. She closed the door quietly behind her, leaving Lane alone.
Destiny had no idea how long she’d been standing over Bryce’s inert body, trembling in horror. She was immobilized by terror, for she feared he was dead. He lay facedown on the floor, bloodied and unmoving.
Panic filled her, and she knew she had to run away. She knew she couldn’t leave by the front door for fear that one of the servants might see her. She rushed to let herself out a pair of French doors that led to the balcony. It wasn’t easy climbing over the railing in her dress, but she did it, and then clutching the torn bodice of her dress to her, she fled into the darkness of the night.
Destiny remembered Sylvia’s earlier offer of help, and she knew the servant’s home was one place she would be safe for the time being. She ran through the night-shrouded alleyways, trying to stay out of sight and praying Sylvia would be at her home where she lived with her thirteen-year-old daughter, Mary. Destiny’s relief was great when she saw the soft glow of a lamp coming from the front window of the small cottage located behind her own house. Destiny ran up to knock quietly on the back door.
Sylvia heard the knock and went to see who in the world could be at her door at this time of the night. She opened the door and was completely shocked to see Destiny standing there, her lip swollen and her gown torn.
“Come in—Hurry—” she whispered, urging Destiny inside as she looked up and down the alley to make sure no one else had seen her. She closed and locked the door behind her and then quickly pulled down the window shade to ensure no one would be able to look in. She turned to Destiny and saw the misery in her expression. Sylvia led her over to the small sofa so she could sit down.
“Who is it, Mother?” Mary asked, appearing in the doorway. She gasped at the sight of Destiny looking so abused and ran to her mother’s side.
“Mary—go to your room—” Sylvia insisted.
“No, I want to help,” the girl said.
Sylvia sat down beside Destiny, and Mary stayed nearby, looking on nervously. “Destiny—What happened? Who did this to you?”
Destiny was trembling as she told her friend the awful tale. “He was terrible…,” she managed, realizing for the first time that her lip was swollen where he’d slapped her.
“Who was?” Sylvia asked, expecting to hear that Raymond had attacked Destiny.
“Bryce Parker—It was Bryce—He tried to force himself on me, and when I resisted him, he hit me—” She went on to tell them all that had happened, how Bryce had told her Raymond had sold her to him to pay off his debts.
“Mr. Howard is a horrible man. I knew it.” Sylvia swallowed nervously as she asked, “Are you sure Bryce is dead?”
“I think so—He wasn’t moving, and there was blood—” Destiny lifted her tortured gaze to Sylvia’s. “Oh, Sylvia, I have no place to go—I can’t go home ever again—”
“I know…” Sylvia had had enough. She had loved Destiny almost as if she were her own daughter, and there was no way she was going to let the girl suffer any more because of Raymond and his horrible ways.
“What am I going to do?” Destiny asked tearfully.
“I heard some
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