He lay there catching his breath, so many things sprang to mind to say but he didn’t utter any of them. He was a Ranger. He wasn’t supposed to have fear. His emotions were supposed to be under his control. He could tell her he loved her but she didn’t like that word and it seemed too inadequate to describe the depth of his feelings anyway.
Rose watched Matt as he sat with the Sheriff. He had told her they were friends, that the Sheriff used to be a Ranger but as she watched them talking she didn’t think they looked like friends. In fact she would’ve thought they’d just met if she didn’t know better. Matt was writing something. When he finished they stood up and shook hands and the sheriff left.
“So are you planning to open tonight?”
“No, I think the star has other things on her mind,” she smirked and he grinned. Jonathan had never left and so far the couple was still sequestered. The Sheriff had interrupted long enough to ask some questions but other than that they hadn’t been out of the room.
“I’m glad they patched things up.”
“Me too,” Rose sighed, she walked into the store room and returned with two bottles of sarsaparilla. She opened them both and handed him one.“To finding a killer.” She held up the bottle.
“To justice.” He clinked his bottle against hers.
“So are you ever going to tell me how you figured out that Katrina was the key?’ He looked surprised as he lowered the bottle.
“I never refused to tell you. You didn’t ask.”
“Alright, I am asking now.”
“Alright now I am refusing to tell you.” He laughed and she pushed his shoulder.“How did I figure out it was about Katrina? Well she was the common factor. Benji stayed with her until late talking. He jumped to a different conclusion and he was jealous. Then Dixie traded rooms with her. Duncan left that necklace for Katrina, it was a D. When he saw it on Dixie I think he assumed she had stolen it. It’s crazy how warped an obsessed mind can become.”
“So you decided to make him come after you.”
“It stood to reason that if he was jealous enough to kill Benji he would be jealous enough to try to kill me too.” She had almost been jealous enough to kill him herself but she didn’t say that she just smiled.
“You know funny thing about fishing, it usually doesn’t work out so well for the bait!” She mumbled and he laughed.
“It was working out perfectly well until you fouled the whole thing up.”
“Again if you had told me what was going on I wouldn’t have gone out there looking for you.”
“Alright.” He sighed,“You’re right I should have told you. Now let’s go see what Maggie’s special is today.”
Rose lay awake in the grey dawn light watching Matt sleep. He was softly snoring, once again his whiskers had grown so long that they were more short beard than whiskers. He lifted his hand and scratched his chin in his sleep and she smiled. It was itching that was a sure sign it would be going soon. She wasn’t sure what the future held for them and it was driving her mad. It had been three days since he had caught the killer and still he was here. He hadn’t mentioned when he would be leaving and she was afraid to ask. She didn’t want him to go she had never expected to find someone like him. He was strong and tender at the same time. He made her feel safe but he made her feel so much more than that. He made her feel beautiful and desirable he made her… happy. She leaned over him and softly kissed his neck, she slid her hand down over his chest knowing if she woke him he would make love to her again. She had lost track of how many times it had been in just these few short days but the intensity hadn’t lessened. He made her feel like the rest of the world didn’t exist. She was growing more addicted to that feeling with each passing day. She felt the muscles under her hand move as he reached up and put his arms around her. He just pulled her down on to him and she giggled.
“Woman, you are going to kill me with exhaustion.” His voice was husky with sleep and desire.
“I can’t help it, you are irresistible,” she whispered right into his ear.
“Oh sweetheart I like the sound of that.” He kissed her sliding his hands over her back.
“I think Izzy is back.” Matt said hours later when they had ventured out to the kitchen. He was looking out the window and happened to see the other man ride up.
“That’s good, he’s been gone longer than usual this time. I was starting to get worried.” Rose said absently.“I’ll be right back I want to talk to Katrina.” She walked out without looking back at him and he frowned slightly but then he looked out the window again. That’s alright because he wanted to talk to Izzy.
Matt could hear the flurry of activity inside the office before he even opened the door. Izzy was taking random things and stuffing them into saddle bags.
“Going somewhere?” He said coolly.
“I have to get out of here, and Rose she has to go now.”
“Is this another attempt to shut this place down? What’s the point she hasn’t reopened, I am not sure she plans to at all.”
“Oh, you’re so daft, I wasn’t trying to get her to shut down I was trying to get her to stay.”
“You went about it a little backwards don’t you think? I mean vandalism is probably not the best way to ask someone to stay.”
“That was you?” The heads of both men swiveled toward the door at the sound of Rose’s voice.
“Rose, we have to go. We have to go right now.” Izzy rushed forward and put his hands on her shoulders.
“Why were you trying to sabotage the Saloon?” she asked, Izzy sighed.
“I wasn’t trying to sabotage it.I was just trying to get business to drop off… a little.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t want you to go.”
“What?”
“I love you Savannah, I always have. I thought if sales dropped off a little you would push back your plans,that I would have more time.” Rose looked into his eyes for a long moment. Long enough to make Matt uncomfortable. She wasn’t really buying this was she?
“What’s going on? Tell me what is happening.”
“He knows, we have to go.” Matt saw Rose’s whole expression change. He saw alarm in her eyes. No it was more than alarm it was cold fear.
“How?” Izzy looked at the floor and Rose crossed her arms.“Izzy!” she demanded.
“I ran into someone in Austin, he recognized me. I’ve been paying him off but it wasn’t enough and now… he knows.”
“How long?”
“Rose…”
“How long?” She shouted.
“A day at the most.” Rose turned on her heel and walked out.
“A day, you’re sure?” Matt asked.
“Probably less, he is on his way.” Izzy looked at him for a long moment.“Just get her out of here, make sure she is safe.”
“I intend to.” Matt walked to the doorway and looked back.“One question, if you love her why did you suggest that I pretend to be her husband?”
“Because I thought that was the one thing she would never agree to.” Matt walked out without another word.
He could hear activity upstairs a lot of activity. Obviously Rose had started an evacuation. He couldn’t really blame her he probably would have done the same thing. He found her in her room. She was packing but she appeared to be packing very selectively. She wasn’t rushed or panicked she was moving very methodically.
“It’s nice that you’re not surprised.” She didn’tlook at him.“You know who it is?”
“Yes.” She nodded and stuck the bible from her night table drawer into the saddle bags. She took the blond wig off her head and immediately replaced it with a short black one.
“Guess that explains what you’re hanging around here waiting for. Was he really your partner or just a convenient excuse?”
“I came here to find Benji’s killer.”
“And just happened to stumble upon a bigger fish.”
“I am a Ranger.”
�
�And what does that mean?”
“It means that it’s not what I do it’s who I am.”
“How fortunate for you.” Matt bit back a sigh at the snide remark.
“You expect me to apologize for uncovering your secrets?”
“Nope.” She flipped the leather pouch closed and walked out the door.
“You’re leaving a lot behind.”
“I am not sentimental.”
“You know they’re watching, you’re not going to get away you’re just going to lead them where you don’t want them to be.”
“No, I will lead them where I want them to go.”
“I can protect you.” He followed her down the hallway.
“No you can’t.”
“Yes I can I’m a…”
“You’re a Ranger I know I heard that, congratulations.” She walked into the store room and back to the little desk in the corner where she kept the saloon’s books. She moved the desk revealing a safe behind it. She opened the safe and removed a small leather pouch from within.
“I won’t let him hurt you,” he said softly.
“Ha. Hide behind you arrogance if you want to. Don’t expect me to.” She straightened up and walked back toward him. He was standing in the doorway blocking her path.
“So you’re just going to run?”
“I am, and I will survive another day. I plan to head north. I would suggest you head south.”
“I never run from a fight.”
“Suit yourself. Mind letting me pass?” He stepped back out of her way.
“Why does he want you so bad?”
“I am expected to know what motivates a mad man?”
“Expected? No. But you do know don’t you?” She glared at him.
“He wants me because he couldn’t have me. Denial is a powerful motivator wouldn’t you agree?”
“More to some than to others,” he said blandly.“You got away once.”
“I did.”
“So what happened?”
“Thought you knew everything Ranger.” He knew she was angry but he didn’t have time to resolve that right now. He wasn’t going to bite so he just waited. “He is my uncle, my mother’s brother. When he faked his death he miscalculated and ended up badly burned. He came to her. She was terrified of him so she patched him took care of him while he healed. She knew the way he looked at me. She told me never to be alone with him never to leave my door unlocked and I didn’t. But eventually he healed and then it didn’t matter how many people or locked doors stood in his way. He killed my entire family all the people that thought they could protect me. Then he stripped me and covered me in their blood.” Matt clenched his teeth as anger surged through him he kept his face passive, she knew she was watching him waiting for a reaction so he didn’t react. “I survived because one of his body guards turned on him. I have no illusions as to what he had in mind when he did. It was not by chance that I chose a cover that portrayed me as his daughter. I don’t think I will be so lucky the second time around so I think I’ll take my chances on my own.”
“I will protect you. Do you trust me?” She just stared at him so he repeated the question.
“Do you trust me?”
“No. You haven’t given me a reason to trust you. But you’ve given me a lot of reasons not to.” She said quietly then she turned and walked out the door. He didn’t follow her this time. He was too shocked. The woman he had just watched walk out was not the same woman he had gotten to know over the past few weeks. This new woman was cold and calculating. Rose had seemed so guileless and innocent but this woman knew exactly what effect she had when she had kept him at arm’s length. She had toyed with him, drew him in, but to what end? Ultimately she didn’t want his help at all.
Rose stayed close to the buildings as she walked along the boardwalk. When she reached the last building she ducked inside. She climbed the stairs and let herself into a room she kept just for this purpose. She changed her clothes into a black riding habit. She had a black hat with a veil too but she didn’t put that on yet. She peered out the window through a crack in the curtains. She could clearly see the front of the Whiskey Rose as well as the main road through town. She took a derringer out of the drawer and put it in her garter as well as a pistol in her saddle bags. She placed a couple of knives into specially sewn in liners. Wouldn’t Matt be surprised to know that this room as well as its contents was paid for with what he had thought was payoff money? Sure Eddie Cannon got a fee but it was small compared to what the risk would have been if she had walked in and tried to rent this room herself. Almost as great a risk as if someone she knew rented it. Now all she could do was wait.
As the minutes ticked by her thoughts turned to Matt. She didn’t want to think about him. She tried not to but it was inevitable. She had been so angry when she realized that he had known about Kline. That he had known Izzy was behind the damage to the saloon and he hadn’t told her anything. It was hard to believe that he had gone to such great lengths to get close to her. It didn’t make a lot of sense. That was the hardest part. It wasn’t like she could have led him to Kline she didn’t know where he was. Sure he was still looking for her so there was the chance that he would come but it could have been years, it could have been never. Maybe it had been Izzy he had been tracking. He said someone had recognized him in Austin maybe Matt had caught his trail there. But then what about Ben? He had been in love with Pam he had been back to visit her several times. He had written her letters. That was real and Ben had really been killed. She sighed and relented that it was much more likely that he really had come looking for Ben’s killer and just stumbled upon her connection to Kline.
“Damn him,” she thought bitterly. She had been angry and hurt. Oddly it was the memory of the hurt she felt when he had put on that act with Katrina that had really bothered her. It hadn’t been real and she knew that and yet when it felt like he had been keeping things from her that perceived hurt was as fresh and deep as it had been the first time. She had wanted to hurt him as badly. She had wanted to tell him that none of it had meant anything but she couldn’t. She had said she didn’t trust him to hurt him but that wasn’t quite true. She trusted him more than she trusted anyone else. She had let him behind her locked door. Into her bed and into her heart. She loved him and she hated that she did because now as she watched the saloon and he didn’t leave she knew his life was in danger.
Chapter 18
Matt sat at the bar drinking from a glass the whiskey bottle in front of him had been drained and replaced with sarsaparilla. The liquid made him think of Rose but it wasn’t like he wasn’t thinking of her already so it didn’t matter. Maybe she was right maybe he should have leveled with her, told her everything. But he had hoped that she wouldn’t have to know they were tracking Kline until they caught him. He thought it would be better if she didn’t know about the danger but maybe keeping the operation from her had been a breach of her trust. He never told anyone the full scope of his operation he just didn’t operate that way. If anyone knew the entire plan they could betray him. Benji operated the same way. Maybe that was why they worked so well together. Of course that could also be why no one else wanted to work with either of them. You had to give trust to get trust. He knew that but he hadn’t trusted her so she wouldn’t trust him. He took a drink from the glass and refilled it. He wished they would hurry up he hated waiting. He was going to kill Kline. His original intent had been to arrest him but now he knew he was going to kill him. Rose was gone, with any luck she would be far away if he lost the battle with Kline but he was going to kill him anyway, for her, for every other life he had destroyed. Maybe Rose would eventually forgive him. He doubted it but it didn’t matter he would love her forever either way.
The jingle of spurs was loud after the hours of silence.
“Yer too late, s-closed.” Matt slurred.“All gone.” Matt gestured to the empty room with his glass.
“I am looking for a woman.”
“You n-me both
pal. No women here just booze.” Matt refilled his glass. Kline didn’t look like his wanted posters. Rose had said he had been burned but she didn’t mention that his face had been scared. His left cheek, neck and ear were badly scared. Part of his scalp no longer grew hair. He looked old. For a man whose legend had been told and retold growing with each retelling he seemed oddly diminished. Still Matt knew better than to underestimate him. His brutality more than made up for his small stature. He had several men with him. He directed his next statement to them.
“Spread out, find her.” The four men separated two went upstairs and two stayed down heading back into the hallway.
“Drink?” Matt asked holding up the bottle.
“No.” Kline curled his lip as if the very idea of having a drink with him was repulsive. Kline drew his gun and leveled it at him. Matt was mildly surprised, he had assumed the other man would be a bit more discreet.
“Easy there friend I don’t want no trouble,” he said still slurring his words.
“What are you doing here?”
“I own the place.” Matt said proudly.“Won it in a poker game from a man named Madison. Thought the women came with it. Turns out they didn’t.” Matt grumbled. The two men returned from the back and it was all Matt could do to keep his back turned to them.
“No one back there, boss.” One man said.
“Get his gun.” One man pulled him to his feet and he pretended to stumble. The other relieved him of his gun.
“Hey what’s your problem man?” Matt said indignantly. The man with his gun lifted the glass on the bar and took a mouthful he immediately spit it out and Matt knew his plan had just taken a serious blow.
“Eck this ain’t whiskey.” The man sputtered. Kline raised his gun again.
Whiskey Rose (Fallen) Page 15
