A Riveting Affair (Entangled Ever After)

by Candace Havens

  Despite her earlier mirth, she was worried Calloway had some recollection of the previous night’s events, which was impossible. Barnes had given him a big dose of clorthoral, which should have wiped his memories from the last forty-eight hours, if not more. The concoction she’d devised could put a horse out for ten hours.

  He should not have even recognized her.

  And there had most definitely been recognition in those eyes.

  Henry barked, and she wasn’t surprised to see a figure with a cowboy hat standing with reigns in hand just outside the perimeter of the alarms. He stared straight into the lab’s lone window with a gaze so intense the hairs on her neck raised.

  Yes, he definitely recalled what had happened last night.

  Her heartbeat increased at the sight of him.

  Fascinating.

  The scientist in her examined the facts. Was this man more than human? Did he possess extraordinary abilities in the way she did?

  Her fast metabolism helped her to burn through drugs and poisons quickly, which was good considering how often she’d been poisoned recently. She should really get better enemies. Poison was so unoriginal.

  When she reached the top of the steps, he spoke. “Turn off your alarms so I can get through.” His gravelly voice sent a delightful shiver down her spine.

  She shook off the sensation. “I don’t think so. I seem to remember you had a gun pointed at me earlier this afternoon.” She walked down the steps and closer to the perimeter so that she could see his face. The sun was nearly down and he had his hat pulled low over his eyes.

  He stared at her hard. “If you let me through, I’ll explain why.”

  Mysterious. Hmm. “If you explain, perhaps I’ll let you through.”

  “Miss Clark.” His voice had grown dark and dangerous.

  “Will you make a promise that you are not here to arrest me?”

  He seemed to contemplate that for a moment.

  She laughed.

  “I’m not going to arrest you—tonight,” he said finally, though from the sound of his voice it appeared he wanted the opposite.

  She clicked the button on the control, and the hum of the fence died down.

  “Please, tell me you weren’t followed this time,” she said as she led him to the train.

  “No, I doubled back just in case. And from what I can tell nothing followed me.”

  “Let’s hope so.”

  Miss Clancy would be furious that Maisy was once again in leather britches and a lab coat, but he had arrived without so much as an invitation, so once again it wasn’t her fault.

  “Drink?” She motioned him into the forward parlor. The well-appointed room had two high-backed sofas covered in rich claret velvet and a few of her favorite wing-backed chairs in the same color. The soft light falling daintily across the room was from a chandelier she had picked up in Paris on one of her travels. The cowboy’s head hit the crystals, and he ducked.

  “Why is that hanging so low?” he complained.

  “The roof of the train is nearly ten feet high. It’s not my fault you’re so tall.”

  He growled. Or maybe that was her imagination.

  “Drink?” she asked again.

  “Poison, more likely.” He eyed her suspiciously as he sat in the chair. “What the hell did you shoot me with last night? I had a mother of a headache most of the day, which wasn’t helped by what you did to me this afternoon.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She poured herself a glass of bourbon before choosing a seat on one of the couches. She hoped he would think it was to help her relax after a long day, but in truth she needed it to steady her nerves.

  Why did this man suddenly make her so jumpy?

  He took off his hat and brushed a hand through his chocolate brown hair. When his shirt tightened against his chest, she could practically see the outline of each hard muscle beneath the starched white fabric. And then there was that scar across his cheek, which made him extraordinarily attractive. Her fingers twitched slightly as if they wanted to touch him again.

  Oh, dear.

  “Don’t play coy with me, Professor Clark. I’m not some idiot.”

  No he was not, a fact that made him even more desirable. A man with a brain and such strength of character was something she hadn’t seen much of in her lifetime.

  Stop this.

  She ordered her brain to travel a more scientific path. How had he escaped the effects of the drugs?

  “I never said you were.” She gave him a sweet smile and something changed in his face. Then his serious mask slipped back into place.

  Interesting.

  “It was a drug we use to help people forget things they never should have seen in the first place.”

  “We? As in you and Barnes?”

  She shrugged. “Among others.”

  He glanced behind him. “There are other people on the train?”

  She was confused for a moment. “No, that is not what I meant. There are others who hunt monsters as we do. Of course, none of them are as successful at it as I am. That is what you’re here about, right? The monsters?”

  Her mouth spouted words like a runaway train. What was wrong with her? Never had she been so forthcoming about her secrets.

  “You mentioned Julian as the one who made the creatures. He wouldn’t be the same one who’s taken over several ranches just outside of town?”

  Her head snapped up. Barnes had discovered a few locals discussing a new rancher at the saloon today, and they had planned a scouting expedition under the cover of darkness. Apparently, the men discussing the land purchase were concerned about how much land he’d acquired, but they’d only mentioned a single ranch while Barnes was there.

  “Did you say several ranches?” She forced her tongue to still. That was more Julian’s style.

  “I thought I might pay him a visit tonight. That is, if I can find out which ranch he’s staying at and where. Two of the ranches are more than ten thousand acres,” Calloway said.

  Oh, tea biscuits. She’d never find him at this rate. She put her glass down. “If you value your life—and I know this sounds dramatic, but do hear me out—you’ll stay as far away from Julian as possible.”

  The cowboy crossed his arms and reclined. “I’ll take your concerns under advisement, Professor.”

  Blasted man. There was no telling what kind of playthings Julian used to secure his perimeters. “Marshal, what you saw last night was only Julian’s way of playing with me. You have no idea what he’s capable of. Those creatures that attacked last night can’t possibly compare to what he’s likely using to protect his ranch,” she warned. “I’m good at what I do, but the man never fails to surprise me.”

  It had been that way for years. More than once she had been tracked and nearly eaten by one of his toys, as he called them.

  In her book they were abominations.

  Julian did not see these attacks on her as attempted murder. He called them tests. He liked to see how far she could go and constantly pushed her limits.

  “I don’t frighten easily.” His eyes narrowed at something behind Maisy.

  “Nor do I.” She turned slightly to find Miss Clancy in the doorway and smiled. “Perhaps I should make introductions. Marshal Calloway, this is Miss Clancy.”

  To his credit and her surprise, he stood and tipped his hat. “Ma’am.”

  “Delighted to meet you, sir. Has the mistress asked if you would care for refreshments?” A big smile spread across Miss Clancy’s face, probably delighted that a gentleman caller had noticed her.

  Maisy glanced up at the ceiling, trying to stave her temper. “Of course I did, but he was worried I might try to poison him,” she said through her teeth.

  “Can’t say I blame him,” the ghost replied.

  Maisy pursed her lips. “If you don’t mind, Miss Clancy, we were discussing business.” She forced herself to take a deep breath. The specter meant well.

  The governess glared. �
��There’s no need to be rude, Miss. Dinner is ready. That was what I came to say. I thought perhaps you should ask your gentleman friend to join you.” Miss Clancy gave Maisy a once-over and gave her leather britches her particular attention when she said, “And perhaps you should take the opportunity to…freshen up.”

  “Thank you.” Maisy said through tight lips. “I’ll be in shortly.”

  Maisy faced the cowboy again. He frowned as he watched Miss Clancy leave, and then he settled back into his seat.

  “Have you ever seen a ghost?” she asked.

  His finger tapped the back of the chair next to him. “No.”

  “Well, I say, you’re handling it rather well.”

  “I’ve never actually seen one fully formed like that, but I’ve felt them before,” he said.

  Interesting. “Yes, they need a great deal of energy to be as clear as Miss Clancy.”

  “I see,” he said in a way that hinted he didn’t see at all. She was, however, impressed with his ability to stay calm in a situation that had to have shaken him. As he had said, it wasn’t every day a man ran into a fully formed apparition.

  “Since you’re here, and we always have enough to feed an army, you might as well dine with us. I swear,” Maisy held up a hand, “I will not poison you—tonight,” she added.

  “If it isn’t too much trouble,” he said.

  “Not at all. Follow me.”

  They walked through the kitchen and into the dining car. There were two long tables, on each side of the cabin, which sat eight. Maisy could have a party, if she suddenly felt the desire. Perhaps one day she would. She might feel compelled to entertain the day she finally killed Julian and rid the world of his abominations and evil.

  Miss Clancy had decorated this room with the help of a mail order catalogue and Barnes’ grumbling assistance, and her feminine touches were clear in the picnicking subjects of the Manets that hung in between the windows as well as in the emerald green velvet chairs and the two chandeliers. Aside from the room being so narrow, the space wasn’t that much different from one of her father’s many dining rooms.

  She motioned for the marshal to sit at the head of the table, but he pulled the chair to the right out for her first. She’d been so long from society, she’d almost forgotten its better customs.

  Most nights, she would have asked Barnes to dine with her, but she knew he wouldn’t when they had company. The butler in him was deeply ingrained. After laying a setting for Calloway and rushing into the kitchen car, he quickly returned with several silver chafing dishes filled with Beef Wellington, potatoes, and crisp green beans.

  Once everything was served, Maisy thanked him, but the butler was out of the room before she could finish the sentence.

  She turned her attention back to her guest. “May I ask you a rather personal question?”

  Calloway gave her a wary look, and then shrugged.

  “Why did you become a lawman?”

  Tension pulled at his brow, and Maisy chastised herself for asking the wrong question. Lately it had become a habit. She was about to apologize when he spoke.

  “It isn’t a very original story. Almost every lawman I know has something similar that happened in his life.” The cowboy paused as if to collect his thoughts. “When I was young, my parents had a jewelry store in Boston. They did quite well for themselves. A few days after my seventh birthday a gunman killed them, orphaning my sister and me. We were sent to live with my uncle in Galveston. He worked as a marshal when we first arrived, but then he took a desk job closer to home so that he could raise us.”

  “That was kind of him,” she said. “I’m sorry you lost your parents when you were so young. My mother died giving birth to me. Even though I never knew her, I don’t think it’s something a child really comes to terms with until he or she is much older.”

  He nodded.

  “So was it because of your uncle that you chose to be a marshal?”

  “Partly. But the real reason was the hatred I had for the man who murdered my parents. As soon as I was old enough, I searched for him. Turned out he’d been killed in a flood in Virginia. There was nothing I could do about him. I decided the day I found out he was dead that I would spend the rest of my life making sure criminals like him were brought to justice.”

  She prodded at her own food. She could understand that well enough, and if she’d suffered such a personal loss, she could imagine how much more single-minded it would make her in her pursuit of very bad men and their very bad monsters.

  He ate some of the beef. “Did Barnes make this?”

  “With some help from Miss Clancy. They are quite the pair in the kitchen. What happened to your sister?”

  He chuckled. “She’s a marshal in New York. Took down some forgers a couple of years ago. You remind me of her in a way, as tough as they come. And she refuses to bow down to any man. Most of her fellow marshals are scared to death of her.”

  The respect and pride was evident in his voice. Perhaps that was why he hadn’t been put off by Maisy’s job or her ability to handle a weapon.

  “Would you like to explain why you pulled a gun on me this afternoon? And how is it that you are able to burn off drugs that would leave most men groggy for days?” She picked up her water glass.

  He gave her a surprised look as if he had been lost in thought and had forgotten she was there.

  “I take some herbs given to me by a medicine man. I helped to relocate his tribe to a safer place a few years ago up in Oklahoma. People don’t seem to remember they were here first. Anyway, he gave me these herbs in payment of my services. Now I heal faster than most.”

  “Fascinating. I don’t suppose you would allow me to test those herbs. I use something along those lines for myself.”

  “Yeah, that was something I wanted to ask you. How is it that you heal so quickly? Your arm was ripped to shreds, yet you move as though it isn’t even stiff. And how is it you’re so well-trained? I saw how you fought that creature last night.”

  She contemplated telling him the lie she had devised long ago but found the need to tell him the truth. He’d been honest with her, and it only seemed fair. “I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t training to fight like a warrior. My father had firsthand knowledge of many of the monsters we face. It did not matter that I was a girl; I was born to fight. And in addition to the training, I was an experiment. Not unlike Julian, my father wanted to create a super being. He created me in hopes of further eliminating monsters, whereas Julian only hopes to create and control more.”

  Calloway shook his head in disgust. “I don’t understand why a man would do that to his daughter. Experimenting on you? He could have killed you.” His eyes flashed. “And you shouldn’t be forced to put your life in danger like you do.”

  Her eyebrow shot up. “I chose this life,” she said. “I could have run away from my father, who has never been one of my favorite fellows, and followed a much different path. In fact, I did run away a few years ago. But only so that I could track down Julian. Truthfully, I don’t understand why my father was willing to use his own flesh and blood so callously. I’m not sure I ever will. But it’s done, and I’ve chosen to live the life I was born to.” She waved a hand as if to dismiss the subject. “You mentioned herbs from a medicine man? May I see them?”

  “I’ve got them in my saddlebag.”

  “And the gun this afternoon? Why did you feel the need to carry it in the shop?”

  “I only had it out for protection,” he said as if that explained everything.

  “Protection from whom? Miss MacAllister?”

  He raised his eyebrows and gave her a pointed look. The facial expression, which she used more than she should, was so funny on him that she had to hide a laugh behind her linen napkin.

  “I might beg to differ that point, but that isn’t what I meant,” he said.

  She handed him the bread bowl. “Well?”

  “I was trying to protect you.”

  She snorted
. She could already hear Miss Clancy berating her. “Me? I’m the last person who needs protection. Why would you think such a thing?”

  “Because there’s a five thousand dollar bounty on your head.”

  Chapter Four

  Chisholm Cemetery

  Fort Worth, Texas

  Despite the bounty on her head, Maisy insisted on checking the cemetery again. Julian needed the necrotic tissue for his work. What better way to avoid capture than by capturing her hunter—or at least one of them? She had wanted to rush to find Julian’s ranch, but she needed time to think. The man was always two steps ahead of her. And she needed to find a way to shake Calloway. She didn’t want him anywhere near Julian. How she wished Garretson had never contacted the marshal.

  Even though she had pushed down her lust for the cowboy, Julian would somehow know she had feelings for the lawman. The monster always knew.

  But right now, she had to focus on the job at hand and the client who wanted to know what was murdering his cows and digging up graves. The evidence she had, one dead cow she’d been dissecting, told her a great deal. But there wasn’t anything in her findings she could share with Garretson. He’d think her insane if she told him all of this butchering was a madman’s attempt to rule the world.

  Of course, if she killed Julian in cold blood, she wouldn’t have to worry about such trivial matters.

  As she tightened the ropes on the trap, Maisy surveyed the cemetery. Calloway and Barnes covered the entrance at the south end closer to town, while she staked out the northern entrance. The plan was to watch for a few hours since a recent gunfight in town meant there were six fresh graves.

  How many times and how many ways had she imagined assassinating Julian? He might have created a menagerie of creatures, but he was definitely the worst monster of all.

  Before taking on Julian, she needed to do some reconnaissance. The man would have set traps at least several acres away from the house, and she did not want to be caught unawares. And which ranch would his lair be? The man was forever throwing up red herrings. If she encountered traps at one ranch, like as not they would only be there to protect a façade, and he wouldn’t actually be anywhere near it.