The carriage ride to Bryce Parker’s mansion seemed endless as Destiny stared blankly out the window. She was trying to ignore Raymond, who was seated across from her, but he was making it impossible with his incessant talking.
“This will be a very smart marriage for you,” he declared. “Bryce is wealthy and powerful. You’ll want for nothing as his wife.”
Destiny remained silent, although she had already decided to seek out her mother’s attorney in the morning to see whether there was any way she could escape the dictates of Raymond’s guardianship.
The carriage came to a stop in front of the two-story, elegant brick Parker mansion, and a servant immediately came out to help her down from the vehicle. As soon as Raymond had climbed out of the carriage after her, he took her by the arm and started up the walkway.
“Mr. Parker is expecting you,” the doorman announced as he hurried ahead of them to hold the door open.
Bryce had enjoyed several brandies while he’d awaited Howard’s return with Destiny. He was feeling most confident when the servant knocked on his study door to announce their arrival. He went out into the front hall to welcome them just as they walked in the door.
The sight of the beautiful Destiny standing right there before him, with her blonde hair done up in a sophisticated style and her lush curves clad in a modestly cut blue gown, sent a jolt of sensual heat through Bryce and left him eager to see her without the dress on. He smiled as he moved forward to speak with her.
“Good evening, Destiny,” he greeted her warmly.
“Hello, Bryce,” she returned, meeting the gaze of the tall, good-looking businessman. Darkly handsome though he was in his expensive, tailored suit, there was still something about him that left her feeling on edge.
Bryce greeted Raymond as a mere afterthought. “Raymond—I’m so glad you could join me this evening.”
“Hello, Bryce,” Raymond replied. “Thank you so much for your invitation. We’re delighted to be here.”
“Please, come in,” Bryce directed, taking Destiny’s arm and leading them into the dining room. “Dinner is almost ready.”
Destiny had grown up in comfort, for the Sterling family was well-to-do, but the opulence of Bryce’s home was far beyond anything she’d ever known. It was easy to tell from the ornate millwork, the crystal chandeliers, fine china and silverware, and the expensive furniture and rugs, that he was a man of vast wealth. It was also easy to tell that he wanted the whole world to know just how rich he was.
“Your home is lovely,” she complimented him as he escorted her to a seat at the table just to the right of his own chair.
“Thank you, my dear,” he returned. “I know your stepfather has been here several times before to visit, but I’ve never had the pleasure of your company before. I’ll be glad to show you around later if you’d like.”
As he and Raymond joined her at the table, the servants appeared and began to serve the meal. It was gourmet fare and quite delicious.
Destiny made only small talk throughout the meal. Most of the time, she just listened to the conversation between her stepfather and Bryce. She could tell things were a bit strained between them. She thought of Raymond’s threat that if she didn’t marry Bryce she would have to marry him, and she wondered what was really going on between the two men.
“The meal was delicious,” Destiny offered as they finished the fancy chocolate dessert.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“I did, too,” Raymond said.
Bryce cast him a sidelong glance that let him know just how little he cared what Raymond thought.
Raymond got the message and quickly added, “Well, if you will excuse me now, I have to be on my way. I have some other business to take care of this evening.”
“Of course,” Bryce quickly agreed. He was more than happy to get the man out of his house so he could be alone with Destiny.
Destiny had no desire to be with Raymond, but she was surprised that he would leave her there unchaperoned with Bryce. “I guess I must be going, too.”
“No, Destiny, you can stay here with Bryce and visit a little longer. I’ll see you at home later,” Raymond ordered.
Destiny was uneasy at the prospect but said nothing for the moment as Bryce got up and called for one of his servants.
“Please see Mr. Howard out and make sure Miss Sterling and I aren’t disturbed for the rest of the evening.”
“Yes, sir,” the maid answered.
The two men bid each other good night, and the maid quickly ushered Raymond to the door. Once he was gone, Bryce turned his full attention back to Destiny.
“Come, my dear,” Bryce invited. “Let’s go into the parlor. I’m eager to get to know you better.”
Lila was pouring on the charm tonight, but Lane had managed to put her off. Dolly had approached him, too, and he thought she seemed almost desperate in her attempts to get him to bed her, but he’d stayed at the poker table, winning some hands and losing some. Hours had passed, but Lane had learned nothing new listening to the talk around him. He decided it was time to call it a night and left the saloon with a little more money in his pocket for his efforts.
After he’d left the Tumbleweed, Lila went up to the bar to talk to Harold.
“You didn’t have much luck with him tonight, did you, darling?” Harold teased her.
“Not with him I didn’t. Let’s just hope his luck is as bad as mine when he’s trying to track Dan.”
“Dan will be thanking you during his next trip through. I’ll see to it.”
“Thanks, Harold.” She sighed wearily. “I think I’ll turn in.”
Dolly came up to the bar to join them. “I think I will, too. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
They bid her good night, and Dolly left the Tumbleweed in her usual way. Once she was certain no one was following or watching her, she slipped off into a back alley and made her way to the hotel. She hid in the shadows behind the building, staring up at the windows to try to figure out which room was the Ranger’s.
Destiny was feeling increasingly uncomfortable as she sat on the sofa in Bryce’s parlor, holding herself stiffly erect. She felt it was most inappropriate for her to be alone with a man she hardly knew, and she grew even more uncomfortable when he closed the hallway door behind them.
“Destiny, my dear, I must say you look absolutely ravishing tonight,” Bryce said, trying to charm her. His gaze was openly hot upon her now that they were finally alone. Her fashionable gown was demure, but it only made him all the more determined to strip it from her. He wanted to bare those lush curves she was keeping hidden from him. “Would you care for a brandy?” he offered as he went to pour a snifter of brandy for himself.
“Oh, no. No, thank you,” Destiny refused, trying to remember all the lessons her mother had given her about dealing with aggressive men. “It was nice of you to invite us over this evening.”
“I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time,” Bryce assured her, returning to sit down beside her. He gazed at her over the rim of the snifter as he took a drink of the potent liquor.
“Why is that?” Destiny felt he was sitting a bit too close to her, and he certainly had a strange look in his eyes, but, even so, she managed to give him a cordial smile.
Bryce wasted no time getting to the point. “Because I think you are a very beautiful young woman, and—I want to ask you to marry me.”
“Oh—” She knew she shouldn’t have been surprised that he had wasted no time getting to the point, but she was still caught a little off guard.
“I take it Raymond spoke to you about this?”
“Yes, he did mention it, but—”
“But what, my dear?” Bryce didn’t understand why she wasn’t thrilled by his proposal. This was the first time he’d ever proposed to a woman. He’d expected Destiny to be jumping up and down in excitement at the prospect of marrying him. Certainly, every other female in town would have been swooning at the possibility of being his bride and being in his bed. A slight edge of anger grew within him at her seeming lack of interest.
Destiny felt the aggressiveness in him, and she held herself very properly, her hands folded in her lap, the way her mother had always taught her. Then she looked him in the eye. She was hoping to put him off, to hold him at bay for a time, so she could figure out a way to escape this marriage Raymond had arranged for her. “But we barely know each other—”
“We can change that very quickly,” he assured her, setting his snifter aside on a nearby table as he gave her a knowing smile.
“How can you be so sure you want to marry me?”
“Because I’m a man who always knows what he wants—and I want you,” he answered arrogantly. “If we start planning the wedding now, we can be married in just a few months. We’ll make sure our wedding is the social event of the season. That is, unless you’d like to elope tonight—”
“Bryce! Please—Stop it!” Destiny begged. “My mother died only recently. I’m still in mourning for her.”
“I am sorry for your loss,” he said, trying to sound sympathetic, but it was all an act. When he’d heard the news of Annabelle Sterling’s death all those months before, he hadn’t cared that the woman was dead. He’d only cared about Raymond losing access to the Sterling money and not being able to pay him back in full. Of course, in the end, everything had worked out just fine, because he’d figured out something he wanted from Raymond even more than money. “But it’s time for you to think about your future—and together, I promise you, we will have a wonderful future—”
With nothing more to say, he made his move. He boldly took Destiny in his arms and kissed her, hungrily.
Lane had returned to his room and had started to get undressed. Even though the night had been peaceful so far, he was still feeling uneasy as he shrugged out of his shirt. Wanting to double-check, he’d taken one last look out the hotel room window, parting the curtains to stare down at the alley below. When he’d seen no sign of anyone moving around in the darkness, he’d let the curtains fall back down. Satisfied that all was quiet, he’d turned down the lamp. After putting his gun within reach on the small nightstand, he’d stretched out on the bed, ready to get some much needed sleep.
Dolly had been watching and waiting in the darkness, and she’d recognized Ranger Madison right away when he parted the curtains to take a look around—there was no mistaking that good-looking man, even from this distance. Once he’d closed the curtains again, she was ready to make her move. She’d slipped in the back door of the hotel. It was late, and there was no one around, so she’d had no trouble getting upstairs without being seen.
Lane was lying in bed, trying to relax, when he heard a sound out in the hallway by his door. It wasn’t a loud noise. If it had been a drunk’s raised voice or a door banging, he would have ignored it. What he heard sounded more like someone trying to sneak up on him, and he knew that could mean only trouble. Grabbing his gun, he moved silently to position himself by the door. He wasn’t surprised when he saw the doorknob turn and the door slowly start to open.
Lane fully expected his unannounced visitor to be someone connected to the Cooper Gang, and he knew if it was, he would have to shoot first and ask questions later. He tensed as he saw the intruder’s shadow on the floor, and his finger tightened on the trigger.
Dolly was frightened as she tried to slip into Lane’s room undetected, but she knew she had to do this. She couldn’t just knock on his door; she couldn’t risk the possibility that someone else might hear her and the word would get out that she’d gone there to see him. She was moving as quietly as she could, for she didn’t want anyone else in the hotel to know what she was doing. She had just about made it inside the door and was ready to whisper his name when she was suddenly grabbed by the arm and jerked bodily into the room.
“Don’t! Bryce—stop!” Destiny exclaimed, pushing against his chest with all her might, trying to break away.
“I always knew you were a woman with spirit,” he said, yanking her back tightly against him to kiss her again.
Destiny had been kissed by several of her suitors, but none of their embraces had been so forceful or so unwelcome. She continued to squirm, to try to get away from him, but his hold on her was too powerful, too controlling. Destiny knew in that moment what being married to Bryce would be like, and she knew she had to find a way to flee. When he touched her breast in a most inappropriate manner, she was startled, and she did something she’d never done before—she jerked one arm free and slapped him in the face as hard as she could.
“I said stop it!”
Bryce had believed her resistance was just a ploy to make him desire her even more, but when she slapped him, he’d had enough. No woman ever hit him and got away with it.
“So—you want to play rough, do you?” he ground out, drawing back to look down at her.
“What are you talking about? I want to go home!”
“This is what I’m talking about,” he snarled.
Viciously, he backhanded her, and she cried out and collapsed on the sofa, stunned. Bryce pulled her fully beneath him then and ground his body suggestively against hers to let her know just how much he wanted her and what he planned to do to her.
“You’re disgusting! Let me go!” Destiny recovered from the shock of his abuse and started to fight him again.
“Oh, no.” He laughed. “We’ve only just begun.”
“You’re horrible! I’m not going to marry you!” she protested.
“Oh, yes, you are—” he sneered, reaching up to tear the neckline of her dress.
She gasped as he bared the tops of her breasts, and she continued to struggle to free herself from his vile touch.
“You’re mine—your stepfather’s sold you to me. You’re not getting away from me—ever—” He bent his head and began to press hot, wet kisses across the tops of her breasts.
Destiny had never been touched this way before. Somehow she knew if she didn’t escape from him now, she never would get away. Battling against his superior strength, she reached out to the table beside the sofa, groping around, hoping to find something—anything—she could use as a weapon.
Bryce was so intent on bringing Destiny to his will that she caught him totally by surprise when she managed to grab the vase that was on the table and bring it crashing down on the side of his head. The vase shattered on impact, and Bryce collapsed on top of her.
The struggle had only lasted a minute or so. Now Lane stood over his assailant, his gun trained on the dark figure as he quickly shut the door, locking it this time to make sure no one else could get in.
“Don’t shoot!” Dolly begged him in a strangled voice as she found herself staring up at the barrel of his six-gun. In that instant, she knew what it was like to face death.
“What the—” Lane swore under his breath as he realized it was one of the saloon girls who was sprawled on the floor and not a member of the Cooper Gang. Furious that she’d put herself in such a dangerous situation, he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her back up to her feet. “Don’t move—” he snarled in a low voice as he made short order of lighting the lamp.
Dolly did as he’d ordered. She swallowed nervously as she waited to see what he was going to do.
Lane faced her, his gun still in hand. “What are you doing here?”
“I had to talk to you, but I couldn’t do it at the saloon. I wanted to let you know what happened—”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Cooper gang—They were in town—” she began in a strangled voice.
The tension that had filled him began to ease, and he was suddenly worried about her safety. “Does anyone else know you’re here? Did you tell anyone you were coming to talk to me?”
“No, I didn’t tell anyone. I made sure no one knew. I came in through the alley. No one saw me.”
Lane was glad she’d been that smart. He remained silent for a second, realizing just how well she’d concealed herself in the alley. He hadn’t seen her when he’d looked out, and knowing that he’d missed her left him disgusted with himself. He wouldn’t make the mistake of being so careless again.
He motioned her toward the bed. “Sit down.”
Dolly sat on the edge of his bed.
“Talk,” he ordered as he holstered his gun. He was ready to listen to what she had to tell him.
She quickly explained everything she knew about the gang and what had happened when they visited the saloon. “I overheard Dan talking to Seth Rawlins. Dan won the Circle D, but Seth is going there to the ranch to pretend to be the new owner and take over running it. The gang is going to use it for their hideout.”
Her story made perfect sense to him. “How long ago did they ride out?” “Two days ago.”
Lane nodded. “Were they all heading to the ranch?”
“I don’t know for sure. I just know that they all rode out together that day.”
His mood grew grim. Lane was familiar with the Circle D Ranch. It was a good distance away, probably close to a week’s ride. Lane knew if he rode hard and fast, he might still be able to catch up with Cooper and his gang before they made it to the ranch and got settled in.
“Why are you telling me this? You know you’re putting yourself in danger by helping me.”
Dolly looked up at him, and as their gazes met, he could see fierce emotion blazing in her eyes.
“I hate Seth and Dan, and all those gunmen! They’re nothing but animals—filthy, horrible animals—” Her fury was so great, her words were choked off.
“What did they do to you?” Lane heard the pain in her voice and knew there was more to the story.
“It wasn’t what they did to me. It’s what Seth did to my friend Francie,” she answered, trying not to cry.
Lane tensed as he waited to hear what she was going to tell him.
“Seth beat her so badly…He broke her arm, and she’s so bruised and battered…She can’t work now. She can barely get around, she’s in such pain…I wish I’d known what he was doing to her, but I didn’t until it was all over and they were gone.” Dolly angrily wiped away her tears. “Then when she couldn’t work anymore, Harold threw her out.”
“Where is she now?”
“Reverend Thompson and his wife have been helping her.”
“So there are some good people in this town,” he said solemnly.
“Yes, but they know just how evil—and deadly—Dan Cooper and his men can be. Most of them are too scared to do anything about the gang.” Dolly looked up at him. “I want you to find them, Ranger Madison, and make them pay for all the horrible things they’ve done!”
Lane went to her and looked her straight in the eye as he told her, “I will.”
The power of her emotions left her trembling as she whispered a heartfelt, “Thank you.”
“Do you want me to walk you back to your room?” he offered, concerned for her safety.
“No! We can’t be seen together. No 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.