“Well,” Emery replied, “the only one he’s killed around here is Feral. That was close to seven years ago, and he was just a youngun then. It was rumored he’d already put a dozen men in their graves, though. No tellin’ how many he’s added since then.”
Sharisse was getting paler. “Why hasn’t he been arrested?”
“What for?” Emery asked.
She blinked. “But you said he killed a man right here.”
“It was a fair fight, Miss Hammond. Ain’t no one can say otherwise.” The others around her were all nodding. “Slade even let Feral draw first. Slade was just faster. Ain’t never seen anyone as fast as him.”
Did these people know that Sloan had killed Slade’s father? she wondered. She needed a drink. What she didn’t need was to hear any more about Lucas’s brother. “Black sheep” he had called him. Indeed!
In Sam Newcomb’s study, Slade was again the topic of discussion, Sam mentioning him as he and Lucas took chairs at his desk. “Have you seen your brother recently?”
“Not for some time,” Lucas replied, having difficulty keeping a poker face.
It never failed. Sam asked about Slade every time they met. He liked having fast guns working for him, and they both knew Leon Waggoner wasn’t all that fast.
“Well, my offer is still open. Tell him that when you see him.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Now what was so important we had to discuss it in private?” Sam asked as he prepared a cigar for lighting.
“Bad news, I’m afraid.” Lucas came right out with it. “That railroad line we were financing has run into some difficulty. It looks like it’s a good thing you didn’t put more into it than you can afford to lose.”
“What do you mean?”
“They underestimated what it would take to complete the line. It seems they’ve run out of funds with only three-fourths of the track laid. All work has stopped, and they can’t manage to interest anyone else in investing so they can finish the job. The banks just aren’t interested. It’s wiped me out, but at least I still have the ranch. It will start paying off soon, I hope. I’m just glad I warned you not to invest too heavily, because it appears we’re not going to get anything back.”
Sam was speechless. Lucas knew why. He had known very well that Sam wouldn’t take his advice when he first mentioned the railroad deal, and Sam hadn’t. He had invested heavily to try and gain the controlling stock, and he hadn’t told Lucas what he was doing. Sam had sold all his investments outside Newcomb, even most of the assets of his bank, with the dream of becoming a railroad tycoon. He had never even gone to check on the work in progress after his one visit to the site, accepting the statements the company lawyers sent him as perfectly legitimate. There had been no need to waste any money on actually laying down track, except for the original setup.
“There…there must be some way…”
“Not unless you know someone who would like to own part of a railroad,” Lucas replied offhandedly. “They’re asking the original investors to come up with the rest of what’s needed, and it’s a tidy sum. But I’m broke. I can’t do it. Didn’t you get a letter yet?”
“No,” Sam said.
“You will. It will explain in more detail what went wrong—although a lot of good that does us. Well, I should be getting back to Sharisse, I guess. Good night, Sam.”
Sam simply nodded. He felt sick, sick in his gut. All he had built up over the years was gone unless he could come up with a little more cash. He would have to wire that lawyer from St. Louis, the one who had written about some European clients looking for a large ranch in Sam’s area. Maybe one of those clients would also like to buy a hotel. That would be putting everything on the line, but what else could he do?
He would have to do it. There was no other way. And he was too old to start over again. Times had changed. It was no longer so easy to steal claims for quick riches. The law had come to the Arizona Territory.
He sat alone in his study, gazing off into space. He knew what he had to do. He knew there was nothing else to be done.
Thirteen
Sharisse was drunk. She handled it beautifully, carrying herself with such dignity and quiet reserve that no one guessed. Even Lucas wasn’t aware of it until she burst into giggles as soon as they entered the carriage, then fell asleep on his shoulder.
Lucas was amused. He wouldn’t have thought the haughty city girl would have succumbed to the weaknesses of drink. He was surprised and a little delighted to find she could let her hair down after all. But then, nothing could have disturbed him tonight, not after his meeting with Sam.
Sitting across from Sam in his study, he had been able to smell the man’s panic. How long he had waited for this!
He almost laughed aloud, thinking of the small herd of horses Newcomb had ordered. When the time came for delivery, there would be nothing left with which to pay for them. But Lucas would have to capture the horses and train them just as if he weren’t aware of that fact.
Sharisse stirred at his side, throwing an arm across his chest and nuzzling her head into his neck. Her short cape parted, giving him a view of her deep décolletage and the gentle swell of her breasts. His hand on her waist moved gently over her curves.
Whatever was he going to do with her? She was proving to be much more than he’d bargained for. He desired this girl sleeping so contentedly against him. And that desire was so strong, it seemed like it had built up over years, not just the three days she had been there. Three days, and he was already plotting her seduction.
