It was funny, she thought, knowing that Lijuan herself was going to be north of her in Mexico this day. Her sister along with her youngest brother Blue River were going to be completing some business for the ranch in the Canebraro Valley which made up the first of the three valleys known as Los Valles de Tres or the Valleys Three. Currently, she was standing in the second of them, the Verde Abundante, and she had just come from the final valley, the Rio Sangre.
She hoped things had gone well for them, but she couldn’t help but worry. The pair had to cross the same ten mile stretch of land between the Arizona border and the first valley that they had, and that area had more than earned its name as The Badlands. She and Catalina had passed without incident, and her two siblings were more than capable of taking care of themselves, but as the oldest, there would always be a part of her that would be the mother hen. It was a role she had to assume throughout the years as the often motherless; younger children grew up.
She thought back to the last time she had seen Lijuan, at the party for the local leaders of the Alamieda area Whip had hosted in their new barn. Cassandra had been cross with Lijuan when she had moved to come between their brother, Dutch, and his lady love Bright Feather. Of all the family, only Lijuan did not care for Bright Feather, and to Cassandra’s deep worry and frustration, she knew fully why that was. It was a situation that she had repeatedly told herself that someday she was going to have to address, and yet she continually put it off. She couldn’t blame herself because it wasn’t going to be a pleasant day for anyone involved, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could delay it.
Her thoughts lifted from that dark cloud by the sound of a carriage bucking along the street, and she saw that it was the same carriage that had been in front of Santiago's office. As it passed, she saw a dignified looking man wearing finery and a bowler hat at the reins. Next to him was some type of case. With a smile, she quickened her pace because if this man were leaving, then Santiago would be free to see her. With the carriage behind her, she did not see two riders emerge from an alley between the saloon and the assayer's office and fall in behind the carriage before sweeping past the coach in a burst of speed, leaving it behind. Nor could she know that two other men lurked within the recess of the alley with evil intent in their hearts that was soon to be unleashed in the very place she was heading now—the Natchez jail.
CHAPTER 2
On the second floor of the rooming house, Catalina Wilde was ready, more than ready she knew. Seeing her old friend and lover had brought back so many pleasant memories. Natalia Vega had only been the second woman she had ever slept with when they had first gotten together. It was embarrassing now how clumsy and unskilled she had been in the art of making love to women, but Natalia had been kind and patient, and as Catalina now liked to say with a laugh, had “shown her the ropes.”
Now here they were about to pick up again like none of the years had passed by since last their sweaty, nude bodies had tangled in that old room at the back of her uncle’s winery. She was going to welcome this; the previous few days had been so stressful with everything that had gone down with Victor and his alter ego The Reaper. This would do her a world of good, and she knew it.
Catalina fully intended to make up for lost time. It had been some years now since she had the pleasure of Natalia Vega’s company and she was going to take full advantage of this unplanned rendezvous. After Natalia had locked the door behind them and quickly drew the shades closed, she had turned to her and now stood with her hands akimbo. The familiar feeling of multiple butterflies in her stomach came over Catalina as she gazed at Natalia's sexy frame. Sharing the same Latin heritage, Natalia had been blessed with the identical caramel colored skin, and though her breasts were very small buds, she made up for it with her shapely curves that Catalina couldn't wait to re-explore. The only difference she saw in her friend was Natalia had cut her long hair the once swept down in two ponytails, leaving it less than shoulder length. No matter though, as she was still as sexy as hell.
Natalia had fallen silent, unlike the chatterbox she had been on their way to her room. "What?" Catalina asked easily slipping into Spanish now that Cassandra was no longer present, to converse with Natalia as she drew closer to the woman whose eyes had been roaming Catalina's own body, remembering some wonderful afternoons and evenings they had spent together. "You've gone all quiet now!"
"What more could be breathtaking than the sight of your beauty? Leaves a girl speechless." Natalia finally parted her small lips in a smile, and Catalina laughed, remembering how the woman had a way with compliments. When she was still exploring her bisexuality, she had eaten them up and had been easily seduced by Natalia. Catalina found herself wishing she could just pull off Natalia's loose fitting, colorful dress that had veiled her coffee brown skin. Catalina happily saw mutual anticipation of love-making in the dark pigmentation of Natalia's eyes.
As Catalina's anticipation grew, she began to become aware of everything around her. Although not too big, Natalia's room felt cozy enough. She had a chair and table in the corner of her room, a bed pushed up under the window and a montage of old artwork glued to the wall of her room. Yes, all and all it was a homey little place and would do quite nicely for the promise of the passion to come and she was ready to make it happen.
“So, tell me, how all fired badly do you want me Nattie?” Catalina flaunted her sexy shape as she closed the distance and drew close enough to land a slight kiss on Natalia’s lips. “I’m guessin’ it’s as much as I want you…and I’m fixin’ to take you here and now.” She breathed her voice low and seductive. It was then that Natalia surprised her.
"Nah, I'm going to be the one doing the taking. Since I'm the host, it's going to be my rules." Natalia pressed her index finger between Catalina's lips before she could successfully slip her tongue into her mouth as she leaned forward. Natalia's hands landed her hands on Catalina's hips and slid around them gently cupping Catalina's heart-shaped ass as she licked her lips, clearly fighting back her lustful desires.
“I found a new way to make things better since you’ve been away – more fun.”
“More Fun?” Catalina repeated blankly, intrigued as hell as she arched her eyebrow while throwing Natalia an affectionate smile.
“Absolutely. Are you in?”
"Are you kiddin' me, Nat? Damn straight I'm in." Catalina muttered. Her eyes flickered with desire and her body tingled with the thought of whatever new kind of fun the woman was suggesting, and she anticipated every bit of it.
"Then you just have to go with whatever I do without questioning Cattie. You understand?" Natalia muttered into Catalina's ear as she lowered her lips towards her earlobe. Catalina didn't answer, only nodded as she pushed the mounds of larges breasts against Nat. A small moan of protest escaped her lips as the other woman's hands left the curve of her ass, but Natalia quickly began using them to unhook the buttons on her blouse. No longer caged her breasts jiggled as Natalia yanked the shirt down her arms and clear of her body. Wasting no time, she jammed her hands in the waistband of Catalina's jeans and dropped down to her knees.
Slowly as she worked the snap on them, she lovingly dragged her tongue across the bottom two of the six solid square like muscles that graced Catalina's midsection as she ran her fingers through Natalia's short hair. A moment later she began pulling the denim down along with her underwear rattling her each time Natalia's fingers came in contact with the skin of her thighs.
As the air around them heated, Natalia could only extricate them so far, and she ordered Cattie to kick off her boots which she promptly obeyed. Natalia rose and aimed for Catalina's neck and nuzzled her just below her left ear nearly driving Catalina insane with want. She needed this, truly needed this to put all thoughts out of her mind of having to kill Victor as well as his claims of buried treasure on Cedar Ledge. Claims that she had learned, following her visit to her family's vineyard, might not be as outrageous as she first believed. Catalina was trembling now as her once upon
a time lover pushed her back towards the bed
Slowly Natalia nudged her once then twice, thrice, until they were both close to the edge of her bed. “Roll on your back, Cattie,” Natalia commanded. Her voice was laced with a firm tone of command. She twitched the corner of her lips and formed a mischievous smile as Catalina responded accordingly finding herself short on words. She loved the new role play that had just begun and was almost wet thinking of how crazy things might turn out. In obedience, Catalina rolled on her back and presented herself as a prey to be devoured by her lustful partner.
Catalina watched as Natalia's eyes gazed at Catalina's copper-colored breasts with her dark nipples that were standing proud and erect with sexual excitement. Natalia leaned in for a moment and flicked one with her tongue and gently drew a circle around the large areola of her left breast before ever so gently pinching the erect bud, leaving Catalina growing moister still below her navel. Their eyes locked and final Natalia found her voice as she smiled affectionately. "Just thinking where to start."
"My thighs, down between my legs would be the first place I'd be startin' if it were me!" Catalina giggled, greatly enjoying the look signaling the rush of sensual desires on Natalia's face. The way her dimples deepened, and her cheeks manage to flush despite her dusky skin. Natalia gave no reply. Instead, she reached down to the hem of her skirt and in one fluid motion pulled her dress over her head and tossed it on the back of the nearby chair. Catalina inhaled deeply at the sight of Natalia's completely nude body, as hard and firm looking as it had been in her memory. Her hips were curvy and centered in them was the same unruly patch of jet-black hair as she always had back during those lazy summer days at the winery.
Giving Catalina a wink she opened the door to the closet, and Catalina saw her reach in and pull something out and a second later she repeated the motion before knocking the closet door shut with one of her ample hips. Natalia threw the objects she had retrieved on the mattress and then mounted the bed making her way on her knees to Catalina. Their lips soon tangled with their tongues twirling intermittently as they kissed in a frenzy of passion. Natalia scooped up one of the things she had thrown on the bed and as she leaned over the hardened nipple of one of her breasts brushed against Catalina's arm. Natalia then moved to pin Catalina down with her hand suddenly on her neck.
"You will stay!" she ordered as she pushed Catalina's head into the pillow."Put your wrists together and put them behind your head baby." She nodded forcefully that she would obey, and she quickly complied. In a flash, her free hand grabbed Catalina's wrists above her head, and she squeezed her throat tighter now leaving Catalina to struggle to breathe. Catalina found herself alternately frightened and aroused at the wonder of just how far this would go…or rather how far she would let this go. No one would ever tame a Wilde unless she wished it. As her eyes widened and her chest ached she caught sight of the thrill in Natalia’s eyes highlighting how much she loved how she was in full control.
Nonetheless, she suddenly released her grip as Catalina welcomed the return to normal breathing. Nat leaned in for a moment and pecked her on the check before ordering her to press both of her hands against the bedpost bracketing the headboard. No sooner had she obeyed then Natalia plucked the thing she had thrown on the mattress earlier. Catalina now saw they were the belts from different robes. Natalia grinned at her lustily as she quickly bound both of her wrists to the bedposts. Catalina chuckled in wonder at just how many robes her friend had in the closet as she used a third belt as Natalia covered her eyes with it blindfolding Catalina before she crawled away. As her laughter died away silence fell over the room; the only sounds came from the bustle of the people going about their lives on the main street of Natchez.
The long-lasting silence that hung between them made Catalina cock her head sideways so that she could at least listen for Natalia's movements after she had crawled off her, but all was to no avail. When she finally gave up the hope of guessing what Natalia was up to, Catalina felt a delightfully warm hand spreading her legs apart and then felt the incredible sensation of Natalia lips traveling upper the inner thigh of her right leg, sending unlimited thrills between both her legs. Arriving at her honey well, Natalia began licking up every part of her folds of flesh leaving Catalina groaning in her world of darkness. Feeling on the edge and not wishing it to happen so quickly, she tried pushing Natalia away with her legs but ended up giving Natalia better angle for sampling her wetness.
Natalia had to be aware of how close Catalina was to orgasm, but that didn't stop her, she dipped her index finger deep into the hollow between her legs while she sucked on her clit. Having no other reason not to drive her crazy, Natalia shoved deeper and harder into Catalina's wetness as she shut her own eyes and drank in the sounds of Catalina fighting to hold back the stream of her orgasm.
Catalina gasped and trembled with her hands still tied above her head, and she began to struggle under her bonds as Natalia grazed in the hotness between her legs. Her chest arched forward as far as it could, her good-sized breasts swaying back and forth like a thing alive. Sweat was dripping down her forehead, beginning to soak the belt robe that kept her in a state of sensory deprivation, all save for the fire between her thighs. Catalina tried as much as possible not to pass out, but she couldn't help it. Her muscles contracted, and her body failed her as she screamed at the top of her lung in pleasure before the blackness took her.
A short while later she had come to and found she was no longer bound, and Natalia was snuggled up next to her stroking one of her breasts while her hand worked between her own legs. She asked how long she had been out, and Natalia had laughed saying it had been not long. The warmth from Natalia's nude body sent waves lustful heat to Catalina She shifted to face her friend and pressed her lips into Natalia's neck, listening carefully to her soft moans, and sent clicks of kisses into her shoulder. Natalia's eyes seemed to be aglow with pleasure.
“Mmmm baby I love how you came in my mouth.”
"I can honestly say it was my pleasure darlin'." And with a move like lightning, she grabbed Natalia's wrist, arresting her motion. "Leave that to me. It's my turn to take care of you niña!”
CHAPTER 3
Upon arriving inside the sheriff's office, Cassandra had once more been greeted by Santiago who was still delighted to see her, and the feeling was mutual. Quickly he had dismissed his two deputies that were in the office with him, ordering them to head on over to the local café and get the lunches for the two prisoners. As the men hustled out, she glanced briefly down a short hallway that led to the cells, but all she could see was the back of one man curled up on a bench.
“It is so good to see you again, señorita!” Santiago exclaimed, his English flowing smoothly off his tongue as it had done the day they had met him along the roadside.
"I reckon I feel the same way. I'll admit you got me intrigued when you said you had an even more interesting gun to show me than the one you were shooting with a couple of days back,” she replied, remembering that he, like her, had been an excellent shot, especially with an old pistol like the one he had been using that likely wasn’t known for its accuracy.
"I shall be happy to show you! But first, would you care for a drink? Consider it an apology for not being able to meet with you when you first arrived."
"Business is business; I understand that Sheriff, but with that said, I wouldn’t mind wetting my whistle with whatever you’ve got.”
“Consider it done, Señorita Wilde.” The man turned on his heel and walked over to a cabinet that was standing next to what to Cassandra appeared to be about a six-foot high safe. Santiago rummaged around for a moment before turning back to where she stood by his desk and plunked down two spot filled glasses and a bottle of tequila.
“Apologies for these glasses. My deputy Hernando was supposed to clean them properly before they were last put away, but it seems his skills were lacking,” he said, his eyes peering up at her as he bent and poured two shots.
“It’
ll take more than some spots to keep me from enjoying a good glass of tequila. Bottoms up!”
Seconds later the pair downed their drinks, and Cassandra felt the flush of the fine liquor. It seemed this Sheriff Santiago had a taste for good liquor as well as antique firearms. This was a man she could get to like—and fast.
“This here is my first time to Natchez. Is it always this quiet of a town, Sheriff Santiago?” she asked as he tipped the bottle towards her questioningly, but she waved off a refill.
“Please call me Juan!” he said as he didn’t hesitate to pour himself a second shot. Another Juan! It seemed Mexico was raining with them. Just the other night she had indulged in a night of passion with Juan Canizarra, one of the heads of the old families of the Rio Sangre that had implored the Wilde sisters to help to find and end the menace of El Segador. He had been charming in a refined, gentlemanly sort of way that such men of old money were, whereas this Juan she could tell was a salt-of-the-earth working man. They were opposite ends of the spectrum, but both men she found quite alluring.
“Only if you call me Cassandra.”
“Very well then Cassandra, and yes, we have been blessed with a fair amount of peace here. One of my men has never even fired a weapon.”
Cassandra laughed at this before noting that Santiago did have two prisoners currently in his lockup.
“Si, but even that is not impressive. One is simply Pasqual, our town drunk. He’s sobered up now after two days in there, but I’m going to leave him in here for a week to teach him a lesson. His mouth gets him into trouble every time he drinks, señorita, Cassandra!”
The Boot Hill Express: Special Edition HBH Version (Half Breed Haven Book 12) Page 2