"Avery’s got a mean temper, Miss Malloy. Maybe the dog misunderstood a direction. Sometimes a team will get tangled in the line and tip a sled. With Avery’s temper, he’d probably get so carried away that he’d beat any dog until it died."
September ruffled the dog’s neck. "He was near death when I intervened."
"What do you intend to do with him?"
She shrugged. "I haven’t thought about it. I guess I’ll just keep him with me."
"Sled dogs are a special breed, Miss Malloy. They thrive on adventure. They’re really not happy unless they’re out on the trail. They’re never content to lie around like house pets. If you decide to sell him, you’ll get a good price for him."
Burying her face in the dog’s ruff, she murmured, "Thanks, Mr. Beckman. But I don’t think I could bear to sell him."
As she made her way into the store, the dog sat in the doorway, watching every move she made until she reappeared. On their return to the boardinghouse, the dog bounded by her side. In the thin sunlight, his glossy coat gleamed. The strange bluish eyes sparkled with health. His gait was sure and even. Despite Aggie’s complaining, and Mr. Beckman’s warning, she knew she had done the right thing. He had completely returned to the land of the living. And no matter how valuable he was, she was never going to sell Lucky.
* * *
The fame of the Velvet Voice and Rawlins’ Saloon spread throughout the territory. Miners, many of whom had been in the wilderness for months, carried their sacks of gold to Skagway. The first thing they heard about on their arrival back to civilization was the beauty who entertained nightly at Rawlins’ Saloon. Though they were warned that Rawlins’ women had dozens of schemes to bilk them of their hard-found gold, they came by the hundreds.
The saloon was packed. The room reeked of cheap whiskey and tobacco and unwashed bodies.
September made her way through the sea of curious miners and stepped up on stage. Although she hadn’t given Snake any warning, she had already made up her mind that this would be her last night. When Snake paid her the one hundred fifty dollars he owed her for this week’s work, she would have enough saved to hire on with a pack train. She was eager to leave this life and this dreary town behind.
At the bar, Jase Conroy elbowed his way through the crowd and ordered a drink. He was a man who prided himself on his strengths. He despised the weakness he had for this woman. Though he tried to stay away from the saloon, he found himself drawn here every night like a bear to honey.
When the hum of the crowd signaled the arrival of the Velvet Voice, he craned his neck for a better view.
As September began speaking the words of the opening song, she spotted the dark stranger at the bar. She had known he would be there. She had even begun watching for him each night. His presence gave her an odd sense of comfort. Although his dark, brooding gaze was disquieting, causing little tremors along her spine, she felt a quiet strength emanating from him. He had the cool demeanor of a gunfighter. But something in his manner made her feel that he could be counted on in times of trouble.
Their gaze met and held. As always, she felt the strange prickly feeling, as though he were physically touching her. Since that kiss they shared in the tent, the feeling was even stronger. Now she knew what his lips tasted like. She had felt the hard strength of his arms holding her, the press of his thighs to hers.
Deep in her own thoughts, September moved from one song to the next almost mechanically. Pinned by the stranger’s dark gaze, she never even noticed the miners seated in the private boxes along the front of the stage. Although Snake had threatened to withhold her pay if she didn’t cooperate, she refused to rush into their boxes after the show and order his cheap champagne.
The miner seated in the box to the right of the stage, like most of the men in the room, had been in the wilderness for months. The sight of this young woman, her prim gown buttoned to her throat, her voice a husky mix of angelic choir and Jezebel’s taunts, left him dazed. As September finished her last song, he jumped up on stage and dropped a heavy sack of gold at her feet. It landed with a resounding thud, causing the applauding audience to become deathly quiet.
"There’s a fortune in that sack, Velvet," he said loudly. "I’ve mined the kind of gold most men will only dream about."
At the back of the room, Snake snapped to attention and strained to hear every word.
Sandwiched at the bar, Jase drained his glass and felt his body tense.
"It’s all yours. Every ounce of it. Everything I own. If you’ll just be mine for tonight."
Stunned, September turned her head to stare speechless at the sack at her feet. At the movement, her hair fell forward, drifting like a veil about her face. Her eyes, when she lifted her face, glistened with the gleam of unshed tears. That a man would throw gold at her feet left her speechless.
A bitter gall rose in Jase Conroy’s mouth. His jaw clenched. Swallowing convulsively, he felt a little vein begin to throb at his temple. Jase was a man who had always been able to keep his emotions in check. Jealousy was alien to him. Yet he was suddenly overcome with a wave of feelings that overwhelmed him. He was jealous. He wanted to kill that miner. He reached a hand to the gun at his waist. He had a terrible need to strike out at anything, anyone. The room had become oppressively hot. For the first time he became aware of the stench of sweat and cigars. She was nothing but a saloon girl, he thought angrily, working in this filthy place for only one reason. To make a lot of money. And now, she had the offer of a lifetime. A man’s fortune, for one night of pleasure. Any woman working in this desolate town would be a fool to turn down such a deal. And the Velvet Voice didn’t strike him as being a fool. With his hands clenched firmly at his sides, he swung away and strode from the saloon.
With her eyes wide, September backed away from the miner. He moved closer, clutching at her arm. Fighting the revulsion she felt, she forced herself to think clearly.
In a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "That’s very generous of you. But you sacrificed a great deal for that gold. Think about what you’re doing. You’re throwing away a fortune."
"For a night with you." He began to draw her closer.
"I . . ." She swallowed. "Thank you. But I must refuse."
His eyes narrowed. "You mean, I’m not good enough for you?"
She touched his arm. The entire room moved forward at her touch.
"Somewhere, there’s a family waiting for you. If you bring that gold home, you’ll be a hero. If I took it, you’d have to turn around tomorrow and start again."
"Velvet," he moaned, placing his hand over hers. "All the time I was out there, fighting this damned land, I dreamed about someone like you. Take the gold. Come with me."
"No." She pushed away. Her voice hardened. "Don’t you understand? I can’t. Not even for all the gold in the world."
Whirling from the stage, she clawed her way through the crush of bodies and hurried upstairs. The crowd hushed, then began to drift back to the gaming tables. All talk centered on the elusive Velvet Voice. Now, more than ever, she was the object of their curiosity. What would it take to win her heart?
In Snake’s room, September paced in agitation. She had to get out of this place. Now, while she still could.
The door was thrown open. Snake stormed into the room. His eyes were hard, glittering with barely controlled rage. Swearing, he advanced like a madman.
"You fool. You stupid, damned fool. How could you turn down a sack of gold?"
"It was easy, Snake. I didn’t like his terms."
"Didn’t like—" His fist landed on the side of her face, snapping her head to one side.
Stunned, she reeled from the impact. Before she could straighten, he brought his hands to her throat and began choking her. In his rage he shook her like a rag doll.
"Do you realize how patient I’ve been with you? Do you?" He continued choking her.
September felt her breath catch in her throat. Her voice was strangled, unable to come out. There was a
strange buzzing in her ears. His words sounded faint and very far away. She could feel the room begin to spin.
"I should have broken you right away. Like I did with the others. But I figured you’d be worth more with that look of innocence. And I was right. Until now."
He flung her away. She landed on the floor beside the bed. Gasping, she felt her burning lungs fill with air. Her head swam, then began to clear.
Snake stood over her, his legs apart. He was the devil himself, leering down at her. With one hand he reached down and caught her by the front of her dress. She could feel the buttons give way as he dragged her to her feet.
"Now I’m going to show you what Rawlins’ women are good for. And when I’m through, you’re going to start to earn your keep."
He flung her on the bed and knelt over her. Grasping the front of her dress, he ripped it open.
"After me, every miner, every thief, every piece of scum who walks through that door, will get a chance at the Velvet Voice. And a month from now, little miss prim and proper, you’ll wish some miner would offer you a bag of gold. From now on, you’ll be pleasing them for nothing. ’Cause I own you, Velvet. And you’ll do exactly as I say."
As Snake’s hands reached for her, September saw the glint of the gun at his waist. She waited, her eyes wide, as his face descended toward hers. She willed herself not to move too soon. His lips covered hers, and his arms came around her.
Forcing herself not to recoil from his touch, September sighed and brought her arms around his waist. Surprised, Snake chuckled against her lips. "See? It’s not so bad. I think you’re going to be very good at this."
Her hand moved under his jacket, and he rolled to his side, taking her with him. At the movement, she yanked the gun from his waist.
Kneeling up, she held it against his chest. "If you try to grab for this, if you so much as even move, Snake, I’ll blow a hole right through you. I’ll pull the trigger if you try to fight me."
His eyes narrowed into tiny gray slits. "Be careful with that thing. Do you know how to handle a gun?"
She shook her head. Her hair fell in a wild tangle around her face. "No. So lie very still, or I might blow you apart by accident."
She saw the beads of sweat glisten on his forehead. "What do you intend to do after you kill me?"
Her voice was so low, it trembled. "I don’t want to kill you, Snake."
"All right. What do you want?"
"All I want is my money. Then I’ll leave."
Snake stared at the gun trembling in her hands. His mind started working. "Your money. That’s all you want. All right. Let me up and I’ll get it from the safe."
She crawled off the bed, then nodded for him to get up.
Snake stood and measured the distance between them. "My safe’s in here."
He led the way to the dressing room which adjoined his bedroom. Pushing aside a dresser, he revealed a massive safe. With a few deft motions, he twirled the knob and felt the door open.
"Step back."
He paused.
She aimed the gun. "Step back, Snake."
He shrugged and moved aside. Keeping the gun pointed at him, she reached inside and removed a pile of bills.
"You owe me a hundred and fifty dollars. Count it out."
He looked incredulous. "Aren’t you going to take all of it?"
"No. I only want what’s mine. Count it out."
Snake saw the gleam of the gun he kept in the safe. Quickly he counted out the money, then folded the rest. As he knelt to replace it, she said, "Leave it. I saw the gun, Snake. If you go for it, I’ll shoot."
He looked at her with new respect. "And I thought you were a little missionary."
"I’ve been learning from the sinners."
September thrust the money deep into the pocket of her gown, then moved toward the door. As she turned, Snake’s hand swung out in an arc, knocking the gun to the floor.
"You just haven’t had enough experience in sin. Now we’re even, kid. And back where we started. First I’ll take back that money. And then I’m going to show you how all my girls got started. I want to make sure you know just how I want to be pleased."
He reached for the money. September dug her hand into her pocket. Taking her roughly by the shoulder, he dropped the gun on the dresser and began pushing her toward the bed. She turned, and he saw the glint of the knife a moment before she held it to his throat.
Snake froze.
"Now as I see it, you have two choices." Her sultry voice couldn’t mask the cold fury she felt. "You can let me walk out of here with the money I’ve earned, or"—her eyes glittered—"you can die right now and burn in hell."
The blade of the knife was so sharp against his throat, he was afraid to swallow.
He blinked instead of nodding.
"I thought you might see it my way."
September backed away from him until she felt the door against her back. Opening it, she ducked through it, then began racing down the stairs. One hand held the bodice of her dress closed while the other hand remained hidden in the pocket of her skirt.
At the swinging doors of the saloon, she heard Snake’s voice, shouting from the top of the stairs to two men at the bar. "Get her. And this time, make sure you do it right."
With her heart in her throat, she plunged into the blackness of the night.
* * *
Billy had overheard September telling Aggie that she was going to quit the saloon after tonight. When she was gone, he noticed Aggie fretting in the big, steamy kitchen, muttering about Snake Rawlins and how he deals with his women. Long after he finished all his chores and rolled in his blanket, Billy lay listening to the night sounds. From far away came the tinny notes of a piano. Every once in a while, a gunshot broke the stillness. Drunken miners could be heard, cursing or singing, as they stumbled to their tents. A girl like September shouldn’t be out there at night. He loved her. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. And the kindest. And the sweetest. He rolled over. And the most obstinate.
He sat up. Maybe he’d just take Lucky for a walk through the town. And if they happened to be near Rawlins’ Saloon, well, she couldn’t blame them for that.
He opened the door to her room. Ghostly eyes peered at him in the darkness.
"Come on, Lucky. Let’s you and me go exploring."
The dog padded silently to the door and followed the boy out into the darkness of night.
* * *
September avoided the straight route to the boardinghouse. This time, she had the advantage of knowing that she was being followed. Ducking between a row of tents, she ran until she came to a clearing. The moon broke free of cloud cover, bathing the town in dim light. She waited, watching the clouds scudding across the sky. As soon as the moon was again shadowed, she darted across the open space, then crouched behind a small shed. She waited, her breath coming in short gasps, until she was certain there was no one nearby. Then she lifted the hem of her skirt and began running.
She rounded the corner of Jacob Mueller’s Store and dashed between rows of makeshift buildings. She could make out the boardinghouse in the distance. Home. Safety. She was almost there.
The clouds drifted off, leaving the full moon aglow in the night sky. Forsaking caution, she made a run for the clearing. A hand snaked out, stopping her in her tracks. A second hand caught her by the shoulders, spinning her around.
"Not so fast, girlie. You got something we want."
A second man came up behind her, pinning her by the throat with one massive arm.
"Where’s the money?"
She was gasping so hard from the effort of running that she couldn’t speak. Her breath came in short little gasps.
"Answer me." He tightened his grip on her neck. She thought her bones would snap. "Where’s the money?"
Her heart thudded frantically in her chest. "It’s here in my pocket. If you’ll let go of me, I’ll give it to you."
The man dropped his hand. The other one let go of her
shoulder. They stood on either side of her. September noticed their gazes locked on the torn bodice of her gown. Humiliated, she caught at it with her hand, holding it closed against their greedy looks. With trembling hands, she reached into the pocket of her gown and took a quick step away. Both men looked surprised at the glitter of steel in her hand.
"Unless you let me go, I’ll be forced to use this."
For a long, silent moment, the two men simply stared at her. Then their surprise turned to amusement. The shorter of the two laughed.
"I don’t think that’s much protection against two guns."
"Maybe not. But one of you will die."
The taller man drew his gun. "I’m willing to bet you’re not fast enough to do much damage at all."
As he aimed his gun, September tossed the knife. He turned slightly, deflecting the knife, which landed in his shoulder.
"Bitch!" The shorter one caught her by her hair, pulling her head sharply back.
Tears stung her eyes at the pain.
"Now, I think we’re entitled to more than the money. Before we’re through with you, girlie, you’ll wish you were dead."
The taller man pulled the knife from his shoulder and pressed a handkerchief to stem the blood which gushed from the wound. At the first real sting of pain, he slapped her hard across the face.
"You’re going to pay for this."
He yanked her from the other man’s grasp and pulled her to the ground. While his partner mocked her with evil laughter, the man pinned her beneath his body.
She cried out in pain and fear. At her cry, a dark shadow rushed from the darkness to leap on the man, snarling and growling like some wild thing. As September rolled aside, she looked up to see Billy break a heavy board over the other man’s head. He crumpled and fell to the dirt.
Enraged at the sound of September’s cry, Lucky had lunged for the man’s throat. A gunshot exploded in the darkness, and September screamed the dog’s name.
"Lucky!"
The night was deathly quiet.
From the twisted bodies, the dog raised his head. Beneath him, the man lay quietly, blood oozing from a fatal wound.
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