The Angel's Devil (Savage Series)

by Lisa Rae

  As Angel took a seat beside her brother, Aunt Lou appeared with a hot steaming cup of coffee for her. "Thanks Aunt Lou. I'll take a plate of what he's having," Angel requested.

  When Roark didn't have his mouth full of food she asked, "Did you sleep well? I was woken up by all the hammering this morning. They must be planning a really big celebration."

  "I did sleep good and woke up early, so I took a walk around the town," Roark replied.

  "Did you see anything interesting?" Angel asked curiously.

  "I saw a couple cowboys ride in and talk to the hostler for a few minutes. Seemed like they were getting directions to somewhere, then they rode back out the way they came in."

  "That don't sound like the bunch we're looking for," commented Angel.

  "No, it don't. Our best luck will probably be in the saloon."

  "Well I'm ready to get to work as soon as they open up for the day. We can start out playing some poker together, and then split up later when it gets busier." Angel suggested.

  "Sounds like a plan," Roark agreed.

  It was a plan they had used in more than one occasion to mingle and get in with the locals of a town. Learn who's who and what they were in to.

  "Hopefully the 4th of July celebration will draw in the men we are looking for. Then we just need to figure out which ones they are."

  Roark nodded his head in agreement and said, "And the sooner the better, before more good innocent men get killed out there."

  They finished up their breakfast, and Roark paid Aunt Lou the $2 for both their meals. Leaving the hotel's cafe', they walked down the dirt street to the Boland Mercantile store.

  Upon entering the store, the owners Mr. & Mrs. Boland, greeted them warmly with big smiles.

  "Good morning! Is there anything we can help you with?" Mrs. Boland asked.

  Angel walked up to Mrs. Boland. "Good morning Mrs. Boland. We just arrived in town last night, and figured we'd check out the town today and get to know people."

  "So you plan to stay for a while and try your hand at gold mining?" Mrs. Boland asked.

  "I am in search of gold, but I prefer to get mine the easy way at the poker table," Angel said grinning.

  Mr. Boland then asked Roark suspiciously as he eyeballed the low hanging Colt on Roark's hip, "If she's the money maker, does that make you her bodyguard?"

  Most men would have taken offense to that kind of questioning, but Roark was use to it and didn't mind. Their goal was to befriend people in town so they can learn as much as they could. If they made enemies from the beginning, it would just make their job harder.

  "Angel is quite capable of taking care of herself, but I do watch my sister's back when I'm around," Roark answered friendly, easing Mr. Boland's worries of future trouble.

  In a new gold boom town where no law yet exist, there is a mixture of the good, the bad, and the deadly. While running a business in these kinds of towns is very prosperous, it is also very dangerous.

  After they spent a while chatting with the Boland's, Angel and Roark moved on to the assayer’s office where they asked about the gold claims and who was the bigger producing mines.

  "Right now the 'Homestake' claim southwest of here is one that looks to be very promising. It is owned by Fred and Moses Manuel, Hank Harney, and Alex Engh. The Brook's mine is another small mine that is producing fairly well," the assayer replied, and then asked, "Are you looking to purchase an established mine?"

  "The thought has crossed our minds," Roark answered.

  Then Angel asked, "We've heard stories of a 'Treasure Coach' that is being robbed and the men murdered. Is that true?"

  "Unfortunately yes it is. Thankfully of all the trips the special coach has made, it has only been held up a few times so far. But it is getting harder to hire a driver and guards for it," replied the assayer.

  "What do you mean by special coach?" asked Angel.

  "These coaches are designed to only haul gold and other valuables. They are armored and locked. I've heard there is talk of pouring the gold into 200 pound ingots before it is loaded into the stage," he explained.

  "That would definitely make it harder for the outlaws to steal it," Roark commented.

  Learning what they already knew from the assayer, Roark and Angel started to head for the saloon when the commotion of three thousand head of steers headed for Deadwood caught their attention, along with most of the town's.

  People and shopkeepers stepped out of the shops to watch as the herd passed by. Thousands of hooves stirred up dust as they passed. It drifted towards the town, sending some people back inside.

  One particular man who had exited from the bank, watched intently with a smile. Noticing this, Angel nudged her brother and pointed. Then she proceeded to walk over to the front of the bank where the prominent looking man stood.

  "That sure is a lot of cattle. Can this countryside support that many?" Angel asked the man in front of the bank.

  "No, the winters are harsh here, but majority of the steers won't be here that long. I bought them and had them herded up here. Meat is becoming scarce in this area with so many miners, and all the people here in town because of the gold rush. Men that go out hunting are faced with the Indians attacking and killing them for being on their land," the man explained.

  "I see. So you have men hired to butcher the steers, and then you'll sell the meat?" Angel asked.

  "Yes, my name is Howard Brook. I will be doing business out of that building down the street there," Howard said as he pointed.

  "My name is Angel. It's good to meet you. My brother and I just arrived in town yesterday. If you find the time, and would like to join me in a game of poker sometime, you can find me at the Nuttal & Mann's saloon."

  Smiling Mr. Brook said, "I would love to join you in a game sometime."

  Saying her goodbyes, Angel walked back over to her brother and they continued on to the Saloon.

  "Did you learn anything interesting?" Roark asked.

  "Ya, he is the owner of all those steers. There is a shortage of meat here with so many people. And with the Indians fighting to keep their land, it's not safe to go hunt for wild game."

  "Do you think he could be behind the stage robberies?"

  "I don't know. He appears to be legit, but my gut tells me otherwise," Angel replied.

  Roark and Angel stepped in through the batwings of the Nuttal & Mann's saloon. There were only a couple men at the mahogany bar, and the soiled doves had not yet come downstairs to entertain, as it was still early.

  They took a seat at a table in the back of the saloon where they could watch all the patrons as they come and go. Angel pulled out her deck of cards and dealt a hand for them to play while they listened for helpful information.

  The Gallinger cowboys herded the three year old steers along the outskirts of Deadwood up into a wooded boxed canyon on the Brook's ranch north of town. The ranch cowboys took over and stood guard while the Gallinger cowboys headed back for Deadwood to wet their dusty throats at the saloon.

  Among them was Nat Love. Born a slave in Tennessee in 1854 on the plantation of Robert Love. When slavery ended, he worked odd jobs for a few years and won a horse in a raffle. He sold the horse for one hundred dollars and gave half to his mother, and used the other half to leave town and head West to Dodge City to find work as a cowboy. He joined the Duval cowboys in Dodge City and returned with them to their home ranch in the Texas Panhandle.

  Now days, Nat rode with the Gallinger cowboys. They would rest up here in Deadwood for a couple days, and enjoy the 4th of July celebration before heading back.

  Nat and some of the other Gallinger cowboys entered the saloon and walked up to the bar and ordered. After following in the dust behind the extremely large heard, many of the men guzzled down their first beer.

  Laughing and joking, the loud sounds from the cowboys drew the prostitutes down from their rooms upstairs. As they mingled with the men, some of the cowboys paid for the woman's services and joined them back
upstairs in their rooms.

  Angel was shuffling the cards when she looked up to see Diablo walk through the batwings. She hesitated for a moment and then continued, but not before her brother noticed. He followed the direction of her eyes, and saw who had caused her to falter. Making a mental note, Roark waved Diablo over to their table.

  "Would you care to join us in a game?" Roark asked Diablo.

  Smiling, Diablo said yes and joined them at their table as Angel dealt the next hand. He chose to sit directly across from Angel so that he could look at her without it being too obvious.

  He was a distraction she did not need right now. Thinking she could run him off by bidding high and bankrupting him didn't work though. He seemed to have an endless supply of money, and a good humor at loosing.

  Roark had already excused himself from the game earlier to mingle with the patrons of the saloon as locals were starting to come in for a drink.

  Three hours later, Angel was no closer to running Diablo off, or learning anything from the men that joined their card game.

  Looking for an excuse to finally free herself from Diablo's company, she said at the end of a hand, "If you will excuse me boys, I think I'm going to go see Aunt Lou about some supper."

  Watching Angel walk out of the saloon, Diablo was amazed at how good of a poker player she was. Had they played much longer she would have broke him. Of course he would have made some excuse to leave the game before admitting she had beat him.

  After Angel left, Diablo hurried to the assayer's office before they closed for the day. Walking in he asked the man behind a desk, "Are you the assayer?"

  "Yes, my name is John McKnight."

  Diablo reached into the inside pocket of his vest and pulled out a small pouch. "I'd like to sell these gold nuggets."

  "These are some nice nuggets. Did you get them from around here?" the assayer asked.

  "I'm not sure where they come from. I took them as payment for a job," Diablo said flatly. Asking someone where they acquired their gold from was never a smart question. People had been shot for less.

  Diablo knew the man was fishing for information. Being a famous gunslinger, he couldn't go anywhere without people wanting to know if the stories they heard were true?

  McKnight realized he overstepped his boundary, and quietly weighed out the gold and paid Diablo for it with no more questions.

  Diablo now headed for the hotel cafe' to join Angel for supper. He knew she would not be happy when he joined her, but he didn't care. Being fast with a gun, he was use to getting his way.

  Angel had gone up to her room to freshen up before going down to the cafe' for supper. Now that they were back to work, she knew she wouldn't be spending as much time with her brother Roark, and would often be dining alone.

  She had just finished ordering when Diablo entered the cafe'. He proceeded to her table, and sat down across from her before she had a chance to object without making a scene.

  "Why are you bothering me? Couldn't you find a dove to keep you company?" Angel asked obviously irritated.

  Unable to resist, Diablo replied with a grin, "You took all of my money. So I couldn't afford one. I thought you could keep me company."

  "You better think again. And next time don't bet what you can't afford to lose. Now if you will excuse ─."

  Aunt Lou brought Angel's plate of food at that moment, and Diablo interrupted Angel by saying to Aunt Lou, "That looks really good. I'll take a plateful when you have the time."

  Smiling, Aunt Lou said, "Sure thang honey."

  When Aunt Lou walked away, Diablo grinned at Angel, knowing he had just won that battle.

  Normally Angel could keep a perfect poker face anytime, even away from the card table, but his smugness was like a burr under a horse's saddle. Rubbing and irritating until she just wanted to blow up.

  Biting her lip, Angel waited till after Aunt Lou brought Diablo his supper plate before she commented, "I hope you don't expect me to pay for your meal?"

  "No, I have enough to pay for both of our meals. You can reimburse me later with another kiss when we go for a walk," Diablo said with a huskiness to his voice that made Angel's heart flutter.

  "And what makes you think that I will go for a walk with you, much less kiss you?" Angel asked uncomfortably.

  "Because I know you stack the deck, and deal from the bottom when the need suits you. And that you and your brother work together," Diablo answered, calling her bluff.

  Stunned, Angel didn't have a reply that wouldn't either be incriminating or a lie. In her line of work, she was use to having to lie or stretch the truth, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to lie to Diablo.

  Diablo knew from her silence that he was right. He had only been guessing because he normally did fairly well playing poker. She was definitely an excellent card shark. He never did catch her at it as they played.

  Not wanting Diablo to blow her undercover job she agreed, "Fine, I will take a walk with you after we eat."

  "And . . .?" Diablo prodded, enjoying her discomfort.

  "And give you a kiss . . ." Angel answered nervously, before firing back, "but if you think anything else is going to happen you can go straight to Hell!"

  Laughing, Diablo said, "Now, now. Calm down and eat your supper before it gets cold. One kiss will do for tonight."

  For tonight? Does he think he is going to get away with blackmailing her every day? What would he be asking her to do next? Angel nervously wondered, while her heart anxiously fluttered again.

  They ate their supper in silence. While Diablo cleaned his plate and ordered seconds, Angel picked through her food barely eating. The thought of kissing Diablo again both excited her and made her nervous. She had no room in her life right now to fall in love with anyone. Much less a gunslinger that could be called out and killed at any moment. But then she remembered how good it felt in his arms for that moment when he kissed her . . .

  Chapter 5

  When they were through eating, Diablo paid for both their meals, and led Angel out the door by holding her elbow until they were outside and she pulled away. But she stayed walking beside him as he continued through town.

  With the 4th of July celebration the next day, and all the cowboys who rode in today with that big herd, the town of Deadwood was hopping as the sun set behind the Black Hills.

  Angel knew she needed to get away from Diablo. Not only because he made her uncomfortable, but because she had work to do and the next couple days were important.

  After they had walked to one end of the town and back towards her hotel, Angel feigned tiredness so that she could excuse herself to her room. She didn't get off that lucky though, as Diablo insisted on walking her to her door.

  "Well this is my room, thank you for supper," Angel said to break the silence, and to dismiss him.

  Diablo didn't turn to leave as she had hoped he would do. He stood there looking down into her beautiful brown eyes. Then he pulled her into his arms as he said, "I believe you still owe me a kiss."

  She stared into his smoldering black eyes as a lump formed in her throat. Angel didn't understand why a simple kiss was bothering her so much. In all the years she has been working undercover, she has had to flirt with men to get information. Even kiss a few of them, and it had never bothered her. She looked at it as part of her job. But that's just it, Diablo was not part of her job! He was a distraction from her work, and she didn't have time for it.

  It felt so comfortable in his arms. She knew she needed to hurry up and kiss him, so that she could escape to her room before she couldn't walk away.

  In a hurry to escape, Angel leaned up and kissed him quickly with a simple peck on the lips, and tried to turn to leave his warm embrace, but Diablo held her fast. "Do you really think I would be satisfied with that after the last kiss we shared?"

  Angel's heart started to beat faster at the thought of the kind of kiss he was asking of her. Damn him! Knowing he was not going to let her go until she did, Angel leaned f
orward and kissed him again. This time parting her lips with his and allowing his tongue to explore.

  He tightened his embrace, and Angel was soon lost in the feel of his warm hard body up against her small frame. Before she realized it, she had wrapped her arms around his neck, and was eagerly kissing him back with a fever she had long thought had died with her husband.

  As realization of what she was doing sunk in, Angel quickly pushed away from Diablo. "Are you satisfied now?" she asked.

  Diablo's eyes were still glazed with passion as he answered, "For tonight."

  Angel tried to steady her heavy breathing and pounding heart as he stared at her for another moment, as if trying to remember every detail about her, before he turned and walked away.

  It took Angel a good hour to steady her nerves and compose herself before leaving her room again. Knowing Diablo was probably back at the saloon, she headed for the cafe' in hopes that she could learn something from the men who were eating a late supper.

  Upon entering the cafe', Angel spotted a bunch of rough outlaw looking men seated at a table close to the window, and another bunch seated a few tables away. Since there were other patrons in the cafe' quietly enjoying their meals, it did not draw suspicion for Angel to walk over and take a seat at a table that was between the two outlaw bunches.

  When Aunt Lou came to take her order, she realized she was still hungry after not finishing her supper earlier. So she ordered a sandwich and a slice of apple pie.

  To waste time while listening to the men around her talk, she ate her food slowly. Enjoying the hot cup of coffee that Aunt Lou had brought her.

  Angel finally heard the whispers she was listening for as the men at one of the tables mentioned that the next Treasure Coach would be leaving for Cheyenne in a few days, and that everyone needed to be ready to ride.

  Considering the departure days and times were never given to anyone due to the precious cargo it hauled, Angel knew she had the right bunch.