A Riveting Affair (Entangled Ever After)

by Candace Havens

  “Hello, Professor Clark. This is shaping up to be a fine day.” Tipping his hat, he ignored her comment.

  Frustrating man.

  “Why did you come back?”

  “Is that any way to talk to a man bearing gifts?”

  She glanced at the parcel he had across his lap. “My father taught me to never trust a man who brings me presents. He usually has something to hide or wants something in return.”

  “Well, I suppose if you don’t want your dresses from Miss O’Sullivan. I can take them back to town.”

  She clicked the button in her pocket and the hum of the fence died down.

  “I’ll take those.” She reached for the bundle, but he pulled back.

  “First you’ll hear what I have to say.”

  The man was insufferable. She just barely stopped herself from stomping her foot like a petulant child. It was unbelievable how easily he brought out the worst in her.

  “Fine, you have five minutes of my time.”

  Barnes took the reins of Calloway’s horse as he dismounted.

  “There’s no need for that. The marshal won’t be staying,” she said to Barnes.

  “Thank you, Mr. Barnes,” Calloway said.

  “I obviously need to look into hiring some new help,” Maisy said through gritted teeth.

  Barnes laughed.

  A faint smile fell on Calloway’s lips. There was blood on his shirtsleeve where he’d been injured at the graveyard.

  “Did you go to the town doctor as I instructed?”

  “Just a scratch, bandaged it myself.”

  Impossible man. “Did you bother to put any salve on your just-a-scratch?”

  “Poured some whiskey on it.”

  Alcohol was a good antiseptic, but the blood around the wound indicated sutures might be required.

  “May I have my packages please?”

  Calloway headed toward the steam engine without so much as an invitation. The man took too many liberties as far as she was concerned.

  “Well, if you’re going to stay, you might as well allow me to suture the wound.” She followed him up the steps into the train.

  “It’s fine.”

  She pursed her lips and pushed past him. “Follow me.”

  Calloway treaded behind her through the galley kitchen, past the dining car, and into her lab. She lowered one of the tables with a lever and motioned for him to sit down.

  After placing the packages on the other table, he did what she wanted.

  “Take off your shirt,” she ordered as she gathered her supplies.

  “Usually a woman—”

  She held up a hand to stop him. “I’m in no mood for your shenanigans. I’ve been up all night, as you well know.”

  She gathered her supplies and laid them out next to him. As he slipped off his shirt, she desperately tried not to notice the Adonis-like muscles across his chest and arms. There were two scars from bullets on his left shoulder, but it was the puncture wound on his right bicep that garnered her interest. Using an antiseptic, she cleansed the wound and only took a small bit of joy when he sucked through his teeth at the first stab of the needle.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  “No we do not,” she replied firmly. “You be quiet so I can focus.”

  “Maisy!” He grabbed the hand that held the needle.

  “Let go,” she said through gritted teeth. “I will not be manhandled by you or anyone else.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said as he let go. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s frustrating being—you are a frustrating woman.”

  “So I’ve been told many times. Now hold still.” She continued with her stitches.

  He could be as nosey as he wanted. She wouldn’t say a word. He shifted his leg and a strong thigh bumped into her stomach.

  “Be still,” she fussed. But the warmth of him penetrated through her leathers, making it difficult for her to focus on her task. Continuing with her ministrations, her hand shook slightly under his unwavering gaze. It was almost as if he expected her to grow another head. “Fine. If you have something to discuss with me, please do so. I prefer directness.”

  “Yes. I can see that.”

  She didn’t bother to look up from her work.

  “Don’t suppose you want to tell me why that animal went up in flames when the sun hit it?”

  “Vampirism,” she said, as if that explained everything.

  He snorted. “What the hell is a vampire?”

  “Usually a nocturnal, blood sucking being that drains a person dry. It’s an abomination.”

  He seemed to think about that for a minute. “But these are animals. Did the demons from the other night drink blood?”

  She gave a short nod.

  “So this Julian you keep talking about. He’s creating things that survive on blood. Why?”

  “Vampires are said to have some kind of mystical powers and great strength. You saw how fast those poor creatures were and how high they could jump.”

  He grunted. “I remember when I first met you that you said he was making some kind of warrior.”

  “Yes. At least, that’s what I deduced when I was in London. He left town rather quickly and I was lucky enough to find some of his papers he’d left behind.”

  “And you chased him across the Atlantic to stop him.”

  She knew where this was going.

  “I will not discuss my past with you.”

  “Why not? I answered when you asked me about why I became a marshal. I’m asking you the same thing.”

  “I answered that question earlier. This is what I was trained to be.” Tying off the last stitch, she held back the retort on her tongue. “Marshal, it’s been a long night. Could you please get to the point?”

  “I’m worried for you, Maisy.” He used her name, which sent an interesting and somewhat delightful tingling sensation to her nether regions. Her hand trembled slightly.

  “I think I’ve proven more than once that I can take care of myself.” She put a clean bandage around his arm, hoping he wouldn’t detect the tremor in her voice.

  He ran his other hand through his hair. “That isn’t what I’m talking about. This life you lead, it’s eating at you. And you don’t see it. You seem as cold-hearted as they come in some ways. Then you’re taking care of me, even though you can’t stand me. I’ve never met a woman like you.” He breathed a heavy sigh. “You just plain scare the hell out of me.”

  Why did his words matter to her? She was a trained assassin. Being cold-hearted was a part of the job.

  “Oh, marshal, are you saying you don’t want to be my friend? I am crushed.”

  She tried not to think about how true that was.

  “I’m your friend Maisy, even though that doesn’t seem easy with you. I care about you. I want what’s best for you. But I think this life is eating you up.” The earnestness in his voice was almost her undoing.

  But she would not cry. She never cried.

  “You’re wrong,” she said. “I know you want to believe what you say is true. But I’m not getting more cold-hearted, as you believe. I was born this way. Trained from birth to be the perfect assassin, and as much as it may offend your gentlemanly sensibilities, I don’t mind the killing at all. It’s a part of my job.”

  She took a deep breath, and then continued. “I’ve never met a man, with the exception of Barnes and my father, who understood me. So, don’t feel bad. Now, if you’re finished, I’d like to rest. It has been a rather long night.”

  “I don’t believe you,” he said as he put his cowboy hat back on. “You aren’t some cold-blooded killer. You care about Barnes, and that horse of yours. But this is no life for a woman.”

  Reaching out, he took her by the shoulders. They both gasped at the spark dancing between them.

  No one had ever elicited such a response from her.

  Frustrated, she turned on her heel, pulling herself out of his grasp. “Of all the bigoted—” Losing her temper and lett
ing him know that he was under her skin would not do. “Barnes is six cars down with your horse. He’ll show you out.” She scooped up her packages.

  As she entered her bedchamber he said, “One more thing, Professor Clark.” She stiffened when he used her last name. “Yes.”

  “Your friend Julian is going to be at the harvest dance tomorrow. In fact, he told the mayor that he would pay for everything, wanted him to invite the whole town.”

  She dropped the packages. “You can’t let him do that. Warn the mayor that if Julian is doing something like this, he has some horrible plan, trust me.”

  “Like what?” Calloway asked.

  “With him, there is no way of knowing. Wherever he goes, chaos and death follow. You heard about the plague in Houston? That was Julian. He could be poisoning the punch or using one of his monsters to infect the entire town. No, you have to stop this dance. Tell the mayor how dangerous Julian is.”

  The cowboy frowned. “It’s a done deal. The mayor is beside himself that they’re going to have such an elaborate dance for the festival. Won’t matter what I say to him, he’ll make sure it happens. And your friend seems to have some kind hold over the mayor. The man wouldn’t listen to reason.”

  Her mind whirled, but something he said made her stop. “Wait, you tried to talk the mayor out of it?”

  “Yes, you said Julian was dangerous.”

  He trusted her. He didn’t like her very much, but he trusted her. “Thank you for that,” she said quietly.

  “What?”

  “Trusting me about Julian,” Maisy responded quickly. “If this thing is going to happen, we have to prepare for all contingencies. There will be too many people in one spot. I smell a disaster on the way.”

  “Tell me what I need to do,” Calloway said.

  Darn cowboy always seemed to know the right thing to say.

  Chapter Eight

  Fort Worth Stockyards

  The Harvest Festival had taken over the town, much to her dismay. She despised crowds, and the streets were filled with people milling about, trying out the various foods, and buying crafts. The smell of roasted caramel corn and candy confections permeated the air.

  But Julian was there somewhere. She could sense him. Upon entering town earlier, she’d gone straight to the Lace & Steam. Delaney had greeted her with an ill smile—a handsome but unnerving stranger had asked her to hold the first dance for him.

  Julian. The idea of that monster putting his hands on Delaney turned Maisy’s stomach. She had experienced firsthand what he did to the women he cared about. He was a cruel bastard.

  Though, if anyone could take care of herself, it was Delaney.

  “There was something wrong with that man, though I couldn’t put my finger on it. Something about his eyes seemed…off. And I could see telling him ‘no’ would do me no favors,” Delaney said to Maisy over a cup of tea in her shop. “And he made a special point of asking if I knew if you would be there. It was as if he knew we had met.” She shivered.

  Of course he knew. Julian had spies everywhere.

  “I don’t suppose this is the relative you’ve been watching for,” Delaney said.

  “Yes,” Maisy answered. “In a manner of speaking.”

  She’d left the store feeling sick. There were two reasons why he would want Delaney at the dance in front of all of those people: to kill her, or to show off his latest abomination—possibly both.

  Maisy feared it was the first. Julian killed everyone she cared about.

  What the monster didn’t know was that she, Calloway, and Barnes had been busy helping with the “decorations” at the dance hall. They had several weapons hidden, and they were each loaded with various accoutrement. Within the pockets of her dress and in her corset, she had an array of surprises for just such an occasion.

  They were ready for anything he had.

  Though, if she had a clear shot to kill him before the dance she would take it without a moment’s hesitation.

  Calloway stood in front of the general store. He’d helped them with the arrangements, but she could tell from the way he cut his eyes and held his shoulders tight that he had a secret. While they had been stashing weapons, she had caught him watching her, an intent look on his ruggedly handsome face.

  He hadn’t noticed her on the street, so she slipped behind a large man and his daughters, turning her head to hide her face.

  Her watch beeped, and she held it up to her ear.

  “Lass, he’s arrived,” Barnes whispered through the communicator. It had taken her three hours to fix the blasted thing, and she was glad to see it worked.

  Time to hunt monsters.

  She moved through the crowds and entered the large dance hall that had been set up for the event. It smelled of freshly cut wood and hay and was filled with people. Gaining access to Julian wouldn’t be easy, as he always had a security force with him. And she would need to get close if she were to keep others from getting hurt.

  “Whatever you have planned, don’t do it here.” Calloway’s voice caused her to jump a little.

  “Marshal, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I only came to watch the dancers.”

  She started to turn away, but he grabbed her arm.

  “You can’t kill him here,” he said through gritted teeth. “Too many people could get hurt.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Contrary to what you might believe, I’m not an idiot. And you know I won’t do anything to hurt the innocents. Now kindly let me go.” She yanked her arm out of his, but he caught her again.

  “Best way to case the room is to dance around,” he whispered in her ear. Small bits of electricity traveled through her nerves at the nearness of his lips.

  “I’m not in the mood to dance,” she smiled sweetly so that those around them wouldn’t notice them arguing. The last thing she wanted was to call attention to herself. Her best bet was the element of surprise.

  “He won’t expect you to be on the dance floor having a good time,” Calloway said.

  The band began playing, and he pulled her into a slow waltz. It was one of the few dances she was fairly adept at, though that wasn’t saying much. Her father had insisted she train as hard at being a lady as she did as an assassin. But she had clearly preferred the latter.

  The dancers glided across the floor around them.

  The marshal’s hand tightened around her waist, and her breath caught.

  Wonderful. Now she was some silly schoolgirl, excited because a boy was touching her waist. How ridiculous. And dangerous.

  “I’m surprised a marshal had the time to learn how to waltz,” she said.

  “Funny how your compliments may also be considered insults. And I’m a Southern gentleman. We all know how to dance. It’s in our blood.”

  Maisy had to roll her eyes at that.

  It didn’t take her long to spot Delaney in her delicate pink dress. But it was the woman’s dance partner that sent a shudder through Maisy’s body.

  A handsome man with dark hair and smooth brown eyes, Julian easily fooled most people he met. Charming, he could divest a child from his lollipop as easily as he could a woman from her soul. It was one of the many reasons he got away with murder. That and he could buy off or kill anyone who bothered him.

  The couple glided across the floor and when they turned the corner, Maisy met Julian’s eyes. He looked taken aback for a second, but he recovered quickly, giving her a huge smile.

  She narrowed her eyes at him.

  He blew her a kiss.

  She hated the man. Hated him more than anyone she had ever met.

  The watch on her wrist beeped again, and she held it to her ear.

  “Julian’s men are watching you.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “I don’t suppose you could distract them for me?” She needed to find a way to get Julian outside.

  “I’m not the right persuasion for that kind of distraction, lassie.”

  Calloway turned them on the dance f
loor again, she assumed so that he could get a glance at Julian. “I can tell from your face he’s here, and I heard Barnes. Which one is he?”

  “The one with Delaney,” she said. “We have to get her away from him. Can you help me with that? Ask her to dance?”

  “And what? Leave you alone with the monster?” That protective tone had found its way into Calloway’s voice again. When would he learn?

  Why did everything always have to be so complicated?

  “Fine, I’ll do this the hard way.” She started to pull away, but the cowboy pulled her tighter.

  “I’ll do what you want, but I’m not taking my eyes off of you when you’re with him.”

  “Are you afraid I’ll kill him in front of all of your townspeople?”

  He touched her check and her eyes met his. “No, I’m worried what he might do to you.”

  The tenderness in his touch and the sincerity in his voice sent her mind reeling. He was genuinely worried about her safety.

  “I—” She didn’t know what to say. “I’ll be fine, but thank you for your concern,” she said politely. The music stopped, but she hesitated to pull away. “This would be a good time—”

  “Ah, luv, were you missing me?”

  Spine stiffening, she continued to face Calloway. “What do you want, Julian?”

  “A dance.” A rattlesnake waiting to strike wouldn’t have been any more obvious.

  “That’s probably not a good idea for you,” she said honestly. “Do you really want me in close proximity? In fact…” She turned and covertly slid a small but lethal blade close to his heart.

  Calloway shifted behind her, but then he moved away. She didn’t dare turn around to see where he had gone.

  Julian had the nerve to laugh. “Now, now, lovely huntress. If you kill me here, there will be some rather deadly consequences for your friends.”

  He pulled her to the dance floor before she could react.

  “To your left, luv, you’ll see the lovely Delaney.”

  A flash of pink caught her attention. A giant bald man with several scars on his face had a beefy hand on the shopkeeper’s shoulder. Her beautiful eyes were wide with terror.

  Blast it all. She hadn’t meant to put the poor girl in danger. They hadn’t done more than make a few business transactions, but somehow Julian knew she’d make an excellent target. He had an uncanny knack for hurting Maisy.