Love and Fury: The Coltrane Saga, Book 4 (28 page)

With an agonized moan, Colt turned from her again. He was in the midst of a torment from which there was no escape.
How
could it have happened?
How
could he have been so weak? Lord, he did not even remember anything except leaving the study and heading for his room. He didn’t even recall Dani being with him in the hallway.

He turned to stare at her. She was huddled miserably on the bed. He tried to feel revulsion for her, but it wasn’t her fault.

“I’m sorry, Dani.” The cry tore from him. “I’d rather be dead than have this happen. Forgive me. It won’t happen again, ever!” He went to the door, stopped, but did not turn to look at her. “Please leave here. Please go back to France. I can’t stand to look at you.”

He bolted through the door and down the hallway, his footsteps echoing through the house.

Briana continued to lie there, huddled, clutching the sheet to her. After a while, she heard the sound of servants entering the house to begin their day. She scrambled out of bed, then threw on her gown and hurried down the hall to her room.

She decided to dress and ride into Silver Butte to tell Gavin that she had succeeded in seducing Colt. She’d done what he wanted her to do, and he would give her the letter from Charles. They might even leave soon! In fact, she thought wildly, happily, she might not have to return to the ranch at all.

In Silver Butte, Briana rode to the hotel where she and Gavin had stayed when they arrived. Situated at the end of the main street, it was, by far, the prettiest building in town. A large porch swept the front of the neatly painted white four-story building. She saw some of the older, permanent residents sitting in wicker swings and watching her curiously as she dismounted and tied her horse to the hitching post. She felt shy in her men’s trousers, but how else -could she dress if she was going to ride? She couldn’t wear a gown, for she didn’t know how to ride sidesaddle.

Nodding to no one in particular and everyone in general, Briana entered the dimly lit hotel lobby, and was at once refreshed by the cooler air within. She asked the young desk clerk for Gavin Mason’s room number and was told he was all the way up on the top floor.

Reaching Gavin’s door, she heard a woman’s voice. She glanced once more at the room number and, satisfied that she was at the right room, knocked hesitantly.

The door swung open, and Briana stepped back. A woman was standing there eyeing her sharply. The woman was wearing a bright green satin robe. Her lips were painted a red more brilliant than ruby, and her eyes were shadowed in pale blue.

Briana looked beyond her and saw Gavin seated on a yellow velvet divan. At the same instant, he saw her and rushed to the door.

The woman in green looked at them warily.

Gavin placed a possessive arm on Briana’s shoulder and steered her into the room. “This is Delia, Dani. The two of you will get along just fine.” He pushed Briana onto the divan, his eyes shining. “Well, tell me,” he asked. “Is it done?”

Briana lowered her head. “It’s done.”

Gavin clasped his hands together, as if in fervent prayer. “Wonderful. Wonderful! Now we can begin to think about going home!”

Delia quickly interjected, her voice soft, coaxing, “Don’t forget, honey baby, you’re taking me home with you.” She gave Briana a menacing look, adding, “And it don’t matter whether you like it or not. He’s mine now.”

“I
certainly don’t want him,” Briana couldn’t help retorting.

Gavin ignored that, too pleased to be angry. “How did he behave? Was he wildly upset? Uncontrollably angry?”

Briana glanced away, unable to bear the gloating triumph on Gavin’s face. She assured him that Colt was indeed the epitome of misery, and she told him the lies she’d planned to tell him about seducing Colt. All the while, Delia hovered anxiously near them, trying to hear. Exasperated, Gavin finally stood up and shoved Delia into the bedroom, instructing her to stay put until he called her to come out.

It didn’t take Briana more than a few seconds to understand why Gavin had taken up with Delia. Though plump, Delia was angelic looking, with strawberry-blonde curls and light blue eyes. She had lovely features and a saucy way about her. Briana was worldly enough to know a prostitute when she saw one, and she was certain Delia was one. She had a shrewd look about her, and enough poise that Briana was sure Delia never did anything without being in control of herself, saucy and fun-loving though she appeared to be. That appearance was all contrived, Briana was sure.

Did Delia know that Briana wasn’t Dani? If Gavin had told Delia any of the facts, he must have been confident that she wouldn’t blab.

At that point, Briana was too exhausted from their deception and too heartsick over Colt to worry about either Delia or Dirk betraying her and Gavin. Gavin would have to handle both of them.

The one good thing was that Gavin now had a pretty woman he could bed—someone whose presence would take his mind off Briana’s body, for which Briana was deeply thankful. Gavin was the kind of male who needed someone in his bed all the time, and Delia would surely know how to satisfy a man.

When Gavin joined Briana again, she pleaded, “Colt is so hurt over what’s happened that I can’t bear to face him. I’m going to stay here until we leave for France.”

“What?” He shook his head firmly. “Absolutely not. I want you to get back to the ranch now and get ready to bed him again tonight. We have to move fast, before he decides to leave town to avoid you.”

Astonished, Briana jumped up and cried out in angry protest that she wouldn’t do it. Gavin grabbed her shoulders and shook her. He pushed her down on the divan and sat beside her, holding on to her arm. “You’ve already proved what a whore you are,” he said, smiling the cruel smile she had hated for what seemed like an eternity. “What difference does it make to you whether you sleep with a man once or a hundred times? Get back there, Briana. Use your body all day and all night if necessary, but turn Coltrane into your slave.” His eyes riveted hers, and she found she couldn’t look away. It was as she’d suspected, but not quite allowed herself to believe. Gavin wasn’t just ruthless, wasn’t just cruel; he was mad. And he would make her do what he wanted, as he’d made her come here in the first place, impersonate Dani, seduce Colt…

“Fine, Gavin,” she said evenly, knowing better than to rile him, “and may I have the letter from Paris, please?”

She hardly dared to breathe. He watched her for a moment, then stood up and disappeared into the bedroom, appearing again in a minute with the letter. She tore it open, read that Charles sent all his love, was feeling stronger, was looking forward to the operation with only a little fear…and begged his sister to come back. Most of all, he wanted his sister to come back.

Unwilling to let Gavin witness her reaction to the letter, Briana merely folded it hastily and held it tightly in her hand, to be read again later when she was alone.

He stood and motioned her toward the door, away from the bedroom. When they were far enough
from
the bedroom so that Delia wouldn’t overhear, Gavin said, “She is going back to France with us, but keep your mouth shut around her because I’ve told her only so much and no more. She thinks you’re really Dani; remember that. We don’t want anyone in Silver Butte to know the truth, for God’s sake. It’s bad enough that I had to tell Hollister, but I had to.”

“But why is she coming home to France with us?”

“I’ll explain when the time is right,” Gavin growled. “I always do things when the time is right and not a moment sooner.”

Briana left him as soon as she could, and rode Belle back to the ranch. Back to Colt.

Dear Lord, she reflected, the truth was that, far from being disappointed that Gavin had forbidden her to stay in town, she was thrilled. Now that the awful thing had been done to Colt, now that the man surely hated her, now that it was too late for him to feel anything for her except revulsion…now she could at last admit the truth: She had fallen in love with Colt.

And there would never be anything she could do about it. In breaking Colt’s heart, she had also broken her own.

While Briana was riding back to the ranch, Gavin was learning some surprising things about his playmate.

“Gavin,” she called to him as he was closing the door after Briana.

He turned, puzzled by the strange tone of Delia’s voice. Then he saw that her eyes were glassy, the way they looked when she was making love. Was she wanting him
now?
he wondered. “Yes?” he responded quietly.

Delia stared at him fixedly. “Keep Dani with us,” she said firmly, “and don’t worry about her being rebellious. I know how to deal with her, Gavin dear.”

Gavin chuckled. He began to understand what Delia wanted with Briana, and that suited him just fine. Delia was one hell of a woman. Gavin considered himself one hell of a man, but there were times when she wanted more than he cared to give. Maybe Briana could ease things for him. As he looked at Delia, he felt a warm rush in his loins. It might be fun, the three of them. Besides, he had no intention of letting Briana go off on her own once they returned to France. He couldn’t. She knew too much. He’d have to keep her under control.

Gavin looked at Delia. Their eyes met and held. “Very well,” he said.

Gavin held his arms open, and Delia ran to be folded in his embrace. In a moment they were naked in bed, caught up in their passion. As they made love, each had Briana in mind.

Chapter Nineteen

Briana returned to the ranch to find that Colt had moved out, taking his clothes down to the bunkhouse, declaring that he would be living with the hands from then on.

The next day, Briana waited for Branch by one of the barns, and hurried to ask whether there was evidence of the hydrophobia outside Destry Butte. It was a chance to hear news of Colt without having to inquire directly.

Branch told her that it appeared there were no other instances of the dread disease. “Plus,” he said, “now that we burned the whole inside of the butte, it probably won’t spread from there. What we’re hoping is that all the animals bitten died before they got a chance to leave the butte. We’re sure the disease started there, ’cause we found fifty carcasses in there. We shot two more mad coyotes, one bobcat, and—” He paused, giving her a strange look. “Well, didn’t Colt tell you about it? That was yesterday. Boy, that was somethin’. We had near a hundred men swarmin’ ’round that place.”

“I’m afraid I haven’t seen Colt since he moved to the bunkhouse,” she said as casually as she could.

Branch folded his arms across his large chest as he looked at her thoughtfully. “You two had a fight, didn’t you? I should’ve figured. He was braggin’ about you the day you shot the coyote. Then, the next day, he looked snake-bit.

“Don’t reckon it’s my business,” he went on cautiously, “but I am gonna stick my neck out and say life’s too short for kin to be fightin’.”

Briana started to turn away, and he called out to her.

She turned around.

“Is there anything I can do? I didn’t say nothin’ to Colt, but he sure looks bad. I don’t think I saw him look this bad even after Miss Bowden was killed.”

Briana shivered. Oh, how he must be suffering. “No,” she said quietly. “There’s nothing you can do. It’s just something we’re going to have to work out.”

“Why don’t you go back to France?” he asked suddenly, and she was stunned that he would be so blunt.

“I’m sorry, Miss Dani, but somebody had to say it. You aren’t happy, and he’s miserable, so maybe it would be better all the way around if you went.”

Briana bit her lower lip thoughtfully. What could she possibly tell him?

By the end of the week, Briana was no closer to setting up another night with Colt. He did not come to the house at all, and was seldom seen around the ranch. Twice, she caught sight of him from a distance, but when she started toward him, he rushed away.

Their behavior was obvious to everyone around. The hired hands, the servants, all talked about it, speculating as to what -had happened between Dani and Colt. What was
going
to happen? they wondered. Each owned half of the ranch.

On Saturday night, Briana went to her room early, completely discouraged. She doubted that Colt would ever even speak to her again. Just before dusk, she had gone to the bunkhouse, having mustered the nerve to ask one of the wranglers to go inside and tell Colt she needed to talk with him. How embarrassed she was to have the man return and, looking sheepish, inform her that Mister Colt couldn’t see her then, and didn’t know when he would be able to. She turned away, tears of humiliation burning her eyes.

She sat in darkness in her room, having watched Colt ride out with six of the men, heading into town for a Saturday night of revelry. Then, not bothering with lights, she began to undress, hoping she would fall asleep quickly despite the tormented thoughts whirling within.

Lost in her misery, she didn’t hear the door softly open…softly close, didn’t know anyone was there until a hand was clamped over her mouth.

“Just relax, little darlin’, it’s me.”

Dirk Hollister! Briana’s fear was immediately overcome by anger. When he released her, she hissed furiously, “What do you want? How dare you sneak in here?”

“Our…employer is getting angry over the delay out here, so he sent me to fetch you. You’re coming with me. Into town.”