Whiskey Rose (Fallen) (4 page)

“
I was simply doing the job you gave me
.
”

“Next time
, do it without breaking anything or you can go out the door with him,” she snapped and walked passed him out the door.  He fought to keep his irritation in check so it wouldn’t show as he followed her back out. He resumed his perch beside the bar and the activity around him continued as if the incident had never happened.  He didn’t move again the rest of the night. He just observed. He looked for anyone that looked suspicious or as if they had unnaturally violent tendencies.  By the end of the night he was no closer to finding a suspect. Once all the patrons were gone the girls disappeared as well. Izzy began stacking the chairs on top of the table so he followed suit and did the same.  When they finished Rose was sweeping.

“
What next
?
” He asked. She looked up as if the sound of his voice had startled her.

“
Get some sleep
,
” she said softly.  He looked around and realized that Izzy was already gone.

“
Are you coming
?
”

“
I have more to do
.
”

“
Can I help
?
”

“
No
,
” she said simply. He was tempted to stay and help anyway but opted not to. There was no point in sticking around and being a nuisance if she did
n’
t want him there. 

Matt made himself a bed on the sofa in Rose’s room. He had slept on worse but still he couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t been able to sleep much since he’d gotten the wire from Jack. He had left the lamp burning for Rose so he saw her when she came in. He didn’t move and alert her that he was awake but he didn’t pretend to sleep.  She didn’t even look his way. She locked the door
and stood there for a moment and he wondered if she had forgotten he was there. Then she took off the wig, suddenly he was interested. Much more so then he would have thought he would be. She placed the wig on a wig stand next to the other two. Then took off the hair net that held her real hair hidden under the wig. She put her hands in her hair and shook like crazy. Her hair tumbled free into unruly chestnut curls. They kinked and curved in random directions and created such a riot of hair that he was amazed that she had even been able to fit it under the wig. He wondered why she even bothered with the wig. The curls were more appealing. Even as he watched, his fingers itched to touch them. To see if they were as soft as they looked.  He lay there quietly watching her as she turned down her bed and took off her shoes. She stepped behind a dressing screen to change her clothes and he found himself watching her bare toes beneath the screen. When she stepped out wearing a Victorian nightgown that buttoned all the way up to her chin he nearly groaned aloud. For some reason the sight of her in that nightgown turned him on more than any number of scantily clad women he had seen.  For the first time he felt a pang of regret for her mandate that he wouldn’t share her bed. He watched her take something out of her night table drawer and hold it in her hands for a few moments before returning it to the drawer. She blew out the lamp and he heard her slide between her sheets. She hadn’t said a single word or even looked his way.

Rose’s eyes popped open at the foreign sound. She held very still until her sleep fogged mind processed what the sound was and the events of the previous day came rushing back. Matt was snoring. She rolled over and looked at him. He looked almost comical. He was much too big for the tiny sofa, too long especially. His shirt was off and the blanket had slipped down to his waist. He was very appealing.  His chest was covered in dark curls a shade darker than his hair. She had known his looks were going to be a problem from the start. Those eyes especially. They were pale blue and utterly mesmerizing. She had seen every one of the girls respond to him in a way they rarely did. Secretly she found it very satisfying to be able to claim he was her husband even if it wasn’t true.  They never envied her anything, they were all so beautiful and she was plain and ordinary. They spent their lives with men hanging on their every word and she was just the bar maid. They were all sweet for the most part but there wasn’t one that wasn’t conceited beyond the bounds of reason. She collected all of her things and slipped out of the room as quietly as she could so she wouldn’t wake him.

Matt found Rose in the kitchen. He followed the scent of coffee straight to her. She was sitting at the table reading the paper. She was blond again. He remembered clearly seeing her with dark curls but it seemed unreal now. As if he was remembering a dream.

“
Good morning. How did you sleep
?
” she asked in that soft drawl.

“
Not bad
.
” He sat down across from her. She arched a brow at him.

“
Did
n’
t look comfortable
.
” He had to smile at that, it really was
n’
t very comfortable. She stood up and retrieved a cup filling it with coffee for him. 

“
Thank you
.
” He took the cup. He did
n’
t mention that he had
n’
t asked for coffee and she had
n’
t asked him if he wanted it
.“
Yo
u’
re up early, what did you get about four hours of sleep? Five maybe
?
”

“
I have things to do. Besides I like the morning. I
t’
s calm and quiet
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re kind of intense are
n’
t you
?
” Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“
What does that mean
?
”

“
Does
n’
t mean anything. It was just an observation. Do you ever unwind
?
” Her eyes narrowed into a full glare and he wondered if there was fire behind the smoke in her eyes.

“
Loo
k
… what do you call yourself? It does
n’
t matte
r
… Look Ranger. You are here to do a job and that is it. Do
n’
t think that you can charm me because I am not interested
.
”

“
Matt
.
”

“
What
?
” she asked, not following what he meant. One side of his mouth quirked up in an extremely lopsided smile.

“
Matt, i
t’
s what I call myself. My mother called me Matthew. You can call me Mr. Anderson if I can call you Mrs. Anderson
.
” She was really glaring at him now and he was certain there was fire behind that smoke. She did
n’
t let him see it though. She simply stood up and walked out taking her coffee with her.
 “
Hey where are you going
?
” He called following her.

“
I have work to do Ranger
.
”

“
I was just curious what you do to let your hair down, you know other than actually letting your hair down
.
”

“
When I agreed to support your cover I assumed you would be professional and show a little discretion
.
”

“
I am showing discretion, there is no one here
.
” He continued following her
.“
Are you saying no one knows that is a wig
?
” He laughed
.“
I am sure they do. I
t’
s not like yo
u’
re the only one wearing one
.
” She continued walking and walked behind the bar, busying herself wiping down the bar that was
n’
t even dirty
.“
So why do you wear it
?
”

“
I
t’
s none of your business, so you can just stop with the personal questions
.
”

“
But I am your husband. You should
n’
t have any secrets from me
!
” She threw the bar towel in her hand at him. He caught it and burst out laughing. He saw the corner of her mouth twitch before she turned away
.“
So where are you from really? I know that Texas accent is as fake as that blond hair
.
” She turned back and he was sure she was about to make a scathing retort but then she looked past him out the front.

“
Make yourself scarce
,
” she hissed at him.

“
What
?
”

“
Not a word
,
” she warned. He turned and saw a man enter through the swinging doors he had dark hair and a full dark beard. He did
n’
t look too imposing but Rose did
n’
t look happy to see him. He walked to the end of the bar and grabbed a broom. He began sweeping up in an attempt to be invisible
.“
Allen, what are you doing here? Yo
u’
re not supposed to be here until tomorrow
.
”

“
I was in the neighborhood, thought I would save myself a trip
.
” Matt watched the scene carefully as he continued to sweep. Rose crossed her arms and glared at the man.

“
I do
n’
t think you want me to go back to Eddie empty handed
.
” He stepped closer to her and dropped his voice.
 “
Of course we could work something out
.
” He reached out and touched her hair and she batted his hand away.

“
Get real Allen, you ca
n’
t afford me
,
” she said icily and Matt could see she had struck a nerve by the way he clenched his jaw. She walked away from him disappearing into the back room and returned a moment later.  She held an envelope out to the man. He took the envelope but then he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. Matt dropped the broom and pulled his pistol in one motion.

“
Nh-huh
,
” he said pulling the hammer back. The man immediately released Rose but he glared at Matt.

“
Who the hell are you
?
”

“
Security
.
”
 
Matt said coolly. The man reached out and knocked a bottle of whiskey off the shelf before he walked out.  Neither of them moved until the man was completely gone. Matt lowered his revolver and she turned and glared at him.

“
What did you do that for
?
” she demanded.

“
What? I was trying to help
,
” he said surprised.

“
I can take care of myself. All you did was make it worse
.
”
 
Matt was a little irritated that she was angry.

“
What did you give him? Was that a payoff
?
”

“
You can call it a payoff I call it the price of doing business
.
”

“
Why would you pay him? Does
n’
t it occur to you that tha
t’
s wrong
?
”

“
Ha, wrong by whose standards? Yours? The Sherif
f’
s? Do you know how often he comes here? About as often as you
.
” She grabbed the towel he had left behind and began mopping up the mess.

“
Who is Eddie
?
” She did
n’
t answer so he approached and asked again more forcefully
.“
Who is Eddie? Who does he work for
?
”

“
Eddie Cannon
,
” she refused to look at him.

“
The Cannon boys
.
” Matt muttered.

“
There is supposed to be two, there is really only one and his lackeys
.
”