Thank you for your kind support.
Some of you have been asking for some background on our two main characters. Sadly the book doesn't really give much, but I will try my best to do so in a couple out-takes, after the story is completed. There are just a few chapters left, so bear with me, please. Thank you.
Standard disclaimer.
When Lieutenant Buford Fortenbury left the Texas Lily, he was both angry and humiliated.
He figured Mercedes had expected him to challenge Sam Evans, but he was not about to do that, unless he had the edge.
Everyone knew Sam could fight and no one made trouble at the Lily.
He got into the major's car and started out, waving his fist at the goat.
"Someday, you 'walking chops and roasts', I'll see you cooked and enjoy every bite of it."
The goat lowered its head and bleated a challenge at him.
What was he to do now? Kissing Miss Jones tonight had aroused a need in him, but of course, he couldn't expect a respectable girl like her, to satisfy his needs. For that, he needed a slut like Quinn.
He's been at the Bucket O' Blood several times, since she's left the Lily.
The place was rough, and he hesitated about going there, but it looked almost empty tonight.
He pulled up at the front and went in.
He leaned against the bar.
"Give me a whiskey."
The swarthy bartender glowered at him and slid him a drink in a dirty glass. Buford frowned and wiped the lip of the glass with his hand.
"Is Quinn around?" The dirty man nodded towards the back.
"You got money?"
"Yep, to last me hours." The bartender laughed.
"In your dreams Romeo. Maybe you'll last an hour, this time."
Buford looked at the size of the man and decided not to take offense. He got up and walked towards the back.
"Quinn?" She opened her door with a smile, and a cigarette in her hand, then her smile faded.
"Oh, it's you." He gulped the rest of his drink.
"Who were you expecting?"
"Never mind. Anyway, you just got engaged, what are you doing here?"
"Are we going to stand out here, or are we going into your room?" She opened the door wider and gestured him in.
"You got money?"
"Yes. Loads. I 'll be here for the rest of the night." Quinn laughed in a way that made him wince.
"Well, you're ambitious, I'll say that for you. I only know one man, who can go many rounds and you ain't that man. He's over at the Lily."
Buford had a sudden urge, to hit her across the face and keep hitting her until she was on her knees and begging.
"I didn't come here to be insulted."
"I know what you came here for…what they all come here for." She sounded tired and disappointed. "You want another drink?"
"Sure," he replied.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, while she poured the drink and poured herself another.
"If you're not nicer to this customer, maybe I won't come back."
Quinn laughed and knocked her drink back, then poured herself another.
Smoke curled around her hair and she flicked ashes with an unsteady hand.
"Be careful with that smoke," he scolded. "Ain't burning down one building enough for you?"
"We both know, that I didn't mean to do that. You were afraid to come to my room at the Lily, so we ended up in that hotel." He grunted.
"If you burn down this dump, the locals might run you out of town. They still might, if they find out you burned the hotel." Quinn shrugged.
"There's nothing in this town for me anyway…just men. And there's always men wanting to climb me, anywhere I go. But there's only one man I've ever cared about. Sam. If he could show any real interest in me…"
"Sam, Sam. I'm damned tired of hearing about that gambler. He ain't that much," he complained.
"You're kidding, right?" She laughed without mirth.
"He's special…a two-fisted Texan, that's all man and can make a girl glad to be a woman," she boasted.
She wasn't looking forward to this, but a girl had to make a living.
"Your elegant fiancee wouldn't do it for you, huh?"
"She's a lady," he coldly said.
"And I ain't?" He smiled.
"We both know what you are, Quinn. Give me another drink."
She poured him another and one for herself.
When she'd heard a man's step in the hall, she'd jumped up, hoping that Sam Evans had changed his mind and come to her.
She was sorely disappointed to see the officer.
The lieutenant was clumsy, and his height wasn't the only thing, that was short about him.
"Let's get this over with," Quinn said. He sneered.
"You'll treat me with more respect, when I own half the Texas Lily. You'll be back working there, too, you and a dozen more whores. I've got big plans."
Quinn began removing her dress.
She almost laughed.
"Sam Evans will let you take half the Lily, over his dead body. And I wouldn't go up against him, if I was you." He reached out and grabbed her breast, roughly.
"He isn't so tough."
"I've never seen him beaten in a fight," she threw at him and tossed her cigarette to the floor and stepped on it.
"Shut up, slut!" He slapped her, then began to take off his uniform. "Maybe I won't have to fight him. Maybe he'll have an accident."
Quinn rubbed her stinging cheek.
Sam would've killed a man for hitting a woman.
She cared about him, really cared, even though, he didn't seem to know she was alive.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, he got shot at the fake raid, didn't he?"
"Folks say that was an accident," she said, knowing it wasn't, by the look on his face. He jerked her to him.
"Was it? Something like that could happen again. Then Mercedes and I would own the whole place."
"You really love that prim and proper miss?" He laughed and sat down on the bed. "
Are you joking? When I marry her, I'll control her and her half."
"Do I fit into this somehow?" She knelt before him and took off his boots.
"Sure, Quinn." He leaned over and grabbed her breast again. "When I own the whole of the Lily, I can do anything I want…like move a mistress in…and she can't do anything about it. Then I'll have two women to sleep with, plus, all the whores."
'You couldn't satisfy a woman, even if she paid you to.' She sighed and reached up to kiss him.
"Make love to me tiger."
He was more like a small tom cat.
He struggled to complete the act and those wet kisses, were almost more than Quinn could stomach.
She pretended that it was great, moaning and clawing at him.
He finally gave up after a few minutes, rolled over and was snoring in seconds.
Quinn laid there hot with need and thoughts of Sam Evans.
She had to warn him about the lieutenant's plans.
As morning approached, she shook the officer awake and sent him back to the fort.
It wasn't quite dawn, but she sneaked out the back way and walked to the Texas Lily.
It was a quiet morning and there was no one about.
That was good.
She didn't want anything getting back to the officer.
She knew where Sam's room was.
She went around the back and threw a pebble at his window.
No answer.
She threw another pebble.
Sam came awake and stumbled to the window. He raised it and looked out.
"Quinn? What do you want?" She looked around.
"Let me in. I've got important things to tell you."
He nodded and disappeared.
He appeared at the back door and motioned her in.
She followed him into his room, but she didn't close the door behind her.
"God, Sam, you look like you've been ridden hard and put up wet."
"I feel that way, too. How come you're here waking me up?"
"I need to tell you something." She watched as he poured himself a whiskey.
"It'd better be good. I probably would've slept 'til noon."
"You never used to drink like this, Sam."
"That's none of your business," he snapped. And then, "What do you want?" She moved closer.
"I got news."
"You've said that." He looked at her coldly.
"Boy, you've got the disposition of a mad bull. Is living with Miss Jones doing that to you?"
"Leave her out of this," he snapped again. He slammed his glass down and started pacing up and down on the rug.
"Are you upset the lieutenant is gonna marry her and end up with half the Lily?"
"What do you think?"
"Listen, he came to me last night after he left here."
"What did he want?" She laughed.
"What do all men want?"
"Even after he's announced his engagement to Mercy?"
"Ain't that a joke?" Quinn laughed again, but Sam didn't.
"Damn it! And she thinks I'm a rascal. Tell me what you know, Quinn," he said.
"Okay. The lieutenant hinted, that it was no accident about you getting shot." Sam whirled on her.
"That little bastard shot me?"
"I reckon so, from what he said. He may try again, especially if he marries her…if he gets rid of you, he controls it all." Sam strode up and down, swearing.
"I'd tell her what a rat he is, but she wouldn't believe me." Quinn caught his arm.
"What's with you caring what she thinks? You know I've always had a soft spot for you, Sam."
"I know. I'm sorry, Quinn…" She placed her finger to his lips to stop him.
"It don't matter, if you don't care as much for me, as I do for you. If you'd just keep me around and make love to me once in a while, that would be enough for me."
She looked up at him and saw the need there in his eyes.
Sadness enveloped her.
She wished, she had been the woman, who fired that need.
Before he could react, she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
For a moment, Sam let her kiss him and then she felt him pulling away from her, but she still clung to him.
"What's going on here?"
They jumped apart, startled.
Mercedes Jones stood in the doorway, arms akimbo, wearing a purple robe and looked angry enough, to take on a rattlesnake and give it first bite.
"Mercy, I can explain…"
"This is none of my business. But we're running a respectable business now. If you must have your harlots, please meet them some place else."
"Why, you…" Quinn began. "I should pull your hair out," she finished. Mercedes glared at her, her brown eyes ablaze with fire.
"Don't try my patience. Now please get out of my house."
"Your house? This ain't just your house…"
"Mr. Evans, get her out of here," she snapped.
Mercedes had followed the slight noises to Sam's room and found the pair, in what she thought, was a hot embrace.
The slut had probably spent the night with the rascal, satisfying that hunger, she had seen in his green eyes last night.
Sam grabbed Quinn by the arm and turned her toward the back door.
"She's right, Quinn. Clear out and we'll talk later."
"Okay, sport."
She cast one defiant stare towards Mercedes and marched out the back door.
Mercedes watched her go.
She was both furious and something else, she didn't want to admit.
She knew exactly what that emotion was, when she saw that tart hugging on Sam, but she'd never admit to it.
"If you must bed her, do it at her place."
"Mercy, it's not what you think."
"Do you think me a fool?" She raised her voice to an unladylike pitch. "You were pawing each other, like you were about to go down on the rug like two animals."
He reached out and grabbed her arm.
He felt the same tingle as before.
And like before, he chose not to say anything.
"Okay, so we were kissing…rather, she was kissing me. But, she really came to bring me information."
She yanked out of his grasp, instantly missing the warmth of his hands.
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
"Listen to me Mercy. She came to tell me, that my being shot was no accident. Your precious lieutenant deliberately shot me."
"What? You have sunk to a new low, Sam Evans," she snarled at him. And went on to say, "It isn't enough that you've brought a notorious whore, into what I'm trying to turn into a respectable hotel, but you try to cover your tracks with a ridiculous story. Well, I don't believe a word of it!"
She turned and marched out of the room.
Sam stared after her.
There was no use trying to convince her.
She'd never believe him.
There was only one way to get even with the dangerous officer.
Sam would have to seduce Miss Jones, before she married that rotten bastard Buford and he gain control over her half the Lily.
Seduce a woman?
A grin blossomed on Sam's face. He could do that, couldn't he?
Well, there you have it. Buford is officially a scum bucket. And Mercedes is a silly goose...but can you blame her? And Sam, he knows he's falling for her, he just doesn't want to admit it. Until next time, much love to you.