Cera's Place (14 page)

How much longer was Yee going to keep him waiting? A large Buddha statue in the far corner caught Biggs’ eye and he sneered. He’d never understand these Oriental idol worshipers and their need to pray constantly. The smell coming from the rows of incense lining the nearby walls was suffocating. He moved closer to the door, hoping to catch a whiff of fresh air.

A few minutes later, the two guards parted as Yee shuffled into the entranceway. Biggs bowed stiffly in greeting, though the old man chose not to return it. Color flushed Biggs’ cheeks at the obvious slight.

“Mr. Yee, let me explain,” Biggs began, but the old man held up a wizened hand, silencing him.

“I no want your lies.” The Chinese man’s eyes burned with anger. “You say no one know our business, yet tonight two people see us.”

“Rest assured, Mr. Yee, I will take care of everything. No one will interfere again.”

Yee pointed a finger at Biggs. “They who see must die.”

Biggs lowered his head. “Consider it done.”

******

Cera stretched out on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Every few minutes, she forced her eyes closed, but sleep eluded her. The clock behind the bar chimed twice, and though the saloon was silent, the chatter in her head was deafening.

How could she prove Biggs murdered Hu’s father and his friends? How could she free the kidnapped Chinese girls? How could she prove that Biggs and the Chinese Tong orchestrated the kidnappings? And how could she keep everyone she loved safe from these horrible men? Maybe Jake was right. Maybe she couldn’t win this war.

With a defeated sigh, she rolled on her side, hugging a pillow to her chest. In her mind, Jake’s rugged face replaced Biggs’ cruel one. She still felt foolish for assuming he was just another drifter down on his luck and needing her help. After his actions tonight, it was easy to believe he was the war hero that the chief of police proclaimed him to be.

Remembering his kiss, she brought a finger to her lips. How could such a hard looking man be so tender? Hitting her pillow with a groan, she decided a drink might help her sleep. She slipped on a silk robe and padded barefoot out of the bedroom.

When she reached the stairs, the smell of smoke filled her nose. Racing down, she pushed open the kitchen door and cried out in horror. Clouds of gray smoke billowed out as the heat from the flames hit her face.

“Li! Li!”

Hearing no answer, she moved toward his bedroom on the other side of the kitchen. Halfway across the room, her feet found him before her eyes did. Unable to catch her balance, her forehead smashed into the corner of the worktable. Rubbing the warm blood from her eyes, she groped her way along the floor until her hands found Li’s body. Praying he wasn’t dead, she slapped his cheek. When he didn’t respond, she grabbed him under the arms and dragged him into the barroom.

She pounded up the stairs. “Fire! Get up! Fire!”

Wide eyed and confused, the girls met her in the upstairs hallway. After herding them down the stairs, Cera and Ginger carried Li outside. “Sonya and Mary Beth, wake up the neighbors,” she ordered. “Ginger, run to the street box and sound the fire alarm.”

Cera knelt by Li who was beginning to stir. “That’s it, Li. Please, don’t leave me.”

The cook’s eyes opened as he coughed up smoke. Blinking, he tried to focus on her face. “Cera,” he rasped, “you hurt?”

She laughed and hugged her friend. “We all got out fine, but I don’t think the saloon will make it.” She looked up and her heart broke as the burning roof timbers crashed downward to the floor below.

*****

Back in his hotel room, Jake slowly stripped off his bloody clothes. After examining his bandaged shoulder in the mirror, he had to admit Ginger was highly skilled in more than one area. It was as fine a dressing as he would have received in a field hospital.

His body hurt and begged for sleep, but his mind was elsewhere. Cera was in danger whether she admitted it or not. He had crossed paths before with men like Biggs. The thug wouldn’t think twice about squashing her like an annoying fly. Giving in to both his heart and gut, Jake put on fresh clothes and headed out the door.

The firemen were pulling up in their horse-drawn wagon when he arrived at Cera’s Place. He stood thunderstruck, as the flames leapt high into the sky, feeding off the saloon’s wooden bones. Grabbing the arm of the nearest bystander, he asked, “Did they get out?”

The man frowned at the rough contact, but replied, “Who?”

Jake pointed at the burning building. “The people in the saloon! Do you know if they got out?”

“Naw, I just got here myself, mister.”

He pushed the man aside and pressed through the crowd of gawkers. Went he got to the front, he blew out a breath in relief. The girls knelt in a half circle around Li, who was lying on the ground. Cera stood between them and the fire, hands fisted on her hips.

“Cera!” he shouted above the chaos.

She turned, her eyes reflecting fire, fury, and despair. “Biggs did this,” she charged. “He tried to kill us all.”

“What happened?” Reaching her side, he examined the gash above her eye, moving her head to catch the light of the flames.

“Li heard a noise in the kitchen. When he went to see what it was, someone hit him from behind. Luckily, I couldn’t sleep so I came downstairs. I found the kitchen on fire and tripped over Li.” Her body involuntarily shuddered, but whether it was from horror or anger was unclear. “Biggs is going to pay for this.”

Jake nodded at the policeman a few feet away who was keeping the crowd in check. “Did the copper ask you what happened?”

“Yes, but I didn’t tell him about the intruder. I played dumb.” Cera bit her lip. Tears filled her eyes, but didn’t fall. “You should go, Jake. You still look like hell. We’ll be fine.”

He shook his head. “No.”

“No?” Cera swiped the back of her hand over her forehead, smearing blood and soot together. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“I’m not letting you out of my sight. If Biggs did this, as soon as he finds out you didn’t die in the fire, he’ll try something else.”

“So, you’re going to guard me now? I don’t need your protection.”

Jake snorted. “You don’t have a choice. You’re coming back to my hotel room.”

Cera’s eyes widened. “You don’t know me very well, so let me tell you something. I don’t take orders from no one, and I certainly don’t go back to hotel rooms with men I barely know. What kind of woman do you think I am?”

“One who ran a saloon burnt down by a thug hell-bent on killing her.” Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her toward the blazing saloon. “Please, all I want is to keep you safe.”

Cera watched as the flames from her building began tasting the outer walls of her neighbors’. “What am I going to do? Where will everyone go? They’ve lost everything and it’s my fault!”

“How about this,” Ginger interrupted, placing a hand on both of them. “Isaac has plenty of room. Let’s head to his house—Jake too. It won’t hurt to have another gun along.”

Cera squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, she nodded her agreement. “Fine, but let’s go now. I can’t watch this anymore.”

“Here, put this on.” He took off his coat and wrapped it around Cera. “I’ll go hail a cab. Don’t tell anyone you’re leaving.”

Chapter 9

Two carriages dropped off the bedraggled group in front of Isaac’s house on Rincon Hill. Facing the San Francisco Bay, the cream-colored stone house stood three stories tall. A wide porch with a variety of rocking chairs and tables ran the length of the first floor.

Jake let out a low whistle. “I think you’re paying your piano player too much.”

Cera managed a laugh. “Isaac is my business partner. He also owns two stores on Market Street that his son, David, runs.” She thumped the brass knocker until Molly, the housekeeper, opened the door.

Molly’s mouth dropped open when she saw everyone in nightclothes standing on the stoop. “Sake’s alive, Miss Cera, what are you doing here?” Clutching her bathrobe around her neck with one hand, she smoothed back her halo of white hair with the other.

“Sorry to wake you, Molly, but there was a fire and we had nowhere else to go,” she explained.

“Oh, goodness, I’ll get Mr. Knappe. Come in, everyone, come in.” The housekeeper swung the heavy door open. “Go right into the parlor. Make yourself comfortable.”

They made Li lie down on the couch, while the girls settled in the remaining chairs. Jake watched the street from the front bay window, his hand resting on his gun. Cera paced the room, stopping to look over his shoulder every time she passed by.

After a few silent minutes, Isaac rushed into the room. “Is everyone all right?”

“Li has a pretty bad bump on the back of the head, but other than losing everything we own, we’re all right.” She told Isaac about the night’s events and of her suspicions that Biggs set the fire. “Can we stay here for a few days?”

Before he could answer, Molly bustled into the room. “Mr. Knappe, help the gentleman on the couch up to the first bedroom on the right.” Working around the room, she assigned the remaining bedrooms and then with a clap of her hands ordered everyone to bed.

*****

On the way to the bedroom she was to share with Ginger, Cera met Molly in the hallway.

Nodding to the tray she carried, the housekeeper explained, “I noticed the gentlemen in your group looked a bit peaked. This is my mama’s recipe for what ails you.”

Sniffing the mugs of steaming liquid, Cera raised an eyebrow at the housekeeper who giggled.

“Well, it’s good even if you ain’t sick,” Molly admitted with a wink.

Cera picked up one of the mugs. “Let me help you. I’ll deliver this to Mr. Tanner.”

She knocked on Jake’s bedroom door, and when he answered, she slipped inside the room. Each of the guest rooms were decorated in their own color scheme. Jake’s was done in shades of muted greens and soft blues, which would have offered tranquility to any other occupant. Jake, however, leaned against the opposite wall, looking out the window once again.

“You can hardly stand, Jake. You should be in bed, not watching for Biggs.” She held up the mug. “Molly made this, but I have to warn you, it reeks strongly of liquor.”

He gave her a tired smile. “I can smell the whiskey from here.” Crossing the room, he took the mug from her. “And I could say the same to you about being in bed.”

She hesitated, but then asked, “Why did you come back to the saloon tonight?”

“I was worried about you, and it looks like I was right.” He sat down on the brass bed and sipped Molly’s concoction. Wincing, he brushed a thumb over the corner of his mouth. Seeing blood, he licked it off.

Cera moved to a tall dresser in the corner where a stack of hand towels sat next to a porcelain basin and water pitcher. Wetting a towel, she cleaned the dried blood from her face and hands. She wet another one and sat beside Jake. Studying the bruises on his pale face, she dabbed at his bleeding lip. He closed his eyes and sighed.

“So let’s see, you were beat up, thrown in jail and shot—all because of me. Have you had enough yet?”

“You forgot about being spat upon.” Jake started to laugh but stopped, placing a hand on his sore ribs. “I’m more upset those thugs were able to jump me. Guess I had other things on my mind.” He brought her free hand to his lips and kissed the fingertips.

Clicking her tongue, she pulled her hand away and returned to the pitcher to refresh the towel. She kept her back to him, letting the silence in the room grow.

Breaking it first, he asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Shrugging her shoulders, she remained silent, not trusting herself to answer.

“Come sit down.” Jake patted the bed.

She did as he asked, but focused on the quilted patterns on the bedspread instead of his troubled face.

“Cera, it was my choice to get involved in your problems. I have no regrets.” He brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. “Do you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” She twisted the towel back and forth in her hand.

“Do you regret being with me?”

“I can’t regret something that isn’t. I’m not
with
you.”

“My scar bother you?” He ran a finger down his cheek.

“Oh, no!” She shook her head. “It’s nothing like that.”

“Then why?”

“Because they could have killed you just because you helped me. They still could.” She shook her head again. “No, I won’t be with you.”

Jake surprised her by laughing.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she said sharply, “I don’t see anything funny about the situation.”

“Let me tell you something.” He took hold of her hand again. “Life has taught me to live for today. So when you say ‘what if this happens’ and ‘what if that happens,’ I laugh. I only care about right now, and right now I see a beautiful woman that I want to make love to.”

“I…I…” A spot below her belly managed to tingle a bit before her mind shut it down. “I don’t share your philosophy on life and despite being a saloon owner, I do have some morals. I don’t sleep with strangers.”