River Bound: Bound and Tied, Book 3 (3 page)

He touched a finger to her lips to silence her. “Seems to me you liked being roped and tied. You liked it when I played the master.”

She stared at him over his finger, her eyes widening, her breath coming in short gasps. When he talked of mastering her, it made her body so hot she was surprised she didn’t burst into flames.

Then his lips crashed down on hers, cutting off anything else she might have said, any protest she might have made, his new mustache tickling her upper lip. His mouth consumed hers in a breath-stealing kiss that defied her attempts to remain aloof, destroying her vow to cut him to the quick and leave him bleeding as he’d done to her heart a year ago.

His tongue teased the seam of her lips until she opened to him on a sigh. He delved in and claimed what was still his, the kiss becoming one of such exquisite torture as to leave her feeling utterly exposed and defenseless.

She melted against him, one hand pressing into his white shirt, the other curling around the back of his neck to draw him closer.

When he finally lifted his mouth from hers, she breathed for the first time in what must have been forever. “Why did you come back?” she asked.

Dalton kissed the line of her jaw, taking her earlobe between his teeth and nibbling gently. His breath stirred the tendrils of hair along her neck when he whispered, “I’m here to take back what was stolen from me.”

Rosalyn went rigid. She shoved against his chest and stumbled to her feet. Once upright, she straightened her dress and pushed her shoulders back, holding her head high when she wanted to crack and fall into a million broken pieces along with her heart. “I’m so glad to know where your loyalties lie. One thing I learned in the mountains of Colorado is that gold is precious, but it can’t buy love. I hope you and your gold are happy together.”

She spun on her heel and hurried toward the door, dodging the hand that snaked out to grab her again. With only moments to spare, she raced through the corridor and down the steps to her room.

Before she could open her door, her eyes filled with tears. She grappled for the doorknob, twisting it and pushing through the door just as the sobs rose up in her throat.

The gambler hadn’t come back for her, he’d come back for a damned bag of gold.

His lips still tingling from that kiss, Dalton left the gaming room in search of his old friend James McKendrick. What were he and Rosalyn doing on this boat? Why now? They could very well upset his plans to capture the man responsible for framing him.

Though the wanted posters had faded, the marshals along the river route no doubt had a memory that would serve them well. He hoped the fact that Rosalyn was aboard wouldn’t clue them in to looking beneath the mustache he’d grown for the occasion.

Ah, dear, sweet Rosalyn…

Having her so close, kissing her, holding her in his arms, only served to remind him of all he’d lost. She didn’t know the truth. Hell, he’d never had the opportunity to tell her what was happening before he jumped overboard.

With the law hot on his trail, all he’d been able to do at the time was get the hell away from everything and everyone he knew. He couldn’t go to Rosalyn. They’d been watching her, laying in wait for him to come to her. He couldn’t risk implicating her as an accomplice to murder. Not that he’d committed murder.

After a thorough search of the dining room, and no sign of McKendrick, Dalton stepped out on deck, the moonlight reflecting off the dark waters of the Mississippi River. The lights of Memphis shone out across the water, mixing with the natural illumination from above. He walked the length of one side, from the still paddlewheel to the front where he found James leaning against the railing. His old friend didn’t acknowledge his presence, staring straight ahead into the night.

“I didn’t do it.” Dalton’s words broke through the silence.

“That’s not what the marshal said.”

“I wasn’t anywhere near that hotel that night. Rosalyn had some matters to settle at the Rose Palace—one of her ladies locked herself in her room and wouldn’t come out. After the poker game, I wandered along the river, plucking up the courage to ask the woman to be my bride.”

“They found your calling card and your pistol in the room with the soldiers. How do you explain that?”

“James.” Dalton faced his old friend. “Do you think I would have left those items in the room with men I’d supposedly killed? Do you think me a complete fool? Anyone could have broken into my room, stolen my pistol and taken one of my cards that night as I walked along the river.”

James shook his head. “What I don’t understand is why you ran.”

Dalton turned back to the scene in front of him, the memory of that night all he could see. “The marshal’s lynch mob wasn’t going to wait for a judge or jury to proclaim my guilt or innocence. If you’d seen the ropes they carried, you’d have jumped too.”

“Still, it was your word against the marshal’s.”

“Someone framed me, James. Someone planted the payroll in my room that night. They wanted me to take the fall for it, and they sent the lynch mob to eliminate any chance of finding me innocent.”

James’s head jerked around, his eyes shining in the moonlight. “You found the gold in your room?”

Dalton’s lips tightened. “You see how damning it is?”

“Why didn’t you turn it over to the authorities?”

“I had other plans for that evening.” He’d been in a hurry to meet Rosalyn at the predetermined spot on a moonlit night much like the one he and James stood in now.

Her silky hair had glowed like black satin, her eyes glittering brighter than any star in the heavens. He’d been so in love and anxious to seal their fates through marriage. An unexplained bag of gold in his room couldn’t stand in his way of declaring his love and asking for her hand.

“What could have been more important than saving your sorry ass from being accused of a crime?” James’s lips thinned. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

“Dammit, James, I was asking Rosalyn to marry me that night.”

James stood still, his jaw set so tightly a muscle twitched. “You picked a lousy time to ask.”

Dalton snorted and leaned his elbows on the railing. “You’re telling me.”

“I was away on a hunt for the West Helena Bank robbers.”

“I figured you wouldn’t be too pleased about the proposal.”

“I thought what we had, the three of us, was pretty good.”

“It was.”

“What changed?”

“I wanted more.” Dalton’s chin rose. “I wanted my own house, with a wife to warm my bed and children running around my feet. The life I never knew growing up.”

“Did you present all that to Rosalyn?”

“I did.”

“And she bought it?”

Dalton nodded. “She said yes.”

James snorted. “I can’t picture Rosalyn with a dozen children chasing around her skirts, content to stay home and run a household instead of a prosperous business establishment. She strikes me as someone who thrives on industry and the challenge of making a business successful, no matter what.”

“I asked her if she’d be content to be my wife, to give up the Rose Palace.” Dalton leaned his elbows on the railing again. “She said yes.”

James didn’t respond. He stood as stiff as a poker in the moonlight. “Then I don’t know her as well as I thought. But I do know she came back to settle up with you.”

“Seems like she’s done that.” Dalton fished in his pocket for the ring. “The ring she gambled away was the one I gave her upon our engagement.”

“What about the gold? What happened to it?”

“I hid it.”

“Where?”

Dalton continued staring out at the water. “I can’t tell you. Whoever killed those soldiers is still out there, running free. He went to a lot of trouble to set me up for the murder.”

James crossed his arms over his chest. “Again I ask, why don’t you take it to the authorities?”

“After what happened, do you think I’d have a chance at convincing a judge I didn’t kill those men? I can’t return the gold until I can turn in the murderer with it.”

James sighed. “My friend, you’re in a fine predicament, if you ask me.”

“The worst part was losing Rosalyn and you for the past year. After the trouble died down, I tried to find Rosalyn. I sneaked into the Rose Palace only to discover she’d skipped town for parts unknown. I even hired a detective to locate her, with no luck.” Dalton jerked his head toward James. “And you were gone on a bounty hunt.”

“How do you plan on finding the real murderer?”

“I’m thinking the man responsible has been looking for that gold or for me since. This whole mess started here in Memphis. I figure it’s the place with all the answers.”

“Is it safe for you to be here?”

“Probably not, but I can’t live like this anymore. I want my life back.”

“And Rosalyn?”

Dalton’s lips quirked. “I’m not sure she wants me back. But once this is all settled, I’ll work on that. In the meantime, I should stay clear of her to keep from setting her up as a target.”

“Were you seen with the soldiers at all? Did you know them?”

“That’s the bad part. I played a hand of poker with one of those soldiers earlier that day. I remember his face as though it was only a couple hours ago.”

“Did he mention he was carrying the payroll for Fort Riley?”

“He mentioned he was headed that way, not why.”

“Who else played poker with you that night?”

“A gentleman by the name of King—Tyler King. Said he was a local businessman from Memphis. And there was a gambler named Pierre Saulnier up from New Orleans.”

“Saulnier.” James squinted in the moonlight. “I recall there being some trouble with a Saulnier down in Greenville, Mississippi. Shot a man in the chest, claiming it was self-defense.”

“All I know is he had a love of fast horses, loose women and cards. One of his favorite ports along the Mississippi was Memphis. He’d even spoken of the Rose Palace. I didn’t mention my relationship with Rosalyn or hers with the Rose Palace.” Dalton stared at his friend. “You think he might have been involved?”

James shrugged. “Wouldn’t hurt to find the man and ask a few questions. What about this Tyler King?”

“King said he enjoyed a good night of gambling away from his wife and children. I’d hoped to find him in Memphis and ask him what he knew about Pierre or the soldier we played cards with.”

“Did you consider Mr. King might not trust you since you were the one accused of the murder?”

“I’d thought of that, but I have to try.”

“The soldiers were found slain in their beds at a hotel next to the Rose Palace near the port of Memphis, the bag of gold they’d been responsible for gone.” James’s voice rumbled low across the water. “The marshal gave Roz a hard time, trying to accuse her of having something to do with the murders since they were next to the Rose Palace and you and she had been seen together.”

“I thought by my leaving she’d be spared.” Dalton closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’d never have left if I thought she’d be in trouble.”

“Someone knew they were carrying payroll for the U.S. Army.” James tapped a finger to his chin. “Question is, why set you up for the murders and plant the gold in your cabin instead of taking it with them? Did you make someone mad?”

“I don’t recall.” Dalton shook his head, searching through his memories for anyone he might have angered enough to set him up. He had nothing to go on. “What I want to know is if anyone came back looking for the gold once the marshal and his deputies left without it.”

“I’ll help all I can to solve the murder and the mystery about the frame-up. But you’re on your own with Roz. She’s got a lot of hurt and anger built up over the year you two have been in hiding. And frankly, I love the woman too. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings none if she married me instead of you. At least this time she’ll be given a choice.”

Dalton glared at James. “She loves me.”

“Not anymore. We might be friends, but I want Roz, and I’m willing to let all of her dreams come true, even if it means we won’t be living in a house, raising a passel of children. I know for a fact she’d be bored inside a week.”

“Not if you know how to treat her properly.” Dalton clapped a hand to his friend’s shoulder. “And, my friend, I do.”

“Don’t be so sure I don’t know what the woman likes. You have an upward hill to climb with that firebrand. I’m not so certain she won’t push you back down it.”

Those were precisely Dalton’s thoughts. Rosalyn hadn’t been exactly ecstatic to see him. The hurt he’d briefly seen in her eyes had been because of him, and who could blame her? A year was a mighty long time to go without word from him. If only he’d known where she’d hidden, he’d have gone after her.

Her contacts at the Rose Palace hadn’t received a letter from her since last fall and that had been posted from Wichita, a stage stop in the Kansas Territory. He’d traced her from there to Denver. That’s where he’d lost her trail. After combing through the thriving little city over the winter, he’d come back to the river where he’d met her, hoping that if he found a way out of his current troubles, he’d find his way back into her heart.

Now he wasn’t so certain. Enough time had passed to forgive and forget. Rosalyn hadn’t done either.

“I need to talk to her.” Dalton spun away from the romance of the moonlight and headed for the stairs leading down to the cabins. Rosalyn was on the same boat as he was. He couldn’t leave their relationship as it stood. He shoved the ring back into his pocket, the cold metal burning a hole through his heart.

James caught up with him. “Wait. Didn’t you just tell me it was too dangerous to let anyone know you two are involved?”

“Damn it, I know. But I can’t ignore her.”

“It’s been a year, what’s a few more days going to hurt?”

They descended the stairs into the ship and worked their way down the corridor. “Which room is she in?”

“The last one on the left.”

“And you know this because?” Dalton gave James a narrow-eyed look.

“She isn’t holding a grudge against me.” James smiled. “It was better than old times.”

A rush of heat washed over Dalton, and his fists came up.