Tarnished Angel (65 page)

    At Devina's startled gasp, Mary began her explanation.

    "Mr. Dale desired my daughter, even though he considers us his inferiors. He used a very strong form of intimidation to force her to submit to his demands. I need not describe to you the depth of my daughter's humiliation."

    Devina felt Ross's hand close around her arm in silent support as China Mary addressed him directly.

    "The opportunity you provided brought my daughter freedom at last, Mr. Morrison. You see, it was I, through one of my employees, who located the cabin in which you held Miss Dale; and it was I who instructed my employee to lead Mr. Dale to you."

   Devina felt the, impact of Mary's words register on Ross's frame. "
You
were responsible for Ross's capture?" she cried.

    Mary bowed her graying head. "Yes, it was I." She looked from Ross to Devina without shame. "Because, as I have said, Mr. Morrison unknowingly provided the means to free my daughter and myself from Mr. Dale's influence, we owe Mr. Morrison a debt of gratitude far greater than that which we can express." China Mary nodded again, her broad smile returning. "Which brings us to this night, this room, and the victory that Mr. Morrison has made available to us. For where is there a greater victory than to unwillingly provide satisfaction to one who is unworthy; and then, when he is about to savor it, to snatch it away? It is justice, Mr. Morrison, justice."

    Devina was trembling. The picture of her father that China Mary had provided was very hard to face. "I am grateful for the aid you will furnish us, Mary. I have no words to express my feelings with regard to my father's actions."

    "No words are necessary. Your heart speaks in your actions this night, and we are content to reverse the role we have been forced to play. We are content to win this victory over Mr. Harvey Dale."

    Heavy, rapid steps sounded in the alley, and all eyes turned to the doorway. Instinctively, Ross stepped in front of Devina in a protective posture, his hard body tensed.

    The door burst open, shattering the apprehensive silence, and Jake stepped into the room. A low gasp escaped Ross's lips as he saw Jake's white face, the blood on his hand and shirt. He was at his friend's side in a few quick steps, but Jake shook his head.

    "I'm all right. This isn't my blood." Jake drew Charles Carter into the room. Carter's physical distress was immediately obvious. Ross's alarm was echoed by Devina's low gasp as she rushed to Carter's side, but Ross held himself back from a similar reaction as he assessed Carter's condition from afar.

    Devina raised her hand to the dark red stain on the shoulder of Charles's jacket.

    Charles made a strong effort to pull himself erect. He sent Devina a comforting glance before turning to Ross with a weak smile. "I guess you were right about me, Ross. Hell, I couldn't even do this right."

    Abruptly moving to his brother's aid despite his conflicting    emotions, Ross brushed off Devina's ineffective efforts in Charles's behalf. His voice was curt. "You're the doctor, Carter. How bad is your wound?"

    "Probably not more than a messy crease. I think the bullet glanced off the bone, but I don't think anything's broken. It's a damned complication we hadn't anticipated, though."

    "Charles, are you sure you're all right? What can I do?"

    Ross felt a familiar tension tie his stomach into knots. Why did it still hurt to see how he dropped from Devina's thoughts the moment Charles appeared on the scene? Managing to quell the jealousy gnawing at him, Ross turned to China Mary. "We need. some cloth, anything, so we can bind up his shoulder. Pressure ought to stop the bleeding."

    Jake interrupted with an urgent warning. "There's no time for that now, Ross. Carter's a doctor! He can take care of himself. There're two horses
waitin
' in the alley, and if we don't get
goin
' now while that posse's still
headin
' in the other direction, we aren't
goin
' to make it."

    Ross shot a short glance toward Carter, assessing his pallor. The realization that Carter had put his life in danger to rescue him, that the bullet his brother had taken had been intended for him, registered in his mind. He was reluctant to leave before he could be certain Carter was all right. He frowned as the face so similar to his creased in a wan smile.

    "Jake's right. My shoulder has just about stopped bleeding. You don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. You'll have to get as far as you can by daylight. Sheriff Bond will soon get tired of riding in the dark. He doesn't have the reputation for being the hardest working lawman in these parts. He'll probably wait for daylight and then attempt to follow your trail. You've got a long night ahead of you, Ross, and you'd better get a head start."

    Charles hesitated at Ross's silence. He gave a short shrug, wincing at the pain the effort caused. "Look, Ross, what's done is done. We can't change anything that's happened, or correct the mistakes we've both made. But just to set the record straight, I'm sorry I never got to know you or my father. I hope we can really get to know each other someday."

    Ross nodded. Old resentments died hard, but there was no mistaking the effort Carter had made. Hesitating only a moment longer, he extended his hand. "Maybe that day will come."

    Charles took his hand, and Ross felt the bond of peace finally seal between his brother and himself.

    ''Ross, we have to get
goin
'."

    Ross cast another short glance toward Devina. He had the feeling she was deliberately avoiding his gaze. He wanted to see her eyes, to read her reaction to this whole thing. There were so many things he wanted to say to her.

    "
Dammit
, Ross, are you
comin
' or not?"

    Devina lifted her head at last. Her face was pale, but her gaze was direct. "It looks as if this is a time for apologies. I'm sorry, too, Ross. I'm sorry for everything my father did to you and your father, and I'm sorry for the
unbreachable
separation it's brought us." Walking to Ross's side, Devina raised herself on her toes and pressed her mouth firmly against his. Withdrawing quickly, her eyes suspiciously bright, she stepped back. "The horses are packed with supplies. You shouldn't have any problem getting out of the territory if you leave now."

    Ross took a deep, shaken breath. He didn't want it to end this way.

    Jake had walked to the door, was glancing out into the dark alley. Devina had returned to Carter's side and was clutching his good arm like a drowning woman, her knuckles white. Carter glanced down into Devina's face, and Ross could stand no more. He started for the door.

    Within minutes he was following Jake down the alley toward the two nervous animals waiting at the end. He mounted up and turned, startled to see that Carter, Devina, and Lai Hua had followed them. He turned back in time to see Jake's expression as he stared at Lai Hua. He saw the flicker of hesitation in Jake's eyes, the sudden firming of his chin in the moment before Jake urged his horse forward and in a quick movement swept Lai Hua onto the saddle in front of him.

    Jake's low, breathless voice carried easily to his ears. "We're
leavin
', and we won't be
comin
' back. I love you, Lai Hua. I want to take you with me. Do you want to come?"

    A moment's silence and then the single word in response.

    "Yes."

    Turning his horse, Jake spurred him forward. Hesitating, his eyes moving to the spot where Devina stood, still clutching Carter's arm, Ross felt the desolation of loss overwhelm him. Gritting his teeth tightly shut, he turned and followed Jake's lead. He did not look back.

Chapter XXIII

    Chancing a short glance, which she hoped did not betray her disguise, Devina frowned at the unsteady step of the tall man walking a short distance ahead of her. Her eyes again downcast, she followed his progress up Fourth Street with a worried frown. Still wearing the traditional cotton jacket and pants of the Oriental peasant, a scarf covering her fair hair, she had kept to the shadows and remained a respectable distance from Charles since they left Hop Town a few minutes earlier. Their progress had been difficult indeed as the signs of Charles's advancing weakness had grown clearer with each step. Would this night never end?

    Risking another brief glance, her gaze came upon the entrance to Charles's quarters a few doors ahead. It was almost over. She slowed her step as Charles turned toward the door. He was wavering weakly, and Devina felt her heart lurch into her throat. He could not collapse now.

    Within a few moments Charles had entered his quarters and Devina walked past the door and turned the corner toward his office entrance. She waited in the shadows in breathless silence for the few long moments before she heard a step approaching from inside. The door opened and she stepped into the semidarkness of the room, her hands moving immediately to take Charles's arm, to usher him back into his quarters in the rear.

    Releasing a short, shaky breath as Charles sank into a chair, Devina pulled off her scarf and lowered the shades to cover the   windows. She lit a lamp and turned to face Charles, a low gasp escaping her lips as she saw the enlarged circle of blood staining his dark coat.

    "Charles, the wound has started bleeding again."

    He gave a low laugh. "It has, at that, hasn't it?"

    "This is no time for levity! Tell me what to do."

    "Are you sure you're up to it? The chore promises to be messy, and you won't do me any good if you pass out on me."

    Devina did not bother to hide her annoyance. "If I haven't passed out so far, I won't now, Charles. Tell me what to do."

    A few moments later Devina worked with steady hands to cleanse the wound.

    "You're an excellent nurse, Devina. Now just pat it dry and apply the salve generously… That's right."

    Biting her lip against the anxiety assailing her, Devina followed Charles's instructions. His next words, low with concern, had the effect of stilling her hands momentarily.

    "You should have told him how you feel, Devina."

    Devina's heart gave a small lurch. "I don't know what you mean, Charles."

    "Devina, I'm not my brother. Maybe you can fool him about the way you feel, because he's so filled with anger and frustration, but I've been with you for the past month since your father brought you back. I saw the change in you. I know how you suffered knowing Ross was in jail, and I saw your face when sentence was pronounced this morning."

    Devina gave a short laugh. "Was that only this morning, Charles?"

    "Yes, only this morning. Does that give you any indication of how the days will drag now that Ross is finally gone and you have no hope of seeing him again? Devina, you should've told him how you feel."

    "Why, Charles?"

    "Why? Because you love him!"

    Devina averted her gaze. She reached for the bandage and began dressing the wound with great concentration.

    "Devina…"

    "Yes, I love him, but it's hopeless, Charles. I don't mean to pretend Ross has no feelings for me in return. The problem is, how much of those feelings have to do with love, and how much with hate? Even when I was in his arms, I saw the shadows of   hate in his eyes, Charles. I can't even be sure whether Ross made love to me because he wanted me or because he wanted to take revenge on my father in another, more personal way. Ross was so caught up in bitterness that I'm not certain he himself knows how he feels."

    "Devina"

    "Charles, let me finish. I've gone over this in my mind countless times. I've asked myself how I can love a man who is filled with so much hate. There was no question of the feelings Ross stirred inside me when we were together, but the question was difficult to answer in the time since, when I lay in my room alone night after night, longing for him.

    "It came to me then that from the first moment of our frightening, violent meeting, Ross was a part of me, impossible to forget. I don't know what kind of responsive chord he struck, how he managed to burn himself inside me, but he was there. Once that spot had been touched with life, it ached for Ross to assuage it. I suppose that's why I responded instantly to him the night of the party, in a way I never responded to you.

    "After he kidnapped me, after the anger and accusations passed away, there was only love left inside me, Charles. Ross sealed that love with tenderness, with the revelation that he was capable of as much power in loving as in hating. My only mistake was in believing that those few days we had together had changed him, that love had replaced the hate inside him. I was wrong.

    "Even now, Ross doesn't realize how very successful he was in his revenge. He doesn't realize that even though he's again a fugitive because of my father, he's won out over him. Father will never again know the confidence he had before. The pattern of his life, the quest for success and personal gratification at any cost, the single-mindedness with which he pursued that success, has been interrupted. I don't believe it will ever be fully restored. Father is a changed man, not only physically. He's come to realize he's not sufficient in himself, that he needs love. He's also come to realize that he's done very little to earn that love.