Read Online Badlands by Seleste deLaney - Free Book Online Page A

Spencer trying to talk their way out of this, not with the cretin’s erection pressing against her. Ever pulled her head forward a bit, as if straining against his hold on her hair. Then she jerked back and felt the satisfying crunch as his nose broke.
    He howled and released her.
    She sprang to her feet, yanked him from his chair and hissed in his ear, “Something most definitely will be broken today, though I can assure you, it will not be me.” Even as she felt a hand fall on her shoulder, she threw the man backward, his body crashing into the table, shattering it and sending pieces flying.
    The other men who had been seated with him stood, wiping spilled ale from their faces, drawing weapons. The ghost of a smile crept onto Ever’s face. How many of these men would the Union have sent to meet her if they had the opportunity? She vowed to feel no guilt.
    Zeke stepped up next to her, his pistol already out, and nodded.
    As Spencer’s hand gripped her elbow, a knife thunked into the floor at her feet. Then she pulled her own blade, jerked away from his touch and dove into the crowd.

    Damn them both. Spencer managed to yank Zeke back to the door quickly, with orders to return to the ship and sober up. But there was still Ever to contend with. All his plans to avoid trouble, and she not only started a bar fight but also assaulted the governor. He didn’t want to consider the possibility she might have killed someone after he lost sight of her.
    With all the yelling, cursing and dust, finding her was near impossible. He waded into the fray but whenever he thought he saw her, by the time he made his way to where she’d been, she was gone, leaving only groaning bodies in her wake.
    A scream of fury sounded behind him, and he turned, bringing his arm up. The blow blocked Ever’s knife from reaching him.
    She grinned. “Captain, how nice of you to join in.”
    “I’m not joining,” he growled, twisting his arm around to grab her wrist. “I’m getting you out of here. Now.”
    “No.” She tried to pull away but he didn’t loosen his grip, he just dragged her to the door. There, she braced her feet, and he felt the cold barrel of a pistol against his skin. “I said no.”
    His muscles taut, Spencer took a deep breath before turning around. He kept his fingers firm around Ever’s wrist but stopped pulling. “That’s fine, but the Dark Hawk is taking off with or without you. So you need to choose what’s more important—your selfish little fight here or saving your country.”
    Her eyes narrowed, Ever jerked from his grasp and stalked out the door.
    Spencer followed a few steps behind. The muscles of her back were flexed so tight, he wondered how her bones didn’t snap beneath them. He hated telling her what to do, but she needed to understand she’d placed the entire crew at risk. And considering his financial situation, he couldn’t afford to just dump her here, nor did he particularly want to.
    As soon as Ever was aboard, Spencer released the front ties on the Dark Hawk then nodded to Noah to release the back. He leaped through the opening of the loading bay and lowered the rope ladder for the repairman as the dirigible lifted into the air. One glance confirmed the hold was empty. Ever had already disappeared into the ship.
    An exhausted sigh escaped his lips. He’d talk to her after they were in the air. Surely she’d understand that Andrew Houston was the last man she wanted on her bad side. The crazy fool was rumored to be running in Texas’s next presidential election. Spencer could only hope the governor would forget all about them after he slept off his drink.
    As for Ever…
    He’d never seen anyone move like she had in the initial moments of the brawl. Bar fights weren’t supposed to be beautiful, but in the heat of the fight, every move she made was filled with deadly grace. It was one of the most frightening and gorgeous displays he’d ever seen, and it made it all the harder not to think