where he might’ve gone?”
“Nope. He’s pretty close-mouthed about his business. You might ask at Mattie’s.”
Bloodworth nodded. “Obliged.” He tossed a silver dollar on the counter, turned and strode out. In minutes he pushed open the door to Mattie’s. The madam herself greeted him: “You again. Get out unless you’re plannin’ to spend some hard cash.”
It took a moment for Bloodworth to control the anger that flashed up in him. “Ma’am,” he said slowly, distinctly, “I ain’t ever hit a woman before, but I am mighty tempted to make you the first.”
She blanched and took half a step back. “You wouldn’t dare,” she breathed, not certain at all.
“I would. Now, where’s Tucker?”
“Who?” She flinched when Bloodworth raised his arm, ready to strike. “He was here a few days ago. Spent a couple nights with Belle. We haven’t seen him since.”
“You know where he’s gotten off to?”
“No. Belle might.”
“Get her.”
“She’s sleeping. She works nights, you know.”
“Don’t matter to me if she went to bed two minutes ago. Get her.”
Mattie spun and hurried off. Bloodworth strolled into the parlor. A few of the girls were there and looked up at him with interest. When he shook his head, they went back to talking quietly among themselves. A moment later, a large, scowling man with long, greasy hair and several missing teeth wandered in.
“Mattie says you’re bein’ a pain in the ass,” he said in a voice like rain rattling on tin.
“That so?” Bloodworth surreptitiously slid the loop off the hammer of his pistol.
“Yah. So you best leave. Now.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll have to rip your head off and kick it around some. Playin’ with it.” He managed to grin and smirk at the same time.
“Reckon I best leave then.” He took two steps, whipped out his revolver and slammed the barrel across the man’s head. The big fellow didn’t go down, but he was weaving. Bloodworth stuck his pistol in the man’s ear. “I reckon you ain’t got much in the way of brains, boy, but I’ll be happy to remove what little you got with this here Remington. And that’d leave an awful mess for Miz Mattie.”
“Don’t,” the man mumbled.
“What’s your name?”
“Max. Maxwell.” He bent, and rested his hands on his knees.
“Well, Max, just what am I gonna do with you? I’d rather not mess up Miss Mattie’s place.”
“Could let me go.”
“Could. But then you might just go get some friends, and then I’d have to shoot a bunch of people.” He sighed. “Aw, hell,” He smacked Max in the temple. This time the big man went down. he groaned a couple of times, then was silent.
“Nobody’s handled Max quite like that,” Mattie said from behind him.
He turned, slipping his pistol away as he did so. “He’s a damn fool. Thinks everybody’s gonna quake in their boots ’cause he’s so big and fierce lookin’.”
Mattie nodded and offered a half smile. “I’ll get Belle.”
“Reckon I’ll come with you. Just in case you was planning to send another man out here. You did, I’d have to kill him and neither one of us would want that.”
Mattie nodded again, turned and went out, with Bloodworth right behind. As they climbed the stairs, Mattie said over her shoulder, “I wouldn’t.”
Moments later they entered a small room. Mattie gently shook the shoulder of the young woman sleeping in a narrow bed. “Belle. Belle, honey, wake up.”
Belle glanced around at Mattie, her eyes still heavy with sleep. “Mattie?” she murmured. “What’s wrong?”
“This gentleman would like a word with you.”
“It’s too early for me to entertain, Mattie. You know that.” She sounded annoyed.
“Just talk, Belle. Now get yourself up.”
With a sigh, Belle threw off her blankets, revealing pale skin and small, taut breasts. Unconcerned, she arose, showing her full naked body. Bloodworth couldn’t help but look, and maybe desire. Just a
“Nope. He’s pretty close-mouthed about his business. You might ask at Mattie’s.”
Bloodworth nodded. “Obliged.” He tossed a silver dollar on the counter, turned and strode out. In minutes he pushed open the door to Mattie’s. The madam herself greeted him: “You again. Get out unless you’re plannin’ to spend some hard cash.”
It took a moment for Bloodworth to control the anger that flashed up in him. “Ma’am,” he said slowly, distinctly, “I ain’t ever hit a woman before, but I am mighty tempted to make you the first.”
She blanched and took half a step back. “You wouldn’t dare,” she breathed, not certain at all.
“I would. Now, where’s Tucker?”
“Who?” She flinched when Bloodworth raised his arm, ready to strike. “He was here a few days ago. Spent a couple nights with Belle. We haven’t seen him since.”
“You know where he’s gotten off to?”
“No. Belle might.”
“Get her.”
“She’s sleeping. She works nights, you know.”
“Don’t matter to me if she went to bed two minutes ago. Get her.”
Mattie spun and hurried off. Bloodworth strolled into the parlor. A few of the girls were there and looked up at him with interest. When he shook his head, they went back to talking quietly among themselves. A moment later, a large, scowling man with long, greasy hair and several missing teeth wandered in.
“Mattie says you’re bein’ a pain in the ass,” he said in a voice like rain rattling on tin.
“That so?” Bloodworth surreptitiously slid the loop off the hammer of his pistol.
“Yah. So you best leave. Now.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll have to rip your head off and kick it around some. Playin’ with it.” He managed to grin and smirk at the same time.
“Reckon I best leave then.” He took two steps, whipped out his revolver and slammed the barrel across the man’s head. The big fellow didn’t go down, but he was weaving. Bloodworth stuck his pistol in the man’s ear. “I reckon you ain’t got much in the way of brains, boy, but I’ll be happy to remove what little you got with this here Remington. And that’d leave an awful mess for Miz Mattie.”
“Don’t,” the man mumbled.
“What’s your name?”
“Max. Maxwell.” He bent, and rested his hands on his knees.
“Well, Max, just what am I gonna do with you? I’d rather not mess up Miss Mattie’s place.”
“Could let me go.”
“Could. But then you might just go get some friends, and then I’d have to shoot a bunch of people.” He sighed. “Aw, hell,” He smacked Max in the temple. This time the big man went down. he groaned a couple of times, then was silent.
“Nobody’s handled Max quite like that,” Mattie said from behind him.
He turned, slipping his pistol away as he did so. “He’s a damn fool. Thinks everybody’s gonna quake in their boots ’cause he’s so big and fierce lookin’.”
Mattie nodded and offered a half smile. “I’ll get Belle.”
“Reckon I’ll come with you. Just in case you was planning to send another man out here. You did, I’d have to kill him and neither one of us would want that.”
Mattie nodded again, turned and went out, with Bloodworth right behind. As they climbed the stairs, Mattie said over her shoulder, “I wouldn’t.”
Moments later they entered a small room. Mattie gently shook the shoulder of the young woman sleeping in a narrow bed. “Belle. Belle, honey, wake up.”
Belle glanced around at Mattie, her eyes still heavy with sleep. “Mattie?” she murmured. “What’s wrong?”
“This gentleman would like a word with you.”
“It’s too early for me to entertain, Mattie. You know that.” She sounded annoyed.
“Just talk, Belle. Now get yourself up.”
With a sigh, Belle threw off her blankets, revealing pale skin and small, taut breasts. Unconcerned, she arose, showing her full naked body. Bloodworth couldn’t help but look, and maybe desire. Just a
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