Kelly reached for Julie, catching her about her waist and slamming her up against his rock-hard body. Her cry of distress brought Marty racing from the kitchen which she had just entered through the back door. “Back off, you bastard,” Marty’s gravely voice warned, her mean-looking colt already in her hand, “or you’ll find yourself with two new holes in your head to match those already there.”
“Damn it, Marty, what’s eating at you?” Kelly roared. “I ain’t hurting the girl none. I just aim to be friendly.”
Cocking a shaggy eyebrow, Marty asked, “Do you want Kelly for a friend, Julie.”
“No! No, I don’t,” Julie quickly replied, her look of disgust telling Marty all she needed to know.
“Get out of here, Kelly,” Marty ordered, bolstering her words with a wave of her pistol. “And don’t come back. From now on you can find your meals elsewhere.”
Releasing Julie, Kelly stepped backwards, slowlyinching his way to the door. “I’m going, Marty, no need to get nasty about it. I sure as hell ain’t going to risk my neck over a piece of tail.” Lowering his voice so only Julie could hear, he warned ominously, “I’ll take care of you yet, bitch, when that mother hen ain’t riding herd on you.” Then he was gone, leaving Julie shaken but vastly relieved.
For the next two days Julie was watchful and on edge. But when Brute Kelly failed to return she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she’d seen the last of him. Even Marty relaxed her vigilance when no other trouble presented itself in the form of Brute Kelly, though Wong Li still took the precaution of walking Julie home each night after work.
By the end of her second week with Marty, Julie began to feel like an old hand in the food tent. She had made many casual friends among the men hungry for a decent woman’s company, but could not help but feel a great disappointment when she failed to uncover a clue to her father’s whereabouts. Despite her failure, she refused to harbor thoughts that he might be dead.
Julie was exhausted that night when she and Wong Li left the food tent for home. The scant few blocks to the boarding house seemed like miles. There was a definite chill in the air and Julie pulled her warm cape tightly about her slim shoulders. Beside her, the taciturn Chinaman seemed impervious to the cold in his long colorful Chinese robe. The din coming from inside the dance halls and saloons was ear shattering and Julie was more than thankful that Mae’s house was in a quieter section of town. She was equally grateful for Wong Li’s protection, for since coming to San Francisco she learned that Rod was not exaggerating when he described the lawless situation existing in California. In 1850, the year that California became a state, more than fifty-thousand unsolved murders occurred, Julie learned.
It surprised Julie how often of late she thought of Rod. She had known him such a short time yet he had made a great impact on her life. She couldn’t help but wonder what might have become of them if he wasn’t obligated to return to his betrothed. Given the chance, would they ultimately have come to love one another? She realized it wouldn’t be difficult to love the tall, handsome
caballero.
There were times even now … But she mustn’t think of that. It was too late for them. Rodrigo Delgado wasn’t for her, as Rod had so carefully pointed out.
Julie came out of her reverie to find that she was nearly home. She and Wong Li were just passing an extremely dark alley whose shadowy depths always made Julie nervous when disaster struck. Not even Wong Li’s considerable knowledge of martial arts was able to prevent what happened, for the little man was struck from behind by an unseen assailant wielding a thick club. Without a sound he fell heavily to the ground. Julie opened her mouth to scream, but all except a muted squeak was stifled when a gag was rudely thrust between her open lips. Then she was dragged into the
“Damn it, Marty, what’s eating at you?” Kelly roared. “I ain’t hurting the girl none. I just aim to be friendly.”
Cocking a shaggy eyebrow, Marty asked, “Do you want Kelly for a friend, Julie.”
“No! No, I don’t,” Julie quickly replied, her look of disgust telling Marty all she needed to know.
“Get out of here, Kelly,” Marty ordered, bolstering her words with a wave of her pistol. “And don’t come back. From now on you can find your meals elsewhere.”
Releasing Julie, Kelly stepped backwards, slowlyinching his way to the door. “I’m going, Marty, no need to get nasty about it. I sure as hell ain’t going to risk my neck over a piece of tail.” Lowering his voice so only Julie could hear, he warned ominously, “I’ll take care of you yet, bitch, when that mother hen ain’t riding herd on you.” Then he was gone, leaving Julie shaken but vastly relieved.
For the next two days Julie was watchful and on edge. But when Brute Kelly failed to return she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she’d seen the last of him. Even Marty relaxed her vigilance when no other trouble presented itself in the form of Brute Kelly, though Wong Li still took the precaution of walking Julie home each night after work.
By the end of her second week with Marty, Julie began to feel like an old hand in the food tent. She had made many casual friends among the men hungry for a decent woman’s company, but could not help but feel a great disappointment when she failed to uncover a clue to her father’s whereabouts. Despite her failure, she refused to harbor thoughts that he might be dead.
Julie was exhausted that night when she and Wong Li left the food tent for home. The scant few blocks to the boarding house seemed like miles. There was a definite chill in the air and Julie pulled her warm cape tightly about her slim shoulders. Beside her, the taciturn Chinaman seemed impervious to the cold in his long colorful Chinese robe. The din coming from inside the dance halls and saloons was ear shattering and Julie was more than thankful that Mae’s house was in a quieter section of town. She was equally grateful for Wong Li’s protection, for since coming to San Francisco she learned that Rod was not exaggerating when he described the lawless situation existing in California. In 1850, the year that California became a state, more than fifty-thousand unsolved murders occurred, Julie learned.
It surprised Julie how often of late she thought of Rod. She had known him such a short time yet he had made a great impact on her life. She couldn’t help but wonder what might have become of them if he wasn’t obligated to return to his betrothed. Given the chance, would they ultimately have come to love one another? She realized it wouldn’t be difficult to love the tall, handsome
caballero.
There were times even now … But she mustn’t think of that. It was too late for them. Rodrigo Delgado wasn’t for her, as Rod had so carefully pointed out.
Julie came out of her reverie to find that she was nearly home. She and Wong Li were just passing an extremely dark alley whose shadowy depths always made Julie nervous when disaster struck. Not even Wong Li’s considerable knowledge of martial arts was able to prevent what happened, for the little man was struck from behind by an unseen assailant wielding a thick club. Without a sound he fell heavily to the ground. Julie opened her mouth to scream, but all except a muted squeak was stifled when a gag was rudely thrust between her open lips. Then she was dragged into the
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