Read Online The Fall of Rome by Beth Ciotta - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Beth Ciotta
Tags: Romance
Ads: Link
contact.
“Bet she’s a cutie.”
Now she glanced over. “Why would you bet that?”
He shrugged, smiled. “All kids are cute. Even when they’re terrors. Especially little girls.”
The observation warmed her heart. It also proved unsettling. Yes, she’d counted on his fondness of kids to advance her goal. She hadn’t counted on him being amiable. Where was the hostile man who’d greeted her at the door?
“ My niece,” he pointed to Athens, “his daughter, Zoe, is also five.”
Kat arched a brow. “A terror?”
“A handful,” Athens said. “Although not as cantankerous as my son, Zach, who’s nine. Luckily, Kaila doesn’t mind. In fact, she seems to enjoy the challenge.”
“Kaila?”
“Kaila Dillingham,” Seth said. “The beautiful and sophisticated Englishwoman he proposed marriage to.”
Kat had read about Athens’s first wife’s tragic death in the newspapers. Killed in the midst of a train robbery.
Just like Victoria Barrow.
So that was it. She’d sensed earlier that Athens had a personal stake in thwarting Brady. Did he think Brady was responsible for his wife’s death? She’d heard Rome and Boston had tracked and dealt with her murderers. Maybe Miss Barrow’s death had simply opened old wounds. She prayed he’d find peace and happiness with the Englishwoman. She smiled across the table at the lawyer turned lawman. “When’s the wedding?”
“Soon.”
Rome grunted. “He’s been saying that for a month.” Athens wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I’ll tell Maderia that we’ll clean up after ourselves. The sooner she’s out of earshot, the sooner we can get down to business.”
Hot damn . Kat knew Athens’s plan for trapping Brady was pretty straightforward, but the sooner he dispensed the details, the sooner she could retire to her room. She didn’t trust Rome’s lightning-quick transformation. She resented the way it quieted her anger. The physical attraction was bad enough. She didn’t want to like him. Not even a little. Dangerous , her gut warned.
“Good luck,” Seth said to Athens. “Matt said Maderia has a problem with men in her kitchen.”
Kat pushed away from the table while nabbing two empty plates and a serving bowl. “I’ll do it.”
The men stood when she did.
Rome eyed her with curiosity. “You’re going to wash dishes?”
She smirked at his incredulous look. “Believe it or not, it’s another one of my skills.”
“Since when?”
Since trading one profession for another. “Let’s just say I’m a woman of many talents.”
“Thought I knew them all,” Rome said quietly as she walked by, careful to keep her distance.
Her pulse quickened at his flirtatious tone, but he didn’t render her weak in the knees. Not even when he flashed one of his devilish lopsided grins. No, sir. She didn’t trust this transformation one bit. Instead, she took enormous pride in knocking him down a peg. “You thought wrong.”
CHAPTER 10
Santa Cruz Valley
They struck in the middle of the night.
They didn’t find her at the saloon. Didn’t find her in the adobe out back. But they did find a daguerreotype of her pa. Proof enough for Bulls-Eye that Elroy hadn’t been mistaken. Up to that point Elroy had kept his fingers curled into fists, worried his cousin was going to rid him of a few more digits.
Instead, Bulls-Eye took his frustration out on the bar-keep they’d found sleepin’ in the back room of the Star Saloon. “Ever see a man try to walk without his toes?” he’d asked after Amos and Itchy tied the buffaloed cuss into a chair and pulled off his socks.
Elroy couldn’t decide if Pratt was brave or stupid. He was sure as shit tough. He didn’t scream when Bulls-Eye shot off his big toe, or even the next two after. Didn’t give up no information either. Bulls-Eye was getting more huffed by the minute, Elroy more squeamish. The front door slammed open, and Snapper stepped in draggin’ a clammy-faced poke by the scruff of his
“Bet she’s a cutie.”
Now she glanced over. “Why would you bet that?”
He shrugged, smiled. “All kids are cute. Even when they’re terrors. Especially little girls.”
The observation warmed her heart. It also proved unsettling. Yes, she’d counted on his fondness of kids to advance her goal. She hadn’t counted on him being amiable. Where was the hostile man who’d greeted her at the door?
“ My niece,” he pointed to Athens, “his daughter, Zoe, is also five.”
Kat arched a brow. “A terror?”
“A handful,” Athens said. “Although not as cantankerous as my son, Zach, who’s nine. Luckily, Kaila doesn’t mind. In fact, she seems to enjoy the challenge.”
“Kaila?”
“Kaila Dillingham,” Seth said. “The beautiful and sophisticated Englishwoman he proposed marriage to.”
Kat had read about Athens’s first wife’s tragic death in the newspapers. Killed in the midst of a train robbery.
Just like Victoria Barrow.
So that was it. She’d sensed earlier that Athens had a personal stake in thwarting Brady. Did he think Brady was responsible for his wife’s death? She’d heard Rome and Boston had tracked and dealt with her murderers. Maybe Miss Barrow’s death had simply opened old wounds. She prayed he’d find peace and happiness with the Englishwoman. She smiled across the table at the lawyer turned lawman. “When’s the wedding?”
“Soon.”
Rome grunted. “He’s been saying that for a month.” Athens wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I’ll tell Maderia that we’ll clean up after ourselves. The sooner she’s out of earshot, the sooner we can get down to business.”
Hot damn . Kat knew Athens’s plan for trapping Brady was pretty straightforward, but the sooner he dispensed the details, the sooner she could retire to her room. She didn’t trust Rome’s lightning-quick transformation. She resented the way it quieted her anger. The physical attraction was bad enough. She didn’t want to like him. Not even a little. Dangerous , her gut warned.
“Good luck,” Seth said to Athens. “Matt said Maderia has a problem with men in her kitchen.”
Kat pushed away from the table while nabbing two empty plates and a serving bowl. “I’ll do it.”
The men stood when she did.
Rome eyed her with curiosity. “You’re going to wash dishes?”
She smirked at his incredulous look. “Believe it or not, it’s another one of my skills.”
“Since when?”
Since trading one profession for another. “Let’s just say I’m a woman of many talents.”
“Thought I knew them all,” Rome said quietly as she walked by, careful to keep her distance.
Her pulse quickened at his flirtatious tone, but he didn’t render her weak in the knees. Not even when he flashed one of his devilish lopsided grins. No, sir. She didn’t trust this transformation one bit. Instead, she took enormous pride in knocking him down a peg. “You thought wrong.”
CHAPTER 10
Santa Cruz Valley
They struck in the middle of the night.
They didn’t find her at the saloon. Didn’t find her in the adobe out back. But they did find a daguerreotype of her pa. Proof enough for Bulls-Eye that Elroy hadn’t been mistaken. Up to that point Elroy had kept his fingers curled into fists, worried his cousin was going to rid him of a few more digits.
Instead, Bulls-Eye took his frustration out on the bar-keep they’d found sleepin’ in the back room of the Star Saloon. “Ever see a man try to walk without his toes?” he’d asked after Amos and Itchy tied the buffaloed cuss into a chair and pulled off his socks.
Elroy couldn’t decide if Pratt was brave or stupid. He was sure as shit tough. He didn’t scream when Bulls-Eye shot off his big toe, or even the next two after. Didn’t give up no information either. Bulls-Eye was getting more huffed by the minute, Elroy more squeamish. The front door slammed open, and Snapper stepped in draggin’ a clammy-faced poke by the scruff of his
Similar Books
