Her argument made Devlin pause. "It's possible they were working together."
Seeing him frowning, Jess pressed her point. "I'm sure that's what happened. Purcell said that he'd hired Zeke, and I'll bet it was to do more than drive us off our claim. But if we don't follow him now, he's going to get clean away."
Her logic seemed reasonable, except for the "we" part. Devlin shook his head. "You're not going, and that's final."
"But you need me," Jess insisted. "What if Purcell has gone to meet up with his gang? He said he planned to leave the state, but first he had to visit some friends up north. What if they're outlaws? You can't face all of them alone."
"I'll take the marshal with me."
"That lily-livered chicken won't help you. I can—"
"We've had this same conversation once before about Zeke McRoy, but this time I'm not budging, Jess. You aren't going."
She set her jaw mulishly. "You can't stop me."
Grinding his teeth in frustration. Devlin stared down at her. He needed to be riding after Purcell, but just now driving some sense into Jess was even more important to him. He wasn't about to let her go chasing about the countryside and possibly get herself killed. If Purcell really was part of the outlaw gang, he wouldn't hesitate to harm Jess simply because she was a woman. Just look at her current predicament.
Besides, Devlin thought grimly, he had a few other bones to pick with Jessica Sommers just now. And he doubted he would ever have a better opportunity. He was alone with her, without her father or Flo hovering around, without any interference at all. Mr. Kwan was standing down the hall as guard and would alert him to any trouble.
Devlin narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Jess speculatively. What he was considering wasn't playing fair, certainly, but then fairness hadn't gotten him anywhere with Jess. Extraordinary measures were called for.
A hard smile touched his lips. He was going to have it out with her right now. Before she left here, Jess was going to learn a few basic truths about herself—and him.
He reached up and pulled a pin from her hair.
Jess looked at him in alarm. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed, trying to twist her head away.
"I'm taking your hair down. I want to see how it looks spread across a pillow when I make love to you."
"Wh-what? You c-can't be serious," she stammered. "You can't mean to . . . to . . ."
"Love you? Indeed I do."
As the pins came loose one by one, her hair fell about her shoulders in gleaming cascades. With the devotion of a connoisseur, Devlin smoothed the long tawny tresses over the red-and-black satin pillow.
"Beautiful," he murmured, his voice thick and husky.
His preoccupation with her hair made Jess more furious than his arrogant demands had. She squirmed fiercely. "Devlin, if you dare touch me, I'll shoot you, I swear I will!"
He smiled that devilish, infuriating smile that was so achingly familiar. "No, you won't, angel. You aren't as tough as you let on. You're a responsive, sensuous woman beneath all that stubbornness."
"You can't do this to me!"
"I think I can."
"I'm warning you, I'll scream—"
"It won't do you any good. Madam Wong won't interfere, not after I promised her a huge sum for leading me to you."
"That's despicable, buying her off with your filthy money!"
"No, it's just smart business. She did me a good turn, and I reciprocated."
Jess would have retorted, except that Devlin had bent over her and was untying the cord that shackled her feet to the lower post. She held her breath, hoping that he had changed his mind and was going to release her entirely.
But her hope was wasted. He freed her legs, removing even the bonds around her ankles, but he left her arms pinioned over her head. Looking smug, he stretched out beside her on the silken sheets, not touching yet near enough for her to feel the warmth of his body.
"Damn you, Devlin. . . ."