Wild Desire

“You disgust me,” Stephanie said, shuddering with distaste as he attempted to raise her skirt with one of his knees. “I’ll kill you this time. I swear I’ll kill you if you so much as touch me.”

“I doubt that,” Damon said, chuckling.

Stephanie tried to squirm free, but found that her fatigue from the long day had weakened her too much. For the life of her, she couldn’t get away.

She turned her head sideways when Damon tried to kiss her. “Adam!” she screamed. “Lord, Adam, come and get this filthy man off me!”

Damon clamped a hand over her mouth, holding her in place, his other hand loosening his hardness from his breeches.

Adam ran from his private car. Aghast at what he saw, he hesitated for a moment, then went to Damon and grabbed him by the shirt collar, dragging him away from Stephanie.

“You stupid fool!” Adam cried. “Can’t you put your priorities in order? I asked you here to discuss matters besides my sister. Must you always treat her as though she is no more than a dog in heat?”

“She shouldn’t be so damn pretty,” Damon growled, yanking himself away from Adam. He covered himself with one hand, while he rebuttoned his breeches.

“You’re vile,” Stephanie said, scrambling to her feet. She smoothed her skirt down, then wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand.

She then stamped over and grabbed Adam’s pistol from its holster and thrust it into Damon’s stomach. “I would learn to control my lusts, if I were you,” she warned, her eyes flashing heatedly into his. “The next time you look at me, I won’t give you an opportunity to climb atop me again. I’ll just shoot you and get it over with.”

Adam chuckled. “That’s tellin’ him, sis,” he said, then his laughter faded as Damon glared at him.

“If you know what’s best for you, you’ll tell this sister of yours to back off,” Damon said in a feral snarl. “I could blow this whole deal sky high with the Navaho, and you’d see the last of your private spur and the town that you’re hankerin’ for. I could let them in on our little secrets. They’d skin you alive, Adam, if they knew how you’re schemin’ against them.”

“You . . . wouldn’t . . .” Adam said, paling.

“Want to put it to the test?” Damon said, chuckling. “Do it.”

Stephanie looked from one to the other. “What are you talking about?” she said, lowering the pistol. “What plans? What are you going to do to the Navaho?”

“Nothing, sis,” Adam said thinly. “Damon’s got too vivid an imagination for his own good.”

“Adam, you know that I’m willin’ to do anything to get rid of the Navaho,” Damon snarled. “With me on your side, we’ll both come out winners.” He shrugged. “I don’t care what you do or don’t tell your sister. You’ve got my word that I won’t be causin’ her any more trouble. As I see it, she ain’t worth it, anyhow.”

Stephanie’s blood was boiling mad. Knowing that she wasn’t going to get any answers from her brother, she stamped away and went inside her private car. She stared out the window as Adam and Damon continued speaking. She hated to see Adam with the likes of Damon. Her brother was easily swayed. He could become like Damon in the wink of an eye and there was nothing she could do about it.

Except perhaps warn Runner.

Yet she feared doing that. Runner was quickly angered, and so was Sage. She felt that it was best to let sleeping dogs lie, until they had to be awakened.

She went to her kitchenette and washed her hands, then put together a quick bite to eat.

Outside, Adam leaned close to Damon. “It’s best if you don’t go near my sister again,” he said, his voice low. “Damn it, Damon, what she is doing, by sidetracking Runner, is the best way to eventually ruin not only Runner and Sage, but the whole Navaho people. It might enable me and you to buy up the whole damn Arizona Territory.”

“Sounds good to me,” Damon said, shrugging.

Adam looked past him at the distant mountains crowned by the bright moon’s glow. He had a fleeting thought of Pure Blossom and how all of this might affect her, then brushed it aside as Damon began talking about the new town and the gambling halls, women, and hell-raising men that would frequent it.

“I know I’m anxious to become a steady customer at the saloons,” Damon said, slapping Adam on the shoulder.

They both laughed raucously.

Chapter 15

Love that is too hot and strong

Burneth soon to waste.

—ANONYMOUS