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“Whoa,” he said, taking her arm gently. “Hold on a minute, please.”
She cast a critical eye down at his restraining hand and then up at him.
Showing just a hint of a smile, he released her. “Who is he?”
“The snake responsible for me almost dying in the desert.”
“I didn’t expect you to bash him with that bottle.”
“Had I a gun I would’ve shot him for lying so scandalously.” Just thinking about it made her seethe all over again.
“Did you cut yourself?”
She looked down at her hands. “No.”
“How much did he take from you?”
When she told him, anger flare in his eyes.
She added, “He left me penniless.”
“How about I drive you back to Sylvia’s. My carriage is close by.”
“No thank you. I need to walk off this anger.” And come to grips with the fact that she might wind up being jailed if Nash decided to file charges.
“Let me drive you, Eddy.”
“I doubt the gossips will approve of me being seen in your carriage.”
“You were assaulted, Eddy. The gossips aren’t going to approve of that either.”
“No, I’ll walk.”
He looked so frustrated she almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
“I’ll come by Sylvia’s this evening and check on you.”
“Not necessary.”
“Plan on me doing it anyway.” There was concern in his vivid eyes. “You’re a hard nut to crack, Eddy Carmichael,” he said softly.
“I’m a woman of color, Mr.Fontaine. A hard shell is necessary.”
And with that, she turned from him and walked away.
Watching her go, Rhine sighed with frustration. He’d come to the Palace to pick up Ruby’s rent, only to walk in and find Eddy being manhandled. He’d almost put a bullet in Nash’s head there and then. What she made him feel was far more than proprietary. His attraction to her was growing with each passing moment, threatening to unravel him and possibly the life he’d so carefully planned for himself. Somewhere his mother and the Old African Queens were looking on knowingly.
Needing to vent some of what he was feeling, he went back inside. Nash was just coming to. Rhine grabbed him up and slammed him into a wall. “Don’t ever put your hands on a woman in my sight again.” He slammed him again. “Do you hear me!”
Nash cried out.
“Give me your money.”
“What!”
Rhine pulled his Colt and placed it against his temple. “Your money. She said you robbed her.”
Nash’s face widened with fear. “The bitch is lying!”
