Read It's Your Misfortune and None of My Own (Code of the West) for Free Online Page B

learns somethin’ new ever’ day. I never knowed you had a Bible.”
    “It belongs to her. It just seems like the right thing to do.”
    “Yes, ma’am, it surely does.”
    Hardly anyone talked about the death of Suzanne Cedar that night as a crowd started to belly up to the bar and then stagger out to the dance floor. Pepper’s feet were already tired when Jordan Beckett walked in and headed straight for her.
    “Here’s my golden-haired, green-eyed darlin’,” he blu stered. “Why did you hide from me last night?”
    “Let’s just say I was sittin’ up with a very sick friend.”
    “Yeah, sure. And did she have a miraculous recovery tonight?”
    “Nope. She died.”
    “And I say you was jist tryin’ to dodge me.” He grabbed her arm tight, and pain shot up to the shoulder. “You and me is goin’ out behind the barn for a little private talk.”
    “Beckett, I do believe you’re the most eg otistical, cold-hearted, foul-mouthed, repulsive, tobacco-chewin’ jerk in the state of Colorado. There isn’t a lady on the face of the earth who would walk out behind the barn with you.”
    The big man’s face flushed red.
    “I ain’t talkin’ to no lady. I’m talkin’ to you, Pepper Paige. I paid my money, and I get my choice. You’re it!”
    At great pain, she pulled her arm free and turned her back on Beckett. Everyone had stopped to watch the two of them. Stack Lo wery stopped playin’ the piano and started workin’ his way through the crowd toward her.
    “It ain’t goin’ to work. I ain’t leavin’, and there’s no one here who can stop me,” he shouted.
    She noticed that Stack was held at bay by two of Beckett’s men who pointed carbines.
    “You see, Angel, this is your lucky night.”
    “What did you call me?”
    “Angel. I called you Angel. Why?”
    “Come here.” She slipped her arms around his black leather vest as he stepped closer, hugging him close.
    “Ya see, boys, you jist got to know how to treat them. Now that’s better, Angel—”
    Pepper had Beckett’s gun out of its holster and jammed fully cocked, into his ear.
    “You listen, and you listen good. There ain’t no one left on this earth who gets to call me Angel. You got that? Now you turn around and walk out that door. Don’t you ever, ever lay your filthy hands on me again,” she yelled.
    “You can’t treat me this way,” he blustered. “You’ll pay for this.”
    She jammed the revolver, still cocked, down the front of his trousers behind his belt. “You better thank your lucky stars that I didn’t pull the trigger,” she said with a sneer. Then she turned around and scooted up the stairs to her room.
    The room filled with shouts and laughter. It would not be long until she would have a visit from April.
    She closed door. When her mind fully focused, she n oticed that Suzanne Cedar’s valise was missing. She ran down and kicked open the door at the end of the hall. Selena Oatley was digging through the leather bag.
    “Gimme that,” Pepper snarled.
    “It ain’t yours. I got as much right to it as you do.”
    “You got no rights at all. I’m turnin’ it all over to her f iancé.” Pepper wrenched the bag away from the dark-haired girl.
    Selena yanked out her knife and waved it at Pepper. “You ain’t gettin’ nothing but the sharp end of a steel blade.”
    Pepper swung the leather bag at Selena’s extended arm, knocking the knife to the far wall. Selena took a wild jab, but Pepper ducked. She caught the other girl with a doubled-up fist to the stomach. Another quick punch to the chin. Selena sprawled across her bed.
    Pepper glanced into the bag and flipped through the co ntents that had been poured out of the little velvet bags.
    “Where’s the cash, Selena?”
    “Weren’t no cash in there.” Selena lunged toward the knife.
    Pepper locked her left arm around Selena’s neck, shoved her free hand down the decollete bo dice and yanked out a wad of bills.
    “My, look what I found.” She shoved