A Resurrected Heart (Eastern Sierra Brides 1884 Book 2) by Zina Abbott

Author:Zina Abbott [Abbott, Zina]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Prairie Rose Publications
Published: 2015-04-09T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

The haze of pipe and cigar smoke smacked Beth in the face as soon as she entered the Blue Feather. Albert touched her arm and pointed to the stairway to her right.

“Once you get to the top and turn left, it’s the last door on the right.”

Beth nodded her thanks to Albert and started toward the stairs. She had taken only a few steps before a man’s strong hand gripped her upper arm and jerked her around. A room filled with men being entertained by women in their flashy, low-cut gowns no longer filled her vision. Instead, she found herself staring into the face of the man named Jeb. The fetid stink from his rotting teeth assaulted her senses. Beth involuntarily jerked her head back in an attempt to avoid the stench.

Jeb’s eyes narrowed as his lips spread into a knowing leer.

“I knew you were no different than the rest of these whores.”

Beth’s eyes blazed in defiance. With her right hand she began to fumble with the sides of her oversized apron in order to reach the derringer in her pocket.

“Get your hands off me!”

Jeb jerked her arm, throwing her off-balance.

“You go for that pea-shooter of yours, I’ll knock you out flat and take you on the floor right here. Now, show me to your room ’cause you’re going to get what you’ve got coming.”

Before Beth could reply, a beefy hand reached between them and large muscular fingers closed around Jeb’s neck. Instead of the gentle voice she had heard before, Albert’s tone boomed fierce and menacing as he pushed Jeb away from Beth.

“Let the woman go. She’s not here for that.”

“You take me for a fool?” Jeb choked out. “This here’s a whorehouse. No other reason for her to be here.”

By this time, almost all eyes were on Beth, Jeb, and Albert. Beth spotted the madam, her trademark blue feathers bouncing in rhythm with her steps, weaving her way through the crowd toward them. Then Albert’s words drew her attention back to the confrontation with Jeb.

“Miss Flora called for her to help one of the girls having a baby. She needs to go.”

As if emphasizing his statement, a muffled cry of pain echoed down the upstairs hallway and the stairs. It was immediately followed by a door slamming and the click of heels running down the bare wood floor. By the time Flora reached the threesome, all eyes turned to the clatter of shoes hurrying down the stairs. Before she saw the face of the woman, she caught sight of the black stockings with their vertical yellow stripes and a soft yellow satin skirt clutched in the woman’s hand. She shamelessly held the hem high enough that it barely covered her knees. Once her head came into view, Beth was struck by how attractively the yellow set off the girl’s black curls.

Once the panicked young woman spotted Flora, she breathlessly spouted, “She’s getting worse, Miss Flora. I can’t keep her quiet.”

A string of expletives escaped Jeb’s lips.

“What kind of place is this, with women having babies?”

Beth turned to the man, her face set in stone.

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