My Lord Segundo by Amii Lorin

Author:Amii Lorin [Lorin, Amii]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Western Historical Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1992-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Startled, Jessica let out a muffled shriek and whirled around just as Segundo stepped away from the house, into the bright moonlight.

“What the devil!” Josh’s body jerked and his hands fell away from Jessica’s shoulders. “Who are you?”

Something in his measured pace as Segundo moved toward them sent a thrill of trepidation through Jessica.

“Segundo.” His voice held a lethal softness. “Mr. Randall’s right hand.” He kept his gaze fixed on Met-calf but whispered a command to Jessica. “Go back to the party, Miss Randall. I have business with this man.”

Jessica bristled at his dismissive tone. “What business? I know of no—”

“Go.” Segundo sliced a look at her. Even with only the light from the moon, Jessica could see the terrible fury in his eyes. “At once.”

Her pride and sense of outrage at his interference quailed before the look of him, the deadly sound of him. She wanted to argue, deny him the right to order her around, but her considerable courage failed her. Maintaining her facade, she tossed her head in a gesture of unconcern and walked away. But she didn’t go far. In a dense pool of darkness beside the house, she stopped and turned to observe the confrontation.

“You’re nothing but a hired hand,” Josh said in a sneering tone. “I have no business with you.” Casually slipping his hand into his right jacket pocket, he moved to walk around the man standing in his path.

His movement created a reaction so incredibly swift it brought a gasp of disbelief to Jessica’s lips.

Moonlight glinted on a blade that appeared to leap into Segundo’s right hand, while in the same instant his left hand snaked out to grasp Josh’s wrist, caging his hand inside his pocket. There was a blur of movement and the point of the blade was pressed against the soft underside of Josh Metcalf’s left jaw. Metcalf froze in midstep.

“I’ll have the derringer,” Segundo said, easing Metcalf’s hand from the pocket. Metcalf’s fingers were wrapped around the butt of a small handgun. “Don’t you know that playing with guns can be dangerous to your health?” After plucking the weapon from the other man’s hand, Segundo tossed it aside.

“I’ll kill you, you dirty greaser!” Metcalf’s strained voice denied his bravado.

Jessica went rigid with shock on hearing the derogatory term, and held her breath, fully expecting Segundo to retaliate in a swift, forceful manner. She quickly realized that he didn’t need to use physical force.

“There are ways of killing a man that are swift and painless.” Segundo’s whispery voice sent a horrifying coldness down her spine. “I know those ways.”

Jessica was shivering with an unnamed fear and couldn’t begin to imagine what Metcalf must be feeling.

“And then there are ways of killing a man that are slow and excruciatingly painful.” Segundo’s voice had acquired a note of anticipation. “I know those ways also.”

Expecting to see the blade pressed home, into Josh Metcalf’s throat, Jessica’s mind went numb. Her heartbeat thundered in every pulse in her body.

“Wh-what do you want?” Metcalf’s voice was little more than a quivery squeak.

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