The Gunfighter's Gambit (The Raven Ladies - Book 3) by Duffy Cassandra

Author:Duffy, Cassandra [Duffy, Cassandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Publisher: Day Moon Press
Published: 2012-12-19T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18:

A pimp’s place in the world

They made camp at the distant finger of a low canyon. The twelve foot walls of etched stone shielded the light of their campfire and the small trickle of water that had carved the canyon over a hundred million years refilled their canteens and watered their horses.

“This is your horse, isn’t it?” Maude asked of the pimp while she unsaddled the horse he’d ridden during the day.

“I told you I don’t have a horse,” the pimp replied.

“Yeah, but pimps lie and nobody objected to us taking the horse,” Maude said.

“You’d do well not to lie again,” Fiona added.

The pimp sat glumly at the edge of the fire, inspecting the state of his suit. His hands were still bound, which prevented him from doing much else. The reasonably long ride hadn’t done his pants any favors. The cuffs were tattered and the inseam looked about ready to unravel.

“You got a name, pimp?” Maude asked.

“Am I going to be interrupted again if I try to offer it?”

“Might be,” Fiona said, “but I don’t owe you anything and you’d do well to remember that.”

“So many things I’d do well to heed,” the pimp said. “A gentleman would remember all the rules a lady sets before him. Very well, my name is Augustus St. Cloud, but the women in my employ refer to me as…”

“Nobody gives a shit what you made your whores call you,” Fiona said.

“Your name is Gus now,” Maude said.

“As the ladies say,” Gus replied.

“What is the next town to the east?” Fiona asked, looking first to Gus.

“Big Bend Ranch,” Gus replied. “It is a prim and proper little berg about a day’s ride to the southeast based around the river in the old National Park by the same name. It’s mostly corn farmers and longhorn ranchers, although they have a lovely little church with a heavenly choir.”

Fiona looked to Kenoi for confirmation. The Apache nodded.

“It’s big, maybe four hundred people,” Kenoi said, “and the roads around it are patrolled. Sneaking past will be difficult.”

“Might I suggest an alternative to sneaking past?” Gus offered.

“You might, but if I don’t like the suggestion, I might well backhand you,” Fiona said.

“Then I shall endeavor to suggest in as inoffensive a manner as I can manage,” Gus replied. “The mayor of Big Bend Ranch is a reasonable and genial man who does not care for me much or the vocation I prefer. This is why I was banished to Red Water with my operation. He might well warm to you if he believes you reformed me from my wicked ways and ended my nefarious trade.”

“I did end your nefarious trade,” Fiona said. “You’re not going back to Red Water.”

“Ah, I see,” Gus said. “And what might I expect in return for my cooperation?”

“I won’t splatter your brains across the desert for my coyote to eat,” Fiona said. To punctuate the threat, Tanner made her first appearance of the night, materializing out of the shadows to step into the ring of firelight with shining eyes and teeth bared at Gus.

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