Christie And The Hellcat Part 31

Zee poked the meager heap of coins in front of her with a forefinger. This was Christie's money as well as hers; did she have the right to risk it?

"Too rich for your blood, Deputy?" Millain's smile was smug. She restrained herself to a grunt. He signaled to a hostess, who brought him a fresh bottle of whiskey.

Her next hand was a much better oneFour of a Kind, practically unbeatableand Zee bid up to her limit, only to be beaten at the last minute by Millain's Straight Flush, its highest card a King. She pursed her lips. She had suspected he was cheating, now she was sure of it.

202.

Two can play at that game.

In her h.e.l.lcat days, she had ridden for a while with Poker Bill.

The Mechanic's Grip, the Peek, Second and Bottom Dealing, False Shuffling, Palming, Shifting the Cut . . . her fellow outlaw had taught her all those skills and more. These days, Zee played fair and only used her skills for party tricks or games of strip poker involving Christie. But someone needed to give Millain a taste of his own medicine, and it might as well be her.

Over the next half an hour, Millain's fortunes slowly but surely went into reverse, the tide sweeping his money in Zee's direction stemmed only when it was his turn to deal. At first, his brown eyes held puzzlement, then disbelief, then a growing anger. She could see from his expression that he knew he was getting taken at his own gamehe just couldn't work out how.

She suppressed a grin as she placed her cards on the baizeFour Of A Kind. "Mine I think."

Silas snorted and Bob cursed, but Millain's face paled. He had bet his last buck on this hand . . . and lost.

Zee pulled the money toward her. "Guess that's you out of the game, Millain."

His eyes glittered and his hand moved toward his inside coat pocket. She rested her fingers on the b.u.t.t of her Colt then paused.

Was he trying to make her draw first? But when his hand emerged, it was clutching a folded piece of paper rather than the Derringer she had been expecting.

"Guess again, Deputy. This should keep me in the game." He tossed the paper onto the table, and Bob reached for it and unfolded what looked to Zee like a legal doc.u.ment.

"What is it?" asked Silas. "t.i.tle deeds? To a silver mine? Your ranch?"

"No. To the ride of your life, boys." Millain leered at Zee. "Might interest the deputy here too. Heard she likes fillies."

Zee frowned. "I ain't interested in your horse."

Bob had been reading the doc.u.ment, mouthing each word. "Who's this Ju . . . Julie Font . . . Fonten"

"Give me that." She s.n.a.t.c.hed the doc.u.ment off him, read it quickly, then frowned at Millain. "You'd bet your ward in a poker game?"

"She's my property, isn't she?"

Zee resisted the urge to shove the guardianship papers down his 203.

gullet. This was going too far, even for him. Then it dawned on her . . . he had no intention of losing Julie. It was his turn to deal the odds would be in his favor.

News of the unusual nature of Millain's proposed bet spread through the Golden Slipper and a chattering crowd soon gathered around their table. Any hope Zee might have had that Julie didn't know what was going on was dashed when she saw the girl among them. Her face was a frozen mask.

I wouldn't treat my dog like that.

Zee considered and discarded possibilities. It would be tough to pull off in a single hand, especially with Millain dealing, but she still had a few tricks up her sleeveliterallyand if she played her cards right, this could solve the girl's problems at a stroke. She tossed a mental coin. All right, then.

"I've no objection if no one else has." Silas and Bob gawped at her. "How about it, boys?"

"What if I win?" complained Silas. "Fannie won't let me take another woman home, 'specially a young and pretty one." A burst of laughter greeted his remark.

"Yeah." Bob wiped the sweat off his forehead. "That goes for me too."

"Don't worry. If you win, I'll take her off your hands."

"Won't Miss Hayes mind?" called out someone in the crowd. Zee ignored them and resettled her hat. "So. Who's dealer?" She glanced at Millain.

He gave her a wet lipped smile. "I am."

She feigned a wince, earning herself a curious look from Silas.

"Then deal, d.a.m.n you." A mutter of consternation ran through the watchers and she suppressed a smile.

As the cards were dealt, Zee could have heard a pin drop. Breaths were bated, eyes eager, as the onlookers watched the progress of the game. Zee concentrated on Millain's hands. That one came off the bottom. And that. She picked up her cards and glanced at Silas. He was rubbing his earlobe.

Discarding two cards, she asked for replacements, which came once more from the bottom of the pack. She regarded her new hand with interest. He'd given her a single pair of nines. No doubt his own hand was more valuable.

So. A pair of nines, a six, a ten, and a Jack. What Millain didn't 204 know was that she had two more tens up her sleeve from earlier.

When his attention was elsewhere, she swapped them over. Keeping her actions hidden from the bystanders as well as the players was difficult, but she managed it.

Silas folded. So did Bob. Now only Zee and Millain were in the game. At last, with an air of triumph, he placed his cards, all hearts, face up on the green baize.

A sharp intake of breath was followed by murmurs. "It's a Flush.

He's got a Flush."

"Mine, I think." He reached forward to gather in the pot.

"Not so fast," said Zee.

His head jerked up, and he stared at her. Card by card she laid out the two nines and three tens.

Millain came to his feet in a rush. "A Full House? But you can't . . ." She could see the realization dawning. "You cheated, d.a.m.n you!"

At once people began backing away, clearing a s.p.a.ce around the table.

"Prove it." She reached for her winnings.

He feinted with his left hand; she let him. "d.a.m.n your yellow hide, Brodie," he hissed. "Go for your gun."

She shook her head and stood up, taking a third of the money for herself and pushing the rest toward a startled Silas and Bob. "Split that between you." She tucked the guardianship papers in her pocket.

"Anyone draws first, it'll have to be you." She gave Millain a cold glance. "And it'll be the last thing you do."

She rested her hand on her gun b.u.t.t and waited. Millain lowered his gaze, and for a moment she a.s.sumed he had seen sense and was going to accept the situation. She nodded and turned, scanning the room for Julie and finding her trembling in a far corner. She took a step toward her.

"Brodie." Millain's voice halted her in her tracks. She sighed and turned to face him. So.

A vein in his temple was bulging and his face was red. "You're a cheating, lowdown, double-crossing, lily-livered b.i.t.c.h." His hand hovered above his six-gun but once more he refused to draw.

Impatient to get this matter over with, Zee feinted and, as she'd known he would, he fell for it. In front of witnesses, he drew first pulling the gun on his right hip.

205.

Americus Millain was fast, but Zee was faster. A wisp of smoke was still curling up from the Colt in her right hand when he hit the floor with a crump. He looked startled by the bullet hole in the middle of his chest, as well he might.

Her right biceps stung and she glanced down and registered blood-soaked fabric. My favorite shirt too.

Dismissing the wound, which was only a scratch, she crossed to the dying man and squatted next to him. Then she leaned closer and dropped her voice so only he could hear. "That's for Polly." His eyes glazed over and he was gone.

Zee shrugged and straightened. Pulling the guardianship papers from her pocket, she went to collect her ward.

Chapter 10.

Christie heard the sound of hoofbeats in the yard and smiled.

Supper was almost readyas a treat, she had bought some fresh beef from the butcher and roasted it. And after she and Zee had eaten, they would head over to their neighbors' social and spend a pleasant, and for once civilized, evening.

Strange. Were those voices she could hear, and the rumble of a buckboard fading into the distance? She must be imagining it. She straightened her ap.r.o.n and turned just as the kitchen door swung open and Zee filled the doorway.

"Hey, darlin'. Something sure smells good." Two strides brought Zee to Christie's side, then Christie was in her arms. She was returning the kiss enthusiastically, when something caught the corner of her eye. Something jade green.

A pretty girl with wavy chestnut hair and dark eyes was standing in the doorway. Her dress could have walked straight off the pages of the latest G.o.dey's Lady's Book.

"Mmmph!" Christie pushed Zee away and turned to face the intruder. "Who are you?"

Zee looped one arm around Christie's waist. "This is Julie."

"Ju-Julie?"

"Millain's ward. I told you 'bout her. Remember?" Zee smiled at the newcomer. "Julie, this is Christie."

"Good evening," said the octoroon.

"Good evening," managed Christie between gritted teeth. She shook Zee's arm off, earning herself a puzzled look.

"You all right, darlin'?"

"I'm fine. Only you should have warned me you were bringing someone home for supper. I'm not sure I've cooked enough for three."

207.

"We'll manage." Zee pulled out a chair and straddled it, then beckoned to their guest to sit down. Julie did so rather gingerly, peering at Christie through lowered lashes.

"Julie's here for more'n supper, darlin'," continued Zee. "I've asked Mrs. Sandridge to send her bags over from the boarding house.

She'll be staying with us for a spell."

Christie stared at her in disbelief. "With us? But won't her guardian be wondering where she is?"

"No. He's dead." Zee reached for the plate of freshly baked biscuits and helped herself. "I shot him . . . Besides," she continued, crunching her biscuit, "we've got room. And it'll make a change for you, having company about the place while I'm not here." She smiled at Christie. "Mm. Great biscuits."

"You shot him?"

"Drew on me." Zee's tone was unconcerned. "Got lucky and nicked me too." She indicated the red bandanna wrapped around her biceps, which Christie had been wondering about.

Christie's voice rose. "You were wounded?"

"Now don't get het upit's only a scratch."

It took Christie all of two seconds to untie the bandanna and examine Zee's arm. When she saw the wound was indeed only a scratch, she felt unaccountably worse rather than better. "Why must you be so hard on your clothes?" she complained, knowing she was being unreasonable but unable to stop herself. "Now I'll have to mend that bullet hole."

Zee winked at Julie, who was watching their interaction curiously. The wink made Christie furious. To relieve some of her tension she crossed to the stove and began banging pots and pans about. It didn't help. She turned and glared at Zee, who blinked, then got up and came to join her.

"Look, I know I shoulda asked you first," she murmured, "but she ain't got no place else to go."

"She could have stayed at Mrs. Sandridge's."

"On her own? She's only sixteen. Besides," Zee looked sheepish, "I felt kinda obligated."

"Because you killed her guardian?"

"No." Zee rubbed her jaw. "'Cause I won her in a poker game."

"You did what?" Christie stared at her. "How could you even consider using a person as a poker stake?"

208.

"I didn't. Millain did."

"But you accepted his bet." Christie was so angry, she didn't know what to do with herself.

Zee looked nettled. "Only 'cause I thought it would be a way to get her away from him."

Christie put her hands on her hips. "So now she's your property?

Doesn't that make you as bad as Millain?"