Lady Deception Read online

  "Let's stay here," Luke suggested, trying to distract Sully from his need for revenge. "Let's get drunk and maybe play some poker. That's what we came into town for. If God wants that preacher woman to preach, let her. Maybe no one will show up, and she'll move on."

  Sully turned viciously on him. "Maybe I don't want her to move on! I kinda had a hankering to get a taste of her. She was a spirited one. I like taming them kind." His eyes were glowing with a fierce inner need to seek out the woman and punish her in all the ways he knew how-and he knew many.

  Luke drank deeply of his whiskey as he realized there would be no distracting Sully. He tried to figure out what to do. He couldn't overpower him, not with all his friends gathered around. He was just going to have to follow along and keep watch.

  The size of the crowd that gathered at Sister Mary's tent on the outskirts of El Trajar was surprising.

  "Brothers! Sisters!" Sister Mary shouted above the noise of the crowd. "The Lord is pleased by your presence here."

  And Cody was pleased, too. She would never have guessed that nearly a hundred people would show up for her show.

  "Your presence here proves that there are Godfearing people living in this pit of Satan-people who believe in the promises of the Bible.. .peo- ple who believe in the punishments of the Lord. You are saved, brothers and sisters! Hallelujah! Say Amen!"

  "Amen," the crowd repeated.

  "We have here with us tonight a lost soul ...a woman whose heart is filled with love and who seeks God's forgiveness so she can start a new life! Sister Gena, stand so the good folks can see you."

  Cody had been shocked when the young woman had come up to her just before she'd begun preaching and introduced herself. She looked nothing like she had when they'd met earlier in the saloon. Gena had washed off all her makeup and had brushed out her hair and tied the dark, thick mass of curls back with a simple bow. She'd donned a demure dress and looked for all the world like someone's pretty young sister. Gone was the woman who made a living selling drinks, among other things, to men at the Flames of Hell saloon. Gena had chosen to forsake that life. She had come to Sister Mary because she'd been impressed by the other woman's courage in coming into the saloon. Cody could not fail her.

  Gena blushed hotly at being so singled out, but trusting Sister Mary, she did as she'd been bid.

  "Tell everyone your name and why you've come here."

  "My name is Gena Mager. I've come because I want to live a better life."

  "Do you believe, Sister Gena?"

  "I believe," she said tentatively, frightened by the step she was taking, but emboldened by the preacher woman's kindness and support.

  "Do you believe?" Cody repeated, wanting to hear her shout it louder.

  "I believe!" Gena answered with more force and conviction.

  "Will you folks of El Trajar help this young woman to live a godly life?"

  "We will!" the crowd shouted, amazed at the change in the girl and, in their hearts, wanting the best for her.

  "Say hallelujah!"

  "Hallelujah," they echoed her lead.

  Gena did believe, and tears filled her eyes. Never again would she have to suffer the ugliness and degradation of working in the saloon. She would go back to the Flames of Hell only long enough to claim her few belongings, and then she would leave and never look back.

  "Let us pray," Sister Mary encouraged. Her voice carried far and was filled with power.

  As Sully and the others left the bar and started toward the revival, they could hear the sound of her preaching.

  "Lord, save us from the fires of Hell. Lord, keep us free of the temptations of this world. Fill our souls with the power to turn away from sin. Fill our hearts with the desire to follow you, to do what is chaste and pure and good. Oh, Lord save us! Say Amen!"

  "Amen!" the townsfolk prayed.

  Sully listened to her sermonizing and grew even angrier. He didn't need any damned woman telling him he was a sinner. There wasn't a god, and there wasn't any hell. Heaven and hell were right here on earth. He quickened his pace. He wanted to watch her in action. He wanted to see how she reacted to his presence in the crowd. He wanted to humiliate her as she had humiliated him. He was going to enjoy this.

  Luke stayed close as they headed for the clearing at the edge of town where the revival was being held. As they neared the site, he was surprised by the size of the crowd. The tent was full and the overflow of people were gathered around as close as they could get to the small stage at the front.

  He turned his gaze toward the stage and the woman preaching there. Sister Mary stood at the center of the platform. She wore a plain, almost stark, black, long-sleeved, high-necked dress, its only ornamentation simple white cuffs and a matching collar. Her hair was pinned back in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. But though she did nothing to enhance her womanly features, there was something charismatic about her as she stood before the audience, Bible in hand, exhorting them to forsake their evil ways and live more God-centered lives.

  Luke almost allowed himself to get caught up in her preaching, but then he caught sight of Sully moving closer to the stage. Luke forgot all about the power of Sister Mary's words. The only soul he was worried about saving right then was hers from the hell-bent-on-vengeance outlaw.

  Luke glanced around and was surprised to see an Indian standing off to the side by her wagon. He was watching the crowd carefully, keeping track of all that transpired, and Luke wondered if he was with her. The Indian wasn't armed, and Luke wasn't sure if that was good or bad. If there was trouble with Sully, he might need help.

  Luke kept hoping that Sully would just sit down and be quiet, but he knew that was doubtful. If Sully had something to say, he said it, and most of what came out of his mouth was pure stupidity.

  Luke found a place to stand at the back of the tent that gave him a good view of everything that was going on. Pretending interest in Sister Mary's sermon, he leaned one shoulder against an upright pole and folded his arms across his chest as he kept watch. His gaze followed the woman who'd taken Sully on earlier and won as she moved back and forth before the crowd. Her speaking ability was amazing, for she inspired and entranced the crowd. Luke admired her courage; it took a hardy soul to do what she did.

  The more Luke watched her, though, the more he realized that there was something else about her that intrigued him. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Sister Mary was tall, but not overly so. With her severe hairstyle and wire-rimmed glasses, she was definitely plain-looking. Her figure beneath the stark gown was not lacking... in fact, it was quite womanly, and Luke wondered vaguely what she would look like without the glasses and with her hair brushed out around her shoulders.

  At the direction of his thoughts, Luke got angry with himself. Sister Mary was obviously a good woman, untouched by man, and he wanted her to stay that way. He remembered Sully's lustful thoughts toward her, and grimaced. He didn't like to think that he was little better than the man he was trying to protect her from.

  "Say Amen!" the preacher woman cried.

  Her loud call jerked Luke back to reality.

  "Amen, Sister!"

  "Say, `Sister! I want salvation!'

  Sully pushed his way to the front.

  "Sister! Can you save my soul?" The hatred in his sneering voice was obvious.

  A murmur went through the worshipers. They knew Sully and the gang, and they knew just how savage they could be. Everyone tensed as he approached the stage.

  Luke straightened and watched the scene being played out before him. Sister Mary reminded him of a deer transfixed by a predator in the woods.

  "Only you can save your soul, brother," Sister Mary said, recognizing the drunk from the saloon. She stood her ground, not giving in to the terror that threatened. She tightened her grip on her Bible. Stalking Ghost was near, and she hoped he was ready to help should she need him.

  "But I thought you saved souls," Sully pressed, licking his thick li
ps in anticipation of carrying her off and teaching her a little humility of her own.

  "I can show you the path to righteousness." She held the Bible aloft. "You have to be open to the word of God and choose his path. But only you can make the choice. You must choose to do the right thing. You must choose to live righteously or be condemned to the fires of Hell for all eternity."

  "How about condemning me to the Flames of Hell?" He guffawed. "Then I could spend eternity being happy in the saloon drinking! What d'ya think?" He closed in on her.

  A gasp went up from around them.

  "There is no salvation in demon liquor! There is only degeneration and disgust. There is only sin and sorrow in drunkenness. Let the wine of the Lord's words be your spirits. Let the happiness of the Holy Spirit fill you and lift your heart to a higher joy than you've ever known."

  Cody didn't pray often, but she was really praying right then-praying for a way to get Sully out of there without trouble. The townsfolk looked cowed, and she didn't blame them. He looked like the kind of man who killed and maimed for pleasure.

  Her gaze swept the tent, seeking a way out, seeking help, and it was then that she saw him-Luke Majors. She went stock-still at the sight of him, standing in the back of the tent watching her, his expression inscrutable.

  Luke Majors looked like the devil incarnate, she thought as she stared at him. He was tall, lean, and darkly handsome, and there was a compelling aura of power about him. A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine. Instinctively, Cody knew bringing him in was going to be one of the hardest things she'd ever done. But right now...

  "C'mon, Sister Many. What's it going to be? Eternal damnation or eternal salvation?" Sully shouted up at her as he reached the foot of the stage.

  Cody wanted to scream in frustration. Majors was there! Yet she had to force her attention back to the drunk. She'd been desperate to find Majors, then to isolate and capture him. Now here he was right before her very eyes, and damned if she wasn't surrounded by a crowd and being attacked by this fool at the same time. She hoped Majors didn't disappear while she handled Sully. She wanted Majors, and she was going to get him.

  As frustrating a moment as it was for Cody, the knowledge that her sources of information had once again paid off pleased her. She'd found the gunfighter more quickly than she'd ever thought she would. She would trap him and get him back to Logan just as fast as she could, but first she had to deal with Sully.

  "It shall be salvation, brother. Come forward and let me anoint you with the blessing of the Lord." She focused on the troublemaker, wanting to get him out of her way.

  "I want more than anointing from you." He leered up at her.

  "Behold, a sinner," she announced to the crowd as he started to climb up on the stage. "Come, brethren, lay hands upon this man and ask that the demons who haunt him-the demon desire for liquor and the demon of lust-be driven from him!"

  Cody didn't know where the idea had come from to call upon the congregation to help her, but it worked. The crowd stood and came forward en masse to surround the drunken outlaw.

  "What the hell?" Sully snarled as they closed in on him just as he was about to reach her. "Get away from me!"

  "Pray, friends, for this man's tortured soul. Pray for his life that he may seek the ways of the Lord. Pray that he sees the light!"

  "Get the hell away from me!" he shouted. His expression was full of hatred at being outwitted by her again. He retreated quickly, elbowing his way through the gathering and storming off toward the saloon.

  Cody offered up a silent prayer of thanksgiving. She'd been saved. She looked up, wanting to see if Majors was still there, and to her surprise he was. He caught her gaze and reached up to tip the brim of his hat toward her in salute for her quick thinking.

  Cody felt herself flush at his action. She quickly turned back to her preaching. When she glanced up again, Majors was gone. She wasn't sure whether to be glad she'd avoided the confrontation with Sully or to be angry because she'd missed a chance to get her man. At least she'd found him. Now it was just a matter of trapping him, getting him back to Jack Logan, and collecting her reward.

  Sully had been angry when he'd gone to the salvation show, but now he was downright furious. His sodden mind was racing as he tried to figure out just what he was going to do to pay the little bitch back. The townspeople might have protected her once, but they weren't going to be around forever. He would bide his time until the prayer service was over; then he'd go back and see about being "saved." He followed Carson into the Flames of Hell and went to stand at the bar and order another drink.

  "Were you saved?" Lucy asked as she came to him.

  He smiled coldly at her. "There ain't no saving this soul of mine."

  Lucy laughed, thinking he was teasing. "I could have told you that, Sully."

  Sully drank more whiskey. An hour later, he was ready. Though he was unsteady on his feet, it didn't matter because what he had planned to do, he was going to do on horseback.

  "Carson, I got an idea. You want to have some fun?"

  "Sure," the drunken Carson answered. "But I was already having fun here." He had a girl on each knee and had been enjoying himself immensely.

  "I mean real fun."

  "Doing what?"

  "I want to go back to the preacher woman. I want to rile her up a little bit."

  "But why? There's women here who want you. Why do you want to mess with that one?"

  "I didn't ask for your damned opinion! I asked if you wanted to have some fun."

  Carson knew how hot Sully's temper was, and he didn't want to fight him. He knew Sully wasn't about to rest until he'd taught that woman a lesson, so he might as well go with him and get it over with.

  "All right. Girls, will ya wait for me?" he asked the two beauties he was holding.

  "You bet, Carson. Well keep your place here nice and hot for you." The girls laughed, and each kissed him passionately before he stood.

  Luke had been playing poker, winning some and losing some. It had been a quiet night since they'd returned from the salvation show, and that had been just fine with him. But when he saw Sully start for the door with Carson following him, he knew they were up to something. Luke threw in his hand and went up to the bar.

  "Where are Sully and Carson going?" he asked the barkeep.

  "He's still got that Sister Mary on his mind. She never should have given him any trouble earlier. He is one mean son of a bitch."

  "You got a sheriff in town?"

  "Yeah, but he's useless. I think the little lady's in for a rough time."

  Luke swore under his breath. He hurried to follow the two from the bar and saw that they'd already mounted up and were riding toward the tent. They'd drawn their guns.

  The tent still held a few people who'd lingered after the service to speak privately with Sister Mary. Their presence didn't deter Sully. He was ready.

  As Sister Mary stood talking on the stage with young Gena, Sully put his heels to his horse and urged it to a gallop. He rode straight at the tent, firing his gun wildly as he went. Carson followed his lead. Horses tied nearby whinnied in fright, and people scrambled frantically to get out of his way. Cody saw the two men coming and knew a moment of fear.

  "It's Sully!" Gena told her, grabbing her hand in terror.

  "Where's the sheriff?" Cody asked Gena.

  "The sheriff doesn't do anything but hide when these men are in town. They're the El Diablo gang, you know. When they're here, most folks just stay indoors."

  "You go on and get out of here," Cody said.

  "Are you sure you'll be all right? You should get in your wagon and stay there till they're gone!"

  Cody patted her hand, knowing how brave Gena was to have done what she'd done that day. "Thank you for caring. Go on now. Save yourself"

  Gena gave the preacher woman an impulsive hug and then rushed off.

  Cody moved to stand near the wagon with Stalking Ghost. She held her Bible tightly as they watched Sully ride t
hrough the tent, knocking over chairs, ravaging the place. Carson followed right behind him.

  Stalking Ghost started to get a gun out of the wagon, but Cody shook her head, not wanting to risk anybody getting shot. She'd dealt with drunks of Sully's kind before, but usually they slept it off. It looked like the drunker this one got, the meaner he got. The thought that she'd created an enemy didn't please her. Majors was the man she was after, but after watching Sully in action, she knew it would give her great pleasure to put him away for a long time, too.

  "Sister Mary! I want to be saved. Come and save me," Sully shouted at her. "Or am I too far gone for you?"

  "I'd better go talk to him," she muttered to Stalking Ghost. She knew this one wasn't going to go away until she came forward.

  "Don't," Stalking Ghost warned.

  "I have to. There's nowhere to run. I don't think he'll hurt me, but get a gun and keep it on us just in case."

  He nodded, then advised, "Take the Bible with you."

  Knowing it just might save her life, she clutched the Good Book to her breast as she stepped boldly forward.

  "I'm here, Brother Sully," she stated. "Why have you torn apart the house of the Lord? Are you here doing the devil's work?"

  "I'm here to teach you a lesson, woman." He rode toward her.

  "The Lord works in strange ways, sir. If you venture any closer, you'll find that a gun is trained on you."

  He laughed. "If you're talking about your Indian friend, well, I got news for you. I got him covered; he ain't covering me."

  Cody glanced back to find Carson standing behind Stalking Ghost, his gun on him.