Standing in the overly-furnished, excessively-decorated drawing room of the brothel, Rosalie was standing in a line of women, waiting to be inspected by Mr. Boswell. Her borrowed ruffled gown may have had a risqué neckline, but she refused to paint her face as Mrs. Townsend had recommended. To ensure her protection, there was a dagger in her left kid boot and a derringer tucked in the right one.
Moving to stand next to Mr. Boswell, Mrs. Townsend asked in a cheery voice, “Have you selected a young lady for the evening?”
Seth’s eyes lowered until they were fixed on the provocative neckline of Rosalie’s gown. His tongue darted back and forth over his chapped lips. “I want the new girl.”
Mrs. Townsend made a clucking noise. “Excellent choice,” she stated. “We have changed our policy, and we now require payment upfront. You understand, Mr. Boswell, don’t you?”
Shoving his hand into the pocket of his blue worn vest, he pulled out a few bills and extended them toward the madam. “I want her for the whole evening.”
“Of course,” Mrs. Townsend replied, depositing the money into the pocket of her dress. “Need I remind you that you are not allowed to beat my girls?”
“She is mine to do with as I please,” Seth grumbled, his hand moving to rest on his gun belt.
Mrs. Townsend cast him a look of frustration. “You beat the last girl so badly that she couldn’t work for the rest of the week.”
Ignoring the madam, Seth approached Rosalie and asked, “Want to show me to your room, little lady?”
“I would be honored,” Rosalie responded in a sultry voice, slipping her gloved hand into his calloused one. She led him toward a room near the back on the first floor and closed the door behind them. “Can I get you a drink, mister?” she asked, dropping his hand and sashaying over to the drink tray on the dresser.
She heard him kick off his boots and drop his gun belt to the floor with a thud. Men were so predictable, she thought.
“I just want you,” he declared as he dropped his trousers.
Rosalie kept the smile on her face as she turned back around to face him. Not surprisingly, Mr. Boswell was standing there in just his union suit.
“I propose we play a game first,” she suggested flirtatiously.
“I like games,” he responded in a husky voice.
“Good. I promise you’ll like this one.” She grabbed a chair and placed it in front of him. “Sit.”
Seth sat down in the chair. “What’s next?”
Pulling out a bandana from her pocket, Rosalie explained, “Now, I am going to blindfold you.”
“This just got interesting,” he said with a smile.
Rosalie trailed a hand over his shoulder as she walked behind him and secured the blindfold over his eyes. Leaning closer to his ear, she ignored the foul body odor emanating from his person, as she whispered, “You have been a bad man.” She slid her hand into the pocket of her gown and slowly pulled out a set of iron handcuffs. “I am going to have to teach you a lesson.”
“Yes, please,” Seth responded with a catch in his voice.
She trailed her finger down his right arm and tightened the handcuff onto his wrist.
Seth cocked his head. “What are you doing?”
“You are going to be my prisoner,” she answered in a pouty voice.
He chuckled as she trailed her finger down his left arm, seductively pulling it behind his back, then securing the cuff to his left wrist.
When she heard the click of the handcuff locking, Rosalie shuddered and stepped back. She had a sudden urge for a nice long bath after being so close to Mr. Boswell.
“Where did you go?” Seth asked, turning his head from side to side.
She didn’t bother to answer him as she retrieved the revolver from his gun belt and thoroughly searched his clothing for any additional weapons. Once she was satisfied that this was his only weapon, she placed the gun on the dressing table.
“What are you doing?” Seth cried out as he rose quickly, nearly losing his balance with his hands behind his back. “This ain’t funny.”
Rolling her eyes, Rosalie recognized that this man didn’t have a lick of sense. She walked over and shoved him back down onto the seat. “I am a bounty hunter, and you have been caught,” she announced, reaching down to retrieve her derringer.
“Release me! I ain’t done nothin’ wrong.”
She pulled off the blindfold and pressed the barrel of her derringer to his forehead. “Where is Bill Garrett?”
“Who?” he asked with a tremor in his voice.
“Fine. Don’t cooperate,” she sighed. “It doesn’t hurt my feelings.”
“You got some nerve, lady.” Seth turned his head and spat at her.
Rosalie took her red-gloved hand and wiped away his spit from her cheek. “Your poster said you were wanted dead or alive. I am happy to turn over your corpse for the reward money.”
“I am going to kill you when I get these cuffs off,” Seth declared, wringing his hands back and forth in the handcuffs.
Grabbing his arm, Rosalie forced him to rise and jabbed the gun against his ribs. “Spare me your dramatics, Mr. Boswell. You are in your underwear, and the sheriff is waiting right outside the back door to take you to jail.”
Seth started shouting expletives and attempted to step out of her tight grip as she opened the door.
“This is your last warning,” she stated in a firm tone. “I have no issue with shooting off your fingers…
