Dalton shoots his whiskey and removes his jacket and tie. He slowly pours another shot, stopping when he hears a loud thump from her room. Rushing to her doorway, he knocks calling out to her. “Cassie? Are you okay?”
Dalton is walking towards her smiling, when they strike him. The Williams brothers are waiting in the alley, and they attack him from behind. “Dalton!” she screams his name.
He rips the door open at her scream and finds her standing in front of him in a black and blue lace corset with tears flowing down her cheeks. When he steps towards her, she screams, “Behind you!”
Whirling around, he can't find the source of her panic. “Cassie, I don't see anything.” He rushes to her and grabs her by her arms. The moment he touches her, she begins to fight him with everything she has. Her feet are tangled in the wire cage on the ground causing them both to the ground. Dalton spins taking the brunt of the fall, landing with her on top of him to shield her from hitting the hard floor.
In Cassie's mind, the Williams brothers are dragging her into the alley, and she is fighting for her freedom. She strikes him in the nose before he manages to grab her arms and pins them to her side. “No, no, Dalton! You killed him!” she screams and struggles for her freedom.
“Cassie! I am here!” he snarls at her and shakes her, “Wake up! See me!”
The sound of his voice breaks through her vision, and she struggles to follow it back to him.
“See me!” Dalton calls, and she grabs hold of the thread and blinks. She's laying half-naked on his chest with her breasts spilling over her corset.
“Dalton?” she cries out, and he releases her arms. “Oh my God, you're okay!” Unable to resist, she kisses him in relief. “You're alive!” she hiccups between kisses.
His hand latches onto the back of her neck, and he takes his time enjoying the taste of her. His other hand grabs her rear and pulls her higher up his body. Groaning, she sits up, and she wraps her now free legs around his waist.
“Cassie you're driving me mad with need!” he says ripping his mouth from hers.
The sound of his voice echoes in her ears and she realizes what she's doing. “Oh, my…” she says, looking down at their bodies. She scrambles off his amazing body and backs up grabbing the nearest thing she can to cover her body from his view.
“I’m so sorry, Dalton. I can explain! Give me a minute.” Shame forces her to run to the bathroom.
Dalton sits on the floor, struggling to hide the smile on his face. He listens to her mumbling in the bathroom as he climbs to his feet. He runs a trembling hand through his now tousled hair and goes to the living room to retrieve his whiskey. A sound behind him has him turning to look at her. She is dressed in a cotton day dress and can’t bring herself to look at him.
“Dalton, I'm sorry! My behavior is inexcusable…”
He stalks towards her and jerks her into his arms. His mouth claims her, and he takes what he has been dreaming of for days now. He tastes like whiskey and feels like sin. When he lifts his head this time, he replies, “Don't ruin it. That was the best part of my day!”
Chapter 15
Cassie knows it is time and she is terrified of how he will view her once he knows the truth. When he leans to kiss her again, she covers his mouth with her hand and shakes her head. “We need to talk.”
He steps back and releases her to walk toward the fireplace. Finally, he thinks.
“Let's sit,” Cassie says and waits for him to sit down. Full of nervous energy she jumps up and begins to pace as she speaks.
“Dalton, I, I don't know where to start.” She stops and looks at him. “You are so beautiful, Dalton and good. I am tainted,” she whispers. “I've done things, unforgivable things…” wrapping her arms about herself, she says, “When we are through with this conversation, you should know that I hold no hard feelings towards you if you leave and we go our separate ways.”
“Cassie, trust me. I'm not perfect, no one is,” he tries to reassure her, but she turns to him as a tear runs stream down her face. The silence stretches between them like an ocean, and he waits.
“They killed them all, Dalton,” she whispers, “One at a time. I watched, helpless to stop it. No one would listen!” He's on his feet and at her side instantly.
“Who Cassandra, who did they kill?” he asks in horror reaching for her, but she backs away.
“My family!” she sobs, “First my Mother. They raped her and threw her beaten body into the river, where she drowned. Then my Jim. We were married three years when they said a rock slide killed him. I was pregnant with our first child. All I had left was my father, and he wouldn't listen. After my father was killed I, I… Dalton, something broke inside of me! I was standing at their graveside, and he said, I was next!”
Revulsion floods Dalton’s soul. “Who did this? Why didn’t the sheriff…” he starts to ask.
Cassandra laughs sarcastically, “Oh, he helped alright, he held my mother down while they raped her! Eustace Daniels and his
