Rocky Mountain Rose (Rocky Mountain Bride Series Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

intoned. Rose recognized the familiar timbre as if it belonged to the devil himself. Five years, and there were two men she hadn’t forgotten. One was Lyle, the fallen angel. The other waited for her behind the door.
    Her captors pushed her into the center of a room, and she straightened her clothes, schooling her face into a haughty expression.
    A man with a black mustache waited for her at a desk, writing by candlelight. His slick hair and fine suit didn’t fool her; this was Beelzebub in human form, known in this town as James Silas Doyle.
    Time had been kind to him. Doyle looked lean and strong, with healthy dark hair on his head and face. Almost handsome, if it weren’t for the evil in him. Rose barely suppressed a shiver, and forced her spine straight, as if she’d spent an afternoon in leisure, rather than as a captive in the dark.
    Doyle smiled. “Miss May? Or should I call you Rosie?” He didn’t bother to rise, but waved a hand for her to come forward. When she didn’t move, one of the henchmen grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to his boss, before stepping back to guard the door.
    The man behind the desk smiled at her as if she’d come to visit. “Drink?” he offered, lifting a decanter on his desk and starting to pour two glasses.
    She shook her head.
    Doyle shrugged and toasted her. “To the lovely Rosie May. Quite a show you had last night.”
    It was her turn to shrug.
    Toying with his glass, Doyle cocked his head, studying her. “I hear it went quite well, up until it turned rowdy. One of my men—my right hand man actually—lost his brother in a brawl.”
    “It’s a dangerous world,” Rose said, lifting her chin. “I lost a friend, too.”
    Doyle glanced at one of his men. “Is that so? Someone else died?”
    The henchman shrugged. “Just the molly at the piano.”
    “A Miss Nancy,” Doyle chuckled. “And Rosie May. Must have been one hell of an act.”
    “Are we done here?” Rose asked, letting their mocking comments about Sam slide even as her eyes shot daggers.
    His eyes narrowed at her over his glass. “I must say, my man was intent on seeking you out for revenge. You may have heard of him: Otis Boone, deadliest shot in the Territory. I managed to talk him into sparing your life until I spoke to you. Out of the kindness of my heart.”
    Rose’s lip curled.
    “I could pay him off for you,” Doyle continued. “But I’d need some sort of return on my investment.”
    “I’m not a whore, Mr. Doyle.”
    His eyebrows went up. “Who said anything about whoring? I have a saloon; you know how to dance...” He spread his hands as if offering her a pile of treasure. “Wouldn’t it be nice to settle down in one town and make some real cash? The men who pour in here from the silver mines, they’d pay anything to see a fine woman’s ankles.”
    “I don’t think so.”
    Doyle’s expression hardened. “This isn’t an offer I make lightly. A man out there wants you dead, and I’m the only one standing in his way.”
    “No,” boomed a voice at the door. “I am.”
    The two henchmen moved, one grabbing Rose, and the other whirling, reaching for his gun. Both stopped when Lyle stepped in, a pistol in each hand aimed at the thugs. “Doyle, let her go.”
    The man behind the desk didn’t even flinch. Rose couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the two dark haired men. Both were tall, powerful, with their gaze locked in combat, two predators sizing each other up before they fought to the death.
    “Now, you look familiar.” Recognition lit Doyle’s eyes. “Wait.” The man looked from Lyle to Rose and back again. “I know who you are. You stole away my redhead...what was her name?”
    “Mary,” Rose blurted. “She was never yours.”
    “And you’re the sister,” Doyle went on as Lyle shot Rose a look, warning her to keep silent. “What a lovely reunion.” Doyle chuckled. “You’re taller than your sister. Blossomed into a beautiful Colorado