“What about the little blond girl from Denver?” Sidney asked Luis.
Two birds right here in my hand. Jake struggled to keep from killing both of the bastards right then; he had to be sure he had Annie first.
“I sold her to Don Jesus Ricardo de Leon just yesterday,” Luis told Sidney. “How strange that Señor Harkner asks for just such a girl. I just got back from Don de Leon’s, which is why I’m late. The don is to pick the girl up here in the morning.”
Sidney frowned. “That’s too bad. Mr. Harkner had his heart set on breaking in a virgin. How much did Don de Leon pay?”
“Six thousand pesos.” Luis smiled at Jake as though to challenge him.
By this time tomorrow you’ll be dead, Jake thought. “I’ll double that offer,” he told Sidney.
Sidney grinned. “That is roughly three thousand American dollars.”
“That’s right,” Jake answered. “If she’s a virgin, she’s worth every cent.”
“Don de Leon will be furious,” Luis told Sidney, looking seriously concerned.
“He doesn’t need to know,” Jake told Sidney. “I’m paying twelve thousand pesos just to be her first. After that, you can still give her to Don de Leon. You’ll make out both ways and more than double de Leon’s money.”
“But the don wants a virgin,” Luis reminded Sidney with a frown.
“I’ll try not to tear anything, and I’ll clean her up,” Jake answered. “She’ll just go to the don wanting more of the pleasures I’ll teach her. You can order her to pretend de Leon is hurting her, because that’s probably what the man enjoys most. But he’ll soon discover she enjoys it, and I doubt he’ll know the difference. She’d just better still be a virgin like you claim, or I’ll want my money back, and I’ll damn well get it,” he warned.
Luis smiled and rubbed at his privates. “It was not easy, but I knew she would bring very good money, so I did not touch her. But I had a good feel of her, and I showed her what a man looks like, and made her touch me with her hand. And I told her what she will have to do once someone buys her.”
You fucking bastard, Jake thought. “What’s the girl’s name?”
“Annie,” Sidney told him. “Luis brought her from Denver with promises of marrying her.” Both men laughed wickedly.
“I inspected her good. She is a virgin,” Luis told Jake. “I knew she would be worth much money, which is why I saved her until I got what I thought would be enough. And now you come along offering even more! This is a very good day.”
Jake rose. “I’ll go get the money, but you’d better be telling the truth. You don’t want to see me angry, believe me.”
“Ah, señor,” Luis told Jake. “I know your reputation, but we are well guarded. And I must ask you, you were once a lawman. Surely you’re not foolish enough to have come here to try to steal this girl. Another man already tried that, and he is very likely dead now from many bullet wounds. Perhaps someone hired you to come here and find this girl?”
Jake sobered, longing to bury his fist in the man’s face. “Mister, I’ve never been a gun for hire. My job as a marshal was part of a prison sentence, and the minute I got that sentence set aside, I left that miserable job and headed for Colorado. I’m no fool.” He lit another cigarette. “Do you want my money or not? I can always go someplace else. And I know a very beautiful whore up in Denver who will accommodate me any day of the week. So if you don’t trust me, I can just leave.”
“No! No!” Sidney objected, rising. “Luis, why have you insulted this man? We can double our money.”
Luis frowned. “I just do not want to offend Don de Leon. He is very powerful. He might come after us if he is not pleased with this girl and realizes she is not a virgin.”
“And we have our men in place,” Sidney reminded Luis. “We will just promise to find him another virgin free of charge. And once he sets eyes on our beautiful Annie, he will not even care.”
Luis looked up at Jake. “Try not to leave marks on her.”
“Luis, I was raised in brothels. I know how to handle a woman, virgin or not.”
Luis nodded. “Then show us your money. We will take you to our finest room and bring her to you.”
And I can’t wait to destroy that pretty face of yours with a bullet, Jake thought. You’ll never smile again when I’m done with you!
“Just a last reminder that we are well guarded, Jake,” Sidney warned. He looked up to the tops of the hacienda walls, indicating the men stationed there. “Even the great Jake Harkner can’t get out of here if we don’t want him to.” The man’s disturbingly pale eyes narrowed in his last-minute hint of trouble waiting.