I spurred my horse into movement.
"Why not?" she called from behind me.
"Because I'm your husband, and I forbid it." I wasn't thinking logically. If it were anyone else, the plan had merit, but I couldn't let Piper into a place like that, with men like that, expecting her to fuck or do other dark things. No way in fucking hell.
"You thought I was guilty of murder just the other day and now you're protecting me?" She trotted her horse up next to mine.
"You were innocent of the crime and I'm protecting you because you're my wife. You're mine. When you showed up in Ethel's room last night you chose to be mine. I didn't make you. It was your decision. You grabbed my cock, sweetheart."
There was no question who she belonged to, and she was not going to go to that brothel. No way in hell.
PIPER
I was not going to let Wiley go into another brothel. The temptation of the other women was too great. Did he get a good look at Ethel? She had breasts and hips and lips and was so pretty and certainly knew more about fucking than I did in my little finger. I couldn't compete with her in any way. Why Wiley had chosen me over her was obvious. I'd had my hand on his cock and I was free. I was his wife and he could use and fuck me any way he wished. It sounded harsh, but it was true. He was so handsome, so...virile, that he could have any woman he wanted. He hadn't wanted to marry me, so why should he change his ways?
He'd said he didn't want another, but it was hard to believe him. It was hard to believe any man, especially after the way my family had betrayed me, lied to me and used me. If my own family treated me that way, then Wiley was certainly going to as well. He'd end up with another woman at some point, but he wasn't going to do it when I knew about it, when I could do something about it.
We rode into Carey as the sun was setting. It was smaller than Banning so it wouldn't be hard to find the local brothel. I feigned a headache and Wiley had been gentlemanly enough to secure us a room at the hotel before taking the horses to the livery. Once he rode off in that direction to have the animals tended for the night, I ducked out and worked my way to the brothel. It was much more obvious to me now than when in Banning, for it seemed they were all the same. Slipping in through the back door, I was greeted with a similar arrangement than the night before. Two women were eating at the table dressed solely in their undergarments. An older woman was cooking at the stove, the scent of baked bread and stew filling the warm kitchen.
All three women looked me over. While I swallowed down my fear and nerves, I was fortunate to have experience to know what to expect. I assumed a little naiveté only helped my act. While I knew Wiley would miss me when he returned, hopefully I could get some information out of some of these ladies like I had the night before, and then slip out.
"Hello, I wanted to ask...I mean, do you think I could—"
"Lookin' for a job, honey?" the cook asked. The same question was asked by the ladies in Banning. It seemed women came to the back door for work with such frequency they expected it. "If not, you get yourself right on home now."
She waved a spoon at me but I did not retreat. I held my ground. This wasn't as easy this time. I couldn't just ask her after Miss Carter, for all I knew one of these women could be Miss Carter and she was supposedly quite dangerous. While I doubted she kept a gun in her corset or drawers, it didn't mean she wasn't deadly. I could leave and let Wiley do his job, but I didn't want him anywhere near the likes of these women. But then I thought of my husband and
remembered how he'd spanked me when I'd just shown up in a brothel, not getting a job in one. I didn't have to worry about Miss Carter doing it; he'd kill me himself
"Well?"
I swallowed and shook my head. "No. No thank you," I replied before fleeing out the door.
I all but ran back to the hotel and up the steps. When I pushed open the door to our room, Wiley stopped his pacing and turned to me. "Where the hell have you been?" His voice boomed in the small space.
"I couldn't do it," I replied, trying to catch my breath. My hand was against my chest and I felt my heart pounding.
He narrowed his eyes. "Do what? Leave me?"
"What? No. Why would I do that?"
He shook his head and repeated, "Where the hell have you been?"
"I wanted to find out about Miss Carter so you didn't have to go to another brothel."
He approached me and put his hands on my upper arms. His hold was firm, his touch warm. "What...did...you...do?"
I swallowed. "I...I went to the back door of the brothel."
"After I distinctly told you not to?"
"You were going to go there after I distinctly told you I didn't like it," I countered.
"It's my job!" he replied.
"I'm your wife!" I shouted.
Before I could even realize his intentions, his mouth was on mine and I was pressed up against the door. I felt hard wood at my back and solid muscle and hard male at my front. His tongue plundered and tangled with mine, his big hands gripping my arms. It was all heat and energy, the kiss. I didn't need to breathe when I had Wiley kissing me. I could live off his kiss.