The Omaha Palace Read online

  “How many other saloons are there in town?” he asked Wright.

  “There are a few, but there’s only one we have to worry about.”

  “You mean, for competition?” Wright nodded. “Which one’s that?”

  “Big Jack’s.”

  “That’s the name?”

  “Big Jack’s Saloon,” Wright said, “owned by Big Jack Mackey.”

  “How long has he been in business?”

  “A few years.”

  “So he doesn’t like the competition?”

  “Accordin’ to him, everybody’s welcome, but Big Jack’s got his own ways of doin’ things.”

  “Has he met Ashley?”

  “He came by to talk to her a couple of weeks ago.”

  “And what did he say?”

  Wright shrugged. “She don’t tell me.”

  “But you’re the manager, right?”

  “When she lets me be. She’s a real strong woman.”

  Clint was about to say more but at that moment the real strong woman approached them.

  “Ready to go?” she asked.

  “You look lovely.”

  “Thank you.”

  She had dressed down for supper, no flesh showing, although the dress was tight enough to show all of her womanly curves.

  “Mind the store, Ed.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “We’ll be a Delfino’s Steak House.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She linked her arm in Clint’s and they walked out the door.

  * * *

  At a table not far from the bar, both Deal and Rosa watched. Their boss had told them to find out for themselves, and not to take the word of a loser like Leo.

  “Well,” Rosa said, “I guess that settles it. They know each other.”

  “Pretty well, from the way it looks,” Deal said. “But we still don’t know if he’s gonna work there.”

  “So how do we find out?” Rosa asked.

  “Well,” Deal said, “I guess the easiest way to find out would be to ask.”

  “Ask who?”

  “Who talks more than anybody else in a saloon?” Deal asked him.

  They both looked at the bartender.

  EIGHT

  Ashley led Clint to Delfino’s, a large restaurant with a huge window in front. Ornate lettering spelled out the name of the place, both above the door and on the window.

  “Best steak in town,” she promised him.

  “We’ll see.”

  They entered and she was greeted at the door by a middle-aged man in a black suit.

  “Miss Burgoyne,” he said. “How wonderful to see you.”

  “Thank you, Dennis. A table for two, please?”

  “Of course, of course, we have a lovely table by the window—”

  “Something in the back, please,” Clint said.

  “Of course, sir. This way, please.”

  They followed him past occupied tables to an empty one in the back of the room. No one reached out for or spoke to Ashley, but Clint noticed that she drew the eyes of most of the men in the place.

  “Thank you, Dennis,” she said as he held her chair.

  “I will send your waiter right over,” he promised.

  “Thank you,” Clint said.

  A waiter came over immediately and Clint allowed Ashley to order for them. She made it simple. Two steak dinners and beer.

  While they waited, she asked, “Have you thought about my offer?”

  “It was an offer?” Clint asked. “I thought it was a favor.”

  “Oh, all right,” she said. “Have you thought about my favor?”

  “I have,” Clint said. “But first tell me about Big Jack.”

  “How do you know about Big Jack?”

  “I’ve kept my ears open since I got to town,” Clint said. “I heard he came to see you.”

  “He did,” she said.

  “What did he have to say?”

  “He said I wouldn’t last a month,” she said. “He said I should enjoy my opening night party because things were really going to get bad from that point forward.”

  “So he threatened you.”

  “In a very charming way, with a smile on his face the whole time.”

  “Okay,” he said, “tell me how long you want me for.”

  “Well, since he expects to close me down in a month, I’d say at least . . . six weeks?”

  “And I get to keep what I win?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Well,” he said, “it’s been a while since I dealt faro, but this sounds interesting.”

  “So you’ll do it?” she asked.

  The waiter came with their meals, and Clint said, “Why don’t we leave it up to the steak? If it’s good, I’ll stay.”

  “You’re kidding,” she said.

  “Hey,” he said, “you told me how good it was. Don’t you trust your own taste?”

  She looked nervous as she said, “Well, of course I do.”

  “So it’s agreed?”

  She swallowed and said, “Agreed.”

  She watched with interest as Clint carefully sliced off a hunk of steak, examined it, and stuck it in his mouth. He followed it with a forkful of vegetables, and then chewed carefully.

  “Well?” she asked. “What do you think?”

  Clint made her wait until he’d swallowed before he answered.

  NINE

  Ashley had been waiting for Clint Adams for a long time. Once she got him in her bed, she knew the wait had been more than worth it. She would not only have a big-name faro dealer for at least six weeks, but enjoy an expert lover who knew how to treat a woman.

  She reached down for his head and pressed her thighs to his ears . . .

  When they got to Ashley’s room, she was all over Clint, which he didn’t mind at all.

  “I’ve been waiting for this,” she said, tearing at his shirt.

  They undressed each other, and he was happy with what he found. She had put on weight from when he’d seen her last, but that just gave her beautiful big breasts and an ample butt for him to enjoy.

  When they were naked, they fell onto her bed together, and she was ravenous. After a long, passionate kiss, he slid down between her legs, finding her wet and ready. She gasped when his mouth fell on her, and she grabbed his head and tightened her thighs on him.

  * * *

  “She went upstairs with him,” Rosa said.

  “Yes, she did,” Deal said. “I think we found out what we need to know. Come on.”

  The two men got up and left the Palace.

  * * *

  When Rosa and Deal entered Big Jack’s Saloon, they were immediately jostled by the crowd. Men were packed in at the bar, and all the seats at the gaming tables were occupied. Would-be players were standing, watching, and waiting for their turn.

  “I’ll go and talk to the boss,” Deal said.

  Rosa nodded. He didn’t mind letting Deal do the talking with the boss. Big Jack intimidated Rosa, and he didn’t like it.

  Deal walked to the back of the noisy saloon and knocked on his boss’s door.

  “Come in!”

  He entered, saw Big Jack seated behind his desk. Standing next to him was Janice, who was in charge of all the saloon girls. She was not beautiful, but she was smart and she had very large breasts, which Deal liked in a woman.

  “Deal,” Big Jack said. “Okay, Janice. We’ll finish this later.”

  “Sure, Jack.” She pressed her hip to her boss’s shoulder before leaving, without giving Deal a look. Her day would come, Deal thought. He knew he’d get her naked one day.

  “Put your tongue back in your m
outh,” Big Jack said. “What have you got for me?”

  “They went out to eat, came back, and went right to her room.”

  “She took Adams to her room?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Then she’s sleeping with him,” Big Jack said. “That might keep him here awhile.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I want to know what else he’s doing for her. Most likely it’ll have something to do with cards. You men keep watching.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And come and tell me as soon as you know something,” Big Jack said. “Go on, get out.”

  Deal nodded, and left.

  * * *

  Outside Rosa asked, “What do we do?”

  “We go back to the Palace,” Deal said, “and keep watching.”

  “What fer?”

  “He wants to know what else the Gunsmith is doin’,” Deal said.

  “Crap,” Rosa said. “I’d rather stay here—I saw Janice come out after you went in. She’s lookin’ good.”

  “Yeah, she is,” Deal said.

  “She talk to you?”

  “What would she wanna talk to me about?” Deal asked. “I was there to see the boss. Come on, let’s go.”

  Rosa cast one more glance at Janice as she and her generous bosom went back into the boss’s office.

  * * *

  “I don’t like those two,” she said as she came into Big Jack’s office again.

  “Don’t worry about them,” he said. “They’re serving a purpose.”

  “Like I do?” she asked.

  He smiled at her and said, “They don’t serve anywhere near the purpose you do, sweetie.”

  She smiled back, tugged the top of her gown down so that her big breasts bounced into view.

  “Come here,” he said.

  She moved around to his side of the desk, and he immediately seized both her breasts, squeezed them, and brought them to his mouth.

  TEN

  Big Jack sucked Janice’s nipples while she moaned and cried out, then he took hold of her and laid her on his desk. He stripped her of her clothes until she was completely naked, then took off all his clothes while she watched, one hand busy between her legs. One of the things he liked about her was that she was completely uninhibited, easily the dirtiest woman he had ever known when it came to sex. She did everything and anything that he wanted.

  All he wanted at the moment, though, was to climb on the desk and stick his dick in her. She had used her own fingers to get herself wet for him, and he slid into her very easily, despite his size. She gasped as he entered her, and then he began to fuck her. The desk was oak, thick and strong and able to hold the weight of both of them, even as they bounced around on it.

  This wasn’t the first time they’d fucked on his desk, and it wouldn’t be the last.

  Not hardly . . .

  * * *

  Clint was surprised at how different Ashley was from the girl he’d known, but then a lot of time had gone by. She’d grown into her body, which he had always known she would, and she’d had plenty of experience along the way.

  He licked her pussy until she almost screamed, then he drove himself into her, enjoying the way her large breasts bounced as he did so. She closed her eyes, tossed her head back and forth on the pillow as he took her in long, hard strokes, and then suddenly she opened them, looked at him, and reached up. She pulled him down on her, then used her strength to roll them over so that she was on top. She managed to do it without forcing them apart.

  When she had the superior position, she sat up on him and began to ride him. This was something she hadn’t done ten years ago—she hadn’t known enough, or had the strength, to exert her own will.

  “Damn it,” she said, grounding her crotch down on him, taking him as deeply inside her as she could, “if you only knew how long I’ve been waiting for this.”

  “I may be mistaken,” he gasped, “but I’d say ten years.”

  She laughed, leaned down, and kissed him soundly, then sat up again and began to move up and down on him . . .

  * * *

  Big Jack knew his desk was jumping off the floor as they fucked, but he knew that even if someone outside the room heard that, they’d never come in. If they did, they’d be fired or, worse, shot.

  “Oh God . . .” Janice gasped.

  Abruptly, he withdrew from her, got down off the desk, and stood at the edge. He grabbed her legs, pulled her to the edge, then turned her over. She knew what he wanted, and didn’t resist. From that position, he spread her considerable ass cheeks, pressed his hard cock to her anus, and then pushed it in. He did so slowly, until he was fully inside her, and then began to fuck her that way.

  “Oh, yes, yes,” she cried, “ooh, harder, come on, harder . . .”

  He liked this position, but she was the only woman he’d ever been with who seemed to like it, too. The others had always been whores, and he’d always had to pay extra, but not with Janice . . .

  She liked everything that he liked, and more . . .

  ELEVEN

  “When do I start?” Clint asked as they got dressed.

  “Come by tomorrow morning,” she said. “We can get you set up at a table.”

  “And when is the opening night party?”

  “Three days.”

  As he pulled on his clothes, she donned a new dress, a low-cut green one she’d wear for the night in the saloon.

  “And since you’re working for me,” she added, “check out of the hotel. I can put you in a room tomorrow as well.”

  “Okay,” Clint said, “that’ll work.”

  She took a deep breath, smoothed down her dress, and asked, “How do I look?”

  “Gorgeous.”

  “Thank you. Would you like a nice cold beer?”

  “I sure would.”

  “On the house, of course.”

  “Of course,” he said.

  “Come on,” she said. “I’ll introduce you to the others.”

  They went downstairs.

  * * *

  Big Jack picked up everything that had been knocked off his desk while Janice got her clothes back on. Then he got dressed.

  “Time for you to go back to work,” he said to her. “I have things to do.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  She went out the door, and he sat down behind his desk. Ashley’s Palace’s opening party was three days away. By then he wanted to know everything he could about her—and now, everything he could know about her relationship with Clint Adams.

  * * *

  Clint and Ashley went downstairs, where business was brisk, but could be better.

  “There’s still a lot to be done,” she said to him as they walked to the bar. “But this place will soon be full every night.”

  “You’ve done a good job here, Ashley.”

  “Have I?” she asked. “I’d like you to say that after you’ve been here a few days, after you’ve seen my own operation.”

  “Is that part of my job, ma’am?”

  “Part of the favor.”

  “Okay.”

  They reached the bar, and Ashley said to Ed Wright, “Two beers, Ed.”

  “Comin’ up, boss.”

  “Make that three,” she said. “One for you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He brought the three beers.

  “What are we celebratin’?”

  “Clint has joined us,” she said, handing Clint his beer and picking up her own. “He’s gonna be dealin’ faro.”

  “Well, all right,” Ed said. “When does he start?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “So when do I start puttin’ the word out, boss?” the bartender asked.

  “
Right away,” Ashley said. “Right after this beer.”

  They all drank their beers down, and then Ashley took Clint’s arm and started introducing him to the others—the girls, the dealers, the security men.

  Meet the Gunsmith.

  TWELVE

  The next morning Clint checked out of his hotel and carried his belongings over to the Palace. Ed let him in and showed him to his room.

  “Come on down when you’re ready,” he said. “I’ll have breakfast ready. Steak and eggs okay?”

  “Great,” Clint said.

  “Strong, black coffee, right?”

  “Right.”

  Ed withdrew, pulled the door closed behind him. The room was the size of a regular hotel room, furnished about the same way. None of the lavishness that existed in Ashley’s room, but then he didn’t need that.

  He tossed his saddlebags onto the bed, and they bounced nicely. His stomach was growling so he didn’t wait any longer. He went downstairs to have his breakfast.

  * * *

  Whoever did the cooking in the Palace’s kitchen did a fine job. The steak was almost as good as the one he’d had the night before, the eggs were done just right, and the coffee was black and strong.

  “You the cook?” he asked Ed Wright.

  “Not me,” Wright said. “Old Man Brennan makes that old stove sing.”

  “Old stove?”

  “Best kind, he says,” Wright replied. “Miss Ashley offered to buy him a new one, but he said he wanted an old stove, so that’s what she got him.”

  “She must have a few investors to be able to afford this place.”

  “I don’t concern myself with where the money comes from,” Wright said. “I’m just happy it’s there.”

  “How do you think this place will do against Big Jack’s, Ed?” Clint asked.

  “You been to Big Jack’s?”

  “I haven’t.”

  “I think maybe you better go have a look,” Wright said, “and then you can answer your own question.”

  “I think I’ll do that,” Clint said, “right after breakfast.”

  “They won’t open their doors until noon,” Wright told him.

  “Well then, there’s no hurry,” Clint said, grabbing the coffeepot. “Might as well have some more coffee.”