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Chapters (59)
  1. COVER
  2. ROSEMARY ROGERS
  3. DEDICATION
  4. THE BEGINNING
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. NEW ORLEANS
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. MEXICO
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. LA CORTESANA
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. THE JOURNEY
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. THE DESTINATION
  51. 42
  52. TURNING POINTS
  53. 43
  54. 44
  55. 45
  56. 46
  57. THE PROMISE
  58. Epilogue
  59. COPYRIGHT

“That war is behind us. So is the revolution that has earned you the presidency, if I may be so bold as to remind you of that, el presidente. It is time to look to the future and let the past be forgotten.”

“A woman with brains as well as beauty—an anomaly that I admire, Señora Alvarado.” Díaz smiled slightly. “I do not agree that the past should be forgotten, for men who do not remember their own history often find they must suffer the same fates again. But I will grant Lerdo safe passage, upon my own terms, of course.”

He drained the last of his wine. “And as for you, what is it you wish to ask of me? I know there must be something, for you have the look of a desperate woman about you.”

“You are very perceptive, Your Excellency. Yes, I do have a request of my own.”

She told him about Steve, and how he had disappeared from the village the night Luna abducted her, and the men she had seen weighted down in chains and escorted by Lerdo’s soldiers.

“I fear he is in a prison somewhere,” she said, keeping the tremor out of her voice with an effort. “And I have not been allowed to get a message to his grandfather, for Luna treats me as if I am a prisoner as well!”

“I think General Luna will have his uses, but in this he has erred. We will make inquiry and find your husband if he has, indeed, been made a prisoner. But tell me, why would he be arrested? He is not one of the notorious bandits, is he? No?”

“I don’t know why…I only know that he has disappeared and I believe that Luna knows what happened to him.”

Rafael Luna, however, disavowed any knowledge with a shrug and deprecating denial. “No, Your Excellency, I do not recall an Esteban Alvarado, or a Steve Morgan the night we routed the cantina. It was only a routine raid, you understand, for we learned that there were men who smuggled many rifles across the border. Bandits, of course, seeking to sell them to whoever would pay. There was a trial, and the men were convicted of smuggling.”

Ginny’s heart dropped. Was that why Steve had been there? It must be true…all those heavy crates, the baggage that he’d sent ahead, with Butch Casey and the other men to guard it.

Oh, Steve! Oh, damn you, Steve Morgan, for being so reckless!

He had been caught smuggling rifles, and there would be nothing she could do to save him—unless Díaz granted him clemency.

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