BooksBarbecue
Back Savage Desire Save as PDF
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

“Ginny, you’d be safer at my grandfather’s house.”

“No, Steve. What difference does it make if I go to San Antonio or to Zacatecas? We were together last time, and it didn’t help. I’ll stay with you. Whatever happens to us, at least we’ll be together. Besides, I’m ready for a change. San Antonio sounds very inviting right now.”

When dubious shadows darkened his eyes, she lifted her shoulders in a light shrug. “I won’t interfere with your plans, Steve. I just want to feel safe again.”

“San Antonio is not necessarily a safe town,” he said dryly, but didn’t offer any more arguments.

Relieved, Ginny wondered what he would say if he knew what she planned. He wouldn’t be happy, but she was determined to exorcise all the old ghosts, rid their relationship of any lingering specters from their past.

It’s the only way we’ll ever be able to go on….

THE JOURNEY

39

When they rode out of the valley early the next morning, Ginny looked back only once, a faint sense of regret filling her that they were leaving behind what had come to represent to her a romantic interlude in their lives.

Paco rejoined them in Chihuahua, finding them in the sala of a small posada in Santa Rosalia near the mineral springs where people went to bathe in the medicinal waters.

“Those Rurales gave me a hard time,” he grumbled when Steve asked what had taken him so long. “Díaz may be getting rid of the bandit problem, but he’ll end up having a bigger problem on his hands unless he keeps a tight grip on his police force. They have too much power, and since most of them are former bandits themselves, they have no scruples.”

“Creating a climate of confidence is el presidente’s way of coaxing in more foreign investment. He hopes to lure European as well as American investors.”

“Hearst is buying up a lot of cattle country. And we know who has invested heavily in mining interests.”

“Yes.” Steve nodded thoughtfully, blue eyes narrowed and hard as he met Paco’s troubled gaze. “I heard rumors that American Smelting and Refining Company will set up ore smelters as soon as the plans are approved. The Galena Mine has laid more track and feeder lines from the mine to the smelters, with plans to join a major railroad.”

“And we know who is behind that, amigo.” Paco sat back in his chair. “Brandon switched loyalties before Lerdo could even reach the Rio Grande. He’s become quite friendly with Díaz now, as well as Hearst. Díaz’s policy of paying foreign employees more than Mexicans for the same work will start trouble before long. And Bishop informed me that el presidente is playing one side against the other by encouraging British and European capital to counterbalance the U.S. investments.”