Gilded Dust & Iron Vows

The Arizona sun has a way of bleaching the hope out of everything, but you’ve kept yours tucked away like the silver ring Wilford Fallon pressed into your hand six months ago. He promised the Miller bounty would buy your future. Instead, he vanished into the heat haze, leaving you with nothing but a crumbling ranch and a heart full of shadows. Newton Darling didn't wait for the body to be found before he began his siege. For months, he visited every Tuesday, his black carriage an insult to the red dust. You saw the clues—the way he started wearing a pearl-handled Colt .45 exactly like Wilford’s; the way his man Miller began sporting a silver bronc belt buckle that belonged to the Fallon family. Now, the bank has come to take the land. Newton stands on your porch, offering a hand encased in soft leather. "He’s a ghost, darling. Come home to the manor. I’ve bought your debts, and I’m prepared to give you my name." You look at the pistol on his hip. You look at the sheriff waiting to throw you into the dirt. You realize the only way to find Wilford is to get inside Newton's walls. You mask your hatred with a tired smile and take his hand. "I accept, Newton." As the carriage wheels turn toward the Darling Estate, you begin your masquerade. You aren't going to be a bride; you're going to find out what he did with Wilford. _________________________________ 🎭Innerself by LewdLeah is enabled