Fire Eyes

by Pierson, Cheryl

  Kaed's warm breath fanned her hair, his good hand coming across her waist as he slept. He was still a stranger, but she couldn't push away the desire to comfort him. She let herself relax in his arms, resting her head just over his heart, and as sleep claimed her, she knew she was safe in her stranger's embrace.

  * * * * *

  Tori Kramer sat in front of a monster. The saddle was rough against her skin where she'd had to pull up her dress to ride. The man behind her wrapped his beefy arms around her so tightly she could scarcely breathe.

  He turned the horse to follow the others out of the clearing, leaving her father and younger brother, Will, dead on the ground behind them.

  Tori forced herself not to look at the scene behind her. She didn't have to. She'd never forget it. Her father had been shaving when the bullet had hit him, passing through his skull and shattering the mirror he'd hung on the side of the wagon. Tori had hurled herself into the wagon for the rifle. When she'd emerged, Will lay dead as well, shot in the back as he'd leaned over their father's body.

  One of the cutthroats had slapped her mother as she clawed at his bearded face, while still another had scooped up Lily, her younger sister, and held her as he would a screeching, spitting wildcat. Tori aimed the rifle at her mother's assailant, but the man's head was too close to her mother's. She couldn't risk the shot.

  From behind Tori, another of the group had ridden past, snatching the rifle from her grip as she hesitated.

  It had all happened so fast that Tori hadn't had a chance for it to fully register. Now, they rode through the woods silently, but for the sound of Lily's piteous crying.

  Earlier, her captor had put her mother and her sister on a horse together, looping the reins over the pommel of his saddle. Her mother seemed strangely resigned to the situation, Tori thought. She made no move to comfort Lily, and cried no tears herself.

  As they came to a small clearing, the leader of the ragtag army drew up and turned to face the man who held her. "Baker, shut that damned kid up!" He pierced Tori's captor with a skewering look, then his gaze fell to the man's hands on Tori's breasts. "And don't get any ideas, either. You'll wind up as dead as the others if you ruin the merchandise." He turned away and rode forward.

  "Ain't no harm in feelin' the 'merchandise', is there, Fallon?" Baker laughed softly as his hands roamed across Tori's breasts, again, and she stiffened, but didn't move away. He'd slapped her so hard before when she'd tried to move that she'd feared her head would come off.

  "Good girl," he muttered in her ear, his fetid breath wafting on the air. "You got some good-size titties, Victoria. I'm gonna enjoy doin' you."

  Tori bit her lip and cast a glance at her mother, who sat rigid and silent on her horse, her arms lax around Lily's waist.

  Baker leaned forward to lick the tender inside of Tori's ear.

  Fallon turned to look back again, and Baker stopped, pulling the reins of the other horse to bring Tori's mother and sister close. "You let her keep bawlin' like 'at, I'm gonna cut out her liver and feed it to the coyotes."

  Her mother's lips compressed, her eyes filling with tears, then overflowing.

  "Mama—" Tori said, but broke off when Baker's hand went inside her bodice again.

  "You shut up, girl. All you need to think on is what's gonna happen to you tonight."

  "You made my mama cry!" Lily said.

  He pulled his hand out of Tori's clothes to shake a finger at Lily. "You're gonna do what I say, an' if you don't behave, I'll pull your teeth out. Now, you stop that bawlin' or I'm just liable to carve your liver out for them coyotes right here."

  "Don't say such things!" Tori said, shocked more by his threats to her sister than by his earlier crudity. He chuckled again.

  Lily's indigo eyes widened, but she didn't shed another tear. Baker turned his horse and trotted up toward the rest of the men, his arm firmly wrapped about Tori, with Lily and their mother bringing up the rear.

  Chapter Ten

  "Looks like they stopped here, at least for a while." Tom Sellers unfolded his six-foot-four-frame and stood from where he squatted beside the ashes of a campfire.

  Morgan nodded. "Had their horses picketed right here. But it looks like there was more of 'em than what we figured."

  "How many?" Sellers' head came up swiftly in surprise.

  Eaton dismounted stiffly and walked along the strip of ground where Fallon's men had tied their horses. After a moment, he stopped and lowered his bulk to the earth at the end of the row of tracks.

  "Here's Beckley's sorrel. Got that odd nick in the front right hoof on the outside." He shook his head and gave a low whistle, then looked back at Sellers. "I'd say there are twenty-four to twenty-eight, counting Beckley."

  "Do you see Turner's print in there anywhere, Jack?" Sellers asked. Frank's body tensed, waiting for Jack's response.

  Eaton shook his head and waved a hand dismissively. "Naw. He ain't caught up to 'em yet, not at this point."

  "Didn't make camp long here, either." Harv Jenkins observed. He sifted handful of ash sift from his fingers, dusting his palm on his pants as he rose from a squat to stand beside Tom.

  "Let's go, Tom," Travis said.

  Sellers looked up at the younger man and smiled faintly. "All right, Trav. Settle down."

  "Still headed due north?" Jenkins asked.

  Eaton nodded. "Yep. I 'spect if we chase 'em far enough, they'll run up into Missouri."

  Morgan's eyes were cold. "If they've killed Kaed Turner, they can run to hell and it won't be far enough."

  "You're right about that, Trav." Sellers mounted his horse. "You sure are right about that."

  * * * * *

  By the third day of Kaed's stay, Jessica could not stand being dirty one minute longer. She'd been afraid to leave him and Lexi, even for a quick fifteen-minute trip to the creek to wash. But that wasn't the only reason she hadn't gone down to bathe.

  What if the Choctaws were out there? She shook her head. Either way, she wasn't going to have any privacy-—at the creek or in her house. She wanted a real bath, with warm water.

  She wrestled the wooden washtub in and put it beside the fireplace.

  "Put it over here, Jessica."

  She spun around. "You startled me!"

  He gave her a slight smile. "Didn't mean to. I need a bath, too. If you put it over here by the bed, I think I can manage it." He grimaced as he shifted in the bed. "Wish I could help you. Maybe if I—"

  Her mouth opened, then shut, but no sound came out. Finally, she found her voice. "Kaed Turner, you are not getting out of that bed! Your bath can wait until you get your strength back a little better."

  Kaed held up his left hand. "Hold on, Jessi." There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm offering you the chance to sleep with a clean, sweet-smelling U.S. Deputy Marshal, and you're turning me down? That's gotta be better than—" he held up his hands, "—this." He quirked a dark brow, as if daring her to dispute him.

  She crossed her arms. "I can't argue that with you, Kaed. But, it would be foolish, at this point, for you to get up for a bath. Unless you're just determined to undo all my work, putting you back together."

  "I'll be careful."

  Jessica sighed and turned away from him as the water began to boil. She knew she wouldn't be able to talk him into waiting. She reached for a thick towel and wrapped it around the handle of the heavy cauldron, setting it on the floor. Then, slowly, she maneuvered the washtub the few remaining feet to the bedside, not meeting Kaed's eyes.

  She put the tub in place, then turned to go back for the water. She retraced her steps, careful not to slosh the scalding water from the iron pot. Breathing hard, she set it down close to the tub.

  Kaed reached for her wrist, grasping it, and she finally looked at him. The laughter was still there, dancing in the dark depths of his swollen eyes. "You go first, Jessi. I'll use your water." He lay staring into her eyes. Then, in a low voice he said, "Your skin is like peaches." His thumb traced a lazy patt
ern on her arm. "You're beautiful, Jessi." Her cheeks warmed, her heart racing at his words.

  "You know what's gonna be the hardest thing?" He went on, not waiting for a reply. "Keeping my eyes shut while you're close enough for me to reach out and touch. I think I'm getting stronger quicker than you thought."

  "Kaed, you—" She moistened her lips. "—you will be a gentleman, won't you?"

  "Me? Sure." Kaed's smile widened. "I mean, I have been so far, haven't I?"

  She surveyed him from under her thick, dark lashes. After a moment, she turned to lift the pot of hot water and pour it into the tub. "You haven't been strong enough to put it to the test. I guess I just felt safe."

  At her words, he turned serious. "Yeah."

  Jessica's head shot up at his tone, and their eyes locked. Did she want him to be a gentleman? She could tell he was wondering the same thing. But in the next instant, his lips slanted upward once more, and she knew he had sensed the ambiguity within her.

  "I told you, Jessica, you are safe with me. For as long as you want to be."

  She tore her gaze away from his compelling gold-flecked stare. "I need to draw some more water," she said, her voice sounding tight. She turned away from him to pick up the two buckets, and hurried out the open door toward the well. She was suddenly anxious to have the bath over, and she resented that. She had looked forward to this, and now—

  The Indians emerged from the trees at the creek bank like silent wraiths. They made no noise and sat like stone statues, watching her as she stopped in her tracks halfway to the well.

  She tried to gather her dignity about her like an invisible, protective cloak. She never got used to it, the unnerving way they appeared and then vanished. Jessica swallowed hard, her stare arresting Standing Bear's gaze and holding it.

  He rode toward her and stopped a few feet away, the warriors coming up close behind him. In his silent perusal, a flicker of amusement passed quickly through his ebony eyes.

  "You are well-named, Fire Eyes. Is there trouble here?" He glanced toward the door.

  "N-No," Jessica stammered. She pushed an errant strand of hair away from her face, following his glance. "The Marshal is alive and seems to be improving. He is very stubborn."

  Standing Bear nodded. "Like you, Fire Eyes." He dismounted and walked toward her. "Come. We will go inside." He motioned to one of the warriors and murmured something. The Indian lithely slid from his mount and took the buckets from Jessica, heading toward the well.

  The chieftain looked at Jessica expectantly. She turned and retraced her steps back through the front door.

  * * * * *

  As the door opened, Kaed made a swift grab for the shotgun beside the bed. He hadn't expected Jessica back so soon. He swore at the excruciating pull in his broken ribs from the sudden, one-handed motion, perspiration instantly sheening his face.

  Standing Bear stood wordlessly, a trace of wry humor in his obsidian stare. Kaed slowly lowered the gun and extended his hand, taking a deep breath as the pain abated.

  "Please, sir, sit down." Jessica touched the ladderback chair by the side of the bed.

  Standing Bear nodded and moved forward, sitting gingerly in the chair, as if it were a foreign object. He gripped Kaed's hand and forearm. "Wolf. You are healing?"

  Kaed nodded. "Thanks to you." He grinned. "You saved my life, again."

  Standing Bear made a dismissive gesture. "The woman did that."

  Kaed smiled. Before he could say anything more, the chieftain spoke again, this time in Choctaw.

  "Can you tell me what happened to my granddaughters, Wolf? Why did they kill them?"

  Kaed related the story to him in the same language while Standing Bear listened in stoic silence. When he'd finished, the chieftain rose from the chair. "We must kill all of them."

  "Yes," Kaed said. "And soon. Fallon said the girls were to be sold to a man named Pritchard. I'm wondering—the only Pritchard I know is a Federal judge." He shook his head. "Could be just coincidental, but in his position, he'd have the money to buy trouble and the influence to get out of it, should the need arise."

  Standing Bear nodded. "A man who would take children to his bed…"

  Kaed sighed. Quietly, he said, "I got there too late to prevent what Fallon's men did to the girls. I'm sorry."

  Standing Bear looked toward the door. "You tried, Wolf. You did your best for them. I thank you for not preventing White Deer from doing the thing she did." He paused, then continued softly, "She meant to keep her honor, and that of her sister."

  Kaed shook his head in remembrance, then met the chieftain's eyes. "If I had known what she intended, I probably would have stopped her." He passed his left hand over his face, and took a moment to regain his composure. "White Deer asked that I remember that she and her sister fought bravely in battle. I told her that I would."

  Standing Bear pursed his lips. "You are a good friend, Wolf. You did all that you could do. I am grateful. I owe you a debt."

  "No. You owe me nothing, brother. It's not what I would have chosen for any of us. The way it all came out." His eyes burned into Standing Bear's. "Did you kill Fallon?"

  The chieftain shook his head. "No. He escaped. But his band of men is much smaller now. We killed twelve of them. We carried the children back to our burial grounds and we buried the other lawman under the tree where they killed him."

  "Thank you." Kaed breathed a relieved sigh. He had thought of Beckley's body more than once, and in his nightmares it took on a deeper meaning. His own death had never seemed so close.

  "We must go now. Our scouting party has sent word that Fallon has stolen two other children and their mother."

  Kaed shifted and sat forward. "White or Choctaw?"

  "White. They killed the woman's man and boy."

  "Damn!" He slapped his hand down on the bed beside him in helpless frustration.

  Standing Bear smiled fleetingly. "We will find them, Wolf. We will see Fallon destroyed."

  "What of the captives?"

  The chief's gaze was inscrutable. "You know they will become our property when we kill Fallon and his men." His lips curved up slightly. "You do not agree with that, I know, because of your past. But you were well-treated during the years you spent in our camp. I promise you, they will receive much better treatment with us than with the man Pritchard. My warriors do not take children to their beds."

  Kaed kept his features impassive. "There will be other lawmen coming soon. They're friends."

  "You need not worry, Wolf. We will not harm them." His voice turned hard. "Not unless they try to take the whites from us." Rising from the chair, he changed the subject. "Fire Eyes is a beautiful woman. She has taken good care of you."

  Kaed nodded. "Yes. It was good that you brought me here." He paused before adding, "Although, it seemed like a long way to travel at the time."

  Standing Bear ignored his tease. "She needs a man. Some of my warriors have spoken that they want her, and there is no reason why one of them should not have her. Unless someone else speaks for her. One of her own kind. Someone strong enough to hold this land. Her husband was not such a man." He turned and started for the door, flinging Kaed one last glance. "Think on my words, brother."

  With a nod toward Jessica, he strode from the little cabin. The warrior who had helped Jessica with the water gave her a lingering look, then followed Standing Bear outside to the horses.

  Jessica crossed to the door and shut it. Restless, now, she walked to the window and lifted the corner of the curtain, as if to assure herself that they were leaving.

  As the hoofbeats died away, she turned to look at Kaed. "Well." She bit her lower lip. "Once again, they come walking in and out of my life." She smiled ruefully. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it. You and the chief certainly had a lot to discuss, Marshal."

  "Yeah," he murmured absently. Standing Bear did not make idle threats. Jessica could find herself the unwilling bride in a Choctaw marriage ceremony within the week. She would not accept
it, he knew. Her proud spirit would fight against it, then tire of the battle, finally giving in to the hopelessness of the situation.

  What did that mean for him? He had to ask himself some hard questions, and find the answers quickly. Jessica didn't realize it, but he held both of their futures in his bruised and swollen palm. What did she want? What would she choose? He tried to fill his lungs with air, but let his breath out slowly as the pain became too sharp. And why, suddenly, he wondered, did the decision seem to be one-sided? What did he want?

  You know, already, a voice chided from the recesses of his mind. Convincing her would be the hard part.

  Jessica removed the last cauldron of boiling water and poured it into the steaming tub, then tempered it with cold well water.

  She slowly raised her eyes to Kaed's steady look.

  "How're we going to do this?"

  At the look she gave him, Kaed realized one thing with a sure clarity. Jessica Monroe was not afraid of him. She was afraid of herself. He tried not to smile at that thought, but he couldn't help wondering what this night would hold—for both of them.

  Chapter Eleven

  The woman was dead.

  Fallon spat in the dirt beside where she lay, her blue eyes staring into heaven. The boys had gotten a little too rough having their fun. It was a damn good thing he'd ridden back into camp when he had. He remembered the way Blalock and Gilpen had been eyeing the two girls. It wouldn't have been long before they'd have done just what Mosely and the others had. Then he'd have been forced to kill them as well, and he'd have had to round up two more young virgins for Pritchard.

  Not an easy task. He'd been damn lucky to run onto these girls when he had.

  He walked over to where Tori and Lily huddled together, their cheeks wet with tears. He knelt down and put his hand on Tori's shoulder. The girl jerked as if she'd been branded with a hot iron.

  "What did they do to you, girl?"