Savage Conquest

by Janelle Taylor

  "I would have come by sooner, but I was busy with an interview. Miranda said she didn't leave you a note, but she had to go away for a while. She seemed upset, Mandy. What's going on between you two?" Lucas questioned, as if he didn't know about Miranda's plans.

  Amanda was frantic. Morning Star isn't ours any more. When she arrives, she'll be confused and distressed. She'll wonder why I didn't tell her. If she starts getting suspicious, she might learn everything. "Luke, can you go after her?" she entreated anxiously.

  "Go after her? Why? It isn't strange for her to visit there, but it's awfully strange that she wouldn't leave you a note or tell you herself. Did you two quarrel?" he asked, watching Amanda's reaction closely.

  "She's angry because of me and Web," Amanda told him.

  "Then it's true, you're actually going to marry him?"

  "I know you don't like Web, but Randy has no reason to be so spiteful. Are you planning to desert me too?" she asked sarcastically.

  "If you marry Web, I won't come around again, if that's what you mean. But I have a strong feeling that Randy didn't leave because of you and Web. Why are you sitting home instead of working? And why are you being so nasty to Reis Harrison?" he asked sternly.

  "Since when do you have the right to interfere in my private life, Lucas Reardon?" she snapped at him.

  "Since you seem to have lost your senses and appear determined to ruin it! Since you choose Web over Randy, me, and Reis! I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you'll regret it. I'm not going after Randy; she said she'd be home in three days. You don't have to worry about me intruding again. I'll be moving west soon."

  "Moving west? But what about me and Randy? You're the only family we have left," she shrieked, dreading his loss.

  "Soon, dear cuz, you'll have a whole new family. Weber and all the tiny Webers," he said coldly.

  "If you don't care about me, then what about Randy? You know she'll never come to live with us."

  "As soon as she returns, I plan to ask her to go west with me. You know how she feels about your mother's people, and I need her help."

  Amanda was staggered by that news. "You can't take Randy on such a dangerous journey! I won't allow it!"

  Lucas's voice became soft and compelling as he protested, "If she wants to go with me, you can't stop her, Mandy. Once you marry Web, there's nothing to keep her here. She wants to meet her grandfather and uncle. She wants to see what Indian life is all about, how your mother and her people lived. I'll protect her; you needn't worry. Besides, the Indian hostilities are under control. Nearly all the tribes are on reservations now; they can't even own guns. They've got soldiers and forts everywhere for protection. It's easy to get there-there are trains, riverboats, stages. It's been a dream of hers for years. Your parents were planning a visit this summer, remember?"

  "But why are you going out there?" Amanda asked.

  "It concerns that book I'm writing. Would you believe three of the most notorious Yankee leadersCuster, Sherman, and Sheridan-are assigned to the Missouri Division which includes the Dakota Territory? How's that for research luck? They'll be more willing to talk out there, little suspecting I'm an exReb out to extract the truth about them. This is a chance of a lifetime, Mandy. I'm not sure how I was selected for this assignment, but I'll be damned if I refuse it! Randy could use the diversion. Don't try to stop her," he coaxed gently. "Who knows, she might find her own true love out there, hopefully a Reis Harrison."

  "Why are you two shoving Reis down my throat! I have to marry Webl" she rashly screamed at him.

  "Why?" Lucas snarled.

  Cornered, she declared heatedly, "Because I love him!"

  "Like hell you do," Lucas debated, then stalked out of the house.

  Weber came by to visit briefly around six, just before the housekeeper was to leave. Amanda tried to act cheerful, but she was exhausted from chores. When Weber chided her for not leaving such menial labor to the servant, she smiled and told him it was good exercise and a distraction from her sadness. Then Weber asked about Miranda. Amanda claimed she was visiting friends in Boston. If Weber suspected she was lying, he didn't let on to her. He told her to get some rest and he would see her in two days.

  She looked surprised, so he explained he would be away on business. "If you have any problems while I'm away, contact McVane. I've hired him to manage both our firms while I'm gone. He'll be working out of your father's office. You rest, my dear; you're looking pale. See you in a few days." He stood up to leave. "Oh, yes." He turned back to add, "You don't have to worry about Harrison bothering you again. He checked out of the hotel and left town."

  "Did you two settle any business?" she asked, trying to sound calm. No wonder Weber felt it was safe for him to go away for days. Gone, her heart sighed painfully. And with McVane in her father's office, there was no way she could sneak in to go over the books again.

  "I guess he decided to leave the accounts with my firm, for now. Since his vindictive plot failed, he's probably gone off somewhere to sulk or to make new plans. I'm glad you didn't see him again, Mandy. The men on the docks and in the warehouse have been teasing me about seeing you there with him. Give Randy my regards."

  Amanda suffered through a lingering kiss, then waved farewell from the front porch. Had Weber been trying to tell her he knew about her times with Reis? Did Web truly think Reis would show up here again? Sometimes Weber could be so damn cockyl Suddenly Amanda wiped her lips. How could she ever make love to Web when a simple kiss turned her stomach?

  Her heart ached. Her parents were lost to her forever. Reis was gone. Luke was leaving soon, perhaps taking Randy with him. By now, Randy was learning of their loss of Morning Star, the plantation that bore their mother's Indian name. When Randy returned, she would demand more answers. Was it too late to tell the truth? Reis was gone, and she didn't know where to locate him. And even if she found him, would he care or listen?

  If they lost the townhouse and business too, could she find some way to survive without selling her soul to Weber? If she sold her jewels and anything not mortgaged, would there be enough money to live on after she repaid Weber? Besides Luke, there was no family or home to run to for help. Pride would demand they seek another place for a new beginning. What kind of decent work could she and Randy do? What would happen to them? She had read and heard so many wicked things about working women, about their vulnerability and abuse ...

  Amanda paced the carpet in her bedroom until she could have screamed from tension. As if to drive herself into mindless slumber, she downed two glasses of Irish whiskey taken from her father's private stock. Clad in a silky nightgown of azure blue, she threw herself upon the bed to ease her spinning head. She hazily scolded herself for drinking on an empty stomach.

  As her mind drifted like a cloud, she had the strangest sensation that hands were binding her arms and legs. She felt as if she were being wrapped in a blanket then carried from her room. From a distance, she heard the clicking of boots as they descended the steps. Cool air wafted across her cheeks, then warmth covered them. She tried to force her lids open, but she was too tired to expend the energy. She was clasped against some firm object, and strong arms were protectively encircling her body. Comfortable and limp, she snuggled against the warmth of the object, then inhaled his manly odor and murmured peacefully, "Reis ..."

  The man looked down into her sleeping face, asking himself why she had called that name as he gagged her tempting lips. Soon her little game would be overl

  Miranda sat in the swing which hung from a towering tree, swaying back and forth as she sank into deep thought. The trip to Morning Star had been uneventful, but her visit was anything but dull and tranquilizing. Now that she was here and making odd discoveries, she didn't regret coming. But without her parents and Amanda, it was lonely and cold. The longtime servants couldn't seem to relieve the melancholy mood of their deceased employer's child. They had tried to clear up her somber mood and calm her anxiety, but instead they unknowingly increased the
m. They told her how much the plantation had prospered, which pleased her immensely. They asked what would happen now that her parents were gone, but Miranda couldn't tell them. She revealed that her sister was considering marriage; if it took place, Miranda would come to live here.

  Tomorrow, the overseer had promised to take her on a tour of the entire plantation. He wanted her to inspect the replanked barns, to meet the new workers and speak with old ones, and to see how he was rotating the crops. Miranda didn't know anything about crops, but she could meet the workers and view what she and her sister owned. Clearly, this plantation was beautiful and valuable. Her father had always made certain the majestic ante-bellum mansion was in excellent repair. Without her family, the house seemed enormous and formal. Perhaps she could persuade Amanda to sell the shipping firm, refuse Weber, and move here to begin a new life.

  Earlier in the day, Miranda had made several disturbing discoveries. The overseer had told her he had been instructed by Daniel McVane to send the monthly reports to Weber Richardson, and Weber had made two visits out here. Worse, Weber had been hinting to him about a probable sale of Morning Star.

  Miranda tried to recall the overseer's words. Weber had Mister Farley making full reports on each area of the profitable plantation. The money was being transferred to Daniel McVane, their lawyer. Why had McVane failed to mention these enormous profits during their recent conference? He had made it sound as if the plantation had been steadily losing money since her family's last visit a year ago! Had McVane been misinformed or had he deceived them?

  Since Weber had made two visits, why hadn't he corrected McVane's errors? Something funny was going on, and she was determined to discover what it was. It was a wild idea, but what if Amanda had uncovered some crime against them when she checked the books? And what if she was being threatened into marrying Weber? No, Amanda wouldn't agree to such evil even to save her life! But what if Weber and his unknown cohorts had threatened those Amanda loved: herself, Luke, and Reis! Amanda would do anything to protect them, even sacrifice herself to a demon like Weber.

  Luke and Reis kept hinting that Weber was sly and dangerous. Blackmail would explain Amanda's irrational moods and her reluctance to confide in her sister. That would clarify why she was refusing to talk to Reis. And her sudden surrender to Weber's proposal! Why else would she take Weber, a man who couldn't even walk in the shadow of Reis Harrison! A bright and daring female like Amanda wouldn't lose the man of her dreams over a silly dispute; she would fight for him and demand an explanation for his behavior. She must have found something in those books to terrify her, to entrap herl

  Miranda decided to send Lucas a telegram the next day, using the code which they had worked out long ago as a childhood game. Reis and Luke could do some snooping on their end while she remained here a few more days to see what worms she could unearth.

  Amanda dozed for two hours in the warm embrace of her abductor until a violent storm began to pelt her face with raindrops and to saturate the blanket and her gown. She shivered and stirred, confused by her surroundings and predicament. She was bound and gagged! Held securely by powerful arms, she was being taken away on horseback by a black-clad villain! She assumed she was having a nightmareand struggled to awaken. Finally, she was forced to comprehend she was being kidnapped, wrapped in a sopping blanket and a flimsy nightgown!

  She squirmed to sit up in the man's arms, but he wouldn't allow it. The wet blanket clung to her body. She moaned and thrashed her head, unable to speak. She was helpless and nearly nakedl Wet curls clung to her cheeks and forehead. Who was doing this to her? Why? Terror filled her and she shuddered.

  Aware she was coming around, the man slowed the horse to a walk. He pushed back the hood to his rainslicker and his black hair was soaked instantly. Beads of water dripped off his chin and nose. When lightning flashed across the heavens, her eyes became large circles as she viewed his face and the implication of this scene. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart started thudding heavily.

  White teeth gleamed in the next flash of lightning as he grinned down at her. Reis roguishly vowed, "I said you can't marry him, love."

  Amanda simply stared at him. She wondered what he was planning to do with her. Web said that Reis had left. Obviously, he had been lurking in the shadows until he was given a chance to abduct her. If Reis wanted revenge on Weber, would he kill her before letting Weber marry her? His cunning seduction had failed; now what?

  When she ceased her futile struggles, Reis grasped her around the waist and set her up straight across his lap. He tenderly brushed the wet curls from her face then smiled and caressed her cheek. When she tried to turn away from his piercing gaze, he held her chin firmly.

  As Reis observed her ever-changing emotions, he told her softly, "There's no reason for you to be afraid, Mandy love. I only want to talk with you. Since you refused to see me and hear me out, you left me no choice but to force you. If it takes all day and night, we're going to settle this matter. If you refuse to explain yourself by then, I'll hold you here until you relent. No tricks, no lies, and no silence, woman. Right now, I don't care about Weber's war crimes, only about you. I can promise you won't be harmed by me, and I'll take you home as soon as you tell me why you suddenly rejected me and agreed to marry him. Hellfire, I won't lose you without knowing why. "

  As her eyes narrowed and her teeth clenched beneath the gag, defiance and fury glittered brightly in her lovely blue eyes. Reis knew this wasn't going to be easy, but he did have some tricks up his sleeve. "We'll beat the cabin before dawn; then I'll untie you and remove that gag. But if you try anything, I'm not adverse to giving you a good spanking. In fact, you need one," he warned playfully.

  The look in her glittering blue eyes shouted, you wouldn't dare! He chuckled and replied, "Oh, yes, I would, love. You are the most exasperating and infuriating female alive. It's about time you started using those brains and wits again. If it takes a good spanking to bring you back to life, then I'll be most willing to provide it," he declared arrogantly.

  Amanda's chest vibrated in heavy respiration. She glared at the smug devil, wanting to claw his handsome face. She wiggled frantically in his arms until he warned, "Be still, or I'll drop you in the mud."

  That threat called an immediate halt to her thrashing. "That's more like it. It's nearly morning; get some sleep. You'll soon have the privacy and opportunity to severely tongue-lash me." He laughed mirthfully as they rode away into the stormy streaks of predawn.

  Within an hour, he reined in the animal at a grove of trees. He slid her bound feet to the mushy ground, then agilely dismounted. He tied the reins to a tree, then scooped her up in his arms. Amanda kicked wildly, wanting to walk. Clutching her tightly, Reis laughed again, heading for a cabin in a small clearing. Although it was raining noisily, she could hear the rush of a nearby stream. She didn't know where they were, but it was secluded, and intimidating.

  Reis placed her bare feet on the wet dirt while he unlocked the door. He carried her inside, kicking the door closed behind them, and deposited her at the entrance. Af ter lighting a lantern, he turned and eyed her intently. She almost appeared comical, entrapped in the blanket with silvery blond curls dripping water. If this situation weren't so serious, he knew he could easily burst into hearty chuckles.

  Unable to move, Amanda stood there, shaking from cold and suspense. Removing his rain gear and tossing it over a chair, Reis pulled a knife from a sheath at his waist. He came toward her. Amanda wanted to back away in fear but couldn't.

  When he witnessed her reaction, he sighed in frustration. "I'm just going to cut the ropes, Mandy. Be still. We need to get you dry and warm before you take a chill."

  It wasn't the knife which alarmed her; it was the beguiling grin on his face. When he removed the confining blanket, she felt naked in the wet gown which clung revealingly to her curves. He squatted to cut the rope around her ankles, then stood to sever those on her wrists behind her back. The moment-her feet and hands were mobi
le she struck at him with both, wishing she knew how to fight like Miranda and those skilled Chinese. How dare he bring her here alone, bound and barely coveredl What if someone saw them? Not having removed her gag yet, she berated him with muffled curses.

  Reis captured her hands, then flung her to the bunk and pinned her beneath him. "I do believe you're aching for some discipline, love. Behave, or I might forget you're a lady and I'm-" He didn't finish that statement. It was too soon to say, I'm the man who loves you. "Settle down, and I'll build a fire and fix coffee. Deal?"

  When she didn't nod, he slipped the gag down to her neck and insisted upon her answer. "Is it a deal, love? A truce?" His rain gear had been of little service; he was just, as soaked as Amanda. His wet garments molded to his hard frame; that view and their contact made her too conscious of his virility and appeal.

  Distressed by her attraction to him and her helpless position, Amanda screamed at him, "You sorry son of a-"

  Reis's hand clamped over her mouth, denying the crude word to come forth. "Instead of a spanking, I might wash that mouth out with strong soap. Better still, I might do both! As soon as you get warm and dry, you're going to do plenty of talking. You owe me, love."

  When he removed his hand, she shouted, "Owe youl I owe you nothing, Yankee! Get off of me! Take me home this instant! Are you too dense to know kidnapping is a crime? Or too wicked and arrogant. to care?"

  "You're a bright girl, Mandy. That means you should hear all the evidence before taking sides on a vital issue. Stop actirglike a spoiled brat and listen to me!"