The Prospect: The Malloy Family, Book 10

by Beth Williamson

  “Did ye get it?” Declan repeated.

  Jo leaned her forehead against his broad back. “Yes. It is dead.”

  “Thank God.” He pulled up on the horse’s reins and slowed it to a trot.

  She tried to swallow the tears, but they spilled through her closed eyes, hot and salty on her cheeks. Her body shook with the sobs she would not let loose. She had to be strong, to chalk up her murderous act to survival. Yet she had killed a beautiful, deadly creature, one whose only crime was its very nature.

  Jo was torn between relief and grief. They would not have to worry about the menace from that particular wolf, but the bear was still out there, plus any other number of dangers. With the beauty and magnificence of the West came peril.

  Declan slowed the horse until he finally stopped. The sounds of nature continued around them, as if there weren’t a bloody carcass a mile behind them. She focused on breathing in and out, barely noting he took the gun from her hand.

  “Thank ye, lass.” Declan’s voice was rough. “We owe you our lives.”

  She blew out a breath and sucked in another before she could speak. “I killed it.”

  “Damn right ye did.” He slid off the horse and dragged her down into his arms. If she weren’t shaking so hard herself, she would have thought he was trembling too. She clutched at him, moving as close as possible without crawling into his skin.

  The horse moved away, presumably to munch on grass nearby. Jo didn’t care. She was in pain, both inside and out, and right then, being within his arms was the only thing keeping her in one piece.

  “I need you.” Her ragged plea cut through the still air.

  “Ah, darlin’, I need you too, so I do.” He kissed the top of her head. “More than I should.”

  “Now, Declan. I need you now.” She reached for the buttons on his shirt and his hands landed on hers.

  “Do you think it’s—”

  “I am not thinking at all. I want to feel. Make me feel good.” She desperately wanted to feel his heat, his body, his life force.

  Declan hesitated for a split second before he sighed. “I cannot refuse you, love.”

  He cupped her behind and lowered her to the ground, lying on top of her in one graceful movement. The whisper of the blades tickled her ears as she settled on the ground. She breathed in—the smell of the earth and his scent filled her. Jo spread her legs and wrapped them around his hips, bringing her aching core against his hardness. Her breath hitched as pleasure zinged through her at the contact.

  His mouth found hers and she lost herself in a kiss. They weren’t the sweet, hot kisses from their first joining. This was one of aching need, healing and life. She lost herself in the warm depths, her tongue danced and rasped against his. Jo pushed her breasts against his chest, shamelessly rubbing her nipples.

  He growled low in his throat and pushed his hardened staff against her, picking up a rhythm as though he were already making love to her. It drove her to distraction. She had to feel his flesh against hers.

  “More.” She barely recognized the word as it burst from her mouth.

  As the sun set around them, the rich oranges and reds led to deep purples and grays. He looked down, his blue eyes in shadows but she saw anyway.

  “I love you, Declan.”

  He shook his head and kissed her softly. “God help me, I love you too, Josephine.”

  “Make me feel, please.” She scratched at his back, the elemental force within her taking control of her body. To her surprise, she pulled up her skirt until her drawers showed, the slit open and ready for him.

  Declan fumbled with his trousers until she felt his cock brushed her thigh.

  Yes, this was what she wanted. Needed.

  “Please.”

  He slid into her slick folds, slow and deliberate. She grasped handfuls of the tall grass, crushing it in her hands. He pushed farther in, seating himself fully inside her. Declan’s breath gusted path her ear, raising goose bumps. They paused, joined together in heart, body and soul. She tightened her muscles and he groaned, so she did it again.

  “Aye, lass, it feels good.”

  He thrust in and out, slowly at first. The sweet friction sent frissons of pleasure through her, making her want more, crave more. She pulled her knees up, opening herself wider and deeper. He sank into her, filling her with his hardness. She yanked grass out and reached for more, gripping him as her body met his every move.

  Liquid heat rolled through her. She counted every breath, every heartbeat, every caress of the breeze. Her body was sensitized to the extreme, every nerve ending vibrated. A coil tightened inside her each time his cock entered her channel.

  Tighter, tighter, tighter still.

  “Come with me, Jo. Now.” He kissed her, his tongue tangling with hers. It pushed his pelvis against hers, rubbing her button of pleasure enough to send her over the edge.

  She spiraled out of control, muffling her scream against his mouth. His big body stiffened and he found his own release deep within her. She held onto him, kissing him until she didn’t know where she ended and he began. His scent, their scent, perfumed the air.

  Jo broke the kiss and smiled at him. She could finally breathe again, made whole by joining with her man. This was what was important, being with him, beside him, with him. She brushed her thumb along his grizzled cheek.

  “Thank you.”

  He chuckled. “You are the oddest woman I’ve ever met.” Then he grinned and lay on his back beside her, staring up into the deepening twilight sky together.

  Jo let loose the grass she had demolished during their lovemaking and rubbed her hands together. “Are we going to stop for the night or keep traveling?”

  “After that, I think we’re going to rest a wee bit. I could use a bit of food to get my strength back.” His teasing made her smile.

  “How far do you think we have to go?” She had no concept of distance without city blocks to guide her. That would have to change soon if she were to survive in the Wyoming territory.

  “Not sure if that horse trader was telling the truth or not. If so, then it’s twenty miles. If not, then we could be in Kansas.” He sat up and glanced around. “There’s a group of rocks over there we can use for shelter. I’ll get some wood for a fire if you try to round up the horse.”

  Declan rose and left her in the soft grass, her body still throbbing from release. She managed to sit up and brush the dirt from her hair and hands. There was work to be done and lollygagging was not the method to accomplish it.

  Chapter Nine

  Declan didn’t sleep well, his mind tumbling with thoughts. They had almost died again, out here in the wild. If he couldn’t protect her, what kind of man was he? A fucking wolf had died at her hand. A wolf! There were none of those creatures roaming around Five Points—other evil creatures did with sharp teeth and murderous intent, but they didn’t have fur.

  It certainly wasn’t the last wolf in the territory, nor would it be the last time they were in danger. Declan’s gut told him Drummond and Parker were out there, still hunting them. A confrontation was inevitable and he damn sure needed to be prepared. If only they hadn’t lost so much in the river. He hoped Malloy had ammunition and weapons to use. If not, Declan would find a trading post or a rancher willing to trade golden eagles for his stash of weapons.

  Jo snuggled closer, her leg thrown over his under the one bedroll they still had. He had almost lost her so many times. The woman was like a cat, coming up time and again when death knocked on her door. It was uncanny how she survived, using only her book learning. It humbled him to think she had been the one to save herself. Men were supposed to be the strong ones.

  Yet she was as strong as he was, perhaps stronger on the inside. And she was so smart it made his head hurt. Declan knew he wasn’t dumb, but he couldn’t read or write and numbers never made sense to him other than money. That was the only thing he ever learned to count. He never went to school. His education was on the streets of New York, written i
n blood and counted in lost lives.

  Here they were, somewhere under a blanket of stars so thick and deep they seemed to go on forever. It was as if they were in a dark room and someone had poked billions of pinholes in the walls, just enough for light to come through. The stars winked and sparkled in the blackness, giving him the idea someone was up there sending him a message. What that message was, he could only guess.

  Jo started to snore, and he had to slap his hand over his mouth to smother a chuckle. It was a ladylike snore, soft and wheezy. It made him want to wake her up and make love to her all over again. Yet she was still recovering from being sick, nearly drowning and running for her life. She’d made a fire quickly using a couple of rocks, explaining that the sparks flew when they clapped together. The horse followed her around like a lovesick fool too.

  He stuck his nose in her hair and breathed deep. She smelled faintly of flowers, of earth and of that unique scent that was Josephine. He drifted off into a restless sleep holding the woman who held his heart.

  Sometime later, when the gray light of dawn bathed the sky, Declan awoke in an instant. The fire had long since burned down to a smoldering pile and the cool dew had settled on them. He strained to hear what had awoken him.

  A shuffling in the grass there, to the left. He eased out from beneath Jo’s body and got to his knees, gun already in his hand. Declan would be damned if he let any animal hurt his woman again. Seconds ticked by, sweat trickled down his back, his hand tightened around the gun. He could count his heartbeat in the stillness of the morning.

  There it was again. He crept forward silently, making use of the tall grass to hide his progress. The sound grew louder, more pronounced. Behind him, Jo murmured, but he ignored her, intent on finding whatever it was before it found them.

  A ball of fur burst through the grass and landed on him, licking at his face until he grabbed it by the nape and held it at arm’s length.

  A goddamn dog.

  “What is it? What is happening?” Jo stomped toward him. “It sounds as though… Leon? Is that you?”

  The dog wagged its ugly tail in greeting. Jo knew this filthy mutt?

  “Let him go, Declan. This dog belongs to my sister.” She knelt beside him and scratched the dog behind the ears, much to its canine delight.

  Declan gladly let it go. The thing probably had fleas and left the sour taste of dog on his face. He had all he could do not to spit. Instead he rubbed his face with his sleeve, ridding himself of most of the slobber.

  “Leon, pour quoi sont vous ici? Hm? Où est Francesca?”

  He’d never heard her speak French before, but it did strange things to his equilibrium. It was the most arousing thing he’d ever encountered. Holy hell.

  “We must be close to their ranch if Leon is out here. Perhaps he can lead us there.” She got to her feet and threw her arms around Declan’s neck. “We made it!”

  “Not yet, lass. We still need to get there, and don’t forget Drummond and Parker are unaccounted for.” He hated to see the light dim in her pretty brown eyes, but they needed to remember it wasn’t over yet.

  “You are correct, of course. I was so happy to see Leon.” She kissed him hard, then turned back to the dog before he could do more than be surprised. “We should eat and get moving. Leon can lead us.”

  Declan wanted to do more than let Leon lead them, but he didn’t want to wish the mutt away. She was right—the dog could lead them to Malloy. It could also lead them in circles. It was better than following along blindly hoping they would stumble onto the right path. Declan swore he would learn how to navigate this land, no matter what.

  After a pitiful breakfast of berries and some kind of leaves Jo swore weren’t poisonous but tasted like they were, the hodgepodge group set off. The dog kept an eye on the big horse while Declan walked beside it.

  “Prenez-nous à Francesca, Leon,” Jo called happily from her perch on Apollo. “Take us to my sister!”

  Declan’s stomach gnawed at his backbone while his feet groaned with another day of running beside the great beast. He hoped they were closer than the estimated twenty miles. Given the dog was not very big, he couldn’t have wandered too far from his mistress. Although his fur was raggedy, the dog was well fed, so he hadn’t been away from the Malloys long.

  The morning passed quickly, the dog bounding to the left and right, then returning to run beside him. It was an odd critter, with eyes that almost poked into his soul, deep and disconcerting.

  The sun rose high in the sky, bringing with it the summer’s heat. The clouds kept it away some days but not today. No, not when Declan was hauling his carcass across uneven ground inches away from breaking something. Sweat poured down his skin, making his eyes sting and his mood foul. If the damn dog was leading them nowhere, he would wring its scrawny neck.

  “We are no longer following the river. It ended, so I assume Miss Sam’s instructions were accurate.” Jo shaded her eyes and looked again. Neither one of them had a hat anymore, just to make their situation worse. No protection from the sun at all. Damn river had taken every bit of what they had, leaving them with only enough not to starve.

  The dog barked and ran ahead, a brown blur of fur streaking across the ground. Declan swung up onto the horse behind Jo and spurred Apollo into motion.

  “Don’t lose that dog!” he shouted. They raced along behind the barking critter, which was surprisingly fast as hell.

  Jo leaned into the wind, giving Declan a clear view of the land ahead. The dog disappeared into tall grass, his head popping into view every few seconds. Declan kept his eye where he last saw it and kept riding in a straight line hoping like hell the thing would reappear.

  “There he is.” Jo pointed to the right where the dog was happily jumping up and down in front of John Malloy. “I can’t believe we found them.”

  Declan was glad to see the man, but not to see the rifle he had up against his shoulder pointed right at them. He slowed the horse to a trot then jumped down, taking the horse’s reins.

  “John!” Jo waved her arms as she leaned forward on Apollo as far as she could without falling off.

  Malloy lifted his head and the nose of the rifle dropped. He likely couldn’t see Declan yet and he sure as hell didn’t want his head blown off. No doubt the other man was used to not trusting strangers to appeared on his land, as well he should be. Declan walked the horse toward him, giving the man plenty of time to see who they were. The last thing they needed was to get shot.

  As they drew closer, Malloy dropped the gun altogether. “Jo?”

  “Yes, it is Josephine!” She glanced down at Declan. “Can you help me down?”

  Against his better judgment, he pulled her off Apollo’s back. She winced as her feet hit the ground, but she smiled at him.

  “I am so thrilled we found them.” To his surprise, she kissed him hard and then turned to run toward John.

  Declan followed her at a slower pace, intrigued to see how John and Francesca would take the news of their fake marriage. His heart grew heavier with each step. He had known a day of reckoning would come, when their happy but false life would end. That day had come.

  Josephine smiled broader than she had in her life. Seeing her brother-in-law made her giddy with happiness. After all she and Declan had been through over the last month, it was amazing they had found her family.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Jo?” John pushed back his hat. “And what are you doing with Callahan?”

  Declan walked up behind him with the horse. The dog jumped around in circles, barking happily.

  “Shut up, Leon.” John did not use the French pronunciation of the dog’s name. It made Josephine smile wider.

  “Are we near your home? I have missed Francesca so much!” Jo looked at the horizon but saw no buildings.

  “Before we go anywhere, I’m gonna hear this story.” John nodded to Declan. “I asked you to look after my wife’s family, not kidnap one of ’em and drag them halfway across the Wyoming t
erritory.”

  “It is not like that, John. Declan saved my life more than once. Besides, he is nearly my husband.” She held up her hands. “It is a long story and it starts because I grew sick.”

  John’s jaw tightened. “Then we best get back to your sister and sort this mess out.” He jabbed a finger into Declan’s chest. “And you’d best have a good goddamn story to tell.”

  Jo looked between them. She didn’t understand the male creature and its need to posture around others. It was part of the anthropology of man, yet she hadn’t spent enough time studying it. Now she had to muddle her way through—not her preferred method.

  “How far are we from your home?” Jo was anxious to see her sister, to eat hot food and to wash the layers of dirt from her body. It was selfish, but she couldn’t help the thoughts.

  “About five miles or so. Leon and I were hunting and we followed the trail of a buck. It’s dumb luck we were even here.” John’s blue gaze bored into hers. She had a feeling he was full of questions and she wasn’t sure she had the answers he expected to hear. “You have one horse, without a saddle?”

  “We lost the gray gelding to a wolf.” Declan patted Apollo’s neck. “Bought this one along the way.”

  “A wolf? Jesus Christ. We’d best be on our way so you don’t have to tell the story more than once.” John turned and started walking away. “My horse is over yonder in the trees. Let’s move.”

  Jo struggled to keep up with her brother-in-law as he stomped across the ground. Declan mumbled behind her, the big bay following. The dog jumped around, chasing bugs and field mice. The only sound was their feet and hooves hitting the ground. The silence was uncomfortable and Jo’s happiness waned.

  They arrived at John’s horse and he jammed the rifle into the scabbard hanging off the saddle. He frowned at Jo again. “You planning on riding that horse or walking it like the dog?”