The door was pulled to an angle which allowed the men to remove their masks without Calinda seeing their faces. She dared not risk learning their identities, just in case the leader kept his word.
Later, she was given food and water by the masked leader. After she ate, she was bound again. Her headache was lessening by the hour. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
When Cole came to check on her, her steady respiration told him she was resting peacefully. He stood beside the bunk for a time, staring down at her. She was very beautiful. Her skin was fair and unblemished. Her hair sparkled like a roaring blaze. Her eyes were as green as spring grass. Her lips were the kind which drew a man’s eyes to them. The tip of her dainty nose turned up slightly. Her voice reminded him of sweet music. How had Cardone captured this fragile creature? Why had this lady married a man like Lynx Cardone? Maybe Little Red was right: no family, no money, no home. But Little Red was a thorn in the side to be removed very soon.
Cole dashed aside tuggings of fierce desire for her. For some crazy reason, he liked her. She was spunky and bright. But if he laid one hand or lip on her, Little Red would punish her for tempting him. The minute his back was turned, Little Red would be maliciously handing her over to his men for their pleasure.
Cole wondered if it was time to send Little Red down another path, a separate one from him and his men. Little Red had proved valuable to his gang, but was getting cocky and demanding. Cole didn’t like anybody infringing on his leadership and manhood. If Little Red could be dumped before this job was over, perhaps…
He shrugged his shoulders and left the room, closing the door. He and his men played poker and drank until late, then turned in.
In Dallas Saturday morning, Major Jones sent one of his Rangers to fetch Lynx at the hotel. He was pacing the floor when Lynx arrived, an uncommon action for the steely-nerved and calculating man. Lynx noted this curious behavior, then asked, “Trouble, sir? I was packing to leave for Waco. I shouldn’t be far beind Bass and his men.”
Jones halted his wanderings to meet Lynx’s steady and probing gaze. “You recall that suspicious incident with your wife recently?”
“You mean that phony letter and Lampasas?” Lynx asked. Why was Jones bringing up that matter again? They hadn’t been able to come up with any logical explanation or additional clues. Since Lynx had left home, he hadn’t even been allowed to write or telegram Cal, to avoid giving away his location. Jones had hinted she couldn’t come chasing after him if she didn’t know where to look.
“Evidently someone did lure her there, but not to find Braxton.”
“You know something I don’t,” Lynx hinted warily.
“A telegram came for me last night, but wasn’t delivered until this morning. Your father wanted me to locate you and send you home. Does that mean he knows all about you?” Jones questioned calmly.
Lynx sighed heavily and nodded, giving his reasons for confiding in Rankin. “Is it that important, sir? He’ll keep it to himself.”
“I’m not worried about Rankin, Lynx. It’s your wife.”
“My wife? What has she got to do with this? Father wouldn’t tell Cal anything about me and my work,” he said confidently.
“Calinda’s been abducted by outlaws. They want $50,000 by Monday. Do we let your father handle the ransom? Or do we send you home?” Jones waited patiently for that fact to settle in.
That news was like a perfectly landed blow to a tender gut. Fear, alarm, and fury attacked Lynx. “Was she injured? Do they know who’s involved?” he inquired tensely.
“No. You think you should take care of it?” Jones asked.
Lynx almost shouted, Are you loco! Nothing could stop him! “Even if Father pays the ransom, they might not release her. I’ve got to head home, sir. Maybe I can ferret out the snakes. If she’s harmed, I’ll track them down and kill ’em,” he vowed coldly. “I’ll head for Waco the moment she’s home safe.”
By noon, Lynx was riding hard for the ranch, fear his companion. He halted only once: to eat, flex his muscles, and rest Star. He fretted over who had taken Calinda and worried if she was all right. No doubt she was as furious with him right now as she was terrified. As he drank from his canteen, his keen senses heard a branch snap behind him. In one flash of action, the canteen was tossed aside, he had whirled around, and his gun was in his hand. A challenging bullet whizzed past his shoulder; his gun quickly answered.
The man howled and struck the ground, then writhed in pain. Lynx waited but a moment before going over to the fallen back-shooter. When Lynx shot or killed a man, he wanted to know who and why. He searched the man’s pockets, finding a handwritten note. He read it, then stuffed it into his pocket. He would deal with the contents of the note later; right now, time was short and imperative.
Blood was flowing from a chest wound on the cutthroat. The man was groaning in pain, pleading for help from the very man he had tried to murder. “You’ll get help after you tell me who you are and why you tried to kill me,” Lynx snarled. “If not, I’ll stand here and watch you bleed to death.”
Lynx’s nerves were taut as he heard the man relate his tale. At one point, the man decided to keep silent. Lynx booted him in the ribs, demanding his answers. The man grimaced in agony, but stubbornly refused, appearing afraid to reply. Lynx pulled his large knife and declared he was going to give the man a few more wounds to increase his bleeding and suffering.
The man related the facts, sensing Lynx meant what he said. By then, the man had lost a great deal of blood and was very weak. Lynx was all too aware of his fleeting time. Should he leave this filth here to die, or should he carry him back to Fort Worth to the doctor? If he patched him up and left him, the man might miraculously survive. If he took the time to find the doctor or sheriff, it could be too late for Calinda. The man probably wouldn’t survive the ride.
Lynx withdrew his father’s urgent message and read it again. This was late Saturday; Calinda had been taken yesterday morning. The ransom was due Monday—that gave him one day to ease his father’s worries, to get the whole story from him, and to save Cal. Lynx wasn’t usually a man without mercy or sympathy, but too much was at stake. This man had tried to kill him, just to rob him. His decision was unavoidable. He gritted his teeth and mounted up, leaving the outlaw to die there.
As he rapidly covered the dusty trail, he kept thinking about the first time he had met Calinda Braxton Cardone. Clad in a red gown, she had appeared part woman and part child. Even when he sought every chance to steal even a blissful moment with her, his duty was always coming between them, tearing them apart without even an acceptable excuse. From that first meeting, he had instinctively known he must change drastically to win her. A gunslinger and a lady, the words flashed across his mind. He grimaced in wry humor; it was as if he were being compelled to surrender his silver spurs to gain a lady who had innocently worn red satin on a fateful night. Was the trade-off worth it? Yes…
As Lynx raced to rescue his love, he was consumed by worry, fear, and anger. He kept thinking, what will I do if anything happens to her? His tormented mind refused to even guess.
Chapter Thirteen
Calinda was slipping in and out of light slumber when she sensed someone near her. She forced her mind to clear and her eyes to open. The bandit leader was propped lazily against the wall near the bunk, one ankle crossed over the other, his arms folded over his chest, his mask securely in place over the bridge of his nose. His sparkling sapphire eyes told her he was grinning beneath that red bandanna.
Cole shoved himself up and walked toward her. Calinda shrank away from his approach. He saw her fearful response and halted. “No need to be afraid, Calinda,” he coaxed playfully.
“You kidnap me, terrify me, threaten to kill me—then say I shouldn’t be afraid?” Cal disputed skeptically, her gaze detecting a lean and hard physique beneath those dusty and snug garments.
“I didn’t know if I should let you sleep or wake you up for breakfast. Hungry?” he asked, hun
kering down beside the bunk.
Calinda’s eyes flew to the window. The sun was shining brightly. It was morning! “What time is it?” she asked, sitting up.
“About ten, Why, are you going some place?” Cole teased.
“That’s very amusing,” she scoffed angrily, glaring at him.
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll be leaving me soon.”
Calinda wondered if that was disappointment in his voice. “Have the Cardones agreed to pay the ransom?” she asked, sounding doubtful.
“I gave them until Monday noon to get the money together.”
“If they refuse?” Cal speculated, eyes misty.
“Why would they refuse?” Cole reasoned confidently.
“They might. That’s a great deal of money, and they haven’t known me very long,” she answered.
“From where I stand, you’re worth it,” he said too warmly.
“Maybe not to them,” Cal disagreed. “If they refuse, will you really kill me?” she questioned seriously.
Cole’s eyes narrowed in deep thought. “I suspect you married Cardone for protection and security. But why did he marry you?” he boldly questioned, watching her startled reaction which implied, how did you know that? Cole was intrigued when she actually blushed.
“I married him because he asked me. Why else?” she sneered.
“But why did he ask you?” Cole pressed the proud beauty.
“You abducted me for money, not my life story,” Cal parried his too nosy question. “When will you know if they accept your terms?”
“One of my men will bring their answer tomorrow night. If all’s set, they’ll be told where to leave it Monday. I’ve got two…men watching the trail and town to prevent a double-cross,” Cole responded. “You’re afraid they won’t pay, aren’t you?” he challenged.
Her flush deepened. “If they can get the money, they will,” Cal stated, but her tone and look belied her words and confidence.
“Where’s Lynx? When’s he expected home?” Cole demanded, his tone insinuating close knowledge of her mysterious husband.
Calinda looked out the window. “I don’t know. His father said he was away on business. Could you open the window? It’s stuffy.”
“What kind of business?” Cole continued, pushing up the sash.
“Something about buying new bulls,” she answered. “Do you know Lynx?” she abruptly inquired.
“How long has he been away?” Cole asked another question, to her dismay and rising tension. “When is he returning?”
“He left the day after we…” She caught her foolish slip and changed it, “after he settled some business at the ranch.”
“You mean, the day after you married him, don’t you?” he astutely challenged, his curiosity piqued. “Some marriage,” he sneered.
Calinda wanted to hide when her face went crimson. “I need to be excused. May I go to the little house?” she asked.
Cole gazed at her turned head. Why would a man leave his bride of one day, if he loved her? Could Lynx Cardone love any woman? It wasn’t a secret he normally avoided them. Maybe his father had selected this girl for a respectable wife. Maybe old man Cardone had used some hold over Lynx to force their marriage. If so, Cardone might pay for her return, but Lynx might not…Perhaps it was best Lynx wasn’t home. Just maybe those two had trapped this girl. That could explain her fear of them not paying. If Lynx refused to meet his terms…No, Lynx wouldn’t let anyone take his property, whether he valued it or not. This sweet little game would serve two purposes: victory over Lynx and plenty of money. He smiled…
Cole went to the door and told his men to cover their faces. He came back and untied Calinda. She swung her legs off the bunk and rubbed her chafed wrists, remarking on the rope’s excessive tightness. Cal followed him to the wooden out-house. After warning her against recklessness, Cole stopped a short distance away. As she relieved herself, Calinda peeked out cracks in all directions to assess her surroundings. Her predicament didn’t look good.
She returned to Cole’s side, wincing as she tested the injury on her forehead. “Still hurt?” he inquired as if honestly concerned.
“It throbs when I move. Why am I so dizzy and weak?” Cal asked, setting her plans into motion. If they felt she was disabled, they wouldn’t expect her imminent actions.
“He cracked you pretty hard. Let me look at it,” he said, removing the bandage. Cole studied the swoller area which presented a small cut, reddish blue color ing, and dried blood. As his gaze lowered to hers, his hands propped on his hips. “Should heal nicely.”
Her right hand lifted slightly, then went back to lock with the other one. “Why didn’t you jerk off my mask, Calinda?”
She blushed and lowered her head. Cole grasped her chin and lifted her head, drilling his blue eyes into her green ones. “Well?”
“I remembered what you said about surviving if I couldn’t identify you and your men. I was just wondering how an outlaw looks.” To disarm him and win his sympathy, she related the stage hold-up incident.
“And you believed me?” Cole queried strangely, eyes alert.
“I don’t have any choice. I pray you’ll keep your word.”
“I will, Calinda, unless you force my hand.”
“What if…” Again she halted. “I’m hungry. Do prisoners get to eat around here?”
Cole guided her back to her confining room, then brought the food prepared by one of his men. Cole didn’t like the way she was getting to him, so he left the room. As Calinda ate her meal, she pondered this perplexing and dangerous episode. She had better keep quiet and remote from now on; that bandit leader was getting too friendly. He was mistaking her desperate attempts to save her life as flirtation. She had unwisely thought a man would have more trouble slaying a friend or someone he had gotten to know. But her scheme might go awry. He was developing a gleam in his eyes which troubled and frightened her. He wasn’t feeling sorry for her; he was feeling desire for her. When would this Little Red arrive and prevent problems?
Supper came and went, with dusk on its tail. As the hours slowly crawled by, Calinda became panicky. Her fate would be settled in less than two days. She had already decided she wouldn’t plead for her life, nor offer this outlaw any bribe to spare it. If he attempted anything before killing her, she would fight him to the death.
What troubled Cal most were the two men in the next room. They were becoming restless and rowdy. They had been playing cards and drinking for most of the afternoon. Several times their leader had entered her prison to chat with her, annoyed when she rebuffed his company and conversation. The last time, two hours ago, he had snarled, “Don’t talk, little lady, some things don’t require it,” then stalked out and slammed the door.
Suddenly the door opened slightly and the bandit returned. Alarm filled Calinda when he strolled over to the bed and sat down. He stared down at her, the expression in his eyes concealed by the darkness in the room. Her face was illuminated by the light from the other room, her fear plain to Cole. “What happened to all that trust, Calinda?” he asked, his voice blurred by whiskey. “Why this sudden freeze?”
Tears glimmered on her lashes. “Please go away,” she whispered.
“What if I say no?” Cole fenced watching her terror mount. He shifted to light the lantern on the table by the bed.
“You promised…to return me safely,” Cal reminded him.
“Did I say that, Callie?” he taunted mischievously, trailing the back of his rough hand over her smooth cheek.
“Yes, you did,” she replied, her voice strengthening.
As he casually let his finger drift over her quivering lips, Cole murmured, “Well, I tell you what, Calinda Cardone; if I get that money, I’ll set you free just the way I found you. If not…”
Cole placed his finger against the throbbing pulse on her neck. When Cal tried to move away from his touch, he chuckled, placing his hands on the bed on either side of her, causing him to bend forward. “You know, you
’re a very beautiful woman, the best I’ve seen. If I don’t get paid with money, I might think of some other way for you to buy your freedom. We’ve still got another whole day to become good friends.” His meaning needed no further clarification.
“Don’t waste your time or energy,” she vowed softly, her voice quavering, her respiration erratic. “I’m not a saloon harlot.”
“Your life’s worth lots of Cardone money, but nothing else? I’m sure my men will demand some kind of reward if the Cardones refuse payment. Course, my men don’t bother good friends of mine. Think we can become good friends, Callie?” he asked, stressing “good”.
“I’ll let you know at noon Monday,” she bluffed him to stall for time, to keep him away from her as long as possible. She recalled the two missing men, knowing she would have five to deal with on Monday.
He chuckled smugly. “Then we’ll talk at noon, Callie,” he surprisingly agreed. He stood up, stretched, and headed for the door. At it, he hesitated to say, “I’ll leave this open, just in case you get a wild notion to test my patience and temper. But I hope you won’t.”
Cal snuggled her face into the pillow, tears rolling down her cheeks to be absorbed there. She would never come out of this alive. Lynx probably thought she had been raped and abused by now. He wouldn’t want a ravished wife back in his arms. Even if they did pay for her release, it would never be the same between them. They had begun their relationship with a stormy breach between them, one which had widened with time.
Calinda kept remembering that odd letter; it couldn’t have been from this gang, for she hadn’t been a Cardone then. She reflected bitterly on the locket and Lynx’s mysterious life. How could they ever find love, happiness, and trust when he kept so much of his existence and self from her? Maybe she was just a pleasing convenience.
Her gaze aimlessly shifted to the window, then froze abruptly, her lips parting as she inhaled in astonishment. Lynx! He lifted a finger to his lips and shook his tawny head to signal her to silence. Was she dreaming? Hallucinating? How had he found her in this den of outlaws? What if they caught him? Her warring emotions ceased to battle within her; her painful relections halted their keen study. Resentment and anger fled as she stared at the man so near to her.
First Love Wild Love Page 26