Reckless River: Men of Mercy, Book 3

by Cross, Lindsay

  “Yes, it is.” Jared let go and bent down over the bag, pulling out the small blanket she’d folded neatly inside. “Wrap this around your shoulders. If we move fast, it’ll help keep you warm.”

  Only Sparrow didn’t accept the blanket from him. From the way she stood there staring at him, biting her lower lip, he knew he wasn’t going to like her next words. “I can’t go with you.”

  21

  Please understand. Please understand. Please understand.

  Jared’s expression had been so agonized when he hung up the phone. He was scared to death for his brother, and she thanked God that Hoyt was okay.

  But he wanted to get back as soon as possible, and Sparrow couldn’t do that. She couldn’t abandon Squirrel to Jimbo. She had to make Jared understand that as soon as she did, she would return to him.

  Jared let out a sigh, but he didn’t budge. “You and I both know you’re going to come with me, so take the blanket.”

  “I want to come with you, but I have to go home first. I have to stop Jimbo. I think…I think he’s fixing to kill Kay and take over the mountain. Then he’ll kill Squirrel.” Saying the words out loud unleashed the shiver she’d been holding back. Squirrel was the only father she’d ever known.

  Jared’s expression of resignation disappeared and he all but snarled at her. “Don’t fucking say her name. You know what she did to me.”

  Fighting the instinct to take a step backwards, Sparrow closed the gap between them, tilting her head back to stare at the man who was stealing her heart. She caught her breath at the stray thought. Was it possible to fall in love so fast?

  But you met him all those years ago. He was the boy you rescued.

  “Jared, I know. And it disgusts me too. It’s not her I’m worried about. It’s Squirrel.”

  Jared flinched and she laid her hand on his chest.

  “He’s a grown man who can look out for himself. If he’s really in trouble, he can go to the police.” His expression was fierce and she knew it was out of concern for her this time.

  “You’ve been gone a long time, but there ain’t no law on Crowe Mountain. The only law is made by Miss Kay.”

  “Enough,” he roared flinging her hand from his chest. “I can’t stand to hear her name again. And I don’t care why you want to go back, I’m not letting you leave. You’re coming with me whether you want to come or not.”

  Pain exploded inside her chest. How could he talk to her like that after what they’d shared? “Please try to understand. I swear to you I will come back to you. All I need is enough time to warn her. I owe that much to her.”

  “I don’t care what you think you owe that monster. You’re coming with me.” He made a grab for her, but Sparrow jumped back and cried out.

  “You think I trust you to come back? Do I look like an idiot?”

  Sparrow stumbled back, a huge ache burning in her chest. “What do you mean? Last night…”

  “Last night was just sex. Don’t think that you can use your body to try and control me. I’m not that stupid.”

  Every word was a bullet to her heart. Agony coursed through her veins, curling her fingers and toes. She felt a wild hysteria bubble up inside her. She’d given herself to him completely, wholeheartedly, but he had only been using her.

  No, not him, she assured herself. He’s just saying those things to be mean and hurtful. Her heart refused to believe what her mind was telling her. “I may not be as experienced as you are, but I know last night was more than just sex. You felt it too.”

  “Wake up, little girl. You should have listened to the old man’s advice. I had you seduced from the first moment I saw you.”

  It took every ounce of her power not to crumple to the ground. He was telling the truth. What had been the most amazing, life-changing moment of her life had been nothing more than a planned attack on his part.

  “Why?” Her voice was whispered and broken but she didn’t care.

  “Why else?”

  And suddenly his words from the previous day came crashing back into her mind, destroying her. He’d told her hadn’t he? He’d told her he would use her body, just like a whore, and that she would succumb to him.

  “Oh, God.” Sparrow shoved her hand into her mouth to hold the sob back. He’d taken her virginity and turned her into her worst nightmare. A whore. A slut who’d begged for his touch.

  Her thoughts whirled as out of control as an explosion in the coal mines, and she felt her heart collapse within her chest. Although she remained upright, there was a gaping hole inside her. The tears threatened to fall form her eyes and she hated that he saw that weakness in her.

  He took a small step toward her “Sparrow?”

  She had no defense against him. No defense but her knife. If he thought she was a monster, then she’d show him what a true monster really was. Sparrow ripped her knife out of her boot and held it in front of her, ready to attack. “No!”

  Jared’s gaze hardened. “Drop it, now.”

  “Stay back.”

  “All you’re doing is convincing me that my brother was telling the truth.”

  “I’ll make you regret this, Jared Crowe. “

  He lunged and she dove sideways, tucking into a roll before lunging back up on her feet. The move repositioned them so that she was on the side of the woods and Jared stood at the entrance to the cave.

  “You and I both know you won’t make it. Hell, if it weren’t for me, you’d be dead right now.”

  “Oh, I’ll make it all right.” Sparrow pulled the knife back and took aim. “And you know if it weren’t for me, you’d be dead too.”

  Jared tensed. The moment he sprung, she threw her knife straight at him and took off running.

  *

  Jared ducked. Still, the blade grazed his cheek and he felt warm blood trickle down his neck. He took off after her with a roar, crashing through the woods like a man possessed. She’d gotten a small head start on him, but not nearly as much as she would’ve if the knife had sunk into his flesh as she’d intended.

  The hill sloped sharply down and he watched as she flew through the woods, pumping her arms faster and faster. She was going to kill herself if she didn’t watch out. “Sparrow!”

  She didn’t break pace, so he zigzagged behind her, dodging tree limbs and rocks. She jumped over a fallen log like she had wings on her feet. And he followed.

  She wouldn’t get away from him. He wouldn’t let her. He had to have her, had to keep her with him until he knew the truth. Jared forced his breathing to slow, calming his heart. He’d pursued plenty of criminals before, and this should be no different.

  He pushed himself harder, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, efficient like a machine. Closed the gap between them until he could practically reach out and grab her hair.

  Sparrow glanced over her shoulder and cried out. She banked left, trying to throw him, but he was ready for her feint. Jared pounced and tackled her to the ground, making sure to roll beneath her so that he took the brunt of the fall.

  Sparrow struggled in his grip, scratching and kicking. Jared locked his arms around her and simply squeezed until she stopped struggling.

  “Let me go,” she screamed, making one last half-hearted attempt to escape his grip.

  “Never.” His words must have fueled her. Sparrow managed to rip one arm free and throw a punch. Jared cocked his head to the right, so her knuckles only grazed the ridge of his jaw. He shackled her wrist and flipped her over, pinning her beneath him. He shoved her arms to the ground above her head. “Stop it, dammit. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Too late for that,” she spat. She glared up at him with venom, but he could also see the pain lurking beneath the anger.

  A drop of his blood dripped from his face onto hers. “You threw a knife at me.”

  “I don’t usually miss what I aim at.” Sparrow struggled again and he leaned the full weight of his body into hers, effectively cutting off all movement.

 
“So you were trying to kill me then?”

  “No, I don’t kill people. Just wound.” Their faces were inches apart. Her hot breaths fanning his face from exertion.

  Against his will, Jared felt his cock rise to the occasion. “Obviously. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here in the first place.”

  She’d shown him just how effective she was with a knife. The doubts he’d had about her abilities to hurt his brother grew thinner. And then there was the fact that she was struggling so wildly to get back to her family, the same family who had nearly destroyed him and Hoyt. “You used me.”

  Guilt slammed into him, but he ignored it. She needed to understand that she was coming with him whether she liked it or not. And the last thing she needed from him right now was sympathy. “You mean you used me, don’t you? You took me prisoner first. You tried to seduce me for information first.”

  “But I let you go.”

  Jared placed his face directly in front of hers. “Don’t expect the same from me.”

  “I hate you.” Maybe if she’d screamed the words it would’ve been better, but her whisper was full of loathing and pain. Her aim struck true and he jerked back, giving her precious space to wiggle free of his grasp. He had seduced her, but not to use her. The need he’d felt for her had been too strong to ignore. It was like she’d taken control and he’d been helpless to stop it.

  Sparrow rose to her feet and he followed. He needed her almost more than he needed to breathe, and yet he couldn’t trust her. Not yet. Maybe never. He had to get to his brother. Had to find out the truth. And so help him, if she really had been the one to torture Hoyt…

  “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Jared reached down and pulled the rope from his bag. “It’s going to make for a long journey together.”

  Sparrow stared at the rope and shuddered. Then she shocked him to his core by walking back to him, her gaze wary. “No rope, Jared. I can’t take it anymore.”

  He studied her, watching for the slightest indication that she was lying. “I can’t trust you not to run.”

  Sparrow held out her wrists and he saw the raw wounds from before, wounds he’d given to her. She squared her shoulders and looked him dead in the eye. “They hurt.”

  If she’d acted defeated, or submissive in the least, he would have thought she was lying. But Sparrow was a fighter. She was only showing him that his actions had consequences. Shit. “Okay. No rope. But you walk in front of me, no more than a foot at all times.”

  She graced him with a nod and dropped her hands. “Fine.”

  His gaze wandered back to her wrists again. Fuck. He couldn’t leave her like that. “Hold on, I’ve got some ointment and bandages.”

  Jared dropped the rope and squatted to dig through his bag. “I’ll need to wash the scrapes first.” Where was his disinfectant? He finally located it and stood. Sparrow had made her way to the edge of the small clearing. “Don’t,” he said, the word simple but full of warning.

  “You used me.” Sparrow eased a foot back. The hill sloped down sharply behind her. If she weren’t careful, she would tumble down the side of the mountain. She’d been nearly unconscious last night, so she hadn’t seen the steep incline.

  “Sparrow, stop now. You’re going to fall and kill yourself.” Jared tensed, ready to launch after her.

  “I’d rather be dead than be with you.” Her words cut him like the knife she’d thrown earlier. Only this time, it hurt much worse.

  “Don’t be stupid. You almost died last night. You and I both know you won’t survive out here. Not now. Not like this.” Dressed in his T-shirt and those panties.

  “You know nothing about me and what I can and can’t do.” Sparrow lifted her chin. “And now you never will.” She took off down the steep slope without warning, her blonde head disappearing.

  Jared dropped everything and ran after her. The slope was littered with rocks and small tree sprouts. Sparrow dodged them all, zigzagging down the hill, picking up speed as she went. Jared accelerated after her, doing his best to dodge the obstacles in his path, vowing with every step that he’d tie her up and never free her after this. She was totally unreliable. She continued to take his weaknesses and use them against him.

  They were about halfway down when Jared leapt forward and made a grab for her. Sparrow looked over her shoulder and squealed. She ducked left, barely missing a tree limb to the throat. Jared’s heart plunged into his stomach at the thought of what might have happened.

  “Sparrow!”

  She glanced back again and that was all it took. Her foot caught and she tripped, her momentum throwing her down hill. He watched in horror as she threw her hands over her head and was flung across the harsh terrain. Jared ran faster, harder. He had to stop her. Had to save her.

  The bottom of the hill approached at high speed. Down there, the trees grew thick and large. If she slammed into a trunk going this fast, her bones would break. Adrenaline fueled his legs and Jared gained on her. She looked like a rag doll being thrown down the mountain. Almost there. He could practically reach her.

  Bam! Sparrow hit a small tree and rolled sideways. Her arms went around her stomach, but her body kept going. Jared’s heart pounded hard in his ears, drowning out everything else. Faster. Get to her.

  Sparrow slammed into a boulder next, and the huge rock stopped her completely. Jared raced to her side. She didn’t move.

  The seconds it took to reach her seemed to stretch into hours. Jared ground to a stop and dropped to his knees. Sparrow lay on her side, her eyes closed and blood running down her face from a wound on her temple. Jared leaned back on his heels and roared with fury. Too much. The last few days had been too much.

  His brother. Sparrow. The mountain. Miss Kay. His mind seemed ready to explode.

  His hands shook as he checked her for broken bones. Fuck, he was losing it. She was his punishment for failing to protect Hoyt. This dangerous, confusing woman he could not trust but could not stop thinking about. Jared gently rolled her to her back and lifted her shirt, wincing at the bruise forming on her hip. At least the fall hadn’t crushed her ribs.

  He had to pull on all of his training to keep focus. He’d been in situations a million times worse without losing his shit, but this slip of a girl was fast stealing his discipline. Jared swept her whole body, checked her pulse. Everything looked fine except for her head wound. A goose egg had already popped up on the spot where her head had been struck. Jared took the edge of her shirt and gently dabbed at the wound, cleaning as much of the blood and dirt away as he could. When he finished and closely inspected the wound, he relaxed. She would have one hell of headache when she woke up, but she would wake up.

  And then he would tan her ass for scaring him to death.

  22

  A while later Sparrow awoke, her head throbbing. An ache that was made worse by the fact that Jared had slung her over his shoulder and was currently traipsing down a steep hill.

  The day’s events rushed back to her, and a surge of helpless anger hit her. He’d used her. And, gullible fool that she was, she had fallen for his charms.

  Just like that time the Crowe boys had dared her to jump off that tree limb and swing from a high rope, she’d fallen hard. Only this time she hadn’t broken her arm; she’d broken her heart.

  Now her hands were bound behind her back and she was helpless. Helpless and alone with the most powerful man she’d ever encountered. A man who wanted her to suffer because he blamed her for doing something she hadn’t done.

  If her situation weren’t so perilous, she would laugh. Her whole life she’d spent perfecting this tough-girl persona. She was legendary in these parts for her skill with the knife. Could throw farther and more accurately than anyone within a hundred miles, and now the very person she had fought so hard to create—to become—would be her downfall.

  Fate was cruel.

  Jared stopped and she realized they had reached the river’s edge. There was his boat, tied to a fallen tree.

  “I kno
w you’re awake. I’ve got to set you on your feet.” Why was his voice so gentle? And why was he bothering to warn her? He could just dump her on the ground. Then he bent forward and eased her feet to the ground before slowly standing beside her, holding onto her arms so that when the wave of dizziness crashed over her she didn’t crumple.

  As soon as the world stopped spinning, and her head stopped pounding so hard that she couldn’t see straight, Sparrow glanced up at her captor. He lifted a hand to her face and she instinctively flinched away. Some emotion flickered across his eyes then disappeared. He finished the action, gently brushing the hair back from her temple. “You got a nice goose egg there, but I think you’ll be okay. How do you feel?”

  “Like my head met the wrong end of a rock.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile, causing a small flutter in her chest. Damn the man. He wanted to punish her for a crime she hadn’t committed, and here she was thinking about how nice his lips looked. Idiot. She had inherited more of her mother’s DNA than she’d originally thought.

  “I’m going to lift you into the boat, and it would be in your best interest not to struggle.”

  His boat floated a little ways out from the shore, and she could just see herself sinking to the bottom of the river, hands bound behind her back, drowning in three feet of water. No thank you. She would escape, that was a foregone conclusion. It was just a matter of when and a matter of how. “I’m all yours, sir.”

  Jared smile disappeared. Good, let him stay mad, she wasn’t about to stroke his ego.

  “You should remember your life is in my hands now. You should play nice.”

  Sparrow fluttered her lashes and gave him a smile. “Of course, anything you want, sir.”

  Jared growled and scooped her up. “Wildcat.”

  Sparrow didn’t bother to answer, because he had no idea just how wild she could be. He stepped off the bank into the river and she tilted precariously to the side, but her only choice was to rely on his strength to keep her out of the water. Not that she couldn’t swim if her hands were free. “Be careful!”