by Deanna Jewel
He pulled her close and his voice roared in her ear, “You’ll have your bath, bitch! I’ll be more than happy to help wash away the remains of your Indian lover so I can use my merchandise!”
Kate stumbled as he yanked her from the tent, head first by the hair. She screamed aloud and grabbed his forearm to prevent her hair from being pulled from her scalp. The rapid beat of her heart sounded in her ears, nearly as loud as the trapper’s voice had.
Taima! I need you!
Scared, yet angry to be continually treated in this manner, Kate stumbled along in the dark, the trapper’s fist still clenched in her hair. She wondered how such a change could have come over her situation. Her stomach churned at the thought of what she might have gotten herself into this time. He’d probably drown her in the cold river.
* * * * *
Waiting like a stalking wolf, Taima stood in the dark within a dense patch of trees with Ahanu. He watched the traders drink around the glowing fire pits as their boisterous laughter carried through the night. The exceptionally humid night, made the bandages around his waist warm and itchy. Though the night made it hard to see, Taima scanned the men for the Blackfoot he hoped was still in the vicinity. The man would pay for leaving him for dead!
A woman’s familiar scream drew Taima’s attention. His body tensed as he clenched the handle of the sheathed knife at his side. Glaring through the darkness, he saw a burly trapper dragging a woman past other tents and fires.
Kate!
Taima took a step forward to help her, and Ahanu touched his forearm. “He will kill her for sure if he sees you. We must wait for the right time.”
Ahanu pointed ahead of the trapper. “He means to take her to the river. Let’s go this way,” Ahanu said, and turned from Taima.
He followed Ahanu as they skirted around the encampment. His heart beat faster the closer he got to Kate. Surely, knowing her as he did, she must have angered the man somehow. Although he’d be glad to see her, he’d tan her hide for whatever she’d done to warrant this trapper’s behavior.
Voices drifted on the heavy night air as Taima closed in on the couple near the water’s edge. He stepped careful, not making a sound, then crouched near a group of tall sagebrush with Ahanu beside him.
The trapper still held Kate’s hair while he gripped her free arm. “You’d better think again, woman, if you assume I don’t have plans to use the merchandise I paid so high a price for. Your last Indian lover must have wanted to keep you bad. He raised your price twice.”
Hearing the trapper’s words, Taima swallowed hard and drew his blade, wishing the Blackfoot were here. How many times had he forced himself on Kate during their journey? Taima would make sure that Blackfoot would never enjoy another woman...Indian or white.
Knowing what Kate must have endured brought back Taima’s raging memories of hatred toward trappers for what happened to his wife and mother. This trapper had just stated his own intentions toward Kate, and Taima planned to put a stop to it. He’d leave this trapper for the grizzlies to fish from the river further downstream.
Just as Taima started to lunge forward, Ahanu grasped his upper arm. “Someone comes.”
Taima turned toward two drunken men as they called out to Kate’s tormentor.
“We thought you might need a few extra hands to restrain that wild white woman of yours. Are you sure she wants a white man after those savages she’s had?” Their laughter echoed across the meadow.
Taima looked at Ahanu, whose fingers dug into Taima’s arm. Ahanu shook his head, and Taima reluctantly heeded the warning.
“Once I’ve scrubbed their sweat from her milky flesh, I’ll show her what a white man can offer. Can’t wait, can you, bitch?”
A pause cut the air and Taima squinted in the dark to see what the trapper might be doing now.
“You two go on back to your party. I don’t need any help gettin’ my own party started...now git!”
The two men meandered back to where they came from, and Taima’s gaze moved back to the trapper.
“Let’s have this dress. You won’t be needin’ it anyway,” the trapper growled. “I don’t plan on you wearing anything at all for a while.”
“No!” Kate screamed.
Taima could barely see them in the dark, but knew Kate struggled.
“Please...don’t do this . . .” she cried out, her voice stabbing like painful arrows into Taima’s heart. He squeezed his eyes shut, but that only made the torturing images worse. He snapped his eyes open in time to see Kate’s doeskin dress being thrown aside.
“There...get used to it! I might as well join you, darlin’.” He tore off his own clothes, using one hand, while the other held Kate’s wrists, then he dragged her toward the water by her hair, wading in with her.
Knowing the splashing and sloshing of water would cover any noise he made, Taima pulled loose from Ahanu and moved forward like a sleek mountain lion. He glanced back, making sure Ahanu followed.
Taima watched the trapper’s back, then quietly waded into the water. Obviously, the other man assumed they were alone, never lending a thought they might be interrupted.
Kate continued to slap against the man’s bare chest. “You’d be wise to hold still and quit strugglin’. In time, you’ll be used to my touch. Or do you want it a little rougher, like them savages gave you?” The trapper tried to kiss Kate, but she still screamed. “A dip underwater might take some of that fight outta you.”
As the man bent forward and immersed Kate’s naked body, Taima grabbed him around the neck and shoulders. The trapper stood, released Kate, and grabbed Taima’s arm that wrapped his shoulder. Holding tight to his victim, Taima pulled his knife across the front of the man’s neck, his blade quickly slicing through flesh and bone.
Warm liquid seeped onto Taima’s arm. The man gurgled, his head fell back, and his arms dropped to his sides. As his body went limp, Taima tossed him sideways into the water away from Kate.
Taima’s chest heaved from the struggle and his heart pounded. Revenge never felt so good. He bent to wash the blood from his arm.
Kate screamed again.
More water splashed.
Ahanu struggled with her while she beat his chest with her fists, likely thinking he was another captor. To save his friend from a beating, Taima grasped Kate’s upper arms and spun her around. Too late did he realize his mistake, for she began hitting him.
He gave her a shake. “Woman, will you never stop!”
Immediately her movement ceased.
She stared up at him, her eyes glistening in the dark, her lips parting.
“I would think you could at least say thank you for saving your life.”
He waited.
Kate’s cold, wet hands gently cupped his face. The touch of an angel. A touch he craved, yearned for, needed, to sustain his life.
“Taima?” she murmured, her voice just above a whisper. “It can’t possibly be so.”
She touched his brows, his cheeks, and his lips. Then suddenly, she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her naked body against him, her bare breasts flattening to his chest. He held her close within his embrace, molding her body to his, sending her warmth into him.
Kate pulled his head toward her. She cried and touched her soft lips to his. Taima swallowed her sob, his tongue pressing past her lips to sweep the sensitive flesh of her mouth. Anxiously, her tongue danced with his, creating a slow heat that moved through him.
Taima caressed the curve of her lower back, her soft backside, and the cool skin of her shoulder as he held her tight. Lost in her nearness, his fingers threaded through her wet hair while he deepened the kiss that he never wanted to end.
Ahanu cleared his throat.
Taima broke the kiss, pressed Kate’s cheek to his chest and rested his chin atop her head. He looked at his friend, who held out Kate’s dress. Taima reached out, took the dress, and Ahanu politely turned toward the shore.
“Do you want to put this on before we e
scape, or would you like to go the way you are?” Taima asked Kate. “I prefer this way, if it matters.”
Heat spread through Kate’s body as she realized Taima held her naked against him. “Oh, my God! I have to find my dress.” She struggled to be released. “Let me go.”
“You mean this one?”
“But how . . .”
“Ahanu went ashore for it. Though I hate to cover such beauty, let me help.” He held the dress over her head as Kate placed her arms into it, then let it slip down her body.
She glanced at Taima one more time, unable to believe she wasn’t in some beautiful dream. His black hair cascaded over his bare shoulders. The vivid memory of her breasts pressed against him heated her cheeks. She reached out and touched the warm, contoured muscles of his naked chest, which moved slightly beneath her fingers.
“Someone comes again,” Ahanu whispered.
Kate spun around to see two dark silhouettes coming toward the water.
Chapter Thirteen
The cold water rushed past Kate’s thighs as she stood in the stream with Taima and Ahanu. “What if they see us?” Kate whispered, glancing toward shore, then back to Taima. Shivers of fear rippled through her at the thought of being taken by the trappers and warriors who had leered at her this morning.
Taima gripped her shoulders. “They know the trapper brought you out here in the water. You must scream and fight me to make them think you’re still out here with him. Now scream once and slap the water. Ahanu, get behind us.”
She did as Taima asked which drew the men’s attention. “We came to see if you needed our help, but it sounds like you have things under control out there. When you’re done, do we get a chance at her?”
Instantly, Taima’s fingers dug into her flesh. “Owww!” she whispered.
Even in the dim gray of night, Kate could see Taima’s jaw clench at what the men intended. “Scream and fight again,” he murmured to her.
Before she could follow Taima’s orders, the men on shore called out to them. “Tomorrow, we’ll pay you for her,” then without another word, they turned back toward camp.
“Scream.”
Kate did as Taima instructed, hoping she convinced the trappers while Taima splashed water as if they struggled. Her heart pounded in her chest, worried someone would discover the three of them before they had a chance to escape. She glanced toward shore, her eyes wide and hopeful. The men’s laughter drifted across the water as they continued on their way.
Taima’s cool hand grasped hers. “This way.” He easily pulled her through the cold, thigh-high water, and she followed without hesitation, glad to be getting away. Moving with the swift current made walking easy, though the stones were sharp against her bare feet.
Upstream, barely visible in the dark, the trapper’s naked body floated ahead of them. Kate took a deep, steady breath, attempting to alleviate her anger after what the vile man nearly accomplished. Serves him right!
Her gaze held fast on Taima, and he turned to look at her. His strength seemed to pass through his eyes and through his hand where it held tight to hers; his fingers engulfed her hand and gave a comforting squeeze. “He won’t bother you again.”
Kate wondered if the trapper reminded Taima of the men who had killed his wife. The thought sickened her; it could only increase his hatred of the white man. She prayed he wouldn’t turn his hatred on her when this was all over.
Taima tugged on her hand. “We must hurry before they figure out what’s happened.”
“But I’m barefoot and these stones feel like they’re cutting my feet.”
Before she realized what action her words would prompt, Taima picked her up into his powerful arms. “No! You’re hurt. You’ll only rip open your wound again,” she said, squirming.
His hold on her body tightened. “Stop wiggling, woman. You will do more damage than my enemy already has,” he stated.
Kate stilled, not wanting to injure him more. Silently, she allowed him to follow Ahanu downstream, then onto shore near a copse of pine trees.
The cold air against her wet legs made her shiver. “I can walk.”
Taima continued on as though she hadn’t uttered a word, and strode into the dark, dense woods. Kate spotted three horses tethered to a nearby tree. The animals snorted as they approached. Ahanu quickly untied them and handed Kate a pair of braided, leather reins after Taima set her on her feet.
Taima touched his side.
“That wasn’t wise. I could have carried her,” Ahanu scolded.
Kate detected the annoyance in Ahanu’s voice and wondered what had passed between them. She’d have to ask Ahanu later when they were a safe distance from Taima’s ear, but now wasn’t the time.
She searched the shadows around them for intruders, listening for the snap of a twig, but hearing only the sound of her heartbeat in her ears. Should they be discovered trying to escape, Taima and Ahanu would be killed and she’d be easy prey for every man there.
Kate flinched when Ahanu touched her shoulder. He only meant to direct her toward the horse, yet those who had accosted her this past week had unnerved her senses. Ahanu assisted her up, and she turned toward Taima. His dark figure leaned forward atop his horse.
Ahanu stepped next to him and the two began to argue, but she couldn’t hear the words.
Taima touched his side again, then glanced at his hand. Though the darkness hampered her view, she was sure fresh blood covered his fingers.
Kate’s breath caught in her throat. His wound obviously wasn’t healed enough to be chasing after her, let alone carry her through the swift-moving water. Worried, she bit her lower lip between her teeth. Kate feared for the amount of blood he must have lost as he lay on the ground when she thought him dead. For them to arrive here so soon, neither he nor Ahanu could have gotten much sleep.
Taima suddenly slumped against his horse.
Quick to react, Ahanu caught Taima’s shoulder before he slipped to the ground.
Kate gasped, covering her mouth as she met Ahanu’s glistening gaze. She hadn’t meant to make a noise, but now worried someone else may have heard her. Her rapid breathing kept pace with her heartbeat as she watched Ahanu climb up behind Taima to support him.
Ahanu’s horse still stood tethered to the tree. Nudging her horse over, Kate untied it and looped the reins around her hand to trail behind her. She would follow Ahanu to wherever he led them in the dark, not giving a care, as long as it was away from the men at the rendezvous.
Low branches made her duck to avoid being hit, but she kept her eyes on Taima and Ahanu. Squinting, she could make out Taima’s slumped form in Ahanu’s arms. When she thought he had died the first time, she’d been devastated. She prayed for his survival. If he hadn’t tried to carry her, he’d be fine right now. But he’d been the stubborn one this time and it could cost him his life. Damn him!
Kate gnawed at the inside of her cheek. Taima would need to rest, perhaps two or three days, in order to regain his strength. Ahanu must have found Taima the day he was attacked. She wondered how he even had the energy to search for her. And for as often as she argued with him, why had he even bothered? A wave of warmth washed over her, like that at the healing waters, as she realized how overjoyed she was that he’d found her.
Shifting her weight atop the horse, she peered behind them again. Her eyes scanned the shadowed meadow they now traveled, a misty fog making it nearly impossible to see. The smell of sagebrush hung in the thick, still air.
Ahanu had led the way for hours. Kate wished she would have at least stolen a few blankets. The cold night chilled her to the bone and made her shiver. She thought of Taima. If he came down with a fever, he’d need to be kept warm, and Ahanu had used his shirt for binding. How would they accomplish that without blankets?
She clenched her teeth against the chatter, knowing the next few days could prove disastrous for them, but especially for Taima, leaving her alone for good next time. She glanced ahead. Taima still rested unconscious in Ah
anu’s arms. The shadows began to fade and the light pink horizon spoke of a new day. Soon, the sun would burn away the mist that had settled in the valleys.
Kate rode on for another couple of hours before Ahanu stopped, deep within a copse of pines. When he reined in his horse, Kate slid from hers and ran to help with Taima. Light penetrated the treetops enough to see fresh blood still seeping from his wound.
Kate touched her throat as her breath caught. “Oh my God!”
Ahanu slipped Taima’s left arm behind his neck, gripping Taima’s right side, and slid from the horse. Kate quickly scanned the area for a clear spot to lay Taima. Tall grass grew, shaded by the tall pines, beside a pile of old, fallen trees.
She pointed toward the area. “There, where we won’t be easily seen,” Kate said, running to the secluded spot.
Ahanu lowered Taima’s unconscious body, while Kate held Taima’s head, laying it down gently onto the grass. His solemn face and loss of vitality that usually filled his eyes stabbed at her heart. She’d never seen him taken this low.
A strand of silky, dark hair lay across his face. Kate reached out, gently brushing it away. Burning heat from his dry skin met her fingers. She tenderly cupped his cheek. A shiver traveled through his body.
The fever she’d dreaded had already begun.
Concerned, Kate looked at Ahanu as he knelt on the other side of Taima. “He needs to be kept warm. We have no blankets,” she said, again touching his cheeks and forehead with the backs of her fingers, the heat radiating from his fevered body. “His wound was too severe to be chasing after me the way he did. And picking me up started his wound bleeding again, yet he kept going.”
She refused to cry, although tears burned her eyes and blurred her vision. Taima needed her to be strong if she were to help him. How else would he survive?
Ahanu removed the bloodied binding from Taima’s side. Kate watched how carefully he handled it so as not to pull on the wound and cause further agitation. “The poultice I placed here this morning is gone. I told him to stay at camp to rest and I would find you, but he wouldn’t listen.”