Bound for Eden

by Tess LeSue

“My name is Rides with Death,” he introduced himself. “And may I say it’s been a pleasure, Miss . . . ?”

  “Barratt,” Alex said, too shocked to lie about her name. Rides with Death? Oh Lord, he was some kind of maniac.

  “But let’s not stand on ceremony. Please feel free to call me Nathaniel.”

  Now she was sure she heard amusement. “Nathaniel?” she giggled, relaxing. So that Rides-with-Death thing had been a joke?

  “My friends call me Nate.”

  “Nice to meet you, Nate,” Alex said graciously. “You can call me Alex.”

  “Ah no, you are too lovely to be an Alex.”

  “How can you tell when I’m wearing all this dirt?” she scolded, tilting her head to look up at him.

  His gaze dropped significantly to her chest, now covered by his buckskin shirt, and she blushed. “A little dirt cannot hide such loveliness.”

  “My full name’s Alexandra,” she said shyly, looking away.

  “Now, that is a lovely name for a lovely woman.”

  Silas grunted and they both turned to look at him. He visibly wilted under the Indian’s cold stare.

  “What kind of Indian are you?” Alex asked conversationally as they crossed the plain. “If you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Arapaho. Mostly. And such a beautiful woman can ask me anything.”

  She blushed again. The man was almost as much of a flirt as Luke. Luke. She wondered if he was worried about her. She wondered what he’d think when she rode into camp in front of an Indian. Would he be shocked? Would he draw his gun on the poor man? “Maybe you should leave me just outside the camp,” Alex said nervously as the wagons came into view. The Indian ignored her, threading his way between the wagons and straight into the center of the camp.

  Alex almost fell off the horse. There, trussed up like turkeys, were the other Grady brothers.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Luke’s voice drawled, snatching her attention away from the Gradys. He was lounging against her wagon, looking for all the world like her tormentors weren’t disarmed and helpless right in front of him. And there beside him, munching happily on a bucketful of oats while Adam fussed over him, was Blackie Junior, looking none the worse for wear for his little adventure. And next to Blackie was Luke’s missing mare, Isis. “It’s been a long time, Deathrider,” Luke greeted the Indian.

  This time Alex did fall off the horse. Well, it wasn’t so much a fall as a tumble, as she scrambled down as fast as she could. “I thought you said your name was Nathaniel!” she accused the Indian.

  Luke laughed. “That’s one of his names.”

  “How many do you have?”

  “Aside from Nate?” The Indian slid gracefully from the horse. “I told you I was also called Rides with Death.”

  “And don’t forget Angel of Death,” Luke drawled. “And Plague of the West.”

  “That last one was made up for the dime novel,” the Indian said in disgust. “That Archer fool keeps writing stories about me. Let’s just say her grip on reality isn’t great. Causes me no end of misery.”

  “I see we should add Varmint Catcher to the list,” Luke said appreciatively, approaching Silas. He gave the man a cheerful slap on the cheek. “What happened to your face, Grady?”

  Alex blanched, hoping he wouldn’t notice the A carved into Silas’s flesh. No such luck. He leaned in for a closer look, his brow furrowing. “Gideon tried to carve a V on him,” she blurted. “For Victoria. He said Silas was owned by Victoria and ought to show the mark of a slave. Because he tried to help us.” She was mighty glad Silas was gagged, because he was giving her a strange look. So was the Indian. She gave him a pleading glance.

  “It doesn’t look like a V,” Luke remarked.

  “Gideon slipped,” Alex invented swiftly. “See there,” she crossed to join Luke, and jabbed at the slashes. “It’s an almost perfect V, and then he slipped and joined it together.”

  “Like an A.”

  “Is it?” Alex said blithely. “I hadn’t noticed. He must have been doing it upside down.” She knew she sounded witless and cast about for a means of distracting him. “What on earth happened here?”

  “Nothing you need worry about, brat. Why are you wearing Deathrider’s shirt?” He looked back and forth between them, his brows drawing together again.

  “Would you stop calling him that!” Alex snapped.

  “It’s his name.”

  “No,” Alex corrected firmly, “his name is Nathaniel.”

  “Well, maybe Nathaniel can tell me why you’re wearing his shirt?”

  “Hers was torn.” Deathrider spoke in a low voice, so no one but Luke and Alex could hear.

  Luke’s eyes narrowed. “Torn?”

  Alex threw the Indian another pleading look.

  “In the fight.”

  She glared at him.

  “What fight?” Luke demanded.

  “That one attacked her.”

  If looks could have killed, the Indian would have been dead on the spot.

  “Her? You know she’s a girl?” Luke’s voice dropped to a fierce whisper.

  “It was kind of hard to miss once her shirt was gone,” Deathrider said dryly.

  Luke turned a speculative gaze on Alex. Unconsciously, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Aren’t you going to tie Silas up with the rest of them?” she asked Luke imperiously. The minute his back was turned she kicked the Indian in the shins. He didn’t so much as flinch.

  “Why do you kick me?” he asked in a voice too low for Luke to hear. “Slater already knew you were female.”

  “He thinks I’m a child,” she hissed.

  Once again the Indian’s gaze dropped to her chest. She couldn’t resist kicking him again.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, brat,” Luke warned, turning in time to catch the latest kick. “There’s a reason he’s called Rides with Death.”

  “He should be called Irritates to Death,” she muttered as Luke carried Silas over to his brothers. She could have sworn the Indian smiled faintly.

  “I can’t see how Slater can believe you’re a child.”

  “I work hard at it,” she snapped, “and I don’t appreciate you coming along and ruining it.” Now she was sure he was smiling. “What’s so funny?” she growled.

  “The fact that Slater doesn’t know.”

  “I don’t see why that should be so amusing.”

  “Don’t you? A beautiful woman right under his nose?”

  “He has enough women in his life,” she sniped. “He doesn’t need any more.”

  “You too?”

  “Me too what?”

  The Indian turned his pale gaze on Luke. “The man seems to have some kind of power over women.”

  “I know,” Alex sighed.

  This time the Indian laughed. “Ah, Alexandra, if he could see you the way I did, I’m sure you would find that you have some kind of power over him too.”

  Alex grimaced. He had seen her that way. But her power hadn’t lasted beyond the stroke of midnight. Wasn’t that the way of fairy tales? The magic always had a limit.

  30

  IT WAS A merry crew that delivered the Gradys to the lockup at Fort Laramie. The journey there had been somewhat tense, as the Gradys sat glowering among them in the camp every night. During the day they were tied to the back of the Watts brothers’ wagon and expected to walk. Luke rode behind them, weapon drawn and ready. He had ample opportunity to listen to Gideon’s low and awful threats as he taunted his brother Silas.

  “I should have killed you,” the younger Grady sneered. “I should have known that you’d go sniffing after that bitch.” Silas never responded, but Luke noticed that he had a tendency to stumble whenever Gideon started in on him. He must have been mighty glad that Bert and Travis were sandwiched between them. Even ch
ained, Gideon Grady was frightening. “You woulda been wise to head home to Mama, Spineless. What I’ve got planned for you ain’t pleasant.”

  “We all woulda been wise to head home to Mama,” Bert muttered.

  Gideon’s foot shot out and tripped him. Bert dragged along the rocky ground for a fair piece before he could regain his feet. “I hope it was worth it,” Gideon continued, unfazed by Bert’s ordeal. “I hope you got a taste of her at least. Was she sweet, Spineless? Did she wrap those lovely legs around you?” Gideon sniggered. “Of course she didn’t. Even that stupid bitch knows she’s too good for the likes of you.”

  Luke frowned. Silas hadn’t been anywhere near Victoria.

  “That bitch needs a real man, Spineless. After I take her she won’t remember your name.” Gideon’s voice was low and venomous. “After I’ve finished with her she won’t even be able to walk.”

  Needled to breaking point, Silas exploded. He charged sideways, knocking all of his brothers to the ground, like a row of skittles. “I’ll kill you,” he howled.

  Gideon’s mad laughter screeched through the afternoon. The hair rose on Luke’s arms. The man was insane. “Stop the wagon,” Luke shouted.

  “Oh, Alexandra,” Gideon was calling in a high, fluting voice. “Oh, Alexandra! Come and kiss your lover better—he’s gone and skinned his knee.”

  * * *

  • • •

  UP AHEAD, ALEX and Victoria exchanged horrified looks. Alex felt like her heart was being squeezed between two merciless hands.

  “He’ll know we lied,” Victoria breathed, as the wagons pulled to a halt. Her hand rose to shield her mouth as she spoke; she was painfully conscious of her split lip and broken tooth.

  Alex vaulted through to the back of the wagon and leaned over the tailgate to get a look at the commotion. Victoria was close behind her. They watched as Luke dragged Gideon along the ground, up toward the chuck wagon. As they passed the string of wagons Gideon caught sight of Victoria and Alex. He began to laugh again, wild loonish laughter that made Alex shiver.

  “Why, Miss Barratt, I had no idea,” he called as he took in her male disguise. He sounded gleeful but his eyes were murderous. “No wonder I couldn’t find you!”

  Alex blanched.

  “Shut up, Grady,” Luke snapped, yanking on the rope. He harnessed the madman to the back of the chuck wagon, and left Deathrider to keep a close watch on him. Then he rode back to Alex and Victoria. Neither of them would meet his eye. “Something you’d care to tell me?” he asked eventually.

  “Oh, Luke, I’m so sorry,” Victoria said miserably, speaking into her cupped hand. “But we just couldn’t tell you the truth.”

  “Which is?”

  Alex couldn’t look at him. Her heart was hammering in her ears. Oh glory, what did he think of her? Now that he knew that Silas had been after her, not Victoria, he would know that she wasn’t a child. And then . . . would he finally look at her and see? She was too scared to find out.

  “It was Alex,” Victoria admitted. “Silas always wanted Alex.”

  Alex risked a peek, only to see Luke’s distaste. Her heart sank.

  “What did he do to you?” he asked blackly.

  “Nothing,” she stammered. Was he worried about her? Or was he jealous? “I mean, he tried . . .”

  “Deathrider had to give you his shirt,” Luke snarled.

  Alex flinched, feeling again the force of Silas’s knee against her and the taste of his blood between her teeth. “Nothing happened,” she insisted. “Nathaniel came and saved me.”

  “Nothing happened,” Luke echoed. “But you needed Deathrider to save you.” He wheeled Delilah around and galloped back toward the Wattses’ wagon.

  “What’s he doing?” Alex gasped. They watched in disbelief as he reappeared, dragging Silas behind him. He led the man out onto the plain. Her blood ran cold when she saw Luke slide from Delilah and throw Silas’s rope to the ground. The crazy man was untying him!

  Oh glory, now he was tossing his pistol aside. What the hell was he doing? She gave a startled yelp when she saw Luke’s fist slam into Silas’s gut. Alex scrambled over the tailgate of the wagon and pelted toward them. As she ran she could hear the smack of flesh against flesh, and by the time she reached them Silas had collapsed into a bloody heap at Luke’s feet.

  “What are you doing?” Alex shrieked.

  Luke gave her a hard look and grabbed Silas’s shirt, pulling him to his feet. Silas swayed, insensible. “If there’s anything I hate more than a man who abuses women,” Luke growled, “it’s a man who abuses children.” His fist flew, cracking against Silas’s jaw. The eldest Grady fell, out cold.

  Alex slid to a stop, breathing hard. Children? She felt like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over her.

  Luke was breathing hard too. He approached her and took her jaw in his strong fingers. “You should have told me, brat,” he said, his voice full of compassion.

  She searched his warm dark eyes, her mouth open. She was speechless. So speechless that she didn’t even notice Victoria skidding to a halt beside her.

  “She made me promise not to tell,” Victoria lied breathlessly.

  Luke stared at them both, shaking his head. He couldn’t believe what these poor girls had been through. “No more lies,” he said softly.

  “No,” Victoria promised. Her gaze drifted to the unconscious Grady at their feet. “There’s no need anymore.”

  “So, your name isn’t Alexander,” Luke prodded.

  “No.”

  Alex’s head was spinning as she listened to them.

  “Are you all Barratts?”

  “No, Adam and I took Ma and Pa’s name.”

  “Which is?”

  “Sparrow.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you, Miss Sparrow.”

  Victoria blushed. Alex noticed that she was wringing her hands again. She kept looking back and forth between Alex and Luke.

  Luke gathered Silas up and threw him over Delilah’s saddle and together they began walking back to the wagons. “I can understand why you dressed the kid up as a boy,” Luke sighed, “with a pervert like Grady after her.”

  The kid, Alex thought sickly as she saw the hope reignite in Victoria’s eyes.

  “So, how old are you really, runt?”

  “She’s fourteen,” Victoria blurted.

  Alex felt like screaming. It was never going to end. She was going to be stuck in these horrid old clothes for the rest of her life.

  “I still say you don’t look a day over twelve.”

  The man was an idiot.

  * * *

  • • •

  SO THE MERRIMENT was understandable when they could finally hand the Gradys over to the American Fur Trading Company at Laramie.

  “We’re a third of the way there,” Luke told his group as they settled down to camp in the shadow of the adobe buildings. The Watts brothers set up a mighty whooping.

  “We’ll rest up here for a couple of days, so you can regroup. We’ve still got a long piece of traveling ahead of us.” Luke paused and grinned at them. “Let’s hope it won’t prove to be as eventful as the miles we’ve already done.”

  There was applause and laughter, everyone’s relief evident.

  “How about tonight we celebrate?” he suggested. “I’ll supply the liquor, if the ladies don’t mind putting on a spread.”

  Alex stood at the back of the group, feeling out of sorts.

  “I thought you more than anyone would be pleased,” a cool voice said at her elbow.

  Alex jumped a mile. She scowled up at the Indian. “Must you sneak up on people? It’s not natural, being so quiet.”

  “I would starve if I was not. A hunter must be silent.”

  She rolled her eyes, too irritable to deal with his logic.

  “Alex,�
� Luke was calling, beckoning her.

  She ignored him, turning back to Nate as though they were engrossed in conversation. “Will you be moving on now?” she asked pointedly.

  “I haven’t decided.” He looked between her and Luke. “For now I will be staying at the camp across the river.” She followed his gaze to where a cluster of tepees nestled by the Laramie River.

  “Are they your people?”

  “No, they are Cheyenne. But I know them.”

  “Alex.” Luke grabbed her elbow and turned her toward him. Victoria was with him. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed that Luke had her sister by the hand.

  “Yes?” she asked archly.

  “Didn’t you hear me calling?”

  “Why, no. Were you calling?”

  The Indian gave a quiet snort. Alex trod on his foot.

  “I have something for you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Both of you wait here,” he ordered, “and close your eyes.”

  Victoria did as she was bid. But, Nate noticed with amusement, Alex stubbornly refused, her gaze following Luke as he headed for the chuck wagon. He had to suppress a smile as those expressive gray eyes widened at the sight of Luke’s gift.

  “You didn’t close your eyes,” Slater scolded when he returned.

  “What is that?” There was venom in her tone.

  Luke was startled. The brat was as changeable as a summer storm; he never knew what temper he’d find her in. “I thought you’d appreciate it, now that the Gradys are locked up.” He handed it over, bewildered to see her scowl down at it.

  “Can I open my eyes yet?” Victoria asked.

  “In a minute. Hold out your hands.”

  Victoria held them out.

  “Now you can look,” Luke said, grinning as he laid the bolt of daffodil yellow satin across her arms.

  “Oh, Luke!” Victoria was overjoyed. Her brown eyes shone as she stroked the slippery fabric. “Wherever did you get it?”

  “Here in Laramie. I thought you could make yourself another dress. You looked mighty pretty in yellow.”

  Alex grew blacker at the sight of Victoria’s pleasure. Who did he think he was, going around making her sister happy and stupid? “Where the hell is she going to be able to wear satin?”