Arizona Caress: She Feels The Heat Of His Hot Embrace

by Bobbi Smith

  Chapter Sixteen

  Galvanized to action by Burr's caustic comments, Chance and Doug went after the horses. Both men were relieved to find that the relatively tame animals hadn't strayed too far in the night. They maneuvered them back into the corral as quickly as they could, for time was of the essence. Rori and Nilakla's lives depended upon their rescuing them as fast as possible.

  Chance did not speak as he worked beside Douglas saddling the mounts they would need for their pursuit. His thoughts were all centered on Rori as he tightened the cinch on his horse and then dropped the stirrup back in place. With an economy of motion, he checked his rifle to make sure it was loaded and then slid it into its sheath. A strange sense of desperation plagued him. Was Rori safe or had her volatile temper flared and gotten her into trouble? Had she tried to fight them and ended up hurt, or worse yet . . . dead somewhere out there in the night? A gut-wrenching anxiety drove Chance to hurry . . . to rush to find her before anything terrible happened. Chance didn't understand why he felt that way and he didn't question it, he just knew that he had to save her.

  Chance's hand drifted down to his revolver where it rested in his holster low on his hip. He hadn't drawn a gun with murderous intent in some time, but tonight, right now, if he had the opportunity, he was going to shoot first and ask questions later. Those bastards had tried to kill Burr and Jake and had kidnapped Rori and Nilakla. This was no time for niceties. Chance was going to find them, and when he did . . . His expression was dark and brooding as he concentrated only on his goal. He was going to find Rori and bring her safely back. Nothing would stop him in that quest . . . nothing.

  Doug was startled to find that his hands were actually shaking as he worked at readying his horse, and he set his jaw against the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. Nilakla . . . Nilakla . . . How could this have happened to them? Just a few short hours before they had shared such loving delight and now . . .

  Doug went cold inside at the thought that something might happen to her. Nilakla was so warm and giving, so completely unlike the murderous villains who'd taken her. He hoped frantically that he could find her before they had the opportunity to harm her.

  A fierce protectiveness surged through Doug, and he was surprised by the strength of the emotion. Just hours before he'd been all set to pack up and leave the territory, to bid Nilakla good-bye and never see her again. But now, the realization that she might be in danger made him face just how much she truly meant to him, and it was a startling revelation. He loved her. It was the first time he'd ever openly acknowledged the true depth of his feelings for her, and it jarred him. He wondered how he could ever have thought of leaving her behind.

  Doug knew then that he had to tell Nilakla of his love. He had to let her know just how much she meant to him. Possessed by a new driving sense of urgency, he rushed to finish saddling the horses and then started to gather up the other things they would need. As he packed extra ammunition, Chance spoke up.

  "I've got the feeling that these are the same two men who attacked me in my hotel room while I was in town."

  "I didn't know you'd had in trouble in town. What happened?"

  "Evidently, somehow those two found out about the map. They were waiting for me in my room one night."

  "How'd you manage to fight them off?"

  Recalling the vicious assault in his room, Chance unconsciously touched his now-healed wound. "If it hadn't been for Rori, I'd be dead right now . . ."

  "Rori? What was she doing there?" Doug was surprised by this. Rori in Chance's room?

  Chance explained the situation, recalling how well she'd handled herself in the brawl. "She's damn good with a knife. She saved my life. I hope to God she's got her knife with her now."

  "Rori's a fighter, all right. She's had to be to survive the kind of life she's led," Doug agreed.

  "I know," Chance said, recalling all that Burr had told him. "It must be rough for a girl growing up like this."

  "Even though she's eighteen, I don't think Rori even knows she's a girl yet," he responded as he turned away to throw his saddlebags on his horse's back.

  Chance was shocked by Doug's remark. Rori was eighteen?! Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined she was that old. He'd thought he'd been robbing the cradle in his desire for her, but eighteen . . .? Good Lord, Bethany was twenty, and they'd been seeing each other for some time now. Why had he thought Rori was so young? Just because of her innocence? Chance realized now that that made her even more special. Suddenly he couldn't wait another minute to go after her.

  "Let's get going. We can't afford to let them get too big of a head start on us."

  "You're right. Let's find Burr and ride."

  Burr was glad that he'd managed to shame the two younger men into moving. He didn't doubt for a minute that they wanted to go after Rori and Nilakla, it was just that he had to get them away from him so they couldn't see how severely he'd been injured. A dizzying nausea bombarded him, and his head was throbbing until he was almost blind with pain. Still, Burr forced himself to move. Rori was in serious danger, and he wouldn't stop to worry about himself until she was safe.

  Burr found his rifle lying nearby, and he bent over slowly to pick it up. As he straightened again, he heard a soft whimpering sound coming from nearby.

  "Jake?" The sound of his own voice reverberated agonizingly through his head.

  Again the whine came to him from the direction of the corral. Each step was pure torture for Burr, but he didn't stop. He spied Big Jake trying to get to his feet. Each time the dog made it, though, his legs seemed to collapse under him.

  "Easy, Jakie. Easy, boy," Burr reassured the struggling pet, knowing exactly how he was feeling. He knelt down beside Jake and began to talk to him encouragingly as he petted him. "Take it slow, Jake, and it'll happen. We have to be strong, you and me. We have to be tough. Rori needs us."

  Jake gazed up at Burr, his big brown eyes filled with pain.

  "Where'd they get you, boy?" Burr asked as he checked him for wounds. "Just this lump on your head, eh?" He chuckled softly, taking care not to touch the swelling he'd found at the base of the dog's skull. "Guess they didn't know how hardheaded you really are, Jake. You're just like me, aren't you, big guy?" As he spoke the words, Burr had to close his eyes against the fierceness of his own pain.

  Jake watched Burr for a moment and, as if sensing his agony, gave a soft whine and licked his hand.

  "You're a good dog, Jake," Burr told him gruffly, glad for his undemanding companionship. As Jake pushed himself up to a sitting position and gave a weak wag of his tail, Burr was thrilled. "Good boy!" His spirits rose as he watched the brave animal fight his way back. "I need you to help me find Rori, Jake. We haven't got much time."

  Jake gave a soft bark, sounding just like he knew what Burr was saying. He got to his feet then and shook himself off. Though he was unsteady for a moment, it passed.

  "Rori, Jake. We have to find Rori," Burr urged.

  Memories of Rori's call for help came flooding back to him then, and Jake growled viciously. With a loud bark, he ran in the direction the two desperadoes had taken the women. He paused near the rocks to look back at Burr, obviously wanting him to follow.

  "I'm coming, boy!"

  "Tom, hold it!" Hal called out as he reined in his weary mount. They'd been riding for what seemed like hours, and the breakneck pace they'd been keeping, along with the fact that they were riding double, had nearly exhausted their horses.

  "What is it?" Tom asked as he halted beside him.

  "We gotta stop for a while and rest these horses or we're gonna find ourselves on foot tomorrow. There ain't no way we can keep goin' like we been."

  "You think we're far enough away?" He glanced back into the darkness, worrying that the others would be hot on their trail.

  "Sure," Hal sneered. "They had to catch their horses before they could even think about comin' after us. Besides," he added cunningly, eyeing the steep cliffs and ravines that surrounded t
hem, "if we find a good place to hole up, we can be ready and waiting for 'em when they finally do show."

  Tom chuckled evilly. "Good. I can do some of my settlin' up with the breed here while we wait." He had Rori in front of him on the horse, and he linked a cruel forearm around her throat and yanked her back so he could see her face.

  Rori managed to keep from showing her fear, but it didn't stop his tormenting.

  "Yes, siree," Tom went on, "you may not be scared yet, but you're gonna be before I get done with you. I'm gonna enjoy this."

  Hal was smiling, too, at the thought of drawing out the men from the mine and ambushing them here on the trail. "This is workin' out better than our other plan. We'll pick 'em off as they're comin' up the trail after us. Then it'll be easy to double back and get the gold."

  "What about her?" Tom nodded toward Nilakla as she sat silently before the other man on his horse.

  "She's my entertainment while we wait. I ain't had no red meat for a long time." He reached around Nilakla to grasp one of her breasts painfully. She gave a small cry of terror at his brutal touch, but he only increased the pressure.

  "When was the last time? That squaw and her white man all those years ago?"

  "Yep," Hal agreed. "I still remember her. She was a fighter, and that made it fun." He fondled his captive more brazenly. "Are you gonna be a fighter, honey? Are you gonna make it good for me? You make it good for me, and I might let you stay with me for a while," he leered.

  "We can share her after I get done takin' care of him," Tom said avidly, giving Rori's neck another wrench.

  "We got time. They won't be comin' till after sunup anyway. Ain't no way they can track us in the dark," Hal told him confidently.

  Rori had been fighting to control her temper ever since they'd dragged her from the camp. Biding her time, she'd been watching and waiting for the chance to either get one of their weapons away from them and attack them or to make an escape. Their talk about the squaw and her white man destroyed what little restraint she had left. Could these be the same men who had killed her mother and father?

  The possibility created a volcanic rage in Rori. A violent need for revenge overwhelmed her. Somehow she would make these two pay for what they'd done to her family. She might not be able to kill them both before they killed her, but she would damn well give it a try. She wouldn't die easy.

  As Tom urged his horse on, Rori erupted into violence. She jerked sideways to tear herself loose from his hold just as she kicked his mount sharply in its sides. Rori tried to make a grab for Tom's weapon as the horse bucked and bolted, but luck was not on her side. She lost her seat as she tried to seize his sidearm, and she crashed heavily to the ground.

  "Rori!! Run!" Nilakla yelled.

  Rori had no chance to get away, though, for Tom recovered control of his horse quickly and rode her down with ease. He threw himself from the back of the horse and tackled her as she ran. Grabbing her with vicious hands, he turned her over. Rori kept fighting, refusing to surrender, wanting to hurt him in any way she could. She bit and scratched, kicked, clawed, and hit out at him with all her might.

  "I hate you, you murderin', thievin' bastard!! I'm going to see you dead!" Rori screamed.

  "Like hell you are!!" Tom was furious. This half-breed had given him more trouble than he'd ever put up with from any one else. He'd had enough. He pulled his gun and was ready to shoot her point-blank when Hal's reprimand stopped him.

  "Rori!" Nilakla cried, thinking her friend was going to die right there before her eyes.

  "Don't shoot that damned gun now!" Hal commanded angrily. "You want them to hear us and know which direction we took?"

  "Aw, hell," Tom swore. Frustrated, he grabbed Rori up by the shirt front and hit her square in the jaw, knocking her unconscious. "That'll shut you up for a while," he gloated. He shoved her limp form away from him, and as he did, her shirt tore beneath his hand. "Son of a bitch!!"

  "What's the matter now?" Hal demanded in irritation as he kept a tight hold on Nilakla. He was anxious to find a good hiding spot so he could get on with what he really wanted to do.

  "The damned breed's a girl!" He stared down at the beauty of her bared breasts in confusion.

  "What?" Hal roared in amusement as he nudged his horse closer. "Well, I'll be damned! It was bad enough when you thought she was a boy, and she cut you up real good in town! But you been bested twice by a female, Tom, and a red-skinned one at that!"

  Tom cursed his companion vilely as he studied Rori with evil intent. "And all this time I've been thinkin' the little bastard needed killin' . . . but now I'm thinkin' different."

  "Well, think about that later," he told him. "Let's go find us a place to hole up."

  Tom picked Rori up easily and slung her facedown over the horse's back before mounting behind her. They rode on down the rocky trail about another mile before coming to a lookout that gave them a good view of the terrain they'd just covered. When sunrise came, the desperadoes knew they'd be able to see anyone within miles.

  "This should do it," Hal announced, pleased with the location. "We could hold off a whole damn army from here." He reined in and dismounted.

  Nilakla was frozen with fear as Hal dragged her down from the horse's back. He loomed threateningly over her, his expression wild and lust-filled.

  "Get over there and sit down by them rocks. If you try to run, I'll kill you." His voice was harsh as he shoved her toward the far side of the clearing.

  Nilakla had no doubt in her mind that he would do exactly what he'd said, so she hurried to do as he'd ordered. She had one hand resting protectively over her unborn child as she dropped to the ground to wait. Horror shook her as her imagination ran wild with visions of what these two might do to them. She began to shiver in fear. She wanted to live! She wanted to have her baby!

  Nilakla knew that the men would be coming after them. But the trouble was, she didn't know if they would make it in time, what with Burr having been shot and the horses scattered. Nilakla knew she and Rori would have only one chance to save themselves on their own. Furtively, she touched the small knife she had strapped to her waist. Hal had not noticed it while he was holding her on the horse, and she was grateful for at least that much. It would offer little in the way of real protection from the two brutes, but it was better than being completely unarmed. Huddled there, Nilakla watched helplessly as Tom rode toward her with Rori, an evil grin on his ugly face.

  Tom was excited. He'd been waiting a long time for this, and he was going to enjoy it. He stopped right before Nilakla and released his slight hold on Rori, letting her tumble to the ground.

  Rori had just started to come around when she landed heavily on her back in the dirt. The torn material of her shirt was splayed open, giving Tom an unimpeded view of her bosom as she lay there trying to gather her wits about her.

  "Get up," he ordered.

  Rori blinked in bewilderment as she tried to figure out what was happening. When she didn't move immediately, Tom's expression turned black, and he climbed angrily down from his horse. Nilakla couldn't just sit by and watch as someone tried to hurt her friend. She rushed to Rori's side and attempted to help her. Tom would have none of it, though.

  "Get the hell away!" He shoved Nilakla violently, and she fell backward, landing heavily against the rocks.

  "Now, get up." He turned his attention back to Rori.

  Rori had managed to get to her feet and was crouching before him looking much like a wild animal. Her eyes were wide and wary, her teeth bared in a feral grimace. Her shirt hung open, but she paid it no mind even though her breasts were clearly revealed. She might have lost the first battle, but she was determined not to quit trying.

  Had Tom known her better, he would have recognized the danger in her stance, but his ignorance was to her advantage. "I said get up, you red bitch, and I meant it." He was bending down to grab her by the arm and jerk her to her feet when she launched herself at him.

  Rori went for his eyes, but she
missed and only managed to claw his cheek. Tom reacted furiously, knocking her down and kicking her savagely in the side. The force of the kick sent her sprawling on her back beneath the horse. The animal grew skittish at the disturbance, and she was forced to scramble from beneath him to avoid being trampled. Holding her side in agony, Rori rolled safely away. But even though she managed to escape the horse's deadly hooves, there would be no escape from her tormentor. Tom was there waiting for her.

  "You ain't goin' nowhere so don't even think about it." He gripped her arm and dragged her to him, his gaze hot and heavy on her breasts.

  Rori was gasping for breath, trying to fight against the pain in her side when she saw the heated lust in his expression.

  "You lay a hand on me or my friend," Rori finally spoke up, her voice hoarse, "and you're a dead man."

  "Is that so? And just who's gonna kill me? You?" he taunted.

  "I almost did once," Rori countered recklessly, and he slapped her across the mouth.

  "What's the matter? Can't you control this little one?" Hal drawled sarcastically as he came to Tom's side. He admired some spunk in a woman, but he didn't take backtalk from anyone.

  "I can take care of this one in more ways than one," Tom snickered as he brushed aside the tattered shirt and fondled her breasts.

  "Get your filthy hands off of me!!"

  The men only laughed at her useless fury. "You got to understand, squaw, that we take what we want."

  "If I ever get the chance, I'll put a knife in your heart . . ." she swore, shaking with frustrated rage as Hal, too, began to touch her. Rori said no more, but lifted her chin defiantly. Her dark eyes glittered mutinously as she spat on them.

  "Why, you little . . ." Tom backhanded her, bloodying her lip. "You ain't gonna be doin' much of anything, 'cept what I tell you to do." Tom snarled. "Now, get over there with the other woman and stay put while we take care of the horses."

  Rori made it to Nilakla's side and dropped down to sit beside her. She watched the two men through slitted, hate-filled eyes as they tended the horses.