by Smith, Bobbi
“Lucia!” Malo barked sharply, startling both women, and Lucia hurried to him.
“Yes, Malo?”
“Where’s the soap? I want to take a bath,” he declared drunkenly as he sat up and began to pull off his clothes. “In fact,” he said, leering, “I want you to wash me.”
As Lucia went to get the soap, Malo staggered to his feet and splashed into the pool, cursing aloud as the icy water sent sobering chills through him.
“Hurry, woman, before I freeze to death!” he grumbled, losing his footing and sitting down heavily in the knee-deep basin.
Lucia undressed quickly and then went to him with the soap. At his instruction, she began to wash him.
“Where’s Chica?” Malo glanced over to where he’d left her.
“I am here, Malo,” she answered from the security of the shadows of the night.
“Come here and help Lucia with my bath and be quick about it. I don’t want to stay in this water too long.”
He was pleased when Chica responded to his order right away. Wading into the pool, she began to scrub his back while Lucia soaped his chest and shoulders.
Malo looked up at Lucia, her breasts so temptingly within reach, and he pulled her down onto his lap, fondling her with undisguised excitement. “Did you think I wouldn’t be man enough for the both of you?” he asked, a reflection of his earlier fury in his tone.
“I had hoped you would be,” she told him admiringly. “And I was right.” Slipping her hand between their bodies, she boldly caressed his engorged manhood.
Grasping her hips, he guided her onto him and held her immobile for a moment so he could enjoy the heat of her body surrounding him. Hungrily, he began to thrust within her, not even noticing when Chica scurried away from the scene of their mating and back into the night’s concealing darkness.
Eager to be done with him, Lucia employed all the tricks she’d ever learned to hurry him to completion. And she went well rewarded for her efforts for Malo almost immediately lost himself in the splendor of her lithe body and collapsed against her breast, shuddering in the throes of his own ecstasy.
Long moments passed before Malo recovered enough to put her from him and stagger from the pool. Dressing, he smiled arrogantly to himself. The stupid sluts had thought that he would be incapable! Hah! He’d certainly shown them. Malo was most pleased with his own performance and knew that he would enjoy telling the others of his exploits.
As Lucia stepped from the water and dressed, Malo eyed her coldly. Now that he knew how they had talked about him in private, he would feel no remorse in letting the other men have her, too.
Though they were feeling humiliated and abused from Malo’s self-gratifying gropings, the women knew from past experience that it was best to remain silent for now, for his temper had a hairtrigger, and they didn’t want to risk incurring his wrath any further. Following him meekly, they returned to the camp.
Malo was more than happy with the way the day had gone. The last of the men had arrived; tomorrow they would begin the last leg of their journey to the gold mine; and he’d just proven to Chica and Lucia just how adept he really was, tequila or no tequila! He hadn’t felt this good in ages.
Getting a new bottle of tequila from one of the guards, he swigged the liquor thirstily as he boisterously proclaimed his prowess in having taken both women in such a short period of time. But finally, the tequila began to take its toll and, as Lucia and Chica sought their pallets, Malo passed out cold.
Chica fell asleep quickly, exhausted by her fear and degradation, but Lucia could not rest. She knew that Malo was angry with her, and she worried about what he would do to her when he awoke. Until now, her life as his woman had been fairly comfortable, but Malo could end it all at anytime and turn her over to the men for their plaything. Lucia shuddered at the thought and desperately tried to come up with a way to please him and win back his favor. But much soul-searching revealed nothing. Malo was not a man who enjoyed woman. He used them as long as they suited his purpose and then he discarded them without a thought. Disheartened, she lay back, fearful of what the morning might bring because he did not forget things that happened while he was drunk. Tonight he had not only heard her discussing him but also heard that she had tried to prevent him from harming Chica and, in his eyes, that would be unforgivable.
Chapter Twelve
Rick appeared to be sleeping, but in reality he was wide awake and very restless. The feel of Jennie nestled so trustingly against him was driving him mad, and he wondered how he was going to make it through the night without making love to her. The memory of their time alone together was playing through his mind and the thought of making her his, once again, had rekindled the embers of desire he’d fought so hard to subdue.
Determined to maintain some semblance of control over his desires, Rick pushed his hat back and rolled to his side to look around the cave. Everything seemed settled. The only people awake were the guards: one with Juan and the other by the front entrance. Moving slowly from their pallet, he headed outside into the coolness of the night air. Nodding briefly to the lookout, he wandered outdoors and breathed deeply of the late evening’s sweetness.
Thoughts of the past few days kept flashing through his mind as he made his way quietly across the rock-strewn countryside. How had he ever gotten himself into such a situation? It had all seemed so simple when he’d left El Rancho Grando; he would infiltrate the gang, discover their weaknesses and then exploit the situation to free Juan. So simple.
And then Jennie. He shook his head as he thought of her—fighting off Luis and Ray, trying to escape from him, falling from the rocks at the waterhole and then saving him this afternoon during the flashflood. She was beautiful and brave and everything a man could possibly want in a woman. And, Rick acknowledged reluctantly to himself, he did want her. He remembered her passionate response to his lovemaking, and he knew what they had shared had been special, for he became roused, even now at the memory.
The prospect of a cold bath became suddenly very appealing to Rick as he strove to push the stimulating musings from his mind, and he strode in the direction of the pool, confident that a few minutes in the frigid water would solve most of his manly problems. Topping the rise, he made his way to the side of the water and sat down to pull off his boots. Unbuckling his gunbelt, he placed it carefully near the water’s edge and then stripped quickly and waded out into the shallow basin.
Lucia had been tossing uncomfortably on her thin blanket when she’d seen Cazador quietly leave the cave. Her eyes followed his progress as he disappeared into the darkness. She had never wanted a man the way she wanted Cazador, and a slow heat began to burn within her as she imagined her body joining with his.
Feeling certain that Malo was going to reject her in the morning, she could see no reason to deny herself one night of passion in the arms of a man she desired. Slipping from her bed, she trailed after him, knowing that the guards would not dare question her motives.
Once she was away from the camp, she darted quickly among the rocks, hoping to catch sight of Cazador, but he seemed to have vanished completely. Pausing, much like an animal at hunt, she waited, breathlessly listening for some sound that would indicate in which direction he’d gone, but the night was silent, revealing none of its secrets. Impatiently then she began to prowl among the rocks and bushes, searching for the tall handsome gunman she wanted so badly, but she found no trace of him. Frustrated and about to give up, Lucia decided to look by the pool and it was there that she discovered him.
Lucia gasped at the sight of him as he stood with his back to her, sleek and sinewy. Bathed in the palest of moonlight, he seemed to her a magnificent warrior, with his broad shoulders and narrow hips. His long legs were well muscled and straight, and she longed to know the feel of his hardened thighs thrusting against hers.
A clamoring, throbbing ache grew within her and she knew she had to have him. Wetting her lips in excited anticipation, she boldly approached the water’s edge, ea
ger to see more of his masculine physique.
“You couldn’t sleep either?” she asked, her voice low and husky, and she was totally unnerved when she found herself looking down the barrel of his cocked gun. “Wait,” she sputtered.
“What do you want?” Rick demanded, glaring at her coldly for a long minute before he pointed the revolver away from her and smoothly released the hammer.
“I—uh.” Lucia had known that Cazador was good with a gun, but she’d had no idea just how good. “I couldn’t rest and when I saw you leave, I thought you might enjoy some company.” Her words were hurried as she sought to reassure him of her intentions.
Rick was in no mood to deal with an aggressive woman right now, but he also didn’t want to risk alienating Lucia for he knew that in the future she might be able to help them escape.
“What about Malo?”
“Pah! Malo is—” Bitterly, Lucia had started to speak what was in her heart. But as she began, she suddenly realized that it would not be wise. “What he does not know ...” Her tone was suggestive.
“Ah, but Lucia. It is my understanding that Malo knows everything that goes on in his camp.” Rick started to walk toward the bank, seemingly unconcerned about his nude state.
Lucia’s eyes widened as his movements drew her attention away from his gun and back to his body. He was as splendid as she’d hoped, and her eyes roamed over him greedily, enjoying the sight of his massive, hair-roughened chest and the revealing display of his masculinity. How she longed to touch him and caress him to hardness.
“There is no one here but you and me and I certainly would not tell.” She smiled provocatively and walked toward him.
Sliding his gun back into its holster, Rick looked up to find her within arm’s reach.
“Do you not find me attractive, Cazador?” she whispered throatily, thrusting her bosom out in a tantalizing gesture.
Lucia reminded Rick of a cat, sinuous and supple, yet possessing very dangerous claws that were kept carefully hidden. “You are a very beautiful woman, Lucia. But I find loyalty an even more attractive quality.” He began to pull on his pants, much to her distress.
“Cazador.” She reached out and touched his arm, loving the feel of his warm male flesh beneath her fingers. “I would be loyal to you.”
Rick looked at her calmly as she leaned toward him, her blouse gaping open and giving him a full view of her breasts. At another time, in another place he might have taken her up on her blatant offer, but tonight, immersed in dreams of Jennie and her sweetness, Lucia’s brazen ploy left him cold. He knew she was his for the taking and yet he felt no desire for her. Even the sight of her bared bosom left him oddly unmoved.
“I already have one woman, Lucia. What would I do with two?” Rick tried to lighten their conversation, but she was too much in earnest to be dismissed so easily.
“Malo has enjoyed having two of us,” she said, hating what Malo had done to her and Chica, and yet wanting Cazador at any price.
“I am not Malo.” His voice was icy.
“I know and that is why I want you.” She tried to put her arms about him, but he stopped her.
“I’m sorry, Lucia.” His answer was final as he finished dressing.
“Some day you will need me, Cazador. You will see,” she said haughtily as she turned from him and hurried away.
Rick watched her go, discomfitted by the complex situation he now found himself in. By refusing her advances, he had lost a possible ally, and yet at the same time he had preserved his place in Malo’s confidences. Had the trade-off been worth it? He wasn’t sure and he knew that only time would tell.
When he had finished dressing, he strapped on his gunbelt and walked slowly back to the campsite, hoping to get at least a few hours’ rest before dawn.
Jennie had stirred and come awake quickly only to discover that Cazador had gone from her side. Fearful that she would attract unwanted attention to herself, Jennie lay huddled under the blanket as she glanced quickly around the camp, trying to catch sight of him. There was no sign of Cazador anywhere, and she wondered what could have drawn him away. Keeping her eyes fixed on the cavern’s entrance, she waited, worrying that he might be in some kind of danger.
The sight of Lucia who came in from the darkness, flushed and out of breath, took Jennie by surprise. She had seen Malo asleep on his own bedroll and had assumed that Chica and Lucia were both bedded down, too. Watching as the other woman strode confidently across the camp and climbed beneath her own covers, Jennie wondered what she had been doing outside, alone, at this time of night.
It wasn’t until Cazador’s return, just moments afterward, that a great fear was born inside of her. Had they been together? Had Cazador found Lucia’s dark, slender beauty irresistible? Had he just shared with her the same excitement they had given each other that afternoon? A pain seared within her breast as her mind conjured up images of Cazador and Lucia in a torrid embrace.
Filled with agonizing doubts about this late night rendezvous with Lucia, Jennie pretended to be asleep, and she was glad when Cazador made no move to take her in his arms as he slipped beneath the blanket beside her. She remembered once again his appeal to her to trust him, but he had been asking for her trust with regard to her safety—not her heart. Curling more tightly into herself, she longed for sleep to help her escape from her troubled imaginings.
As he stretched out next to Jennie once again, Rick lay slightly at a distance, taking care not to awaken her. Gazing over at her in the dimness of the campfire light, he was taken once again by the freshness of her beauty, and he was glad now that he’d refused to be drawn into Lucia’s intrigue, tempting though the other woman may have been. Settling in, he folded his arms behind his head and once again, sought elusive slumber.
From across the campsite, Lucia covertly observed his movements as he reentered the cave and went to lay down with Jennie. She wondered how the other woman could sleep beside him and not want to make love to him. If he were hers, Lucia knew that she would want him all the time and in every possible way.
All worries about Malo fled her mind as her desire for Cazador became an obsession to her. Lucia knew now that the only way she would have a chance to win him would be to eliminate Jennie as a rival for his attentions. Surely if Jennie were gone, he would come to her because he had not said that he didn’t want her, only that he already had a woman.
Lucia knew now what she had to do. Beginning tomorrow, she would do everything in her power to get rid of Jennie. Sighing contentedly, she rolled to her side and began to plan.
Juan lay sleeplessly on his blanket. He was alternately excited at the prospect of being rescued and frightened that Malo might, at any minute, discover who Rick really was.
Tossing uncomfortably on the hard ground, Juan shifted positions and stared out across the campsite. He shuddered as he remembered his darkest hours the day before when he would have welcomed death as a release from Malo’s torturous ways. But now that he knew Rick was alive, his desire to live had been rekindled. There was hope.
Juan knew that he would do anything he had to do to survive, and he hoped that he would have a chance to speak with Rick soon, so that he could find out exactly what his plans were. Focusing his gaze on the low burning embers of the fire, he let himself drift, his spirit renewed, and soon he was sound asleep.
Some distance away in the McCaine camp at the mouth of Willow Canyon, a sense of savage frustration ran rampant among the searchers. Sitting restlessly around the campfire, the men were furious at having been thwarted by the storm whose powerful rains had scoured the landscape of all traces of the desperadoes’ trail. Even Steve, whose tracking skills were incomparable, had failed to turn up a lead as to the direction the outlaws had taken.
“Steve.” Mac’s voice was edged with nervous tension.
“Yeah, Mac.” Steve had been standing slightly apart from the others, and he drew closer at his boss’s call.
“If you were going to guess, where would you s
ay they went? Up the canyon?” Mac needed a sense of direction—purpose. The possibility that he might have lost Jennie forever due to a whim of nature left him filled with bitter rage. He would not give up! He would search for her until his dying day. Never would he abandon her to a fate at the hands of the mercenary outlaws.
“I think so. We’ll start checking up there first thing in the morning. They had to have holed up during the rain, so when we finally do find their trail, it should be reasonably fresh.”
“They’re not going to make too much headway on this kind of terrain,” Jake put in.
“No, it’ll be slow for them and slow for us,” Mac said.
“There are two things we do have to worry about. One is an ambush. These mountains are perfect for hiding out, and if they’ve got a good vantage point, it would be easy for them to pick us off,” Steve said, feeling the unspoken threat in the Superstitions’ craggy, looming presence.
“And the other?” Carrie asked, curious.
“The Apache.” Steve voiced what the other men already knew. “I haven’t seen any sign of them yet, but that doesn’t mean they’re not out there.”
Carrie nodded. She knew well the dangers of the Indians because Mac had been fighting them off and on for years.
Vicious, nomadic killers, the Apache roamed the Southwest, preying upon all who were weaker than they were, Indians or whites alike. So far, Mac had always managed to be the stronger in all of their confrontations and had won from them a grudging respect. That, coupled with the presence of the cavalry, had saved the M Circle C from destruction on several occasions.
An uneasy silence fell over the group as they contemplated the results of a possible run-in with a band of marauding Apache, and the men checked their sidearms as they made ready to turn in for the night.
Carrie rose to say her good nights and was offhandedly waved away by Mac, who was deep in discussion with Steve, Jake, and Todd. Only Todd responded with any warmth to her words, smiling up at her quickly before Mac demanded his attention once again. Her father’s treatment of her only added to the total frustration she was feeling concerning the entire day, and she went on off to bed wishing that this ordeal were over and done with.