by E. E. Burke
Charley gave him a mirthless smile. "Does it bother you, Little Brother?"
Little Brother. At one time, it’d been a term of endearment. Now it sounded like an insult.
Jake ate half his portion and set the rest aside. Redbird wouldn't be worth anything if they starved her. Charley had no such concerns. He devoured the cooked fish and tossed the bones into the fire. Then he poured a cup of coffee and cradled it in his hands. "We need to get a note to the railroad man. How much do you think she's worth to him?"
Tension coiled inside Jake. Should he say they wouldn't need to send a note if he kept her? The absurdity of it struck him. He didn't want to be stuck with a white woman, especially one who wanted to bash his head in. "We can’t just send a note asking for money. I need to figure out how to trade her without stirring up a hornet's nest."
Charley's eyes raked him with scorn. "You think too much, Wa-ya. We need to act before they do."
Always his cousin wanted to act, not think. If he stopped long enough to consider the issues, he might see it wasn't as simple as he thought. "Why do you suppose the railroad hasn't been able to convince the Army to send soldiers across the border?"
"They prefer stabbing us in the back." Charley flicked the knife and the tip sank into the edge of his boot. "Or maybe in the foot, so we can't run."
Jake was too worried to find amusement in his cousin's dark humor. "It's politics. The government doesn't want to appear aggressive and spark a war. But if they have a good reason, they won't hesitate. That woman belongs to a powerful man. Once they realize we've got her, it could give them the excuse they need to make trouble for our people."
"It was your idea to take her." Charley brushed his thumb across the edge of the knife, as if testing its sharpness. "Make them believe somebody else did it. Like when we stole the payroll."
Jake retrieved their only cup and poured himself some coffee. That ruse with the payroll theft had been his idea, too—one of his better ones. The authorities blamed a gang hired by the railroad's rival. No one suspected two Indians were using stolen money to finance an expensive court battle. "That won't work this time. They won't believe the other railroad would hire two renegades to abduct a woman."
Charley stood. "All right, then. I'll put her down."
Jake choked as coffee went down his windpipe. He coughed so hard his cousin had to pound him on the back. He looked up, his eyes watering. "We're talking about a woman," he rasped. "Not a lame horse."
"Same principle. If we aren't getting money for her, she's worthless." Charley's nonchalant assessment was more chilling than that knife in his hand. When had killing become so easy and life worth so little? After he’d lost everything that mattered?
Guilt shuddered through Jake. He couldn’t let Charley down. Not again. But he drew the line at murder. He got to his feet, standing between his cousin and the cave. "No killing. That's what we agreed when we started this."
Charley's features turned to stone.
Jake refused to look away. His cousin would think even less of him than he already did.
Finally, Charley’s knife went into its sheath. He snatched his hat off the ground and slapped it against his leg. Dust went flying. "I'll set a false trail in case they're tracking us."
"Good." Jake threaded his fingers through his hair. It was damp with sweat. "That'll give me time to think about what we should do about the woman."
"What's there to think about?" Charley's gaze grew flat. "If you're too soft, I'll take her with me. I can bury her out in the woods where nobody will find her."
###
Kate winced as she used her teeth to tear at the bandana binding her wrists. Her skin stung from being rubbed raw by those leather bindings. Although her captor had used cloth when he retied her hands, he’d secured the knots tight. But he didn't know how stubborn she could be. Her father knew. As far as he was concerned, she was little more than a hardheaded nuisance. Her captor would probably agree with the nuisance part.
Shortly after they’d arrived, he’d dumped her in the cave, threatening to punish her if she moved an inch. She didn't need a translator to tell her he was annoyed. However, the two men hadn't abused her, despite having ample opportunity, and if they'd wanted to kill her, they could have done so before now. He and his partner must be holding her in hopes of getting money.
She dampened the cloth with spit and made her hands as small as possible. At last, she was able to slip free. Without pause, she went to work on the rope around her ankles. Throwing it off, she scrambled to her feet.
Dizziness struck.
She waited until the lightheadedness passed, then crept to the mouth of the cave, staying close to the wall so she wouldn't be seen. With luck, her captors wouldn't be watching and she could sneak out.
The two men stood a stone's throw away, their conversation barely audible. Kate flattened her back against the cave’s wall. Their voices grew louder. She didn't understand the words, but the tone and volume made it clear they were arguing. About her?
She peeked outside. The man with the scarred mouth stormed off in the direction of the trees. The taller one headed for the cave, wearing a scowl. She turned to flee and tripped over a rock. Pain shot through her big toe. Picking herself up, she stumbled deeper into the cave, heading for dark interior with no other thought except escape.
"You don't want to go back there."
She threw a fearful glance over her shoulder. Her captor stood outlined in daylight at the mouth of the cave. He didn’t appear to be in a hurry to pursue her. Was there no way out? Another few steps revealed nothing but darkness.
Behind her, sand crunched. She whirled around, blurting out the first thing that came to her mind. "I must see to my needs."
"Your needs?" His raven brows arched.
"I do have them, you know."
"I'm sure you do.” His eyes raked her. The cad. He purposely mistook her meaning. “But you won't find what you need back there. Only bat droppings and animal skeletons. You'd do better to use the bushes outside. I'll take you."
She backed away. “I'd rather go by myself."
"I'm not letting you out of my sight.” He took hold of her arm.
She gasped at a sharp pain in the same spot where he’d grabbed her yesterday. His grip loosened, but he didn’t release her. Instead, he ran his fingers down to her elbow, lightly brushing her sleeve. Her skin quivered as if he'd stroked her bare flesh.
"Did I hurt you?"
"It…it’s just a bruise.”
His eyes filled with what looked like regret. Could it be he felt bad about hurting her? She had the strangest urge to brush back his dark hair and murmur assurances. He hadn't hurt her that badly, not in the way she thought he might. She shook her head. Truly, she’d lost her mind if she imagined this heathen outlaw needed consoling. He wasn't the one who'd been abducted.
"Are you hungry?” He held up a partially eaten fish skewered on a stick. “I saved you some breakfast."
She blinked, confused. “Is that…yours?"
"Half of it. I didn't touch this side."
He’d saved part of his food for her?
While he rolled up the blankets, she finished off the remainder of the fish. His unexpected generosity surprised her. But there had been other things he’d done, small but significant kindnesses, like covering her with the blanket and using a scarf instead of leather strings to retie her hands. The fear banding her chest eased slightly. He wasn't as hard as he wanted her to believe. Which meant, she might be able to coerce him into returning her.
He hefted the saddle and handed her the bedroll. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" As soon as she stepped outside, she had to stop to let her eyes adjust to the bright daylight. Over by the trees, only her captor’s paint stallion remained.
He nudged her towards his horse. "Stop dragging your feet."
“What’s the hurry?” And why were they leaving without the other man? She'd already figured out they must intend to ransom
her. Had they argued about how to split it? His cold-eyed partner had looked like as though he would just as soon do away with her. Maybe the younger Indian was spiriting her away to get the money. That could be a good thing. Greed, she could manage.
How much should she offer? Most of her wealth was tied up in railroad stock and her cash went to daily expenses. Still, she could scrape together enough to impress an impoverished Indian. "I'll give you a hundred dollars if you take me back."
He threw the blanket and saddle over the horse. Had she not offered enough? Or did he know she was Levi Parsons' heir. If so, he'd expect much more.
"What if I promise to give you enough so you won't have to steal anymore? You could go somewhere and start over."
Her captor shot her a frowning glance. After securing the bedroll, he clamped his hands around her waist. Awareness zinged through her. She jerked away, flustered and confused. Why this attraction to a stranger, an outlaw? It made no sense. Had to be the odd situation that made her feel close to him. Only, she’d never felt these things when Henry touched her.
"Get on the horse,” he demanded.
“I just offered you money. Name your price.”
His eyes made a slow trek down her body, and the tingles turned into full-fledged shivers.
She held her ground, praying he couldn’t see how thoroughly he unsettled her. "You…you want gold, I imagine."
"I want you to stop talking and mount up." He laced his fingers together and motioned for her to put her foot in his hand so he could assist her. “Up you go.”
Kate licked her lips, growing more nervous. If she rode in front of him again, he would touch her and her body would betray her weakness. Besides, she couldn’t get away with his arms around her. "I'll ride behind you."
His scowl reappeared. "So you can kick my horse again?”
“I won’t. I promise.” She mentally crossed her fingers.
His face darkened with anger. "Get in the saddle, unless you want to stay here and wait for Charley."
"Charley? Is that your partner?
Alarm flashed in his eyes. He’d let the name slip unintentionally, along with something else. That cruel look on the other man’s face, she hadn't misread it. Charley wanted to kill her.
###
Jake held Redbird tight as he guided his horse down the narrow path leading away from the hideout. He'd leave a trail so Charley would think he’d returned her to the railroad worksite, but when he reached the creek branch he'd take to the water in a different direction. His cousin would be furious when he finally figured out where they were going, but at least this would delay any decision on ransoming their captive—or killing her.
"Are we going back?" She craned her neck as if she was trying to look around the next bend. "The path looks familiar."
Jake sighed wearily. Should he tell her where he was taking her? If he did, she might try to run away, and he was too tired to put up with her tricks. "You have a good eye. We passed by here before."
She nodded, apparently taking his answer for yes. He tried not to feel guilty. After all, he was keeping her safe—at least safe from Charley. He wasn't so certain he'd be able to keep his hands off her if she didn't stop moving.
Her hair had come loose from the knot and curls circled her head like a fiery halo. The color and texture was unlike anything Jake had ever seen. He wanted to rub his face in it, but that would arouse him and frighten her and make the journey a misery for both of them.
Growing frustrated, he dropped his hat on her head so he wouldn't keep looking at her hair and wanting to touch it. "Here, wear this to protect your face."
"Thank you. I didn't have the opportunity to collect mine."
His lips twitched, but when she reached up to adjust the hat, his smile quickly faded. Her wrists were so raw they looked blistered. He'd used cloth to bind her hands to avoid damage to her tender skin, but she'd worked hard at escaping her bonds. She’d even ripped his bandana, which was still damp where she'd been chewing on it.
She was a feisty little thing. Not easily frightened, but smart enough to know when fear was her friend. She’d kept her head when other women would’ve gone into fits, and was clever enough to take advantage of his weakness for her. She’d have bashed him in the head with that rock if Charley hadn’t called out—a lesson not to be forgotten.
When he reached the creek, he took the horse into the water and let the stallion pick his way along the shallow bed. Redbird's shoulders tightened as she gripped the saddle horn and leaned over the horse's withers, trying to avoid contact. Was she still scared? Regardless, she would soon be in agony.
He circled his arm around her waist and drew her against him. She resisted, which wasn’t surprising considering he'd made her use him as a saddle the last time. But if he could put up with this uncomfortable attraction, so could she.
"Easy now." He used the same tone he took with fidgety mares. "Relax. I won't hurt you."
"So you say."
"I do say. And I keep my word."
She cast a doubtful frown over her shoulder, yet allowed him to pull her against him. Her hand hovered over his arm. Did she want him to remove it? She surprised him by curling her fingers around his wrist.
He cuddled her close to ease the discomfort of riding double in a saddle meant for one. They rode for a time in companionable silence. That she felt no need to chatter, like some women did, further impressed him. A warm, pleasant feeling settled in the center of his chest. Took him a minute to work out what it was.
Contentment.
His heart jumped like a jackrabbit. What had gotten into him? He could never be content with a white woman. Except, this wasn't just any white woman. She was Redbird.
Her lemony fragrance teased his senses. He leaned forward, and then realized what he was doing and sat back. He must be addled. Didn’t matter if she fit perfectly in his arms, or if she smelled so good he couldn't stop sniffing her hair. She was no sun goddess or even a benign spirit. And she belonged to a rich white man, not a poor Indian.
The thought angered him. That railroad man didn't deserve her if he couldn't take better care of her. "Why did your man bring you along?"
"My man?"
Did he need to clarify? "The one the workers call chief."
"Oh. You must mean Henry Stevens. He’s Chief of Operations, that’s why they call him that. He's not my— I mean, he didn't bring out here. I came on my own.”
Had she been about to deny the relationship? Why?
“He should’ve made you stay home. It's not safe for you to be wandering around alone."
She breathed a soft snort. "They’d be in complete agreement with you.”
"They?"
"I mean, Henry."
Again, she'd stumbled. What was she hiding?
"How long have you belonged to Stevens?"
Her body tensed. "I'm not his possession.”
"But the workers said you belong to him."
"The workers?" She twisted, looking over her shoulder with a frown. "When did you talk to the workers? And why were you asking about me?"
Jake clamped his teeth shut. Why had he let that slip, as well as Charley's name? He really had to be more careful. "Turn around. You're spooking my horse."
She faced forward. "You're avoiding my question."
He wasn't going to admit he'd been spying on the railroad prior to the last payroll theft. "I overheard them talking at the party.”
When she didn't press further, he relaxed. He was still curious as to whether she actually belonged to the railroad chief. What if she wasn't married? Jake capped the notion before it formed. Of course she belonged to Stevens. Why else would she be with him so often? She was lying to protect her husband’s money.
Jake guided the horse out of the creek, staying alert for any sign of pursuit. The forest remained quiet, the birds stayed in the trees, there was nothing to indicate they were being followed. He released his breath, relieved. Charley must’ve headed back to the worksi
te. That would buy enough time to get Redbird to a place where she'd be safe, yet unable to cause trouble.
Beyond the edge of the woods, the rocky terrain swept into a plateau. Redbird straightened and looked around. "You're not taking me back. We're going the opposite direction."
Too bad she was so observant.
"I never said I was taking you back."
"But you said…" She removed her hand from Jake’s arm. "Where are you taking me?"
She’d find out soon enough. But if he told her and she became frightened she might try to run. The less said, the better. "Somewhere safe."
“Safe? Your partner wants to kill me."
"Nobody's going to kill you."
His assurance must not have relieved her because she didn’t relax.
Troubled, he touched the arrowhead hanging from a leather string around his neck. The powerful totem had belonging to the famous warrior Dragging Canoe and was passed down through his mother’s family. His ancestor had defeated many enemies, some of them in his own clan. Jake refused to believe his cousin would become his enemy, but he wasn't letting Charley hurt Redbird. This time he’d run not because he was a coward, but because he refused to be forced into choosing between them.
"I'll pay you five hundred dollars if you'll take me back.”
Jake's instincts perked up. "You'll pay me? Don't you mean Stevens?"
"I can get my hands on the money. Why does it matter where it comes from?"
He was tempted to see how high she would go. But if he traded her she’d be able to identify them, and he couldn’t take that chance. Not until the case was settled, their land was safe and he and Charley were far enough away not to cause problems for their family.
"I can't take you back. Not yet.”
Redbird retreated into sullen silence. He didn't believe for a minute she was accepting her fate. More likely, she was plotting how to escape. Out here, there was nowhere she could go so she could scheme all she wanted.
The sun's rays beat down. Jake used his sleeve to mop the sweat from his forehead. He missed his hat and the heat was getting more intense. His horse had to drink and graze and Redbird probably needed relief. It wouldn’t hurt to stop for a few minutes. He headed for the shade of a river birch overhanging a creek. "We'll stop here, rest awhile.”