“You haven’t killed me yet, if that’s what you mean.”
He flinched, and it surprised her he would. She didn’t think a man like him would feel any guilt at all for what he’d done.
“You can’t leave. I told you if you did what I said, I’d keep you safe.”
“And why would I trust anything you say? You’re an outlaw, a thief. Maybe even a murderer.”
Oh, he didn’t like that. Not if the tick in his jaw had anything to do with it.
His hand clenched, but he kept it at his side. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but I’m all you have. Have any of the others made you a promise of safety? Because from what I’ve heard, they all want to abuse you or get rid of you. Do I need to spell out what either of those mean?”
She gulped. “I’m not a child. They want to kill me or worse, but if they do, then they’ll never get money for me.”
He raised a brow. “And what happens after they get money for you? Do you think they’ll just let you leave?”
Did he think she was a complete idiot? “Of course not. Why do you think I was running away?”
He leaned back, studying her as if he’d never seen her before.
Drat. She was supposed to be a helpless lady. She needed to get under control and behave the way she ought to. The men would underestimate her if they thought she was weak.
Yells sounded from behind him and he swore. True regret shone in his eyes a moment before he said, “I’m sorry,” and pushed her down into the leaves. Before she could take another breath, he was on top of her, kissing her.
Her body stiffened, rebelling against his touch. He said he wouldn’t do this!
She opened her mouth to tell him to get away from her, and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue between her lips.
Shock pulsed through her at the intimate touch. Never had she allowed a man such liberties. Then again, she’d never realized how much a mere kiss could shoot sparks throughout her body.
As abruptly as the kiss started, he pulled away.
Dazed, she couldn’t speak, couldn’t focus on him.
“She’s mine, Dec!” McCoy spat furiously, cocking his gun and pointing it at Dec’s back.
She was in deep trouble.
When Declan heard the other men, he knew there was only one thing to do. Heaven help him, it was the one thing he hadn’t been able to stop himself from thinking of since the moment he’d seen her thrashing on the hard bench on the train, but he’d never, ever forced his attentions on a woman before... and wasn’t happy about doing it now, but he had no choice.
He hissed through his teeth when he climbed on her, feeling all those delicious curves beneath him, a scant second before his mouth swooped down to capture hers. He kissed her surprise, her outrage, and then took just a little more when her lips parted.
The men behind him froze when they finally found him, and he knew he’d done what he’d set out to do. With the greatest strength he’d ever shown, he pulled away from her. But one look at her rosy lips had him wanting to devour her completely.
He forced away all lustful thoughts and focused on the men behind them, praying she’d keep her mouth shut.
“She’s mine, Dec!”
Declan shrugged, the same way he always did to pretend nothing mattered. “Doesn’t appear to be.” He grinned at the group. “Sorry you guys came out all this way. Had I known you were awake, I would’ve let you know where I was going.”
“Why you—” McCoy stepped forward, hand on his gun, but Jesse held out his hand to stop him. “Don’t get in my way, Jesse. This doesn’t concern you.”
Their leader didn’t say much, but when he did, other’s listened. He looked between Declan and McCoy, and for once, Declan wondered if he’d crossed the line in Jesse’s eyes.
He would’ve never touched the woman if she hadn’t run away. But if he admitted to the group he’d caught her doing just that, there’d be trouble. They would hurt her and he couldn’t allow that to happen. Now, if she would just stay quiet and let him handle this, they both just might make it out of there alive.
“Look, Jesse, I’m sorry this happened. I didn’t mean for it to, but the fact is, she’s mine now. She willingly agreed.”
Most bandits wouldn’t care about such a thing, but he had a feeling Jesse would. He wasn’t a good man by any means. He’d killed and robbed, but he’d never forced a woman, and he’d never allowed any of the men to either.
If McCoy hadn’t enticed Jesse with the lure of ransom, he never would’ve allowed McCoy to take her.
Their leader nodded to Declan. “Keep her under control. And when the ransom is paid, you’re taking care of it.”
Declan didn’t argue. “Fine.”
Everyone knew what ‘taking care of it’ meant. From the look on the woman’s face, she did too. Jesse might not condone intimately taking women against their will, but he had no problem killing them.
McCoy shook his head and closed his eyes, as if it took all his willpower not to shoot someone on the spot. “That ain’t right.”
“It’s been decided,” Jesse snapped. “If you want a woman, go find a willing one in a saloon. You’ll have enough money to buy your fill of them. Now”—he glared at the other men, who’d been silently watching the exchange—“get back to camp.” Turning back to Declan, he said, “You have five minutes, then your hide better be back at camp.”
Dec nodded, but when the other men walked out of view, his shoulders collapsed. They’d barely made it through that.
Jesse was volatile, and had he been in a bad mood, he would’ve just shot them both and saved himself so much trouble.
He turned back to Ellie, who was still sprawled on the ground behind him.
“Do you understand,” Declan began, taking a deep breath, “how lucky we just were?”
She remained silent. Smart woman.
“Jesse could’ve killed us right now. Or McCoy...or any of the others. They won’t tolerate this sort of thing.”
She sat up slowly, but still didn’t meet his eye. “Why did you lie? You could’ve told them I ran.”
“Because then they would’ve hurt you to ensure your compliance.”
Wasn’t that obvious? He was so wound up, not only from the danger, but from their kiss. Couldn’t she see how difficult this was for him? How she’d tied him up in knots? It was like he’d never kissed a woman before her, and he’d seen the grim reaper, all in the same moment. Amazingly good and horrifyingly bad.
She curled her knees up, wrapping her arms around her legs, before glancing at him. “Would it matter if they had?”
He counted to ten before even attempting to speak. There was no reason to be upset from her question. She had no idea who he was, what his duty was. To her, he was just another lowlife, an outlaw, who had no respect for life or the law. “Yes. I won’t let an innocent die.”
She was quiet at that, but he wasn’t finished. “And because you’re innocent, I won’t let you die from your stupidity either.”
She gasped. “How dare you! If you were in my position, I bet you’d try to escape too.” She climbed to her feet like an avenging angel.
He stood toe-to-toe with her. “Of course I would, but I’d make sure I was successful.”
“Ohh!” Her mouth opened and closed a few times, as she appeared at a loss for words...briefly. “I would’ve gotten away had you not come after me.”
“Sweetheart, you wouldn’t have gotten a mile without the others coming after you. And I can guarantee that you wouldn’t have enjoyed their capture nearly as much.”
She slapped his chest. “I did not enjoy any of that. You’re a brute and high-handed. And, and… you kiss terribly!” She turned on her heel and started back toward camp.
His mouth hung open. Kissed terribly? He knew for a fact that wasn’t true, which meant she was purposefully baiting him. He couldn’t back down from such a challenge.
He caught her in two steps, twisting her around to face him. Thei
r bodies collided from the momentum, and he relished the feel. “Do you want to say that again?”
Her eyes widened, and she must’ve realized she’d challenged him. “No.”
“Oh, come on,” he hissed. “Brute and high-handed I might be, but no one has ever complained about my kiss.”
She swallowed repeatedly, no doubt trying to think of a way out of the hole she’d dug. But she wasn’t going to find a way out of this. He’d taken up the gauntlet. “I guess there’s only one way to settle this.”
He leaned in slowly, knowing that, as much as he wanted to prove to her she enjoyed his touch, he would never force it on her again. One movement from her, one word, and he’d back off. But she didn’t say no or shy away.
After giving her one last chance to refuse, he crushed his lips on hers and dragged her body to his. He kissed her like both their lives depended on it, like this was the last moment they’d have on Earth. He gave, holding nothing back, and with a whimper from her lips, he was rewarded when her hands crawled up his back and gripped his shoulders.
She opened her mouth, letting him taste her, but after a moment, she became the aggressor. Her tongue twisted with his, and he thought Jesse had killed him after all. This has to be heaven.
He pulled away. Breath heaving, hands deeply hidden in her hair, he just stared into her wide, blue eyes. “Who are you?” he whispered. He knew absolutely nothing about her, not even her name. He needed to know more. Who is this woman? Where did she come from?
“Ellie.” Her eyes flicked back to his lips, and he groaned, before tasting her again.
He’d never kissed a woman who felt like Ellie did. Never had someone fit into his arms like they’d been made to do so. No one before had ever tasted like the one thing he’d been chasing his whole life, but never found.
Heaven.
That’s what she felt like, tasted like. And he wanted more of it—of her.
His hands caressed her waist, relishing the petiteness there. His hands fit around her, and probably would even without a corset. Trailing down over her hips, he wanted to fall to his knees and worship those curves—
Shock washed over him when his hand traced over the shape of a derringer. She had a gun hidden in her dress!
Who is this woman? he thought, even more intrigued.
He pulled away from her and stared into glazed eyes. He was as ravenous for more information about her as he was for her kiss. What kind of woman dressed like a princess, but carried a weapon in her skirts?
He had a feeling she knew how to use it too.
The fact she hadn’t brandished it about, thus far, told him she was smart. She knew there was no way she’d be able to use it against them all.
He thought about taking it from her, but it relieved him to know she had some type of protection if she was ever away from him.
No. He’d leave it with her and hope she never needed it.
She shook her head as if trying to clear her thoughts, and a slow smile started at the corner of his mouth. “What were you saying about terrible?”
Her lips pressed together. “Perhaps that was the wrong word. Passable is more apt.”
“Passable?”
She looked at him with mischief twinkling her eye. “There’s nothing wrong with passable.”
“I’ll show you passable.”
He pulled her to him again, kissing her so hotly, he was surprised they were both still standing.
She swayed when he released her this time. He arched a brow, and she sealed her lips closed.
Nodding, he felt an absurd sense of pride over the fact she couldn’t lie about what she’d felt with him again. He didn’t know why it was so important, or why it even mattered, but he needed her honesty.
“We should probably head back. They’ll send someone to get us if we take too long. It could get ugly.”
She nodded, but didn’t make eye contact with him now.
“I’m sorry for forcing a kiss on you earlier.” He’d needed to apologize.
“I know why you did it. Honestly, I should thank you. It stopped them from doing something worse.”
It had. And with her forgiveness, the muscles in his shoulders loosened. He hadn’t known they’d been so tight until that moment. “I’m going to protect you, Ellie.”
This time she shrugged, and he knew she still didn’t believe him. Why would she?
He’d never felt so constricted by duty as he did in that moment. “When this is done, I’ll do everything in my power to get you to your fiancé.” He meant it, even if he didn’t want to. Even if it rubbed him raw thinking of this woman in the arms of another man, he’d deliver her to him. Declan might pretend she was his in order to keep her safe, but it was just that—pretend. A lie. She belonged to another man.
That man would never be him.
Chapter 4
Ellie still had her gun. That was the ace up her sleeve. The longer she pretended to go along with things as a docile little woman, the more lax her captors would become. Maybe not Dec, but the rest would.
They trailed back into camp, and she thought again how he’d lied for her, how he’d saved her.
How he’d kissed her.
Butterflies danced in her belly. Goodness. She’d always wondered what all the fuss was about kissing, but she’d learned enough about it tonight to know why men and women behaved so foolishly.
“Go to my bedroll and wait for me.”
She nodded before doing as he asked. She needed to earn his trust if she wanted any plans for escape to succeed. A guilty flush stained her neck, but she ignored it. She didn’t need to feel bad about deceiving Dec. He had to know her only thought was for her freedom. It was her duty as a prisoner to escape. But for once, she wondered what would happen to him if she got away. Would Jesse punish him?
Of course he would. She couldn’t lie to herself about that. She needed to own up to it. It wouldn’t change her plans, but she wasn’t going to lie to herself either. He’d helped her, and she probably owed him at least that. When she got away, he’d be punished. She was sorry for it, but he’d made his own bed when he robbed the train with these men.
But somehow, trying to justify his death didn’t help lessen her guilt, but if she let her guilt rule her, she’d die. She refused to let that happen just because he’d lied to save her neck.
Dec talked to Jesse for a moment, before returning. “Time for sleep. We have a long way to ride.”
She nodded. She could use a few hours of rest. The nap she’d taken in Dec’s arms wasn’t nearly enough, and after staying up so long, waiting for the men to sleep, there was little time left. She laid down, her back facing him, and tried to relax.
A moment later, he said, “Give me your hand.”
Before she could ask why, he’d looped a rope around her wrist and was tightening it.
“What are you doing?” she squealed, tugging at the rope.
He snorted. “You’re smarter than that. You know exactly what I’m doing.”
“You don’t have to do this.” She tugged again. “I won’t run away again.” At least not tonight.
He leveled a gaze on her. “Of course you will. You ran once; nothing will stop you from trying to escape again. I know your kind. You’re a fighter.”
She shrieked, pulling frantically on the rope binding her while the men around her laughed at the display. She didn’t care. They could all just go to a fiery pit and burn for eternity, but she wouldn’t be tied up like some calf on the ranch. She was a person, not an animal.
“Stop that or you’ll hurt yourself,” he said calmly.
She barely heard him as she continued to try to pull free. The stupid thing wouldn’t even loosen!
He finally grabbed her hand when the others turned away, quietly scolding her over the abraded skin. Jamming a hand in his pocket, he pulled out a handkerchief and loosened the rope just a tiny bit before sliding the fabric between the rope and her raw skin. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
�
�Then let me go.”
“You know I can’t.”
“I already said I wouldn’t run away.”
He shrugged that annoying shrug again. How could he be so insensitive?
He finally released her hand once he was satisfied with the bandanna’s placement. “I can’t take the chance. If you get away, they’ll kill me. And I like my head where it is.”
She glared at him. “I like mine too.”
“And I intend to keep both our heads as they are. But I can’t do that if I have to keep chasing you down. You’ll keep this rope around your wrist during the night. And the other end”—he tied it around his own—“will be right here. If you go anywhere, I’ll go with you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What if nature calls?”
“Then we go together.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
The look he leveled at her suggested she didn’t argue. She took the hint. She didn’t want to talk to him anymore anyway. She was furious he was doing this, and she didn’t care that she’d brought it all on herself by running.
He’d pay for this. She’d make sure he did.
The next day was worse than the first. Ellie woke up, her arm throbbing from the awkward position the rope had kept it in, and she swore a horse had kicked her in the backside sometime during the night, which wasn’t far off from the truth. Only it had used the saddle to abuse her the day before, instead of its hoof.
Dec hadn’t helped either. In fact, he’d made it worse, if that were even possible.
Now that he’d claimed her, the men allowed him to do a few things to make their journey easier on her. Either that, or they were sick of being held back by the weak woman.
And that was the part that rankled her. Right now, she was weak, and walked like a ninety-year-old woman.
Dec tried to hold her in ways which alleviated the worst of the beating from the ride, but he couldn’t shield her from it all.
None of this would be happening right now if she’d hadn’t left home. Her troubles there all seemed so ridiculous compared to what she was facing now, but even then, she had to admit she would do it all over again, if it meant she could get to Ivan. Her own ranch was worth the risk.
A Mail-Order Chance (Miners to Millionaires Book 5) Page 3
