But before he could kiss her, Larissa suddenly stepped away, brushing back her hair. “That wind stole every bit of my energy. I haven’t seen a sandstorm this bad in ages.”
“It’s something else, all right.” He stepped to his and Larissa’s mounts and unsaddled them.
Conscious of the woman’s every move, he knew instantly when she stumbled to the packhorse and began working the knots loose in the rope that secured their provisions to the animal’s back.
He hurried to her side. “Let me get that. You sit down and rest.”
Evidently too tired to object, she did as he asked, picking a spot against the wall of the cave.
He got the packhorse unloaded and stacked the supplies next to the wall before he noticed Larissa slumped in a heap on the rocky floor.
Grabbing one of three canteens, he went to her. “Here, drink up.”
Noticing he had yet to put the canteen to his lips, she shook her head. “Only when you do. If you don’t drink, I don’t either.”
“Lady, you’re in no position to haggle.”
“Give my portion to Arabella. The animals are two steps from a shallow grave now.” She could do her part to ration if he could.
“So are you. Think of your sister,” he persisted.
“One small drink then.” Larissa reached for the water and took a sip. “Now, are you happy? It’s your turn.”
“If there’s any left after I take care of the horses.”
Larissa knew he’d hornswoggled her. He had no intention of wetting his throat. She watched him pour their precious water into his hat and let each horse drink.
“I don’t think we’re too far from Devils River. It should have water in it this time of year,” he offered over his shoulder. “By my estimation we’re probably half a day’s ride out. I can wait. With luck, this sandstorm will die down and we’ll make better time.”
With the animals cared for, he came and sat down next to her. The companionable way his shoulder touched hers brought sudden warmth. She felt totally alive and well cared for.
Waning light revealed the layer of dirt caked on every portion of his face that had been exposed to the elements. She guessed she probably looked the same and for a minute yearned for her room at the ranch, where she had all the water she needed. A cool bath would do wonders for her sagging spirits.
She ran her tongue over her cracked lips to moisten them.
Surely her father had read the note she’d left. Although separated by thirty miles of wasteland she could feel his anger.
But she chose to look forward rather than backward. She still believed she’d done the right thing.
She reached for the bandana that lay beside her, then tried to wipe some of the sand from her face. The dry cloth didn’t do too good a job, but at least it probably got some of it.
Twisting toward her, he held out his hand. “Give me the bandana.”
Johnny Diamond, the man who seemed to guard his thoughts as if they were locked in a bank vault, folded the square piece of fabric and ordered, “Hold still.”
With the softest touch, he gently brushed her cheek. “Missed a spot.”
The crooked grin he flashed stole her breath. That glorious smile revealed a row of white teeth. And she knew at that moment that he had more than a little devilment in him. He’d break her heart if she wasn’t careful.
“Diamond, how close do you think we are to the kidnappers?”
“I can’t hazard a guess.” He returned the bandana to her. “It depends on whether they got caught in the storm too.”
“But if not?” She struggled to keep fear from her voice. Losing control now would benefit no one. She’d not give Johnny Diamond reason to leave her behind. Beth needed her.
Still, the man on whom they’d pinned their hopes didn’t have to tell her valuable time was wasting away.
Their five days was down to four and the clock ticked.
“I’ve never been any good at playing the ‘if’ game.” His quiet answer calmed her rising panic. “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater just because of a little thing like nasty weather. The pure and simple fact is we have right on our side. We’ll win this fight, mark my words.”
“But the wind will have destroyed their tracks. How will you know where they’ve gone?”
“We’ll just keep heading south toward Del Rio. It’s the most logical place. We’ll look there first and if we can’t find your sister, we’ll try up and down the border. I won’t give up. My gut tells me we’re looking in the right direction.”
“You don’t deal in iffy speculation but you rely on something so vague as your gut?”
“It’s rarely wrong. I’m alive today because of my well-honed instincts. And before this is all said and done you might be thanking God for them, if you don’t mind me saying, ma’am.”
Larissa bristled at the set-down. “Diamond, you’re more prickly than a horned toad on a hot rock.”
He rubbed his eyes. “Sorry. I wasn’t always like this.”
“Did you just wake up one day and decide to live on the wrong side of the law?” She’d blurted the question before she’d had time to consider that it probably wasn’t the wisest thing to ask an outlaw. Only now that she’d spent some time with him he didn’t exhibit the sort of characteristics she associated with someone who spurned the law at every turn.
No matter what he’d done or the crimes he’d committed, Johnny Diamond had principles. She had a feeling when he believed strongly in a cause he put everything he had into it.
A startled look swept Johnny’s ice-blue gaze. It was like staring into the cool depths of an iridescent pool. “My life didn’t take this turn of its own accord. You might say circumstances led me to follow this path.”
Now she was intrigued. “Circumstances?”
“Yep. I was born in the mountains of Kentucky. When I was fourteen, my family sold everything they had and came west. We traveled with a wagon train until we reached Texas. My father decided to split away. He’d heard of cheap land for the taking as far as the eye could see on the Llano Estacado.”
Larissa had a feeling this story wouldn’t have a good ending, but she itched to know that he’d once had a normal life. “I’ve heard of the Llano Estacado in west Texas where the grasses appear as endless rolling waves across the prairie. It must be quite mesmerizing.”
“It is. The only thing was, no one warned my father of the danger.” Johnny wearily rubbed his eyes.
She waited for him to continue and when it seemed he’d said all he intended to she prodded, “You can’t leave me hanging in suspense. What danger?”
“Comancheros, for one.”
An icy chill invaded her. Mention of Comancheros struck fear in the hearts of God-fearing folk. They were a murderous band of men who preyed on the weak and on ill-prepared travelers. She’d heard tales of them killing, raping, and sometimes selling hostages. They traded guns and whiskey to the fierce Apache in exchange for captives and stolen horses.
“I’m sorry I pried. I can see this is too painful for you.” Her words barely rose above the shrieking wind.
Johnny didn’t act like he heard her. He seemed to be reliving the nightmare. “They killed my father right off. He was the lucky one. I watched them rape my mother and sisters and I prayed they’d just kill them and end their suffering. But when they finally shot them, the world went so still. The birds quit singing, the breeze stopped blowing, the mules ceased their complaining. That silence was the sound of death.”
Larissa ached for him. She had no idea how a person would cope after tragically losing his entire family. “What happened to you? How did you get away?”
“After the deadly quiet, the Comancheros argued about what to do with me. Just as they decided to trade me to the Apache, a stranger suddenly swooped in on a horse with pistols blazing. I never saw anything like it. He grabbed me up and we hightailed it for the cover of a nearby arroyo. He single-handedly held off eight Comancheros. When night fel
l, we slipped away and rode for our lives.
“The man’s name was Sam Whiskey. He was an outlaw and I owe my life to him. He took me under his wing. Taught me to shoot, track, and stay alive. When I’d learned enough, I went looking for my family’s killers.” Johnny’s features were as though carved from granite, his tight voice as unyielding as tempered steel.
They sat for a long time shoulder to shoulder, immersed in their own thoughts.
Larissa didn’t have any doubt that he’d found the men. She also knew that he’d exacted his form of retribution.
And he’d paid for it with his soul.
Johnny rose and stood at the mouth of the cave, staring out at the red-tinged sky. His square jaw seemed braced as though daring the world to take its best shot.
Unshed tears filled her eyes. She stared at his broad shoulders that had borne so much weight. Johnny’s family had wanted nothing other than owning some land and living their lives. Instead what they found in Texas was a killing ground. Shame swept through her. At least she still had a father who walked, talked, and breathed. But she’d wanted far more.
She vowed that when this was all over she would try harder to have a better relationship with Dunston Patrick . . . if at all possible.
Chapter 5
Johnny Diamond dreamed of pools of sparkling blue water. It was there simply for the taking. The water was so real he could taste it, feel it trickling through his hand, sluicing over his head.
He awoke to find the inside of his mouth as dry as a sunbaked piece of boot leather. It was still dark, must be very early morning if he were to hazard a guess.
The winds no longer shrieked like a demented banshee.
He couldn’t see Larissa, but gentle breathing came from her bedroll, which she’d lain out next to his. He wished he had some water for her. It didn’t matter so much that he went without, he just didn’t want her to be miserable. He wished he had enough for drinking . . . washing up . . . making coffee.
And if wishes were horses he’d have a ranch bursting at the seams with the beautiful animals. He let out a long breath. Taking care not to wake her, he stole over to look out of the cave.
Blue heard him and nickered softly.
Johnny looked up at the millions of stars. “I’m a fool,” he angrily whispered. “I shouldn’t have told Larissa about my past. I should’ve kept quiet.”
Thanks to his loose tongue she knew exactly what kind of man he was—the killing sort. He’d wanted her to look kindly on him. For once in his life he wanted someone to see the kind of man he wished he could’ve been before evil touched his life and moved in to stay.
But now she’d seen the unvarnished truth and probably rued the day she’d followed him from the ranch.
Not that he didn’t rue it either. His conscience balked at suddenly finding himself responsible for Larissa Patrick. He didn’t want anyone’s life being dependent on him. He wasn’t any good at looking out for others.
Hell, he hadn’t even been able to save his mother and three sisters!
What would Larissa think if she knew he’d hidden like a scared jackrabbit as bullets shattered their skulls?
He stood there cursing himself until the inky sky lightened with pink and golden hues. It was a new day.
“Larissa, time to wake up. We need to be going.” He moved to the dark shape on the bedroll and lightly shook her shoulder.
She came awake instantly, her eyes finding his in the soft light. Her hair was a tousled mess, dirt streaked her face, and her clothes were wrinkled. He didn’t think he’d seen a more beautiful, stubborn woman.
“Good morning.” Her brilliant smile turned the brown of her eyes a rich chocolate. She had little to be overjoyed about, but neither the lack of water nor a fierce sandstorm that could strip the hide from bone seemed to dampen her spirit. She never wasted breath complaining.
“Let’s ride while it’s still cool. Maybe we can make it to the river before the day heats up too much.”
Half an hour later they took to the trail again.
Just as the sun heated in earnest, Johnny saw a cloud of vultures circling the sky ahead. His gut clenched. Such scavengers feasted on something dead.
He knew the minute Larissa saw it too. Although she didn’t speak, she straightened as alarm swept her features.
He wished he could assure her it couldn’t possibly be her sister, but the words wouldn’t come, for he knew all too well the price this land sometimes exacted on its travelers.
And of all people, he knew the depth of viciousness that lurked in the hearts of men.
Urging the horses to a faster pace, he pushed them onward. They’d find out soon who or what baked in the scorching heat. He wasn’t a praying man, but he found himself uttering a prayer that the vultures’ meal wasn’t Beth Patrick.
They rode down into a dry wash, up the bank on the other side, and rounded a stand of mesquite. The vultures’ big wings flapped noisily as they took to the sky. It was then Johnny got a look at what they were feasting on.
The bloated body of a dead horse brought relief.
Judging from the amount of sand that had blown up around one side, it had been there since early yesterday.
Johnny dismounted and handed the reins to Larissa. Covering his nose, he went for a close look. The poor animal had been shot through the head. At least someone had put the horse out of its misery. He guessed it had probably died of thirst and from being ridden too hard. A good look at the horseshoes told him this animal made one of the three sets of prints he’d been following since leaving the Four Spades Ranch. That meant two of the kidnappers rode double.
They might meet the same fate as this horse if they didn’t reach water soon.
He returned to the horses and looked up at Larissa. Seeing her dry, cracked lips made his chest tighten. “How are you holding up?” he asked quietly.
“I’m all right. How much farther to the river?”
“We should be there soon.” He took Blue’s and the packhorse’s reins from her and swung back into the saddle. “Maybe a couple more miles. Don’t worry, we’ll make it.”
“I’m not worried. You’ll get us there.”
Larissa’s quiet confidence brought a lump to his throat. Until he’d met her, only Sam Whiskey had put much stock in his abilities.
Sweat drenched their clothing by the time Devils River came into view. The horses smelled the water and took off at a gallop. The river was narrow but the glistening water was a sight to behold. The horses didn’t stop until they stood in the middle of it.
Johnny helped Larissa from her mare. He hung his hat and holster on the saddle horn and moved upstream before he cupped his hands and scooped the water into his mouth. He drank his fill and then some. Only after he’d wet his parched throat did he submerge his head, then his whole body.
“We made it! We really made it.” Larissa, who’d followed him upstream, stretched out her arms and fell backward into the water.
When she came up, Johnny’s heart stopped. Her clothes were plastered to her body. Every curve, every peak and valley stood out with crystal clarity. And she didn’t know the effect it had on him. If she’d had any inkling she’d have gotten on her horse and hightailed it out of there so fast he wouldn’t have known what hit him.
He swung away to hide a grin and doused his head with water. As if that would cool the rising heat. He doubted a bath in frigid ice water would return his body to a state that wouldn’t betray his thoughts.
Larissa Patrick could tie him in knots without half trying.
After some time he waded out of the water, and retrieved his holster from his saddle horn and the Winchester from the scabbard. Plopping down on the bank, he emptied the water from his boots.
“Can we camp here for the night?”
He didn’t miss the hopeful note in Larissa’s question. “As much as I hate it, we’ll have to ride on. We need to get to Del Rio. But we’ll have to rest the horses for a bit. I’m going to build a fire and m
ake some coffee. Might see what game I can scare up for a quick meal. Hungry?”
“I could stand to eat something,” she answered. “If you can.”
Before she emerged from the water and he embarrassed himself, he shoved his feet back into his boots and headed for the nearby brush to find some wood for a fire. He took his time, giving her ample opportunity to set her clothes to rights. When he made it back a short while later, she already had the coffeepot out, filled with water and coffee.
And not too much later, they roasted some quail over an open fire and sipped on cups of coffee.
Larissa wished they didn’t have to ride on, but she understood. Their five days was now down to three and they had yet to reach Del Rio, if that was where they’d find Beth. They had no assurances of that. Like Johnny had stated, the gang of kidnappers could be anywhere up and down the border.
Every time she thought of her innocent sister in those mens’ clutches an icy chill ran through her blood. Finding Beth seemed a daunting task.
She turned the stick over the fire with a quail skewered on the end. Johnny had skinned and cleaned the birds in no time, a skill acquired only from lots of practice. She gave him a sidelong glance, her cheeks heating at the memory of how her blouse and riding skirt had clung to her when she’d gotten out of the river. She’d been so overjoyed to have reached water that she’d given no thought of her modesty. No wonder he’d suddenly disappeared. In his own thoughtful way he’d given her time to make herself presentable.
Her heart swelled.
Johnny Diamond was no ordinary outlaw. He could easily fit into the most discerning social circles had he a mind to do so.
And yet he chose a life that could get him killed.
Or rather, as he’d explained, this life had chosen him. He hadn’t had much choice in the matter, given the way the Comancheros had erased his whole family from the face of the earth and made him an orphan in the bargain.
It was small wonder he had an ancient look in his eyes as though he’d already lived several lifetimes, although he couldn’t be but a few years older than she.
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