Minnie just knew she’d vomit. She’d been thrown over the horse and the saddle horn was jammed painfully into her belly. Every time she tried to break free and throw herself off the horse, the vile man riding the beast would swat her backside so hard she bit off a scream.
“Stay still. You ain’t getting off this horse until I say, and if I gotta stop to make that point clearer, it’ll be said with my hand on your bare backside. So stop your kicking and flailing.” He swatted her backside several times in a row until she screeched.
He had long brown hair, and a beard. She couldn’t see much of him in this position, but none of them seemed too appealing. Only God knew how long it’d been since any of them had showered. The only thing she was sure of was the strength and hardness of his right hand. After several of those painful smacks, she decided that she’d lay low for a bit and escape after she got off the horse.
“You’re gonna be a sorry girl. We ain’t letting you back to those people until they pay us a good sum to get you back. How much trouble were you? ‘Cause if they’re glad to be done with you, you’ll be sold off at the closest saloon.”
The rider who spoke to her had ridden up to their left. He appeared to be as dirty and unshaven as her captor. She didn’t want to think about the fact that Angus might be glad to have her gone. What if he decided to not pay for her release? She couldn’t be a whore. She’d been bred for better than a common trollop in a saloon.
Smack! “Ow!” She tried to reach around to rub her sore bottom, but his body was in the way.
“Kane asked you a question. How much trouble were you out there? And who were you with?”
The vile man they called Silas, her captor, kept a hand on her ass, she assumed as a warning. “Uhm. Well, I was a little bit of trouble. But the Widow Wagon will come looking for you all. Angus ain’t going to let anything happen to one of his women.”
At that, Kane laughed, yelling over his shoulder. “Red, get your ass up here. You ain’t gonna believe this.”
The last one of the renegades had red hair, which she assumed was the source of his name. He had a couple teeth missing, and she didn’t like the evil sneer he shot her way, like she was a fresh piece of meat hanging from a tree.
Kane let go an annoying laugh — which seemed never ending — then pointed at Minnie. “She says she’s from something called the ‘Widow Wagon’ and was, as she put it, ‘a little bit of trouble.’”
“What the fuck is a widow wagon?” He looked to Silas to see if he knew. Silas shrugged and gave him a smile. “I ain’t never heard of it neither, so don’t ask me.” At least Silas had all his teeth, and although his hair and beard were long, he seemed to be a little better groomed. Not that any of them were a prize.
“Speak up, bitch. What the fuck is a widow wagon? And what the fuck is your goddamn name anyhow?” Red pulled on her hair, forcing her head up to look at him.
Although the tug burned her scalp, she shouted and spit out the words, “It’s a wagon for women who’ve been widowed that brings them to new spouses… it’s a mail order bride service. My name is Minnie.”
Kane sat staring at her in amazement. “Well, I’ll be goddamned! Who knew such a thing existed. You boys ever hear of such a thing?”
They both murmured that they hadn’t. “So, you were some trouble, Minnie? I can see that. You cause trouble here, we’ll tan your ass — or worse. If they don’t want her back, we’ll just have to leave her at one of the saloons. They’ll take her. She’s pretty and she isn’t a virgin since she’s a widow. So, that’d be a plus.”
Good lord, they were talking about her like she wasn’t even there. She’d have to make sure she behaved until Angus could find her.
He’ll come to find me, won’t he?
She’d more than likely have to pay for taking a risk with her life, especially after she’d been explicitly warned. Minnie knew she’d take whatever punishment Angus deemed necessary. Anything to get away from these men. They couldn’t be that far from Angus. They’d only been riding for a bit. If she bit Silas’s leg, she’d more than likely be able to get away and hide among the rocks in the distance.
She’d just have to run like hell to those rocks and hope they didn’t ride her down like a dog.
Minnie adjusted herself so she’d be able to bite the inside of his thigh just above the knee. She opened her mouth and bit as hard as she was able, but didn’t take into account how thick his pants were. By the level of his shouts and swearing, she had more of an effect than she thought. She also didn’t take into account how awful his pants tasted. Sweat, dirt, and god knew what else.
“Jesus Christ, get your fucking teeth off of me!” He yanked on her hair, but she grit her teeth and bit down even harder. She swore she tasted blood.
Then she felt Red behind her tugging on her dress. She had to let go and escape. If she didn’t, she’d lose her chance — or Red would grab her. And for some reason, being with Silas seemed like the lesser of two evils.
She loosened her jaws and pushed off his thighs, falling into a heap on the ground, the air knocked out of her when she hit the hard dirt with bone-crunching force. She struggled to get up, finding her footing and then running like her life depended on it — which it did. The clomp of hooves pounded behind her and they probably would have caught her, except someone flattened her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her for the second time.
“You just made a grave mistake, missy. You’ll be paying for it with your hide too.” She tried flipping onto her back — to no avail. He straddled her backside, but now held her down with a firm hand in the middle of her back, his other hand rucking up her skirts.
Oh, God! Is he going to violate me? Here in the wilderness?
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” The panic rose in her chest, making it hard to breathe and she felt like she might swoon, like her mama did when stressed.
“Not as sorry as you’re going to be, little girl. I’m going to tear up your ass. I’m bleeding down my leg from your teeth!”
He continued pushing up the heavy layers of her skirts, then proceeded to pull her pantaloons down. Now the fight was on! She’d be damned if she’d be laid bare to not only God and Country but to these damned lowlife outlaws.
She started to buck and writhe her hips, kicking her legs, trying to get traction and flip over to make her escape once more.
“Ooooo whee! She’s puttin’ on quite a show ain’t she, Red!” Kane’s voice was somewhere behind her, along with Red’s. She stilled her legs, closing them to hide herself from their view.
“Too late for that, girl. We seen that pretty little pussy. Might as well keep them open so we can enjoy the view while Silas whips your hind end!” Red’s laugh was deep, and evil, the mere sound of it enough to make her stomach roil.
“Why don’t you assholes shut the fuck up, so I can concentrate on giving her the licking she deserves? Don’t you have something better to do?” Silas climbed back onto her legs, and although the restraint made her anxiety rise as she wondered what he would do next, she hoped that he had effectively blocked the view of her quim from those vile men.
“Well, hell! I guess we got nothing else to do, but since you’re sitting there, we can’t see none of her charms no how.” Red spit onto the ground. She should’ve known he chewed. It explained why his teeth were such a mess.
“We’ll stay here. Nothing else to do, and I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than watch a woman’s ass being turned red by a belt.”
A belt?
“Just keep your yaps shut! I’m pissed enough without your yammering!” Silas pushed her pantaloons further down her legs and the air whispered across the juices gathered along her puffy lips.
The line of fire that lashed across her cheeks had her shouting and reaching back to stop it at all costs. He used a single huge hand to pin both of hers at the small of her back.
“And now your punishment begins, Minnie. Your ass will start to tingle the next time you even think of b
iting.” He set out with a vengeance with the belt, strike after strike hitting her bottom. Minnie couldn’t remember the last time she blubbered like a child. She screeched, screamed and sobbed into the brown dirt, clawing her fingers into it, hoping to drag herself away from him.
Then he stopped. It was over and she felt a moment of relief amidst her agony. She’d survived and swore she’d never bite another soul for as long as she lived. Her sobbing and incoherent apologies continued until she’d had some time to catch her breath.
The next words turned her blood cold. “Now, we’ll start teaching you a lesson you won’t forget, girl. Teeth are not for skin. They’re only for food. When I’m done whipping your bottom, you’ll repeat those words to me. Say them out loud now, so I know you’re listening.”
She hesitated — apparently too long. The belt hit her thighs and one long wail tore from her throat.
“Say it!”
“T-teeth are not for skin. They’re only for food. I’m sorry!” She looked over her shoulder at him, and she thought she saw something cross his face. Remorse? Pity? She didn’t have time to think any longer about it because he lifted his arm again, and that black snake of a belt hit her ass with such a flurry of lashes that she wondered if he’d ever stop. She wasn’t sure she’d ever felt pain like this.
She could think of nothing else but getting away from the all-consuming pain overtaking her. Her body was stiff and taut, every muscle in her legs, bottom, and spine constricting. And at just about the time when she realized she may lose control of her bladder, he stopped.
Her screams kept rising from her sore, dry throat. She wondered how much dirt she’d sucked into her mouth. He seemed to be breathing as deeply as she.
“What lesson did you learn, girl?” Silas kept his hand on her backside as a warning.
She struggled to catch her breath and find her voice. “ T-Teeth are n-not for skin. They’re only f-for food.”
She broke down into pitiful sobs, her chest constricting.
“Jesus, Silas.” Kane whistled. “She really pissed you off, I ain’t ever seen you this upset. She won’t be sittin’ on a horse for a few days with that ass.”
“No, shit! That was some ass whoopin’ you just doled out.” Red laughed.
“Why don’t you assholes give us some time here, so I can get her situated and sorted out before we leave again.” The disgust in his voice surprised her. Even after what he’d just done to her, she still felt better about him than she did Red, a man who seemed utterly devoid of conscience or empathy.
Red snorted. “Pffft. When did you become a girly girl? Christ, just pull her damn drawers up or rip them off of her and let’s get goin’.”
“Why don’t you idiots fuck off. Give us a few minutes. She ain’t ready to go yet and I ain’t discussin’ it further. If you want I can fight both of ya.” He stood up, the belt still dangling from his hand, straddling her naked body on the ground.
“C’mon, Red. Let’s just let him be. He’s all riled up. It isn’t worth it.” She heard the horses’ hooves as they left.
Silas’ hand rubbed lightly over her bottom, fingertips pressing at various spots upon her flesh. She flinched at the tenderness in some areas.
“What in the name of hell possessed you to bite my leg? Jesus, I hate that I did this to your ass, but at the same time you deserved every damn lick I gave you.” He pulled her drawers up, and she felt mortified, like a small child having Daddy pull her pants up after a spanking. Her chest hitched when she took a deep breath, a side effect of crying so hard.
He pulled her dress down, gently grabbing her by the elbow. “C’mon over here. Let’s get you sorted out before we have to leave again.” He tugged her into his lap, tucking her head against his chest. “Damn stubborn, naughty girl. Bet you won’t bite anyone again, will you?”
“No, Sir. Ever.”
“I don’t imagine you will. You need to do as you’re told, especially now. Red and Kane won’t tolerate you causing trouble, trust me on this.” His voice rumbled over her, her ear against his chest registering it as a deep rumble.
She pulled away, looking up at him. “What about you? You don’t seem to be the patient sort either.”
She suddenly realized what she’d said to the man who had just punished her ass like none other in her lifetime.
He laughed. “No, I don’t suppose you see me as a patient man, do you?”
She shook her head. “Are you going to ... have your way with me?”
“No! Hell no! But promise me you’ll listen and do everything I tell you to — the first time.”
Why did she feel like she could trust him? With everything he’d just done to her, she should be figuring out how to put a knife between his eyes. Instead, she nodded. “Yes, Sir. I promise.”
He pushed her hair behind her ear, wiping tears off her face. “Good girl. Now, let’s get you up on the horse.” He stood with her, walking her back to his horse. She couldn’t stand the thought of sitting on his lap or on the saddle. She just couldn’t.
“Silas, I don’t think I can sit.” Her eyes filled with tears again. How’d she end up in this situation, begging for mercy? Disobedience and stubbornness.
She’d been the cause of all this trouble.
“Oh, I agree. You won’t be sitting on that little tail for a while. You’ll be lying over my lap until we get to Independence Rock. That way if you don’t mind, I can reignite the fire there.” He winked at her and before she could catch herself, she scowled at him.
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Do you think that’s wise, little girl?”
She swallowed. She’d done it again. She’d really have to rein herself in. “No, Sir. Sorry.”
“I guess I’ll be lenient. I’m sure the thought of being spanked even over all these skirts probably sounds pretty awful at this point.” He sat up on the horse, reaching down for her. He pulled her up as if she weighed virtually nothing, easing her over his lap. “You comfortable?”
“What’re you doin’ asking if she’s comfortable? Have you gone sweet on her, Silas?” Red spat his words at Silas.
“So what if I am? You did with Annie!” Silas bit out his answer with as much attitude as Red had.
Minnie lifted her head, seeing Red’s eyes narrow. Hair trigger. It was a phrase her father had for hotheaded boys, and that was all she could think when she watched his reactions to things. She needed to handle him with extreme caution.
“That I did. Are you fucking her tonight and making her yours?” Red stared at her. She swore she felt like she was naked over Silas’ horse.
“Probably. But if I fuck her, or don’t fuck her, it’s none of your business. I’ll do as I please with her and then we’ll get the money we need by dumping her back at the Widow Wagon.” She looked over her shoulder at Silas. He’d said he wouldn’t violate her. But when their eyes met, his jaw clenched and he shook his head infinitesimally. She dropped her head. Did that mean he wouldn’t? Or did that mean, don’t argue about it he’d do as he wanted? Would he actually defile her? Did he even care that it would ruin her?
They’re renegade outlaws — they don’t give a damn about your reputation.
Regardless, she knew better than to say a word. If he wanted her to keep her mouth shut, shut it would stay — at least until her bottom healed and the throbbing subsided.
Chapter Sixteen
She closed her eyes as his forefinger slide through her slick lips, her pussy dripping in anticipation and nervousness. Clara had never seen him so angry. He’d paced and walked around the camp for a long time, stopping to talk to the men, as if needing time to clear his mind. Glaring at her, he’d shaken his head, muttering words that she couldn’t discern.
“You’re very wet, girl. Guess you’ll be suffering a while longer too, since bad girls don’t get orgasms. What do bad girls get though?” He pulled his finger away from her, sticking it in his mouth, sucking loudly.
“They get… spanked.”
“That t
hey do. And naughty girls who disobey and then lie by not telling their husband, get spanked twice.” He reached around, patting her bottom.
Her sex had been throbbing for over two hours now. He’d warned her about her spanking, making her wait until breakfast had been finished and cleaned up first, then made her stand in the corner for over half an hour. It confused her terribly. Previously, with Matt, she thought that same throbbing was caused by being scared and nervous about an impending spanking. It wasn’t until Angus had taught her about orgasms that she realized that the throbbing she felt was sexual — and was the anticipation, the tension that led up to her release. She loved the thrill of it, her whole body like a taut string — just a touch, and she’d go off.
“Go get your hairbrush.”
Her sexual tension disappeared instantly, replaced with dread and fear. It wasn’t fear that he’d hurt her — he’d never do that — but rather fear of the pain, fear of how long it may last, and fear of her reaction to it. The thought of her inevitable loss of control made her shiver. She picked up her heavy mahogany hairbrush. He’d never used it on her before, but her mother had used it on her plenty of times as a girl. She swore it hurt as bad, if not worse, than either her father’s belt or the leather harness strips he kept in the barn.
She handed it to Angus, watching him rub the smooth back, slapping it hard against the palm of his hand. “This ought to teach a pretty good lesson.” He set the brush down on the table next to him. “I want you to know you had nothing to do with Minnie being captured. She did this on her own. Her disobedience and strong will caused her to be kidnapped.”
“But—”
He put his forefinger on her lips. “No. Not buts. You’re getting punished for not telling me about what she did when I asked. And then when I specifically asked about her, you gave me no answer. Both of those are lying — by omission.”
“Yes, Sir.” She knew this; she’d told both of her girls the same thing.
“Lying is punishable with my belt, razor strop, or a strip of leather. You don’t get many lashes, but those lashes will be laid down after a good, hard spanking. So there don’t need to be many.”
Cinch Your Saddle (The Widow Wagon Book 3) Page 12
