The Reaper 0f The Rio Sangre: Special Edition HBH Version (Half Breed Haven Book 10)

by A. M. Van Dorn

  “He doesn’t have to shoot all of us … he can get us with one shot! Don’t do, it, Downey!”

  "I'm tired of runnin'. You said it! I'm finished … nothin' but a rope and a pine box waitin' for me now. Leastways I'll take you bitches with me for makin' the last two days of my life a miserable hell!"

  The subsequent blast of his shotgun reverberated across the frozen wilderness followed by mocking laughter as Downey dropped to his knees to await his fate.

  Far above the blast achieved his objective as the terrifying sound of snow and ice beginning to break away, tumbling downward, directly at them. Before his voice was swallowed up in the roar of the avalanche, they heard him shout a final taunt.

  “At least it’s gonna be warm in hell, you bitches!!”

  Fear swept across the face of three of the sisters, but there was only an unbridled fury on Lijuan’s as she brought her Winchester up in a firing stance.

  “Son of a …” as a second after she pulled the trigger the man’s chest exploded in a spray of crimson on the pure white snow.

  “Lannie!”

  “What does it matter? The avalanche was already started?” she hollered at the same time Catalina was doing some shouting of her own.

  “We’ve gotta hightail it outta here!”

  Cassandra’s frantic eyed looked down at the tree line below and then swept over to the cliff with the jagged fingers like rocks at its edge.

  “We’re never going to be able to outrun that before it gets here! Drop everything but that rope, Catalina!”

  She lost no time stripping off her pack even as she was running. Behind her, she had no doubt the other three had done as she had ordered. "C'mon! Run like your life depends on it because it does!"

  As fast as humanly possible through the deep snow, they raced to the edge of the cliff. Honor Elizabeth snuck a look behind to see the wall of snow envelope Downey's corpse.

  “Whoa now! What is all this about?” Lijuan demanded as her eyes widened after taking a quick glance over the edge at the tiny looking trees at the bottom of the thousand-foot drop.

  "It's about our only chance! Throw me the rope, Cattie!" Catalina didn't hesitate to fling it, and the second it was in her hands Cassandra began to loop it around one of the finger-like rocks. Once satisfied it was secure she yanked the rope all the way down to the bottom of the rock. With a quick glance upward at the wave of snow bearing down on them, she tossed it out into the void.

  “Everybody down that rope now!”

  Honor’s hands flew up in front of her. “Wait, wait, wait! The heaviest of us should go first … to be kind of an anchor so to speak! So we do not swing out into that crush of snow and get knocked off this rope like rag dolls!”

  Lijuan shoved her arm, “Well, get moving then! It’s you!”

  “I strongly disagree!”

  In frustration, Cassandra screamed at her bickering siblings, "We don't have time for this! It's me, all right!"

  Trying to hide her fear of the express train of snow and ice intent of killing them all, Catalina chucked, “It’s that bosom of yours tippin’ the balance in your favor.”

  Despite it all, she laughed as she climbed over the edge and looked back up at her “I don’t think so! We all have the same figure!”

  It was a truth all the men in Alamieda were quite aware of. All four sisters had been blessed with hourglass figures that encompassed well-endowed breasts, narrow waists, and shapely hips. All seemingly had come from their paternal grandmother whom they had seen artwork of her in her youth, and they had mirrored her figure exactly. Cementing their belief was the fact they all had different mothers of varying shapes and sizes, so their figures had not come from any maternal side of the family.

  The ground felt as if it were swaying as Honor dropped down the rope next, swiftly followed by Catalina and Lijuan who began lowering herself over the edge while muttering, “Yeah, maybe we do, but I have to carry mine around on this tiny little body!” Lijuan had just managed to slip over the edge when the avalanche was upon them!

  “Everybody hold tight!” Cassandra screamed from where she dangled at the very bottom of the rope.

  A deafening roar engulfed them as snow and ice shot over the edge of the cliff cascading down next to them where they dangled. Cassandra in her mind could only liken it to being behind a waterfall as the water plunged from above, only this was a deadly mix of snow, ice, and some boulders picked up along the way. It was both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

  Directly above her, Honor Elizabeth shrieked as she saw Downey’s bloody body amongst the torrent rushing downward only inches away from them. Involuntarily she jerked her body from the sudden scare, sending the rope twisting around.

  “Apologies I surely was not expecting that!”

  "Just hold still, damn it!" Lijuan cried out above her, her eyes warily fixed on the torrent next to them. They were like a pendulum, and if they swung out and entered the flow, they would be knocked off to their deaths in less than a heartbeat.

  For what seemed like an eternity the surging mix thundered past them as their fingers began to grow numb from the deathlike grip they had on the rope, but finally there was a distinct drop in the angry roar.

  “Hey, I think it’s lettin’ up!” Catalina exclaimed hopefully.

  At last the rumble subsided until it was no more, and the deluge ceased as Honor who had refused to look down up until this point finally gave in and dropped her head, which she promptly brought back up after one look at the thousand feet of empty air between the sisters and the ground.

  “Okay, I vote we climb back up any time now. Lijuan, kindly get moving, thank you very much!”

  None of them needed any urging beyond that. Lijuan's arms were well toned from her years of hefting and throwing her hammer, so she immediately put them to work tugging herself upward.

  Three of the four sisters had made it back to the safety of the edge when suddenly Lijuan's eyes went wide with horror as they happened to fall upon where the rope was tied around the rock. Their lifeline had been nearly severed and was rapidly becoming unbraided. In a moment of clarity, she realized the rope had taken a pummeling as the avalanche had engulfed it. Jagged ice and sharpened edges of the boulders had done their work, and only a miracle had prevented the line from snapping while they were all still on it. Before she could even shout a warning for Cassandra to hurry the rope parted with a crisp snapping sound!

  As her heart dropped, Lijuan was operating on pure instinct as she made a mad grab for the end of the rope as it snaked towards the edge of the cliff. She didn’t even hear Cassie’s scream as her hands seized the end of the rope in a million to one grab. She had no time to even think of celebrating as she found her petite body being jerked towards the edge past a shouting Honor Elizabeth and Cattie.

  Letting go never crossed her mind for two reasons. A Wilde sister would never turn her back on one of the others to save themselves. It simply was not in them, as their love for each other ran to a depth that was beyond any known measure. Second, she knew Honor and Catalina were still there behind her, and she could hear them shouting, but their words were lost on her … but she knew they would be acting.

  The next sensation she had was two vice like grips seizing her ankles, and her race to the edge slowed but did not stop. Lijuan was only seconds from being yanked over when suddenly she jerked to a halt with her head sticking over the edge. She watched as the flat brimmed hat they all wore except for Honor with her dislike of hats fell from her head and pirouetted past Cassandra who dangled at the end of the rope with a look Lijuan rarely ever saw on her older sibling's face. Complete fear. If Cassandra looked like that, she could only imagine what her own face looked like.

  Slowly she turned her head around as much as allowable and could just make out in her peripheral vision that Catalina had tackled Honor with the weight of her own body as Honor continued her hold onto Lijuan's ankles. She heard Catalina calling out for Honor to start crawling on top o
f Lijuan, and she would do likewise. In short order she found herself being pushed deep into the powder by the weight of her two sisters on top of her. It was getting difficult to breathe, but so what.

  If it meant saving Cassandra, she would gladly suffocate right there on the edge of this God-forsaken mountain. She loved her sister that much. All of them would gladly trade their lives to save another. However, there would be no self-sacrifice this day when suddenly, each of her sisters having taken hold of the rope rolled off to either side of her and the pressure abated as she sucked in a cold mountain air.

  “Come on now! Let’s get that big sister of ours back up here! Should be a heck of a lot easier than pullin’ on some of those steers I have to deal with!” Catalina’s gleeful voice was shouting.

  Quickly the trio hoisted Cassandra to safety as she heaped gratitude on them even as all four collapsed on their backs. They all lay there silently, just trying to catch their breath after the traumatic few minutes.

  Catalina, at last, broke their silence, "Well, that's gonna make a heck of a tale in our journals, eh, girls!?"

  Lijuan reached out and brought her arm down in a playful blow across Catalina’s chest. “You and those journals! We narrowly beat death once again and writing it down in those books is the first thing you think about!”

  "Sure as sugar. Who doesn't like a good yarn … ‘specially one that's real as rain?" she bubbled leaving Honor Elizabeth to reprimand her. "The saying is ‘right as rain,' Cattie!"

  Lijuan groaned at this. “Can we skip the language lesson and please just get off this mountain before another avalanche wants to come along and finish the job on us Wildes?

  Cassandra sat up and cast her gaze at them, “You bet. We have to make our way to the bottom of that cliff first though.”

  "I have heard of snow blindness, but there must be snow deafness too because I did not just hear you say that."

  Rising to her feet, Cassandra brushed the snow off her winter clothing, “Honor Elizabeth, the railroad is paying out $5,000 for Downey dead or alive. I want to see if we can fish out his body. We get that money, and I can split it up a $1,000 apiece to each of the families of the men Downey and Newell killed on that train."

  “Since you put it that way … count me in … again,” Honor said as she held out her hand. Cassandra promptly pulled her to her feet as Catalina and Lijuan rose as well. Catalina looked towards Lijuan.

  “All of us. Right, Lijuan?”

  Lijuan’s gentle laughter filled the air, “Of course. I’m up for the hunt for a needle in a frozen haystack. Let’s do it! The sooner we find his frozen carcass, the sooner we are back at the hot springs behind Cedar Ledge soaking the last two days away. With any luck we can also find one or two of our packs, or else it’s going to be a cold and hungry hike back to civilization. And by the way, someone owes me a new hat and rifle!”

  Sharing a silent grin amongst themselves, the four sisters turned and set off on their long trek down to the bottom of the cliff.

  CEDAR LEDGE RANCH

  Alamieda, Arizona Territory

  Dusk

  Catalina led her new friend through the house to show her around, but there was somewhere specific she wanted to take her. With a smile, she looked back and asked the other woman to follow her up the grand staircase to the ranch's second floor and the bedrooms. Once they entered after reaching Catalina's bedroom at the far end of the hall, Catalina watched as Isabella walked past her, and then she turned to shut the door and put her back to it. She placed her hands against the door and leaned forward, making sure her cleavage was enticing.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be showing me around the ranch, Miss Catalina?” Isabella asked in her native tongue.

  Responding in Spanish, Catalina grinned, “I’m gonna show you somethin’ a whole lot better than this five-hundred-square-mile ranch, I promise you that, Isabella!” she teased merrily. Isabella was a lovely Mexican woman, with a beautiful body and curly black hair. Catalina’s hair was also black due to her Mexican background and it flowed from her head in waves. Catalina took a moment to drink in the sight of her companion finding the party planner very attractive in her traditional Mexican dress.

  With a nervous smile, Isabella said, "Miss San Cristobel is going to be looking for me."

  “Why would she be doin’ that? Your job of decoratin’ the barn is all done. Looks beautiful by the way. Besides, she is gonna be too busy riding heard on Mrs. Chow to get the refreshments to perfection. She so wants to please my papacito,” Catalina told her and licked her lips looking the beautiful woman over once again.

  “So, you are saying I won’t be missed?” Isabella asked.

  “Yep, that’s what I’m sayin’,” Catalina responded with a shake of her shoulders. Isabella’s eyes went to her chest for an instant.

  “You seem awful sure of yourself, Miss Catalina. What is to stop me from turning around and walking out that door? Perhaps my tastes don’t run in the direction you think,” Isabella said, though Catalina could sense she was teasing.

  “Second question first, the way you have been flirtin’ with me all afternoon tells me so, and your first question of what is to stop you? How about this?” she asked, and in one quick movement she pulled off her blouse over her head, followed up by letting her skirt fall to the floor.

  She was wearing nothing underneath. Isabella's lips formed a smile that changed slightly to something else … sexy, interested, and lusty. The light in her eyes flared up as she began undoing her lacing. Catalina ran her hands over her own chest and stomach, feeling her heat begin to grow. It was not long before Isabella was as naked as Catalina. That was all Catalina could stand, and she moved forward with her arms outstretched. Isabella giggled as Catalina cupped the woman's face in her hands and their breasts were pressed together. Catalina groaned happily, leaning in and kissing her luscious lips. Isabella's hands went around Catalina's shoulders and down her back as she shuddered with a rush of shivering and she moaned. Her anticipation had been building all day, from the first moment she had seen the lovely lady. The kiss tasted of ambrosia, and when their tongues mingled, Isabella moaned with her.

  Catalina reached behind Isabella and cupped her cheeks in her hands holding her tight as they did something of a dance, pirouetting towards the bed. They caressed each other with a roaring urgency that seemed to explode through them both. They fell sideways on the bed, and Catalina wrapped a leg over her new friend. Her eager moist opening was pressed against the beautiful Isabella's thigh, and Catalina moaned again.

  “Oh darlin’, you’re somethin’ magnificent!” Catalina told her.

  "Miss Catalina, it feels so good, more please, oh yes, like that, and that!" Isabella cried out with soft lust. Catalina obliged eagerly. She moved her lips down the woman's neck, and as Isabella arched her back, Catalina ran one hand down to her opening of desire while kissing her breasts. Isabella cried out again and Catalina wallowed in the incredible feelings that came over her. She felt her new lover’s hand roam down to her nether regions and groaned, moving her hips to accommodate her needs. They rolled across the bed and to Catalina’s surprise and delight; Isabella wanted to be on top. The weight of the woman on top of her added to the arousal that was electrifying her body.

  Catalina cupped the lusty woman's rear and held her tight while she reached with her other hand between Isabella's legs. As she teased the moist honey well, she felt her own being explored, and Cattie stiffened as her pent-up desires were released. Her fingers entered her lover's secret place, and they both howled in a joint wave of pleasure. It was precisely what Catalina had hoped for, and she reveled in it, gasping her release joyfully. As they reclaimed their breath, Isabella hugged her happily.

  “Ah, Miss Catalina! That was spectacular!” she said, kissing Catalina’s lips gently.

  “Damn straight, Izzy,” she responded dreamily.

  ***

  Cassandra Wilde looked the new barn over pleased with the decorations. Bright colors fest
ooned the walls and crepe covered tables that were loaded with fine food and drink for the annual guests. She was not sure how the party planner had found the brightly colored flowers in the quantity she had, but Cassandra was not going to complain. To her, it almost seemed magical. Everything was beautiful and elegant. Even she and her sisters, as much as she hated that part.

  "I don't know about you girls, but I feel really ridiculous all trussed up like this. Whoever invented hoop skirts had an evil streak, I'm sure," she told Honor Elizabeth and Lijuan. They were standing in the corner observing the activity around them. Cassandra was in a blue gown with the obligatory hoop skirts and corsets. Honor's hoop-skirted dress was a deep red that suited her, and Lijuan was decked out in a spectacular green silk dress with a traditional Chinese pattern. Scandalously, she had the custom dress made with short sleeves and a tightness to accentuate her figure. The dressmaker had been apoplectic, but Lijuan Wilde was not one many people said no to. All her sisters preferred their hair long, but for the party, they pinned it up in elegant and complicated buns.

  “Nonsense! You look beautiful. We all do. Nothing like putting on a bit of finery now and then,” Honor said in response.

  Snickering Lijuan pointed out, “Who are you kidding? When is the last time anyone saw you out of a dress?”

  “A couple of weeks ago, when Cassie here had us tramping about a frozen wolverine-infested wilderness, prone to avalanches that could end your life prematurely, thank you very much!” Honor said curtly doing her familiar head bob that normally would have made her curls bounce were they not pinned up.

  “She’s got you there,” Cassandra said amused.

  "I will not even speak of the indignity of what it was like to pull on … oh lord … it pains me even to say the words, long underwear." Honor gave an artful shudder as Cassandra patted her sister's shoulder.

  “It was all for a worthy cause,” she reminded Honor.