by Diane Darcy
“Oh, really?” she asked sardonically.
“Yes, really.” His expression cracked as his barely-controlled anger bubbled to the surface. His face reddened and his voice rose. “Did you truly think that by pretending to be Penny, you could, in any way, know her in the deep spiritual way that I do?” He climbed inside to sit across from her.
Grace took a breath, feeling vulnerable and trying not to show it. “You don’t know her at all.”
“You, with your dark hair, and your unremarkable eyes, and your tall, thin body.” He sneered with disgust. “You could never hope to compete with her blonde hair, blue eyes, voluptuous body.”
She swallowed against the lump forming in her throat. “Yes, we all know Penny is short and fat. She’s struggled with her weight all her life. It seems kind of rude of you to point it out.”
“How dare you. She is not fat! She’s womanly, rounded!”
“She would certainly be gratified to hear you say so.”
“Enough! You’re not fit to talk about her. Your jealousy knows no bounds. Not content to steal her identity, you now malign her.”
“The more you talk, the more I realize you don’t know Penny at all. She’s selfish, she leaves her clothes on the floor, and sometimes I can’t get her to brush her teeth. She can have very foul breath.”
He slapped her face before she even saw it coming.
Pain exploded along her cheek and it took her a moment to recover. When she did, she straightened once more. She tried to ignore the throbbing of her face, the ringing in her ears. “That hurt.”
He pulled out his knife.
Why couldn’t she ever keep her mouth shut?
“You are going to tell me where Penny is, right now.”
Her heart thundered against her ribs. “If I tell you, you’ll have the information you need, and you’ll kill me.”
He looked conflicted, then crafty. “I won’t kill you if you tell me.”
“I can see that you will. And you should know that I am the only one in the entire world who knows where I stashed Penny. She’s to wait there until I assure her the danger to her person is over. Obviously I can’t do that now.”
He lifted the knife. “Tell me.”
“I won’t.”
“Tell me or I’ll kill you now!”
“And if you do, then I will never be able to tell you or anyone else where Penny is. She’ll be lost forever.”
He lifted the knife to her throat. “Torture then?”
“I’ll tell Penny.”
“Not if you’re dead.”
“If I’m dead, you’ll never find her.”
She watched as each expression crossed his face: anger, loathing, determination. He twitched, just a bit to one side, and she flinched.
A nasty smile split his mouth. “I’ve seen you, you know. With the mayor. I bet you’d do anything I said in order to protect him.”
“No, I wouldn’t. He’s a man and should be able to protect himself.”
He bared his teeth at her. “What about Mrs. Braxton? What about Minnie? You were quick enough to get in my carriage when you thought she was in danger.”
She opened her mouth, but couldn’t deny it.
He looked triumphant. “Tell me what I want to know, or someone you love will certainly die.”
She could flat-out refuse to tell him anything, and it would probably get her stabbed at the very least.
She could certainly lie to the man.
Perhaps she could feed him small bits of information at a time. Get him to drive to the next town, refuse to reveal anything further until they arrived.
Maybe she could get him to drive around for days. It would certainly give her a chance to escape, anyway. One thing was for sure, she would never tell him where Penny was.
She could see him crossing an ocean to get to her.
For all she knew, Penny was already married by now. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. She was pretty, rich, and well-connected. She was in London to find a husband. If she told this man any of that, he’d probably try to stab her in the heart. Again.
Eventually he was going to kill her.
But not if she outsmarted him.
She looked at the crazed expression on his face. That, also, wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
Luke couldn’t believe it when he crested a hill and the carriage was parked at the bottom of the dirt road. Every mile had lasted forever and he glanced frantically around but couldn’t see Grace anywhere.
Or anyone else, for that matter.
Heart pumping, he reined in his horse and scanned the area, the bushes, the sparse trees, but there was no one to be seen.
His horse, winded, snorted loudly, heaving in deep, rapid breaths. Perhaps the horse pulling the carriage had stopped, unable to proceed.
Could Grace’s kidnapper have arranged another conveyance?
Could they have switched to horseback?
With his own horse so worn out, he wondered if he’d lost her forever and a knot of pain settled in his center.
He jumped off his horse and tied the animal to a nearby bush. Pulling out his gun he quietly made his way down the hill. He hadn’t gotten far before he heard Grace’s voice and relief washed over him and he swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat.
“I honestly don’t know what to tell you.” Grace’s voice carried. “Penny has no interest in you whatsoever. For heaven’s sake, she didn’t even know you were alive, and you’re acting like she was the love of your life. She isn’t, she wasn’t, and she never will be.”
Penny? Why was she talking about herself as if she was someone else?
“I should kill you right now,” a man’s voice growled.
Luke’s heart seemed to stutter in his chest. Grace was hotheaded, brave, and angry. The combination could get her killed. She needed to stop talking, or at least try to placate the man.
Luke considered waiting for her abductor to exit, or throwing open the carriage door and tackling the man inside. Sweat gathered on his back, quickly turning clammy and cold.
If he started anything with Grace nearby, she was bound to get hurt. Especially in a small enclosed space.
She wouldn’t run. The crazy, courageous girl would try to help curse her independent hide.
“You are going to tell me how to find Penny, and you are going to do so now.” The man’s voice was deep, vicious.
“Why should I? If I do, you’ll kill me,” Grace replied matter-of-factly.
“I swear I will not.”
Grace laughed.
She actually laughed. Luke closed his eyes tight. If he got her out of there he really was going to tan her hide.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll disclose the first location to drive to. When we arrive, I’ll tell you the next place to go. Will do that all the way until we reach Penny. But you have to let me talk to her first. And if you treat me poorly, I will tell her so.”
Luke wished he understood why she was acting as if Penny were another girl, but her safety was his first concern.
“No!” A loud smack against the door made Luke jumped. “You will tell me everything now!”
“I most certainly will not,” Grace assured the lunatic.
Luke tensed, feeling desperate. He could almost see the stubborn tilt of her chin. She needed to shut up, right now!
“I could kill your friends.” The man’s tone said he meant it.
“And you might be killed yourself in the process. Do you think the mayor, or the sheriff, will stand by while you go around killing people?”
“They already did so,” he answered flatly.
“What, exactly, are you trying to say?”
“I killed the prostitute in town. I told you this.”
“You did. So why do you keep harping on it? Simply to make me aware of my dire circumstances?”
“Shut up!”
Luke couldn’t help but agree. Why couldn’t the woman just stop talking? She was going to go
ad the man into hurting her, maybe even killing her.
“As I said, if you kill me, you will never find out where Penny is. I can promise you that.”
As Luke crouched next to the carriage, he could not believe her bravery. She didn’t even sound afraid. That was fine, as he was afraid enough for the both of them. If she got shot, or harmed in any way … he didn’t know what he’d do.
He loved that woman.
The realization stilled the breath in his chest as his insides twisted tighter and tighter. He did love her. Everything about her. She was brave, kind, funny. She cared about others. He loved the way she looked, her sass, her wit, and he especially love the way she laughed.
If the snake thought he was going to take her away from him, Luke would soon disabuse the man of the notion.
“All right. Where do we go first?”
The man could go straight to the devil as far as Luke was concerned.
“We need to head to San Francisco.”
Brave girl. She was leading the man away from her friends. Not that it would save her. He was still going to tan her hide when he got his hands on her.
“This time I’m going to tie you to the seat.”
“No.”
A scuffle ensued and Luke tensed further, having to force himself to stay put.
“If you hurt me,” Grace screamed the words. “I’ll tell Penny!”
The rocking within the carriage stopped. “Fine. Come sit up front with me.” The man exited the carriage, dragging Grace out with him. “You sit on the seat beside me, and if you dare ask for help, you’ll watch me kill.”
Luke hesitated. If he pressed forward now, and shots were fired, Grace could get hit.
If he didn’t, Grace could possibly get killed on the carriage ride. Especially if the man saw he was followed and urged the horse to high-speeds.
He couldn’t wait. He’d just have to make sure the louse did not fire a gun.
Luke stepped from behind the carriage, held up his revolver, and pulled back the hammer with a click. “Stop right there.”
Grace’s head swiveled around. “Luke!”
“Back away, Grace. Now!”
She wasn’t given a choice. The man swiveled her in front of him in a swift move, a knife at her throat.
Luke held his gun steady. If he fired, Grace could get her throat slit.
“Toss your gun.”
“I don’t believe I will.”
“Your lady here carries my mark on her chest. Shall I give her another to match? Across her throat?”
As Luke considered his options, considered shooting the man in the head, the villain shoved Grace forward.
As Grace fell to the ground, the two men wrestled over Luke’s gun, Luke holding the man’s knife hand, as the man tried to twist his gun away.
Luke managed to rip the knife away and toss it, but that enabled the other man to wrestle Luke for the gun, and with Grace near them on the ground, Luke jerked the gun up, twisted it, and tossed it as well.
“Get out of here, Grace,” Luke commanded.
Grace crawled backwards and when she hit up against the wheel of the carriage, she flipped over on her hands and knees to crawl underneath.
Good girl.
The low-life, roughly Luke’s same size, struck out at him hard.
Luke ducked and punched the man in the stomach.
The man stumbled back, but quickly retained his balance then straightened. His jaw hardened and pure hatred flashed out of his eyes. “I’m going to enjoy this.” As the man lunged at him, he roared, “She’s a liar, you know! An impostor no matter what she says!”
Luke sidestepped and tripped the behemoth and he landed hard on the ground.
Luke considered kicking him in the ribs, and would have if Grace hadn’t been watching.
For a big man, he rose to his feet quickly and Luke managed to block the drive of a massive fist.
“Ask her about the true Penny Carmichael, why don’t you?”
Luke could see Grace crawl out from underneath the carriage and try to circle them. “Grace, get back!”
She ignored them both, and Luke dodged a blow to his stomach, then steadied his feet and slammed his fist into the other man’s jaw.
The hulking man shook it off.
They exchanged a series of blows, and when the snake noticed Grace searching the long grass behind him, Luke jabbed him in quick succession three times in the ribs.
As the man staggered back, Grace found the gun and lifted it.
“Grace, get back!”
The gun was visibly shaking in her hand and Luke, afraid the man would rush toward her, slammed a left hook into his jaw.
He staggered back, closer to Grace.
“Grace! Get back!”
The man on the ground rolled and came up holding Luke’s a knife.
“Luke!” Grace threw the gun to Luke.
As the man prepared to throw the knife Luke caught the gun and shot him.
The man flinched as red colored his shoulder. “Grace West. You. You caused all of this!” He put his head down and ran toward her.
Luke shot the man again and he fell forward and Luke walked over and retrieved the knife. “I’ll take that.”
The man groaned and passed out on the ground.
Grace rushed over to him “Is it over? Is he dead?”
Luke tried to catch his breath. “Not yet. If he survives this, he’ll be looking at a noose the next time the judge rides through town.”
Horses hooves sounded and they both looked up to see Gabe riding down the hill. More horses sounded in the distance, coming fast. It didn’t take them long to crest the hill and Coop and a few hired hands rode down to join them.
Coop squinted at the man on the ground. “You all right?”
“Fine. This is the piece of trash who thought he had the right to kill people in our town.”
Gabe was off the horse and securing the moaning man’s hands behind his back.
Luke holstered his gun, opened the carriage, and waited for the men to haul the injured man
inside.
Grace approached him. “Luke.”
“Grace.” His temper flared as he eyed her.
“It was so fortunate the way you shot the gun out of his hand that way. What a wonderfully lucky shot.”
Luke gritted his teeth.
Within a few minutes they had the men hogtied in the carriage. After Gabe locked the man inside, Luke glared at him. “Where did you come from, anyway? I thought you were busy winning the game. What happened?”
Gabe looked shamefaced. “Lost in all in the first hand.”
“All of it?”
Gabe nodded once. “I thought I had an unbeatable hand. Sawyer disabused me of the notion.”
Luke chuckled and shook his head. “Is the game over then?”
“It was still going strong when I left.”
Luke put his arm around Grace and thought about the way she’d stood up to her kidnapper. He didn’t know woman of his acquaintance with such a backbone. He supposed he shouldn’t be too angry that she wouldn’t hide when it simply wasn’t in her nature.
“So, have you been practicing with Gabe? She inquired. “With your shooting?”
He started to laugh, softly at first, and then an all-out belly laugh. “Grace, you drive me crazy, but I love you. Will you marry me?”
Finally, Miss Grace Carmichael, was speechless.
Chapter 32
Emotions welled up inside Grace, tightening her throat and constricting her chest. Luke had saved her. She was positive she would have died if he hadn’t shown up.
And now he wanted to marry her?
She sucked in a breath as emotions overwhelmed her. She simply couldn’t contain them anymore, and she burst into tears.
Luke laughed as he reached for her, pulling her close. “You kept calm this entire time, and now you’re going to cry?”
She clung to him, laughing through her tears. “I know, it’s just I�
�ve been so scared of this man for so long.” She pulled away from Luke to stare at the bound man and pressed a hand to her chest where she carried the scar. “I just can’t believe you’ve caught him. We have to let Mr. Carmichael, that is to say, my father, know. He’ll want to be informed immediately.”
Luke stared at her a long moment. “Grace, are you going to marry me?”
She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Grace would love to marry him, love to, but wasn’t it Penny he truly wanted? Her family connections could only help a man with a political career.
“I’ll get down on one knee if it will help.” Even as he said the words, he bent down to kneel on one knee.
She looked into his handsome face, not sure whether to laugh or cry all over again. She wanted this man to be hers. She really did. Maybe she should just take what she wanted for a change. Maybe she should marry him and let the chips fall where they may.
Did she have to tell him everything?
The Carmichael’s lived clear across the country. She could simply marry him, and tell him the whole story afterward. Someday far in the future if he wanted to visit her family or something.
“Grace, I’m waiting for an answer.”
Kneeling at her feet in no way diminished Luke. He was still big, decisive, and so gorgeous that she had to resist throwing herself into his arms.
Her breath felt trapped in her chest. “Luke, if you really want me, only me, the answer is yes.”
Luke stood, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her.
Behind them Gabe snorted. “Are the two of you finished?” He sounded impatient. “Can we take the prisoner in now or do the two of you want to pick out names for your children?”
Luke raised his head, chuckled, and threw over his shoulder, “He’s all yours.” And he kissed her again.
They arrived back in town to find dissension in the streets. A group of men argued loudly, insisting the tournament was rigged. Angry shouting, pushing, and two men yelling directly into each other’s faces.
All around, men placed hands on guns.
Grace glanced around, breathed in, then out again slowly. What could possibly happen next? Since she was sitting on the carriage seat beside the man who was the cause of all of this, she kept her mouth shut, determined not to call any attention to them.
