Kate's Outlaw (Steam! Romance and Rails) (3 page)

Kate stumbled away on rubbery legs, behind the bush he’d indicated. If she didn't relieve herself soon, her bladder would burst. As she squatted, she heard him walk away. After she’d finished relieving herself, she stayed crouched. Hopefully, the two men would think she was still occupied.

Best she could tell, they’d ridden in a southerly direction. Beyond that, she had no idea where she was, except it wasn’t anywhere near civilization. She withdrew a small compass from a pocket sewn in her skirt. It was something she always carried  in case she ever got lost. She hadn’t imagined she would be abducted. The compass and her memories of the maps she’d studied wouldn’t do her much good if she couldn’t get her bearings.

How far away was the worksite? Had anyone noticed she was gone? Henry might if he weren’t focused on his guests. Her father rarely paid attention to her, and he was leaving as soon as the party was over. By now, both men were used to the way she came and went as she pleased and would think she’d simply left without telling anyone. Misery lodged in her throat. She slipped the compass back into her pocket, praying someone would notice she was missing, even if she had to eat her words about being self-sufficient.

She cocked her head. Muttered conversation in a language she didn’t understand came from the direction of the mounts. No chance she could get to the horses without being seen and they would shoot her if she tried to sneak past. At least, the one with the scar would. The younger man was harder to read. She knew he’d protected her from his partner, but it might be he simply wanted to claim her as
his
prize.

Goose flesh prickled her skin, the same sensation she’d felt when he’d drawn her against him and put his nose in her hair. She bit back a fearful moan. Heaven help her, she had to escape regardless of what he’d threatened. Being armed would give her a fighting chance. But how would she steal a weapon?

"Hurry up," her captor demanded.

She spotted a rock the size of her fist and tucked it into the folds of her skirt. If she could bring him close, she could knock him out and take his gun. "I need help, please.”

Her request was met with silence, a quick exchange, then slow footfalls made by someone with a long stride. The younger Indian was the taller of the two.

Kate rested on her knees and kept the rock hidden.

"What's wrong?" He sounded worried. That could work to her advantage. He wouldn’t be expecting her to strike.

"I can't stand. My legs feel weak. I'm not used to riding."

Her captor appeared around the side of the bush. In the early morning light, he didn’t look like a savage. Rather, he reminded her of the cowboys she'd seen around town in their brown jeans and boots and leather vests. Only, none of those cowboys had abducted and threatened her.

She tightened her grip on the rock, hidden in her skirt’s folds.

He hooked his thumbs over his gun belt. "What do you want me to do?"

That seemed a stupid question. Most men would sweep in and scoop her up. Did she have to give this one instruction? "I need help. I can't walk."

Again, he just stood there. For a heart-stopping moment she thought he'd refuse. Then what? Her plan wouldn’t work if he didn’t come to her aid.

Her heart jumped when he started towards her. He towered over her, but the bushes would conceal him when he bent down to pick her up. Then she would hit him hard enough to render him unconscious and get his gun before the other man realized what had happened.

But instead of bending over, the dratted man went down on one knee. He removed his hat and threaded his fingers through straight hair that brushed his collar. The inky strands looked damp where the hatband had pressed against his head. Close up, he no longer resembled a cowboy. His native heritage was stamped on his features—a broad forehead, blade nose and high cheekbones. And his eyes were a warm brown flecked with gold. Something fluttered in her stomach, as if she’d swallowed a butterfly. Oh my, he was strikingly handsome.

The trapped insect lodged in her chest. She couldn’t think about his handsomeness or the flashes of civility she’d seen. He was a savage, and savages raped and killed women who weren't smart enough to seize their opportunity to
escape.

He held out his hand. "If you walk around, the feeling will come back."

"My legs won’t support me. Will you carry me?"

With obvious reluctance, he slipped an arm around her waist.

Kate forced her body to relax even though her muscles screamed from being tensed and her fingers ached from clutching the rock. She looped her other arm around his neck. His grip on her waist tightened. The warmth from his fingers seeped through her clothes, setting off the tingling sensation she’d felt before at his touch. Only this time, it seemed to crackle.

Had he felt it, too? He must have, because he stared at her mouth as if he wanted to take a bite. She licked her lips, too nervous to speak. As he drew her closer, his breath feathered her cheek. Her insides quivered…with fear, surely.

She wrapped her other arm around his shoulders, trying to keep the rock out of sight.
Now
. She must strike, for she wouldn’t get another chance.

"Wa-ya!"
His partner’s cry split the air.

He dropped her and jerked to his feet.

She hid the rock behind her back, tried to control her trembling, but she shook like a leaf in the wind.

"We're coming.” His voice came out a full octave lower than before. He clamped his fingers on her arm and yanked her to her feet. "Give me that," he growled, snatching her weapon.

The fury gathering in his eyes turned her blood to ice. Was he going to beat her to death with that rock?

She cringed, anticipating the blow. When it didn't come, she cracked her eyes open.

His gaze burned hot as a bonfire. He cast the rock aside with a harsh word that sounded like a curse.

"I'm sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t
want
to hurt you. If you’d just let me go—”

Clamping down on her arm, he dragged her back to his horse. She stumbled over the uneven ground, and bit her lip to keep from crying out at his bruising grip. When he snatched the scarf from his pocket, she thought he meant to gag her again, but instead, he bound her hands.

Would he strap her over his horse as he'd threatened? She nearly wept at the thought of the humiliating ride ahead. Rather than taking control of the situation, she’d made it ten times worse.

His partner pinned her with a murderous glare. Had he suspected something and that’s why he called out? Without a word, he turned his mount and started up the incline.

Ahead, the earth seemed to drop off into the sky. She could hear water rushing. Her heart raced as she called to mind a horrible scene from one of the James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking tales. Did these men intend to murder her on a precipice like that mad Huron had done to poor Cora? Kate struggled not to beg for mercy. She was a Parsons. She would leap to her death, not go there on her knees.

Her captor gripped her waist and hoisted her up. Startled, she snagged the saddle horn and swung her leg over the horse. Was he allowing her to ride astride like before? She sagged with relief. Perhaps he’d had a change of heart.

When he mounted behind her, she scooted forward to avoid contact. With a grunt, he grabbed her hips and wedged her bottom against his pelvis. Her entire body caught fire. The wretch wasn't going to spare her. He'd just come up with a different punishment.

He took up the reins in one hand, curling his other arm around her in an embrace more

intimate than any she'd experienced. "Don't even
think
about moving,” he ordered, in perfect English.

Chapter 2

"
Wa-ya,
get up."

Jake jerked awake at the touch on his shoulder. He rolled over, wincing as a rock dug into his side. He couldn't have dozed for more than ten minutes.

Charley motioned. "Come outside. I want to talk to you."

Sitting up, Jake rubbed his stinging eyes. Less than a foot away, Redbird lay curled up in his blanket with her back to him, facing the rock wall of the cave. He'd planned to punish her by making her sit pressed against him for the remainder of the journey, but all that accomplished was to make his balls ache and his head pound. By the time they reached the hideout shortly after daybreak, he was ready to shoot her or himself, or both.

With a weary sigh, he pulled on his boots, snagged his gun belt and stalked outside.

The sun peeked over the opposite bluff, and a silvery haze hovered over the river. The surface ruffled as water flowed over a bed of stones. Along the shore, still pools made for easy fishing. He loved this quiet, hidden place, which was tucked into a gorge bracketed by waterfalls. Pity they wouldn't be able to use it again. Redbird would be able to describe it—just as easily as she'd be able to describe the two men who’d taken her.

The thought shattered Jake’s brief moment of peace. He couldn't ransom Redbird. If the Army thought his people had started abducting white women, they would send soldiers over the border. What had happened during the white man's war of rebellion, the wanton killing and plundering, it would happen again. Only this time, it would be his fault—his and Charley’s.

His cousin sat perched on a rock near the river and looked far too calm for a man whose actions might start a war. He'd set a fire and had two fish roasting on spits, as well as a coffee pot steaming over a clump of coals. He'd want to know the plan. Problem was, Jake didn't have one.

He hunkered down next to the fire. The delicious smells made his stomach rumble. "You wanted to talk?"

"Get something to eat." Charley wiped his knife on the leg of his jeans. He flicked his wrist, sending the tip into the dirt. It landed a scant inch from his foot. He retrieved it and tried again, this time coming closer.

When he’d been a lanky youth and Jake still a child, he’d urged Jake to join him in a game to see who could get the knife closest to his foot without injuring himself. It seemed a stupid risk and Jake had balked at doing it. That was the first time Charley had called him a coward.

"Why do you do that?" Jake grumbled.

Charley gave him a mirthless smile. "Does it bother you, Little Brother?"

Little Brother.
At one time, it’d been a term of endearment. Now it sounded like an insult.

Jake ate half his portion and set the rest aside. Redbird wouldn't be worth anything if they starved her. Charley had no such concerns. He devoured the cooked fish and tossed the bones into the fire. Then he poured a cup of coffee and cradled it in his hands. "We need to get a note to the railroad man. How much do you think she's worth to him?"

Tension coiled inside Jake. Should he say they wouldn't need to send a note if he kept her? The absurdity of it struck him. He didn't want to be stuck with a white woman, especially one who wanted to bash his head in. "We can’t just send a note asking for money. I need to figure out how to trade her without stirring up a hornet's nest."

Charley's eyes raked him with scorn. "You think too much,
Wa-ya
. We need to act before they do."

Always his cousin wanted to act, not think. If he stopped long enough to consider the issues, he might see it wasn't as simple as he thought. "Why do you suppose the railroad hasn't been able to convince the Army to send soldiers across the border?"

"They prefer stabbing us in the back." Charley flicked the knife and the tip sank into the edge of his boot. "Or maybe in the foot, so we can't run."

Jake was too worried to find amusement in his cousin's dark humor. "It's politics. The government doesn't want to appear aggressive and spark a war. But if they have a good reason, they won't hesitate. That woman belongs to a powerful man. Once they realize we've got her, it could give them the excuse they need to make trouble for our people."

"It was
your
idea to take her." Charley brushed his thumb across the edge of the knife, as if testing its sharpness. "Make them believe somebody else did it. Like when we stole the payroll."

Jake retrieved their only cup and poured himself some coffee. That ruse with the payroll theft had been his idea, too—one of his better ones. The authorities blamed a gang hired by the railroad's rival. No one suspected two Indians were using stolen money to finance an expensive court battle. "That won't work this time. They won't believe the other railroad would hire two renegades to abduct a woman."

Charley stood. "All right, then. I'll put her down."

Jake choked as coffee went down his windpipe. He coughed so hard his cousin had to pound him on the back. He looked up, his eyes watering. "We're talking about a woman," he rasped. "Not a lame horse."

"Same principle. If we aren't getting money for her, she's worthless." Charley's nonchalant assessment was more chilling than that knife in his hand. When had killing become so easy and life worth so little? After he’d lost everything that mattered?

Guilt shuddered through Jake. He couldn’t let Charley down. Not again. But he drew the line at murder. He got to his feet, standing between his cousin and the cave. "No killing. That's what we agreed when we started this."

Charley's features turned to stone.

Jake refused to look away. His cousin would think even less of him than he already did.

Finally, Charley’s knife went into its sheath. He snatched his hat off the ground and slapped it against his leg. Dust went flying. "I'll set a false trail in case they're tracking us."

"Good." Jake threaded his fingers through his hair. It was damp with sweat. "That'll give me time to think about what we should do about the woman."

"What's there to think about?" Charley's gaze grew flat. "If you're too soft, I'll take her with me. I can bury her out in the woods where nobody will find her."

###

Kate winced as she used her teeth to tear at the bandana binding her wrists. Her skin stung from being rubbed raw by those leather bindings. Although her captor had used cloth when he retied her hands, he’d secured the knots tight. But he didn't know how stubborn she could be. Her father knew. As far as he was concerned, she was little more than a hardheaded nuisance. Her captor would probably agree with the nuisance part.

Shortly after they’d arrived, he’d dumped her in the cave, threatening to punish her if she moved an inch. She didn't need a translator to tell her he was annoyed. However, the two men hadn't abused her, despite having ample opportunity, and if they'd wanted to kill her, they could have done so before now. He and his partner must be holding her in hopes of getting money.

She dampened the cloth with spit and made her hands as small as possible. At last, she was able to slip free. Without pause, she went to work on the rope around her ankles. Throwing it off, she scrambled to her feet.

Dizziness struck.

She waited until the lightheadedness passed, then crept to the mouth of the cave, staying close to the wall so she wouldn't be seen. With luck, her captors wouldn't be watching and she could sneak out.

The two men stood a stone's throw away, their conversation barely audible. Kate flattened her back against the cave’s wall. Their voices grew louder. She didn't understand the words, but the tone and volume made it clear they were arguing. About her?

She peeked outside. The man with the scarred mouth stormed off in the direction of the trees. The taller one headed for the cave, wearing a scowl. She turned to flee and tripped over a rock. Pain shot through her big toe. Picking herself up, she stumbled deeper into the cave, heading for dark interior with no other thought except escape.

"You don't want to go back there."

She threw a fearful glance over her shoulder. Her captor stood outlined in daylight at the mouth of the cave. He didn’t appear to be in a hurry to pursue her. Was there no way out? Another few steps revealed nothing but darkness.

Behind her, sand crunched. She whirled around, blurting out the first thing that came to her mind. "I must see to my needs."

"Your needs?" His raven brows arched.

"I do have them, you know."

"I'm sure you do.” His eyes raked her.
The cad.
He purposely mistook her meaning. “But you won't find what you need back there. Only bat droppings and animal skeletons. You'd do better to use the bushes outside. I'll take you."

She backed away. “I'd rather go by myself."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight.” He took hold of her arm.

She gasped at a sharp pain in the same spot where he’d grabbed her yesterday. His grip loosened, but he didn’t release her. Instead, he ran his fingers down to her elbow, lightly brushing her sleeve. Her skin quivered as if he'd stroked her bare flesh.

"Did I hurt you?"

"It…it’s just a bruise.”

His eyes filled with what looked like regret. Could it be he felt bad about hurting her? She had the strangest urge to brush back his dark hair and murmur assurances. He hadn't hurt her that badly, not in the way she thought he might. She shook her head. Truly, she’d lost her mind if she imagined this heathen outlaw needed consoling. He wasn't the one who'd been abducted.

"Are you hungry?” He held up a partially eaten fish skewered on a stick. “I saved you some breakfast."

She blinked, confused. “Is that…yours?"

"Half of it. I didn't touch this side."

He’d saved part of his food for her?

While he rolled up the blankets, she finished off the remainder of the fish. His unexpected generosity surprised her. But there had been other things he’d done, small but significant kindnesses, like covering her with the blanket and using a scarf instead of leather strings to retie her hands. The fear banding her chest eased slightly. He wasn't as hard as he wanted her to believe. Which meant, she might be able to coerce him into returning her.

He hefted the saddle and handed her the bedroll. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" As soon as she stepped outside, she had to stop to let her eyes adjust to the bright daylight. Over by the trees, only her captor’s paint stallion remained.

He nudged her towards his horse. "Stop dragging your feet."

“What’s the hurry?”
And why were they leaving without the other man? She'd already figured out they must intend to ransom her. Had they argued about how to split it? His cold-eyed partner had looked like as though he would just as soon do away with her. Maybe the younger Indian was spiriting her away to get the money. That could be a good thing. Greed, she could manage.

How much should she offer? Most of her wealth was tied up in railroad stock and her cash went to daily expenses. Still, she could scrape together enough to impress an impoverished Indian. "I'll give you a hundred dollars if you take me back."

He threw the blanket and saddle over the horse. Had she not offered enough? Or did he know she was Levi Parsons' heir. If so, he'd expect much more.

"What if I promise to give you enough so you won't have to steal anymore? You could go somewhere and start over."

Her captor shot her a frowning glance. After securing the bedroll, he clamped his hands around her waist. Awareness zinged through her. She jerked away, flustered and confused. Why this attraction to a stranger, an outlaw? It made no sense. Had to be the odd situation that made her feel close to him. Only, she’d never felt these things when Henry touched her.

"Get on the horse,” he demanded.

“I just offered you money. Name your price.”

His eyes made a slow trek down her body, and the tingles turned into full-fledged shivers.

She held her ground, praying he couldn’t see how thoroughly he unsettled her. "You…you want gold, I imagine."

"I want you to stop talking and mount up." He laced his fingers together and motioned for her to put her foot in his hand so he could assist her. “Up you go.”

Kate licked her lips, growing more nervous. If she rode in front of him again, he would touch her and her body would betray her weakness. Besides, she couldn’t get away with his arms around her. "I'll ride behind you."

His scowl reappeared. "
So you can kick my horse again?”

“I won’t. I promise.” She mentally crossed her fingers.

His face darkened with anger. "Get in the saddle, unless you want to stay here and wait for Charley."

"Charley? Is that your partner?

Alarm flashed in his eyes. He’d let the name slip unintentionally, along with something else. That cruel look on the other man’s face, she hadn't misread it. Charley wanted to kill her.

###

Jake held Redbird tight as he guided his horse down the narrow path leading away from the hideout. He'd leave a trail so Charley would think he’d returned her to the railroad worksite, but when he reached the creek branch he'd take to the water in a different direction. His cousin would be furious when he finally figured out where they were going, but at least this would delay any decision on ransoming their captive—or killing her.