Authors: Donna Fletcher
S
torm couldn’t wait to get rid of the American. He had done nothing but interfere with her carefully laid plans. She could tell that he wasn’t used to following orders and that he could handle himself in a difficult situation. However, this was her command, her battle, her land.
Which was why, at the first possible chance, she would leave him somewhere safe enough, but she wanted to be rid of him. She couldn’t take the chance of his messing things up any more than he already had.
She did wonder why he had been imprisoned, but then it didn’t take much of an accusation to be incarcerated. He had probably been in the wrong place at the wrong time or he didn’t have enough money to pay the bribe on trumped-up charges. Either way, it was not her concern.
He glanced back at her from where he walked a few feet ahead. He had done that from time to time, almost as if he watched out for her. She needed no one doing that. She was more than capable of looking after herself.
She did have to give him credit for keeping up the tough pace she had set for the group throughout the night. He looked sturdy enough, muscled arms and thighs attested to his strength. His dark trousers were torn at the knee and his white shirt ripped at the shoulder. Dark brown eyes were set in a rugged face marred by a few cuts and bruises and covered with dirt and sweat. His unkempt brown hair brushed his shoulders, and she had noticed that his hand had drifted often to his side—a common gesture for a man used to having a weapon strapped to his leg.
He looked back again and held her glance. There was determination and annoyance in his brown eyes, which suddenly widened as he rushed at her.
She mumbled an oath as her foot caught on an exposed tree root and she tumbled forward.
Storm felt his hands snag tightly around her slim waist and yank her up on her feet. She wobbled, and her hands shot out to grab hold of his forearms. There was a solid strength in them that could not be denied.
“I got you, don’t worry.”
She gave him a hefty shove and waved off Tanin, who approached. “Keep going. I’m fine. I need a few minutes with this man.”
“No need to thank me for helping you, yet a third time,” he said with a grin.
“I have no intention of thanking you and I don’t need you rescuing me.”
“That’s debatable.”
“No. It’s not,” she said firmly. “I do fine on my own. Now where is it you’d like to go? I’ll see that you get there.” She wanted rid of him as quickly as possible, or else she had the distinct feeling he’d forever get in her way.
“Dunwith.”
“A day’s journey. What takes you there?” she asked, curious.
“Personal business.”
“Anything to do with what landed you in prison?”
“That was a complete misunderstanding,” he said emphatically.
“It usually is, though the magistrate rarely sees it that way.”
“A robbery, a fight, and a—”
“Setup,” she finished. “They took all your money and you had nothing to pay the fine. Did you tell them you could get more money?”
“I’m not that stupid.” He sounded insulted. “Besides, the money I had arranged to be brought here won’t be available to me for two weeks.”
“So you’re presently penniless and homeless.”
“Only for the moment, and, like you, I can take care of myself.”
His brown eyes flared, giving his rugged features a devilish appeal that momentarily stunned her. “Good, then I’ll see that one of my men makes sure you get to Dunwith.”
“What of the others?” he asked.
“Those prisoners unable to walk much farther will be left with friends who will see them moved to a safe location. The others will be given a choice to go off on their own or to join with my group.”
“What if I want to join with your group?”
She stopped short and glared at him. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Don’t want my help?”
He was obviously amused by her remark, a half smile highlighting his sweat-dappled face. She wasn’t at all amused. “No!”
“Why?”
“You don’t take orders well.”
“I don’t take them at all.”
“Obviously.” She admired his abrupt honesty. “Why would you want to join us? I thought you said you had personal business in Dunwith.”
“I do, but until my funds arrive, there isn’t much I can do. Besides, I’m sure you could always use an extra pair of skilled hands.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. My men are well trained to obey me. Can you obey me?”
“I can follow orders.”
“Can you obey me?” she repeated.
She could see the struggle in his eyes and in the pinch of his narrow lips. He was fighting with himself, though the answer was clear. He couldn’t obey a woman.
“I’ve been taught to protect women.”
“I don’t need protection. I need obedience.” She smiled when he cringed.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Not good enough. My men work together under my command. I never worry that they won’t obey me and they never worry that I will fail them. That is why we’ve been so successful in our rescues. Go to Dunwith, Mr.—”
“Burke, Burke Longton,” he said, holding out his hand.
Storm took it, his callused palm rubbing across hers and taking firm hold. The solid handshake told her he was a man who meant business, and that he didn’t let go of her hand told her he was determined to have things his way.
“Once my funds arrive, I’ll be on my way. Until then, let me help you.”
Storm tugged her hand out of his, crossed her arms over her chest, and eyed him with a suspicious glance. “What is it you really want from me, Mr. Longton?”
“The name is Burke, Storm. And what I
need
from you is knowledge of this land and its people before I attend to my business. I had thought my task an easy one but I have realized it is going to be more difficult than I first thought.”
“I have no time—”
“I will make it worth your time.”
Storm hesitated. She needed funds, but was it worth it? This towering man could not follow the simplest of orders, and that could prove dangerous. Was she willing to put her men and people in jeopardy in exchange for a much needed filling of the
coffers? And how could she be certain he spoke the truth that funds were on the way?
“I can be an asset,” he continued.
“So far you have proved nothing but a liability.”
“I beg to differ.”
She ignored his remark. “How do I know these funds exist?”
“Good question,” he said, running his fingers through his hair, “though not easy to answer. There really isn’t any way I can prove that I have sufficient funds to offer you.” He paused. “I can only give you my word.”
Again, he was straightforward with his answer. However, was that enough to rule him an honest man? She thought herself a good judge of character—that was how she had been able to form her group of men. She had judged each one individually on his own unique merits, and all had proved worthy.
This man had a look of worthiness about him, and his concern for her safety attested to his honorable character. He would defend the defenseless, though his opinion on who needed defending was somewhat skewed.
Still, her main concern was his reluctance—actually his refusal—to follow her orders. The safety of her village depended on everyone obeying her rules. One person not following those rules placed the village in jeopardy. Burke’s presence alone could do that.
“Have you given it enough thought?”
He sounded anxious.
“I have a duty to protect my people.”
“I would bring no harm to your group.”
“Not intentionally,” she said.
“What of the money? Don’t tell me you can’t use it? Since my arrival in Scotland, I have seen with my own eyes the suffering of the less fortunate. Money would ease that suffering considerably.”
He was right about that. Their food supply had dwindled to a dangerous low, and they would need to replenish it before winter.
“I can tell you are a sensible leader—”
“Yet you cannot obey me.”
Burke shook his head. “Your head reaches my chest, and in those clothes you resemble a mere lad. You don’t exactly look like a leader.”
Her protest died at his outstretched hand.
“Let me finish. Your actions demonstrate your leadership abilities, and that your men obey you without question tells me they admire and respect you. Which means you will do what is necessary for your people.”
He had that right. Her decisions were always based on the good of the whole, not merely the one. But his inability to obey orders could be a detriment to the group; his funds, however, would definitely prove beneficial.
“Let me think about this,” she said.
“How long?”
“Until we reach our first destination, a couple of hours at least. Now let’s get moving. We need to catch up with the others.”
Storm waited for him to pass her, and for a
moment he looked as if he stubbornly refused to move. He stood stone still, his brown eyes fixed on her as if in a trance, and then suddenly he jolted forward and hurried past her.
The group’s pace slowed at times in consideration for those few who found it difficult to keep up, and a persistent cloud followed them overhead. Otherwise, they met no obstacles.
Storm had no time to think further on her decision. She conferred with her men who scouted the area, adjusted her plan in case anyone had gotten wind of it, and determined which of the prisoners were in need of care.
She took a moment to stop for a breath and take in the beauty of the woods. Small pauses were necessary now and again, or else she would be forever lost in fighting to survive.
It hadn’t always been like this. Life had been good once. She had loved each and every day, and then she’d lost the most precious thing in her life—her husband.
She chased the thought from her mind, or else it would consume her, beat her down, and devastate her all over again. She couldn’t allow that to happen; she had people who counted on her. Which reminded her that she had a decision to make in regard to the American.
She had never turned away anyone in need of help. But why did he need to know about her homeland of Scotland? What had brought Mr. Longton to its shores? She had to be careful whom she trusted. There was a bounty on her head, but surely a man
from America would know nothing about that. Would he?
Shortly they would arrive at their first destination and she would need to make a choice. Let him join her group or cut him loose. She drifted back until she walked alongside him.
“Made your decision yet?” he asked.
“I’ve thought on it.”
“Anything I can do to sway your choice?”
“Tell me what brought you to Scotland.”
His brown eyes glared down at her. “I’m here to find my half brother and I don’t intend to leave until I do.”
“I
t’s a long story and I don’t want to bore you with it. Needless to say, it’s imperative I find my half brother, and I’ve been told that I might find him in Dunwith,” Burke said. He would feed Storm what was necessary for her to help him, for now, especially since he had discovered there might be a bounty on his brother’s head.
“Does he know you search for him?” she asked.
“He doesn’t know of my arrival.” That his brother didn’t even know of his existence wasn’t something he was willing to share with her just yet. Her suspicion of his explanation was obvious in the tight set of her rosy lips and the squint of her turbulent blue eyes.
“What exactly do you want of me if I grant you permission to remain with us?”
He could tell that she was giving it thought, so he
was confident he could convince her to let him stay; besides, she intrigued him. She was a pint-sized bundle of courage and damned fair on the eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder how she’d look without the stocking cap.
“I need to learn what I can of your land and its people.”
“What in particular?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know exactly what will help me locate my brother. I think if I familiarize myself with Scotland and its people, it might help me to understand my brother and then eventually help me to find him. Otherwise I feel like I’m shooting at a target in the dark.” That all wasn’t exactly true, but it wasn’t necessary for her to know that he had hired detectives to help locate his brother and they had given him a starting point.
She smiled, and he felt a catch in his heart. It was such a sincere smile and sparked a beauty in her face that he found hard to ignore.
“Targets can easily be hit in the dark, Burke.”
Damned if he didn’t like the way his name rolled off her tongue in her sweet Scottish burr.
He took a step closer to her. “You’ll have to teach me the secret of hitting a target in the dark.” Not that he didn’t already know, but it would make for an interesting evening.
She shook her head, her smile never wavering. “I think you already have such skills.”
Burke rubbed his hands together and grinned. “I think we’ll get along well together.”
“As long as you can obey me.”
“Back to that again?”
“If you want to remain with my group, you will follow orders like everyone else,” she said firmly.
“So if I agree to obey you, then you’ll let me join the group?”
“Remain with the group,” she corrected. “You won’t be joining in any rescues.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
She laughed. “We’ll see about that, Burke.”
Damn, he really liked hearing her say his name.
“So what do you say? Follow my orders and I’ll help you find your brother for an agreed-upon fee.”
He held out his hand. “I accept.”
She hesitated. “I’d rather hear you say you will follow my orders.”
She was going to be a challenge for sure, but, hell, he lived for challenges. Besides, she had amended “obey” to “follow,” so he could live with that.
“I’ll follow your orders.”
She accepted his handshake. “Then we have a deal.”
“As to the fee?”
“We’ll talk on that later. I have things to see to.”
“Anything I can help with?” he offered. He wasn’t out to impress Storm, but he did want to show her that he would pull his weight.
“Something tells me you’re a good hunter.”
His grin turned to a low laugh. “Something tells me you’re perceptive.”
“Be wise and remember that.”
“I’ve never been called a fool.”
“There’s always a first time.” Storm smiled and
signaled Tanin, who hurried to her side. “Take Burke here with you to hunt for tonight’s meal. He’s going to be staying with the group for a while.”
Storm walked off, stopped abruptly, and spun around. “Burke, Tanin’s my right-hand man; obey him as you would me.”
“Whatever you say, Storm,” Burke said.
She laughed, shook her head, and walked off.
“We’re limited in weapon choice,” Tanin said.
Burke was forced to take his eyes off Storm’s retreating back, actually her curvaceous hips. Her snug dark trousers let all eyes know that she was definitely female. And being male, he appreciated the beauty of her sensual sway.
“I’m versatile when it comes to weapons. What have you got?”
Storm watched the prisoners eat the roasted venison with gusto. They had made it across the river and into the thick of the woods hours ago. They would not be followed. The king’s men feared her forest. They believed she had bewitched it to serve her purposes, and with good reason. Not one of the king’s men who had entered had ever left or been found.
She smiled at the thought. A few of the soldiers had begged to join her group, while others took flight to freedom. And stupidity had claimed the lives of the rest.
Tanin approached with a piece of meat for her.
She took it with a warning. “Not another word of how proficient Burke is with a bow and arrow.”
“I tell you, Storm, I have never seen anyone with such remarkable skill. He focused on his target, drew back on his bow, and—” He shook his head. “He fired on a fast-moving target and hit it dead on.”
“So you have told me, what? Ten, twenty times now?”
“He will be an asset to the group.”
“A temporary one,” she informed him.
“Who looks forward to his time with all of you.”
Storm would have toppled off the rock she was sitting on if Burke hadn’t quickly wrapped his arm around her middle and held her firm.
“Easy now,” he said, standing behind her.
“I didn’t hear you approach,” Tanin said with awe.
“A skill I learned from a tracker friend of mine.”
Storm rested her back against his chest, his heat seeping into her, and for a moment, she felt relaxed and secure. The thought jolted her, and she quickly dislodged his arm and scooted across the large rock, turning to face him.
“I don’t appreciate you spying on us,” she said, annoyed.
“Not my intention,” Burke assured her. “I simply took a brief walk, heard voices, and, recognizing them, decided to join you.”
“Your friend can track in the dark?” Tanin asked, his awe still obvious.
“Don’t you have duties to attend to?” Storm snapped at Tanin.
Tanin nodded, seeming unperturbed by Storm’s annoyance. “I’d like to learn some of that skill.”
“Any time,” Burke agreed.
“More food?” Tanin asked.
Storm shook her head. “Thanks, I’ve had enough, but make sure you enjoy your share.”
“Feel guilty you snapped at him?” Burke asked after Tanin walked away.
Storm almost snapped again but instead took a breath and measured her words. “Tanin is a good man. He knows my strengths and my weaknesses and exploits neither. That is why I trust him with my life.”
“He speaks highly of you as well.”
Storm chuckled. “Tanin would say little to you about me.”
“That confident about him?”
“That confident,” she assured him.
“You have beautiful blue eyes.”
Surprise widened Storm’s eyes. “How can you be so sure in the dark, Mr. Longton?”
Burke took gentle hold of her chin and lifted. “The moonlight makes the blue appear the color of the sea set to squall—beautiful, tempting, yet unforgiving. Are you unforgiving, Storm?”
“In some regards I am,” she answered, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest, reminding her of the hurt and pain she had suffered and how unforgiving she had become.
“Suffering often brings strength.”
She turned her head, her chin slipping from his fingers. “Easy words to utter when the suffering has finally passed, but suffering is suffering, Mr. Longton, no matter what way you look at it.”
“Agreed, but strength is strength, Storm, and I
daresay your suffering must have been great to have given you the strength you now possess. Perhaps someday you will share your pain with me.”
“You will not be here long enough for me to trust you with such a confidence. And besides, you have not fully trusted me.”
“How so?” he asked.
“Your brother. There is more to your finding him, is there not?”
Burke leaned against the rock.
“If you withhold information about your brother, how will I ever be able to help you locate him?”
Burke crossed his arms over his chest and stared into the night.
Storm sensed he wrestled with the decision to trust her, but what choice did he truly have if he wished to find his brother?
He relented. “I’ve never met my half brother, Cullen, though my father had spoken of him to me since I was young. He told me how he left his year-old son with his deceased wife’s sister while he journeyed to America to build a new life. He met and married my mother, and they staked a claim in the Dakota Territory together. My father returned to Scotland before I was born to get Cullen, but when he arrived, he discovered that his sister-in-law had died and no one knew where his son had gone.
“My father searched throughout the years, and on his deathbed two years ago made me swear to find my brother and bring him home, and to let him know he had never stopped searching for him. I
gave my word I would. Besides—” Burke turned to look at Storm. “He’s my brother, he’s family, and he needs to finally come home.”
“I understand,” Storm said, “but he may not want to go to America. Scotland is his home, his heart is here.”
“Perhaps he’ll have no choice.”
“Why is that?”
“I learned that there may be a bounty on his head,” he acknowledged reluctantly.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It was secondhand information and I had no way of confirming it, but Dunwith was mentioned and I figured I’d see what I could find out there.” That was all the information the detectives had to give him.
Storm slipped off the rock to stand beside him. “I’ll have Malcolm take the group the remainder of the way. Tanin, you, and I will proceed to Dunwith tomorrow morning and see what we can find out.”
Burke pushed off the rock. “Why?”
“Because it’s a shorter journey from here than if we return to camp.”
Burke shook his head. “No. I mean why are you coming along? Why not just send me with Tanin?”
“I have friends in Dunwith who may be of help.”
“I appreciate your generosity.”
“Your money is buying my help, Mr. Longton.”
“Burke.” He smiled. “After all, I am part of your group now.”
“You are a visitor, not a permanent member,” she
reminded. “Now I suggest we get a sound night’s sleep. We’ll leave with dawn’s first light and should arrive at Dunwith by late morning.”
“I appreciate your haste in helping me.”
“I have good reason for it.”
“To get me out of your hair faster?”
Storm laughed and patted her head. “My hair is well protected.”
“Is it now?” he asked, and in a split second snatched the cap off her head.
Waves of silky black hair tumbled down around her face, over her shoulders, to finally rest at the middle of her back.
“I had thought fiery red,” Burke said, swinging the stocking cap on his finger. “But the stark black color highlights your blue eyes. You are quite a beauty for a criminal.”
Storm snatched her cap back. “Don’t they teach manners in America?”
“We’re not at a social function. We’re in the middle of dense woods, two strangers who currently need each other. I wanted to know whom I dealt with.”
“And you needed to remove my cap to discover that?”
“The Sioux Indian tribe, indigenous to the area I come from, believe that you must view the whole person with your eyes and heart if you are ever to know whom you truly deal with. Part of you hides beneath that cap.”
“It disguises my gender, nothing more,” she insisted.
“It disguises much more, and I intend to discover who you truly are, Storm.”
She jabbed him in the chest. “Be careful, Burke. You may not like what you discover.”