A Heart so Wild - Straton 1 Read online

  When he reached her and took hold of her arm, Courtney found the courage to shake the hand off. “Now, just a minute—”

  “Do not, bella.” His warning was sharp. “Make no trouble, por favor.”

  “But I don’t—”

  “Callate!” he hissed.

  Instinctively, Courtney knew he was telling her to keep her voice down, or something to that effect. It was almost as though he were trying to protect her. The others were already climbing the hill. She began to tremble, as much from the river breeze against her dripping wet body as from the man standing beside her, his green eyes cold.

  He took her arm again, but again she shook it off. “You can at least let me dry off and change.”

  “To those wet clothes?”

  “No, to those.” She pointed toward the bush at the top of the bank where she had left her other clothes.

  “Si, but quickly, por favor.”

  Courtney was so nervous when she reached for her towel with the gun under it that the gun slipped out of her fingers, dropping loudly on the rocks. The man beside her gave an exasperated sigh and reached down to get it. She groaned as he stuck it into his belt.

  Ashamed, for she knew Chandos would have something to say about such stupidity, she hurried up the hill.

  Romero followed her up the hill and stood near her, giving her no privacy at all. There was no question of removing her wet under-things to don the dry ones she had laid out, so she simply put on the dry dress over them. The dress quickly became wet.

  “You will catch cold, bella,” Romero noted as she stepped out from behind the bush.

  Since that was his fault, she snapped, “I don’t have much choice, do I?”

  “Si, you always have a choice.”

  The very idea! Thinking she would strip naked with him right there. “No. I don’t,” Courtney insisted emphatically.

  He shrugged. “Very well. Come.”

  He didn’t try to take her arm again, but extended his arm toward the camp, indicating that she should lead the way. She quickly gathered up her things and did, and a few moments later they entered the small clearing where she had set up camp.

  The other three men were sitting by her campfire, eating her beans and bread and drinking her coffee. Courtney was outraged, but she was also all the more frightened by what this meant.

  “That didn’t take long.” The black-haired giant chuckled. “Didn’t I tell you, Johnny Red, ”bout his quick draw?“

  The insult went right over Courtney’s head, but the Mexican hissed, “Imbecile She is a lady.”

  “When I shit pink, she’s a lady,” the giant said, sneering. “Bring her on over and set her down right here.”

  Courtney blushed scarlet, seeing him pat his crotch. She turned wide, imploring eyes on the Mexican, but he shrugged.

  “It is up to you, bella.”

  “No!”

  Romero shrugged his narrow shoulders again, but this time it was for the giant’s benefit. “You see, Hanchett? She does not want to know you better.”

  “I don’t give a friggin” damn what she wants, Romero!“ Hanchett snarled, getting to his feet.

  The Mexican took a step forward, putting himself in front of Courtney as he turned to Dare. “Should you not tell your amigo the woman is all you have to bring Chandos out into the open? Chandos has his horse, so he does not need to return to camp—except for her. For myself, if my woman was used, however unwillingly, I would not want her back. I would simply ride on.”

  Courtney was appalled by his callousness. What kind of a man… ? She watched Dare for his answer, as he was obviously in charge.

  “Romero’s right, Hanchett,” Dare said finally, and Courtney let out a sigh that was, unfortunately, premature. “Wait until I have the bastard and know what the hell his game is.”

  “You—you know Chandos?” Courtney whispered in an aside to the Mexican.

  “No.”

  “But they do?”

  “No,” he said again and explained, “Chandos looked for Dare, then did not stay around to find him. Dare does not like this.”

  “You mean, you’ve been following us?”

  “S(,” he answered. “We were more than a day behind you, with little hope of catching up so soon, but he surprised us by traveling slowly.”

  Courtney knew it was her fault Chandos had not made better time, her fault these men had caught up with him.

  She ventured softly, “After he comes and your friend has his answers, what then?”

  Romero’s dark eyes didn’t even flicker. “Dare will kill him.”

  “But why?” Courtney gasped.

  “Dare is angry to waste this time tracking him. The way he searched for Dare in Newton was a challenge that cannot be ignored. But we had ridden to Abilene and did not return until the day after your man left town.”

  “He’s not my man. He’s taking me to Texas, that’s all. I hardly even know him, but—”

  He waved aside her explanation. “The reason you ride with him does not matter, bellcu ”

  “But,” she continued emphatically. “How can you calmly tell me your friend is going to kill him? You don’t kill a man for the silly reason you just gave me.”

  “Dare does.”

  “And you won’t stop him?”

  “It is nothing to me. But if you worry for yourself, don’t. You will not be left alone here. We return to Kansas, and you will ride with us.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel any better, sir!”

  “It should, bella. The alternative is for you to die, too.” Courtney lost her color, and then he shocked her even more. “You have time to consider whether you will fight. But think well, for they will have you either way. And what matters one man or four?”

  “Four? You, too?”

  “You are bella and I am a man,” he said simply.

  Courtney shook her head, disbelieving. “But you—you prevented Hanchett from—from—”

  “He is estillpido, that one. He would have you now and distract us all, giving Chandos the advantage.”

  “He has the advantage now,” she pointed out deliberately, hoping to shake his confidence. “You four are circled in light, while he has the darkness to conceal him.”

  “Si, but we have you.”

  Her moment of bravado fled.

  Her mind raced toward some way to help Chandos. An idea seized her and she said, “I’ve been such a nuisance to Chandos that I’m sure he’d just as soon be rid of me. So you really are wasting your time here.”

  “Nice try, missy, but I ain’t buying,” Dare overheard and replied.

  Courtney stared at the fire. It probably was true. Chandos would surely sense danger here. Why should he walk in and face these men just because she was there? The odds would be four against one. Would he risk his life for her?

  She didn’t want Chandos to die. But, Lord, she didn’t want to be raped, either.

  “We heard he’s a half-breed. That right?”

  It took Courtney a moment to realize Hanchett was speaking to her. It took a moment longer to grasp his question. They really didn’t know anything about Chandos, did they? Neither did she, but they didn’t know that.

  She gave the scraggly bearded giant a level look and said unemotionally, “If you mean is he half Indian, no, he isn’t. He’s actually three quarters Comanche. Is there a name for that?”

  Courtney was amazed that she had managed to unsettle the big man with her lie. He looked away from her, out into the surrounding darkness. One of their horses stepped on a twig just then and he started.

  “You got some nerve, lady, beddin” down with a half-breed.“ Johnny Red was trying to get back at her with the slur and it worked.

  Courtney’s eyes flashed. “I’m only going to say this once more! Chandos is not my—my— lover! He’s a ruthless savage. But when I saw him kill Jim Ward, a vicious outlaw, well, I knew he was exactly the man I needed to escort me to Texas.”

  “Shit! Old Jim’s dead
?” Hanchett demanded.

  Courtney sighed. She wasn’t surprised that they knew the outlaw Ward. They were outlaws themselves.

  “Yes. Chandos killed him,” she replied. “He’s a bounty hunter. Could that be why he was inquiring after you?” she asked Dare.

  He shook his head slowly, unperturbed. “I ain’t wanted by the law, missy. I make sure I don’t leave no witnesses to my crimes.”

  Hanchett and Johnny Red laughed. Courtney had lost her advantage and sought to regain it.

  “Well, I’m sure you’re ruthless and despicable and so forth, so you have a lot in common with Chandos. He isn’t nice at all. Why, do you know he tried to frighten me by telling me how many scalps he’d taken? I won’t tell you the number. I didn’t believe it, so why should you? He told me he’d ridden for several years with that vengeful Satanta, too. But I ask you, how could he have killed those seventeen wanted men for the bounties, as he claims? He isn’t that old. How could he possibly have done so much killing in so short a time? Impossible, I tell you—as I told him.”

  “Shut up, woman,” Dare rasped, furious now.

  “Why? Did you hear something?” Courtney said innocently. “It’s probably Chandos. He should have been back long before now. But he won’t come forward, you know. Why should he when he can just pick you off—”

  “Johnny Red, stuff something in her goddamn mouth!” Dare snarled.

  The shot was fired as the boy reached for her. It caught him in the left shoulder, propelling him away from her. The others leaped to their feet, including Courtney, who was suddenly terrified again.

  Johnny Red was squirming on the ground, screaming that his bone was shattered. Courtney hardly heard him for the ringing in her ears, but she knew she had to warn Chandos.

  “They mean to kill you, Chandos!”

  She stopped as Dare’s hand reached to slap her. His hand didn’t touch her, however, because a bullet struck his elbow, paralyzing his arm. He dropped his gun. When Hanchett saw what happened to Dare, he turned his drawn gun on her. It was shot right out of his hand. Courtney’s ears continued ringing as she stared around in utter amazement.

  “Fools!” Romero shouted. “He protects the woman! Leave her alone!” Then he called out to Chandos, “Senor, no more shooting, por favor. You see, I put my gun away.”

  This he did, then spread his arms wide. He was taking quite a chance that Chandos wouldn’t shoot him, helpless as he was.

  The ploy seemed to work, for Chandos didn’t fire again. All was utterly still outside the circle of fire. Close to the the fire, Johnny Red groaned and Hanchett made gasping sounds as he held his bleeding hand.

  Courtney wasn’t nearly so frightened anymore, though her limbs still trembled. Chandos had done it. He had gotten the upper hand.

  Why didn’t he just tell them all to get on their horses and leave? Why didn’t he speak?

  Romero came slowly around the fire to help Dare bandage his arm. “Be sensible, amigo,” Courtney heard Romero whisper. “He could have killed us all in a matter of seconds. Instead, he only wounded us. Ask your questions of him and then let us go. You no longer have the advantage.”

  “I still have her,” Dare hissed, looking at Courtney.

  She stared back at him. “I don’t think so, mister. I could walk out of here now, and you wouldn’t dare stop me. Wherever he is out there, he has all of you covered.”

  How much pleasure she derived from watching the man’s eyes burn with anger because it was true. But as if Dare couldn’t accept the facts, he took a step toward her. Another shot rang out, this bullet smashing into Dare’s thigh, the pain bringing him down with a scream.

  Romero grabbed Dare’s shoulders and held on to him. “No more! You will have us all riddled with holes if you do not desist!”

  “Good advice.”

  “Chandos!” Courtney cried delightedly, turning in the direction of his voice.

  As she began to focus on the darkness outside the clearing, she had the greatest urge to run and throw herself at him, but she didn’t dare distract him. He stood on the edge of the clearing, his gun leveled at the outlaws, his hat shadowing his eyes so that no one could tell who he was watching. He looked hard and uncompromising. To Courtney, he looked wonderful.

  “You are Chandos?” Romero stood up, keeping his arms extended away from his body. “You make much over nothing, senor. You were looking for my friend here. He accommodates you by coming to you. He only wanted to know why you hunted him.”

  “That’s a lie!” Courtney retorted, pointing a damning finger at Dare. “He meant to kill you after he had his answers. That one told me so.” She nodded at Romero. “He also told me what would happen after you were dead, they would—would—”

  “You still having trouble with the word, lady?” Chandos said. How could he joke at a time like this, she wondered.

  “Well, they would have!” she snapped.

  “Oh, I’ve no doubt of that, love,” Chandos replied. “And while you’re still so full of indignation, why don’t you gather up their guns for me?”

  It took her a moment to move, she was so surprised at what he had called her. But as she leaned over to pick up the first gun, she realized he wanted the men to believe she was his woman.

  Careful not to step in front of any of the men, and thereby block Chandos’s view, she scooped up Dare’s and Hanchett’s guns from the ground. Johnny Red’s was still in his holster. Romero handed her his, and then she snatched her own gun from his belt, giving him a triumphant look as she did so.

  “Do not be vengeful, bella,” he told her softly. “You will remember that I helped you?”

  “Certainly,” she replied. “As I will remember the reason you gave for helping me. Shall I tell Chandos all of it and let him judge whether you helped me or not?”

  She moved away without giving him a chance to answer. She disliked him in particular, for he had played on her fear, frightening her terribly, then giving her hope, then dashing that hope. They were all despicable, but he was cruder than the others.

  She moved along the outer edges of the clearing until she was beside Chandos, dropping the guns behind him. She kept her own gun. “I know you’d probably rather not be overwhelmed by my gratitude right now,” she said softly, pressing close to his back. She gave him a quick hug. “But I have to tell you how glad I am you came back when you did.”

  “You’re all wet,” he muttered.

  “I was taking a bath when they showed up.”

  “In your clothes?”

  “In my underclothes, of course.”

  “Of course.” He chuckled.

  And then he amazed Courtney—and amazed the others as well—by saying to them quietly, “Take off… while you still can.”

  He was letting them go!

  Chapter 19

  IT wasn’t a full moon, but it was bright enough to cast a silvery glow on the wide tributary that fed into the Arkansas River. It was bright enough that Courtney could see clearly the men who were forced to cross the water.

  She stood on the bank next to Chandos and watched the horses floundering. The swift-moving current parted Hanchett from his horse. With his injured hand, she had doubted he would make it across. But he did, surprisingly, as did his horse, and she and Chandos stood there watching Hanchett and the other two men as they headed north, back toward Kansas. They watched until the men were out of sight.

  Then, as if everything were perfectly normal, as if Dare Trask weren’t strung up to a tree within sight of the fire, Chandos proceeded to skin the two squirrels he had caught. He had apparently caught them with his bare hands, for they bore no wounds and he hadn’t fired a single shot while he was hunting. He put them over the fire to roast, then opened another can of beans and brewed more coffee. Courtney sat there staring at Dare Trask, feeling sick.

  Chandos had announced that Trask wasn’t leaving with the others. He had called Trask by his whole name, indicating that he knew him, or knew of him. Then he forced Ro
mero to bind Trask’s hands and feet together, incredibly, with Trask’s own shirt and pants. He sent Courtney after the rope on his saddle, and she nearly got lost trying to find Surefoot where Chandos had left him.

  She brought both the pinto and the rope to Chandos, and stood there as Chandos directed Romero to tie the rope to Trask’s bound wrists, warning that if it wasn’t tight enough, Trask would probably break both legs in the fall. What he meant became obvious when Chandos dragged Trask to the nearest tree, using only one hand, for his other hand was holding his gun. He hoisted Trask several feet into the air, securing the rope around the tree trunk.

  “Are you going to kill him?” Romero asked.

  “No,” Chandos replied. “But he’s going to suffer a little bit for what he did here.”

  “He did nothing to you, sehor.”

  “True. It’s what he would have done to the lady that I object to. No one touches her but me, you understand.”

  Romero looked at Courtney, wondering whether she had lied to him about her relationship with Chandos. Then he looked back at Chandos.

  “I think this has to do not only with the woman, but with why you were looking for my amigo, si?”

  Chandos didn’t answer. He brought forward the men’s horses, removing the rifles sheathed on two of the horses before he handed the beasts over to their riders. He tossed their rifles and handguns into the river a bit later.

  Well, they were gone now, and Dare Trask was still dangled from the tree, a handkerchief stuck in his mouth now because he had started shouting for his men to come back for him and Chandos had gotten tired of listening to it. Stretched as he was, Courtney knew he must be in terrible pain. His wounds continued bleeding, even the one that had been hastily bandaged.

  She supposed he deserved this, and more, but she had no stomach to watch. She knew she would have felt differently if he had succeeded in raping her, or if Chandos were dead. But, nevertheless, she couldn’t enjoy Trask’s suffering.

  Did Chandos? She couldn’t tell. His expression was, as always, inscrutable. He prepared their food and ate his supper with an air of indifference. Still, he watched Trask the whole time.