2
She rolled her eyes. “I would say he's awfully concerned about my virtue and loyalty, but that's clearly not the case, as you rightly pointed out. To trust you with my well-being and virtue is a steep order, and yet he chose a man I wouldn't have originally guessed he would trust with a bucket of water, let alone me. You really are an interesting man."
Well, trusting me with her wellbeing was certainly a leap for him, that much I would admit. As for her virtue, he and I both knew the only bed I was going to slip into was his. It would have been an entirely different matter if he thought, even for a moment, that some women were to my taste. The man might be willing to trust me with her life and health, but I couldn't think of any brother I’d met who would trust another man with his sister's virtue, especially when they were as slick and smooth-talking as I was.
Truth be told, his sister would be dangerous around the average man.
"So, why did you choose to come out here of all places?" I wondered as the horses led us through the small trail that wound between the rocks. "You never expressed interest in the wild areas before."
"Haven't I?"
"No, in fact, you were adamant that you wanted to travel to Rapture and beyond. Of course, you stopped when you saw the colors Ambrose was starting to turn, but I doubt that will be the last he hears of the subject."
"And here I was told men don't pay attention to what a woman says and certainly not to what they're going to do."
"And I was told women are mysteries that have yet to be solved. I've yet to find that to be true."
"I wouldn't boast of that too much if I were you. Some women like to be seen as mysteries. They think it adds to their allure."
"Women are no more difficult to understand than men. Everyone has their little oddities, their habits, their wants, needs, dislikes, dreams and ambitions, however grand or petty. We're all just people, and people aren't that hard to figure out. Just a pain in the ass to understand."
She smiled at me. “Well, perhaps that's the case, but for what it's worth, I've been including you in my prayers."
"My dear, there are far better people than me to start praying over. Especially because I have no intention of changing a whole lot when I leave here. Just don't tell your brother I said that."
She laughed. “Well, I think plenty about you has already changed. Or maybe it's that plenty about you has been allowed to come out. Whatever the case, my prayers aren't for you, they're about you. I don't pray for people unless their health is bad. People don't need prayers; they need help, and the good Lord helps only those who help themselves."
"Some help from their fellow man never hurts either," I pointed out.
"True, and perhaps in some ways, being brought here by my father was a good thing for you."
"Was it now?"
"I can't imagine the life of an outlaw is a particularly safe or comfortable one."
"That is a rather mild way of putting it, but yes."
"While you may not have the freedom you had before, you have safety here. You have a temporary purpose for the work you're given. You have a bed, a home, and meals every day. And don't think I haven't seen how well you get along with the other men or how my brother has softened to you."
Softened in some ways, but definitely hardened in ways I could appreciate. “All true points."
"I imagine spending your time simply trying to survive can make you a different person than if you are here, where you're safe and able to relax. Maybe that can give you a different perspective on whether you should choose to leave when you are freed."
It was remarkably close to the thought I'd had before and had pointed out to Ambrose. Being at the ranch was against my will, and I would never have chosen it, but there still seemed to be plenty of good to find in it. Elizabeth had touched on one of the biggest things, a sense of safety. Of course, I was never completely safe, or at least never felt that way, but there were degrees of safety, and this was the safest I’d been in months.
"Again, you are full of good points," I admitted as I eyed the trail. There wasn't a lot that grew in the desert save for the hardiest plants that managed to find a foothold in the hot, hard earth. Shady spots like this outcrop were usually the most rife with plant life, shielded from the harsh elements. Except the ones along this trail looked like they hadn't been having the best time lately, considering many of them were bent or broken. "A little philosophical for someone who has spent several years of their life having to live the practical, but good points all the same."
"Men," she muttered, frowning down at the trail. "You all like to act as though you make things simple, but that's not always a virtue. Some things deserve to be as complex as they should be and not reduced to the narrowest definition."
"Have you considered that your perspective is a little skewed?"
"How so?"
"Don't get me wrong. I don't envy being the only daughter of a ranch owner in the middle of nowhere, stuck playing the dutiful daughter and debutante when you’d probably be more at home doing things like this every day. But what you pointed out about my current circumstances has been your circumstances your whole life."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning that you don't know what it means to truly struggle, to wonder where the next meal is going to come from, and what you'll have to do to get that meal. Or what you might have to do to find a decent place to sleep and even when you do, wondering if a blade might find you in the night, or perhaps a wild animal because you had to sleep away from civilization just to be safe. It's easy to preach philosophy and complexity when your life has never been reduced to the age-old simplicity of survive or die."
She stared at me, trusting the horse to know the path, unconsciously tugging the reins as her horse started veering as if trying to turn around. "Not one person has ever spoken to me like that."
I raised a brow. “I can't imagine that living with your family has meant you’ve never once been told you were wrong or thinking about things the wrong way."
She smirked. “Please, you should know that's not the case. But it's the first time a man has ever told me I'm wrong and explained it like...well, like I was a man."
"You're a woman," I said with a shrug. "And for what it's worth, not everywhere is as restrictive about what women should or shouldn't do as they are around here. There's quite a few places in this part of the country that don't look at women as any different...for the most part. And I bet your husband has treated you a lot better than you're making out."
"Not at first," she said with a snort, frowning at the horse and then forward toward the path. "It took him a while to understand that the Elizabeth he knew in public was not the same person as Lizzie behind closed doors."
"Oh?"
"Get that lecherous tone out of your voice...though that is true too. Even women have their needs."
"You don't need to tell me that. I'm well aware."
"Are you?"
"What, am I so hideous and lacking in charm that you don't think I’ve known a woman?"
She glanced at me, her brow furrowing. “I never said that."
"Mmm," I hummed, wondering where she had been going with that thought originally before shifting tactics slightly. "And for what it might be worth to you, I think your father would be more cosmopolitan than you give him credit for."
"How so?"
"Well, he hasn't interfered in Ambrose's deal with you."
"I love Ambrose, but he can be exceptionally dense at times. He may not realize it, but I know our father trusts him more than he trusts others by far and certainly more than Ambrose would ever consider."
"And you are your father's daughter."
"Now there's a compliment and insult all rolled into one that I've never heard before."
At that, I winked at her. “You know, if circumstances and...other things were different, I might be tempted to betray your brother's trust and try to seduce you. As I said before, you are a woman after my own heart."
At that, she snorted derisively. “Other things."
"Is that funny?" I wondered, feeling a trickle of unease down my spine at the suspicious, almost knowing in her voice.
"Perhaps," she said, her eyes going up to the rocks above and then down to the ground again.
"You're looking a little peaked," I said, raising a brow and giving her a curious look. Something most certainly had her attention, but I couldn't tell what it was. But I knew better than to speak too openly, even if we were out in the middle of nowhere with only the two of us around.
"I need to take a break for a moment and drink some water," she said in her normal volume, giving me a slight shake of her head. "I think I left it in your saddle bag."
"Let me get it," I said. "Couldn't bring yourself even to have your horse carry it for you? And here I was, just getting ready to say you aren't that spoiled."
"Well, more's the pity for you then," she said with a chuckle. Her eyes fell to the ground, and I spied the plants, which were as torn up and downtrodden as the others. Their pieces lay scattered on the ground. In fact, a few of them looked like something of good size, say larger than a hoof, had broken the plant. "Because I am still spoiled, no matter how much I crave getting out of the house now and again."
"Now I understand why your brother wanted me to be the one to watch over you," I said, nodding to say I understood what she was trying to show me. I raised a brow, hoping she would elaborate further on what was going on. "He wanted to torment me by taking the little princess for a stroll through the garden."
"As if we could even have a garden here," she said with a wistful sigh and then jerked her head to her other side.
"Here," I said, leaning over to hand her the canteen of water and then look at what she'd indicated. It took me a moment to realize what the smashed thing on the ground was, squinting until I could see that it was, or at least had been, dung. But rather than the pile one would expect, it was smashed into the ground. I didn't need to get close to see there were marks in it, a raised hump in the middle while on each side of said hump was where it had smashed down.
As if stepped on by a boot.
"Will that serve, Your Highness?" I asked as she took it, and I again nodded to show that I understood. Another glance and I suspected several things at the same time. If I had the right of it, the impression on the former pile indicated that whoever had stepped in it had been walking in the direction we were currently riding toward. And despite the heat and dryness of the day, it shouldn't have left it so soft and pliable looking. Yet there wasn't a trace of dryness as far as I could see, and the only reason I probably couldn't smell it was the strong smell of the horse and my distance from it, though Elizabeth had probably smelled it.
"I had a little too much meat earlier," she said, jerking her elbow in the direction of the pile. Which if I was right, was her way of telling me what the dung might have contained. I might have questioned her ability to figure out the contents of a turd from the sight and smell, but she was the child of a rancher. Perhaps she mostly stayed in the home, but I'd heard enough about her childhood to know she had done her fair share of exploring. She would undoubtedly know what manure smelled like and what the scent of a predator's diet was.
I nodded slowly, glancing behind us and then at her. "All that salt will dry you right up. I told you you needed to be prepared for this kind of trip. Though again, maybe this is why your brother decided to send me along with you."
"Yes, yes," she said, eyes widening and nodding. "My dear, sweet, overprotective brother would just love to hear that he was right that I needed supervision. Do you think it would make him happy?"
"I've yet to find anything outside his nieces and nephews and his dog that brings him joy." My mind quietly acknowledged that what my body could give him also fell into that category but shoved it away. I didn't need to be an animal or tracking expert to know we were not as alone as we might think. And if there were others from the ranch out here, we would have known about it before we left. Elizabeth would have made sure she wasn't spotted out here by her family's men.
That left one possibility, and I really did not want to meet any stragglers from the gang Ambrose had spoken about.
"Don't be so fussy," I said with a sigh, impressed but not surprised by her ability to keep talking and pretending nothing had changed. She kept up with me verbally back and forth, and it was obvious she had her father's steely nerves. "If you collapsed while we were out here, it would be my hide. So drink your water, and let's get back before the heat overtakes us. You're not exactly dressed for this kind of weather."
"How lovely it is to have so many people worried about me as if I can't handle myself," she said, though she turned the horse. "But fine, I am a woman of my word, and I won't argue, as I promised Ambrose."
"Probably a good call on your part," I said with a chuckle. "Now let's go, and we'll probably make it back in time for lunch."
She sighed. “Perhaps I can convince Hipolita to make me something nice to take pity on me. And you can eat the slop with the rest of the men."
We moved a little faster than we did on the way in, but hopefully, it wasn't too noticeable in case someone was paying attention. I didn't know if whoever had passed through was still close, but considering what we'd found a few weeks ago and Ambrose's reaction to it, I didn't want to take any chances.
"They're supposed to be smart," Elizabeth said in a low voice that would have been lost to all but me over the sounds of the horses as their hooves clumped against the harsh earth. "They couldn't be this close."
"Yes, they could," I said with a smile and then louder said. “Do you think you could convince Hipolita to get me a stiff drink for all my hard work?"
She might know this land and its creatures better than I did, but I knew the beast known as man much better. Even the most cunning group of outlaws and bandits could make stupid or impulsive choices. If her suspicions about who could be around were true, I was hoping it was one of those two things. The alternative was that they were here for a specific reason, and that did not bode well for anyone. If they were as cunning and dangerous as Ambrose said, that kind of decision meant something significant was going to happen sooner rather than later, and the quicker we got back to report what we found, the better.
"I doubt that very much," Elizabeth began, her tone light and almost playful, but a glance told me she was tense as we made for the entrance. "But you seem to have managed to charm her, so you might just convince her. Now, how my father would take that, or Ambrose if either of them found out, is a different story entirely."
"Ah, who said they need to find out?" I wondered, stomach tightening when I heard a scuff above us. The height of the rock formation was dropping as we neared the entrance, which meant if someone was near, it would be harder for them to hide as we got closer. At the same time, it was still high enough that anyone atop the rocks would have the advantage.
"I could be convinced to keep a secret," Elizabeth said with a smile that was almost believable if I didn't know how tense the situation was. "But it would cost you."
"And here I am without all my ill-gotten gains," I snorted. "I suppose I’ll have to deal with just water for the time being."
"Poor you," she said with a wrinkle of her nose.
Another scuff above. This time, it was louder, and I knew our time was up—our attempt to get out before an ambush. I shot Elizabeth a meaningful look, hoping she knew that meant to stay calm and, if she could, trust me. I heard another scuff above but further ahead and reached into the saddlebag again, trying to see what I could find.
There was a knife in a leather sheath, only big enough to cut through some plants and cloth, not really for anything dangerous, but I slid it out of the sheath. I could feel Elizabeth's eyes on me as I grabbed a string of rawhide that was kept for emergency repairs and pulled the collar of my shirt down. Thankfully, it wasn't the first time I'd done something like this, and I managed to tie the knife to me so it was hidden on the inside, near my armpit, with the handle concealed, but if I wanted, I could grip it and yank it free.
It wasn't much, but I scrambled to grab some stones from a small ledge, shoving them into the pouch I had flung over my shoulders and pressed a handkerchief between them to minimize the noise before closing the bag tightly. I glanced over at Elizabeth, her lips thin lines, but her brow was arched in what almost felt like amusement. I didn't have time to explain that this wasn't my first rodeo, but I had to assume she could figure that out on her own.
"Now," a new, rough voice piped up from above us. "Much as I hate to break it to ya both, but ya ain't gonna be havin' yer’selves a nice meal or them fancy drinks."
I peered up, amused and irritated that whoever was speaking had chosen to stand where the sun blasted my eyes, making it impossible to make out who was speaking. "Well, that's a little rude, don't you think? The lady just wants the comforts of home. Who are you to deny her?"
"None of yer business," he grunted, and I saw two men step around the rocks ahead of us to block the way out of the outcropping. Okay, so there were three of them so far, and I waited until I heard panting above me and marked it as four threats. So that definitely meant we were dealing with Le Garou as Ambrose had feared. Though I doubted it was all of them, I didn't want to assume it was just the three of them and their dog, which almost struck me as odd, but?—
Oh shit, this was a scouting party, wasn't it? There was only one reason to send a scouting party, and that was to get the lay of the land before the rest of the gang moved in. Was that what they’d been doing when Ambrose found evidence of them before? Originally, they had only been talked about when they hassled one of the other ranchers because there had been no other signs of them around the ranch, which had only added weight to Joseph's argument that they weren't a problem.
Hell, we definitely needed to get back to the ranch in one piece, not just for our sakes, but to report.
"Le Garou, I take it?" I wondered when they continued to glare at us.
"How did you know?" one of the two previously silent men asked in bald surprise.
"Shut it," growled the figure above us. "Get the lady and keep your mouths shut. Boss man will appreciate this gift."
"Kidnapping? Now that's just tacky," I said as Elizabeth backed her horse up nervously. "I wasn't expecting a generous display of class from you lot, but this is just downright rude."
The figure moved, and I heard the distinct click of a gun's hammer being drawn back. “Ya might wanna keep that mouth shut, or we'll just leave yer body here instead of takin' ya with us."
"Hear that?" I asked Elizabeth as her horse took another step back. "Apparently, I'm important enough to be taken alive if I behave myself."
"They've been watching the ranch," Elizabeth said in a toneless voice as the two men began to approach quickly. "They've seen you around Ambrose enough."
"Constantly around him," I added, seeing the sense in what she was saying. Otherwise, they would have just shot me on the spot and taken her. Even if the gunshot was heard and investigated quickly because it came from the direction Elizabeth had gone in, these three could have been long gone with her in tow and me dead. I couldn't help but wonder what the look on Ambrose's face would be if he ever got to learn that they were willing to snatch me as well because of all the time we'd spent together. Not that I was going to dissuade the men from that idea; it was probably the only thing keeping me alive right now.
The other two were approaching, but unlike the man above us, they didn't have their weapons out. Which meant I needed to figure out how to deal with the man above us, while not letting the other two get hold of us or draw their weapons. As much as I prided myself on my ability to take care of myself, I wasn't going to believe I had a chance of dealing with three men on my own with nothing more than a bag of rocks and a concealed knife.
One of the two darted forward and grabbed Elizabeth's reins and one of her arms, drawing a knife to emphasize his point, which was all I needed, trusting they weren't going to risk hurting her unless it was absolutely necessary. I gripped the long string of the bag of rocks at my side, gave the bag a hardy twirl, and flung my arm upward. Hope and decent aim were all I had going for me as I let go of the bag and watched it soar through the air. Luck was on my side as it soared past the outstretched arm of the gunman and, with a wince-inducing sound, slammed into his face.
I didn't have time to crow over my luck and skill before a shout to my left caught my attention. The idiot who’d taken hold of Elizabeth and her horse was stepping back, slashing at the woman angrily. It didn't take more than a glance to see what had him so enraged. There was a hunting knife I didn’t remember seeing anywhere on Elizabeth's person sticking out of his hand. The problem was, his one hand might be useless, but his knife hand wasn't, and he was clearly furious enough to forget he wasn't supposed to hurt her.
There was zero choice as far as I could tell, and I reached up to grab the knife I had stowed away, twirled it around in my hand, and used my other hand to grip his injured hand and squeeze it. He roared with anger, twisting to get to me, and then stumbled back when my blade swiped across his neck, cutting deep and leaving a line of crimson behind it, followed by a gushing wave that dribbled down his front. I gripped the knife stuck in his hand and lashed out with my foot, forcing him to stumble back and yanking the knife out of his hand as he collapsed, trying to grasp at his throat futilely.
The other man was coming fast now that he wasn't in the way, and I yanked back on the reins of my horse, forcing it to rear. The horse lashed out with its front legs, clearly startled by all the screaming and the smell of blood, followed by the sudden yank from me. The third man came sliding to a halt, but he wasn't fast enough before a hoof lashed out and caught him in the chest. I heard a crack of something giving under the force of the blow before he dropped to the ground, limbs spread out.
"Go!" I barked at Elizabeth when I realized she was frozen and staring at the chaos in bewilderment and terror. She continued to stare at me before I leaned over and slapped her horse on its hindquarters. That was all it needed. The beast was desperate to be away from the chaos and immediately surged forward, leaping over the two men.
I gave my reins a snap, and my horse also leaped forward with a heavy whinny, but thankfully, I could sense the animal was still in control. I heard a shout from behind us, and I gave the reins another yank, so my horse veered, and we ran directly behind Elizabeth. I recognized a crack from behind us, and my upper body jerked. I had only a moment of confusion before I forced myself upright and shouted for Elizabeth to keep riding.
For a while, all I could hear was the sound of my breath. My body ached from holding tight to the horse that seemed determined to run faster than any horse had run before, and the hooves of both beasts slammed against the ground ferociously. My back burned as we rode for several minutes before I realized we weren't being chased. Which made sense as I hadn't spotted horses, meaning they had been stowed somewhere out of sight or they’d been on foot. At least the dog they'd had with them hadn't been involved, or it would have been a lot messier.
I tried to speak, wincing when the ache flared, stealing my strength and forcing me to take a deep breath and clear my throat. “We're okay now!"
Elizabeth’s fear had subsided enough that she could hear me, and she slowed her horse. Both our horses were still skittish, but thankfully, they were well-trained, and despite nervous snorting, they listened and slowed. Which didn't do much for whatever muscle I’d pulled on the ride.
"Lord above," I muttered as I tried to get beside her. "That was something. Took the wind right out of me. Are you okay?"
"I am...managing," she said, looking back at me with wide eyes that said she hadn't calmed down all the way. "Are you sure they're not following?"
"We're too close to the ranch for them to try to catch up to us," I told her. "Plus, only one of them is able to get around easily. Taking a horse to the chest isn't something you just walk away from. He'll be lucky if he survives, let alone breathes right for the rest of his stupid life. As for the other...well, he's not getting up again."
Elizabeth reached up to adjust her hat, which had gone askew from everything. “I suppose there's no question that you've lived a rough life?"
I winced at my back again. “And why's that?"
"You tried to kill all three of them without hesitation."
"Hesitation in a life-or-death situation is a good way to end up on the latter end of that. And for the record, I successfully killed one of them and probably the second."
"Thank you for that rather cold clarification."
"I'm not going to bother moralizing over killing a couple of men who would have done the same to either of us if they didn't see value in us being alive. By the way, nicely done with that knife, I would love to know where you were keeping it."
"Under my hat."
"Nicely done. It gave me the...the chance to take the man with the...the gun down," I said as the faint dizziness I'd felt before grew.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked, her eyes widening.
"Just a little winded from the excitement," I told her as my vision began to wobble. The pain in my muscles was growing, and I was beginning to wonder if I had pulled something badly. "I just need to take a little...a little?—"
"?"
"Okay...something might be?—"
That was all I managed as my strength gave out, and I no longer knew where up or down was. A new wave of pain slammed through me, and I felt something gritty between my teeth. Somehow, I’d ended up off my horse and on the ground, which made no sense. Not much was making sense at the moment because the edges of my thoughts were getting increasingly fuzzy.
"What in the…" I managed and realized Elizabeth was above me, her voice was raised, but her words were not making sense, and I tried to focus on her. Even stranger, I watched as she gripped her skirt and began sawing at it with the bloody blade from earlier, which I’d dropped at some point. I chuckled a little when I realized she’d been wearing pants under her dress the entire time. Honestly, her father was wasting potential by leaving her to sit in that house all day playing mother and pretty figurehead when she was clearly made for a lot more than that.
"!" she barked, and I wondered how she'd managed to get into my face without my noticing. "Hold on! I'm going to figure out how to get your big ass out of here, you hear me? Don't you dare bleed out on me. Don't you dare, you bastard!"
"That's not...ladylike language," I muttered, wondering how I could be bleeding out.
Not that it mattered because the fuzziness was growing, and it brought a chilliness with it that should have been concerning, but instead, I just let it wash through me. After being in this damned desert heat for so many weeks, feeling cold was welcome. Of course, the pain shot through me as Elizabeth grabbed hold of me and tried to do...something wasn't all that great, but even that was losing importance as I began to drift.
She kept shouting, but honestly, I was more tired than I could ever remember. It didn't matter that I was being bumped and knocked around, it was still comfortable enough for me to feel my eyes slide closed. Ambrose was definitely going to give me shit for the trouble I'd let his sister get into, and probably for falling asleep while I was supposed to be bringing her back, but I would...I would deal with that.
Then nothing.