Out of Control (6 page)

“He did. And I sent men to hunt him down and take what was due. He didn't have it so they dragged him in. He was on his knees begging me to forgive the debt. He offered his pretty daughter as payment for his sins.” Wendell leaned closer. The stench of him was unbearable. “Every time I come to you in the night, it's like you're working that off. You might as well work abovestairs in a cathouse. Your pa as good as put an innocent out on the street corner to earn money.”

Audra had to fight to keep food in her belly at the ugly things her husband was saying. However Wendell wanted to twist it, she was his wife and she'd done nothing wrong by giving him husbandly prerogatives. “Then why are we out here if you're such an important man back in Houston?”

The laughter cackled with a desperate edge. “I got my hands on the richest haul of my life. And I saw my chance, so I took it and ran for the West.”

“Richest haul? You mean money? We have no money. No great pile of it anyway.”

“Sure we do. And I hightailed it out of town with my wife and family for cover. Men hunting me were looking for someone traveling alone. Didn't you wonder why I came home one night and said we were heading west before first light?”

“You know I wondered. I asked you many times why you decided to move.”

“I've moved on a lot of times in my life. Ask Julia how many towns we've lived in.”

Audra knew Julia and her father had wandered. That was part of the reason Audra hadn't bothered to fuss about the sudden trip. Julia acted like it was something she'd done many times before and had just begun packing without acting upset.

“The kind of man I owe will find me if he has to hunt the rest of his life. Men like him have been the reason for every move I've made. I put enough down to buy a building in Rawhide and opened up a new gambling business under a new name. The rest of the money I've hidden where you'll never find it.” He laughed and reached for a cigar as if to celebrate his genius with a smoke. “I stuffed it in a deep, deep hole.”

His story made her dizzy. His talk of her father made her ill. She didn't have time for dismay. Maybe she could appeal to his greed. “What good is your money if you can't spend it?”

“I plan on living out here for a few years, then getting back to a bigger town somewhere.” He shoved the metal cylinder that held his cigar back in his pocket.

Audra was relieved she wouldn't have that vile smoke in her face.

“I picked a new name. In town I'm John Gill. But there ain't enough money or people out here to run a good game. When we head out next time, I'll set up somewhere under another name and start the gambling up again, and you'll live in the country again and you can call yourself by any name you want because nobody will know you exist.”

Audra couldn't handle any of what he was saying, but she latched on to his complaints about the town not being big enough. “Let's go now. We'll find Julia and get out of here before anyone dies.” If only Julia was still alive. Lost, maybe hurt, but alive. “Please, Wendell.”

She sounded like she was begging, and that wasn't her intention. She wasn't going to ask for his permission. She was leaving with or without him. But with him they had a lot better chance of making it. She gave him one more chance.

“Think of the children. We can't raise them out here. There are too many risks.” When she said those words, she suddenly focused on what her husband had done all those years for a living. “Is that it? Is risking your daughter's life just one more gamble to you?” Audra looked squarely into the face of evil and stood strong. “I'm leaving.”

“No, you're not.” He sank a crushing hand onto her wrist.

She shoved hard. Wendell stumbled back. His skin went from flushed red to a sickly shade of gray, and he seemed to shrink right before her eyes, until he was more a slinking rat than a vicious wolf.

He had only the power over her that she chose to give. And she would no longer give any. “I'm leaving this place as soon as I can find Julia, and I hope you
don't
come with me, because I'm ashamed to have you for my husband.”

Then she watched in horror as Wendell slowly sagged to his knees, then tipped and sprawled backward on the floor.

Julia fell off her horse. She grabbed at the saddle horn just as strong arms came around her.

Her heavy eyelids popped open to see Ethan lifting her out of the saddle. His face was cast dark blue in the starlight. The moon had set. Dawn must be approaching. But for now it was the darkest hour of the night.

“What happened?”

He smiled at her. “You fell asleep.”

She looked at his handsome face, took in his charming smile. He was an easier man than Rafe. So why did she regret that Ethan held her?

And then he was. Holding her. Rafe.

Rafe dragged her out of Ethan's arms. Looking between them, Julia saw Ethan resist letting her go. Rafe tugged harder. Ethan smiled as if his only objective was to torment his older brother.

Then Rafe had her. “You lead her horse if you need something to do so all-fired bad.” He spurred his horse forward. He'd been leading, which came as no surprise to Julia. She suspected the man took charge of every situation.

“I can ride.” She rubbed at her burning eyes and was coherent enough to notice she was sprawled across Rafe's lap. She pushed at her skirts and found her legs decently covered. She only hoped the darkness had concealed any immodest situation when Rafe and Ethan had been playing tug-of-war with her.

“Just rest. You've had a hard day.”

“I'll say.” Julia tried to sit straighter. “But you've got to be exhausted, too. I don't want to add to your burden.”

A humorless laugh escaped Rafe's lips. “Too late.”

“Will we be at the cavern soon?”

Rafe grunted but didn't say anything.

He shifted his arms and tipped her toward him until her head rested on his chest.

Looking up at his square jaw and straight nose, his skin cast in the blue of moonlight, his determination shining out of fog-shrouded eyes, she had no doubt he could ride all night with no sleep. And carrying a weak woman didn't even slow him down. Clearly, burdens were to be borne with no shirking if you were Rafe Kincaid.

But the way he'd taken her away from Ethan was too possessive, and she'd liked it too much. Which reminded her of something she didn't like.

“What do you mean the rope was moved? Who would have done such a thing?”

“I intend to find out. Whoever harmed you did it on Kincaid land, and that makes it my business. I'm not apt to forget it.”

Julia didn't like the determination in his voice. Rafe sounded a bit too much like her stubborn pa. But he looked better and smelled much nicer.

They rode on.

Julia decided to stay awake so she could enjoy the feeling of his strong arms.

She dozed off almost instantly. It suited him that she felt safe enough to sleep in his arms.

She stirred just as the cavern came into sight. Her eyes blinked open. It was dark enough that their color didn't really show, but he remembered. They were grass green. Spring green, like reborn life. Her fiery red hair glinted in the starlight and seemed to dance in the mountain breeze. It surrounded her face with a riot of curls.

She was pure color and life and vitality and heat. All things Rafe found he craved.

He'd never considered much of a future with a woman. There weren't any women around to consider such a thing with. But now he had one in his arms, and the thought of keeping her appealed to him something fierce. The thought of a lifetime of protecting her pressed on the cold place at his core and warmed him a bit. And Rafe, who refused to fear anything, felt a frisson of fear. He didn't want what was frozen inside to thaw and be let free.

The temptation to have her warmth in his life was staggering.

He spoke to stop himself from kissing her. “The cavern's just ahead.”

She gave him a groggy smile, then nestled closer into his arms and rubbed her cheek on his chest. A man might well risk anything to wake up to such a smile. Then she gathered her strength and began looking around.

“We have to leave the horses here.” Pointing at a grassy slope, she said, “Picket them and we'll walk.”

Rafe did what the bossy bit of goods ordered.

He swung off his horse, and when it came time to set her down, he realized just how comfortable he'd gotten holding her in his arms. When his feet hit the ground he released her legs. Maybe she could have stood on her own, but just in case, he kept his arm around her. He stood with his tall stallion between them and Ethan. Their eyes met. He moved a bit closer—and he was mighty close already, so that was saying something.

He felt as if he searched for something in her eyes. He had no idea what.

The moment stretched, and then Ethan led away the horses that had given Rafe a sense of privacy. Ethan's horse was already staked out to eat grass. How long had Rafe stood there searching in Julia's eyes?

Shaking her head to clear it, she saw the first whisper of the approaching dawn. “I've been gone all night. Audra will be frantic. Come, we have to hurry.”

She darted toward the nearby crest. She heard Rafe and Ethan moving and glanced back to make sure they were following. It occurred to her they didn't need to go home with her. She could obviously walk home. And yet the dark and the strain of yesterday and the fear that would have Audra in its grip, and Rafe's certainty that her rope had been moved deliberately so she couldn't get out of the cavern kept her silent.

She stepped to the top of the knoll and stopped so suddenly Rafe bumped into her. She pointed to the west. “Look at that.”

The rising sun was shining on the snowcapped mountaintop miles away. Rolling, rugged mountains cloaked in darkness in such a way that distance meant nothing. That mountain shined white, cast with the pink and orange of dawn.

“So beautiful.” Her words were mere breaths that joined with the brisk morning breeze. “Like that cavern is beautiful. The heights and the depths. All created by a God who loves us.”

She was finally able to tear her eyes away from the sight of that snowy peak washed in color. Below her was a steep descent to rushing water and the rocky span she needed to cross. Looking at Rafe, she said, “I hope you're used to a rugged trail.”

Rafe shrugged. “I reckon if you can do it, I can.”

Ethan snickered.

Men.

Julia sniffed and started down the slope. Let them keep up.

Of course they were very strong men. And one of them had saved her life. And now they were both protecting her while they saw her home.

Men had their good points.

Something she never thought about much, considering her father's cranky nature.

The descent took them out of the line of vision of that distant white mountain. And they went from a glimpse of dawn to the dark of night in a few steps. “It's like being swallowed up by darkness.”

“There's nothing here that could be called a trail. Are you sure we're going the right way?”

Julia's eyes narrowed, she knew it, but she kept her back to Rafe so she could be as irritated as she chose. “That boulder there, the one that looks like a five-hundred-pound duck . . . ?”

“A duck?” Rafe muttered from behind.

“I see a loaf of bread,” Ethan said. “But then, I'm pretty hungry. I'd eat duck too if we had any.”

“We go to the right side.” Julia ignored both of them. “Then we'll need to do some climbing to get down the next stretch.”

“And you found this place on your afternoon walk?” Ethan didn't call her a liar. That really wasn't what she thought his point was. More likely he meant she was stupid. On that, he might be right.

“Yes.”

“We have to climb down a cliff?” Rafe sounded just the littlest bit impatient. “And climb back up it once we've gotten you all settled and safe at home?”

Maybe slightly
more
than the littlest bit impatient.

“Well, I told you we couldn't bring our horses. Why did you think that was?”

“Just keep moving.” Rafe was very close behind her as they rounded her duck rock.

“Be careful here.” The mountain sheered off in a fall almost straight down to a level maybe thirty feet below. But the broken rocks revealed layers in the earth, and Julia had no trouble using those layers for handholds and toeholds. It was almost a stairway.

Julia turned and Rafe was only inches away. He said, “We should use ropes. Tie ourselves together. Then when you fall I can save you.”

That was nice.

Disrespectful, definitely doubtful, slightly sneering even, and she was very tempted to punch him in the nose. But his underestimation of her was rooted in his wanting to keep her alive, so there were heroic overtones to his sneering.

And that was nice.

She turned and began picking her way down, hanging on to the rock face. “It's not the least bit death defying. I'm sure you'll be fine.”

She heard Rafe grumbling, but she decided it was wise not to ask him to repeat himself.

“So, you found fossils down in the cavern? Bones?” Rafe asked.

And that cheered her right up. “Yes, bones. The bones of a fish. I know quite a bit about fossils. I discovered my first one in Illinois when I was twelve. I've studied them extensively.”

“I thought you said you were from Houston.”

“My father likes to travel around. It's been fine.” She thought of how completely
not
fine it was. “I've developed an interest in geological studies and the search for fossils. And I am hoping to get an article published through the American Philosophical Society.”

“A society? About fossils?” Rafe asked.

“The
Proceedings
is their quarterly journal.”

Rafe grunted.

She reached a level spot, and when Rafe came down next to her, she leaned close and whispered, “I believe my findings might make me eligible for the Magellanic Premium.” Julia felt the excitement shining out of her.

“You don't have a brain in your head, do you?” Rafe sounded sad but resigned, the idiot.

Julia resumed climbing to keep from going for his throat. “I've tried to get articles published before. I found the tusk of a mastodon when we lived in Kentucky.”

“You moved from Illinois to Kentucky?”

“I told you I've lived all over.” Julia's fingers hurt. She hadn't given much thought to how she'd come to have blood under her fingernails, though she remembered a bit of clawing as she tried to find her way out of the cavern in the pitch-darkness. But now that she was clinging to the rocks, she realized she'd broken off several nails below the quick. She decided talking to Rafe and Ethan, however lacking they were in intelligence, was better than paying attention to pain she couldn't do anything about.

“What's a mastodon?” Ethan was still with them. For some reason, Julia kept waiting for him to go home. He just seemed like the type.

“It's sort of like a wooly mammoth.”

“A wooly mammoth?” Ethan sounded very doubtful. “I've seen most the animals in these parts. I guess buffalo are sort of wooly. And grizzlies.”