Relentless (11 page)

Dusty gasped and looked around to find Grant Spencer walking back into the camp. She was stunned, and she was even more shocked to see that he was wearing a Texas Ranger badge.

“Grant—”

He saw her wide-eyed look of confusion and gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes, it’s me.”

“But Jackson and his men—” Fear gripped her as her horrible memories returned full force. She looked nervously around, ready to run if she had to.

“It’s all right. You’re with me. You’re safe,” he quickly assured her as he came to sit beside her.

She could only stare at him in confusion, trying to make sense of everything. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“It was more that you found me. I was camped out here last night when I heard a noise in the darkness and went to check. I found you unconscious, burning up with fever.”

“I had a fever?” That made sense to her, considering how confused she felt.

“A bad one.” He touched her forehead carefully. He was relieved to find the fever had finally broken. “Yes, you’re much cooler now.”

His gentle touch sent a shiver of sensual awareness through Dusty, surprising her. She looked up into his eyes. She knew now he had truly saved her life. “Thank you.”

Grant saw the depth of her innocence, and a surge of protectiveness filled him. It was a powerful emotion unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. No matter what, he had to keep her safe. “I’m just glad I was here.” He wondered what the odds had been of her escaping the gang, covering all those miles on foot and then finding her way to his campsite.

“So am I.” Her words were heartfelt. She looked down at his badge. “You’re a Ranger—”

“Yes. I’m after Jackson and his men.”

“Jackson—” Horror trembled through her. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Grant, her expression bleak. “I want them caught—I want them to pay for what they’ve done.”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to get them,” he assured her.

“Where’s the posse? Why aren’t you riding with them?”

“I heard the sheriff was getting one up, but I didn’t have time to wait for them to get organized. I knew Jackson would be moving fast and I wanted to be on his trail as quick as I could.”

“Good.” She heard the determination in Grant’s
voice and knew he wouldn’t quit until he’d caught the outlaws. He was, after all, a Texas Ranger. They were the best.

“Why did they decide to take you with them after the robbery?” he asked.

Dusty looked saddened for a moment and shuddered at the memory of the outlaw’s hands upon her. “They were searching us for valuables, and discovered I was a girl. From what little I heard them say, Jackson was planning on selling me to a whorehouse south of the border.”

Grant had suspected that was Jackson’s motive, but the confirmation still enraged him. “Did they hurt you in any way?”

“No,” she replied quickly. “Jackson wouldn’t let the other men touch me. He said the people at the whorehouse would pay more for me if I was a virgin—” The very thought sickened her.

Grant reached out and drew her to him, wanting to comfort her. She rested her head on his shoulder as he held her protectively in his arms.

He knew just how lucky she was to have escaped when she did. “How did you manage to get away?”

“They started doing some heavy drinking the other night and luckily they all passed out. They had tied me up, but I’d been working on the rope all night with a sharp-edged rock and managed to get free without Jackson realizing it. I was scared to take off on foot, but I didn’t have any other choice. I knew if I tried to steal a horse, they would probably wake up, and I had to get out of there.”

“You’re every bit as smart as Miss Gertrude said you were.”

“You spoke with Miss Gertrude?” she asked in surprise, drawing away to look up at him.

He nodded to her. “She was the one who told me about the robbery and that you’d been taken. I had no idea you rode shotgun for your father on the stage.”

Anguish and guilt overwhelmed her. “But what good was I? Riding shotgun, I was supposed to keep everyone safe, but I couldn’t save my father or Matt—They’re both dead because of me—”

“Stop, right now,” he commanded, fully understanding what she was feeling, but wanting to ease her pain and feelings of guilt. “Jackson and his men had the ambush all planned out. They knew exactly what they were doing. You took a head shot. You’re lucky to still be alive, outgunned the way you were.”

“I don’t think so.” In her heart, Dusty felt as if a part of her had already died. Only her driving hatred for Jackson and his men gave her the inner strength she needed to keep going. “My father should never have been killed! He and Matt were good men. They’d never hurt anybody. Those outlaws murdered them both—and for what? Money? Jackson and his men think money is more important than people’s lives?”

“There are bad people in this world. That’s why I became a Ranger. I want to stop as many of them as I can, and I’m going to stop Jackson and his men—real soon.”

“And I’m going to help you,” she said fiercely.

“No, you’re not,” he stated. “You’ve got to get your strength back so you can travel, and then I’m going to take you to the nearest town and set you up there until you can catch a stage for home.”

She glared at him as she told him, “But I heard Jackson and his men talking, and I know where they’re going.”

“Where?”

She was defiant as she met his challenging gaze. “I won’t tell you—not unless you agree to take me along.”

“No. You’re not riding with me.” He knew the danger involved.

“Look, Ranger, I can do this,” she argued, getting furious. “Besides, you need me. It’s not like you’ve been having any luck finding Jackson and his gang before now.”

Grant’s anger and frustration grew at her words.

She went on. “Don’t you think it would be a lot easier knowing where they’re heading than just trying to find their trail and track them after all this time? And especially after the bad storm the other day?”

“Bringing them in will be dangerous. They’re killers.”

“I know, and I learned all about danger riding shotgun with my father,” she came back at him.

“All right,” he said, aggravated, but knowing he had no choice except to play along with her. “Where did they go?”

Dusty stared at him in a bit of surprise. He’d
given in so quickly that she was immediately suspicious. Grant wasn’t the kind of man who gave up easily or backed down. She wondered what he might be planning. She’d heard Jackson and his men say they were riding for Flat Rock, but she wasn’t going to trust Grant completely with that information, not just yet, not until they were well on their way after the gang. Instead, for right now, she told him, “They said they were riding to Gold Canyon.” Gold Canyon was on the way to Flat Rock. She would tell him the full truth as they got closer.

Grant nodded. “All right, we’ll head out at first light.”

“I’ll be ready.”

“You better eat and drink something. I don’t want you slowing me down.”

“I won’t slow you down.”

“Remember that.”

“Don’t worry. I can keep up with you. All I need is my own horse, a gun and a change of clothes, and I’ll be ready to go after Jackson and his men.” The thought of bringing in her father’s killers strengthened her spirits.

Grant had learned over the years when to pick a fight, and he knew this wasn’t the time. He fully intended to leave her in the nearest town, just as he’d originally planned. He would leave money behind for her and ride out while she was sleeping. She’d have no choice but to go on home.

“When we get to town, I want you to see a doctor and have him take a look at your wound. I don’t
want to chance your coming down with a fever again while we’re on the trail.”

“All right.” She knew he was right as she reached up and gingerly touched the wound where he’d bandaged it. She remembered how she’d thought he was a guardian angel the night of the dance. He had shown up at just the right moment to save Francie, and now he’d appeared out of nowhere when she’d needed him most.

He got his canteen and gave it to her. “Drink up while I fix you something to eat.”

“Thanks. I think I am a little hungry,” she admitted. The outlaws had barely fed her, so it had been days since she’d had anything substantial to eat.

Grant prepared the food he had with him, and he was glad to see that Dusty scraped her plate clean. That was a good sign.

“We’ll leave early,” he told her later as he got ready to bed down across the campfire from her.

“I’ll be ready whenever you are,” she promised. “Are you sure you don’t want your blanket?”

“You keep it. I’ll get another one when we reach town.”

Dusty thought about offering to share it with him, but then realized that wouldn’t be proper. Not that there was anything proper or ladylike about her current situation. She was quiet for a minute as she watched Grant try to get comfortable on the hard ground. She would forever be thankful he was the one she’d run into out here in the middle of nowhere.

“Grant—” She said his name softly.

Grant turned and looked over at her. “What? Is something wrong?”

“No—No, I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am for everything you’ve done for me. You’re a very special man, Grant Spencer. I probably would have died if you hadn’t saved me—Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, get some sleep. We’ve got a lot of miles to cover tomorrow.”

“Good night,” she said, and she closed her eyes, feeling safe and protected for the first time in days.

Grant watched her for a moment longer and then settled back to try to get some sleep himself. He was so tired, he didn’t think the hard ground was going to bother him at all tonight, and he was right.

The horror of the gunshots came out of nowhere. She tried to help, but the bullet grazed her and she fell. The next thing she knew, they were dragging her away and she saw her father, lying dead near the stage—

Dusty came awake with a start, her heart pounding in agony as the memories of that day haunted her dreams. She didn’t even try to fight back the tears that threatened as she gave vent to the deep, abiding, heartrending misery that filled her soul.

Her father was lost to her forever—

It had been terrible enough when she’d lost her mother so suddenly, but now, to lose her father, too—

She buried her face in the blanket to muffle the
sound of her crying. She tried to tell herself that she had to be strong, but right then, nothing mattered except the sorrow that overwhelmed her.

Grant awoke suddenly and was instantly aware that something was wrong. He didn’t make any fast moves, but looked around, trying to figure out what had disturbed him. It was then that he heard the sound of Dusty crying, and he immediately got up and went to her.

“Dusty—”

At the deep, reassuring sound of Grant’s voice so close beside her, she looked up to find him there.

He saw the pain in her expression and took her in his arms. Her vulnerability touched him deeply, and he wanted to ease her sorrow. She went willingly into his embrace and clung to him as she continued to weep. When, at last, her crying quieted, he looked down at her.

“Dusty—” he said softly.

In the soft glow of the moonlight, their gazes met. The harshness that was their reality vanished. Time stood still as he slowly bent to her and claimed her lips in a gentle kiss.

At the touch of his lips on hers, Dusty was lost. She surrendered to his embrace, lifting her arms to link them around his neck. Grant stretched out beside her, bringing her fully against him as he deepened the kiss.

Dusty had never imagined a man’s embrace could be so exciting. She clung to Grant, needing his
nearness, needing his strength, loving the feeling of being so close to him.

Grant was caught up in the thrill of her kiss. He had known from the night of the dance that she was beautiful and desirable, and it was wonderful to have her in his arms at last. He wanted her as he’d never wanted another woman. They shared kiss after heated kiss, and then his lips left hers to trail a path of excitement down her neck.

Dusty gasped at the sensations his lips were arousing in her as he pressed heated kisses to her throat. In her innocence, she arched instinctively against him, an unknown need growing deep within her.

“Oh, Grant—” she whispered.

He lifted his head to gaze down at her. “You are so beautiful—”

His words sent a shiver of delight through her, and she drew him back down to her, kissing him hungrily. When he slipped his hand inside her shirt to caress her, she gasped at the intimacy. She had never known a man’s touch before. With utmost care he kissed her again, a passionate, possessive exchange.

Grant wanted her. There was no doubt about that, and total innocent that she was, he knew she was his for the taking. It was that revelation that helped him hang on to the last shred of his iron-willed self-control.

It wasn’t easy for Grant, but he ended the kiss and leaned back, drawing her head down to rest on his shoulder as he kept his arms protectively
around her. What he really needed to do was to put some physical distance between them, but he knew she needed comforting, and he wanted to reassure her that she was going to be all right and that she was safe with him.

Dusty felt strangely abandoned when he ended the kiss. She had been lost in the wonder of his embrace and the glory of his kisses. She couldn’t imagine why he’d stopped. She raised herself up on her elbow to look down at him, her expression troubled. “Grant—What’s the matter? Why did you stop kissing me? Did I do something wrong?”

Her complete innocence touched him deeply. “Hardly,” he assured her, smiling tenderly at her. He saw the confusion in her eyes and told her, “You were doing everything right. That’s why I had to stop.”

Dusty suddenly understood, and she lowered her gaze and looked away, embarrassed.

“It’s all right.” He kissed her one last time and then nestled her back against him. “You need to rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a rough day.”

She nodded, but didn’t speak.