Secrets and Lace (Lonely Lace #2) (10 page)

If he didn’t get going, they’d find him and Amelia for sure. She had to be closer to mortal danger than he could guess. Even with real danger imminent, he couldn’t think the word dead, at least not pertaining to Amelia.

~~~

Getting back to Revenge took a little longer than when Robbie had walked inside.

The horse offered a slight snort when he saw his owner, looking mildly bored.

Robbie dropped to his knees, relieved that they’d made it. He untied the rope and pulled Amelia to the ground in front of him. Patting Amelia’s face, first one cheek then the other, he said. “Hey, Amelia. I need you to wake up. Come on.”

Her eyelids fluttered and she moved back and forth on his arm where he’d rested her head.

“Yes, wake up. I need you to climb on my horse. Amelia.” He shook her, and she finally struggled against his hold. “That’s good. Come on, let’s get on the horse so you can see Mac.” And the child’s name got her. She blinked her eyes, slow, but opened them after a second to focus on him. He smoothed stray strands of hair from her cheek. “That’s right. Come on. Let’s go see our son.”

Amelia braced herself on Robbie’s shoulder, pushing up to a wobbly stance. He’d take it. All he needed was for her to get on the horse. Robbie climbed on the saddle, then held his good arm down to her. “Take my arm and step on my boot. You don’t have shoes, so it’s the softer choice. You can do it.”

She followed his direction, her grip on his shoulder brief and slight. But after a couple tries, she was able to sit in front of him. She muttered words that only partially made sense. “Lay on you. Tired.”

Nudging Revenge forward, Robbie untied the reins. “You absolutely
can
lay on me. I’m warmer than you are.” Before pushing Revenge from the cave, Robbie tucked the ends of his coat around Amelia, her exposed lower legs and feet wouldn’t benefit from the warmth, but the most important thing at the moment was Amelia’s core. He had to keep her from going further into hypothermic shock. He had to get her home. “Hang on, honey. We’re going to do this as fast as I can. And it won’t be comfortable.”

And they struck out, heading back across the shallow forks of the river, careful to stay in the sunlight where possible.

Amelia’s head leaned against his collarbone as she fit right against his chest and between his legs. Like she’d never left.

The past few years melted away. Oh, man, how he’d missed her. Everything in him ached for her. What if she died? He’d never get the chance to tell her how much he loved her, how much he didn’t care that she’d sent him away so long ago, or hid their child from him. He didn’t care. He loved her and he didn’t want to be away from her any longer.

But how could he do that, if she died?

~~~

Robbie stopped to adjust her legs. Amelia had passed out again while they’d crossed the second small waterway. Her sudden heaviness against his bad arm had almost toppled them both to the ground. He straightened both their bodies on the saddle and returned to using his legs to guide Revenge.

In the tree line across the river, he rolled his shoulders. She didn’t weigh much, hadn’t seemed to at first either. But for a man whose shoulder and other injuries sapped his strength, she might as well have gained a ton in the last forty-five minutes. He grimaced at the thought of saying that out loud. She’d freak. She’d never been comfortable with her weight, even as slight as she was. He knew that it came from being constantly judged by the townspeople – they didn’t have a fondness for the James family. Why would they when Ronan owned half their homes and worked on buying the other half?

The quiet of the woods broke when a shout carried over the rushing water. “Jack, you find anything yet?”

Robbie backed Revenge into the shadows, careful not to move fast. He’d been lulled by the time since retrieving Amelia into thinking they’d made it.

Three men walked in a crooked line through the thinner trees and brush bordering the base of the mountain. Too bad for them, he’d already found what they were looking for. 

Devlyn had sent out search parties. How long would he search for Amelia, before he sought out Robbie again?

Quietly, Robbie turned Revenge back into the woods, far enough he could push him forward into making their own trail to the prairie. Leaning back as they traveled at a slight downhill grade, Robbie crossed his bad arm around Amelia’s waist. It wasn’t much, but it was more than nothing.

He had to go faster and faster until they were flying over the ground, but it took everything in him to keep them both on the horse. 

His chin stabilized her head from falling forward or moving to the sides too much. He held her forearm in the hand on his bad arm, touching her clammy skin and monitoring her slow pulse. Her head tilted and then slammed back to land against his jaw. Her chilly flesh worried him.

Why did he have to have an injury? Why couldn’t he be whole? With how worried he was, where the constant contact should’ve been distracting and filled with desire, all he could do was prod his horse faster and then urge him to slow down. His Amelia… his girl. Come on, they had to make it. He couldn’t imagine anything without her. 

Movement up ahead caught his eye. He double-toe-tapped Revenge’s shoulders, bringing them to a slow stop. He peered into the deepening afternoon shadows of the eastern facing hill, trying to make out – threat or not.

A loud whisper reached him from about twenty feet away. “You lucky bastard. If I hadn’t recognized that damn hat of yours, you’d be dead right now.” Ronan and his horse stepped into view. “You found her? What about Caracus? You were gone a helluva long time? Is she okay? Why is she half-naked?”

“Shit, Ronan. I forgot all about you guys.” He reached up and wiped his brow and then repositioned himself on the stirrups of his saddle, all the while careful not to jostle Amelia loose. “They’re still back there, looking in the caverns and around in the woods. They crossed the river and she fell in. She’s pretty chilled, Ronan. I need to get her to the house.” Revenge shuffled to the side, turning where he stood.

Ronan narrowed his eyes, studying his sister and most likely sizing up the situation. He jerked his head toward the rivers. “You say they’re still there?”

“All of them. They seem pretty unprepared for a search party or any type of rescue.” Robbie prodded Revenge downward again, slowly, so he could continue the conversation, but he needed to keep going. Amelia didn’t have a lot of time. His worry cut off his normal breathing and his diaphragm pushed up on his heart. 

Ronan gave a short soft double-whistle and men appeared in the trees further than Robbie could see. “We’ve been waiting for the
scout
to return with word.” Ronan contemplated Robbie and Amelia, a tightness to his jaw. “Do you need me to take her? You look like you’re both going to fall off that damn horse.”

The offer might be better than Robbie taking her. His only concern was getting her home fast and he wasn’t doing the job justice. “If you don’t think you need to be here, then yeah, I would love help. But if not, I need to go.” And the simple acquiesce to his fallibilities shook his pride like a damn nine-point-nine earthquake. The act of admitting to Ronan he was
less than
him stung more than Robbie would ever admit.

Robbie endured another round of inspection from Ronan who tilted his hat at Robbie and said. “I think you got this. Look, we’re going to get in there and see what we can do. You get her home. Now. I’ll swing by and pick her up after I’m done here.” He nodded his head and tucked his hat firmly on his head.

What the hell? “Wait, Ronan, you’re not taking her anywhere.” Robbie welcomed the indignation as it welled within him.

Ronan turned and pushed his horse into Revenge’s space. “The hell I can’t. She’s my sister and you’ve done nothing but put her in harm’s way since you returned. I’ll get my family back, Robbie, and I’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish that.”

“I don’t have time to talk this out. Call me after you’re done up here. I’ll be at Lonely Rivers.” Robbie turned from Ronan. He and Amelia jostled down the mountainside, ignoring the other man repeatedly calling his name. Amelia and only Amelia took precedence at the moment. Ronan’s voice faded as Robbie pulled further away. He’d be damned before he’d let the James’s control him in any way.

He’d never forgive Ronan, if the wasted minutes in the woods arguing over who was better for Amelia were the ones that took her life.

~~~

Getting Amelia home and into the house aged him. He’d never been so afraid, so terrified, so… he didn’t have a damn word for how he felt. But once at the house, he helped her in the door. Okay, he more or less carried her up the steps and into her bedroom where he tucked her into bed, turning her heating blanket on.

Returning to the barn, he gave Revenge a quick rub down and placed him in his stall with food and water. He turned at the sound of the door clicking shut.

Wary, Robbie exited Revenge’s stall quietly, closing the door and moving to stand at a more neutral position beside the door. He nodded at Amelia’s brother. “Ronan. I thought you were going with the men to face Caracus’s gang?”

“Yeah, my guys are handling it. Let’s just say, their resumes are more than just ranch-handing. I can’t get involved with that shit on a personal basis.” He shrugged, like he wasn’t just talking about the men who had stolen his sister. “It might sound cold, but I need to protect certain assets.” He pointed at Robbie with his hat. “Assets like my sister.”

“Your sister is an asset? What’s her value?” Robbie lifted his eyebrows. Oh, if only Amelia could hear the crap coming out Ronan’s mouth.

Ronan’s face darkened. “Don’t be a prick, Robbie. You’ve done enough to damage this family, leaving scars that—”

“Don’t talk to me of damage or scars, Ronan. You might find out the difference in strength between those who do desk jobs and those who do ranch hand work.” Robbie growled, thrusting his finger to point at the ground.

Ronan’s gaze flew to the long jagged scar arcing like pale lightning down Robbie’s cheek. A spark of something Robbie didn’t recognize glinted in Ronan’s eyes. “You shouldn’t have rushed me back then, man. I was trying to help you.”

“You pushed me away when you could’ve helped me with your sister… your parents.” Robbie shook his head the smallest amount. “You didn’t have to cut me.”

Ronan glared. “I had my own shit pile to deal with. You rushed me, you damned well deserved the knife to the face. You don’t mess with a James, boy. End of story.” He slammed his Stetson back onto his head. “Where the hell is my sister? I’m taking her home.”

“No. You’re not.” Robbie didn’t even move into a fighting stance. Usually preparing for a battle tipped off the opponent about the person’s intentions. Robbie didn’t need to give Ronan any more advantages than the injuries already crippling Robbie at the moment.

Recognizing Robbie’s tone, Ronan relaxed, he opened up his arms, a hand splayed to either side. He smiled, slick and smooth. “Hey, we’ll let her decide when she wakes up. Why don’t we discuss Bethany and my proposal? I can leave tonight. I have a few business meetings in town I can make into a late dinner.”

“I don’t know, Ronan. The last thing I need right now is more trouble.” Or drama. He’d had more than he could handle. “I really just want to go back to ranching, leave the crap at the door.”

Ronan moved closer. “You really should’ve thought of that, MacAllister, before your debts followed you to Lonely Rivers and kidnapped my sister. What if that had been the boy? They beat up your brother… do you think they had nicer intentions with Amelia? I suggest you take care of the problem… and now.”

His point slammed home. Robbie understood that Amelia wouldn’t be in her condition, if he had managed his problems before coming home, but it really connected that she suffered solely because of him. For no other reason. Just him.

He met Ronan’s gaze unflinchingly. “You’re right. Okay, set it up. Don’t be there. I’ll show up with wine and take it from there. Do you have anything you’re trying to sell right now?”

“Some tack. Why? You lookin’ to buy?” Ronan asked, hooking his thumbs in the belt loops of his well-stacked jeans.

“No. I need a reason to stop by. I’ll be in the barn. Honk your horn when you get back so I can make sure we’re in a compromising situation.” Robbie turned away. With that much money on the line, he’d do the job – if only to protect Amelia and Mac. And shit, Slate. And he’d never gamble again.