Warrior's Embrace (31 page)

“Sounds as if you’ve met your match.” Steel
grinned.

“Just give me your keys, Steel. I’m taking
your car back to the ranch.”

Steel knew he had lost. He handed the keys to
his brother. There was no stopping the Hawk now.

He found a chair and brought it back to
Elizabeth’s door, then he sat down and began his vigil.

o0o

Hawk found his quarry by nightfall. The trail
hadn’t been hard to follow. The man had been careless and
foolhardy—and now he would pay.

Hawk sat atop his stallion in the long
shadows of the hills and watched the man making a campfire. From
the way he moved, Hawk decided he was drunk.

Rage blinded Hawk for a second, and he felt
himself getting out of control. Never had he been out of control
when he fought a battle. He made himself sit quietly until he could
gain his composure. When he faced this enemy, he wanted to be as
cold and deadly as the razor edge of a sword.

He waited until the man was squatting beside
his fire, far away from his Winchester, then he rode boldly into
the circle of firelight.

“Good evening, Walter.”

Walter Martin stumbled backward and fell onto
his backside. Hawk urged his stallion closer, so close, his horse
was almost stepping on Walter.

“What do you want?” Walter’s voice had gone
high with fear.

“What do you think I want, Walter?”

“I... I didn’t do it.”

“Didn’t do what?”

“That woman of yours... I wouldn’t do nothin’
like that.”

“Like what?”

“Well... you know...”

“No. Tell me.” Hawk dismounted so fast,
Walter barely had time to flinch. Then he caught the man’s collar
and jerked him off the ground. “Tell me, Walter... what did
somebody do to Elizabeth McCade?”

Walter swallowed hard and stared at his
captor.

“Did they ambush her, Walter? Did they defile
her with their dirty hands? Did they bruise and bloody her and
jeopardize her baby?
My
baby? Did they, Walter? Did
they?”

Hawk never raised his voice, never changed
his expression, but at that moment Walter Martin would sooner have
been in a den of rattlesnakes than facing the wrath of Black
Hawk.

“Oh, please. Please don’t hurt me.”

“Why not, Walter? Why shouldn’t I do the same
things to you that you did to Elizabeth?”

Walter’s mouth worked, but no sound came out.
Watching him, Hawk suddenly felt his blood lust vanish, and in its
place was a cold and deadly determination. With one hand he reached
for the rope looped around his saddle horn.

“What are you doing?” Walter whined as Hawk
twisted his arms behind him and tied him up.

“I’m taking you in, Walter. You’re not worth
the time and effort it would take to give you what you
deserve.”

Relief made Walter’s shoulders sag. Hawk
finished trussing him up, then slung him across the back of his
stallion.

“Assault and battery, attempted murder,
arson.” Hawk named possible charges as he mounted. Walter Martin
had been the one with a Winchester the night Hawk’s house had
burned. His had been the voice calling out in the forest: “I got
him.” Hawk was confident that at last he had caught the ringleader
of all the plots against him. Whether Walter had been motivated by
hatred of the Chickasaws or hatred of him personally, Hawk didn’t
know. And he didn’t want to know. It was best not to probe Walter’s
sick, twisted mind, best to let the law have him and get on with
his life.

“I think they’ll keep you for a long, long
time,”

Hawk said, and the he headed toward town with
his vanquished enemy.

o0o

Elizabeth lay in her hospital room in the
dark. She hadn’t seen Hawk since early morning, since she sent him
away. She pressed her hands over her flat abdomen.

“Don’t you worry, little one. I’ll take care
of you. I’ll take good care of you.”

One tear inched its way down her cheek, and
then another. Her movements were angry and determined as she wiped
them away. There would be no tears this time. She would be strong.
Women alone
had
to be strong.

Her door opened, and in walked Hawk.
Elizabeth squelched her quick surge of hope. She didn’t believe in
fairy tales anymore.

“Elizabeth.” Hawk came toward her bed but
stopped just short of taking her hand. The small omission made her
feel lonelier than a thousand good-byes. Elizabeth clasped her
hands tightly together.

“Black Hawk.” She acknowledged him with a nod
of her head, being careful to use both his names. “My lovers call
me Hawk,” he had said. Well, she carried his child, but she was no
longer his lover.

“I caught the man who did this to you.”

“You caught him?”

“Yes. His name is Walter Martin, and he’s now
in the hands of the law.”

“I’m glad. Thank you, Ha... Black Hawk.”

She saw his eyes darken. Hawk didn’t miss a
thing. But if her attempts at formality bothered him, he didn’t
show it.

“For you, Elizabeth, I would have followed
him to the gates of hell.”

“Thank you for stopping by to report. I’ll
feel safer now that he is behind bars.”

Hawk moved closer to her bed, and she
clenched the edges of the sheet.

“You’re healing rapidly, Elizabeth.”

“Yes.”

“You’re a strong woman. That’s good.”

“Yes, I’m strong.” Unconsciously she put one
hand over her abdomen. Hawk saw the movement but didn’t comment.
“Please leave now.”

“You took care of me once, Elizabeth. I want
to take care of you.”

“I don’t need you.”

“I need you.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not that strong. I’m not
strong enough to handle anybody’s feelings except my own. All I
know is that I want to get through this by myself and get on with
my life.”

His eyes were very dark as he bent over her
swiftly and caught her face between his hands. “Your life and mine
are intertwined, Elizabeth.”

“No,” she whispered. He kissed her with such
tenderness, she almost changed her mind. “Please go.”

“I’ll leave. If that’s what it takes for you
to get well, I’ll leave. But I’ll be back. When you’re strong
again, I’ll be back, Elizabeth McCade. I promise you that.”

The door closed behind him, and Elizabeth
stared at the wall. Hawk had once said he was a man driven by his
passions. Would he be making such passionate promises to return if
he knew she was carrying his child?

o0o

Hawk sent his brother home and took the watch
outside Elizabeth’s door. Even though the man who had attacked her
was behind bars, Hawk had to be certain Elizabeth was safe—not only
Elizabeth, but the baby, his baby.

“You can’t stay here round the clock,” Steel
protested.

“I’ll leave here only for one thing, to meet
with the Secretary of Native American Affairs. Inform me when he
arrives, then come back and take my watch—and don’t argue with
me.”

Steel had been about to do just that. He shut
his mouth and did as the Hawk asked. No,
commanded.
The
Hawk didn’t ask anything; he gave orders.

When Steel left, his brother was sitting in
the chair with his back to the wall and his eyes searching the
hall.

o0o

Elizabeth was making a rapid and remarkable
recovery. The doctor and all the nurses who passed through her door
told Hawk so. They also informed him when she was sleeping. At
those times, he slipped into her room and sat at her side,
sometimes holding her hand, sometimes tracing her face with his
fingers, sometimes even lying beside her on the bed, holding her in
his arms.

As always, she slept the sleep of the dead.
She never even knew she had her own personal guardian angel. Though
Hawk never considered himself in those terms. All he knew was that
he had to protect the woman he loved, protect her... and then win
her trust.

The day of Elizabeth’s release neared, and
Hawk consulted Gladys in the hallway.

“You’ve been a faithful friend, Gladys.”

“So have you, Blackie. I’m sorry for these
circumstances, but I’m glad we got a chance to get to know each
other. I don’t know why she won’t see you.”

“Does she speak of me?”

“No. I don’t understand that. I talk about
all my old flames, but Elizabeth acts as if you don’t even
exist.”

“She’s a very proud woman.” Hawk couldn’t
keep the pride from his own voice.

“I call it cutting off your nose to spite
your face.”

“No. Elizabeth is strong. She’s always been
strong.”

“Thank goodness for that, or else she might
have been here much longer.”

“Are you going to take her home
tomorrow?”

“Yes. I promised you I would, and I’m not
about to back out, even if I have to hog-tie her and drag her to
the car. There is no point in her trying to do everything by
herself, and I told her so.” Gladys patted Hawk’s hand. “Don’t you
worry now. I’ll get her home safe and sound, and I won’t say a word
about you planning the whole thing.”

“Thank you, Gladys.”

o0o

Late that night while Elizabeth slept, Hawk
entered her room. He stood for a while, just inside the doorway,
studying her. Her color was back, and she had only faint signs of
bruising.

He walked to the bed then lay down beside her
and took her in his arms. She sighed softly and wrapped her arms
around him. “Hawk?” she murmured in her sleep as she rested her
cheek in the curve between his neck and shoulder, and snuggled
close.

“You are my woman. Mine.”

Elizabeth woke up in the middle of the night
with the strong sense that she was not alone. For a moment panic
gripped her. Without moving her head off the pillow, she slid her
hand slowly under the covers and toward her night table. Only when
she felt the cold hilt of her gun did she feel truly safe.

In one quick movement she sat up, bracing
herself against the headboard and pointing her gun into the
semidarkness.

“Don’t move or I’ll shoot,” she called
out.

“Elizabeth, you’re safe. Nobody is going to
hurt you.”

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she
found the man to go with the voice. He was sitting in an easy chair
on the other side of the room. She snapped on the light and laid
down her gun.

“What are you doing in my bedroom, Hawk?”

“Watching over you.”

His dark eyes lit in the center as he watched
her, and she was suddenly conscious of her skimpy red lace gown and
of what his gaze was doing to her body. She pulled the covers high
around her neck.

“I don’t need you here, and I don’t want you
here. Please go.”

He got up and started toward her.

“Don’t,” she said, holding up her hand.
“Please don’t touch me. I can’t be strong when you touch me.” He
kept on coming.

“Night after night I touch you while you
sleep.”

She shivered, but it wasn’t fear that made
her react; it was pleasure. The thought of Hawk’s hands on her body
made her weak, almost weak enough to forget their past, forget the
baby, forget everything except the quick, hot passion between
them.

“How long have you been here?” she finally
asked.

“Since you came home from the hospital. I’ve
come here every night for two weeks, Elizabeth.”

“Why? I’m safe. You caught the man who
attacked me.”

Hawk sat on the edge of her bed. She felt his
body heat as his hip pressed close to her thigh. She inched
away.

“Yes, I did. He won’t ever hurt you again. I
promise you that.”

“Then why are you here? I’m out of your life
and out of your bed. Remember?”

“You will never be out of my life, Elizabeth.
You carry my child.”

She sucked in her breath.

“How did you know?”

“The doctors at the hospital told me.” He
leaned over her, his face fierce. “Did you mean to keep it from me,
Elizabeth?”

“It’s my body and my baby.”

“It’s our baby.” Hawk’s voice became gentle.
“I was waiting for you to fully recover before I talked to you. In
fact, I had meant to talk to you in the morning, but since you’re
awake...”

He smiled, and her heart melted. When her
Hawk smiled, it seemed as if the whole world must be smiling too.
Only... he was no longer
her
Hawk.

“We’ll be married. I’ll rebuild my house. You
can help me with the design. There’ll be a special room for this
baby... and plenty of room for all the ones who come after
him.”

“Him?
Him?
Elizabeth tried to
control the fury in her voice. She jerked herself out of Hawk’s
grasp and scooted to the other side of the bed. “That’s just like
you to start giving orders.” Hawk’s gaze was roaming her body, and
she could feel his desire reaching out to her. She jerked the
covers high and glared at him.

“Do you think all you have to do is declare
that this baby—my baby—will be a boy, and God will sit up and
listen? Do you think all you have to do is mention marriage, and
I’ll come running? Well, you’re sadly mistaken. I’m in charge of my
own life, thank you very much. When I marry, it will be for the
right reasons, not because some Chickasaw warrior wants to claim
his son.”

“Elizabeth...”He came across the bed and
pulled her into his arms. “It’s not like that.” Hawk caught her
face and forced her to look at him. “I love you, Elizabeth... I
want you.”

“No...” she whispered as his hands slid
slowly across her shoulders, taking her straps with them. “You’re
just saying that...” He bent down and brushed his lips across her
throat.

“... because of the baby.” The covers rustled
as he leaned over and snapped off the light. “I can’t... I won’t,”
she murmured, but the fire that only Hawk could ignite blazed
through Elizabeth, and she lost all control.

They loved as they always had, with single-
minded intensity and magnificent creativity. They loved as they
always had... and yet, they loved differently. There was an added
element of tenderness, a fine edge of caring.