The Innocent And The Outlaw

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A quick breath tickled the hair at her temple, a laugh. “Men of my ilk,” he repeated. “You talk like a schoolmarm, not a saloon girl. Who are you, Emmy?” His voice lowered a bit on this last question, so that it was soft, but still so deep that the vibrations rumbled through her.

Emmy? A name that he’d made up. Something about the way he whispered it made it more of an endearment. The notion was ridiculous, but it wasn’t the outlaw looking back at her anymore. She saw him. Time stood still as he stared right back at her, his greenish eyes locked to hers, seemingly caught up in the same realization eating away at her rationality. That, maybe, this was someone she’d like to know better. That maybe there was more to him than his good looks and dangerous exterior. Slowly, his gaze moved down to her lips, touching her with the sudden heat that flared in their depths before moving back up to her eyes again. Attraction arced between them. When he licked his lips, her own lips tingled as if he had touched them. His heavy gaze fell to her mouth again. That look was so hooded and dark, she was sure that he was going to kiss her. He moved forward so slowly that she was certain he was giving her time to object. There was no chance of that, because she was caught and couldn’t even breathe.

His breath brushed across her lips, tinged with the whiskey he’d drunk back at the saloon. He didn’t kiss her though, leaving her bereft for that touch when he simply stopped and let his breath touch the sensitive flesh just below her bottom lip. It wasn’t a kiss. It was too soft to be a kiss. It was more like a restrained exploration, an acknowledgment of want. When he moved along her jawline, still not kissing, still just that gentle almost-there touch, she turned her head to allow him access, eyes falling half-shut as the flicker of warmth that had begun deep in her belly began to flare higher. The stubble on his jaw rasped pleasantly against the softer skin of her cheek. He stopped when he reached the sensitive shell of her ear, his breath hot and somehow loud in the quiet space of the room. Chills of excitement ran through her body. Not even realizing she had moved until it had happened, her back arched, pushing her breasts into him. Immediately, his fist unclasped, settling his palm against her chest over her pounding heart. He still covered the locket, but his fingertips were so close to the tip of her breast that her nipples beaded, begging for his touch.

“Still not afraid of me?” His words were a hot whisper, followed by a gentle scrape of the stubble near his mouth against the tender lobe of her ear.

Her heart plummeted and she wanted to whimper, but was too proud to utter a sound that would give her secret pleasure away, although she was fairly certain it wasn’t so secret. He was so confident it must be plain for him to see. Or maybe she was simply that easy to read. Maybe he didn’t feel anything that she did and had been playing her the entire time. This was her greatest fear come to life. That she would fall for someone like him, only to be used and discarded, exactly as her mother had been by Ship. Emmaline had spent her entire life being guarded. Why had this one man been able to sneak right past her defenses and make her want something more? Her mother had been a whore who had lost herself to exactly this type of man. Maybe Emmaline’s fate had been sealed the moment she was born in the brothel.

“Please...don’t take my locket.” She kept her eyes closed and said the only thing she could think of that wouldn’t give herself away.

He took a deep, ragged breath, not immune to her after all. His breath shifted, hot against her throat now. The back of his fingers gently stroked a circle around the smooth metal and faux gemstone of her locket, teasing her skin through the material of her dress and drawing a shiver from her though she tried to hide it.

“You lied to me. This is your last chance to tell me the truth.”

Whatever he might have done to make good on his promise, the knock that shook the thin door in its frame cinched her decision. A firm, single knock that made her imagine the giant or the angry Spaniard standing out there waiting to interrogate her. “It’s two miles northeast of where you found me,” she blurted out.

Just that quickly, he released her from his hold and turned just as the door was opening. She didn’t miss that the smirk was back on his face, but sagged with relief that his attention was away from her, however briefly. What was happening to her?

Chapter Six (#ulink_535b6c2a-6557-58c9-8d1d-dca7f26d13de)

The knock on the door didn’t come as a surprise. Castillo and Zane weren’t patient men and with Miguel’s life in the balance, Cas wasn’t inclined to wait any longer than necessary to have the information they needed. Hunter didn’t blame him. Miguel was like a brother to him as well, but he knew that the girl didn’t have any idea where Campbell was keeping the foolish boy. His gut said that she was innocent in Miguel’s kidnapping. It was obvious that she was hiding something from them, but it wasn’t about Miguel.

Facing his half brother, he made sure to keep her shielded behind him. He acknowledged the move as soon as he’d done it, but he refused to examine why she stirred up his protective instincts. Her tiny hand automatically went to his back, not to push him away, but he thought to reassure herself in some way that he was there between her and danger. He knew he was right when she moved a few inches toward him, her smaller body almost completely hidden behind him. Without thinking, he moved his left hand back a little until his fingers found the thin, rough wool of the skirt of her dress. The strange thought went through his mind that she should be clothed in something finer, something softer.

“Has she told you anything?” Cas spoke in Spanish, his eyes hard as they sought those of the girl. From the corner of his eye, Hunter caught her glaring back at his brother over his shoulder.

The entire gang spoke Spanish, so Hunter was fluent after riding with them for years, and replied back in that language. It was best the girl not know what they were saying. “She admitted to being Campbell’s stepdaughter, but she doesn’t know anything about Miguel. This was a waste of time.”

Cas’s booted feet sounded heavy on the bare wood floor as he took a step to cross the few feet separating them from the door until he stood before them. “She’s all we have.”

“Campbell took your brother to get to us. Miguel didn’t have anything to do with the shoot-out. Campbell will make contact soon enough once he’s figured out what he wants.”

Cas scowled, the anger vibrating off of him almost tangible. “And that coward will pay with his life.” Nodding to the girl, he said, “We’ll keep her until he comes out of hiding.”

Hunter swallowed a curse, even though the proclamation came as no surprise. The last thing he wanted was to sit with the girl while they waited for Campbell to crawl out from whatever hole he’d disappeared into, though he knew his brother was right. They needed leverage when dealing with Campbell. He still thought they had a chance to track him down, a chance that dwindled the longer they wasted time chasing the wrong lead. There were still plenty of scum out there who knew Campbell and someone knew where he was hiding. “Send Zane back to town and put out the word that we have her. Afterwards, we can take her to a safe place and keep looking. Campbell will come out of hiding soon enough. He wants you more than he wants Miguel dead.”

Cas shook his head and his brow furrowed. “I’d like to believe that. Hate is a bitter thing. He could kill him just to spite me.”

“He won’t. We’ll find him, Cas. Campbell’s been around too long to hold a death grudge over Hardy’s death. There were witnesses there that day. They saw him draw on you first. Campbell just wants to shake us up. It’s extortion.”

Cas nodded and his gaze jumped back to the girl. “Has she told you where she lives?”

“Northeast of town. We hadn’t got to the specifics yet.”

“You believe her?”

Hunter smiled. “Not a damn word. She’s smart.”

“You seem impressed, Brother.”

“Intrigued.”

“Don’t get too intrigued. She’s not just another one of your women. She could be the key to Miguel.”

“She could be.” Hunter shrugged, aware of the heat of her small body at his back. “Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy her company.”

“Save it for Susanne Harris when you get home.”

Grimacing at the reminder of Susanne and all the other scheming socialites waiting to throw themselves at him upon his return to Helena, he shook his head. Their attention came from the fact that he was heir to a mining fortune and almost no one there knew he was an outlaw. It didn’t hurt that he wasn’t hard to look at as well, but his looks weren’t what had them all scheming for marriage. Aside from a couple of indiscretions when he’d been too young to know better, he gave socialites a wide berth. “You’re an ass. You deserve Susanne.”

Cas flashed a smile, but the moment of levity was gone as quickly as it appeared. “Just don’t forget our purpose.”

“I’ve never let you down, brother. This one is smart, but she’s also afraid. If she knew where Miguel was taken she would’ve given him up. I have the feeling her loyalty to Campbell doesn’t extend as far as you think. I’ll find out where she lives and you can ride out there.”

Cas nodded in agreement. “I’ll take Zane with me. If Campbell isn’t there I’ll send him into town and come back here to question her myself.”

Hunter leveled a long stare at his brother. Though they’d only discovered each other’s existence in adulthood, Hunter knew him as well as if they had been raised together. It was Cas’s loyalty to his younger brother mixed with a heavy dose of guilt that made him talk so hard.

Switching to English, Hunter turned back to the girl and asked her exactly where her farm was located. Still glaring at his brother, she told them, keeping her voice firm and full of the contempt she felt for Cas. A little spark of pride surprised him as he watched her face them down. Fear and uncertainty shone in the depths of her eyes, but she kept her voice steady and her body didn’t tremble. Her chin even rose a notch in that cute little way she had. He found himself smiling at her before he even realized it and crossed his arms over his chest, glancing down briefly as he forced himself to look as fierce as he was supposed to be.

Despite what had happened before they had been interrupted, Cas was right. She was Campbell’s daughter. As much as Hunter would enjoy that seduction and especially how it would rankle the old son of a bitch, he wasn’t in the habit of seducing his enemies. Besides that, there was a purity about her. She must have seen horrible things living with her stepfather, but they seemed to have left her unmarked. She wasn’t like the others in her world and for some reason he admired her a little.

“If you’re lying, querida, you’ll have to face me come morning,” Cas warned in his slightly accented English, a wink and the hint of a smile softening the words, but not the threat. Hunter placed a hand on his brother’s chest and lightly pushed him back, not stopping until they reached the door.

“We’ll find him.”

Cas nodded, holding her gaze just a little longer before turning to leave, but the moment he opened the door, a shot rang out and a bullet splintered the flimsy wood at the top of the frame.

“Get down,” Hunter called back to Emmy, and drew his Colt as he moved back to crouch in front of her. Cas drew his own gun and immediately shot back, the inside of the cabin filling with the explosion of the bullet being fired, before he laid himself flat against the wall. Another shot quickly rang out, this one so close that it had to be Zane returning fire.

“He’s taking off!” Zane’s voice carried inside as he ran toward his horse. “I’ll get him.”

Cas looked out, keeping an eye out for any other shooters. “Campbell’s man. Looked like O’Brien.”

Hunter looked to the girl for any reaction, but she didn’t seem particularly upset if she recognized the name. “We can’t stay here. There could be others out there.” Staying could put her in danger and they couldn’t risk that.

Nodding in agreement, Cas said, “Go to the cavern. We’ll find her farm, get the word out that we have her and meet you there.”

Cas took one more look into the darkened clearing around the shack and then made for his horse. Hunter holstered his gun, intending to collect the saddlebags.

There was another shot, this time much further away in the direction Zane had ridden chasing O’Brien. He looked up to make sure there were no riders coming toward them and saw that her face was pale. “You okay?”

She nodded, a jerking motion that she tried to disguise by turning her face to the fire, making him think she wasn’t.

Pausing in the act of repacking, he gripped his hands into fists to keep from reaching out to her. “Do you know him?”

“O’Brien? No, I mean, the name is familiar.”

At that, he rose to his feet and walked the few steps to stand beside her. Before he could stop himself, he was touching her shoulder. “This isn’t me interrogating you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.” To his surprise, she didn’t flinch away from him and her eyes were wide with fear when she looked up at him, making his gut tighten with something he couldn’t risk identifying.

“Ship only just met him a few months ago. I don’t really know him.”

“I don’t like that you had to be pulled into this.” He wanted to tell her that he wouldn’t allow Cas to hurt her, that everything would be fine, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t say a damn thing to reassure her until she told them everything she knew. Yet, even knowing that, he couldn’t stop himself. Before he quite realized what he meant to do, he was lifting her chin up just a fraction higher so that she looked him in the eyes again. “Campbell took someone very important to us.” The flair of surprise in her eyes confirmed what he had already suspected—that she knew nothing about what her stepfather had done. “I believe that you had nothing to do with it, but you will be with us until we can get him back.”

Her heavy eyelids sank closed as she realized exactly what he was saying. In the flickering light of the fire, he could faintly see the blue veins beneath the pale and delicate skin, only emphasized by the fan of her incredibly long lashes. Dark smudges of color marred the skin beneath her eyes, fatigue making her appear only that much more delicate, but strong at the same time, he conceded when she opened her eyes again to stare up into his. The spark, the fight, was there just as strongly as it had been before. He wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to fight him. There were so many other more enjoyable ways they could spend their time.

Hell, all he really wanted to do at that moment was kiss her. He wanted to pierce the heat of her mouth with his tongue and taste her. He wanted to pull her tiny body against his and feel her melt into him as her resistance faded and hunger took over. Only the realization that he was on the brink of closing the short distance between them and taking her mouth made him rein in his thoughts, but he still couldn’t stop touching her. His thumb traced along the line where her alabaster skin met her red bottom lip, smudging the rouge a bit, touching her without crossing that ever-changing line in his head. He imagined the blunt tip slipping into the wet heat of her mouth to press against the rough silk of her tongue.

“And what if something bad happens...what if you don’t get that person back?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Do you think that will happen? Would Campbell risk you like that?” She flinched, jerking her chin from his grasp and making him feel like an ass for asking the question. She was worth so much more than Campbell’s petty vengeance. Hardy had been a consummate drunk and an incompetent bank robber who had almost been strung up twice before. He’d wanted to make a name for himself by taking out one of them and Cas had responded in the only way he could. By drawing faster. It wasn’t fair that she would pay for that.

“Let’s get out of here while we can. Put your boots on.” He grabbed the bedroll and saddlebags and went out to tie them to his horse. Once they were secure, he went back inside and used his boot to scatter the small fire until it went out and then turned down the lantern. She had put on her boots and looked ready to bolt, so he took her arm and led her to the horse. Grabbing her waist, he lifted her up and then mounted behind her before taking one last look around. There were no signs of any other men, but he wouldn’t rest easy until they were miles away.

He took a moment to put on his gloves before pulling her into the cradle of his thighs and picking up the reins. “Tell me your name.” He didn’t think he imagined the slight jump she gave at his question, but when she answered her voice was as firm as before.

“Tell me your name,” she challenged, turning her head just a bit to catch a glimpse of him.

This was the girl he liked. He liked her bristly and challenging so that he could break down her defenses as he had earlier. He liked how she had become almost supple in his hands. He liked teasing her.

Dammit, he liked her.

Fighting a smile, he inclined his head in graceful defeat. “All right... Emmy...we can do it your way.” He pressed his knees to the black, nudging the horse forward to take a path along the creek. It’d be the best way to hide their tracks.

“No, tell me your name. What am I to call you? It seems like we’ll be spending a lot of time together.”

“Will we? Is that because you just gave us the wrong directions to your farm?”

But she was quick and didn’t rise to that particular challenge. “It’s because Ship isn’t at my farm. I told you I don’t know where he is and until you believe me—which I don’t see happening—we’ll be spending a lot of time together.”

A vivid image of all the many ways he wanted to spend time with her came to mind, but he pushed it aside and cleared his throat. “My brothers will be back tomorrow and we’ll see. If you’ve been truthful then you have nothing to worry about.”

But she wasn’t being truthful and he could sense the guilt on her as she quickly turned her head away. She was a terrible liar. He didn’t know if he should be pleased or worried for her. It seemed to him that anyone associated with Campbell and his men would need to be proficient at lying if nothing else. Their survival would depend on it. It occurred to him then to wonder what her life with her stepfather was like. Was he cruel to her? Did his men treat her harshly?

His gaze wandered down her pretty profile, the light from the half-moon making her skin alabaster, before moving further down and noting the softness of her breasts, the trim line of her waist and the flare of her hips pressed against his thighs. She was pretty in a silent way that drew him in the more he noticed her. Had she had that same effect on one of those men? Did she belong to one of them? The thought was distasteful, but he had to acknowledge that it was probably true. One of them would have laid claim to her. And, damn his baser impulses, the fact that she had known a man’s touch made her seem a little less out of reach, a little bit less of an innocent whom he’d be debauching.

Needing a distraction, he reached behind him to dig out some of the dried beef in his saddlebags. “Here.” She eyed him warily and he couldn’t stop the slight upturn of his mouth. “Take it.” Shoving it into her hand, he grabbed another piece for himself. “Eat it, sweetheart. We won’t get more than a couple hours’ sleep if we’re lucky and you’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”