Dark Warrior: Kid (Dark Cloth Series Book 2)
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Authors: Lenore Wolfe
DARK WARRIOR: KID
Historical Western Romance
Dark cloth Series
Book Two
Copyrighted © May 08, 2015 by Lenore Wolfe
Amazon Kindle Edition
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Triquetra Press
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
First Printing April 08, 2015
ASIN: B00RYCTF62
Copyrighted © May 08, 2015 by Lenore Wolfe
Amazon Kindle Edition
All rights reserved.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Bestselling author, Lenore Wolfe’s best seller, Dark Warrior: To Tame a Wild Hawk
“It was emotional, beautiful, and even suspenseful. A fabulous read!”
By Christie Snow on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and Goodreads
This series was inspired by my childhood in Montana—and by the man who always felt he’d been born in the wrong century….
HISTORICAL WESTERN ROMANCE
Dark Cloth Series by Lenore Wolfe
DARK WARRIOR: TO TAME A WILD HAWK
Dark Cloth Series
Book One
Released February 2011
A mystical Historical Western Romance
DARK WARRIOR: KID
Dark Cloth Series
Book Two
To be released April 08 2015
A mystical Historical Western Romance
DARK WARRIOR: JAKE
Dark Cloth Series
Book Three
To be released July 2015
A mystical Historical Western Romance
DARK WARRIOR: CORD
Dark Cloth Series
Book Four
To be released October 2015
A mystical Historical Western Romance
DARK WARRIOR: WHITEWOLF
Dark Cloth Series
Book Five
To be released December 2015
A mystical Historical Western Romance
WITCH FANTASY
Daughters of the Circle Series by Lenore Wolfe
DAUGHTERS OF THE CIRLCE
Shadows in Ravenwood
Daughters of the Circle Series
Book One
Released March 08 2015
WITCHES OF RAVENWOOD
Daughters of the Circle
Book Two
To be released June 04 2015
Dark Paranormal Fantasy sister series by Lenore Wolfe
THE FALLEN ONE
Sons of the Dark Mother Series
Book One
To be Re-released January 2015
Dark Fantasy
A Tribute Novel
EMBRACED BY SHADOW
Sons of the Dark Mother
Book Two
To be released July 2015
Dark Fantasy
DOORWAY OF THE TRIQUETRA
Children of Atlantis Series
Book One
Released June 2011
Dark Paranormal Fantasy
JAGUAR WITCH
Children of Atlantis Series
Book Two
To be released June 2015
Dark Paranormal Fantasy
SOLSTICE FIRE
Daughters of the Dark Moon Series
Book One
To be released June 2016
Dark Paranormal Fantasy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
But I especially want to thank my readers. I look forward to your feedback always.
Dark Warrior: KID
From the
Dark Cloth
Series
Book Two
1876 Richmond, Virginia
The old man held a locket in his left hand
. He stared at the photo of a beautiful young woman and a three year old child, a single, silent tear slipping down his face. With shaky hands, he tipped a bottle with his right hand, spilling amber liquid into a glass.
Taking the glass in hand, he tossed back the drink, swallowing the biting liquid in one swig. He pulled this off without taking his eyes off the picture of the child in the locket.
He gazed at her, visibly flinching while he sat there gazing at her beautiful eyes.
A man sat watching him from a comfortable chair, half-way across the room. He guarded over the old timer daily, mostly observing—always waiting. Disgusted by what he’d witnessed, he poured himself another cup of tea. Blowing across the hot brew, he examined the older man from across the brim of his cup.
Would this time-worn, old fellow ever get over his granddaughter?
The man had long since grown sick of hearing about the child the man had lost, years before. He’d long since grown sick of listening. And, most of all, he’d long since grown sick of waiting.
His patience had stretched to breaking, as he grew older himself while he waited, putting his life on hold while he postponed his own future—waiting for some old man to die.
The older man only stared at the photo. And the man knew that, though one couldn’t tell by her likeness in the black and white photo, the child had the green-yellow eyes of a cat.
The man had heard the old timer talk of her in detail often enough, so that he would have known how she’d look himself, if she’d stood in front of him now. But, in reality, he didn’t need anyone to tell him that.
He remembered the child himself. He’d known her laughter, well enough.
Now, listening to some old chap, lamenting about her daily, felt as though someone poured daily doses of salt into his own wounds.
He remembered her alright, when she’d been a young, happy child, with bouncing, yellow curls and bright eyes. He remembered. And he hated that he remembered.
His attention snagged on his own internal hell when the other man trembled.
“I only wanted the best for my daughter,” the man said.
Yeah, yeah, he thought. He knew how much the man wished he could see her flashing gaze in the photo. And he knew how the old timer grieved about how he’d lost so much. He knew. He’d heard about it often enough—too often.
The old man had only wanted the best for his daughter, but soon, deep into his cups, he’d be asking anyone who’d listened how his wish had translated into losing her—and how this had led to losing his granddaughter too.
He watched the man tip the bottle again, while he sat waiting across the room. The man didn’t glance up at him, though he knew why he waited. He knew the answer would be the same—it always was.
A knock at the door brought him to his feet. Quiet, like a cat, he crossed the room and opened it. In low tones, the man on the other side gave him the report he’d been seeking.
“They failed?” he asked. “How did they fail? Never mind. Hire him, and if he also fails, bring her here—so I can take care of her myself.”
He closed the door, turning to stare at the old man. It was his fault he had to do these things now. Well, no matter. The old timer was about to get his wish.
He stood there, watching him for several minutes. Finally, he lost his patience, walking to stand over him.
“We found her,” he said to him.
For the first time, the locket slipped through the old man’s drunken fingers, convinced his inebriated state had been responsible for what he’d just heard. Finally, the older man gawked up at him.
“We found her,” he said again, gazing hard into the old man’s eyes. “And we’re bringing her home as we speak.”
A single tear broke free and slipped down the man’s leathered face, but he did not try to wipe it away. “Where’s she been all this time?” he finally asked, sitting there, silent for a long moment, before he finally looked away.
“They found her in Cheyenne,” he said in low tones. “And—well—we’ll get her here, don’t worry.” He picked up the locket, handing it back to the old man.
The chain slipped through his fingers and back into the older man’s hands, as his eyes glazed over, staring at the watch. “What are you going to do?” he said.
“Don’t worry. We’ve figured out exactly what lure it will take to get her to follow.”
That got the old timer’s attention. “Why on earth would you do such a thing?”
He folded his arms in front of his chest. “It would seem that your grand-daughter is deadly with a set of pistols—and even more deadly with a skinning knife.” He walked to the door. “We couldn’t take any chances. After all—you wouldn’t want anything to happen to her, now would you?”
The old man flinched at that. “What about Rose?” he asked.
That gave him pause. “Who?” he said. “Who’s Rose?”
But the old timer had sunk back into the glazed look that he always seemed to disappear behind. He stared at him for a long moment. Finally, he shrugged, and then he slipped silently out into the hall.