Dark Warrior: Kid (Dark Cloth Series Book 2) (5 page)

A six-inch hunting blade, sharpened to a razor edge, it served as her favorite weapon of choice. Perhaps seeing it in the firelight, where it lay close to a man who’d obviously not wanted to lose it, even in his sleep, caused her to thumb back the hammer on the pistol in her right hand. In the silence of the night, it made an eerie scrape of metal, as the cylinder swiveled the bullet into the next chamber to line up—ready to be fired—sending six men scrambling for their guns in a flurry.

And when she finally stopped, five of them lay dead. The sixth—well now—the sixth soon gave her some answers.

Kid and Kat

Kat woke to find Kid staring down at her.
She frowned, confused. She tried to flex her hand and winced as pain shot up her arm. She tried to speak, and quickly discovered that it hurt too much to do that either. Staring up into Kid’s dark gaze, she nearly cried when he placed his hand ever so carefully on her cheek.

He leaned in to whisper to her. “You tied yourself to your pony.”

She tried to nod. She remembered doing so, though barely. Instinct had told her that she wouldn’t make it home, if she didn’t.

“Did you get them?” he whispered.

Again, it hurt to nod, but Kid got the message.

“Good,” he said. He brushed her cheek. “Now sleep. I’ll be right here, when you wake.”

With a sigh, Kat closed her eyes. She felt sore as hell. She couldn’t imagine how she’d ever sleep. But she felt safe here now, with Kid. And that’s what mattered.

When she woke, she found Mandy asleep in the chair beside her. She’d leaned forward and fallen asleep, with her arms cradling her head on the bed, beside Kat. As soon as Kat shifted, Mandy woke.

Mandy’s red-rimmed eyes flew to Kat’s face. “You’re awake,” she said in a groggy voice.

Kat tried to smile. “You’re not,” she squeaked.

Mandy grinned at her, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “You scared the hell out of us, Kat,” she said, taking Kat’s right hand in her own.

Kat gave her hand a weak squeeze. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Tears filled Mandy’s gray eyes. “I’m just glad you’re as good as you are—that you got them—and that you lived,” she said, leaning up as her tears broke free and slid down her face. “More than that, I’m just glad you made it home.”

Kat stared up at her friend. “Stop,” she whispered. “You’re gonna have me crying too.”

Mandy grinned. “You?” she said. “Now, that would be something to see.”

Kat tried to grin, then winced as pain shot through her split lip. “You’d probably run tell Hawk, and he’d tell Kid, then I’d never hear the end of it.”

Mandy grinned down at her. “Oh, you’re probably right about that,” she said. “The idea of Kat, who’d held McCandle at the end of her skinnin’ knife, crying. That wouldn’t do at all.”

Kat squeezed her hand again. “I’m all right,” she said, serious now.

Mandy smiled through her tears. “Good. And I’m going to make sure you stay right here, till you’re mended.”

Kat groaned at that and promised herself she’d change Mandy’s mind about that, as quickly as possible. But, for now, she gave into Mandy’s demand that she get some rest, and she let herself drift back to sleep.

Kat dreamt of Kid and woke searching the room for him, finding him asleep in a chair. From the moment she’d met him, when he’d leapt over her and succeeded in taking away the knife that she’d been holding on McCandle, she’d been taken by the young warrior.

Even though Kid had been raised for the first half of his life with his Cheyenne tribe, when he’d gone with Hawk because his family had been wiped out, and Doc had sent him back East to school—since then, he’d lived with the White-man—had even helped Hawk through some bad times, when Hawk had hunted for the man who’d murdered his sister and nephew during the Civil War—and Kat had felt like she’d been given a blessing, having Kid with her now.

Since Kat had been raised by her mother’s people, she shared that same background with Kid. And that had forged the foundation of their relationship—was why she understood his need to be out in the open, under the night sky. He understood how hard she worked to tame her wilder nature.

Watching him sleep, now, comforted her, and she slept.

Early the next morning, Kat woke to the sun’s warm fingers splaying gently across her face.
Its rays felt healing, caressing her broken skin. She lay still and let it do its magical work, knowing her peace would end as soon as she tried to change her position.

But move she did. She couldn’t help it, though she knew the shock of pain that would tear through her body when she did.

It didn’t matter, she thought. The more she worked her muscles, no matter the pain, the quicker she’d be up and about—and the sooner she could find out who sent those men.

As soon as she shifted, she spotted Mandy, who quickly got up out of her chair. She went to the door and said something to someone sitting in the other room. Kat groaned. Kid came through the door, and she started to smile. But Hawk followed him into the room, and that had her groaning again.

He’d want answers. And Kat didn’t have a mind to tell him what he wanted to hear.

She didn’t have to wait long.

Kid came to the closest side of her bed, taking her hand in his. Hawk came up on the other side, and his green-gold gaze showed the depth of his rage when he looked at her face.

“Who did this to you, Kat?” he growled.

She watched him, warily. She’d fought off many dangerous men in her short life, but she’d never want to have Hawk for an enemy.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “They’re all dead.”

He nodded. “You did well,” he said. “And I had my men go up to bury their bodies.” He frowned. “But that still doesn’t tell me what I want to know.”

She gave him a level look. “What makes you think I know who they are?” she asked.

His spring-green eyes were measured, as he assessed her. She felt as though he could see clear through to her hidden soul.

“Because,” he said, “you wouldn’t have killed them all,” he said. “At least, not until you had your answers.” He leaned closer to her. “I heard how you got him to talk. Now, I want to know what you learned.”

Kat fought the urge not to swallow—and show him how nervous he still had the ability to make her, even though she’d fought in a range war beside him not that long ago.

She tried for a dark look of her own, then glanced over at Kid.

“Okay,” she said. She tried to wet her lips, and Mandy pushed the men far enough back to give her room to breathe—and to give her a drink.

But though Hawk could outwait any enemy, he’d come for answers, and Kat knew it. “He said someone put a bounty on my head,” she finally said.

Hawk’s brows went down in the image of his namesake, giving his face a menacing appearance. At that moment, Kat felt more than a little thankful that his anger was on her behalf—and against her enemies.

When Kat glanced away from Hawk, long enough to see her fiancé, Kid’s thunderous glare captured her attention.

“Did you get any names?” he asked.

“Of course,” she said. “But it was just Slade.”

“The bounty hunter,” Mandy hissed.

Kat nodded. “That’s all they knew,” she said.

They didn’t question how she could be so certain. Kat always got the answers she sought. “Except,” she finished, “whoever hired him—threw around enough cash to get several of them involved.”

She saw Hawk’s gaze narrow on her face. “Then we’ll just have to follow that money back to whoever hired Slade,” he said.

She saw Kid nod, and she fought not to groan. Which was exactly why she hadn’t wanted to tell them. She had wanted that man for herself.

Early in the morning, Mandy opened the curtains to let in the sunshine. She turned and smiled at Kat, as Kat eyed her with a scowl.

Mandy frowned, placing her hands on her hips. “You were mad last night,” she said with an accuracy that always amazed Kat. “You wanted him, didn’t you?” Mandy said, grinning now.

Kat tried to sit up, groaned and fell back. “Wouldn’t you?”

Mandy nodded. “And you’re not use to having men fight your battles for you,” she said “But, Kat, the difference is that now you have family.
We
,” she pointed back and forth from Kat to herself, “are family. And family helps each other,” she scolded.

Kat grinned at her, trying, again, to sit up. This time, she succeeded in coming up to a sitting position.

Mandy huffed at her, as she came around to place some pillows behind her for her to lean back on, and then she scowled at her for good measure.

“You have some cracked ribs,” she reminded her.

“It’s difficult to forget,” Kat said, sucking in a breath, as fire burned its way through her body.

“Yeah, well,” Mandy said, “you’re going to be laid up here for a few days, like it or not. In the meantime, you have family out there, finding leads to who hired those men.” She smiled as she straightened the blankets around Kat. “So now you can just rest—and know that we’ll be ready to go after them, just as soon as you’re up and around.”

Kat scowled, again, at that, but then gave Mandy a small smile. She did appreciate having people out there, finding out what she’d want to know—if she could just get herself out of this bed that was. But since she couldn’t—at least right now—it did feel good to realize they were doing that leg of the work for her—she supposed.

Mandy smiled at her. “Good. That’s better,” she said. She went out the door and soon returned with a tray of breakfast, which she set in front of Kat. “Let’s get you on the mend then,” she said, “so we can go after whoever hired those men.”

Kat nodded—and dug into her breakfast.

She’d put the last spoonful into her mouth when Kid entered her room. She hesitated, mid-chew. Finally, she swallowed, staring at Kid. “I would have sworn you’d be out hunting Slade,” she said.

He nodded. “That’s exactly where I want to be, but Hawk convinced me that my time might be better served here.”

Kat tried to smile, but the smile failed to reach her lips. “And exactly what would he have you do here?”

Kid grinned at her. “When a man’s woman is laid up in the hospital—her man should be by her side,” he mimed.

Kat winced. “Which is double-speak for—he thinks Slade will come looking for me here.”

Kid’s grin widened. “But that only makes things easier for me.” He came across the room with a predatory ease, she never grew tired of watching. Reaching the bed, he came up over her, without touching any part of her. He leaned down, his lips gently brushing hers.

She hadn’t known she could feel such pain—and pleasure—all at the same time. He kissed her again, and she groaned.

Mandy chose that moment to walk in her room. Seeing that Kid had succeeded in getting himself all the way up on Kat’s bed, she swatted at him with her towel. “Get your rump down off that bed,” she said, laughing. “Lucky I caught you—and not Doc.”

Kid turned, grinning at her, and exited the bed with the same ease he’d used to practically pounce on Kat.

Doc walked in the room behind Mandy. “I say, what do we have going on in here?”

Kid turned his grin on Doc now. “Hawk says Slade will be heading her way. I’m just making sure she’s well protected.”

“Ummm,” Doc said. “Covering her with your body, huh. Willing to take that bullet for her, are you?”

Kid nodded. “You know it, Doc.”

Mandy laughed. Pointing at the chair near the bed, she raised a fine brow at Kid, and the only thing that kept Kat from laughing, just then, was how busted up her face and lips really were.

Kid easily took the chair.

“Seriously, now,” Doc huffed. “Slade’s coming here?”

Kid nodded. “But don’t worry, Doc. He’ll never reach the front door.”

Doc grunted. “See that he don’t.”

Kid’s gaze moved over Kat in a way that made her flush. “You got it, Doc,” he said.

No More Wedding Bells

Mandy waved her fingers in front of Kat’s face,
and Kat smiled.

“Sorry,” she muttered for what had to be the tenth time in the past hour.

It had been a week since Kat had succeeded in breaking out of being laid-up in bed. She wanted to enjoy that fact, she really did. But first, even having the best trackers at her disposal hadn’t put her closer to finding out who had hired Slade, and put that bounty on her head.

Slade hadn’t come after her at Doc’s—himself—he’d sent someone else. And so they were no closer to finding out who’d hired him than they had been.

And second, Mandy seemed hell-bent on figuring out what had put Kat in such a bad mood, of late.

“Okay, out with it,” Mandy demanded again, as Meg settled closer with her ears perked, juiced for the latest gossip. Mandy gave Meg a warning look—to which her good friend only playfully swatted at her.

They sat in the little café that had become a part of Cord’s Mercantile, which was better than staying in that bed. But Mandy still watched her like a hawk. Kat smiled at that.

Breakfast was as far as she got.

“You know I love a good morsel. Kat’s been so morose.” Meg pouted. “There has to be a good story in there
somewhere.”

Kat couldn’t help but grin at Meg’s good-nature’d banter—but internally she winced. She couldn’t tell her the truth because even
she
didn’t know what really bothered her. She only knew that the dreams were worse than ever. And that something had been playing around at the outside edges of her consciousness—ever since this second, make that third, attempt on her life.

Kat knew someone had been sent to kill her. Hell, her friends knew that. After all, this had been the third time they’d tried. Maybe her bounty hunter would give up after this last attempt. It should have occurred to him, by now, that he took his life in his hands, with each attempt on hers.

But it didn’t feel like anything—even the sight of Jake, Hawk or Kid—had discouraged him—and that worried Kat.

And not just for herself.

She’d been set upon, plenty of times before. But what if something happened to her new friends because of her? What if something happened to Kid? What if she put them
all
in danger?

She turned to stare out the front window, wondering what it would take for her to get away—go and hunt for whoever had hired Slade, herself.

Oh, she knew that every single one of her friends could take care of themselves—since every single one of them fought every bit as good as she did. She had a deep respect for each of them because of that.

But did she dare tell her friends what she suspected? It sounded crazy. The very idea that an old man, from her dreams, putting a bounty on her head? And why would he do such a thing?

Yet, if she didn’t go now—would one of those bounty hunters eventually succeed?

With all her friends watching her every move, how would she get out of town long enough to find who really
hired Slade
? If it really were the old man, from her dreams, who’d hired the bounty hunter, how could she get away, long enough for her to know for sure?

She watched as Mandy and Meg teased each other, laughing and goofing around, while she fidgeted with a loose thread on her shirttail. She turned away, then scowled.

She’d never had to answer to anyone before. For that matter, she’d never had people worry about her before. She usually went where she wanted—whenever the need drove her. She needed to get out of town and check out her rising suspicions, without anyone being the wiser—most especially not her friends—or her fiancé.

Mandy stopped talking to Meg and turned to stare at Kat, expectantly.

Kat glanced over at Mandy. “I’m just—nervous—about the wedding,” she tried to appease. She saw Meg cross her eyes at this typical explanation.

Even Mandy gave her a look that promised retribution if she tried to slide that one by them one more time. She held up her hands in mock surrender, but then ruined it when she surprised herself with the sudden tears that sprang to her eyes.

Mandy immediately moved her chair over and wrapped her arm around her. Even Meg moved a bit closer.

Kat wiped her eyes, embarrassed. She never cried. What had gotten into her? But then, she’d never had anyone care so much about what she thought—or felt. She swiped at her eyes again, more in irritation to realize that she felt ready to give way to full-blown tears than anything. She waved her hand in front of her face. She’d have been appalled to realize that the gesture had been purely feminine.

But then Kat was purely feminine—in spite of her expertise in fighting. She just didn’t know it. Perhaps it only lent to her naturally graceful movements.

“Out with it,” Mandy entreated this time.

Kat closed her catlike, green eyes, willing away the need to give in further to her tears.” I don’t even know if I can—settle down,” she tried, her voice breaking as she finished the last of this in a whisper. “Not even for Kid....”

A look of pure surprise crossed Mandy’s face, and Kat immediately felt guilty for even trying to lie her way out of this.

Whatever Mandy had been expecting her to say—that clearly hadn’t been it.

Oh, no, Kat thought, biting her lip. Mandy’s going to think her horrible to question something as great as what she had with Kid.

She must think her ungrateful. After all, couples in the West were lucky to marry for love. Many women married to have a man who hunted and provided. Many men married to have a woman who took care of their home.

She should be jumping at the chance to marry Kid. He was the love of her life.

Mandy drew closer. “You have been free to go wherever you wish now, for years. It’s understandable that the idea of suddenly being settled down to one place would be a challenging one.” She smiled and winked a Kat, and Kat couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t know why it never occurred to me that you might find such a thought difficult.”

“Because you’re a dolt,” Meg grinned, and the three women laughed.”

Kat bit her lip, then confessed, “I was almost relieved—when the cattle drive to Canada caused a delay in our wedding plans.” She closed her eyes and groaned. “You both must think I’m awful.”

“Crazy, maybe,” Meg said, with another quick grin. “But not awful. Not at all.” Then, she sobered. “You do—love Kid?”

Tears sprung to Kat’s eyes, anew. She had to grin in spite of them, when she saw Mandy glare at her friend. Kat had never seen two friends as close as these two—well three—if you were to count Cord. She had no idea how a gun-fighter had become such close friends with the two women—well with Mandy anyway.

When Cord looked at Meg, it wasn’t friendship Kat saw in his eyes.

Again, Kat thought about how much Cord loved Meg. Everyone could see that, she thought, her mind returning to this, as it had when she had been waiting outside the store for Mandy the other day. Everyone knew they loved each other, except the two in love. They each seemed oblivious to the other one’s love. Kat had to wonder how they could be so blind to the obvious. It seemed as though everyone in town knew they loved each other—except couple themself.

Kat had witnessed Mandy, many times, as she tried to tactfully point this out to Meg—to which Meg always became defensive—vehemently denying anything between her and Cord. Kat even toyed with the idea of bringing the subject up herself, now, if only to divert the attention off of her problems. But she couldn’t give in to such cowardice.

“What do you want to do?” Mandy asked—a catch in her voice.

Kat knew fear—that she would really have to go. She shook her head.” I don’t know,” she said, and even to her, her voice sounded tortured. She couldn’t bear to lose Kid. It would destroy her. But if she tried to go through with this marriage—right now—she knew that would be a problem too.

Because, whoever had hired the bounty hunter wasn’t going to stop for a wedding.

Mandy’s arm tightened around her shoulder. “You have to go.”

She glanced up at Mandy in shock, at the same moment that Meg unleashed a barrage of shocked words at her.

“What?” Meg stammered.” Mandy! Are you crazy?”

Kat couldn’t say a word. The thought both stunned her—like a fist to her belly—and elated her.

Meg’s cracked blue eyes turned, and she studied Kat. “You’re tortured, aren’t you—but,” she leaned in from the other side, “you’re relieved, too, aren’t you?” she whispered.

Kat really did start to cry now. She couldn’t have been more amazed. Mandy and Meg knew this, and that only stirred up more of the emotions that were already running too deep.

When Cord stepped back into the store, he found all three women dissolved in tears. He stared at one woman, then other, in stunned silence. He clearly had never witnessed either Mandy, or Megan, in tears—and he obviously didn’t have the slightest clue what to do about it. He turned, as if to escape.

They saw him stop—heard him mutter—his back still to them.

“Awww, damn,” Cord said.

Kat couldn’t help it. She dissolved into a fit of giggles. It didn’t take but a moment for Mandy and Meg to join her. Emotions were running high.

Cord obviously didn’t know what to make of it. He’d seen Kat try to skin McCandle with her skinnin’ knife. Now, here she sat, bawling like those weak-minded females, she’d always despised so much.

He’d apparently witnessed many things from Mandy and Meg—and this hadn’t been on the list. His face turned pale, as he took in first one of his friends—then the other.

Kat let him off the hook. “I’m leaving for a while,” she nearly whispered. The words sobered her instantly. She felt the shock of disbelief run through her—that she’d actually uttered them. She couldn’t really be thinking of doing this?

Cord’s face was the only one who didn’t register surprise.

“I’ve been wondering how long it would take you,” he said, his tone gentle.

The three of them turned and stared at him. Meg’s mouth dropped open.

He shrugged. “Take it from a wanderer. Cutting those wings can be brutal,” he said, by way of explanation.

Kat felt the catch in her throat keenly, felt her heart twist. “So what did you do to get past it?”

Cord’s gaze narrowed on her, but his eyes seemed distant, like his thoughts lay far in the past. “I had to go out there—search for answers.” He sighed as if bracing for the torrent of words her friends were going to shoot at him, and he shot Mandy, then Meg, a warning look before going on. “And when I was ready—I came back home.” He came forward and sat in the chair across from Kat, taking her hand gently into his. “But don’t take too long,” he said in low tones. “You can’t get back lost time.”

Kat knew he referred to his dead family—murdered. They were the reason he turned gunman. When it was over, he’d put up his pistols for good—and hid from those who would seek out his gun-hand behind the boring facade of running a mercantile, vowing never to turn killer again.

Very few people knew this secret about him. The three women had only learned about it because of what had happened between Hawk—and McCandle—when Mandy’s father had stipulated in his will that Mandy marry Cord if her mysterious fiancé didn’t come forward. But Mandy had only
made up
the story about her mysterious fiancé—to keep McCandle at bay until the man she’d been dreaming about—for years—had actually shown up.

Mandy frequently had them—these dreams about her future—and about danger too. Her mystical teachers, the wise women in the nearby Cheyenne village, taught her how to understand them. Mandy also received guidance from the grandmothers—her ancient ancestors from beyond the spirit realm.

But it turned out that Hawk had been the man from her dreams, and it hadn’t taken them long to marry, once they’d found each other—here—in this lifetime, too.

Mysticism, Kat understood. Marriage—on the other hand—she did not. She squeezed Cord’s hand, her thoughts snaring on one thing. “Do you really think I’ll find the answer to what ails me—out there?”

Cord nodded. “As long as the seeker seeks her answers from a pure heart—she is bound to find her answers,” he replied.

Mandy cocked her head to one side. Glancing at her, Kat couldn’t help but grin. “He did sound like a medicine man, just then, didn’t he.” she said.

“You’re getting good at that,” Mandy said now, turning her attention on Kat, appearing a little irritated.

“What? Reading your mind?” Megan teased. “That must bug the heck out of you,” she grinned. “The
very idea
that someone might know what’s going on in that mind of
yours
.”

Kat turned her gaze on Meg. What an odd way of speaking, she had. Kat realized that she’d noticed it before. She just hadn’t had time to think about it.

Cord grinned at Mandy, for once agreeing with Meg. Then, he turned back to Kat. “Just make sure you come home when you’re ready.”

Mandy nodded her head in agreement with Cord, staring at Kat, sniffing. Kat tried to smile at her, through her trembling lips.