Tarnished Angel (35 page)

    She remembered running her fingertip over the fine dusting of freckles along his cheekbones and his short nose. She remembered stroking the lines of his boyish face, the outline of his full, warm lips. She remembered the subtle change that came about in that boyish face as the laughter left his mouth and the light in his eyes changed to the light of another, more powerful emotion. She remembered the warmth of the strong, tightly muscled body that moved to cover hers, his pale skin pressing against her golden-hued flesh. She remembered the joy of their many
joinings
, growing deeper, fuller, as her love for Mr. Jake expanded within her.

    She remembered her commitment to Mr. Jake. It had been complete, and although that commitment had not been voiced in return, and never would be, her words had bound her to him as strongly as a vow. He was the dawn to which she had first awakened; the warmth that had gently brought her to life; the sun that had caused her to bloom. The petals of her heart had opened to absorb the glow, the brilliance of life and love that was Mr. Jake. As with the flower, she knew the beauty within her would die without the sun that was Mr. Jake, and her life would ebb away.

    Betray him? Never.

    But her heart ached with another unwitting betrayal. Because of her love for this man, she had allowed her mistress, who had respected and trusted her, to fall into the hands of her enemies. Why had she not realized that in speaking to Mr. Jake of the plans for the party, of the anticipated excitement and confusion, she herself had planted the seed for the abduction that had taken place?

    Lai Hua bowed her head. She was responsible for her mistress's distress. She did not blame Mr. Jake, who had taken the information to his friend. She knew his friendship with this man had grown during the years he had spent in prison in pain and disgrace. She knew it was that friendship which had allowed Mr. Jake to survive the horror of those years. For that reason, her lover's friend was also her own, although she had never met him And for that reason her dilemma was even greater.

    Tears filled Lai Hua's eyes. She blinked them away as a step sounded in the doorway behind her. She turned to Mr. Dale's flushed, angry face. She did not need to ask if any trace of Miss Devina had been found.

    Dismissing her greeting, Mr. Dale addressed her tensely, "Get all of these servants out of here. I don't ever want to see them back here again, do you understand?"

    Lai Hua nodded.

    "And you…" Obviously unwilling to allow her to escape unscathed, Harvey Dale lashed out at her. "You were brought in this house to be of help to me as well as to my daughter. It appears you have failed miserably in both respects." Harvey Dale's lips curled into a harsh sneer. "If it were up to me I'd dismiss you from my service and see that you never worked for a respectable family in Tombstone again. But I hope to have my daughter back with me soon, very soon. When she returns, she will need someone to help her. Although I cannot fathom the reason why, my daughter likes and trusts you, and you will be here for her when she returns."

    Lai Hua nodded her understanding.

    Harvey Dale's face was gray and lined. A peculiar twitching developed in his cheek as he continued in a low, tight voice, "Now, get out of this house. I expect you to come back in the morning and to report every day until Miss Dale returns. But do not let me see your face. I am sick to death of your wily, devious race, and I wish to be spared the sight of your discolored foreign skin. Get out!"

    Turning, Lai Hua spoke a few words of swift command to the servants who were frozen into stillness in the living room by Harvey Dale's malevolent tirade. She waited only until they had hurried from the room in a silent line before following behind them.

    Only minutes later, Lai Hua raised her eyes to the dark night sky as she hurried away from the Dale residence. The darkness would soon be streaked with the first light of dawn. Where and how would that dawn find her mistress, and what would the new day bring? Lai Hua's guilt was a heavy burden. Visions of Miss Devina and Mr. Jake warred in her mind, and her step faltered. She knew she must search her inner self and come to terms with her guilt, but she knew not where her search would lead. Fear touched her heart.

Chapter XIII

    Devina awoke with a start to the darkness of the night sky, the rhythm of a horse moving at a steady, moderate pace beneath her, and the sensation of strong arms holding her upright. Then came the pain, throbbing and persistent. She attempted to touch her jaw, the source of her pain, but was unable to lift her hand. Something was wrong.

    Disoriented and shaken, Devina was struggling to clear her mind when, suddenly, total recall snapped her eyes wide open, and she glanced around, determinedly ignoring the pain in her head. The horse was traveling over a stark landscape lit solely by a yellow half-moon. Looking down she saw that her wrists were tied in front of her as if she were a common criminal!

    Her heart pounding, Devina twisted around toward the man whose arms supported her. His features were shadowed by the wide brim of his hat, but she could see him clearly enough to know that it was the man with Charles's face.

    Rage and fear blended into instinctive resistance, and she was suddenly thrashing and twisting in her captor's grip. Unsure who the man was or where he was taking her, she was certain of only one thing: She had to escape.

    The strong arms tightened around her. A deep, angry curse was followed by a low grunt as she jammed her elbows into her captor's aides with as much force as she could muster, almost dislodging his hold. For the briefest moment she swayed uncertainly in the saddle, her bound hands reaching for the saddle   horn, only to feel her captor's arms clamp even more strongly around her. Her struggles continued even as her captor reined the horse to a halt.

    "Sit still,
dammit
! You almost fell!"

    "Let me go! You'll never get away with this. My father will come after us. He won't stop until he catches up and then he'll

    "Your father!" The deep voice, now chillingly familiar, was filled with scorn. "Your father probably doesn't even realize you're gone."

    Suddenly remembering the second man, the blond fellow who had helped subdue her in the garden, Devina glanced frantically around them.

    "No use looking for help. We've been on this trail for over an hour, and there's no sign of our being followed. And if someone should start after us tonight, I've left a lookout back a few miles who'll signal in time for me to hide us both without a trace. But don't get your hopes up. No one's coming. No one has any idea where to look for you, and that's the way it's going to stay."

    Abruptly, Devina was struggling again, twisting and turning, swinging her bound arms in a desperate attempt to free herself from her captor's grip.

    Suddenly the iron grip of her captor tightened, crushing her against the wall of his chest, so tight that she was not only helpless but breathless as well. His warm breath fanned her cheek as he held her motionless in a deliberate silence aimed at allowing the true helplessness of her position to register fully in her mind.

    When he spoke at last, his voice was low with a menace that rang frighteningly familiar. "You're wasting your time. You can't break free. But it'll be dawn soon, and I can't afford to be on this trail in the full light of day. You'll either travel seated, as you are now, or you'll travel gagged, tied hand and foot, and slung over the saddle like a sack of grain. Now, what's your preference, Miss Dale?"

    Overwhelmed by the sheer size and power of the man, Devina fought to catch her breath. The hard muscular wall of his chest felt like steel against her back, his sinewy arms a cage from which she could not break free. Why had she not realized when she danced in this fellow's arms that his muscular body was broader and harder than Charles's?

    Her silence caused the man's arms to tighten, restricting her   breathing even more. He did not need to demonstrate further. He was right. He totally overpowered her.

    "All right!"

    The words burst from Devina's lips as she strained to breathe, but her captor's response was a slight relaxation of his hold. Devina made a desperate attempt to fill her aching lungs with air, finally realizing she would have to satisfy herself with small, gulping breaths. Having no choice but to submit to his superior strength, Devina gritted her teeth as her captor adjusted her posture to fit her more securely into the curve of his body.

    Her buttocks were now tucked firmly against the unrelenting stranger's groin, her legs flat against his hard male thighs. Her head was pressed securely against the strong column of his throat, and she could feel his chin brushing her hair. She did not like being held so closely against the warmth of this man's body, almost in a lover's embrace.

    "You didn't seem to mind being in my arms in the garden a few hours ago, Miss Dale. As a matter of fact, you seemed to enjoy it."

    The man's ability to read her thoughts startled her into a spontaneous response. "I was enjoying the embrace of the man I
thought
you were. Had I known you were a low thief, a stagecoach robber"

    A sound of surprise escaped her captor's lips. "So you recognize me."

    "I recognize your tactics. Only a coward like you would get satisfaction from forcing a woman to submit to his will." Devina sensed the cutting edge of her words piercing deep as her captor instinctively stiffened.

    "Since you recognize me from my unmanly qualities, Miss Dale, you probably realize I don't make idle threats. Now, do I have your word that you'll stop fighting me or shall I tie you up?"

    Devina raised her chin defiantly. "I've already agreed."

    "You haven't given me your word."

    "And I don't intend to!"

    Her captor immediately reached for the rope on the saddle.

    "All right!" Devina cried. "I give you my word, damn you!"

    He did not release the coiled rope. "Can I trust you to
keep
your word, Miss Dale?"

    Devina gave a short, bitter laugh. "You'll soon find out, won't you?"

  Devina's captor abruptly spurred his horse forward, thrusting her back against his chest even more solidly than before. But as he did, he loosened his grip and let his arm slip down to circle her waist in an almost casual manner. Devina restrained an urge to laugh.

    So the big, bold payroll thief thought he could trust her to keep her word. Well, that was his first mistake! Only a fool would keep a promise that had been coerced from her, and only a fool would believe that she would.

    An unexpected howl in the distance penetrated the silence of the night, and Devina cast an apprehensive glance at the eerie shadows of the deserted hills. A chill moved down her spine as the helplessness of her situation registered fully in her mind. Her captor's reaction was to pull her closer against him, and Devina was again reminded of the power in the arms that had so easily subdued her.

    Devina summoned the last residue of strength within her. She would not let this land intimidate her. As for this man, whoever he was, he was no match for her, as he would soon see.

    The sun was rising, a great golden globe that set the morning sky afire with vibrant hues, but Devina felt little joy in the beginning of this new day. It had been a long and exhausting night during which the tireless animal beneath her had continued onward, bearing the weight of her captor and herself without protest. What little sleep she had been able to manage had been broken by the throbbing ache in her jaw, the chafing of the bonds on her wrists, and her awareness of the hard male body against which she rested.

    It had done her little good to attempt to hold herself erect, free of her captor's support. Her spirit had been willing, but her body had been weak, and she had awakened on several occasions only to find herself leaning full back against his strong chest, her head tucked into the curve of his neck. She had finally submitted to her exhaustion, telling herself that she would take advantage of this man's strength until she felt strong enough to escape him.

    Hundreds of questions whirled in her mind. Who was this man with Charles's face? Was Charles a party to this masquerade or a victim of it? What did this man intend to do to her?

    Unexpectedly Devina's captor turned his mount off the trail and down a sloping pathway to the right. To the best of her knowledge, it was the first time they had left the main trail, and Devina's heart began a ragged beat. Did that mean that they were soon to reach their destination?

    Her silent question was answered when a crude cabin came into view amid the uneven terrain. The wood was old, colored by exposure to the elements into a shade that blended so well with the surrounding countryside that the shack was rendered almost invisible. A perfect hideout. A search party could wander for weeks in this area without locating it. Damn, how would anyone ever find her?

    Within minutes the horse drew to a halt, and her captor dismounted. Turning toward her the moment his feet touched the ground, he reached up to lift her down, exposing his face to her in the clear light of morning. A short gasp escaped Devina's lips. The handsome, sharply chiseled features, the strong jaw, the full, well-shaped lips… Charles… Was this man really Charles, or was he not?