The Outlaws: Rafe (26 page)

Then it came to him.
 
She might hate him for it but he couldn't leave her to Chandler's mercy.
 
Angel was an extremely wealthy woman.
 
Chandler wanted her and wouldn't hesitate to take her against her will.
 
Then it came to him.
 
Rafe knew exactly what he would do, where he would go as he waited for Chandler to leave.

Angela fell asleep hugging Rafe's pillow.
 
Though she'd washed the bed linen since he'd left, she imagined she could still smell his musky scent permeating the material.
 
She was sleeping so peacefully she didn't hear the sound of glass breaking in the spare bedroom, or the rasping noise of a window being raised to admit a rather large man.
 
She slept blissfully on, unaware until a blanket was thrown over her head and she felt strong arms pick her up and carry her away.

Her wits returned slowly.
 
She was being abducted from her bed!
 
By whom?
 
Chandler?
 
That didn't make sense.
 
She opened her mouth to protest but her voice was muffled by the blanket.
 
Her words were pitifully garbled.
 
Then she felt night air cooling parts of her body not covered by the blanket and panic rose inside her.

Kicking and flailing didn't work.
 
The arms holding her were too strong, the blanket too tightly confining.
 
Then the slant of the land changed and Angela realized her abductor was climbing steadily upward.
 
She managed to grunt out a few words of outrage but they appeared to bounce off the man.
 
After what seemed like hours but in reality was only thirty minutes, she was lowered to the ground.
 
Immediately she tried to fight her way out of the blanket, but her captor was too fast for her.
 
With a few deft strokes he tied the blanket in place around her body and bound her ankles so she couldn't hobble off.
 
She was helpless, totally at her abductor's mercy.

Rafe glanced down at Angel, satisfied that she wasn't going anywhere while he returned to the cabin for her clothing and a horse.
 
"I'll be back," he whispered hoarsely into her ear.
 
Then he turned and strode out of the cave and into the dark night.

All was quiet at the mine when Rafe returned.
 
This time he entered the cabin by the front door and lit a lantern inside Angel's bedroom.
 
He found her saddlebags and hastily stuffed clothing into them.
 
After a quick look around, he added a hairbrush, towels, soap and a washcloth.
  
He was rummaging around in a drawer for some ribbons to bind her long, blond hair back from her face when he came across a small stack of gold coins and a wad of bills.

Since he had no money of his own, and aware that they would need more food than he could carry away from the kitchen, he pushed the money down into one of the pockets of the saddlebags.
 
Then he rolled two blankets into a bedroll and carried everything into the kitchen, where he emptied a gunny sack that held sticks of kindling for the stove and filled it with bacon, canned goods, beans, crackers, coffee, salt, flour, and anything else he thought they might need in the way of food.
 
Then he doused the light, carrying the lantern with him when he left the cabin.

Rafe made his way to the corral, keeping well within the shadows as he passed Chandler's cabin.
 
He left the saddlebags, lantern, gunnysack and bedroll in the tack house while he found a saddle and carried it out to the corral.
 
The horses whinnied a greeting when Rafe walked into the enclosure and Rafe prayed that Chandler wasn't a light sleeper.
 
He spotted Angel's mare immediately and used his gentlest voice to soothe her as he tossed the saddle over her back and fastened the straps.

When he finished he retrieved the things he'd left in the tack house, threw the saddlebags over the mare's withers and attached the gunny sack to the saddle horn.
 
Then he led the horse from the enclosure, past the cabins, and up the hillside to the cave where Angel waited.
 
Rafe wasn't looking forward to facing Angel's wrath when she learned he had abducted her.
 
Somehow he had to make her understand that it was for her own good.

Angela struggled within the suffocating folds of the blanket until exhaustion forced her to stop.
 
How could this be happening to her?
 
Who had abducted her and why?
 
She couldn't imagine Anson doing such a thing for he had nothing to gain by it.
 
Did she have unknown enemies?

For lack of a better solution, Angela screamed.
 
The sound, muffled by the blanket, bounced off unseen walls and echoed back to her.
 
She shivered, letting her imagination run wild.
 
Her keen senses told her a few things, none of them comforting.
 
The ground beneath her was damp and the air around her fetid and cool.
 
Her abductor was a large man who carried her uphill with ease.
 
Regrettably, nothing else made sense to her befuddled mind.

Locked in darkness, the passage of time meant little to Angela.
 
Minutes or hours could have passed before she heard footsteps approaching.
 
Through the fibers of the blanket she perceived light.
 
Her captor was carrying a lantern.

"Who are you?" Angela cried.
 
Though her words were muffled, she knew he understood her.
 
"Why have you done this to me?"

She heard a sigh.
 
The sound reverberated through her brain, setting off alarm bells in her head.
 
"Release me!"

She felt his hands on her ankles, freeing them, felt the rope holding the blanket in place around her body fall away.
 
She drew in a sustaining breath as her shroud was whisked away.
 
She blinked and gazed up into the stoic face of her captor.

"You!"

"Hello, Angel."

"Damn you, Rafe Gentry!
 
You scared ten years off my life."
 
She glanced around and realized she was inside a cave.
 
"What's this all about?
 
What are you doing here?"

"I'm happy to hear you're glad to see me," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

 
"If you recall, we didn't part on the best of terms."

"If you recall, you told me you wanted nothing to do with Chandler, yet he's here, acting as if he owns both you and the mine."

Angela gaped at him.
 
"How do you know that?"

"I know more than you think.
 
Did you enjoy his kiss?"

Angela blanched.
 
"You saw that?"

"Fickle bitch," Rafe muttered beneath his breath.
 
"Don't you realize you're playing with fire?
 
Chandler will stop at nothing to get to your money.
 
He's already wormed his way into your good graces."

"You don't know a darn thing, Rafe Gentry.
 
Anson kissed me, I didn't kiss him," she said defensively.

His voice held a note of derision.
 
"There's a difference? What's Chandler doing at the mine?"

"It seems that Western men are more prejudiced against women than I thought.
 
I couldn't find men willing to work for a woman.
 
Anson offered to help out.
 
He promised to bring all the workers I needed and suggested that we pretend to be engaged to be married."

Rafe gave a snort of laughter.
 
"Pretend?
 
You two looked pretty damn chummy to me."

"You don't understand," Angela tried to explain.
 
"I went along with Anson's suggestion for your sake."

Rafe sent her a stunned look.
 
"For me!
 
You're right, I don't understand."

"Anson said something that led me to believe he knew more about Baxter's death than he should.
 
I invited him out here to find out what he knows."

His voice held a cynical note.
 
"Are you telling me you now believe I'm innocent?
 
That I didn't kill Baxter?"

"I'm telling you I'm willing to do whatever it takes to learn the truth."
 
Her voice softened.
 
"I'd like nothing better than to prove you innocent, Rafe."

"Forget it, Angel.
 
Either you believe in me or you don't."

Men! Angela thought.
 
Why did they have to be so stubborn?
 
She tried to stand.
 
Her legs were wobbly and she tottered forward.
 
Rafe reached out to steady her.

"If you're finished with your games, Rafe Gentry, I'd like to return to my cabin now."

"You're not going anywhere, Angel.
 
You're not thinking coherently.
 
You're headed for a heap of trouble.
 
As your husband, I'm duty bound to protect you."

Astounded, Angela asked, "You returned to protect me?
 
After the angry words we exchanged?"

"Why else would I stick around?
 
I know you don't trust me, that you think I'm a killer, but that doesn't lessen my responsibility regarding your safety."

Angela's chin notched upward.
 
"I can take care of myself.
 
Did you hear nothing I said?
 
I'm trying to prove your innocence.
 
You should be grateful."

"Grateful that you need proof of my innocence?
 
My word alone should be enough."

"You forget," Angela reminded him, "I'm not the only one requiring proof.
 
What about the sheriff?
 
If I can prove someone else killed Baxter, you're name will be cleared."

"You suspect Chandler?"

"It's a distinct possibility."

Rafe's temper exploded.
 
"Are you mad?
 
If Chandler is a killer then you're in danger every minute you remain in his company.
 
What if Chandler becomes suspicious of your questions and decides he doesn't need you?
 
Your stepfather is your next of kin.
 
He'd inherit the Golden Angel and everything else you own should you meet with an accident.
 
Chandler would benefit through his deal with Dexter.
 
God, how naive can you be?"

Angela looked properly chastised.
 
"I never thought of it that way.
 
I'll be more careful from now on.
 
Don't worry about me, Rafe.
 
Just take care of yourself."

She tried to push past him.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the mine.
 
It can't be too far away.
 
I want to be home before the miners show up for work."

When she tried to sidle past him, his hand came down hard on her shoulder.
 
"You're not going anywhere, Angel."

She shrugged free of his grip.
 
"How do you intend to stop me?"

"The same way I got you here, if need be."

Angela went still.
 
"You'd abduct me?
 
Where are you taking me?"

"I intend to clear my name if it's the last thing I do.
 
I'm going back to Dodge City to confront Mr. Wingate, the banker who falsely accused me and my brothers of bank robbery.
 
I'm gong to prove to you that I'm not an outlaw if it's the last thing I do."

"It just might be the last thing you do," Angela muttered bleakly.
 
"I can't fault you for wanting to clear your name.
 
What I don't understand is your reason for taking me with you.
 
You'd be better served if I remain here and learn what I can from Anson about Baxter's death.
 
He seems to be the only person besides you who can shed any light on the subject."

"No! I'm not leaving you behind this time.
 
You're coming with me and that's final.
 
If things work out we can solve that mystery together."

"I'm not going with you," Angela stubbornly affirmed.

"You have no choice.
 
You're not going anywhere near the mine or Chandler unless I'm with you."

"This is totally unacceptable, Rafe.
 
The Golden Angel is my responsibility; I can't leave it unattended."

"You're my responsibility, Angel.
 
I risked a great deal to return for you and I'm not leaving without you."

Angela stared at him.
 
He sounded like a jealous husband.
 
"Is that all I am to you, Rafe?
 
A responsibility?
 
Do you take all your responsibilities seriously."