Johanna Lindsey - Savage Thunder

"But why the hell did you do it?"

"So she'd know her enemy. Everyone's got that right, Colt. He's had the advantage all this time because she wouldn't know him if she passed him in the street. Now she knows him."

"You should have just killed the bastard and saved me the trouble," Colt muttered.

"You didn't ask me to do that." Angel grinned. "Besides, I figure that's her right too."

Colt's anger burst again, hearing that. "Who the hell do you think she is, another Jessie? She's a damned duchess, for Christ's sake! They don't go around killing people when they can hire someone else to do it."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Colt Thunder," Jocelyn said in a tightly controlled voice. "Would you care to offer me your gun to find out?"

They had both obviously forgotten about her during their discourse, if their expressions were any indica-tion. Angel flinched. Colt swung around, scowling. But damned if he didn't toss her his gun. The least she could do was cock it and point it at him.

"I ought to, you know." She was seething with anger, not enough to shoot him, but enough to shout, "Why the devil didn't you tell me you had sent someone into that nest of vipers? Do you know that your blasted friend didn't once let on he was there at your request? A favor, he mentioned, but he let me think it was owed to Longnose. And do you know what he assured Longnose he would do with me? I was to be used until he tired of me; then, of course, he would kill me."

"Whaaat?" Angel complained innocently when Colt's scowl came back to him. "I had to tell him something to make him think twice about coming right after us. Did I know you were there to hold them off?"

"So why didn't you set her straight once you were out of there?"

"Well, shoot, Colt, I figured she knew it was just a bunch of hogwash I was feeding him. I teased her enough about it. I told her she had nothing to worry about. And she wasn't afraid of me. The only time she was upset at all was right after I sent that two-faced Dryden to his Maker. He really turned my stomach, handing her over to us the way he did."

Colt's gaze came back to Jocelyn then, and she had the feeling his anger changed direction too. He was now furious at her for some reason, but she couldn't imagine why.

"Well, splendid," she said on a sigh. "So now I'm at fault, am I? Care to tell me why?"

"You have to ask? You let that bastard work his lies on you, and then you have the gall to be upset over his death. I seem to recall you didn't even bat an eye when I killed one of those scum for you."

She still didn't understand what he was objecting to. "I didn't know that chap you killed. I'd never set eyes on him before. Besides, you killed to protect me.

Angel killed in cold blood. I hope I know the differ-ence."

His lips thinned out, letting her know she hadn't appeased him. Angel was frowning now, too, at her allegation, but didn't care to argue with her about it with Colt there. Colt was too touchy by half about her. But he felt the need for justification. Cold-blooded, hell.

"Did you know about Dryden, Colt?" he asked, drawing his attention away from the duchess.

"Not everything, obviously," Colt replied brusquely. "When was he recruited?"

"When you all were laid over in Silver City. He agreed to bring the duchess to us, which is why there was no need to get close enough where you could spot us. They said he killed rich old widow women, after he married them. You blame me for taking him out?"

"I'd have killed him myself just for handing her over to you. Christ, I wasn't expecting that. I'd finally remembered where I'd seen him before, though. He was run out of Cheyenne a few years back for getting caught cheating at cards. I seem to recall there was a widow preparing for a wedding who was a mite upset at his leaving."

Jocelyn's eyes flared for a moment. "And you didn't bother to tell me that, either?"

"And ruin your little romance? I didn't think you'd appreciate that too much."

Was that jealousy snarling at her? The thought was so incredulous it… it dissolved instantly. Of course he wasn't. He was likely ticked off because he hadn't known all the facts about Dry den. But she'd had too exhausting a day to put up with his surliness another moment, or Angel's humor. That miserable wretch was grinning again!

"Bother this," she said in disgust, and tossed Colt's gun back to him before the temptation became too great. She ignored him then to address Angel. "Pro-tocol demands that I thank you for your assistance, sir, no matter how despicable the manner of it." He grimaced, but she wasn't quite finished with him. "So allow me to wish you a long and uneventful life — and may you drop dead from sheer boredom. Good eve-ning, gentlemen."

Without another look at either of them, she hooked her leg over the uncomfortable horn of Colt's saddle.

She didn't even try to locate the stirrup for support, since it was adjusted to his long legs, not hers. But the precarious perch didn't change her mind. She rode off.

Colt didn't move, prompting Angel to comment casually, "She's going to break her neck sitting that horse sideways like that." "It's the way she rides." "Not on a Western saddle, it ain't." Colt swore beneath his breath before he shouted, "Come back here, Duchess!"

Of course she ignored him. But he still didn't move to follow her. He let out a yipping yell instead, then waited to hear her give out a curse or two herself when his horse turned around. The horse did stop and turn, but instead of cursing, the duchess calmly slid off him. And then Colt heard that shrill whistle he'd heard once before but forgotten about, and was nearly knocked down by her stallion as the animal took off in answer to her call.

He cursed a blue streak then as he ran out to meet the Appaloosa on its way back to him, knowing full well hers would reach her first and he'd never catch up with that lightning bolt she called a horse. Angel mounted up in his own good time to follow, quietly laughing his head off.

“I hope you know I aged ten years."

"I likely picked up a few myself," Jocelyn told the countess as she sank deeper into the little tub that had been brought to the room they shared.

"If only I-"

"Oh, Vana, please, please stop blaming yourself! No one could have known what a truly despicable man he was beneath all that charm. Colt didn't know what he was capable of, and he knew Dryden was no good."

"Well, I'm glad that nice Angel chap dispatched him, I truly am. He deserved no less."

"Nice? Angel?" Jocelyn choked. "That man—"

"Saved you, dear."

"At the expense of my peace of mind!"

The countess clicked her tongue. "Don't quibble means. It's the end result that counts."

"Colt was there," Jocelyn reminded her sullenly. "He wouldn't have let anyone touch me."

"But his friend didn't know that. His friend risked his life to get you out of there against great odds."

"His friend took me there to begin with!" Jocelyn retorted, having heard quite enough. "And, I might add, his friend never said he was his friend. Now, not another word about that wretched man. Colt had the right idea. He should have beat the crap out of him."

Vanessa's brows shot up, not only at Jocelyn's show of temper, but that word. "Crap?"

"I believe it means Angel wouldn't have walked away from the fight. You know, guts spilled and all that."

Vanessa's frown came quickly with the assumption that Jocelyn was merely being sarcastic. "That isn't funny, dear."

"I wasn't joking."

"Oh… well.. "

Jocelyn waited, but that last had definitely silenced Vanessa. She went back to working her sampler with short, jabbing stitches that would likely have to be redone later. Jocelyn relaxed into the little tub as well as she could and closed her eyes. It was the first chance she'd actually had to relax since Longnose had gotten lucky — well, almost lucky.

She didn't like remembering how close it had been this time, nor did she like having an image to bring to mind of that horrid man. But she had to allow Angel had been right in one respect. No matter how much it disturbed her to remember the Englishman's face, it was to her benefit that she could.

She had come upon her men that night shortly after the race to outdistance Colt had begun, but then she had almost expected that, since she realized with some surprise after she started that she was on the main road. Angel had been taking her back to her people all along. Colt had been right behind her, and although she had anticipated he would be furious enough to cause a scene, he had merely said to her, "Someone ought to do something about that temper of yours."

It was later that she learned Colt had been the only one to hear the shot that killed Dryden, which was why he'd been able to find her so quickly. Her men had gone out to search for her when she didn't return at the usual time, but they'd been forced to follow her trail into the hills first, and Angel was right again, there were no trackers among them.

Maura Dryden, or whatever her name really was, had disappeared by the time they got back to the wag-ons. Vanessa had assumed she had stolen a horse and left while it was still daylight, but she couldn't be sure. She and the other women had been too upset to take note. But it was concluded that Maura had likely panicked when Miles didn't return to report Jocelyn's supposed "accident" as he had planned to do. She must have assumed either that he had run out on her or that something had gone wrong. In either case, she'd been wise not to stay to find out.

Jocelyn wouldn't be surprised if she was hiding somewhere in Santa Fe, or perhaps back in that town they had avoided. She didn't think the woman would leave the area until she had learned what had befallen her lover. She didn't particularly care what became of Maura, as long as she never had to meet up with her again.

They had ridden straight for Santa Fe at Colt's sug-gestion, with only short stops long enough to rest the horses. It had not been pleasant sleeping in the coaches, but they had cut the time in half to reach the old town, leaving the Englishman likely still looking for her and Angel in the mountains. The rush hadn't really been necessary. He wouldn't attack with his small number. But it gave them the opportunity to lose him again. They could leave the trail now, take the railroad, or even let him pass them by.

But no decisions had been made yet. Jocelyn was hoping to discuss the matter with Colt, but the latest run-in with Longnose hadn't changed his habits. She hadn't seen him since it happened.

"You know, I suppose I must admit our guide did acquit himself rather well during that unpleasant-ness."

Jocelyn's eyes popped open. Good Lord, had Vanessa been milling that over all this time? If she had, then she had probably come to some sort of conclu-sion that Jocelyn was certain not to like.

"I thought so," Jocelyn agreed hesitantly — at least up until he got angry with her again for no apparent reason, she added to herself.

"I'm rather impressed with the way he went after you," Vanessa continued, "without wasting valuable time in coming for help, without knowing what he would be facing when he found you."

"He knew that Angel would be there."

"Actually, he didn't, if you'll recall. When he went back to Benson that night we camped so near it, and encountered his friend there, he only requested he make himself available to the Englishman if the op-portunity arose. He had no way of knowing if Angel had succeeded in joining the brigands, or how many other men Longnose might have acquired between then and now."

Vanessa — defending Colt? Jocelyn really didn't want to know what this was leading up to. And yet for some reason she was pleased to hear Colt being praised, especially by her friend.

"Yes, well, he has never struck me as a man who might worry over odds." And then a twinkle appeared in Jocelyn's eyes. "Do yoit suppose it might have something to do with his heritage? After all, a good many of those stories we heard about Indians were of small numbers attacking large groups of set-tlers." Jocelyn had to force back the grin pulling at her lips on seeing Vanessa's quick frown over her observation.

"I believe it is nothing more than courage," Vanessa insisted.

Better and better. Colt was going to become marriage material if the countess kept this up. If he had a sixth sense, he ought to be on his way out of the territory by now.