AwayFromtheSun (2 page)

Seconds after the riders made contact with Mother Earth the rain began to fall. She glanced at Trip who stood in utter amazement at the sight before him.

“Incredible,” he barely muttered.

Soaking rain merged into a torrential downpour, drenching their hair and clothes. Shye welcomed the clean wash sent by the spirit world to take away the stain of betrayal and the filth of greed. Late August heat faded beneath the cool water pouring over them. She let her weapon slide to the ground at her feet and simply stood with an open mind and heart. Trip seemed extremely tuned in as always and held her hand, lacing his long masculine fingers with hers.

The riders scattered to the four winds, waving their dream catchers in one hand while shaking their rain sticks with the other as they swept over the land. They raced along the property lines, urging their horses to fly across the acreage with amazing speed and dexterity. She heard their whoops and whistles in the distance then closer when they returned to the house.

Dressed in fringed leggings, loincloths, and bone breastplates, the warriors were a spectacular sight to behold as they cleansed the land. Shye did not expect this. Their visitation humbled her and made her realize just how sacred this land had become.
No wonder they came back and attacked the men who stole my farm. This beautiful piece of ground belongs to my people not just to me.
“I am very blessed to be chosen by
Nagi
,” she whispered to Trip.

“They chose wisely,” he added in a soft voice. “You are brave and relentless.”

“I am loyal, that’s all.” She smiled modestly. “Here they come again. They are magnificent. I can’t believe my ancestors from many generations past have come to purify our home.”

She gasped as the herd of wild-looking horses carrying the greatest Lakota warriors of all time stepped toward her. Some of the braves looked young with ebony braids hanging far past their bronze shaded shoulders. Feathers of various colors were tied into their hair with leather thongs. Many of the older men wore full Indian bonnets over their gray hair that revealed their esteemed position among the nation. Long trails of feathers hung down their backs. Young or old, the burning spirit of a people who would never die shone brightly in their dark eyes. Even the wrinkles of age did not hide their indomitable spirit.

Suddenly
Nagi
Howiwacipi
—Shadow the Ghost Dancer—emerged from the gathering then slid from the bare back of her black stallion. She looked more beautiful than ever dressed in her white doeskin dress and moccasins. Her wild black hair whipped around her pretty face in the gusty wind.
Nagi
stepped forward then turned toward Trip.

Shye clasped a hand over her chest when
Nagi
held her rain stick out to him.
What’s going on? Has Trip found special favor among my people at last?

Trip knelt on one knee before her and bowed his head. Shye watched in astonishment.

Nagi
laid a gentle hand atop his head. “
Icimani Un Ki Zuzeca
…you have done well by helping Shadow right the wrong committed against our people.”

Shye blinked a few times and shook her head, stunned by the honor bestowed upon Trip and even more astounded that
Nagi
had given him a Lakota name—
Journey of the Snake
—Trip Viper. He never did tell her how he got his name when she’d inquired many weeks ago. The mysteries behind her man had finally begun to unfold. She knew very little about his past except that he had a brother who’d been a cop and was killed by Pike because he’d uncovered their drug ring. But Trip had never mentioned his parents or disclosed any details of his past to her other than what had happened to Ty.

His gorgeous long black hair draped around his face as he remained knelt before the original ghost dancer herself. Rain-soaked clothes clung to his muscular body like a second skin as he rested one bent arm over his knee and waited.

Nagi’s
sweetly melodic voice floated over them as she spoke to him. “You have earned the right to avenge your brother’s death. Take my rain stick…it will expose the truth. The riders will come when your mission is fulfilled and the guilty will spend eternity in torment.” She smiled sweetly, then added, “We ride
above
the law. Your brother’s killer will not escape punishment this time.”

Trip nodded respectfully, but did not speak. He held out one hand to receive the rain stick.

“Beware of deception.”
Nagi
placed the rain stick in his hand then stepped back. “The rain stick stolen from this land must be returned in order to restore harmony to the spirit world.”

Then as quickly as the riders and
Nagi
had appeared—they rode off into the night sky.

Shye stood in stunned silence while processing all that had just transpired. Trip rose from his position and turned toward her. His hair had grown a few inches during their supernatural encounter, which amazed her. A lingering stiff breeze blew the silken strands off his ruggedly handsome face. At that very moment he did not look like a white man—but resembled an incredibly gorgeous Indian brave.

Her breath caught in her chest as he stared back at her with eyes like night and a smoldering gaze burning in those dark alluring depths. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re Native American?”

A beguiling smile tugged at the corners of his sensual lips. “I wanted you to love me wholeheartedly without prejudice. I knew that if you could fall in love with a white man even after what they did to you, that your love would be true and pure.”

“You’ve been betrayed, haven’t you?”

He nodded. “Once and that was enough.”

“I just realized how very little I know about you.” She reached up and touched his face. “Will you tell me about who betrayed you and how you got your name?”

With a yielding smile, he sat down and pulled her onto his lap.

Chapter Two

“My name is easy to speak of,” he began. “After Ty’s death I became a licensed bounty hunter as you know. When I turned to the tribal elders for spiritual guidance they took me on a vision quest. In that realm the spirits revealed that I would travel far and strike with fast and deadly force. The medicine man gave me my Indian name and his blessings.”

“I’m blown away. How did I miss this about you?”

“You were not meant to see until the spirits felt the time was right just as I was not permitted to know that you are Shadow the Ghost Dancer before I gave my heart to you.”

“Our destiny was arranged before we even knew it.” She gazed into his eyes, overwhelmed with love for this incredible man. “I’ve noticed your darkening tan and longer hair, but never considered this.”

“Yeah…I guess our ancestors know what they’re doing after all,” he said with a light laugh.

“The one who betrayed you…had you given your heart to her as well?”

His gaze shifted into the distance and his voice sounded remote. “She was a liar and a thief.”

“I take that as a
yes
.”

“I loved her…yes. We were high school sweethearts at Bluff Ridge Academy. Her parents didn’t like me though because I lived on the rez.”

“You…lived on the reservation?” Shye stared wide-eyed.

“Until I graduated, yeah, but you wouldn’t know that because you grew up on your parents’ farm then left for the Air Force straight out of school.”

“And though we are of the same people we are from different worlds. I even attended a different school than you because the reservation kids were bussed up north.” She shook her head slowly, half in amazement and half in shame. “I take it that your girlfriend was not Native American?”

“No, she was a white girl. Most of the kids at school were white and didn’t take well to mixed couples. We endured our share of ridicule.”

“You must have truly loved her then. I heard about that school and how tough the kids were. I knew about the prejudice going on against the Bluff Ridge kids. That was one of the main reasons
Ina
and
Ate
insisted I attend the school closer to town. I wanted to be among my people like the reservation kids, but my mother and father said
no
.” She looked away, feeling suddenly out of place with him. He’d taken the hard road while she’d had it easy.

“Hey,” he said in a gentle voice. “I’m glad you went to a safer school. Native American girls had it rough up there and I spent a lot of time defending my girlfriend and fighting the bullies who tormented the Indian girls.”

She waited a few moments in respectful silence, not wanting to rush him. Clearly his past carried many scars. When he offered no more, she softly asked, “What happened? Didn’t she wait for you when you joined the service?”

“She waited.” He leaned back and stared up at the sky. “We had plans to marry before Ty got killed.”

Shye didn’t know what to say to that. Suddenly this man she’d known only several weeks had an ex-fiancé. She wondered if she’d accepted his proposal too soon. “Wow…you had a history with this girl…”

He slid one hand into the thick of her hair and turned her head toward him. Their eyes met.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “You wonder if I am over her. The answer is yes, I am over her. I hope she never shows her face around here again. I’ve never hurt a woman. But she has tempted me to cross that line.”

Shye studied the flash of mixed emotion in his eyes. Though the lines on his face remained hard and stoic like those of a true warrior, the rage and heartbreak flickered in his unflinching gaze.

“Will you tell me what she did?”

With a heavy sigh, he offered her an easy smile. “Women…they always want to know about the
other
woman even if she is no longer in the picture. Men don’t want to hear about the other men.”

“I can’t help my naturally inquisitive nature.”

He gave her a spirited wink. “No worries, I’ve nothing to hide.” After shifting her weight on his lap and sliding both arms around her waist he continued, “Natayla and her sister hooked up with me and Ty during a field trip in our junior year. The four of us had become a tight group and shared almost everything together. Ty thought it was awesome that we’d found sisters to date. He longed for a family since our parents had died long ago. But things didn’t work out with his girl. She was shallow and had roaming eyes. He couldn’t trust her, so he broke it off and eventually found another woman, who he married.”

“The mysterious ex-wife who took off after his death?”

Trip nodded. “I promised her that I’d never reveal her whereabouts so please don’t ask. I am a man of my word.”

“I respect that. My curiosity is only with you, not your brother’s ex. I like a man who can keep a promise.”

“And I love a trustworthy woman…especially one who enjoys blowing things up,” he teased.

She let out a light laugh then shrugged. “What can I say?”

He stroked her hair while gazing at her in open adoration. “I wish I had met you first.”

A quiet moment ensued as they seemed to meditate over his words. Then Shye hesitantly pressed on.

“So this Natayla, what did she do? I saw darkness in your eyes when you spoke of her.”

“She tipped Draven off. Let him know that Ty had evidence and was about to make the bust. I believe she did it to get back at Ty for dumping her sister.”

“Oh my god…your girlfriend was Pike’s informant?”

“Yeah.”

“Now I really understand why you were so guarded with me in the beginning and why you suspected I may have been working with them. I am so sorry you were betrayed and that the woman you’d loved took part in your brother’s death.”

“I never saw her after the night Ty was killed. She stole all the cash from my home safe and took off. So much for love…that woman doesn’t know the meaning.” Again the fury shadowed his face. “I never was able to prove her involvement, but I know she was the one. I found a crumpled piece of paper in the trash with Draven’s name and number scribbled on it in her handwriting. Doesn’t take a genius to put those pieces together.”

“No…it doesn’t. I was a fool for Gage. Thought I could trust him because we grew up together and you saw where that got me.”

He nodded. They stared into each other’s eyes for a while in a silent exchange—sharing a deep connection and a longing for justice.

“The betrayal lingers, doesn’t it?” she murmured.

“Like a bitter pill.” He drew her face close to his. “But your sweetness has enabled me to love again. I’ve never loved any woman the way I love you. Everything about you thrills me in a new way.” His lips touched hers in a tender kiss.

“I feel the same about you.” She placed her hands alongside his face. Her thumbs softly traced the high cheekbones above a perfectly straight masculine nose. “I hope that I can also erase the bitterness from your soul.”

“You have, my love.” His eyes shimmered in the beams of moonlight filtering down. “And because of you, I have the power to deliver justice to an old enemy. The Rain Riders were very generous to reward me with this gift. I asked for nothing when I agreed to help you and I did not expect anything in return.”