Heart of the Hunter (14 page)

Lee regarded her through eyes that were faintly amused. “I
think you’re in worse shape than I am.

“I doubt it. Can I get you anything?”

“Some more whiskey?”

“Is that a good idea?”

“At this point I don’t much care.”

She poured some whiskey into the glass. When she would have
added water, he shook his head.

“I’ll take it straight,” he said, and drained the glass in
two quick swallows.

“Lee, what’s going on?”

“Later, Kelly,” he murmured.

“You promised…”

“I know, but I’m…so…tired.” His eyelids fluttered down. “The
gun,” he said, his voice growing faint. “Keep it close…”

Kelly stared at him. The whiskey and the pain and the loss
of blood had caught up with him, she thought and wished that she, too, could
lose herself in oblivion, but she was too frazzled even to think of sleep.

She took the gun from the bedside table, its weight somehow
reassuring as she walked through the house, rechecking the doors and windows.

She was surprised to see that it was still raining, a slow,
steady drizzle.

Returning to the guest room, she sat down in the faded
overstuffed chair in the corner, the gun in her lap. Drawing her legs up
beneath her, she stared at Lee, watching the shallow rise and fall of his
chest. He’d been shot. He could have been killed. Why? Who was after him and
what did they want?

She knew the answer, knew it as surely as she knew the rain
would stop and the sun would shine.

They hadn’t been after Lee at all.

They were after her.

They were after the gold.

Chapter Seventeen

“So, what have you learned?”

The two men standing in front of the desk exchanged glances.
“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Renford leaned forward, his gaze intent on the
face of the man with the odd-colored yellow eyes. “You assured me you’d be able
to locate the gold within a week.”

“I miscalculated.”

“I’m not paying for miscalculations, Trask, I’m paying for
information.”

“Yeah, well…” Trask slid a glance at his partner.

The shorter man shrugged. “We…uh…changed our tactics a
little.”

“A little!” Trask exclaimed. “Bradford took a shot at the
girl.”

“You idiot! She’s the only one who knows where to find the
gold.”

“He didn’t hit the girl,” Trask said brusquely.

Harry Renford squirmed in his chair. It had been a mistake,
hiring these two thugs. Both were wanted men. He’d thought the promise of easy
money would keep them in line but now he wasn’t so sure.

He resisted the urge to wipe the perspiration beading on his
brow. He was in too deep and they knew too much for him to turn back now.
Secretly, he was afraid of Trask, afraid of the greed that burned in the man’s
cold yellow eyes.

“I don’t want any more shooting,” Harry said. “Is that
clear? I only want to know if the gold exists, nothing else!”

“Sure, boss, don’t worry.” Trask fixed his partner with a
hard stare. “This time we’ll do it my way.”

Chapter Eighteen

Kelly sat with Lee until he fell asleep and then, after
checking all the doors and windows one more time, she went to bed, only to toss
and turn restlessly. Twice, nightmares woke her.

The third time she woke up, she found Blue Crow sitting on
the foot of her bed.

“Go back to sleep,
tekihila,
” he whispered. “I will
keep watch.”

“You know what happened?”

“
Han.
It was the man I warned you about, the one with
the yellow eyes.”

“I’m scared, Blue Crow.”

“I know.” He rose from the bed and padded quietly to her
side. “I will keep you safe,
tekihila,
so long as I am able.”

“Hold me?”

He murmured a soft sound of assent as he sank down on the
bed beside her and drew her into his arms. The long blue sleeping gown she wore
felt like dandelion fluff against his bare chest.

They fit together perfectly, Kelly thought as she snuggled
against Blue Crow, like a hand in a glove, or two halves of the same whole.

She ran her fingertips over his broad back, amazed anew at
the pleasure she found in touching him. He seemed so real, so alive, it was
hard to remember that he was a ghost, a phantom who came to her in the dark of
the night.

“
Tekihila…
”

His voice was low and husky, filled with the yearning of a
hundred years. His hand played in her hair, caressed her nape, slid down her
back, and everywhere he touched, she felt little frissons of sensual delight.

She gazed up into his eyes, eyes dark with passion, as Lee’s
had been dark the night she had almost lost her virginity. It was eerie, the
resemblance between the two men. Sometimes she thought Lee and Blue Crow shared
the same soul.

Blue Crow’s gaze met hers. “You are thinking of Roan Horse,”
he remarked.

Kelly nodded. “You’re so much alike, sometimes I forget
you’re not him.”

“You have learned to care for him?”

“Yes.”

Blue Crow nodded. It was what he wanted, what he hoped for,
yet he couldn’t suppress the sharp stab of jealousy that coursed through him
when he thought of Kelly in another man’s arms.

“Has he made you his woman?”

Kelly felt the heat flood her cheeks in bright red waves.
Mute, she stared into Blue Crow’s eyes, wondering what to say. Though they had
been intimate, she wasn’t sure if Lee considered her to be his woman. As far as
that went, she didn’t know if she wanted to be Lee’s woman—she didn’t even know
if she trusted him.

“Do you love him?”

“I don’t know.”

“Does he love you?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Think again,
tekihila. I
have seen into his heart.
He holds only good feelings for you, though he tries to fight them.” Blue Crow
smiled pensively. “He is afraid of you.”

“Afraid? Of me?”

“
Han.
”

“Why?”

“You are white,
skuya.
Roan Horse has no good
memories of anyone who is white.”

Blue Crow’s finger traced the line of her jaw, the curve of
her cheek. “You did not answer my question,
tekihila.
Has he made you
his wornan?”

“Not exactly.”

Blue Crow stared at her, one black brow arched in confusion.
“I do not understand.”

“He…we…that is, we started to…” Kelly shook her head. “He
did and he didn’t.”

“Are you still a maiden?”

“Yes, but a very experienced one.”

Blue Crow frowned. “You talk in riddles.”

“We started to make love, but when he discovered I’d never
been with a man that way before, he got angry and left.”

“Ah, now I understand.” Blue Crow smiled with pride. “He did
not wish to defile you. Truly, he has the heart of a warrior.”

“I guess so,” Kelly said, and then yawned.

“Sleep,
tekihila.
I will stay with you until
anpetu
wi
chases
hanhepi wi
from the sky.”

“Lie with me.”

With a sigh, he slid under the covers beside her, then drew
her into his arms. It was torture of the sweetest kind, lying next to her,
holding her close. The faint flowery scent of her perfume rose in his nostrils.
Her hand rested against his chest and he could feel the warm swell of her
breast against his side.

“Good night, Blue Crow.”

“Rest well,
tekihila.
”

“You, too,” she replied sleepily.

Blue Crow grunted softly. He would not rest this night, not
with Kelly nestled against him, the heat and curves of her body playing havoc
with his senses.

Holding her close, he stared into the darkness and prayed
his self-control would last until dawn.

It was still raining when Kelly woke the following morning.
She pulled on a pair of comfortable jeans and an oversize sweatshirt, stepped
into a pair of furry bedroom slippers, then headed for the kitchen. There was
just enough instant coffee left to make two cups.

While she waited for the water to heat, she called Brewer’s
Market and learned, to her dismay, that they didn’t deliver except in rare
cases of emergency.

Kelly hesitated and then assured Tom Brewer that this was,
indeed, an emergency and she was too ill to drive into town.

Brewer was sympathetic as he took her order, assuring her
that his son would be out sometime before noon with her order.

Thanking him effusively, Kelly hung up the phone, made two
cups of coffee and carried them into the guest bedroom.

Lee was still asleep. After setting the mugs on the antique
oak dresser, she laid her hand on Lee’s brow. His skin was hotter than it
should have been, she thought.

She watched him for a couple of minutes while she debated
which he needed more: rest, or something to bring down his fever.

Frowning, she went into the bathroom and rummaged through
the medicine cabinet for a bottle of aspirin. She filled a glass with water,
then returned to the bedroom.

Lee was tossing restlessly, his hands clutching the covers,
his knuckles white with the strain.

“Cowards! Turn me loose!”

Kelly bit down on her lip as she watched Lee’s body go
rigid. His lips drew back in a grimace and then he began to swear, his voice
harsh, raspy with pain.

She couldn’t bear to watch. Bending over him, she placed her
hand on his uninjured shoulder and shook it gently.

“Lee. Lee, wake up.”

A vile oath hissed between his teeth and he sat up,
thrashing wildly.

Kelly gasped as his fist slammed into her face just below
her left eye. She reeled back, momentarily stunned, her hand automatically
cupping her bruised cheek.

Lee fell back on the pillows, a low moan rumbling in his
throat. “Don’t hit me again,” he whispered. “For the love of God, don’t hit me
again.”

Cautiously, Kelly approached the bed again. “Lee, wake up.”

A muscle worked in his jaw. “Damn you!” he roared. “If my
hands were free, I’d beat the shit out of all of you!”

Where was he, who was he hiding from? Taking her courage in
hand, she shook his shoulder again. “Lee, wake up. It’s Kelly.”

“Kelly?”

He opened his eyes, eyes that were dark and wild. For a
moment he looked disoriented and then his gaze focused on her face.

“Kelly?”

“I brought you a cup of coffee.”

“Coffee?”

“Lee, are you all right?”

He stared past her, his gaze sweeping over the room. Gradually
he released his death grip on the covers.

“Let me help you sit up.” She reached behind him, plumping
the pillows, then helped him to a sitting position. “That better?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Here.” She handed him one of the mugs.

He drank it quickly, welcoming the warmth, the bitterness.

“Would you like some more?” Kelly asked, and when he nodded,
she handed him her cup. “Go on, take it,” she said when he started to refuse.
“That’s all there is until the Brewer kid shows up with the groceries I
ordered. Go on, drink it. You need it more than I do.”

For once, he didn’t argue.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You can ask,” he replied guardedly.

“What were you dreaming about?”

He stared up at her through eyes gone suddenly cold. “Why?”

“I…you were talking in your sleep and I wondered… Never
mind, it doesn’t matter.”

“I’ll tell you, if you’ll tell me something?”

“What?”

“What happened to your eye?”

Kelly lifted a hand to her bruised cheek. “My eye?”

“It’s turning black and blue.”

“Is it?”

“What happened, Kelly?”

“Nothing.”

“Did I do it?”

She turned her head to avoid his probing gaze.

“Did I?”

Kelly nodded. “You were having a nightmare and when I tried
to wake you, you struck out. It was an accident.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. It doesn’t hurt.” She grinned at him.
“Much.” She folded her arms over her breasts and looked at him expectantly.
“Now it’s your turn.”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“That’s not fair, Lee.”

He stared into the empty coffee cup clutched in his hands.
“I got sick while I was in juvenile hall. Ran a high fever for a couple of
days. Sometimes when I get sick, it brings back memories I’d just as soon
forget.”

“Did someone beat you while you were there?”

His hands tightened around the mug until she thought it
would shatter.

“Yeah.”

“Who?”

A muscle worked in his jaw as the memories came flooding
back, memories of constantly being teased and harassed because he was an
Indian, memories of being cornered in the shower, of four white guys holding
him down on the cold tile floor while a fifth beat him.

“Lee?”

He couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t tell her how bad it had
been, how alone he had been. His sister had been too young to visit him. And
his mother—she’d come once in eighteen months, so drunk she could hardly stand
up. He’d never forget the humiliation he had felt when she walked into the rec
room, her long black hair stringy and unwashed, her steps uneven. He’d never
forget the way she had cried and carried on about seeing “her boy” locked up
because of what some
wasichu
girl had accused him of. That was the night
the five white boys had ganged up on him, threatening to castrate him if he
ever looked at another white girl.

“Don’t ask me, Kelly.”

“All right.”

Teeth clenched, he put the mug on the night-stand, then
swung his legs over the side of the bed.

“What are you doing?” Kelly asked, alarmed.

“I need to…dammit, I need to use the bathroom.”

“I’ll help you.”

“No.”

“Lee, you’ve been shot, remember? You’ve got a fever. Now
stop being foolish and let me help you.”

“I can do it.”

“Let me get you a bedpan.”