Territory.”
“Used to be? What happened?”
“Cascabel ran it to death trying to catch Lucifer. He takes better care of the second horse. It won’t last much longer, though. It’s a paddock horse, bred for grooming and grain. All it has out here is grass and a big renegade with a whip.”
“Yeah, and that big renegade is too damn close for comfort.”
Janna chewed silently on her lip for a moment before agreeing. “Yes. This is only the third time I’ve found his tracks on the east side of Black Plateau. I wonder what happened to make him come this far. The ranches he usually raids are in the opposite direction.”
“I’ll bet the soldiers are closing in. They have a real mission where Cascabel is concerned. They’re going to see him hang or know the reason why.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to throw off the uneasy feeling that had been growing in her day by day since the beginning of the summer, when she had discovered that Cascabel had been forced to move his camp. He had chosen to make his new camp on the Raven Creek watershed, a place that was perilously close to Mustang Canyon. Whether Black Hawk had driven Cascabel south, or the soldiers had, or Lucifer had lured him to the red buttes and high plateau and brooding Fire Mountains, it didn’t matter. Janna knew that she couldn’t remain hidden for long once so many eyes started scrutinizing every shadow.
Yet she couldn’t leave, either. She had no place to go.
A woman alone among men was the subject of snickers and speculation and blunt offers of sex in exchange for money or safety. The closest thing she had to a home was the wild land itself. She couldn’t bear to lose it and her freedom in the same blow.
Unfortunately, it was becoming clear that she had no other choice.
Silently Janna guided Zebra in a circuitous route to Sweetwater. When Ty realized where they were going, he turned questioningly to her.
“Hat Rock is closer,” he said.
“I know. I went to Sweetwater last time.”
“So?”
“So Joe Troon won’t be looking for me there.”
“What?”
“I never go to the same town or ranch twice in a row,” Janna explained. “Except for the hidden valley, I never go to the same places at the same time of year or in the same order. If you don’t have a pattern, no one can guess where you’re going to be and lay a trap for you.”
Ty sensed the apprehension behind her calm words. “Did this Troon character try to trap you?”
“Once or twice.”
“Why?”
“Mad Jack’s mine, Lucifer or...” Her voice died as she remembered overhearing Troon bragging about how he would break her in right and then sell her south to a Mexican whorehouse after she led him to Lucifer and Mad Jack’s gold mine. She cleared her throat. “I didn’t wait around to find out.”
The surge of anger and adrenaline that went through Ty’s body surprised him, but it didn’t keep him from demanding roughly, “Did he lay a hand on you?”
“He never even saw me that time,” she said evasively. “I hung back in the brush and listened long enough to figure out how he had found me, and then I swore never to be predictable again. I haven’t been, either.”
“You said you follow Lucifer’s bunch in the summertime.”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re predictable. Every mustanger knows Lucifer’s territory. All any man would have to do is to lie in wait at the water holes his herd uses. Lucifer is fast enough to get away from that kind of ambush. You aren’t.”
“Cascabel is keeping the mustangers away.”
“He didn’t keep me away. Nothing will. I’m going to have that stud no matter what. I need him too badly to let a few renegades get in my way.”
“You plan to use Lucifer to buy your silken lady?”
“Yes,” Ty said, his voice flat, inflexible. “The war took everything but my life and my dreams. I’ll have that silken lady or die trying.”
Janna held herself tightly, trying not to flinch against the pain
“Used to be? What happened?”
“Cascabel ran it to death trying to catch Lucifer. He takes better care of the second horse. It won’t last much longer, though. It’s a paddock horse, bred for grooming and grain. All it has out here is grass and a big renegade with a whip.”
“Yeah, and that big renegade is too damn close for comfort.”
Janna chewed silently on her lip for a moment before agreeing. “Yes. This is only the third time I’ve found his tracks on the east side of Black Plateau. I wonder what happened to make him come this far. The ranches he usually raids are in the opposite direction.”
“I’ll bet the soldiers are closing in. They have a real mission where Cascabel is concerned. They’re going to see him hang or know the reason why.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to throw off the uneasy feeling that had been growing in her day by day since the beginning of the summer, when she had discovered that Cascabel had been forced to move his camp. He had chosen to make his new camp on the Raven Creek watershed, a place that was perilously close to Mustang Canyon. Whether Black Hawk had driven Cascabel south, or the soldiers had, or Lucifer had lured him to the red buttes and high plateau and brooding Fire Mountains, it didn’t matter. Janna knew that she couldn’t remain hidden for long once so many eyes started scrutinizing every shadow.
Yet she couldn’t leave, either. She had no place to go.
A woman alone among men was the subject of snickers and speculation and blunt offers of sex in exchange for money or safety. The closest thing she had to a home was the wild land itself. She couldn’t bear to lose it and her freedom in the same blow.
Unfortunately, it was becoming clear that she had no other choice.
Silently Janna guided Zebra in a circuitous route to Sweetwater. When Ty realized where they were going, he turned questioningly to her.
“Hat Rock is closer,” he said.
“I know. I went to Sweetwater last time.”
“So?”
“So Joe Troon won’t be looking for me there.”
“What?”
“I never go to the same town or ranch twice in a row,” Janna explained. “Except for the hidden valley, I never go to the same places at the same time of year or in the same order. If you don’t have a pattern, no one can guess where you’re going to be and lay a trap for you.”
Ty sensed the apprehension behind her calm words. “Did this Troon character try to trap you?”
“Once or twice.”
“Why?”
“Mad Jack’s mine, Lucifer or...” Her voice died as she remembered overhearing Troon bragging about how he would break her in right and then sell her south to a Mexican whorehouse after she led him to Lucifer and Mad Jack’s gold mine. She cleared her throat. “I didn’t wait around to find out.”
The surge of anger and adrenaline that went through Ty’s body surprised him, but it didn’t keep him from demanding roughly, “Did he lay a hand on you?”
“He never even saw me that time,” she said evasively. “I hung back in the brush and listened long enough to figure out how he had found me, and then I swore never to be predictable again. I haven’t been, either.”
“You said you follow Lucifer’s bunch in the summertime.”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re predictable. Every mustanger knows Lucifer’s territory. All any man would have to do is to lie in wait at the water holes his herd uses. Lucifer is fast enough to get away from that kind of ambush. You aren’t.”
“Cascabel is keeping the mustangers away.”
“He didn’t keep me away. Nothing will. I’m going to have that stud no matter what. I need him too badly to let a few renegades get in my way.”
“You plan to use Lucifer to buy your silken lady?”
“Yes,” Ty said, his voice flat, inflexible. “The war took everything but my life and my dreams. I’ll have that silken lady or die trying.”
Janna held herself tightly, trying not to flinch against the pain
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