Chastity (34 page)

    "No, I'm not a fool. I know that Morgan kil"

    Conchita interrupted harshly. "You
are
a fool if you say more!"

    "It's the truth, isn't it?"

    
"The truth?"
Conchita's sudden smile was hard. "I do not know the luxury of truth. To me, lies are more common than truth, and they suit just as well when one fights to survive."

    "But there are some people who don't
deserve
to survive, Conchita, because they take the lives of others. Because they kill innocent people who are trying to lead decent lives. We can't let them escape to keep doing those same, terrible things over and over again!"

    "It is not my concern!"

    "It's everyone's concern!"

    "Morgan
loved
me!"

    "Morgan never loved anyone!"

    "You lie!"

    Shuddering so hard that she could barely speak, Chastity took a stabilizing breath. "Lies or truth, the outcome is the same. He doesn't love you now."

    
"Because of you!"

    "No, because of
Morgan
. Because he tired of you, just as he would tire of me. But he won't get a chance to tire of me."

    Conchita's dark eyes bore into hers. "Morgan always gets his way."

    
"No, not this time.
There is only one man I love."

    "He is dead."

    
"No, not in my heart."

    Conchita laughed aloud. "It is not your heart that Morgan wants!"

    A wave of weakness sweeping over her, Chastity took another fortifying breath. She grasped her locket, needing the strength it imparted, only to hear Conchita laugh again.

    
"A
puta's
locket."

    Her gaze holding Conchita's intently, Chastity retorted, "There was no
puta
with a locket like mine. Morgan said you lied."

    "I did not lie!"

    Chastity's heart began a new pounding. "Where did you see this woman?"

    
"In the saloon where she made her living."

    "Where was this saloon?"

    "Not far from here." Conchita's lips tightened. "You may find her if you choose. I would give me great pleasure for you to show Morgan that all I said was true."

    
"Conchita… please.
I need to know. Where was this saloon?"

    
"In Caldwell."

    Chastity caught her breath. "Caldwell… Kansas?"

    "Yes."

    Chastity closed her eyes, the incredulity of the moment overwhelming her.

    "What are you two talkin' about in there?"

    Walker's shout from his position alongside    the wagon snapped Chastity's eyes open. Weakness, frustration, and the soul-draining ache within her becoming more than she could withstand, Chastity sank to her knees.

    "Get back in the wagon and lie down, damn it!" His look pure panic, Walker spat, "If Morgan sees you lookin' like that,
we'll
all pay the piper!"

    Hardly aware of Walker's words, Chastity moved back to the pallet. Her head spinning with the thought of a love lost and an opportunity that had escaped her, she lay back and closed her eyes.

    A thick cloud of dust enveloped the trailing herd. Drawing up his bandanna to shield himself against it, Reed scrutinized the herd intently from his covert position beside the trail. The sun was high. The steers were uneasy. They had been trailing with loud complaints the morning long. Morgan and his men struggled to contain them, keeping to the sides of the herd where the breakaways commonly occurred. It did not take long to see that the shortage of hands was a problem that Morgan had not anticipated. Morgan's decision to neglect the drag position, sending a man back to check the rear only when occasion demanded, was a mistake that Reed was determined to turn against him.

    A long night of thought and planning behind him, Reed leaned low over the saddle and rode out cautiously into the thick, grainy mist at the rear of the herd. It was approaching noon. The   men were hungry, and thirst had added another edge to the cattle's irritability. He knew the time would never be more right.

    Reed struck a match to the torch he had carefully prepared. It burst into flame, startling the steers nearby as he spurred his mount into a sudden forward charge. Whooping in a low voice, he dodged in and out, touching the lit torch to the heels of the uneasy beeves.

    The result was instantaneous.

    Frantic bellows and panicked calls picked up the heads of the cattle, spreading like wildfire in the split second before the herd moved in a sudden, frenzied surge forward.

    Stampede!

    "What in hell is that?"

    Conchita heard it, too. She recognized the sound at the same moment as Walker, her eyes widening. The pounding hooves behind them grew closer as Walker shouted, "It's a stampede! Get this wagon out of the way, or
them
damned beeves are goin' to run right over it!"

    Her hands trembling, Conchita whipped the team into a sudden spurt forward. She had seen a wagon such as theirs caught in a stampede. There had been little left of those within to bury.

    Conchita pulled the wagon off the trail, her heart pounding as the stampeding herd came into view. The red-haired woman inched her way unsteadily forward. Her eyes widened   when she saw the approaching herd. "What's happening?"

    
"Stampede."
Conchita raised her chin, determined to control her shaking. "Something frightened the cattle. They are running."

    His horse dancing nervously underneath him, Walker turned toward Conchita with a sharp command. "I'm goin' out to help with that herd before we lose half of them. You stay here, where you're safe. Don't move the wagon, understand?"

    Conchita did not respond.

    "Answer me, damn it, or I'll put a bullet through your heart here and now!"

    Conchita's expression hardened. "I will not move the wagon."

    Her gaze remained fixed as Walker disappeared into the dust.

    The thunder of the stampeding herd was fading into the distance. The cloud of dust left in its wake still whirled in the sunlit air, its residue falling on the motionless wagon pulled off a safe distance from the trail.

    His mount concealed in the foliage, Reed approached the wagon cautiously. He held the rifle cocked and ready, but Walker was nowhere in sight. His plan was proceeding without a hitch. Walker had heard the cattle coming and had immediately moved the wagon out of the path of the stampede. He had then ridden off to help bring the herd under control.

    Reed scanned the surrounding area once   more as he reached the wagon. Walker was gone. He was in the clear.

    The sound of a step!

    Reed turned at the same moment a woman's voice called out with blood-chilling coldness, ''Put down your gun,
senor.
"

    
"Reed!"

    Chastity wavered with shock as Reed stood tall and alive in front of her! Only minutes earlier she had watched Walker ride out of sight within the retreating herd and had then felt the barrel of Conchita's gun in her ribs. Stunned, she had been unable to do more than follow Conchita's order to climb down from the wagon and wait silently
concealed
behind it. She had been confused, never expecting that when she stepped out from behind the wagon, Reed would be standing a few feet away.

    Her heart thundering when the incredible blue of Reed's eyes locked with hers, Chastity started spontaneously toward him, only to feel Conchita's gun jam painfully into her back as she ordered, "Don't move!"

    Reed took a step and Conchita commanded, "Stop, or I shoot!"

    Reed halted abruptly.

    "Drop your gun!"

    Reed allowed the rifle to slip to the ground. His deep voice was a sweet music Chastity had thought never to hear again when he asked, "Are you all right, Chastity?"

    "He said you were dead!" Chastity was still   reeling. "I saw the bullet hit you. I saw you fall. I believed him!"

    Conchita motioned Reed forward. She stopped him when he was a few yards away. Pressing the gun more tightly into Chastity's back, Conchita addressed Reed sharply. "You are not the man of God you were believed to be, are you,
senor

    Reed's eyes darted to Chastity with such anguish that she trembled anew. His response was concise.

    "No."

    "I knew. Why are you here?"

    "I came to Indian Territory to get Morgan." Chastity felt the tremor that shook Conchita as Reed continued, "I've been chasing him for a long time. I wanted to find him and bring him back to face the law… but I don't care about that now. I just want to get Chastity out of here before it's too late."

    "You would kill Morgan?"

    Reed's hard frame stiffened. "If he tried to kill me, or if he laid a hand on Chastity yes, I would."

    "I knew you were watching the wagon."

    Conchita's unexpected response turned Chastity toward her with a start as Conchita continued, "You were outside camp last night. You saw Morgan and your woman walking. You were more still than the shadows." She questioned unexpectedly, "What will you do if I put this gun down?"

    "I'll take Chastity out of here. We need a head   start. That's why I started the stampede, so we'd be able to get far enough ahead that Morgan couldn't catch us."

    "No, the stampede will not give you enough time."

    Chastity saw the tightening of Reed's expression the moment before Conchita continued,
"
I
will give you the time you need."

    Conchita lowered her gun. Rushing forward, Chastity managed only a few unsteady steps before Reed's arms closed around her, crushing her close. The warmth of him, the joy!

    "Quickly, you must go!"

    Chastity turned back toward Conchita. "You have to come with us."

    "No."

    "It won't be safe if Morgan thinks you helped us."

    Conchita's smile was cold. "I will handle Morgan."

    "But…"

    "There is only one thing I want from you." Lifting her skirt, Conchita withdrew a knife from the sheath on her thigh. She approached Chastity, her hand so quick that Chastity did not comprehend her intent until she saw the bright lock of hair conchita held in her hand. Making no comment, Conchita instructed, "Go."

    Picking up his rifle, Reed curled his arm around Chastity's shoulder. "Let's go."

    "But…"

    Chastity's protest faded when Conchita   turned abruptly and climbed into the wagon.

    Seated in front of Reed on the saddle moments later, Chastity had no further time for thought as she leaned back against the familiar warmth of Reed's chest and the horse jumped into motion.

    The damned fool never should have left them alone!

    Pushing his mount to the limit, Morgan raced back along the trail, retracing the path stampeding hooves had traveled only an hour earlier. Furious at the unexpected turn of events, he was still uncertain what had spooked the herd. The only thing of which he was sure was that when he had looked up to see Walker materialize in the cloud of dust behind him, Walker was closer to meeting his maker than he ever was before.

    Straining his gaze into the distance, Morgan saw the outline of the wagon ahead. He released a satisfied breath. He wasn't certain what he had been expecting. He didn't trust Conchita. He had half expected her to take off with the wagon and Chastity, but he supposed she was too smart for that. She knew he would hunt her down if she did, and that she wouldn't live a second longer than it took for him to level his gun and pull the trigger.

    The truth was that he was starting to feel uncomfortable with the role he was playing with Chastity. His patience was stretching thin. Too many unpredictable things were happening.

  Morgan drew back on the reins as he neared the wagon, immediately alert. Something was wrong. There was no sign of movement inside.

    Morgan loosened the gun in his holster. His attention acute, he urged his mount forward gradually, scrutinizing the surrounding foliage. He was within a few yards of the wagon when Conchita stepped into sight.

    He dismounted beside her. "Where's Chastity?"

    "She is in the wagon. She was tired and fell asleep."

    "Tired, with everythin' that was goin' on?" Morgan glanced up at the wagon. "Did you check on her? Maybe she's gettin' the fever."

    "No. She is sleeping."

    Morgan squinted down at Conchita. There was something about the way she was looking at him. He smiled. "You wouldn't be thinkin' you could trick me, would you, Conchita?"

    "Trick you, Morgan?"

    Conchita took a step forward that brought her close enough that he could see the gleam of her dark hair, the mellow color of her skin, the depth of eyes so black that a man could lose himself in them. Her familiar, musky scent rose between them. He remembered the times that scent had enveloped him, when it had driven him wild with lust for her flesh.