Comanche Moon (37 page)

‘‘Loh-rhett-ah is here, eh?’’ Hunter reached to take Loretta’s hand, pulling her close to the bed. ‘‘Her heart has been laid upon the ground, and she has wailed and wept. You will see into her, yes?’’

Hunter joined Loretta’s hand with Amy’s. The touch was all it took. Amy disentangled herself from his embrace and threw herself at Loretta, sobbing and shaking. Loretta clasped the girl to her, swaying from side to side.

‘‘You’re here, Loretta! Really here! I was afraid I’d never see you again!’’

‘‘Oh, yes, Amy, I’m here, I’m here.’’

‘‘They—they did awful things to me,’’ Amy cried. ‘‘Awful, awful things!’’

Hunter rose slowly from the bed. The time for woman-talk had come, and he was no longer needed.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Loretta worked one arm loose to touch his shoulder as he stepped around them. Their eyes locked. Pausing midstride, he touched his hand to her cheek. Once again Loretta felt curiously detached, disoriented. She wanted to lean toward him, to feel the steely warmth of his arms around her, to hear his voice saying all would be well, to feel safe—as only he could make her feel. She wanted those things with such intensity that she ached, and the realization frightened her. What was happening to her?

Hunter saw the glow of fondness in Loretta’s eyes, and it was all the gratitude he needed. He left the lodge, standing a little taller than when he had entered.

Loretta sank onto the bed to comfort Amy, listening to her in shocked horror as she brokenly described her ordeal. The brutality of it sickened her. Fury welled inside her. She wanted to kill Santos with her bare hands.

‘‘When Hunter got there, was there a terrible fight?’’ Loretta asked shakily.

In a faint voice Amy said, ‘‘No. He just walked into Santos’s camp and carried me to his horse.’’

Something quivery and cold fluttered in Loretta’s belly. Licking her lips, she turned to stare at Hunter’s scalp pole. Her mind reeled with the implications of what Amy had just said. ‘‘What do you mean, he just walked in? With guns, right?’’

‘‘No, no guns. He put me on his horse, talked to Santos a minute, and then rode off.’’

A ringing sound began in Loretta’s ears. Shock anesthetized her emotions, emptying her, chilling her. ‘‘Amy . . . this is extremely important. Did it seem like Hunter and Santos were good friends?’’

‘‘Santos said so. ‘I am your good friend, El Lobo,’ that’s what he said.’’ A sob caught in Amy’s throat. ‘‘You know what, Loretta? I wanted them Comanches to kill him. I truly did. I hoped Hunter’d scalp him, right there in front of me. That’s bad of me, ain’t it?’’

‘‘Oh, no, sweetheart, it isn’t bad. The man ought to be strung up for what he’s done.’’

‘‘Do ya think God’ll forgive me for wishin’ him dead?’’

‘‘I know He will.’’ Loretta pressed her face against the child’s hair. ‘‘Oh, honey, you mustn’t torture yourself this way. It’s perfectly natural for you to hate Santos. If I understand, don’t you think God will?’’

After several minutes Amy relaxed in Loretta’s arms, her heavy-lidded eyes glazed with exhaustion. Loretta stroked her hair, whispering platitudes that she hated even as she said them. Everything
wasn’t
all right. She and Amy were in more trouble than Loretta knew how to get them out of. A horrible quivering attacked her limbs and set her teeth to clacking.

Minutes passed. Loretta’s mind raced.
I am your good friend, El Lobo.
Dear God, what should she do? Run? And if they ran, where could they go?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard men’s voices. Lowering Amy onto the bed, Loretta crept to the lodge door and lifted the flap to peer out into the twilight. Some distance away, a crowd had gathered around a roaring fire. Hunter, astride his black stallion, his body shimmering like oiled bronze in the firelight, was delivering a booming oratory, his arm raised above his head, his fist knotted. He seized a handful of his hair and made a slashing motion across his skull with his other hand. It was obvious he was talking about scalping someone. The crowd roared with approval.

The names Loh-rhett-ah and Aye-mee floated on the breeze. Everyone turned to look toward Hunter’s lodge. Another cheer went up. Loretta knew they weren’t yelling because she was so well liked.

Dropping the lodge flap, she hugged her waist, her pulse accelerating. Red Buffalo’s warning was all she could think about. Part of her wanted to scream a denial, but another part of her gave way to unreasoning fear.

She knotted her fists in her skirt, remembering the oath she had made to stay with him, to be his woman, his slave. She didn’t break promises easily. Weakness attacked her legs. Dear God, why was she standing here, worrying about promises made to a man who had lied to her from the first? She couldn’t afford to wait and then learn she had been duped. She had Amy to think of.

‘‘Amy!’’ Loretta ran across the lodge. ‘‘Darling, wake up!’’

Amy’s eyes opened. She stiffened immediately. ‘‘What’s wrong?’’

Loretta grabbed her arm and hauled her off the bed. ‘‘We have to get out of here!’’

The little remaining color in Amy’s face drained away. ‘‘Why? I don’t wanna leave without Hunter. There’s Comanches out there! Hundreds of ’em.’’

Loretta didn’t want to frighten Amy. The poor child had been through enough. ‘‘Just trust me, love. We have to leave.’’

Too agitated to think about food or water for the trip, she grasped Amy’s hand and half dragged her to the door. Peering out to be certain no one at the fire was watching, Loretta ducked under the flap, pulling Amy along behind her. As quickly as she could, she circled the tepee so it would block them from view.

‘‘I think that Injun saw us,’’ Amy cried shakily.

Loretta glanced around wildly and spied Red Buffalo walking toward the central fire. If he had seen them, he gave no indication. ‘‘We have to reach the horses. It’s quite a ways, Amy. Can you make it?’’

Amy swayed on her feet, nodding. Loretta struck off, one arm stretched out behind her to pull Amy, her other hand holding up her skirts so she wouldn’t trip. After what seemed an eternity, they reached the edge of the village. Loretta sent up a prayer of thanks-giving. Then Amy began to slow her steps. Loretta glanced back to see if she was okay. The child’s face was pasty. ‘‘Honey, are you all right?’’

Amy stumbled and nearly fell. ‘‘I just feel funny.’’

With that pronouncement, Amy pitched forward. Loretta barely caught her in time. With a strength she didn’t know she had, she managed to keep Amy on her feet by leaning into her. She had passed out. Frantic, Loretta had no choice but to carry her. Shoving her shoulder against the girl’s stomach, she straightened. The dead weight nearly buckled her legs. She staggered, regained her balance, and stumbled in the direction of the horses.

A hundred yards later, Loretta stepped on her skirt and crashed to her knees. Amy rolled off her and flopped on the ground. It took all Loretta’s strength to lift Amy again and throw her over her shoulder. She staggered forward, praying. She had to make it to the horses. She just had to. Before Hunter realized she was gone.

The moment Hunter saw Red Buffalo walking toward him, he knew something had happened to Loretta. Nothing else would make him look so smug. In the middle of his speech, Hunter broke off and glanced toward his lodge, his chest constricting around a knot of fear. Red Buffalo drew near, his smile widening.

‘‘Your woman tries to flee,’’ Red Buffalo snarled. ‘‘She makes a lie of her promise to you, eh? It is just as I said. She can never be one with the People. Never! She is an
easop,
liar, and unworthy. She has made a fool of you, cousin!’’

A hush fell over the crowd. Hunter tightened his legs around his stallion and picked up the reins. ‘‘Which direction did she go?’’

‘‘Toward the horses. Where else? Whose will she kill this time, eh?’’

Hunter kicked his stallion’s flanks, biting down on a roar of sheer outrage. She had given him her God promise! Was nothing sacred to the White Eyes? As he rode out of the village, Hunter heard another horse pounding up behind him. He glanced back to see Swift Antelope coming up fast on his sorrel.

Seconds later Hunter spotted Loretta. She was carrying Amy, bent under the weight, scarcely able to lift her feet. He reined in his black, struggling to sort and make sense of his emotions. Anger, yes, but pain as well, a pain that ran so deep he could scarcely bear it. She had used him, and now she meant to flee, her many promises forgotten. From the very beginning she had planned to leave him as soon as he brought her the child. Hunter could tolerate many things, but being made to look the fool wasn’t one of them.

Swift Antelope drew up beside him. ‘‘Hunter, what are you going to do?’’

‘‘Teach her not to make lies!’’

Swift Antelope watched the yellow-hair struggling to carry the smaller girl. Seconds later she lost her balance and sprawled in the dirt. He winced. Glancing at Hunter, he raised an eyebrow. Hunter kept his horse reined in, his gaze pinned to the woman. Swift Antelope sighed. That glitter in his friend’s eyes boded ill. The woman struggled frantically to lift the girl again. Twice she dropped her. Then, at last, she managed to drape her over her shoulder. She plodded forward a few more steps before her legs buckled and she slammed into the ground.

Swift Antelope leaned forward on his horse, his attention on the younger girl, remembering how fiercely she had fought him that long-ago morning at her wooden walls. A protective feeling welled inside him.

‘‘Ai-ee,’’
he exclaimed. ‘‘We’d better stop her, Hunter. If your woman drops the one called Aye-mee again, she may be badly hurt.’’

Hunter kicked his horse into a run. Swift Antelope had never seen Hunter kick his horse like that, never.

As they rode up behind the two yellow-hairs, Loretta jerked the knife from Amy’s sheath. Hunter flashed Swift Antelope a grim smile. ‘‘Are you ready for a fight?’’

Swift Antelope rolled his eyes. ‘‘If she doesn’t lay herself open first.’’

Hunter swung off his horse and strode toward his woman. She stepped between him and Amy, holding the knife high, shaking so badly that he was surprised she didn’t drop it. He kept advancing on her, growing more furious by the second.

‘‘Stay back, Hunter! I mean it! She’s been through enough! I won’t let you hurt her any more, do you hear me?’’

Hunter’s rage magnified. After all he had done, she dared accuse him of harming Amy? He slowed his pace. He had expected defiance. Instead Loretta was quivering, so frightened that she could barely stand. He drew to a stop, studying her. As angry as he was, he wasn’t blind. He had no idea why she had tried to run, but whatever the reason, she was too frightened to see beyond it.

‘‘Blue Eyes—’’

‘‘Don’t call me that. My name’s Loretta. You can’t fool me anymore with your pet names and gentle act. I know the truth.’’

Hunter considered that for a moment. ‘‘You will tell me this truth, eh?’’

Tears filled her eyes. ‘‘Stop it! Stop it, do you hear me? I know, Hunter. I know it all—why you taught me how to track you, why you left me the horse and medallion. How could you? How could you?’’ He started toward her, and she made a jab with the knife. ‘‘Don’t do it! I’ll kill you. I will!’’ She swallowed, glancing toward Swift Antelope, then back at Hunter. ‘‘You said you were my friend! And, God help me, I believed you!’’

Hunter held up a hand. ‘‘Do not swing at the air, Blue Eyes. The blade is long. You will gut yourself.’’

‘‘I’ll gut
you,
you miserable bastard!’’

Hunter folded his arms across his chest, regarding her with a bewildered frown. ‘‘I bring you the child. This is not good?’’

‘‘Was it hard finding her?’’ she cried. ‘‘Where did Santos agree to meet you?’’ Her face twisted. ‘‘You let them rape a twelve-year-old. A
twelve
-year-old, Hunter!’’

Hunter’s gaze slid to the knife, then back to her face. Someone had been making lies to her, and he had a good idea who. ‘‘Santos is dead.’’

‘‘You lie!’’

‘‘I make no lie. This Comanche killed him.’’

‘‘Amy says you took her and rode out. That Santos called you his good friend.’’

‘‘Those were his words, not mine. I returned—after Aye-mee slept. She does not know, eh? The scalp is in my bags.’’

He inched toward her, alert to her every move. She lifted the knife higher.

‘‘Stay back!’’ she cried.

‘‘I come. Choose your mark, Blue Eyes, and drive the blade deep. You have one strike.’’ When he was within arm’s reach of her, she made a lunge, arcing the knife at his chest. Hunter deflected the blow, swallowing down cold, mind-numbing anger. She meant to kill him? No matter how frightened she was, he couldn’t believe it of her, couldn’t believe how much the realization hurt him. He wrested the weapon from her hands and tossed it to Swift Antelope, tempted to shake her until her teeth rattled. After all he had done, how dare she turn on him?

‘‘Take Aye-mee to my mother’s lodge, Swift Antelope.’’

Loretta staggered backward, holding her arms out to keep him away from the unconscious child. ‘‘No! Stay away from her. She stays with me.’’

‘‘Not this night,’’ Hunter snarled. ‘‘You have a bargain to keep, eh?’’

She shrank from his outstretched hand. ‘‘To hell with our bargain, you animal! I’ll die before I let you put your filthy hands on me.’’

‘‘Then sing your death song.’’

With that, he grabbed Loretta’s wrist, jerked her half off her feet, and proceeded to drag her behind him toward his horse.

Chapter 19

LORETTA’S ONE THOUGHT DURING THE RIDE back to the lodge was to reach Amy. She fought to escape Hunter’s grasp and throw herself off the horse, but she soon discovered that fighting him was useless. He guided the horse with his legs, which left his arms free to restrain her, one clamped around her waist, the other engaged in holding her wrists so she couldn’t strike him.