Tame a Wild Wind (17 page)

“What are you going to do with me?
 
If you think to use me to get to Sam you’re mistaken.
 
He just works for me.
 
He won’t come knowing you want to kill him.”

Borden sat at the table and started cleaning his fingernails with his knife.
 
“Who said anything about killing him?”

“He told me about your brother.”

“Frank was a hero.
 
He saved my life.”

Cassie sat on the little foot stool near the fire, so she could tend to the beans and keep as far away from Borden as possible.
 
She didn’t believe what she was hearing. “So you don’t want to kill Sam?”

“Didn’t say that either now did I, Missy.
 
Hey, what’s your name anyway.
 
I can’t keep calling you, Missy.”

“Cassie.
 
Cassie O’Malley.”

“Well, Cassie O’Malley, I do intend to kill Colter.
 
He murdered my brother and he’s going to pay for that.”
 
He took the knife and threw it into the floor just inches from Cassie’s foot.

She wanted to jump for the knife but wasn’t that stupid.
 
It was an obvious trick.

At the click of a pistol, she looked up.
 
Borden stood there with his gun in his hand.
 
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

She looked away from the knife.

“I wondered if you’d go for it.
 
Wasn’t sure you’d have that much spunk.”

Cassie needed to keep him talking.
 
“Sam didn’t murder your brother and you know it.
 
Frank was hung after a trial by a jury of his peers.
 
He
murdered Sam’s wife and children.”

“That was an accident.
 
We never meant…”

“You were there,” she accused him. “You were there when Sam’s wife and kids died.
 
You ran.
 
You, chicken livered piece of shit, you let your brother hang.”

“I sure as hell wasn’t about to hang beside him.
 
So yes, I ran.
 
We both ran when we saw that fire.
 
He got caught by Colter.
 
I didn’t.”

“So you know what happened, you said it was an accident.
 
That’s why you want to hold Sam responsible…why you want to kill him.
 
Because it was an accident not murder, you think Frank shouldn’t have hung.
 
But your brother wasn’t hung only for the murder of Sam’s family.
 
He was hung for bank robbery, rustling cattle, kidnapping and murder of other people.
 
You’re probably wanted for all those things, too.
 
Which means you’ll hang when they catch you.”

Borden narrowed his eyes at her.
 
“You know an awful lot.
 
Colter wouldn’t have told you all that, lest you’re cozier than you say.”

Cassie cursed her wayward tongue.
 
“So what if he did.
 
You’re going to kill me anyway.
 
It doesn’t matter what is or isn’t.

“I’ve had enough talk from you.
 
Give me some of them beans and shut your trap.”

Cassie found the tin plate and spoon he’d left by the fire place and filled it with beans.
 
They hadn’t cooked but an hour or so and would barely be soft.
 
It didn’t seem to matter to Borden who shoveled them into his mouth and chewed with it wide open.
 
She had to look away.
 
It was just too disgusting.
 
She turned her back on him and stared into the fire.

When he’d finished eating he prepared for bed, which meant he tied her up. “Now you can be gagged or not, but if you start yapping again I will gag you.”

“I understand.”
 
He tied her ankles and her hands, but at least her hands were in front of her.
 
He put her next to the fireplace on the opposite side of the cot.
 
She should probably be glad of it, as she’d stay warm as long as it was going.

It wasn’t too long before he was asleep.
 
Cassie waited until she was sure he was in a deep sleep.
 
Then she pulled a knife out of her boot.
 
A little trick that Catherine taught her to do.
 
She started working on the ropes that bound her.

It took a long time to cut through the ropes enough to be able to break them and be free.
 
When she had she got up and as quietly as she could stepped out the door.

As soon as she was out of the cabin she started running.
 
She had no idea where she was and could barely see, so she couldn’t go as fast as she wanted.
 
The sun had started to rise but it was still mostly dark

She heard him curse and then call her name.
 
“Cassie, damn it, you better get back here.
 
You’ll get lost, then ate by a bear if you don’t come back here.”

Cassie held her breath and stood stock still.
 
She was hidden by the trees and bushes for now but soon it would be full daylight,
 
She had to put as much distance between them as possible.
 
When he got his horse, he’d easily be able to overtake her.

Keep moving.
 
Come on Cassie girl, you can do it.
 
Just keep it steady and keep moving.
 
Suddenly, to her left she heard branches breaking and the unmistakable sound of hoof beats.
 
She turned and started running in the opposite direction.

They were getting closer and louder.
 
She tried to run faster but her legs were giving out.
 
Then the rider was on top of her and she was lifted to sit in front of him on the saddle.
 
She fought.

“Cassie.
 
Cassie.
 
It’s me.
 
Sam.”

She went still.
 
“Sam.”

“Yeah.
 
It’s me.”
 
He slowed the horse and she was able to get in a more comfortable position.

“We have to get out of here.
 
Borden is right behind me.”

“I know.
 
I saw him chasing you and he saw me.
 
As soon as he did he turned tail and ran.
 
He’ll try something else one day soon but for now you’re safe and that’s all that matters.”

She was safe yet her body still shook.
 
Sam’s arms were wrapped around her and she was safe.
 
She kept telling herself that.
 
She was safe.
 
Sam came for her.
 
They walked until they were out of the trees then galloped home.

She’d been right Borden had taken her north but then he’d headed west farther into the foothills

“Thanks for coming for me.
 
I know you didn’t have to.”

“Of course, I had to.
 
Cassie, I’m not someone who’s going to come in to your life for the good times, for the sex and then leave.
 
I’m here to stay, regardless of what you may think.”

She nodded, then buried her head in Sam’s neck.
 
She let the tears fall.
 
Let the fear out.
 
Her body shook with tremors as she cried.
 
Fear finally won over courage and bravado.
 
Sam held her and kept the horse going.
 

When they arrived back home the sun was fully in the sky.
 
Cassie was exhausted and slept in Sam’s arms most of the way home.
 
He’d have been content to leave her there for the rest of their lives.
 
Safe, secure and loved.
 
But reality reared it’s ugly head and they were home and had to face the world.

Sam tried not to wake her but she stirred as soon as the horse stopped.

Cassie was exhausted from the ordeal she’d just been through.
 
All she wanted to do was sleep having been deprived of that luxury for the last twenty-four hours.
 
Every time she closed her eyes she saw Harry Borden.
 
He was still out there and still gunning for Sam.

She slept when Sam held her and didn’t want to let go.
 
He carried her up to her room.
  
She wasn’t even asleep yet and the nightmares were already starting.

“Sam, please don’t leave.”
 
She said when he put her on the bed.
 
“We need to talk and I don’t want to be alone.
  
Did you know that Harry was with Frank that day?
 
He ran.
 
I think they both ran when the fire started.
 
Harry said it wasn’t supposed to happen, that it was an accident.
 
Regardless he still wants to kill you.
 
He says you murdered his brother and he won’t change his mind on that.
 
Sam he’s evil and crazy.”

“I know.
 
Fact is both Frank and Harry were responsible for Jane, Emily and Megan’s deaths.
 
If they hadn’t tied them up there wouldn’t have been a need for Jane to try to escape.”

“I know.”
 
She patted the bed beside her.
 
“Come lie with me.
 
I need you.
 
I need you to make love to me.”

Cassie unbuttoned her shirt, slowly slid it off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, kicked off her boots then stood and dropped her pants.
 
She wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
 
She watched his Adams apple bob up and down as he swallowed.
 
She walked into his arms.

“Cassie.
 
Do you know what you do to me?”

“Hopefully the same thing you do to me.
 
I need to know I’m alive, I want to
feel
alive.
 
I was so scared he would kill you, kill me.
 
So scared.”
 
She reached up, undid the buttons of his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.
 
Then she grasped his belt and unbuckled it before unbuttoning his pants.

His cock strained at the crotch of his pants and when she undid the last button it sprang free.
 
Proud and strong.

Cassie pushed his pants down to his ankles then shoved him backward on to the bed.
 
She couldn’t wait any longer and took him into her mouth licking the small clear bead on the tip with her tongue.

He tasted so good, so real.
 
She used her tongue to trace the ridge down the underside, to tease his balls before licking her way back up the length of him.
 
She took him in her mouth and sucked hard, then took him in and out, tickling, teasing, loving him.

She used her hand as an extension of her mouth moving up and down with her hand as she took him in her mouth.

When she felt him tighten and his balls clench, she climbed on top, guided him into her and rode him.
 
He filled her, reaffirmed her, completed her.
 
He reached down, touched her clit and they reached their release together.
 
It was magnificent, unforgettable.

She clutched him to her, kissed him and moaned her release into his mouth.
 
Then she collapsed on top of him.
 

He still had his pants around his ankles and his boots on.

*****

Cassie was afraid to go anywhere by herself.
 
Sam made sure there was one man with her at all times.
 
Not that he thought Borden would try it again, he was sure he would, but having the man with her gave Cassie the peace of mind she needed.