But those days were gone.
Conchita grunted with surprise when he pushed her roughly aside. He started toward the wagon. He took one step up into the wagon and halted abruptly. The coverlet was drawn up over Chastity. She was so tightly enclosed in it that all that was visible was a lock of her glorious hair.
Morgan moved slowly toward her, a gradual realization dawning. Chastity was stilltoo still. His chest heaving, Morgan reached out to touch her hair. He gasped aloud when the lock came away in his hand.
Enraged when he ripped back the coverlet to see a mound of clothing beneath, Morgan jumped down from the wagon. His rapid advance toward Conchita halted the moment he saw her gun.
"
Puta
… what did you do with her?"
Conchita
smiled,
a glorious smile that would have dazzled any other man. "She is gone, Morgan. Her man took her away! He isn't dead, you see. He is alive and is now taking her back where you can never reach her again."
"Back to the Indian mission where he thinks he's safe, I suppose. He's a fool! I'll get her back. I'll"
"No,
you
are the fool, Morgan." Conchita's smile turned cold. "He isn't a man of God. That was pretense! He is a man who has been chasing
you
. He came to Indian Territory to take you back to face the law. The woman came to help him."
Morgan shook his head. "No… I don't believe you."
"She is not your woman, Morgan."
Conchita no
longer smiled. "She will
never
be your woman."
"Does it give you pleasure to say that, Conchita?" Morgan took a bold step forward. "Well, it gives me pleasure to tell you that you'll never be my woman again, eitherthat the sight of you makes me sick. Now, get out of my way!"
"No! Do not move, Morgan!" Conchita's finger twitched on the trigger. "You will not go after her."
"Oh, yes, I will!"
"No."
"Pull the trigger, Conchita. Go ahead!" Morgan laughed aloud. "You can't, can you? Because you still
love
me, because you still think that I may change my mind and take you back. You can't shoot me, can you?"
"Oh, yes, I can, Morgan." Conchita was trembling visibly. "I can because I have nothing left to lose. You took my hope and my life away from me when you threw away my love. I have nothing! I am nothing! I lose nothing when I"
His hand snaking to his holster in a blurring flash, Morgan fired. Conchita's body jerked with the impact of the bullets that struck her breast. It occurred to Morgan as he watched Conchita fall to the ground that there was a look of incredulity around her eyes before they fluttered closed. That amused him. She knew him so well. He did not think he could surprise her.
That moment of amusement past, Morgan turned toward his mount. Conchita had said that Farrell had taken Chastity with him. With Chastity too weak to ride alone, they were doubtlessly both riding Simmons's horse. Riding double, they could not have gotten far.
The flaming lock of hair still in his hand, Morgan spurred his horse into motion without a backward look.
The sound of Morgan's hasty departure dwindled into silence as Conchita struggled to open her eyes. Her breathing was short. The light of day was fading. Her life was fading as well.
Conchita fought back pained tears. But her pain was not of the body. Instead, it was an anguish of the soul for the hunger within her that had gone unsated, for love wasted and ignored, for all the dreams she had once believed in, and for the harsh reality of knowing they would never be.
Oh, Morgan… A sob sounded deep inside her. How she had loved him! If only he had loved her, too, she would have…
A rattling breath halted Conchita's silent lament. Morgan's face flashed before her, and she sought to call his name, but the sound would not emerge. The thought occurred to her, as the light rapidly waned, that a woman who was unloved really had no life at all.
She did not resist as her breathing ceased.
"Chastity, darlin'…"
Reed felt Chastity slump against him.
They had been riding for hours along the rough trail.
The sun was slipping toward the horizon. He had kept the horse to a steady pace, aware that if they could manage to elude Morgan until dark, their chances of escaping him increased.
But the tension in Chastity's body had expanded more with every mile they traveled. Her would was becoming increasingly painful. He knew she remained silent through her distress only by sheer strength of will.
"Are you all right, Chastity?"
Chastity did not respond. Instead, her head lolled back suddenly against him, and Reed was struck with a moment of pure fear.
Drawing his mount to a halt, Reed turned Chastity toward him, his heart pounding. Her complexion was so colorless that she seemed drained of life, and the fear turned to panic.
Dismounting swiftly, Reed caught her as she slid from the saddle. He carried her into the foliage and laid her on the cool ground, noting that the bandage on her shoulder was marked with fresh blood. Retrieving his canteen, he stripped off his bandanna and moistened it, then bathed her face with the cool water. Chastity opened her eyes.
"You're bleeding again."
"No." Chastity managed a smile. "I hurt myself when I jumped down from the wagon with Conchita. The wound started bleeding then, but it stopped." And at his look of concern, "I'm all right. I'm just tired."
Chastity glanced around them, appearing to realize for the first time where they were. "We can't stop, Reed. Morgan will start after us as soon as he goes back to the wagon."
Restraining her when she tried to sit up, Reed shook his head. "No, you need to rest for a little while." He stroked her cheek. He brushed her lips with his. He realized with sudden clarity that there was nothing in the world that mattered more to him then this woman he loved.
"I want to go on, Reed." Chastity struggled to sit up. She thrust away his hand when he tried to restrain her. "You know what'll happen if we stay here."
"Nothing will happen." Reed took Chastity's hand. He raised it to his lips. "We'll stay here for a half hour so you can rest, and then we'll go on."
"Reed, listen to me." Chastity's voice was weak, but familiar spirit glowed in the shimmering sparks of green in her eyes as she whispered, "If anyone had told me a few months ago that I'd be here with you now, a gunshot wound in my shoulder and a killer in pursuit, I would've told them they were insane. That insanity has become reality, Reed, but the true insanity is in the mind of the man who is following us. You know what Morgan's like. And I've come to know him, too. I saw the look in his eyes. He's a liar and a killer, and he'll do anything he needs to do to get his way. He'll be furious when he gets back to the wagon and finds me gone. I'm afraid for Conchita. I'll never comprehend how she could love him."
Chastity took a stabilizing breath, her eyes locking with Reed's as she continued, ''But I understand how she feels. When I thought I'd lost you, Reed, the world seemed to come to an end. Now that I have you back, I can't bear to lose you again. Listen to me, Reed," Chastity pleaded, "I'm tired, but with your arms around me, I'm strong. I'm not the same person I was when you walked onto the train that first day. I'm stronger. I'm wiser. I know what it means to love. And I won't let Morgan take it all away from me."
His heart so full that he was momentarily unable to speak, Reed stared at Chastity. His mind returned to the image of the woman who had approached him on the train. So prim, so proper… but with an inner strength and determination that would not yield. Chastity's outer appearance had changed, but the inner determination remained the same. Whatever had made him think it would fail them now?
His voice hoarse with emotion, Reed whispered, "I spent years seeking justice for a wrong that could never be righted. I came to Indian Territory believing that if I couldn't find justice, I could at least find revenge. But I found something more important." Swallowing, Reed managed words wrung from the depths of his heart. "I love you, Chastity."
His emotions held in so tight a check that he could not manage
more,
Reed swept Chastity up into his arms. Striding back to the gelding waiting nearby, he allowed himself only the moment it took to brush her lips with his before lifting her up onto the saddle and mounting behind her.
The bastard… I'll kill him.
Grimacing with pure malice, Morgan raced along the trail. He glanced back at the men riding behind him. It had not taken him long to return to the herd and gather his men. He had picked up Farrell's trail quickly, with little loss of time. Luck was on his side.
Conchita.
He had left the Mexican whore behind him, her blood draining into the ground. He was rid of her at last. Fool that she was
,
she had loved him to the end.
Chastity.
Who
was she?
What
was she? The only thing of which he was certain was that whoever or whatever she was, she was his.
Farrell. The bastard was living his last dayhis last
hour
. He would enjoy letting Chastity witness the end he would put to her lover's life. She would not defy him so easily then.
Or maybe she would.
Morgan's anticipation mounted.
A little longer.
A little farther.
Morgan stiffened. There was movement on the trail ahead.
A horse and rider.
Elation surged!
Morgan turned sharply to his men, shouting, "Remember don’t shoot! Farrell won't chance a gunfight with Chastity riding with him!"
A yell of pure triumph leaving his lips, Morgan urged his mount to a new surge forward.
«» «» «» «» «» «» «» «» «» «» «» «»
Hoofbeats pounded the ground behind them.
Reed looked back as his mount raced forward on the wooded trail. Sensing the trembling inside Chastity, he urged his mount to a faster pace.
The horsemen drew nearer.
They were closing in.
They were racing alongside!
"Pull up, Farrell, or I'll put a bullet through you here and now!"
Reed felt Chastity shudder at Morgan's shouted command. He could not chance her life.
Drawing his mount to a skidding halt as Morgan's men surrounded
them,
Reed curved his arms more tightly around Chastity.
Morgan, Walker, Bartell, Simmons their names were burned into his mind.
"Get down, Farrell." Hatred rank in his gaze, Morgan watched as Reed dismounted. His men and he dismounting as well, he waited until they faced each other squarely before continuing, "So, you're not a parson after all. Conchita told me you came here to Indian Territory to get me." He laughed abruptly. "Don't look so surprised! You knew Conchita would be waiting for me to come back to the wagon. She pulled a gun on me, but what she really wanted was for me to take her back. I could see it in her eyes, but I told her the truth, that I was through with her. She said she would shoot me." Morgan's smile dropped away. "She never got the chance."
Chastity gasped aloud. Reed reached spontaneously for her as she swayed in the saddle.
"Don't touch her! She belongs to me, now."
Reed turned back toward Morgan with a snarl as Chastity rasped in response, "I belong to you? You're a murderer! You killed Conchita and you tried to kill Reed. Do you really think I would let you touch me?" The setting sun touched Chastity's hair, lighting it to a blazing glow that did not melt her frigid tone as she hissed, "That day will never come!"
"Do you hear her, boys?" Morgan turned briefly toward the men around him. I want you to remember what Chastity's sayin' now, so's you can remind her of it one day after she climbs out of my bed with a smile on her face."
"Bastard!"
Reed lurched forward.
"Stop there!" Morgan's lips drew tight. "I don't want to kill you yet."
"Let him go, Morgan." Chastity's voice dropped to a rasping hiss.
"Are you pleading with me, Chastity?" Morgan turned toward Walker. "Get her off that horse so's I can look her in the eye." Waiting until Walker had lowered her to the ground, Morgan pressed, "Now,
ask
me nice, Chastity. Tell me what you'll do for me if I let Farrell go."
"Shut up, Morgan!" Reed's light eyes iced with fury. His powerful frame tensing, he looked at Chastity, standing only a few feet away. "Don't try to reason with him, Chastity. You know what he is. You said it yourself. He's a liar and a murderer."
"That's enough, Farrell!" Turning back to Chastity, Morgan abruptly smiled an appealing, boyish smile that betrayed none of the malevolence behind it as he coaxed, "Come closer, Chastity."
Chastity did not move.
Morgan's smile dropped away. "I said, come closer."