His Prairie Princess (Prairie Brides 1) (12 page)

Harrison, his gun drawn, glided up to the back door and listened.  Nothing.
Not a sound.  Only the fire that sparked and cracked overhead.  In fact, it was turning into an outright roar and he heard some of the roof beams snap.  Good Lord!  What if they were all asleep or his brothers were passed out drunk and Sadie lay bound upon a bed?

Harrison sprang into action and burst through the back door.  By now the cabin was full of smoke and the flames on the roof had made their way inside. “Sadie!  Sadie, where are you?” 
He called through the haze.  He coughed, unable to breath, and pulled his bandana over his nose and mouth as he frantically searched the main room.  Nothing.  He ran into the room he first saw Sadie bound to a chair.  There was less smoke in here, but no Sadie.  He burst through the door into the smaller third room.  Still nothing.

“Oh Lord, no.” he whispered as realization dawned. 
Harrison ran back into the main room and opened the front door.  The Sheriff and his men stood outside, their guns aimed at him.  “Don’t shoot!  It’s me, Harrison!”

They lowered their guns.  “Where in tarnati
on are they?”  The Sheriff called over the roar of the fire, confused.

“They’re not here!”  Harrison managed between coughs
as he ran from the porch.

“But what about them horses?”  One of the men asked.

Harrison silently cursed himself for his stupidity.  He looked at the two horses running about the small corral in panic.  “Those are not Jack and Sam’s.”

“Well if no one’s here, and those horses aren’t Jack and Sam’s, then where are they?”  The Sheriff lamented.

Harrison brushed past the Sheriff as he immediately began to scan the area.  “I wish I knew.”

* * *

Tears fought for freedom as Jack roughly carried Sadie through the trees.  They’d not gone to the cabin where they held her captive the first time.  At least not to stay.  No, they reached it at sun up but only stayed long enough to get a few things.

  The cabin had been stripped bare.  Jack and Sam gathered some blankets that were left and a cast iron kettle,
and then headed off into the woods to travel further up the ridge.  Apparently some of the other outlaws were still nearby, their horses in the small corral, a fire slowly dying inside the cabin from early that morning.  A note had been left telling those who were able, to meet up at the “other” hide out where they would make plans for their next job.  Sam had un-gagged her long enough for her read it before they set off.

They rode
for at least a half an hour before they came to another makeshift corral.  But there was no cabin to be seen and Sadie wondered how far it could be from where they left the horses.  She let go an occasional grunt when Jack stumbled on a rock or root, but tried to hold her own during the rough trek to where ever it was they were going.  Sam had nearly torn her arm off when she’d kicked his horse as they crossed the prairie. He’d been so mad he stopped the horse, yanked her off and put a knife to her throat.  They had both been almost thrown from her action, she almost killed, if Jack hadn’t talked his brother down out of his rage that is. Sam was so mad he tried to pull a knife he had in his boot out before he’d gotten off the horse.  It had caught on something, the saddle flap she supposed, and he’d fallen off instead.  Once he had her on the ground however, he’d gotten his bearings and was ready to kill her.  Jack, deeming her defilement much better if she were still alive, got Sam to see his logic and he threw her over the saddle.  Unfortunately the mailbag was at the wrong end of her and she had to endure the rest of the ride knowing she still wasn’t able to leave a trail and Sam occasionally smacking her on the rump.  Right before he regaled her with all the dire things that awaited her upon their arrival to their destination.  And now they were here.

Jack’s heavy breathing slowed as he dropped her onto the hard ground.  He bent over her and tried to catch his breath as Sam, mail bag over one shoulder, blankets rolled up and slung with a rope over the other, set the kettle down next to her. 

Sadie looked at it then glared at him.  Maybe if she acted bravely she’d feel the same way.

Sam leered at her. “You’re mine, missy.  And I’m gonna enjoy every inch of you.”  He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Hey what about me?  I carried her all the way up here.  I should get her first!”  Jack argued.

“You’re too tired.  Besides, you don’t want her first.  I’ll get her all warmed up for ya.  She’ll be sweeter broke in a little.”

Sadie’s attempt at bravery began to falter as Jack pulled her to her feet.  “I want her first.”

Sam shoved him and she fell to the ground.  They had re-tied her ankles.  Apparently they didn’t want to chance her escaping on foot.  Perhaps they weren’t the best runners.  She forced the small bit of information to the back of her mind as Sam reached for her.  He yanked her up and hefted her onto his shoulder.  “Let’s go.” 

Jack grumbled, picked up the rest of their effects and followed along like an obedient dog.  After a few moments they went around a small stand of trees and came upon what looked like the entrance to a mine.  Sadie caught a glimpse of it as Sam turned to look around before they entered the darkness.  Inside the air suddenly became still and cold. Sadie didn’t like the way the darkness swallowed them up so quickly and began to struggle.

“Stop that!  Mind yourself!”  Sam scolded as he slapped her hard on the rump.

  His large hand stung and she stilled her movements. Unable to help her self, the tears finally broke free.  At least in the pitch-blackness they wouldn’t be able to see her fear. Maybe she’d get lucky and there would be no light when they performed their heinous deeds to her body and then murdered her.  Perhaps it would all be easier to stomach in the dark ...

Oh Lord, help me.

Sadie fell to the ground in a heap.  She listened as the two men rustled about in the pitch-blackness before she heard the distinct sound of a match being lit.  She had to squint against the light as Sam took a lantern from a large rock and lit it. He adjusted the light, and then hung the lantern from a nail protruding from a beam.  Once her eyes were adjusted, she took in their surroundings. 

They were indeed inside some sort of mine.  And from the looks of it, they were at the back end.  It wasn’t very big, maybe a twelve by twelve space.  It looked more like a cave someone had reinforced with some posts and beams.  She didn’t notice any fresh marks in the rock that would indicate it was an active mine.  Several barrels took up one wall, a couple bales of hay, a sack of grain and a few crates and boxes the others.  Sam went to one of the barrels, took off the li
d and reached inside.  He brought out a whiskey bottle and pulled the cork out with his teeth.  He took a long swallow, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and leered.

A cold, dark chill raced up Sadie’s spine.

“Go take a look around.” He ordered Jack.  “See if any one else has come up yet.”

Jack tossed his load to the ground. The kettle hit a rock and the noise echoed off the walls then quickly disappeared. “Why do I have to take a look around?  We was just outside!”

Sam spun on him.  “Get out!  Go outside while I...” he turned back to Sadie, eyes glazed with lust. “Get her ready for ya.”

Jack growled low in his throat.  “There ain’t no reason why I can’t have her first!  You take everything first!”

Sam punched him square in the gut. Jack doubled over in pain.  “I said get out!  Take a look and make sure no one else is around!”

Jack straightened, his eyes full of rage.  “You better hurry it up cause I’m gonna take my time with her!”  He turned and stomped back to the mine’s entrance.  Sadie watched as he disappeared into the darkness.  Her time had come.

Sam went to her, grabbed her by the wrists and dragged her to the center of the cave.  He then reached for the blankets they’d brought and began to untie them.  He looked about; deciding where to spread them, then threw the blankets down behind the barrels.  Apparently even a hardened criminal liked his privacy while committing the unthinkable.

He came back to Sadie and pulled her to her feet.  “Now missy,” he drawled, his breath reeking of whisky, “let’s you and me have ourselves a time together.”  He picked her up and carried her behind the barrels and threw her down.  He fell to his knees and straddled her
hips to hold her in place, then pulled out his knife.  He got right in her face and pierced her with such an intense look of lust it made her go cold.  Her whole body went numb with fear as he roughly tried to kiss her through the gag then twisted around to cut the bonds on her ankles. He slowly turned back, grinned, then grabbed her bound wrists and held them above her head.  He stuck the knife in the ground next to her, undid his belt with one hand, pulled it off and threw it to the side.  He grunted in frustration as he fumbled with her clothing in an attempt to rip the upper part of her dress open.  He cursed when it didn’t yield and again took the knife.  He held it to her throat.  “This is all going to have to come off, missy.” He poked through the collar of her dress with the knife, smiled, and began to slice the dress away.

Sadie closed her eyes tightly shut to brace herself.  She was going to die.  She’d rather fight him and have him slit her throat than endure what was about to happen.

Click.

Sadie and Sam both froze at the sound.  Her eyes sprang open.

“Take your filthy hands off her before I paint the walls with your brains, you cur.”

Harrison stood behind Sam, a gun to his head. His face was locked in murderous rage and for the briefest of moments Sadie felt sorry for the outlaw. 

Sam dropped the knife and put his hands in the air.  Harrison snatched it up and threw it into the darkness. He roughly pulled Sam off her and pinned him against the wall, the gun in his face.  “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t shoot you right now
,” he hissed.

Sadie lay frozen in place.  She’d never seen a man so fiercely angry. 

“What’s the matter Harrison?” Sam had the nerve to drawl. “Afraid I’d ruin her before you got the chance?”

Sadie automatically closed her eyes.  She heard the sickening crunch of Harrison’s fist connecting with Sam’s nose and cringed as his body slumped unconscious to the ground next to her.  Harrison quickly holstered his gun and bent down.  “Dog.” he spat and shoved Sam up against the rock wall away from her.  He then carefully picked her up.  His gentleness surprised Sadie as he easily carried her to the middle of the cave and set her on her feet. 

Harrison wrapped her in his arms a moment and held her.  He mumbled something into her hair but she wasn’t sure what it was.  He then removed the bandana and pulled the handkerchief from her mouth.  Sadie’s knees went week as the sudden realization she’d be dead if not for Harrison hit her full force. 

He quickly scooped her up and held her to him.  “There now princess.” he whispered into her hair.  “You’re safe now.  They can’t hurt you anymore.  I’m here.” He kissed her forehead.  His lips were soft and warm against her skin.  She couldn’t think, couldn’t speak.  All she could do was stare at him wide eyed as her body began to shake uncontrollably.

“Put your arms around me, honey,” he gently ordered.

She complied, and put her bound wrists over his head and around his neck.  He stood with her in his arms and looked into her eyes.  In the dim light from the lantern she could see their brown depths were alight with emotion.  Relief, anger, fear, and love.  Mostly love.  He knew he’d almost lost her to an unspeakable fate. “I’ll never let you out of my sight.  Not so long as I live. You’re to be my wife, do you hear? And I swear, so long as I’m able, I’ll never let any harm come to you ever again.”

He kissed her then, softly, gently. But within moments it was no longer a kiss of comfort, of his promise to protect.  But of possession.  She was his and his alone.  No arguments.  No complaints. That kiss told her she was going to have to accept it. She now belonged to him.

And Sadie reveled in the knowledge that with a single kiss he had claimed her so utterly and completely.  Such a powerful thing, a kiss.  One could mean death at the hands of a lust crazed stranger.  The other life in the arms of a man whose heart she knew belonged to her and always would. 

Harrison finally broke the kiss and held her tightly to him.  “I love you Sadie Jones.  I loved you the first moment I saw you.” He looked into her eyes and captured her.  “I’ve nothing to offer.  I’ve no lands, no title, and no money.  Nothing but a few scant acres that aren’t even mine and a dozen or so pigs.  But you’ll have my heart as long as I live and even beyond into the hereafter. I’ll love you with all my strength and being.”  He tightened his hold and bent his face to hers. “Marry me.”

Her lips trembled and she still couldn’t speak.  A tear escaped, then another and another.  Finally she did the only thing she could think of and pulled his face down the rest of the way and spoke her answer with a kiss.  How long they stood there in that kiss she didn’t know.  All Sadie did know was that if she could, she would never let it stop.  It would go on until they became utterly lost in it.

And they did.  At least until the Sheriff came upon them.  “Ahem...”

Harrison ever so slowly lifted his face from hers.  “I love you, my princess,” he whispered and kissed her forehead again.  “My brave and beautiful prairie princess. And now I’m going to make you my Queen.” He gripped her tighter and followed the Sheriff outside.