Jesse shook his head in protest. “Don't even think we're going to give them what they want, Dakoda.”
Heart giving a compulsive thump, Dakoda felt her guts knot. “The way for us to get to these men is to give them what they think they want,” she pointed out. “That's me.”
“It's too dangerous,” Chief Joseph said tightly.
She insisted. “I can't let you sacrifice your shaman when there may be a way to save him without having to do exactly as these men demand.” Her mind spun in frantic circles like a top set loose at high speed. There had to be a satisfactory solution to the mess she'd unwittingly placed these people in. There was no way she'd let an old man sacrifice his life to save hers.
That's just not acceptable, on any level
.
Piqued with interest, the chief's brows rose. “And how do you propose we do that?”
Dakoda licked her lips as boldness crept through her mind on sneaky kitty feet. Cougar feet, in fact. She leaned closer to the table. Her challenging gaze met that of every onlooker. “They don't know I can shift,” she pointed out. “Once Ayunkini is safe, all I would need is a moment to surprise them and break away. With you guys backing my tail, I just might make it.”
T
welve noon. The sun hung high in the sky, its single wide, bright eye glaring down on the mountains.
The Barnett brothers waited on the edge of a clearing that gave them a clear view onto reservation land. Cannily, they'd chosen a location offering them the best advantage.
Their demand was simple. They wanted Dakoda. She was an outsider, a threat to their way of life in these mountains.
It would be a fair trade.
Or so they said.
No one trusted the Barnett brothers, but there were no other choices. The plan they'd come up with wasn't the most desirable to put into play, but it was the only game in town. With the odds against them and an old man's life hanging in the balance, they wouldn't have but one chance to make a clean getaway. Predicting the outcome of such a risky venture was impossible; the human elements involved were too unstable to be trusted. The single saving grace stood in Dakoda's ability to shift. Catching the outlaws unawares would be the key to her escape.
At the prearranged time, Dakoda stepped out into the clearing. Jesse walked beside her, levering a round into the chamber of his rifle. He lifted it at the approach of the outlaws, training the sights on Willie Barnett.
Ayunkini stood between the two men. His hands were bound behind his back, and a piece of gray duct tape covered the shaman's mouth. More than half his clothing was gone. Shirtless and barefoot, he wore only a pair of loose-fitting trousers. His long white hair hung disheveled around a face bloodied and bruised by heavy hands. He hadn't been treated gently or easily. To make sure he wouldn't cause any trouble, Waylon Barnett held a pistol to the old man's head.
Seeing them, Ayunkini began struggling against his captors. Dakoda clearly caught the desperation behind his movements.
No!
his desperate fight said.
Don't risk your life for mine
.
She briefly closed her eyes, sending him a silent message.
It will be all right
, she signaled back. Even though she knew Ayunkini couldn't read her mind, she somehow felt the shaman would be able to understand her. Last night he'd had his hand not only on the pulse of her heart but also on her soul.
Willie Barnett raised his hands to show he wasn't carrying a weapon. “Now hold on, Jesse,” he said in a voice as close to amicable as he could manage. “You already know we got Rusty out there with his shotgun. No more than you've got a gun on me, he's got his on you.”
Jesse kept he rifle steady. “We've got a few watching you, too. And we're just as willing to spill a little blood.”
Spitting a wad of tobacco, Willie Barnett pointed toward his brother. “You know he's got an itchy trigger finger, Jesse.”
Jesse refused to back down. “Maybe mine's itching, too.”
Dakoda glanced toward her lover. She wished she felt as brave as he sounded. He seemed determined to push every button, doing his best to prod them toward violence. It dimly occurred to her the young brave was absolutely ready to fightâand to dieâthis very day.
Dying wasn't at the top of Dakoda's list of things to do today.
Easing a hand onto Jesse's arm, she leaned in. “Take it easy,” she whispered.
He shot her a glance of annoyance. Frustration with the entire situation was making him reckless. “I'm not into this plan,” he mouthed back. His expression tightened. “I don't trust them.”
She eased closer, giving him a seriously hard look. “Just trust me.” No one was convinced the plan was viable. She'd had to demonstrate to everyone more than once her ability to shift still held true.
A breathless moment passed.
Jesse wavered, flashing a quick rueful smile. “Be careful,” he mouthed, then added, “I love you too much to lose you now.” His black eyes, endlessly deep, were filled with her reflection.
Dakoda's heart squeezed as if it were stopping. Those were words she hadn't been expecting to hear today. Not by a long shot.
Breathing hard, she rested her forehead against his shoulder. For a long minute she stood like that, her body next to his, soaking in the strength and warmth of his brawny frame. “I love you, too,” she murmured, offering a light squeeze of reassurance.
I don't want to lose you, either
.
Willie Barnett's voice broke into their private conversation, dragging them both back to the unpleasant reality at hand. “There's no need to talk that way when we can settle things right.” He sucked some more on the nasty wad shoved in his lower lip. “We all got our places out here, and can get along just fine as long as we keep the outsiders away.”
“Seems to me like you boys have forgotten some of the rules, Barnett,” Jesse countered, refusing to back down. “There will be a time for getting even. You can mark my words on that.”
Willie Barnett spread his hands and laughed. “You just take care where you're steppin' in future times.”
“I'll consider myself warned,” Jesse grated back.
Waylon Barnett eyed Dakoda, his gaze slipping over her like oily slime. She couldn't help shivering. He'd seen her naked and probably thought he'd be doing so again. “Looks like you're of a mind to do some business,” he said, smashing the barrel of his pistol into Ayunkini's side.
Jesse's face went stone hard. “Blackmail isn't the way men do business,” he answered tautly. “Just cowards like you.”
Dakoda couldn't help wincing. The plan was to cooperate as much as possible, lead the Barnett brothers to believe the Indians wanted nothing more than a clean trade. She was to appear to be nothing more than the barter.
Barnett chuckled. “Didn't think you were gonna give her up so easy, seein' as you've been fuckin' her and all.”
Jesse shot a sharp glance at Dakoda, one akin to disgust. “As hard as you were trying to convince your buyer of the fact, you know she isn't one of us,” he answered tightly, segueing neatly into the lie with little effort.
Willie Barnett chuckled. “Well, you can't blame a man for trying, now can you?”
The smug asshole.
Dakoda knew why they were so desperate to get her back. Once she made it back into town, she had the capability to bring the wrath of the law into these mountains. Poaching a few animals illegally was one thing for the authorities to turn a blind eye to. Murdering a ranger was another thing entirely. This time the hunt wouldn't stop until justice was satisfied.
They're afraid
, she warned herself.
Jesse and I are living witnesses to Greg's murder
. Desperation made men unpredictable. Every move she made would have to be with the greatest caution.
One false step could be fatal.
Continuing the pretense, Jesse nodded slowly. “We're willing to make the trade.” Lowering the rifle, he gave Dakoda a little shove out in front of him. She stumbled forward a few steps. “You know we don't take to outsiders.”
“Nope, not at all,” Barnett agreed. “And you don't gotta worry 'bout her sayin' a word. Her buyer's still interested in having her forâ” A lewd grin split his lips. “Other things. As long as she'll suck cock, she'll have a nice home. Ain't none of us got to worry about the law comin' in.”
Dakoda shivered with disgust at his words. Did he actually think she'd willingly be a sex slave to save her own life?
Hell will freeze over first
, she fumed.
“That sounds acceptable,” Jesse said in agreement. “Send Ayunkini over.”
Waylon Barnett shook his head. Levering back the hammer on his revolver, he made a counter demand. “You send her first,” he demanded, snorting a laugh. “Kind of a show of good faith.”
Jesse prodded Dakoda with his rifle. “You heard him,” he said in a voice oddly flat and emotionless. “Get over there.”
“But,” she started to say. It wasn't a part of the script they'd agreed on earlier, just something that slipped out. For a moment it actually felt like he was willingly sending her back into the outlaws' handsâand with no intention of getting her back.
Jesse's face might have been carved of stone for all the expression he wore. “I have to look out for my people,” he said roughly. “You're not one of us.”
Had she not known better, Dakoda might have believed him.
Somehow she managed to pick up her feet, forcing herself to walk toward the waiting outlaws. Her feet felt like lead blocks. She didn't want to go, but knew she must. Somewhere her partner lay in an unmarked grave, a grave that would never be found unless she had the courage to take these men in.
Willie Barnett smiled as he reached out to grab her arm. “See?” he grunted. “Those Indians always stick with their own first. You may have a nice tight pussy, but you ain't nothin' if you ain't one of their own.”
Dakoda didn't believe him for a second. “Fuck you and the horse you rode in on,” she snapped, feeling it to be a perfectly appropriate response.
Barnett didn't agree. His hand shot out, and his aim was unerring. “You'll be suckin' me yet, bitch,” he snarled.
Dakoda's head reeled with the unexpected blow. Her cheek went numb and she thought she heard bells. She certainly saw more than a few stars. She staggered a little, but managed to stay upright.
The hair rose on Dakoda's nape. She pulled in an unsteady breath.
Hold tight
, she warned herself. She needed to remain focused, alert. Her mind cleared a little as she mentally swept away the pain and centered on the anger. That would help her shift faster. Beneath her skin the anger of the cougar inside boiled, aching to get out.
But not until the time is right
.
“Send Ayunkini over,” Jesse demanded.
Cutting the ties holding the old man's hands behind his back, Waylon Barnett gave the old man a shove between the shoulder blades. Caught unaware, Ayunkini stumbled, hitting the ground hard.
Dakoda's heart rate bumped up a notch. A new chill took the air from her throat.
Oh shit
. This wasn't good.
“You ain't movin' fast enough, ol' man,” the outlaw cackled. He raised his pistol and fired without hesitation. The bullet caught the old shaman directly in the head. Ayunkini slumped to the ground. Blood oozed from the hole in his temple.
Dakoda flinched. The shot was like a blow penetrating her breastbone. Images of Gregory Zerbe's death flashed in front of Dakoda's eyes. Her mouth dropped open and it was all she could do not to scream. A strangled sob died in her throat. Oh, God! It was happening all over again.
Skeeter Barnett had killed Ayunkini.
Shot him down like a dog.
Pure panic struck. For ten, maybe twenty seconds, Dakoda couldn't move, not even to breathe. Her gaze zeroed in on the blood pooling around the old man's shattered skull. “You didn't have to kill him,” she yelled, struggling to get the words out. “He was just an old man.”
Witnessing the old man's murder, fury boiled up inside Jesse. He lifted his rifle, prepared to take the outlaw down. “You'll die for that, you son of a bitch.” His words were no threat, but a promise.
Waylon took instant action to cover himself. Dakoda felt a strong arm encircle her neck and the cold press of a pistol against her head. “Back off or she's dead,” he warned.
Acutely aware of the gun pressed at her temple, Dakoda realized the outlaws hadn't meant to let any of them walk away alive today. Not Ayunkini, Jesse, or herself. It was an ambush, a setup to get rid of all the witnesses.
Inside, the cougar roared.
Enough was enough.
Concealing the ability to shift meant keeping it locked up, letting the wildness of the animal inside sear her mind. Somehow she'd managed to hold the beast inside after seeing the old shaman gunned down. But the idea of possibly losing Jesse, too, was more than she could handle.
Now!
Nerve endings sparking with fire, Dakoda deliberately let her own consciousness ebb away. She felt the hum of power ripple through her veins. The sensation was like standing in a Jacuzzi on jet power, electric shafts of energy bursting under her skin. The sensation throbbed through her skull, the pressure building behind her eyes.
Every ounce of hate exploded outward. Her skin prickled, white-hot needles clawing upward through her flesh. Adrenaline seared through her veins. A series of bright lights flashed behind her eyes. The final shreds of control slipped through her fingers. Like hundred-proof whiskey taken straight from the bottle, the shift was delivering a shot of undiluted power and it was strong stuff.
Come on, cat
, she called, opening the cage door on the irate feline. Every instinct she had screamed: REVENGE!
The cougar inside her came blasting outward, breaking the hold the outlaw had on her body. Twisting in midair, Dakoda felt the remnants of her clothing slip away. A screech of outrage tore from her throat as she sent the entire force of her weight crashing down on the hapless man.