her—oh, what could Doc be thinking?
She knew what he must think.
And what had gotten into her anyway, letting him kiss her that way?
“He’s not a helpless boy, Mandy dear. That’s why I didn’t give him the laudanum. Do you remember the scars on his chest?”
Mandy only nodded, remembering the scars she’d seen during surgery. She let him talk. She needed the distraction. She did not tell him she’d seen those types of scars before.
“He has undergone the most painful ceremonies I’ve ever known. Those little bullet holes don’t measure up to that.”
Hawk scowled at him, and Mandy was amazed to watch the little man grin at him.
“When I met Hawk,” he went on, “he was only eighteen years old. He’d spent the last twelve years of his life with the Lakota. A white man’s disease had wiped out over half his tribe, including most of his family.”
“I’m sure she’s not interested in this, Mallory,” Hawk growled this at Doc, but he watched her, and his look promised he would know of the danger she had sensed.
She looked away, unable to meet his gold-green gaze. She wanted to cover herself as if she were stripped naked and standing before him. He seemed to look right through her—know all her secrets.
Doc chuckled. “Sure she is, look at her. Now let’s see, where was I?” he went on. “Oh yeah, Hawk had decided to find out about his old world, but he was dressed as an Indian. Look at him. Except for those unusual eyes of his, little would give him away.”
Hawk looked over and glared at Doc, but turned back before she could escape and continued to hold her captive, with eyes that seemed to see through to her soul. She stood, poised to escape like a small bird caught in the mesmerizing, green-gold gaze of a mountain cat who crouched, watching and ready to devour her the instant she moved.
She did not.
“His momma was Spanish,” Doc continued with his story. “His poppa, well, the only thing he’s ever said about him was he was a big man with blond hair and unusual spring-green eyes. He’s gotten something from each, as you can see for yourself.”
Then, Doc became serious, and he looked at the floor. “Anyway, when I found him, a bad bunch had gotten hold of him and taught him a whole new concept of pain. He was near death, and you’d have never recognized him.”
Mandy vaguely wondered what kind of pain could surpass Lakota ceremonies and bullet holes, and shuddered at the thought of him enduring it. Hawk gave her an unperceivable nod as if to say that she would know, with promised retribution, if she did not tell him what he wanted to know.
“I took him in, taught him the white man’s ways, helped him find his family.” The old doctor turned to Hawk now, a deep sadness etched his face. “I heard you were after those men for what they did.”
Mandy watched Hawk. Why was he after these men for what had happened on that plantation?
Hawk looked away, releasing Mandy. He turned his yellow-gold gaze on Doc.
The doc had his full attention now.
“Leave it alone, Mallory!”
Doc Mallory shook his head. “Don’t be bitter, boy. It’s over now. Let it go.”
For one unguarded second, Mandy saw all the pain that was living in his closely guarded heart, then the shutters went down. “Get out, both of you .”
“We’re going, lad. You rest easy, now.” Doc put a hand on Mandy’s shoulder, breaking her out of her trance and guiding her to the door. He turned to shut it behind them. “Really. Rest now, Hawk. It’s over.”
Chapter Six
B lackness blanketed his mind like a cloak. A spindled hand of pain crawled its way along his body, like jagged glass embedded beneath the skin. Grabbing him by his arm, unseen claws moved to drag him down a deep, black hole. Hawk did not have to look to know the hole held a bottomless darkness that threatened to swallow him and keep him there forever. He fought, calling on the steady drum beats of the Ancients, and combining the heart
She knew what he must think.
And what had gotten into her anyway, letting him kiss her that way?
“He’s not a helpless boy, Mandy dear. That’s why I didn’t give him the laudanum. Do you remember the scars on his chest?”
Mandy only nodded, remembering the scars she’d seen during surgery. She let him talk. She needed the distraction. She did not tell him she’d seen those types of scars before.
“He has undergone the most painful ceremonies I’ve ever known. Those little bullet holes don’t measure up to that.”
Hawk scowled at him, and Mandy was amazed to watch the little man grin at him.
“When I met Hawk,” he went on, “he was only eighteen years old. He’d spent the last twelve years of his life with the Lakota. A white man’s disease had wiped out over half his tribe, including most of his family.”
“I’m sure she’s not interested in this, Mallory,” Hawk growled this at Doc, but he watched her, and his look promised he would know of the danger she had sensed.
She looked away, unable to meet his gold-green gaze. She wanted to cover herself as if she were stripped naked and standing before him. He seemed to look right through her—know all her secrets.
Doc chuckled. “Sure she is, look at her. Now let’s see, where was I?” he went on. “Oh yeah, Hawk had decided to find out about his old world, but he was dressed as an Indian. Look at him. Except for those unusual eyes of his, little would give him away.”
Hawk looked over and glared at Doc, but turned back before she could escape and continued to hold her captive, with eyes that seemed to see through to her soul. She stood, poised to escape like a small bird caught in the mesmerizing, green-gold gaze of a mountain cat who crouched, watching and ready to devour her the instant she moved.
She did not.
“His momma was Spanish,” Doc continued with his story. “His poppa, well, the only thing he’s ever said about him was he was a big man with blond hair and unusual spring-green eyes. He’s gotten something from each, as you can see for yourself.”
Then, Doc became serious, and he looked at the floor. “Anyway, when I found him, a bad bunch had gotten hold of him and taught him a whole new concept of pain. He was near death, and you’d have never recognized him.”
Mandy vaguely wondered what kind of pain could surpass Lakota ceremonies and bullet holes, and shuddered at the thought of him enduring it. Hawk gave her an unperceivable nod as if to say that she would know, with promised retribution, if she did not tell him what he wanted to know.
“I took him in, taught him the white man’s ways, helped him find his family.” The old doctor turned to Hawk now, a deep sadness etched his face. “I heard you were after those men for what they did.”
Mandy watched Hawk. Why was he after these men for what had happened on that plantation?
Hawk looked away, releasing Mandy. He turned his yellow-gold gaze on Doc.
The doc had his full attention now.
“Leave it alone, Mallory!”
Doc Mallory shook his head. “Don’t be bitter, boy. It’s over now. Let it go.”
For one unguarded second, Mandy saw all the pain that was living in his closely guarded heart, then the shutters went down. “Get out, both of you .”
“We’re going, lad. You rest easy, now.” Doc put a hand on Mandy’s shoulder, breaking her out of her trance and guiding her to the door. He turned to shut it behind them. “Really. Rest now, Hawk. It’s over.”
Chapter Six
B lackness blanketed his mind like a cloak. A spindled hand of pain crawled its way along his body, like jagged glass embedded beneath the skin. Grabbing him by his arm, unseen claws moved to drag him down a deep, black hole. Hawk did not have to look to know the hole held a bottomless darkness that threatened to swallow him and keep him there forever. He fought, calling on the steady drum beats of the Ancients, and combining the heart
Similar Books
