Ride The Wind (Vincente 3) by Constance O'Banyon

someone who knew he was carrying a large
amount of cash...."
    Eugene's voice held a sarcastic tone. "And the
second thing?"

    "Well," Reese said softly. "Is there a chance he
didn't want to share the money with the two of
you?" Reese shrugged as if it made very little difference to him. "As I said, you know your
brother better than I do."
    Eugene swore loudly. "Damn it to hell! I
should have been suspicious when Earl went
riding off on his own and wouldn't let me go
with him! He done went and crossed us." His
murderous gaze turned to Reese. "If I find you've
played us false, I'll come after you."
    Reese countered Eugene's threat with one of
his own. "If I find you've harmed this woman,
I'll come after you."
    Sam spoke up. "Earl wouldn't have done us
wrong. If he's not here, it's because he's in trouble somewhere."
    "And night ain't night," Eugene said in a hard
tone. "I thought Earl was acting funny." He
glared at his younger brother. "We're going to
find that bastard and get our share of the
money." He jerked up his gun belt and fastened
it about his waist. "I'll kill him for this!"
    Both brothers began shoving supplies into a
canvas pack and moved to the door. Eugene
turned to glance back at Saber. "I think our
paths may cross again, Miss Vincente."
    Saber cringed inside at the lustful look he gave
her and turned her face away from him.

    Pausing in the doorway, Sam spoke to Reese.
"Be good to her, Mr. Felton. She's not used to
rough treatment."
    "You'd just better hope you or your brothers
haven't harmed her," Reese told him in a deep
voice that reverberated through the room.
    Sam looked at Saber for a moment. "I'm sorry
I wasn't able to protect you from Eugene." Then
he left abruptly, closing the door behind him.
    The room was silent for a long moment, and
then Reese turned his attention to the woman.
She was dressed in filthy trousers and a shirt
that were both too big for her. Her golden hair
was tangled and dirty. Her face was smudged
with dirt. He saw nothing about her that would
make a man like Major Halloway want her for
his wife. She looked more like a pitiful waif than
a legendary beauty.
    Saber tried to meet the man's gaze bravely,
but his eyes were too intense, and he was too
powerful. "What are you going to do with me,
sir?"
    He wondered if he should tell her that Matthew had sent him to rescue her. But there was
a chance the Miller brothers might follow them,
so it was best to tell her later on. His first duty
was to get her to safety. "That, Miss Vincente,
remains to be seen. But you don't have anything
to worry about." He glanced about him. "I sup pose you have nothing here to take. Let's be on
our way."

    She shivered at the coldness in his voice. Still,
her pride came to her rescue. "I want you to be
aware that I will escape the first chance I get."
    He smiled, showing strong, white teeth. "Be
advised, Miss Vincente, that you will be far safer
with me than left to the mercy of the elements,
or with those two blunderers who just left here.
You will welcome my protection If they decide
to come back for you-and they will come back
for you, make no mistake about that."
    "What are you talking about?" she insisted.
    "Are you ready to go?"
    "Not until you tell me what you are going to
do with me."
    When he didn't answer, she flew at him, her
hands reaching for his face, trying to claw at his
eyes. With ease, he subdued her, locking both
her hands in a firm grip.
    "Stop it. You'll only hurt yourself." He pulled
her against his hip and held her there. "You can't
win against me, so save yourself the trouble."
    She struggled and kicked out at him, but she
soon recognized his superior strength. Thoroughly exhausted, she subsided stiffly against
him. But her blue eyes burned with contempt,
and he knew she would try to escape if he didn't watch her. That was certainly what she had been
trying to do when he'd found her.

    He admired her spirit, but it would