glory.
"My clothes," she repeated, but found herself slung unceremoniously onto a horse. A horse? She didn't know how to ride a horse. All thoughts of clothes and time travel fled in light of more urgent matters.
Like survival.
A second later, the kidnapper shoved his rifle into a slot on the side of his saddle and swung himself up behind her. He reached around Jackie and grabbed the reins, snapped them once and did something with his feet to launch the horse.
"Noooooooo." Jackie clung to the saddlehorn and gasped for breath, no longer holding the boa. It flapped in the breeze around her and her captor.
"Hold those damned feathers before you spook the horse," he said in her ear.
Suddenly aware of his proximity and her monstrous vulnerability, Jackie quieted and gathered the feathers closer, tucking the ends under her inner thighs to secure them across her chest. Without slowing its pace, the horse galloped up a rocky incline that didn't even resemble a trail. Jackie could barely breathe and her skin was starting to itch where the feathers touched it. The constant jarring motion of the horse was making her stomach queasy and she was just plain sick and tired of her adventure.
"I want to go home," she whispered between breaths. "I've had all of this I'm going to put up with."
Nothing. The least he could do was acknowledge her.
"I said, I want to go home."
Still nothing.
As the horse plunged over a fallen tree and down into a ravine, Jackie reached and passed her limit. She sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let loose the loudest, shrillest scream of her life.
"Jesus, woman." The horse balked and reared as the kidnapper pulled on the reins, trying to calm the beast. "Hush, you're spooking my mare."
She knew it was risky–well, more than risky–but rather than listen to reason, Jackie sucked in yet another breath and screamed even louder.
The horse reared again, pawing the air high above them. Jackie stared at the flailing hooves, almost ready to admit she might have pushed her luck just a little too far.
"Easy, girl," the kidnapper said in a soothing tone.
Was he speaking to her ?
"That's a good old girl."
Old girl? Jackie whipped her head around to stare at the man, whose face was still hidden from view. When she opened her mouth to talk, he clamped his gloved hand over it.
Dust mingled with the scent of sweat and leather, nearly suffocating her. His glittering eyes narrowed and he leaned very close. "If you promise to be quiet, I'll let go. If you don't..."
A shudder rippled through Jackie and she nodded, certain he intended to do something horrible to her at any moment.
"That's better," he said softly, moving his hand away from her mouth. The kerchief twitched slightly.
The bastard is laughing.
Something inside her snapped. How dare he? Her life had been completely destroyed, and now the Sundance Kid, or whatever he called himself, was laughing.
Rage, irrational but commanding, gripped her and she screamed even louder than before. Her throat protested the harsh treatment, even as the surge of adrenalin made her feel superhuman. Let him laugh, she thought.
The horse went berserk and Jackie clawed the air for something more substantial than ostrich feathers. But this time, even she knew the beast wouldn't stop.
No, this time, the huge animal was going all the way over.
With two humans to cushion its fall.
Chapter 4
Cole tightened his grip around Lolita's waist and released the reins. The mare had gone
"My clothes," she repeated, but found herself slung unceremoniously onto a horse. A horse? She didn't know how to ride a horse. All thoughts of clothes and time travel fled in light of more urgent matters.
Like survival.
A second later, the kidnapper shoved his rifle into a slot on the side of his saddle and swung himself up behind her. He reached around Jackie and grabbed the reins, snapped them once and did something with his feet to launch the horse.
"Noooooooo." Jackie clung to the saddlehorn and gasped for breath, no longer holding the boa. It flapped in the breeze around her and her captor.
"Hold those damned feathers before you spook the horse," he said in her ear.
Suddenly aware of his proximity and her monstrous vulnerability, Jackie quieted and gathered the feathers closer, tucking the ends under her inner thighs to secure them across her chest. Without slowing its pace, the horse galloped up a rocky incline that didn't even resemble a trail. Jackie could barely breathe and her skin was starting to itch where the feathers touched it. The constant jarring motion of the horse was making her stomach queasy and she was just plain sick and tired of her adventure.
"I want to go home," she whispered between breaths. "I've had all of this I'm going to put up with."
Nothing. The least he could do was acknowledge her.
"I said, I want to go home."
Still nothing.
As the horse plunged over a fallen tree and down into a ravine, Jackie reached and passed her limit. She sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let loose the loudest, shrillest scream of her life.
"Jesus, woman." The horse balked and reared as the kidnapper pulled on the reins, trying to calm the beast. "Hush, you're spooking my mare."
She knew it was risky–well, more than risky–but rather than listen to reason, Jackie sucked in yet another breath and screamed even louder.
The horse reared again, pawing the air high above them. Jackie stared at the flailing hooves, almost ready to admit she might have pushed her luck just a little too far.
"Easy, girl," the kidnapper said in a soothing tone.
Was he speaking to her ?
"That's a good old girl."
Old girl? Jackie whipped her head around to stare at the man, whose face was still hidden from view. When she opened her mouth to talk, he clamped his gloved hand over it.
Dust mingled with the scent of sweat and leather, nearly suffocating her. His glittering eyes narrowed and he leaned very close. "If you promise to be quiet, I'll let go. If you don't..."
A shudder rippled through Jackie and she nodded, certain he intended to do something horrible to her at any moment.
"That's better," he said softly, moving his hand away from her mouth. The kerchief twitched slightly.
The bastard is laughing.
Something inside her snapped. How dare he? Her life had been completely destroyed, and now the Sundance Kid, or whatever he called himself, was laughing.
Rage, irrational but commanding, gripped her and she screamed even louder than before. Her throat protested the harsh treatment, even as the surge of adrenalin made her feel superhuman. Let him laugh, she thought.
The horse went berserk and Jackie clawed the air for something more substantial than ostrich feathers. But this time, even she knew the beast wouldn't stop.
No, this time, the huge animal was going all the way over.
With two humans to cushion its fall.
Chapter 4
Cole tightened his grip around Lolita's waist and released the reins. The mare had gone
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