Read Online Dark Warrior: To Tame a Wild Hawk (Dark Cloth) by Lenore Wolfe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lenore Wolfe
Ads: Link
beginning of what I will do to you. I will make you beg me to touch you.”
Mandy stood completely still. Half of her screamed to run while the other half begged for him to touch her again.
“Come here, Mandy.” It was a command.
Mandy turned and ran.
***
Mandy stood in front of Doc’s office with her face to the sun. She breathed the warm, fresh air deep into her lungs, cleansing them from the stale air surrounding the hospital bed. She frowned suddenly, her small slice of peace gone now; shattered at the unwelcome sight heading her way.
Ashley McCandle strode straight towards her with what looked to be murderous intent. He grabbed her arm. Opening Doc’s office door with his free hand, he yanked her through it, slamming it behind them. He stood, with a bruising grip on her arm, not moving.
Mandy stood quietly, hoping he would calm down and very, very happy they had managed to move Hawk to a room upstairs that morning.
Finally, he turned to her, but he had not gained control of his rage. He released her arm but rounded on her. “Mandy, what the hell do you think you’re doing, taking care of that man?” he hissed through clenched teeth.
Mandy pressed her fingers to her temples. McCandle was the most arrogant man she’d ever known, but even she was amazed that he’d barged into Doc’s house like this, uninvited. “I’m sure you’ve heard all over town what happened,” she answered.
“I went out to the ranch again,” Ashley closed in on her as he spoke, his voice lowering with every word he enunciated until it became a menacing growl, “only to have those God-forsaken men of yours tell me you’d be gone for a few days. I hit Ned for having the nerve to try and throw me off your land, and that boy, Timmy . . . .”
“Tommy,” Mandy corrected.
He sneered. “He’s gonna get himself killed, if he don’t learn his place.”
Mandy gasped, “Oh, Ashley!”
His rage altered somewhat at her reaction. “Your damn men refused to tell me where you were!”
Mandy lifted her chin with anger. “That’s because, it’s none of your business.”
“It is my business,” he grabbed her by the back of her hair, forcing her to look at him, “where my future wife is concerned. Now why-are-you-here?”
She fought back the tears, her eyes smarting from the searing pain he was causing. “You are not now, nor will you ever be, my husband!” She gritted her teeth as he twisted his grip on her hair all the more tighter. “I have told you for nearly three years now, I already have a fiancé.”
“Lies.” McCandle lowered his face even closer to hers. “That’s all those ever were, just lies to throw me off track. Do you think I didn’t know that?’
Meg slipped in the office door and came around Ashley. “I came to warn you about him,” she gestured at McCandle. She wrinkled her nose. “I’m sorry I got here too late.”
Ashley turned his ugly snarl on Mandy’s best friend. Still holding Mandy close to his chest, he turned and hissed into her face, “I want you to stop seeing this little tart.”
Mandy stared at Meg, hoping she would keep silent, but her hope was short-lived.
Meg’s brows shot up. “Who? Me?” She moved closer to where McCandle had hold of Mandy. “Why, McCandle, you wouldn’t be afraid of little ol’ me, now, would you?”
McCandle’s face turned red with hate. He yanked his hand from Mandy’s hair and stepped in front of Meg. “One of these days,” his lips curled in a feral snarl as he leaned in toward Meg, “your mouth is gonna get you killed.”
Meg leaned closer to Ashley’s face. “Why, I say McCandle, is that a threat?”
Mandy pulled her friend around, close to her. “Stop it,” she whispered. Meg squeezed her hand and turned back to McCandle. “By the way, did you have anything to do with McKinney being in town?”
Mandy gasped.
If the Christian demon had a face, McCandle’s face looked demonic. Meg and Mandy knew he wasn’t a man accustomed
Mandy stood completely still. Half of her screamed to run while the other half begged for him to touch her again.
“Come here, Mandy.” It was a command.
Mandy turned and ran.
***
Mandy stood in front of Doc’s office with her face to the sun. She breathed the warm, fresh air deep into her lungs, cleansing them from the stale air surrounding the hospital bed. She frowned suddenly, her small slice of peace gone now; shattered at the unwelcome sight heading her way.
Ashley McCandle strode straight towards her with what looked to be murderous intent. He grabbed her arm. Opening Doc’s office door with his free hand, he yanked her through it, slamming it behind them. He stood, with a bruising grip on her arm, not moving.
Mandy stood quietly, hoping he would calm down and very, very happy they had managed to move Hawk to a room upstairs that morning.
Finally, he turned to her, but he had not gained control of his rage. He released her arm but rounded on her. “Mandy, what the hell do you think you’re doing, taking care of that man?” he hissed through clenched teeth.
Mandy pressed her fingers to her temples. McCandle was the most arrogant man she’d ever known, but even she was amazed that he’d barged into Doc’s house like this, uninvited. “I’m sure you’ve heard all over town what happened,” she answered.
“I went out to the ranch again,” Ashley closed in on her as he spoke, his voice lowering with every word he enunciated until it became a menacing growl, “only to have those God-forsaken men of yours tell me you’d be gone for a few days. I hit Ned for having the nerve to try and throw me off your land, and that boy, Timmy . . . .”
“Tommy,” Mandy corrected.
He sneered. “He’s gonna get himself killed, if he don’t learn his place.”
Mandy gasped, “Oh, Ashley!”
His rage altered somewhat at her reaction. “Your damn men refused to tell me where you were!”
Mandy lifted her chin with anger. “That’s because, it’s none of your business.”
“It is my business,” he grabbed her by the back of her hair, forcing her to look at him, “where my future wife is concerned. Now why-are-you-here?”
She fought back the tears, her eyes smarting from the searing pain he was causing. “You are not now, nor will you ever be, my husband!” She gritted her teeth as he twisted his grip on her hair all the more tighter. “I have told you for nearly three years now, I already have a fiancé.”
“Lies.” McCandle lowered his face even closer to hers. “That’s all those ever were, just lies to throw me off track. Do you think I didn’t know that?’
Meg slipped in the office door and came around Ashley. “I came to warn you about him,” she gestured at McCandle. She wrinkled her nose. “I’m sorry I got here too late.”
Ashley turned his ugly snarl on Mandy’s best friend. Still holding Mandy close to his chest, he turned and hissed into her face, “I want you to stop seeing this little tart.”
Mandy stared at Meg, hoping she would keep silent, but her hope was short-lived.
Meg’s brows shot up. “Who? Me?” She moved closer to where McCandle had hold of Mandy. “Why, McCandle, you wouldn’t be afraid of little ol’ me, now, would you?”
McCandle’s face turned red with hate. He yanked his hand from Mandy’s hair and stepped in front of Meg. “One of these days,” his lips curled in a feral snarl as he leaned in toward Meg, “your mouth is gonna get you killed.”
Meg leaned closer to Ashley’s face. “Why, I say McCandle, is that a threat?”
Mandy pulled her friend around, close to her. “Stop it,” she whispered. Meg squeezed her hand and turned back to McCandle. “By the way, did you have anything to do with McKinney being in town?”
Mandy gasped.
If the Christian demon had a face, McCandle’s face looked demonic. Meg and Mandy knew he wasn’t a man accustomed
Similar Books
