Read Online Embrace the Wild Land by Rosanne Bittner - Free Book Online
Authors: Rosanne Bittner
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“There ain’t a man left in this camp,” he told her. “And that knife fight has a few minutes to go. They’ll feel each other out first.” His eyes roved over her again. “And even when it’s over, there will be lots of bets to be paid off and some celebratin’ to do. Your man won’t be back for a bit.” He grinned. “Then again, Blade might win, and your man won’t be back at all, and you’ll be left a widow.” He reached out and touched a breast with the back of his hand. “A pretty thing like you shouldn’t be wasted like that. You got a lot of good years left in you.”
Abbie’s eyes blazed and she jerked back from his touch. “You get out of here!” she hissed. “You’ve no idea what my man is capable of doing to someone who threatens his family!”
The men’s shouts grew to a roar again, and Abbie felt crazy with wonder over her husband and fear of this man who stood near her now with rape in his eyes. “You’re near a fort, lady,” the man reminded her. “Your man attacks me and you’ll see a lot of dead Indians layin’ around, includin’ him. You know what happens to Indians when one of them dares to kill a settleror a soldier. Now why don’t you just put that kid down and take off that tunic. We can do this real quick and quiet, and nobody will know the difference. Besides, any white squaw who will spread for a breed will spread for any man. Maybe you, uh, maybe you’re curious about what a white man is like, especially one that hasn’t had a woman for a while. You ever been with a white man?”
She turned her thoughts from Zeke now. She had to think straight. This man was right in what could happen if she screamed and got the Indians or Zeke involved. She knew the kind of trouble soldiers could make for her people. Things had been bad since the Treaty of Fort Wise and were getting worse. She did not want to cause trouble, yet neither would she allow any man but her own to touch her. She must somehow take care of this situation herself. She feigned desire and gave Cole a faint smile.
“Just don’t harm my children,” she told him.
He nodded, his face reddening with passion. She turned and handed Jason to Lillian, who looked at her mother with tear-filled eyes.
“Don’t be afraid,” she told her daughter. “Keep Jason with you.” She turned back to face Cole, allowing him to come closer and unlace her tunic. She remained still as the tunic fell and exposed one breast. Cole jerked her close, grasping at the breast while he kissed her roughly. She felt ill at the taste of tobacco juice and the horror and humiliation of his hand on her breast, but she wanted to lead him on for the moment. She reached up around his neck, and just as as he was lost in the ugly kiss, she quickly dug her nails deeply into his skin, from his forehead, down over his left eye to the upper part of his cheek where no beard grew.
Cole cried out and pulled away, putting a hand over the already bleeding scratches, and Abbie used the momentto bring her foot up hard into his groin. He grunted and bent over, and she used her foot again to push against his shoulder and send him sprawling backward, his rear end landing square into the tub of water.
Jason laughed at what he thought was a funny trick and Lillian began to whimper as Abbie quickly rushed to the side of the
tipi
and grabbed up her Spencer carbine. The rifle was old and had once belonged to her father, but it still worked, and she aimed it now at the groaning Cole, who struggled to get himself out of the tub of water.
“I’ve killed three Crow bucks with this gun, Mister Cole!” she told the man with cold determination. “I’ve never used it on a white man, but I’ll use it on you if you don’t get out of here right now!”
The man pulled himself out of the small tub in which he was close to being stuck. He sat hunched on his knees for a moment, catching his breath and fighting the pain of her kick. Blood ran from the deep scratches on
Abbie’s eyes blazed and she jerked back from his touch. “You get out of here!” she hissed. “You’ve no idea what my man is capable of doing to someone who threatens his family!”
The men’s shouts grew to a roar again, and Abbie felt crazy with wonder over her husband and fear of this man who stood near her now with rape in his eyes. “You’re near a fort, lady,” the man reminded her. “Your man attacks me and you’ll see a lot of dead Indians layin’ around, includin’ him. You know what happens to Indians when one of them dares to kill a settleror a soldier. Now why don’t you just put that kid down and take off that tunic. We can do this real quick and quiet, and nobody will know the difference. Besides, any white squaw who will spread for a breed will spread for any man. Maybe you, uh, maybe you’re curious about what a white man is like, especially one that hasn’t had a woman for a while. You ever been with a white man?”
She turned her thoughts from Zeke now. She had to think straight. This man was right in what could happen if she screamed and got the Indians or Zeke involved. She knew the kind of trouble soldiers could make for her people. Things had been bad since the Treaty of Fort Wise and were getting worse. She did not want to cause trouble, yet neither would she allow any man but her own to touch her. She must somehow take care of this situation herself. She feigned desire and gave Cole a faint smile.
“Just don’t harm my children,” she told him.
He nodded, his face reddening with passion. She turned and handed Jason to Lillian, who looked at her mother with tear-filled eyes.
“Don’t be afraid,” she told her daughter. “Keep Jason with you.” She turned back to face Cole, allowing him to come closer and unlace her tunic. She remained still as the tunic fell and exposed one breast. Cole jerked her close, grasping at the breast while he kissed her roughly. She felt ill at the taste of tobacco juice and the horror and humiliation of his hand on her breast, but she wanted to lead him on for the moment. She reached up around his neck, and just as as he was lost in the ugly kiss, she quickly dug her nails deeply into his skin, from his forehead, down over his left eye to the upper part of his cheek where no beard grew.
Cole cried out and pulled away, putting a hand over the already bleeding scratches, and Abbie used the momentto bring her foot up hard into his groin. He grunted and bent over, and she used her foot again to push against his shoulder and send him sprawling backward, his rear end landing square into the tub of water.
Jason laughed at what he thought was a funny trick and Lillian began to whimper as Abbie quickly rushed to the side of the
tipi
and grabbed up her Spencer carbine. The rifle was old and had once belonged to her father, but it still worked, and she aimed it now at the groaning Cole, who struggled to get himself out of the tub of water.
“I’ve killed three Crow bucks with this gun, Mister Cole!” she told the man with cold determination. “I’ve never used it on a white man, but I’ll use it on you if you don’t get out of here right now!”
The man pulled himself out of the small tub in which he was close to being stuck. He sat hunched on his knees for a moment, catching his breath and fighting the pain of her kick. Blood ran from the deep scratches on
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