frightening as the night. Her mouth went dry, her palms dampened. He was a striking man. Even vague thoughts of an intimate relationship with him made her feel very weak.
He was her way out. She was desperate.
But if she accepted his help, she knew that she would be expected to play out her part of the bargain. She might well be leaping straight into the fire.…
It was better than turning back!
Dear God! She heard footsteps running along the street. They had moved on.
“Do it!” Robert urged her. He was grinning broadly. Teasing her. Taunting McKenzie. “He’s got a temper as bad as the devil’s, but he’s rich as Midas.”
“Well?” McKenzie asked. His words were soft. He sounded angry. He was almost demanding that she do it, and yet he seemed to know that she had no choice, that she would say yes—and that when she did, he would be angry all over again!
“You’re the one running out of time!” he reminded her, black eyes still hard upon her.
She tossed back her hair, meeting his stare, and his challenge. “Anything! Anything!” she cried. “Just as long as you get me away.”
“Oh, I’ll get you away! And then you’ll only have to face those savage alligators and Indians—and me!” He turned away from her, staring at the friend who had taunted him into the situation. “Let’s move, then. Robert—go ahead, get us ready to leave. Slip out now.”
“Right!” Robert saluted. It was an adventure for him. Tara could see his handsome smile flashing brightly against the night.
He slipped out. A second later McKenzie had her arm. “Quickly!” he commanded, leading her from the dark room. In seconds they were rushing down the stairs and hurrying back down the street. The scenery seemed to flash by her. She had never moved so swiftly in all her life.
Suddenly he pulled her into an alleyway.
Someone was coming down the street. Running after them now that it seemed they had disappeared. She could hear the footsteps coming closer and closer. Within seconds she’d be able to touch the man stalking them in the night.
McKenzie knew it too. She could see it in his black eyes. But those eyes never left hers. At just the right moment he threw out his arm.
A man bellowed in the darkness, tripping. He was burly, half bald, and very vicious looking in the shadows as he picked himself up. He caught a glimpse of Tara, smiled, and started for McKenzie.
McKenzie let his fist fly once. It connected with the man’s jaw. The big burly fellow went down with a little expulsion of air.
Tara stared down at him. McKenzie reached out a hand to her.
She didn’t take it at first. She kept staring down at the man in amazement. “Is he dead?” she asked.
“No,” he told her. He paused a moment. “Did you want him to be?”
“No!”
“Good.”
She gazed up at him. Those dark eyes were still studying her, as if they could discern everything about her!
He shrugged. “It’s good to know that you’re not a bloodthirsty little wench. Even if he did deserve killing. Did he?”
“I’m not sure,” she said.
“Somehow, I didn’t think you would be. He was just a henchman for someone else, right?”
“I can’t—”
“Damnit, you know who this one is, right?”
“Yes!”
“One down,” he murmured. “For a while, at least.”
“Can we go?” she murmured.
“I was just waiting for you to ask.”
“Where
are we going right now?” she whispered.
“To find a minister.”
Tara stepped over the unconscious man on theground. She looked up at McKenzie, shaking her head. “You—you don’t have to marry me!” she whispered. “I’ll come with you anyway. You don’t owe me. I owe you—”
“Three hundred dollars is much too much for a whore,” he told her with a touch of amusement. “Besides which, I don’t need one,” he said a little harshly. For a moment his ebony gaze touched the stars in the dark sky. “Whores in this town are a dime a dozen,” he said softly. “So maybe
He was her way out. She was desperate.
But if she accepted his help, she knew that she would be expected to play out her part of the bargain. She might well be leaping straight into the fire.…
It was better than turning back!
Dear God! She heard footsteps running along the street. They had moved on.
“Do it!” Robert urged her. He was grinning broadly. Teasing her. Taunting McKenzie. “He’s got a temper as bad as the devil’s, but he’s rich as Midas.”
“Well?” McKenzie asked. His words were soft. He sounded angry. He was almost demanding that she do it, and yet he seemed to know that she had no choice, that she would say yes—and that when she did, he would be angry all over again!
“You’re the one running out of time!” he reminded her, black eyes still hard upon her.
She tossed back her hair, meeting his stare, and his challenge. “Anything! Anything!” she cried. “Just as long as you get me away.”
“Oh, I’ll get you away! And then you’ll only have to face those savage alligators and Indians—and me!” He turned away from her, staring at the friend who had taunted him into the situation. “Let’s move, then. Robert—go ahead, get us ready to leave. Slip out now.”
“Right!” Robert saluted. It was an adventure for him. Tara could see his handsome smile flashing brightly against the night.
He slipped out. A second later McKenzie had her arm. “Quickly!” he commanded, leading her from the dark room. In seconds they were rushing down the stairs and hurrying back down the street. The scenery seemed to flash by her. She had never moved so swiftly in all her life.
Suddenly he pulled her into an alleyway.
Someone was coming down the street. Running after them now that it seemed they had disappeared. She could hear the footsteps coming closer and closer. Within seconds she’d be able to touch the man stalking them in the night.
McKenzie knew it too. She could see it in his black eyes. But those eyes never left hers. At just the right moment he threw out his arm.
A man bellowed in the darkness, tripping. He was burly, half bald, and very vicious looking in the shadows as he picked himself up. He caught a glimpse of Tara, smiled, and started for McKenzie.
McKenzie let his fist fly once. It connected with the man’s jaw. The big burly fellow went down with a little expulsion of air.
Tara stared down at him. McKenzie reached out a hand to her.
She didn’t take it at first. She kept staring down at the man in amazement. “Is he dead?” she asked.
“No,” he told her. He paused a moment. “Did you want him to be?”
“No!”
“Good.”
She gazed up at him. Those dark eyes were still studying her, as if they could discern everything about her!
He shrugged. “It’s good to know that you’re not a bloodthirsty little wench. Even if he did deserve killing. Did he?”
“I’m not sure,” she said.
“Somehow, I didn’t think you would be. He was just a henchman for someone else, right?”
“I can’t—”
“Damnit, you know who this one is, right?”
“Yes!”
“One down,” he murmured. “For a while, at least.”
“Can we go?” she murmured.
“I was just waiting for you to ask.”
“Where
are we going right now?” she whispered.
“To find a minister.”
Tara stepped over the unconscious man on theground. She looked up at McKenzie, shaking her head. “You—you don’t have to marry me!” she whispered. “I’ll come with you anyway. You don’t owe me. I owe you—”
“Three hundred dollars is much too much for a whore,” he told her with a touch of amusement. “Besides which, I don’t need one,” he said a little harshly. For a moment his ebony gaze touched the stars in the dark sky. “Whores in this town are a dime a dozen,” he said softly. “So maybe
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