Dusty Britches (75 page)

“
Shut up, Rose!
”
Wesley shouted.
“
Bind him up for it, boys!
”
Wesley threw Rose to the ground, growling at her,
“
Stay.
”
Then he took hold of Dusty.
“
Carve him up,
”
he told the renegade.
“
Slowly.
”

Dusty
screamed, sobbing hysterically—clawing
at Wesley.
Yet
again the kn
ife was at her
throat,
and
she froze
as she watched the men loop one end of a rope around Ryder
’
s wrist and tie the other to a large branch of the tree. She could already see what they meant to do.
They had him between two trees,
a rope looped at each ankle and wrist. They would draw him up between the trees to torture him! The knife at her throat didn
’
t matter anymore
,
and she struggled to get away from Wesley
’
s grip. She almost succeeded in freeing herself, but he took hold of the back of her blouse and slammed her to the ground.

“
Wait! This girl
just
gave me an idea!
”
Wesley laughed.

Dusty gasped as she felt him tear the back of her blouse open
—
cut the strings to her corset. He tore at the fabric of her camisole, and she felt the cool breeze of the willow
’
s shade on her flesh.

“
Should I, Maddox?
”
Wesley growled.
“
Should I make you watch your precious boss
’
s daughter…watch her bleed as Crazy Bear skins her before he does you?
”

“
You put a mark on her
,
and I will kill you!
”
Ryder threatened. His eyes were blazing with anger and fear.

Wesley laughed.
“
Really? Kill me? While you
’
re being skinned yourself?
”

Ryder began to struggle with the one arm stretched out toward the tree by a rope. But the cold blade of the knife held against Dusty
’
s back stopped him
,
and he stood
still—
frantically looking about for an answer to save her.

“
Stop it, Wes!
”
Rose cried out again.
“
You don
’
t know it all! You don
’
t! You wouldn
’
t be doin
’
this if
—”

“
If what, Rose?
”
the man shouted.
“
You
’
ve said that to me before
,
and yet you never have anything to say, now do you?
”

“
It was all Lilly
’
s fault!
” Rose screamed. “Sh-
she started the stampede that day, Wesley!
”

“
What?
”
he asked.

Dusty felt the pressure of the knife on her flesh les
sen. She looked up to see Ryder
, although frowning, nod at her encouragingly as he began to test the strength of the rope
keeping
him too far away to help her.

“
Lilly started the ca
ttle running, Wes! On purpose…s
o that Ryder would have to come to her rescue!
”
Rose sobbed into her hands for a moment.

“
That
’
s absurd, Rose! Why would she do that?
”
Wesley asked.

Dusty knew he didn
’
t completely disbelieve Rose
—else
he wouldn
’
t have paused to listen. Ryder twisted his hand around the rope
holding
his wrist and began to pull. The other men were distracted by Rose
’
s story and didn
’
t notice Ryder
’
s efforts. Dusty could only watch him
—
hope for his strength to be even greater than she knew it to be.

“
She was in love with Ryder,
”
Rose suddenly so
bbed. Dusty looked to Ryder, who, startled by what the g
irl had said,
momentarily
ceased
in his
efforts of escape.

“
What?
”
Ryder himself asked.

“
Lilly was certain she loved Ryder, Wesley. She was afraid to tell you. She wasn
’
t going to tell you until she was sure Ryder cared for her! I
-I knew that he didn’t…b-
but…I loved you so much, Wes! I thought that if she left you for Ryder…maybe
—”

“
Why would she cause the stampede?
”
Wesley shouted, leaping to his feet.
“
Why?
”
Dusty immediately rolled over onto her back and sat up.

“
She wanted Ryder
’
s attention! She had tried for so long…gotten so tired of the stories about the little girl he
’
d known so long ago
. S
he told me to stand on the fence and wait
,
and when the cattle were coming, she
would ride out in front of them. Then
I was to call for Ryder. He was in the barn
,
and she knew it. But she didn
’
t know his horse wasn
’
t saddled yet. We thought his horse was saddled. She paid Ben Dorian to spook the cattle and
—”

“
You
’
re lying, Rose,
”
Wesley growled.
“
You
’
re lying to save his skin!
”

At once, Wesley was on Dusty again. He pushed her down into the grass and straddled her waist with his legs sitting heavily on her abdomen. He tugged at the front of her blouse. Since it was cut away at the back, her neck and shoulders were now exposed.

“
Does she taste good, Maddox?
”
Wesley asked, stroking Dusty
’
s cheeks with his knife.

“
I
’
ll kill you if you touch her! I
’
ll kill you!
”
Ryder shouted. He was enraged and began pulling harder on the rope
holding
him. His hand was turning purple from the lack of blood flow caused as the rope tightened on his wrist.

“Oh, I will
touch her…and then I
’
ll kill you!
”
Wesley shouted.
“
Stop fighting it, Maddox.
”

“
Wesley!
”
Rose pleaded
.
“
Listen to what I
’
m saying! It was Lillian
’
s fault! Mine and hers! I loved you, Wesley! I was as blind crazy in love with you as she was with Ryder
.
I thought that if Ryder could get Lilly to leave you then…then…
”

Dusty saw an expression of realization, of guilt, of regre
t in Wesley’s eyes for a moment—
but only for a moment. Then it was gone, and his knife was at her throat again. Ryder stopped his struggles and tried to control his breathing.

“
Cut him, Crazy Bear,
”
Wesley ordered as his fingers caressed Dusty
’
s shoulders for a moment.

“
Wes, don
’
t do this thing!
”
Rose pleaded, sobbing hysterically.

Sobbing, Dusty
looked at Ryder. She watched the long-haired, face-painted butcher cut Ryder deeply
on
his arm just above his armpit. Ryder winced, and blood ran profusely from the wound.

“
You can car
ve me up all you want, Wesley…b
ut leave Dusty out of it. She didn
’
t do anything to you,
”
Ryder growled.

“
I
’
ll carve you and her, Maddox. No matter what,
”
the man assured him.

“That’s what I figured
!
” Ryder
whistled sharply.
“Dusty!” he shouted.
Immedia
tely, the dog leapt to its feet—burying
its teeth into Wesley
’
s arm. Dusty squirmed from beneath Wesley
’
s body as he shouted and fought with the dog. The man called Crazy Bear lunged at Ryder, but Ryder ducked, kicking the man squarely in the midsection and sending him crumpling to the ground.

“
Help me, you idiots!
”
Wesley shouted. The two men
restraining
Ryder ran to Wesley
’
s assistance, kicking at the dog and trying to get hold of the rope
hanging
from
its
neck.

“
Run, Angelina!
”
Ryder shouted. With both hands
,
he pulled on the rope
binding
him
to the tree
.

Dusty was momentarily awed as his muscles strained
, blood flowing
from his new wound. The sound of splitting bark crackled a moment before the large tree limb gave way to the strength of the man, and he was free. Crazy Bear had recovered and was wielding his knife as Ryder picked up the tree limb and swung it at him.

Another man kicked the dog hard enough that
its
grip on Wesley was broken.
The animal
fell to the ground dazed and wounded. Ryder
still wrestled with Crazy Bear,
the rope on his wrist still tied to
the tree limb. Dusty and Rose
simultaneously
s
creamed as they saw the large silver blade of the Indian
’
s knife plunge toward Ryder
’
s chest. Quickly, Ryder lifted the tree limb
,
and Crazy Bear
’
s blade was buried in it instead of Ryder
’
s body. Twisting the limb, Ryder caused the renegade to lose his grip on the weapon. Dropping the limb to the ground and in one smooth motion pulling the knife from the wood, Ryder cut the rope binding him. Turning, he ducked as Crazy Bear lunged at him.

Suddenly, Wesley took hold of Dusty
’
s arm
. He paused and
winc
ed because of his own injuries. W
eakened from
the
attack
of the dog, Wesley stumbled,
and Dusty broke away. Again, Dusty screamed as Crazy Bear lunged at Ryder. This time the two men str
uggled to the ground, wrestling—brutally
locked in mortal battle.

“
Cowards!
”
she heard Wesley shout a
s
the other two men
ran off
.
“
Get back here
,
and do the job I paid you for!
” One of the men paused, shook his head, and then continued to retreat.

Dusty
looked to Ryder—watched the struggle—held her breath
as the body of Crazy Bear went limp. Ryder rolled the dying man over and pulled the knife from his chest. He turned his furious glare on Wesley.

“
It
’
s not my fault,
”
Ryder growled as his chest rose and fell with l
abored breathing. “None of it…n
one of this!
”

“
Ryder,
”
Dusty sobbed.
H
e held his hand up,
signaling
it would be dangerous for them both for her to distract him now.