Whispering Hills of Love (American Wilderness Series Romance Book 3) (15 page)

“Drop your weapon,” Harpes countered, his face a frozen smile. “Unless you’re prepared to die today.”

William scowled at the vile man. “Harpes, you are in enough trouble without killing a sheriff too.”

“I’m not going to kill you,” Harpes said. “I’m an excellent man with a firearm. I’ll just geld you.”

The repugnant threat fueled William’s anger even further. He would have a hard time not killing this disgusting man. His chest heaving, he gripped the gun’s handle even harder. “You can’t make a threat like that without expecting dire consequences.”

Cool as ice, Harpes posture was relaxed, his face calm. “Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.” The man took a deep, satisfied breath and straightened his waistcoat. William half expected the dandy to start whistling.

He had to make himself just as composed. He needed his wits about him if he was going to beat this devil. Then, he would release his fury on Kelly’s abductor like the wrath of God.

“I’m warning you Harpes, give up you weapon, now. I won’t ask this a third time.”

“No,” Harpes answered simply.

It was time to end this. Taking a few slow breaths, William regarded Harpes with somber interest. He needed to find a way to distract the loathsome man.

He started to walk unhurriedly in a wide circle, his footsteps sure, his gaze unrelenting.

His movement forced Harpes to pivot to keep William in sight.

His steps easy and unrushed, William continued to breathe slowly.

Harpes looked as if he were weighing whether he was faster with a pistol than William was. William had half a mind to make that clear to the contemptible man.

When he’d taken Harpes through a half circle, William abruptly glanced up and let his face brighten. “Ah, at last, my brothers are catching up to us,” he said eagerly.

Harpes’ started to turn and then, as he recognized William’s attempt to distract him, he swore under his breath, narrowed his flinty eyes, and fired his weapon.

In one fluid motion, William spun to his side and discharged his own pistol.

The lead from Harpes’ weapon hit the ground just past William and kicked brown dust up to mingle with the smoky cloud of the black powder from both their weapons. Through the haze, he saw Harpes clutch his chest.

“You son of a…” Harpes began, before he fell forward on his knees, grabbing at his wound.

“I warned you more than once to give up,” William said, wishing the fellow had listened.

A moment later, Robinson crumpled over, unconscious.

William rushed over to Harpes. Already, bright red blood stretched outward across the front of what was an exceptionally white shirt. But he hadn’t hit the heart. The abductor might live.

He retrieved the rope that Harpes had used on Kelly and quickly tied the man’s hands in front of him. He wasn’t taking any
chances.

Then he searched Harpes and found not one, but two daggers, hidden in his jacket and boot, and an exceptionally small pistol in his waistcoat.

He used Harpes’ handkerchief, also amazingly white, to apply pressure to the wound. He’d rather let the swine bleed to death, but it wasn’t in him to just let a man die.

Within a minute or so, the man regained consciousness. “Am I done for?” Harpes asked, his voice weak.

“If we can get that bullet out of you, you stand a chance. But, I’m not inclined to dig around on you much myself. Hopefully, you’ll make it back to Boonesborough. Then the doc can take a look at you.”

“We both know I won’t make it that far,” Harpes said, his voice husky with emotion.

“I’m inclined to agree with you.”

“We’re a lot closer to Lexington. You can take me there.”

“I have no business in Lexington. My duties require me to return to Boonesborough, and that’s where you’re going.”

“But I don’t want to go to Boonesborough,” Harpes whined.

“You should have thought of that before you abducted Miss McGuffin.”

“Are your brothers really coming?”

William gave him a half smile. “No. Not yet.” He didn’t want to reveal that the two had already returned to Boonesborough with Kelly. “They’ll be along soon enough.”

“What did you do with the young lady?” Harpes asked.

“She’s with my brothers,” William answered. “She’s no longer your concern. She never was.”

“If I tell you why I was really taking her to Lexington, will you promise to dig this bullet out of me?” Harpes entreated.

“How do I know you’ll tell the truth? You haven’t so far.”

His voice rose an octave as he said, “Because I want to live.”

That, at least, William believed. He said the words with the certainty of a man who knew he would die without help. His eyes caught and held Harpes’ stare. “I’ll not help you unless I’m absolutely convinced you’re telling the truth.”

Harpes coughed and a little blood splattered onto his shirt. That wasn’t a good sign. Watching a man die, even a despicable one, was a grim prospect.

William sighed with exasperation. He decided to try to get the truth out of Harpes before it was too late. “All right, I promise to try to get the bullet out, if you are strong enough, and if you tell me the truth.”

His tone cold and exact, Harpes began. “I am a partner in a bordello. The finest one in Lexington. My partner’s name is Belle. I acquire young women for the house. Usually women with little or no family and poor prospects. We drug them for the first few days, until they settle in. Then I teach them what they need to know to pleasure a man. I was taking Kelly there.”

William’s scant pity for the man evaporated entirely. He shot him a withering glance. “You vulgar bastard. Again, I should just hang you right here. Right now.”

“Sir, I may be a bastard, in fact, I think I am. But I am certainly not vulgar. Nor should you hang me. I fear it will be unnecessary.”

“Civility and fine clothing do not make a man decent or a gentleman,” William hissed. “You, Sir, are as vulgar and loutish as they come.”

“If you will cease throwing stones at me for the moment and start digging this bullet out of my chest, it would be much appreciated.”

“All right. Do you have any whiskey? You’re going to need it.”

“No, but I have opium. It’s in my saddle bag on my horse’s left side.” Harpes coughed again. He sounded weaker.

William considered Harpes speculatively. Should he risk trying to get the bullet out? The man would probably bleed to death. He decided he had to try. He located the package of opium. “How do I give it to you?” he asked.

“The best way would be to make some tea, but I can’t wait that long. Put some on one of the biscuits in my other bag,” he said, closing his eyes, and biting his lip.

After he gave Harpes the biscuit, he opened the blood soaked shirt with his knife and lifted the handkerchief. Blood still spilled out of the hideous wound just above his right nipple. William quickly replaced the cloth and applied as much pressure as Harpes could tolerate.

He had no idea how deep the bullet might have penetrated or if it would even be possible to get to it. He decided to use one of Harpes’ daggers. They were probably cleaner than his own knife. He pulled one. The blade sparkled in the light, needlepoint sharp, and spotless.

Harpes watched him with a critical squint. “Have you ever removed a bullet before?”

“Yes, but not from a man’s chest.” William didn’t want to do
this, but he’d promised he would and he meant to keep his word. He sighed, then gave a resigned shrug. “Are you ready?”

Harpes blinked and his face grew even paler. “I feel lightheaded. Sir, if I don’t make it, will you tell Miss McGuffin something for me?” His imploring eyes searched William’s face.

“That depends.”

“Tell her I’m sorry. That’s all, just, I’m sorry.” Harpes eyes examined William.

“Sorry you took her or sorry you got caught.”

“I’m just sorry…”

“I’ll tell her.”

As his labored breaths faded to a hushed stillness, pleasure briefly lit the abductor’s face.

In the next twinkling, death abducted pleasure from Harpes’ eyes forever.

William stood and looked down at the lifeless body, a heavy feeling in his stomach. “I’m sorry too.”

And he was—sorry that Harpes forced him to take a life. Sorry the evil man doubtless just arrived in hell. Sorry for the trauma Harpes inflicted on Kelly.

What emotional havoc had Harpes caused Kelly?

His mind feared for her.

His heart ached for her.

His soul needed her.

CHAPTER 14

A
t the sound of horses approaching, William glanced over his shoulder. This time it really was his brothers—and Kelly. She was sitting in front of Bear, fully awake and Sam had her mare in tow.

A powerful cry of relief broke from his lips. He was amazed how much the sight of her cheered him.

Suddenly anxious to be away from Harpes and with Kelly, he started running toward them. Toward her. His body nearly vibrated with excitement. He couldn’t wait to see her beautiful eyes shining back at him. He leapt over a log and lengthened his stride. It felt good to run. To feel alive when he could so easily have died back there.

He kept his eyes on her as he ran, waiting expectantly for her to hear or see him coming.

She soon peered ahead and caught sight of him. Her somber face lit up with a bright smile, like the sun coming out from behind a dark cloud. “William,” she called.

He was just moments away from her! His heart beat faster with the tick of each second.

Bear stopped his horse Camel, and with just one of his powerful arms, lowered Kelly down from his saddle. She grabbed her skirt and starting running too.

William caught a glimpse of the huge smiles on both Bear and Sam’s faces. He was going to have to give the two of them a piece of his mind. They were supposed to take Kelly back.

But right now, though, as she leapt into his arms, he was enormously grateful they hadn’t.

“Kelly! How I’ve prayed for this moment,” he whispered into her ear as she hugged him fiercely, and without any hesitation.

He embraced her so tightly, glee bubbled out of her in a laugh. She drew back a little and gazed up into his eyes, happiness radiating from deep within her. She had changed. That much was clear. But how? Why? He had expected her to be worse off, not better—not this euphoric bundle of joy.

“I had to come to you. I did it William. I did it!”

“Did what Kelly?” he asked, putting his hands on her arms and searching her face.

“I realized why I’ve been afraid. And I won’t tell you all about it now, but you were right, fear was making me weak. And afraid. I’m not afraid anymore. Or ashamed. In fact, I feel stronger than ever before. You helped me kill the dragon. I had a dream while I was drugged, and we slayed the dragon together.”

William had no idea what she was talking about, but he was delighted by the confidence he heard underlying her words. “Kelly, you can’t imagine how happy it makes me to hear you say that. But first things first. Did Harpes hurt you?”

“He drugged me, but that’s all. He said he wanted to take me to Lexington to give me an education.”

William had to bite down on his tongue to keep his angry words in his mouth. Any remorse he felt for killing Harpes vanished.

“I made Sam and Bear bring me back to you. They didn’t want to, but I had to be sure you were all right,” she said, running her fingers affectionately over his coat and chest. “Dear God William, there’s blood on you. Are you hurt?”

Her touch sent wonderful shivers up and down his spine. “No, not me.” He gestured for Sam and Bear to join them. “It’s Harpes’ blood.”

“I was a fool to go with him. I was just desperate and…”

Sam and Bear pulled alongside them, interrupting her. “Where’s Harpes?” Sam asked.

“Over there,” he pointed, “dead.”

Kelly gasped and her heavy lashes flew up. “You killed him?” She bit her lip and seemed to stifle an outcry.

“It was either kill him or be killed. He would not yield peacefully, despite my repeated requests. Then he pulled his pistol on me,” William said. “And, of course, he forcibly abducted and drugged you. For that, I wanted to hang him. Nevertheless, I was going to take him back to Boonesborough for trial, but he refused to surrender to me.”

Once the shock of what he’d said wore off, she threw her head back and with her hands on her hips said, “If he tried to kill you, the man deserved what he got.” She boldly met his eyes. “He was a bad man William. Why on earth did he drug me?”

“I know he was Kelly,” William said, relieved that she didn’t appear too startled by the news of Harpes’ death. “He had his reasons for drugging you, and they weren’t good.” There was no
reason to burden her with the details.

“I’m so glad he didn’t hurt you,” she said.

“He wanted me to tell you something,” William said.

“What?” Kelly asked without flinching.

“That he was sorry.”

“Well, at least the man repented,” Bear said.

William wondered about that.

“Did he tell you why he drugged me?” Kelly asked again.

William’s body stiffened at the question. Should he tell her? He took hold of Kelly’s waist and lifted her up to Bear again. “Bear take Kelly off a ways to rest while Sam and I bury Harpes.”

“No Sir! William Wyllie I have waited long enough to be with you,” Kelly said, with defiance in her tone. “Put me down. I can ride my own mount. I am perfectly fine, now that we are all together again.”

He sat her back on her feet and stared in astonishment, momentarily speechless. There was more than a subtle change in Kelly. Every curve of her body seemed stronger, more resilient. Her spirit was more vibrant, more alive. He’d been worried sick that this experience with her father and the trial of her abduction would set her back, but it was just the opposite. Somehow, she had dug down inside of her and found the courage and strength she needed to deal with it all and come out stronger than before.

Kelly turned, marched to her mare, and then climbed up into the saddle.

“No sense arguing with the lass,” Bear said, smiling. “We learned tis as useless as a one-legged man in an arse-kicking
contest.”