The Outlaw and the Lady Read Online Free Page B

taking a chance. My brothers and I will not hurt you.”
    “You murdered a man,” she pointed out. “In a cowardly manner from all accounts.”
    “A man, but I have never harmed a woman. You will be safe with us. I cannot guarantee that you will be safe if we leave you.”
    “I don’t need nor do I want your guarantees.”
    “But I need them. I am a man of honor.”
    “You are a murderer and a thief.”
    “I will not argue that some aspects of my life are questionable, but not when it comes to my treatment of women.”
    “I don’t understand why you can’t circle back around and return me to the edge of town today.”
    “I do not know how the posse will fan out. Once I know that my brothers are safe, I will take you back. I promise.”
    “Why are you telling me all this?” she asked. “You could just force me as you did before.”
    “If I have to, I will. I would rather not have to,” he said solemnly.
    “If I agree to cooperate, will you promise not to stuff that filthy cloth into my mouth?” she asked.
    “ Sí .”
    “And you won’t tie my hands?”
    “I will not bind you in any way.”
    She gave a brusque nod. “All right. You’ll have my full and utmost cooperation.”
    A slow smile eased over his face. Damn, but the woman laid out a convincing bluff. He was actually anticipating the journey.

Chapter 4
    I ncensed, Angela flung a thousand silent curses at the man riding behind her. At least he’d bound her wrists together in front so she could grip the saddle horn. She couldn’t believe he’d actually called her bluff.
    Or that he’d roughly shoved his hat onto her head once the sun had risen higher in the sky. She’d welcomed the shade it provided. With her fair complexion, she was prone to freckles, sunburn, and blisters. She’d always hated the freckles. When she was younger, she’d often wished that she didn’t have to look at them. Too late, she’d learned to be careful of what she wished for.
    They rode at a steady pace. A quick burst of galloping, followed by a longer stint of walking. She hadn’t expected a man with Raven’s reputation to take such care with his horses, althoughwhen she thought about it, she realized the only thing abusing his animals would gain him was capture and the noosed end of a hangman’s rope.
    Every rational bone in her body told her that she should be terrified, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why she wasn’t. Perhaps it was the way he’d scolded Jorge for calling her a whore, or the manner in which he’d gotten after her for using profanity. An outlaw who worried about such matters…he was a puzzle and none of the pieces seemed to fit properly.
    She wished she could say the same thing about the way her body molded into his, but the truth was that it did fit with his…perfectly.
    She felt Raven draw back on the reins and was relieved that this bout of galloping was at an end. Although the slower pace wasn’t much better, she had more success at holding her body away from his when the horse plodded along. At a gallop, Raven folded himself around her like a long-lost lover, his beard stubble catching in her hair from time to time.
    “We should probably alternate the woman between horses so yours is not overly burdened,” a voice she didn’t recognize announced.
    “Or you could just leave the burden right here,” she snapped.
    “I think you offended her, Roberto,” Raven said, his warm breath skimming along the nape of her neck, causing a delicious shiver to scurry down her spine. How did he effortlessly elicit this unwanted response in her?
    “Roberto is right. Your horse will not be able tokeep up with ours if he has to constantly carry the extra weight,” Alejandro said.
    “I am not that heavy!” she retorted, her anger growing to encompass each man, the entire intolerable situation, but most of all, Raven’s damned constant breathing.
    “I think she prefers to stay with me, hombres ,” Raven said, and she could