He’d left without saying goodbye. Bobby felt lower than a rattler’s belly, but he hadn’t had a choice. If he’d seen Naomi one more time, especially in that dress, he wouldn’t have been able to leave her. Truth be told, he was having a darn hard time now. And that wasn’t all. Something niggled at the back of his neck. A feeling. Call it intuition. His intuition was telling him to go back. That something wasn’t right.
He’d learned long ago in his business never to ignore his intuition, but he was bound and determined to do so now. Naomi deserved better than a bounty hunter on the run. He’d never be able to properly care for her. She was a lady, and she needed a gentleman. That surely wasn’t him.
Where were these ridiculous ideas coming from, anyway? He didn’t want a woman tying him down. He wasn’t capable of taking care of another person besides himself. And he sure as hell wasn’t capable of loving someone else.
Was he?
He hadn’t loved anyone since his mother had been taken from him all those years ago. He didn’t even remember the emotion. Admittedly, he felt tenderness for Naomi. He was certainly willing to protect her at all costs. He ached for her kisses, and God knew he wanted to make love to her. His cock tightened at the thought.
Truth be told, if she were in danger, he’d willingly give his life for hers.
That wasn’t love, was it?
He let out a whoop, as he turned the young stallion, Thor, around. He was headed back to the camp.
Back to the woman he loved.
Ike forced Naomi against the desk, bending her over. “I’m gonna have you like this first, like a goddamned animal.”
She struggled as he hiked up her skirts, tears streaming from her eyes. His strength defeated hers. Her heart raced, but she couldn’t scream. She dared not. He’d said he’d kill her.
Damn Bobby Morgan for leaving her to this! She willingly thought the sinful curse. How had she ever had tender feelings for the man? He was a criminal. A kidnapper. An outlaw. He’d traded her virtue for her ticket home. Or maybe for a new gun. Or a new horse. Or money for his whores.
“Oh, yes.” Ike’s slimy voice dripped with lasciviousness as he thrust one hand into the slit in her drawers.
Acid rose in her throat.
“A little dry, but that don’t bother me. You’ll moisten up soon enough.”
He ripped her drawers down to her knees, exposing her bare buttocks. His hand came down on her with a cool slap, and Naomi winced. Her married friends hadn’t said anything about this. But then neither were they forced against their will.
She gritted her teeth, but a scream escaped.
“Damn it, bitch!” He slapped her buttocks again.
A tear fell down her cheek.
“I told you to keep quiet. He reached around and stuffed a soiled handkerchief into her mouth. Naomi gagged as the rank taste of chewing tobacco and spittle seeped against her tongue.
She bit down, determined to bear whatever he had in store for her. She had to, if she ever hoped to see her ma, pa, and sister again.
She closed her eyes and pictured her pa’s claim outside of Dugan. She imagined the protection of Pa’s strong arms as they lifted her off the ground in a bear hug. The serenity of Ma’s gentle smile as they kneaded bread together. The innocence her baby sister, Ruth, only fifteen, half child-half woman. Naomi had so much to teach her yet.
She’d see them again. All she had to do was endure hell.
As she steeled herself against the impending assault, Ike’s hold loosened, and she fell forward onto the desk as a gunshot exploded.
“Ike Hawkins, you fuckin’ son of a bitch.”
Bobby’s voice. Icy cold, as she’d never heard it. Then another shot, and a heavy thunk on the dirt.
Tears streamed down Naomi’s face, and she choked through the handkerchief. Within seconds, Bobby’s hand was in front of her, easing the dirty fabric from her parched mouth. With the most tender of touches, he placed her drawers back around her waist and pulled her skirt down so she was no longer shamefully exposed.
He turned her around and pulled her to him, crushing her against his body as though he couldn’t get her close enough.
“Angel, angel,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. So goddamned sorry.”
He held her for what seemed like an eternity while she sobbed into his shoulder, basking in his strength. She was safe. Safe with Bobby.
Finally, when her sobs lessened a bit and she rubbed her nose on his shirt, he grasped her shoulders and pushed her away, but only far enough to gaze at her with angry, yet sad, amber eyes.
“Did he?” Bobby cleared his throat. “He didn’t...did he?”
“N-No.”
“Did he put anything inside you? His finger?”
Naomi trembled against his hard body. She couldn’t say the horrible words. She shook her head slowly and broke into tears again.
“What on God’s green earth?” Bessie burst into the office tent, Davey on her heels. “We heard gunshots. Oh, my!”
Naomi followed Bessie’s gaze to Ike motionless on the dirt, crimson blood oozing through his cotton shirt and dungarees. Her throat constricted, and she buried her nose in Bobby’s shirt again.
“What in the world happened here?” Bessie demanded.
“Ike tried to have his way with Naomi.” His arms tightened around Naomi as he spoke. “Luckily I got here when I did.”
Bessie knelt down and placed a hand on Ike’s neck. “Christ, Bobby. He’s dead.”
Naomi gasped. Her stomach roiled with dread. Bobby had killed a man for sure this time.
For her.
His hard body stiffened against hers, though he continued to rub her back in soothing circles. “He sure as hell is. I know how to aim to kill. Truth be told, I wish he’d come back from the dead so I could kill him again with my bare hands. I’d make him pay for putting his filthy hands on her.”
Naomi, her head still embedded in Bobby’s shoulder, heard Bessie’s soft sigh.
“I’m taking Naomi away from here,” Bobby said. “I need you two to cover for us until nightfall. Don’t call in the law. Trust me. Ike got what was comin’ to him.”
“Uh...well...I suppose.” Bessie stood.
“It’s not like me to be so wrong about a man. To think, I trusted that slug.” Bobby caressed Naomi’s neck, massaging some of the tension out of her.
His touch stilled her shivers and she sighed.
“To think we all did,” Bessie said, and turned to Naomi. “Honey, are you all right?”
“Yes.” It was a lie, but nothing else would come out.
“Come on. I’ll take you back to my room to rest.”
“N-No. Thank you, Bessie. All I want right now is to leave this place.”
“I understand,” Bessie said. “You take care of her, Bobby. She’s gonna need a tender hand tonight.”
“She’ll have it.” Bobby knelt down next to Ike’s body and pulled a leather wallet out of his pocket. “The money I paid him for her transport,” he said to Bessie as he counted out some bills.
“H-He said...” Naomi stammered, remembering Ike’s foul words.
“What, angel?”
“He said you paid with me. That I had to...”
Bobby’s face reddened, and the muscles in his jaw clenched visibly. “Bessie, Davey, don’t expect to see me back here again. Come on, angel.” He led her out of the tent and then turned back to Bessie. “If you can, send a wire to Dugan, to a Reverend Blackburn. Tell him Naomi is all right and she’ll be home soon.”
“Bobby—” Naomi said.
“Don’t sign my name. I’m wanted there.”
Naomi clamped her hand to Bobby’s arm as they walked toward a beautiful roan stallion. He helped her onto the mount and swung up behind her.
“Angel, I’ll take care of you,” he said into her ear. “Whatever you need. I swear it.”
Naomi choked back a sob. “You left without saying goodbye.”
“I’m sorry for that. I was weak. I thought if I saw you I wouldn’t be able to leave you. Turns out it didn’t matter. I had to come back.”
Naomi warmed, slightly, as she nestled back into his rock-hard chest. “I’m glad you came back. If you hadn’t...”
“But I did. And in time, though I wish I’d been soon enough to stop him from tryin’...” He brushed his lips against her neck. “I won’t leave you again. I promise. I’ll personally take you home.”
She shivered. “But what about you? They’ll arrest you.”
“I’ll make them understand.”
Battered and fatigued, she let herself believe the soothing words from this outlaw who’d kidnapped her. He’d come back for her. In this moment, that’s all that mattered. She leaned back and closed her eyes as he nudged the horse into a gallop.