“Perhaps so,” Four Winds said, nodding. “But as far as I know, my friends are innocent of the crime.”
Strong Heart turned his gaze to Elizabeth, now recalling that Four Winds had told him that her father was a friend to Morris Murdoch, the leader of the outlaw gang. His eyes narrowed, thinking about the two white men who had come to his village with proposals.
One was Elizabeth’s father. The other was Morris Murdoch.
And now that he knew that Morris Murdoch was the leader, he suspected even more strongly that Elizabeth’s father and this Morris Murdoch had played a role in the raid on his village. Either Four Winds was lying, or was innocent of knowledge.
But he would not mention this to Elizabeth just yet. She had been through enough without having to worry about her father’s association with outlaws.
Ah-hah, yes, for now all that was truly important to him was that his woman was with him again and his people were readying themselves for the salmon run. Everything else would come later.
And it would come. Everything had an end—even the lives of those who were responsible for the massacre in his village.
“It is time that I part from you again, my friend,” Four Winds said, pushing himself up from the ground. “Let nothing cause our friendship to end. To me, it is most valuable.”
Strong Heart rose to his feet and went with Four Winds to the grazing horses. When Four Winds turned to him, Strong Heart hesitated, then flung his arms around Four Winds and gave him a tight hug.
“I will await word of your choice in life,” Strong Heart said huskily. Then he stepped away from Four Winds and watched him climb into his saddle and ride away.
Strong Heart returned to the campsite and sat down beside Elizabeth. For a moment he stared gloomily into the fire, so many things troubling him.
Then he turned to Elizabeth and took her face in his hands, and gently drew her nearer.
“I can depend on you to always remain true to my heart?” he asked softly, his eyes searching hers for the answer that he sought.
“Ah-hah,” Elizabeth said. Her using the Suquamish word pleased Strong Heart. His smile broadened, causing Elizabeth’s insides to begin a slow, sensual melting.
“Forever and always,” she added softly, fastening her arms around his neck, urging his lips to hers.
As he kissed her, his fingers crushed h
er hair and his body pressed hers to the ground.
The kiss continued and his hands busied themselves with undressing her. Then he drew apart from her long enough to remove his own clothes. He knelt over her, the golden flames of the fire reflected on his body giving it a coppery sheen.
Elizabeth caught her breath when Strong Heart stretched out above her, bracing himself with his arms, his hands laced with hers, and holding them slightly above her.
With a knee he parted her legs and soon she felt the wonders of his manhood pressing gently into her soft folds.
Elizabeth wrapped her legs around him, her hips responding to his touch as she raised her pelvis toward him.
She drew in a breath of wild happiness as he entered her in one deep thrust.
Elizabeth moved her body sinuously against his and drew him more deeply into the warmth of her body, only half aware of her whimpers.
Then a rush of pure bliss flooded her senses and his body jerked and spasmed into hers. She again knew the true meaning of his wild embrace.
* * *
Sheriff Nolan walked listlessly into his office, his jaw puffed out with a fresh wad of tobacco. Then he almost choked on it when he discovered Deputy Bradley dead on the floor, a knife protruding from his back. Then his own body jumped when someone stepped up from behind him and knocked him unconscious with the butt of a pistol.
A bandanna hiding his face, Morris Murdoch slipped his heavy pistol back inside its holster and hurried to the door and looked toward the forest. He motioned with a wave of his hand for the other outlaws to make a rush on the prison. He grabbed the keys and went to the back room to set Elizabeth free. Then he stopped in surprise. She wasn’t there.
He stormed down the long corridor of cells. “Where is she?” he shouted, looking from prisoner to prisoner. “Who took her?”
“Let us out of this hellhole!” was the response from several prisoners who spoke almost in unison. “Who cares what happened to that woman? Set us free, damn it!”
Morris looked nervously from cell to cell. He stopped a few times to stare at women who appealed to him with their tearful eyes, their hands reaching through the bars toward him.