The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,285

horse had drunk its fill. He was riding without caution, flying through the moonlit valley as if he could see in the dark.

Suddenly, a shot rang out in the night, echoing within the valley until the sound was too distorted to discern its origin.

He reined in his horse, his heart hammering, frantically searching the darkness, waiting for another round to be fired, but there was nothing. Then, within a minute or two of the shot, he became aware of another sound—one he’d heard plenty of times before—but usually at his back.

A horse was running toward him, coming this way fast.

He drew his gun, wrapped the reins around his hand a little tighter, and waited. The horse came out of nowhere and was upon him before he could react. With nothing but moonlight by which to see, he could tell the horse was running from fear. Its head was up, the nostrils widely distended. As it came upon them, the horse squealed out a warning. Robert Lee’s horse squealed back, and it was all he could do to stay seated as the runaway horse dashed past.

In those few seconds, seeing that the horse was without a rider only heightened his panic.

Once he had his own mount under control, he rode forward. Within a couple of minutes, he could see fire, and the closer he got, the more his horror grew.

He rode into the camp at a gallop, dismounting with his gun drawn, and landing in a flat-out run. Letty’s dog came out of the darkness, barking and growling. The campfire was ablaze, but he wouldn’t look in it for fear of losing his night vision.

He dropped to a crouch, scanning the area for signs of a struggle, and at first, saw nothing. The dog was still growling.

“Hush boy,” he said. “You know who I am.”

At the sound of Robert Lee’s voice, T-Bone went silent. Robert Lee glanced toward the fire, saw the body within it, then finally at the woman beyond, sprawled lifelessly on the ground and leaning against a tree.

“Lord, Lord,” he said softly, and walked toward her.

He couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead. Her gaze was fixed, her face expressionless. The large, black stains on her clothes were obviously dried blood but no way to tell if it was hers. His legs were shaking as he knelt at her side. When he reached out and touched the side of her face, she didn’t blink, but she was warm—blessedly warm—and her skin was soft—so soft to the touch.

“Letty, it’s me, Robert Lee. Are you hurt?”

She didn’t answer.

He moved closer, then slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close against his chest. Her hair was in wild disarray—her clothes covered in dried blood and dust—and yet because she was alive, she seemed beautiful.

Her pup was back beside her now, lying silently at her feet with a paw on her knees, as if pleading with her to get up. If only the dog could talk.

Robert Lee cradled her head against his forearm, then pulled her into his lap. He wouldn’t look at the fire—trying not to think of what she’d been through—or what must be going through her mind—then wondering if she had a mind left with which to think. He’d been afraid a few times before in his life, but never as scared as he was at this moment.

“Letty… darlin’… you got to talk to me now. I can’t help you none if you don’t say where it hurts.”

He felt her shudder, and then heard her moan. When he looked, tears were rolling down her face. She blinked—so slowly that at first he thought she was falling asleep. Then she shuddered again, and this time when she blinked, he saw her eyes come into focus.

The first thing Letty saw was the fire before her. A cold, almost satisfied expression came and went on her face, then she looked up, unaware that she was weeping.

“Robert Lee? Is it you?”

He cupped her head gently as he began brushing the hair from her forehead and her face.

“Yes, ma’am, it’s me. Are you hurt?”

Her features crumpled.

“Oh, Robert Lee… he killed Eulis… my Eulis is dead.”

Tears burned at the back of Robert Lee’s throat.

“I know, girl… I know.”

Her hands curled into fists as her gaze shifted once more to the flames.

“He’s burning in hell, Robert Lee.”

The rage in her voice made him shiver. This woman who held his heart would make an incomparable ally, but a formidable enemy. He was suddenly grateful