Blood Blade Sisters Series (7 page)

It took a second for Cilla to realize that Leo had stopped what he was doing and was standing frozen, just watching her watch him. She jumped up and grabbed the bow and quiver of arrows that she’d brought with her to hunt small game.

“I’ll, um…I’ll go see if I can find us some dinner.”

A small smile touched Leo’s lips. “Don’t wander off too far.”

Cilla didn’t say anything in return, just turned and hurried off. What in the world had just happened? She was more riled up than a chicken with a fox in the coop. She forced herself to stop for a moment, breathe deeply, and clear her mind. If she didn’t settle down, she’d scare off any game within a two-mile radius, and game was getting scarce as it was with the cold weather blowing in.

It took her much longer than usual, and she lost two arrows before she finally made a good shot and brought down a fat rabbit. By the time she got back to camp, Cilla had calmed down a bit but still felt jittery as she started dressing the rabbit to cook over the fire that Leo had crackling cheerily.

They ate in silence, cleaned up, and crawled into their bedrolls without saying a word to each other. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, though. In fact, despite the stolen glances they had both taken throughout their meal, Cilla drifted off to sleep feeling more settled and comfortable in Leo’s presence than she had since he’d appeared at the ranch. Perhaps she was finally getting used to him after all.

Cilla woke suddenly in the middle of the night and jumped to her feet in a defensive crouch, the knife she kept shoved her in her boot was already in her hand and ready to do damage. The large shadow that had been looming over her swore.

“Cilla! It’s just me,” Leo said, holding his hands out.

Cilla relaxed her stance but didn’t drop the knife just yet. Her body rippled in goosebumps and her jaw was clenched so tightly her joints ached, though it didn’t stop her teeth from chattering.

“What are you doing?” she managed to get out.

“Your rattling teeth woke me. I was just trying to warm you up a bit.”

Cilla tried to snort but the sound didn’t quite make it out. Leo apparently got the gist though.

“I’m not going to try anything funny. But I’m freezing too. We’ll both be a lot warmer if we huddle up. I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise.”

Cilla believed him. Somehow it didn’t make her feel as relieved as it should have.

Another gust of wind blew through the clearing, and Cilla nodded, her teeth clattering. She crawled back inside her bedroll and held her body as stiff as she could while Leo crawled in behind her, tucking their coats and his bedroll around them both. Cilla tried to keep from touching him too much but as soon as his body heat started seeping into her, she pressed back against him with a sigh.

Leo pulled the blankets over their heads and wrapped himself about her, draping a leg over hers and running his hands up and down her arms, his warm breath heating her neck. And other parts of her.

“Better?” Leo asked, his breath tickling her ear.

Cilla nodded, not trusting her voice to remain steady.

“You’re trembling.”

Yes, she was. But it had nothing to do with being cold.

“I’m fine now, thanks,” she said, trying to scoot away from him.

He wasn’t having any of that. He kept his arms firmly about her. “Good. Let’s keep it that way. You won’t be any good to anyone if you freeze to death in the middle of the night because you were too embarrassed to let me hold you.”

“I’m not embarrassed!”

Leo pulled her closer. “Yes, you are.”

Cilla tried to elbow him and he chuckled.

She let him hold her, sighing as some heat returned to her body. Leo molded himself to her, encircling her in a cocoon of muscle and heat. His leg tightened around hers and the hand that rubbed her arm slowed, following the line of her shoulder to her wrist and back again in a leisurely caress. The warmth permeating her body began to spread much deeper, down to the hidden core she usually tried her best to ignore. Cilla could feel every hard line of Leo through their clothing and she was surprised at how badly she wished they were wearing a little less.

After a few minutes, she turned enough so that she could look up at him.

“Leo, about Jake…I don’t know…”

“Shhh.” He rested his forehead against hers. “We’ll talk about it later.”

Cilla closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest so loudly she was afraid Leo could hear it. She tried to keep her breaths regularly spaced and even, but with his breath mingling with hers, his lips so close, Cilla was in serious danger of hyperventilating.

Leo raised his head and Cilla opened her eyes to look up at him. Her lips parted and Leo’s arms tightened about her. He leaned down a fraction of an inch. Cilla almost rose up to meet him but she froze.

What was she doing?

This was her sister’s husband. Temporary, maybe, and not in the true sense of the word, but if they couldn’t find Jake, and it seemed less and less likely that they would, then Brynne was going to need a husband at her back. Cilla had no right to be doing…what she thought they were about to do.

She turned her face and rolled back onto her side. “Good night, Leo.”

He exhaled behind her and for a moment Cilla was afraid he might not take no for answer. If he put any effort into it at all, she’d be done for.

But he didn’t do anything. Instead, he sighed and settled back down behind her, his arms becoming an innocent cocoon of warmth about her. “Good night, Cilla.”

It seemed to take forever, but Cilla finally fell asleep, waiting to feel a sense of relief that never came.

Chapter Seven

It took another week of uneasy nights before Leo and Cilla finally made it back to the ranch to deliver the depressing news that they hadn’t found out any information on Jake or his whereabouts. Brynne took the news better than Leo expected. Perhaps she was beginning to accept what, deep down, they all probably knew. That something terrible had happened to Jake and he was never coming back.

Cilla had taken to avoiding Leo at every turn. After a few days of her giving him the cold shoulder, Leo stopped trying to force his company on her. But he couldn’t forget about the nights they’d spent wrapped in each other’s arms.

In an effort to keep his mind and body busy, he threw himself into the chores that needed doing around the ranch, making sure that he collapsed into bed each night too exhausted to do anything but sleep. It was working for the moment, but he didn’t know how much longer he could keep it up.

One night, a few weeks after he and Cilla had returned, Leo woke around midnight. He lay still for a moment, trying to pinpoint what had disturbed him. A rustling noise, followed by the creak of a wagon and the muffled stomping of horse hooves filtered in through the closed window.

He got up and went to look outside. The scene in the courtyard below had him diving for his clothes. All three sisters, along with Miguel and Carmen, were loading something into the wagon. Something heavy. Something he could only conclude they didn’t want him to see since they were doing it in the dead of night.

He pulled on his boots and strapped on his gun as fast as he could. Still, by the time he made it downstairs and out the back door, the wagon had already left, leaving Brynne, Carmen, and Miguel whispering quietly on the porch.

Leo waited impatiently for them to disperse. Brynne disappeared back inside and Miguel and Carmen went into their little cottage behind the main house before he snuck into the barn and saddled his own horse. He set out after the wagon, following them around the back of the property where they’d disappeared into a small copse of trees. He slowed his horse, picking his way carefully through the woods, keeping an eye out for any sign of Cilla. Nothing. He reined in, listening carefully. A faint whinny sounded from the direction of the hills and he turned his horse to follow it.

After several minutes he came upon an old mine. The horse and wagon waited just outside the entrance. Leo tied his horse to a tree out of sight of the entrance and crept closer. He stepped inside and listened again while he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim lantern light filtering from ahead. Two voices, barely audible. He went deeper inside, ducking to keep from bashing his head against the low beams supporting the ceiling.

He paused once again to listen when he came to a fork in the tunnels. A lantern had been left outside the tunnels, but gave him no clue about which one the girls might have gone down. He went inside the left shaft a few feet. His fingers trailed along the damp, dirt wall. Nothing. The air felt thick and stale sliding into his lungs. A few loose rocks rained down on him and he backed out and tried the right side. After a couple feet there was a bend in the tunnel. He leaned forward, craning his neck around the corner. A weak light shone at the end of the shaft. Cilla’s voice echoed up to him, answered by a fainter one. Had to be Lucy.

He crept in farther. The end of the tunnel opened into a wider chamber dimly lit by a few flickering torches. An old mine cart sat just in front of the entrance and he crouched behind it, peeking over the top. Another light flared as Cilla lit a lantern.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this today,” Lucy said. “Now that Frank is back in town and prowling around and Leo up at the house…”

“Normally I’d agree with you, but these supplies won’t keep forever and neither will the folks needing them. It’s already been too long since our last run.”

Lucy sat with her back to the dirt wall, examining a gun. Cilla was loading saddlebags with what looked like supplies—lumpy bags of foodstuffs, bundles of herbs, and various other pouches that could be anything.

Leo leaned forward, trying to get a closer look at what they were doing, but doing so bumped the cart he was hiding behind. The cart squealed forward a few rusty inches. He muttered a curse as the girls froze. Cilla went for her gun.

“It’s just me,” Leo said, walking into the light.

Cilla frowned, her eyes blazing at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I think a better question would be what are
you
doing here? Odd place for chores.” He walked another foot closer and Cilla raised her gun.

“Cilla,” Lucy hissed.

Cilla lingered a moment longer and then shoved her gun back in its holster. Leo joined them. She wiped the back of her hand across her cheek, leaving a streak of dirt on her pale skin. Leo bit his lip to keep from smiling. He almost reached up to wipe it off, but changed his mind. She was liable to shoot a hole in his gut rather than thank him for it.

Cilla turned her back on him and took another bundle from Lucy. She finished loading her packages and then grabbed a torch, putting it out in a small puddle near the wall. Lucy followed suit with the last two torches, plunging them into near darkness. Cilla raised the remaining lamp, the soft oil light softening the features of her face.

“After you.” Cilla jerked her head, motioning him to go in front of her.

The smell of sweet hay, fresh dirt, and the clean scent of pine floated from her. Leo couldn’t help but gaze at her as the lantern light danced on her face, illuminating the gold specks flashing in the depths of her brown eyes. Sweet angels of mercy, she was beautiful.

He lifted his hand and gently brushed the dirt from her cheek. She jerked back, eyes narrowed.

He sighed and took off his hat, running his hands through his hair. “My apologies, Priscilla.”

She didn’t speak for a moment, but apparently decided to let his momentary lapse slip.

“Look, I know it hasn’t been exactly easy for us to trust each other. And you’ve been a huge help, both with Frank and around the ranch. I’m grateful, truly. But don’t pry into our secrets, Leo. Those are ours to keep.”

He stared at her for one heartbeat. Two. “For now.”

Cilla stared back at him, indecision warring in her eyes. Finally, she said, “We’ll see you back at the ranch then.”

Leo had no intention of leaving until he knew what was going on. And what was in the back of their wagon.

“Maybe I can help.”

Cilla cocked an eyebrow. Leo gestured to heavily laden saddlebags leaning against the wall.

“I think we can manage. Thanks, anyway.”

He was being dismissed and he knew it. Fine. He’d play their game. He’d wait until they left and then just follow along behind.

Cilla accompanied him to the entrance and followed him to his horse, waiting until he’d mounted.

“Don’t trust me?” he asked, giving her an amused grin.

“I don’t trust anyone.”

His smile faded at the sad exhaustion in her voice. She was too young to have such a weary soul. He tipped his hat to her and rode off. He hated to contribute to the weight on her shoulders, but he couldn’t just let her disappear into the night with that wagon. Not until he found out what, or who, was in it.

Leo caught up with the sisters about a quarter mile away from the mine. He’d run out of trees to hide among and had been forced out onto the open trail. He couldn’t have disguised his approach if he’d wanted to, so he didn’t make any effort to do so. Cilla showed no surprise when he cantered up beside them.

At least not that he could see. It was hard to tell exactly what she was thinking with her bandana covering her face and her hat pulled so low he could barely see her eyes.

Cilla rounded on him before he could get a word out. “I told you we didn’t need your help. If you are going to insist on following our every move, would you at least have the decency to do so quietly?”

Leo was cold and tired, and the secret goings-on and midnight rendezvous were beginning to wear on him. He rarely lost his patience, but Priscilla Richardson made him want to pull out his hair.

“What’s the matter? Trying to rob and batter a few more citizens? Don’t want your cover blown before you can attack another coach or two?”

Cilla waved him off. “You really need to get over that. That was months ago. And I barely touched you. We only rob the people who deserve to be robbed, so you can stop losing sleep over our poor little victims.”

“No one deserves to be robbed and beaten!”

“We don’t beat anyone! You were a special case.”

Her tone sounded like his exception amused her. Before he could say anything else, she waved him off again. “Look, as much as I’d like to sit around and trade insults with you all night, we still have a lot of work to do and I’d like to get it over with sooner rather than later. Frank has been too quiet lately. I don’t want to take any more chances than necessary.”

Lucy cracked the reins and steered the horses into a small copse of trees that lay several yards off the main trail. Leo was surprised at how little noise the wagon made and it didn’t seem to be leaving a trail at all, though it was hard to tell in the dark of night.

The girls jumped down and moved to the back of the wagon. Leo followed suit and felt a twinge of admiration when he got a closer look at the rig. The wheels had been wrapped in fabric and there was an arrangement of twigs and branches, some of them also wrapped in fabric, dangling from the backside of the wagon.

Leo’s eyes followed the path that the wagon had taken to the trees and realized that the assortment of laundry and shrubbery hanging from the wagon had served to stir up the dirt as the wagon passed, effectively erasing its tracks. Even the horses’ hooves were covered in thick fabric. While that might not have obliterated their prints entirely, it did muffle the sound of their passing.

Clever
. But his grudging admiration evaporated when the sisters climbed into the wagon and began dragging the heavy sack out. Cilla jumped down, pulling while Lucy pushed. Leo grabbed Cilla’s arm, squeezing so hard she gasped.

“What’s in there?” he asked, fear tightening like a vice around his chest.

“Let go,” she whispered, yanking her arm from his grip.

“It’s just flour,” Lucy said, hopping off the wagon to help pull the sack out.

“Flour?” He frowned but released Cilla.

“Flour and some fencing posts,” Lucy said, giving the sack one last pull. It fell to the ground with a thud.

Some of Leo’s fear dissipated, leaving him thoroughly drained and even more thoroughly confused. That feeling intensified when Cilla pulled her bow and quiver of arrows from under the wagon seat.

“You’re kidding, right?” he said, gesturing to the unwieldy weapon in her hands. “Surely you aren’t hunting game
now
?”

Cilla ignored him, marching to the other side of the thicket. Several yards away sat a small homestead and ramshackle barn. Cilla took aim but Leo grasped her arm again, though this time he took care not to squeeze.

“What is going on, Priscilla?”

She didn’t pull from his hold. He moved closer and reached over to pull her bandana from her face. Her exhausted eyes stared back at him. She looked as though she could collapse any moment.

It was all Leo could do to keep from wrapping his arms about her. The urge surprised him, especially considering what he’d thought her capable of only moments before. But he just couldn’t help it. He wanted to make all her troubles go away, do whatever it took to erase that tired, haunted look from her eyes. But he knew enough about her to know she wouldn’t thank him for his protective thoughts. She’d more likely gut him where he stood.

He let go of her arm, but he didn’t step away from her.

“Frank doesn’t just harass us. He’s got his greedy hooks into the townspeople as well. He’s draining them dry, levying taxes against them to pay for his ‘protection’ squads. But the people don’t have much to give, so the squads take it by force. The gold ran out, the miners stopped coming. The people who are left could probably eke out a decent life for themselves if Frank left them alone. But he doesn’t.

“So we do what we can. If we just gave out money, it would be questioned. We do give a bit of money when we can, but mostly we provide goods to keep the people from starving. The Jorgensens there,” Cilla said, nodding at the cottage beyond the trees, “they used to do a good business back when the town was full of miners, selling pans, shovels, picks…just about anything the miners needed.”

She notched the arrow against the string again, though she didn’t draw it back yet. “Mrs. Jorgenson was in town the other day, had barely scraped together enough to buy a tiny sack of flour that won’t last her family more than a couple days. That sack,” she said, nodding at the now-covered mound in the dirt, “will last them months.”

“And the fencing posts?”

“We heard they’d lost part of their fence in the last storm that blew through. They could make their own posts, of course, but Mr. Jorgenson isn’t as spry as he used to be. And we had extra.”

A trickle of what Leo suspected was shame crept through him. He tried to ignore it. He had every right to be suspicious of the secrets the sisters kept.

“What about the arrow?” He reached out to touch a poppy that had been tied to the shaft.

Cilla released a harried sigh that would have done his mother proud, but she answered him. “Lets them know that Blood Blade left them a present.”

She took aim again and clumsily loosed an arrow. It didn’t fly straight, but it did hit the side of the barn with a soft thunk. Leo caught a glimpse of a faint smile before she covered her face again.

“Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a lot more work to do.”

“Let me help.”

She started to shake her head but Lucy chimed in before she could say no. “Come on, Cilla. The horses could move faster if they weren’t weighed down so much, and we could be done sooner and back in bed.”

She stifled a yawn and Leo could see Cilla wavering. He was surprised at how much he wanted her to say yes. Only a few minutes before, he’d been certain that she was getting ready to bury his brother’s body in the dead of night, and now here he was nearly salivating at the chance to help her. He wasn’t sure what had caused the change of heart, though the fact that she’d been burying flour and not his only sibling went a long way in her favor.