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Yancey groaned and pushed himself up off the ground, then slapped at the dirt on his britches. Laurent handed him the reins to his horse and stepped around Alex, his wide smile back on his face. He held his arms wide open as if he meant to embrace Evelyn like a long-lost friend.
“Mademoiselle Lewis,” Laurent called, pure joy in his tone. Ignoring her obvious look of disdain, he grasped her hand and brought it up to his lips. For a second, she didn’t respond. Then she yanked her hand away. She squared her shoulders and stared straight at Laurent, her narrowed eyes blazing with anger. Alex suppressed a grin. She was spitting mad like a cornered bobcat with its paw stuck in a trap. She would start hissing at any moment. His chest swelled with pride and admiration for her.
Laurent appeared ignorant to the impending verbal attack, and glanced over his shoulder at Alex, a question in his eyes. “Excusez-moi. Perhaps it is more proper to address you as Madame Walker now?”
“I am not your mademoiselle, and I’m most definitely no one’s madame.” Evelyn spoke heatedly, her voice deeper than usual. Her cheeks had turned an almost deep shade of crimson. She advanced on Laurent, her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
“You are a lying, evil, despicable excuse for a man. You rob and murder innocent people.” Abruptly, she tore her eyes from Laurent and turned her anger toward Alex. “And you,” she nearly shouted, stepping quickly around Laurent and advancing on him. “You are in league with him. I started to trust you.” She poked a finger at his chest. “But you’re no better than he is. He killed my brother, and you knew about it all along. Who are you meeting next? Is Oliver Sabin going to arrive soon, so you can hand me over to him?”
Evelyn stood only inches from him, leaning forward and glaring up at him. Her eyes shimmered with the tears she fought to hold back. Something tightened in Alex’s chest at that moment. A warm sensation flowed through him. Here she was, all alone and surrounded by three men whom she thought meant to do her harm, yet she stood her ground. Her renewed fear of him tore at his heart.
Quicker than he would have given her credit for, her arm reached out and up, her intent to strike at him all too clear. Alex intercepted her blow by grabbing hold of her wrist. His first instinct was to incapacitate his opponent, twist her arm behind her back until she begged for mercy, but this was Evie, not some enemy warrior. Instead, he loosened his grip and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her into his arms. A powerful urge to shield her from all the hurt that had been done to her hit him with the force of an arrow to the chest.
Evelyn struggled in his embrace. “Release me, you brute,” she hissed, squirming to free herself. His hold tightened, and he struggled to pin her arms to her sides to keep her from trying to strike him again.
“Laurent is not the enemy, Evie. And neither am I,” he whispered against her ear. “If you’ll calm down enough to listen, I’ll explain.” The desire to simply kiss her like he’d done this morning overwhelmed him. She’d been so soft and pliant in his arms, her response so unexpected, his restraint had nearly faltered. Would she react the same way now if he tried to repeat his actions? He couldn’t put himself through the torment of another kiss, wanting to do so much more, and knowing that Evie mistrusted and most likely hated him.
Although she stopped her struggles, Evelyn refused to relax against his hold. Her muscles remained as tense as a flighty deer, but at least she stopped fighting him. When he was sure she wouldn’t try and hit him or bolt, he took a step back. His hold on her eased, and with great reluctance, he released her completely. The sudden emptiness in his arms surprised him. She fit so perfectly against him, it was as if she was meant for him alone.
She can’t be yours. You promised to protect her, not hold her prisoner. Evie wanted to return to St. Louis, and it was for the best. He knew how quickly he could lose control of his temper, just as his father had always done. He couldn’t risk hurting Evie.
“All right. Explain.” Evelyn took a step back, and folded her arms under her heaving breasts. Alex’s eyes lingered on her shirt before he forced his gaze to her face. Her emerald eyes still glistened with unshed tears. He quickly glanced over his shoulder. Laurent and Yancey stood checking their gear tied to the pack animals, their backs turned in an obvious attempt to give him some privacy with Evie.
He quickly explained Laurent’s involvement with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, and how he acted as spy against Sabin and his men.
“There was nothing he could do to help Henry, Evie. He had no idea they were about to kill him.”
