AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She made no comment.
“Suit yourself,” he turned away and bit into the apple. “But it’s still another three day hike before we reach Fort William.”
There was no way Ivy would make it. Her leg was throbbing painfully, exhaustion was threatening to knock her off her feet, and she was literally freezing. And hungry. But in no uncertain terms would she take the offerings he provided. She would rather die first.
Fifteen minutes later they were back on their way. The bush was thick and barely room for walking. Bare branches lashed out at Ivy. They scraped and clawed and she had to fight with what little energy she had to force her way through the unrelenting forest. Up ahead, Sam seemed oblivious to the branches, easily brushing them aside and moving forward.
A few times, Ivy panicked slightly when her vision blurred. As predicted, she had not slept a wink last night. Fear of the forest, the man, and the unknown, toyed with her all night long. However, she was paying the price that morning. Her head throbbed horribly. It was the last thing she needed in addition to her other ailments.
Her first stumble brought scarcely the smallest acknowledgment from her captor. He simply waited as she wobbled back up on to her feet. Her legs were proving to be useless. She worked hard to force them forward; keep them moving, but they refused and she found herself falling to the earth one more time, her face hitting a tree painfully on her way down.
She lay on the earth for several minutes, listening to her own heavy breathing. Her cheek throbbed from the hit she took, but it seemed minor. It occurred to her suddenly that if he thought her dead, he might leave her there for the wildlife to gorge on. Fear flooded her being. Never in all her years had she ever given up. But lying there, far too weak to move, let alone fight back, she stared blankly at the brown earth before her, and knew the end was near. And there was nothing, absolutely nothing, she could do about it.
“Come on, get up.” She heard Sam’s voice, though it sounded very distant, she felt his hands clutch her shoulders and pull her into a standing position.
She mumbled something, though what, she wasn’t sure. And since he gave no reply, he too mustn’t have heard as well. They were walking again. Though she couldn’t rightly remember doing so. Her body felt as if it no longer belonged to her. Everything became one huge haze.
Ahead of her, Sam was talking, but she couldn’t focus enough to make out his words. In the distance, she heard the cry of a vulture. Waiting for dinner? Could it sense Ivy’s impending death?
Then the sound of gurgling water reached her ears. It was soft, not a large source. Something damp soaked through her boots. She glanced down and was able to focus long enough to see a wide river, though it was shallow in spots where large boulders protruded.
“Watch your step.”
Her head spun around to the man leading the way. He was making his way gingerly across the boulders. The rope tugged and Ivy was forced to move onward. Beneath her, the river glistened in the early morning sun. Its brightness made her eyes squint. Its movement making her head swim. She stopped, trying to steady herself, one foot hovering precariously on a boulder.
“Keep moving!”
Her chin snapped up, which turned out being a vast mistake. The movement had her brain literally swirling inside her head without a lifeline, as the earth beneath her spiraled around her feet. She blinked several times, trying desperately to remain focused. But it was useless. Then all of a sudden, everything went black.
* * *
Sam felt the rope snap tight around his waist where he had tied his end. He glanced back at the exact moment he saw Ivy go down. There wasn’t enough time to catch her before she collapsed into the shallow river. She was unconscious before she even hit the water. He cursed, moving angrily back to lift her now wet body into his arms. That was all he needed. Have her die of hypothermia and he would have to indeed drag her body back the entire way.
As he hoisted her into a more secure position, her head fell back over his arm, exposing her pale face already nearly blue with death. Something tightened in his gut. Hell, he couldn’t let her die. And he knew the inconvenience of delivering her corpse through the wilderness until they reached civilization, was not the reason.
He dropped his gaze to her face and noticed a strand of wet hair plastered against her cheek. With one hand, he brushed it aside and stared down at her. Even through the thickness of his heavy leather coat, he could feel the coldness of her damp clothing. In addition to the gray cloak, her black knit skirt beneath was wet and heavy. It wrapped itself around his legs like a clinging vine, causing walking awkward, but he reached the banks of the river and strode purposely to a dry spot.
He would have to find her some form of shelter quickly. And fire. Not very pleased with the idea, he also knew he would need to remove those wet clothes and warm her as soon as possible or the threat of hypothermia could set in. He laid her beneath a huge uprooted tree, then quickly stripped the wet clothes off her body.
As he did, the idea to leave her to die and continue on his way crossed his mind. It wouldn’t be the first time. No criminal was ever worth the risk. But he was determined this woman would get what she deserved. Dying a quiet, peaceful death beneath the evergreen trees, was not justice.
His eyes strayed to her pale face. Lips a near transparent purple, but for the trace of blue beginning to ring them. He pushed aside the unwanted thought that saving her life had more to do with just watching her swing. He had absolutely no feelings for this woman.
And yet he couldn’t deny the tightening around his chest, the quickening of his pulse as his eyes roamed her naked form. Surprisingly, hidden beneath her gray and black attire was the form of a magnificent female. Her body was in complete contrast to her face. The skin covering her exquisite curves reminded him of buttermilk. Creamy white and looking just as sweet.
Sam shifted uncomfortably, becoming aware of his body’s reaction to her nakedness. Hell, he had an urge to reach out and stroke that skin. Run his tongue over its milky texture to see if it tasted as good as it looked. His fingers tingled with the desire to roam over that flat belly and up to those two mouth-watering breasts. They were perfect in scope and shape. Just the right size to fit snugly into the palm of his hand. Or mouth.
His member jerked to life and Sam growled in self-disgust. What the hell was wrong with him? Hadn’t he learned anything from Daphne? Rage filled his heart. He had sworn never to allow another woman to get the better of him again. Most in particular a woman like Ivy McGregor.
She shivered beneath him, her fully naked form exposed to the cold. Sam released a heavy breath, then shoved out of his coat. The woman may be heartless, but for some reason Sam was drawn to the need to keep her alive. He lifted her body and wrapped her in his coat. As he did, something on her back caught his attention.
Scars.
Long, jagged scars. He recognized them immediately.
Flogging. A form of whipping not uncommon in prisons. The fact it proved he was correct and that she had spent time in incarceration, did not leave him feeling satisfied. Instead, something gnawed at his insides. What type of person whipped a woman?
He shook his head, ridding the unexpected question. Whatever she had done to receive her whipping, more than likely was well deserved. Her looks were beguiling. It was in his best interest to remember that. Whatever occurred in the next three days, Sam would not allow himself to go soft. For when he returned her to Chicago, she would be receiving a far worse fate.
