Forever Ecstasy Read Online Free Page B

told herself that her comfort wasn’t the most important thing at this time, even if she were miserable. Her outstretched arms ached, and her tightly bound wrists caused her fingers to tingle and lose feeling. The hub of the wagon pressed into her back and made it beg for relief. Her buttocks were sore and numb from being confined to the same awkward position for hours. It was a struggle to accept such torments in silence, to resist fatigue, and to quell her fears. She prayed her party had not been misled by the false trail her captors had set for them. If so, her world could be lost forever. Once she was enslaved and used, even if she escaped, how could she return to her tribe without her honor?
    “You can toss down your bedroll and sleep here,” the Oglala maiden heard the big man say to Joe. “Best get an early start tomorrow; you got a ways to ride.” She heard Joe excuse himself and saw him vanish into the denser trees and bushes to the right of the campfire. The other men huddled and whispered. A bad sign, she decided. No doubt they were—
    Morning Star perceived someone’s stealthy approach behind her under the wagon. The scent was unfamiliar. Her heart rate increased and she quivered in suspense.
    Joseph Lawrence, Jr., could not allow an innocent girl to suffer the terrible fate that Clem had mentioned before Zeke had silenced him. If he could free her without getting caught, he would continue his deceitful attempt to join up with the suspicious men. If not…
    Joe had removed his jacket to keep from putting telltale stains on it. He used his elbows and feet to wriggle to the female. He hoped the shadows and her pinioned body would conceal him. He lifted himself to his knees and leaned close to her head. “I hope you understand me, woman, because I don’t have much time,” he whispered. “I’m a friend, but those men over there are real bad. I’m going to cut you free, but keep still and quiet until I get back to the fire and distract them. I’ll leave my knife beside you. When I have their attention, free your legs, then sneak away. If you understand what I’m saying, nod your head.”
    Morning Star did not know all of the words he used, but she grasped his meaning. Though she worried that the man’s strange behavior was a trick to make her expose herself, something within her said to trust him. She gathered her courage and nodded.
    “That’s a relief,” Joe murmured. With caution, he sliced through the rope at one wrist, then the other. As ordered, the female didn’t move from her strained position. He slid his knife to her right side. “Make sure they aren’t looking when you free your legs. Hide until they stop searching for you. I’ll get back to the campfire to spy on them. Good luck.”
    Joe worked his way from beneath the wagon and retrieved his jacket. After brushing the debris from his shirt and trousers, he slipped on the jacket and sneaked into the concealing trees. So far his plan was a success, but he remained guarded. He began to whistle as he walked along the riverbank to camp. He entered the clearing with his shirttail hanging out, as if he had relieved himself and hadn’t straightened his clothing. The other men were bedding down, their weapons nearby. Joe wondered why no guard was being posted, as Zeke had talked about earlier. He wondered if it had been a ruse to keep him rifleless. He came to full alert and decided that perhaps he should get away while he could, as soon as the girl was safe. To stall for time and conceal his wariness, he remarked, “That coffee and whiskey ran through me fast. I’d sure love a bath if that water wasn’t so cold. I’ll fetch my bedroll and join you. I’ll be—”
    Clem looked toward the lovely reason why he was in trouble tonight. His shout cut off Joe’s sentence. “That Injun gal’s escaping, Zeke!”
    All eyes riveted to the wagon and the female, who was leaning forward and cutting the bonds on her ankles. She glanced up, then