His Abductor's Desire Read Online Free

somehow served to amplify the pain and anger of her rejection now. While he would have come to Charity, repentant for something he had no part in, she trussed him like a criminal. While he had spent the past few years missing her, she had spent that time harboring vengeance and hatred.
    Had she changed so much that the girl he remembered was truly lost to him now? Before they parted he would find out and, hellion or not, he would make her lose that cool facade and admit that she desired him.

Chapter Three
    “How’s the captive?” Elle asked late that night when Charity stepped into the cabin they had finally arrived at a short time before.
    “Furious. But the shackles seem to hold well and he has plenty of food and fresh water in the stall.” Charity didn’t know if she would ever forget the rage on Brent’s face when Dew removed his blindfold after chaining him in the barn. It had made her truly afraid, despite the fact that she was the one holding the gun.
    Elle nodded as she pulled the strap closed on the last saddlebag. The gold and cash had been counted, entered in the ledger, a small portion deducted to cover expenses and then divided equally among the three bags, one for each of the women. Elle was silent as she filled a small pouch with the gold set aside for expenses, which would go to James.
    Dew had introduced them to James shortly after they met her in Helena. He ran a small store there and was able to acquire just about anything they needed. He kept them well supplied in provisions, information and weapons and in exchange they kept him well supplied in gold.
    “What do you plan to do with him now?” The older woman finally asked the question Charity knew had been burning a hole in her since the bank robbery.
    “Hold him up for ransom, of course. How much do you suppose a Davenport is worth? Twenty-five thousand? Fifty thousand? Possibly a hundred thousand?” Charity asked.
    This inexplicably made Elle smile. “You can lie to yourself all you want, Char, but don’t lie to me.”
    “What do you mean?” Charity asked, wide-eyed, uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken. Yes, she realized her actions had been rash, but admitting it to Elle was not something she was prepared to do.
    “Do you forget that I was there the day you came home from that house party having almost given yourself to that particular Davenport? Do you forget that it was my ears subjected to the cursing and lamenting that went on days later when you found out he had left for France? Do you forget that it was my shoulder that bore the burden of your tears? Lie to yourself all you like, my dear, but I know you.” Elle had moved to stand in front of the girl she still considered her charge, forcing Charity to look up at her. “Confront him. This man left a hole in your heart and you need to have it mended. Have your way with him if you think that will help get him out of your system. In a couple of weeks we’ll take him back to civilization and hope to God we can hop the next train west before the rest of those Davenports come after us.”
    “West? But the Davenport interests farther west aren’t easy pickings.”
    “It’s over, Char. That young Davenport out there in the barn knows who we are. Even if we successfully ransom him, his family will know who we are. And they have the means to spend the rest of their days looking for us. It’s done with. We have more than enough to go to California or Oregon and set up a shop of some kind. It’s time to cut and run.”
    “That’s not the plan. Where is Dew?” Charity asked, somehow hoping the other woman would come to her aid.
    “It was never in the plan to abduct a Davenport. She feels the same as I do. I told her about your history with him.”
    “I’m sorry, Elle. I know this is a change we should have discussed but there wasn’t time. In the end, it will be better, much less risky than robbing banks.”
    “Well, you’ll have some time to think about it.