Chapter Four
Emmie pulled Red to a stop. Her horse snorted and moved to the side, understanding instinctively that something was wrong.
“You wanted to know what happened to your friend?” The man’s voice was different, darker. He still had a sloppy grin on his face and Emmie felt her whole body shift into a new level of sensitivity. She felt the absence of her rifle, the absence of any other weapon. She’d grown up rough around men and she was strong but this had a feeling of danger she hadn’t experienced before.
“How did you get over here?” She was stalling, trying to make her mind move at a faster pace. She just had to think of a solution. She would turn Red around then go get her rifle from Birdie. If only she’d kept a knife, or another gun on her.
The man ignored her question and began walking toward her, “Instead of telling you I thought I would just show you.”
The reins were tight in her hand and Emmie’s eyes darted to the side, looking for her escape route. But as soon as her eyes were off him she felt her body slammed hard from the side.
He’d moved fast. Too fast. Emmie was on the ground before she fully understood what had happened. Her face hit the dirt and she tasted blood.
Scrambling to her feet, she tried to get her bearings.
Her body slammed again, this time against the side of the church. She looked up at the grinning face in front of her, putting her fingernails into the two thick hands that braced her neck. She had the sudden sensation that she’d just been pushed underwater. Her lungs weren’t working. She needed a breath but couldn’t get one.
“Let her go, Max.” The voice came from her right. It sounded dull to Emmie’s ears though it must have been yelled.
“Don’t interfere, Virgil, or you’ll be next.” The man’s large ruddy face turned and just as it did there was a blur of movement. The thick hand released from around her neck and Emmie fell back against the wall, sucking in and choking on air.
There were noises as if bones were being crushed but Emmie could only focus on filling her lungs. She needed to get to Red, get out of the way. Max was stronger than any man she’d ever met before and she suspected that the other man would be no match for such strength, which would leave her in the same situation in only a few moments.
She reached out and touched Red. Her horse went up on his hind legs as the fighting went on and Emmie felt panic threatening to take her over.
Reaching wildly for Red's reins, her fingers finally felt leather as Red's forelegs thudded back to the ground. She moved the horse, turning it back toward the square in the direction she'd originally come from. They would go the long way around, they would have to. As she pulled in another breath she felt like a Red was sitting directly on top of her chest and her vision blurred for a brief, panicky moment.
She pushed one foot into her stirrup and dragged herself up just as the noise behind her went silent. Emmie’s vision blurred again and she could hear her own heartbeat swimming against her ears. Just as she was moving herself forward the feeling of being pushed underwater overwhelmed her again, her eyes blinked twice, and everything went dark.
As she came to her ears began working before her eyes flickered open. She heard Red’s steady breath. He didn’t sound worried anymore which was a good thing, and she was pretty sure that she wasn’t dead, which was another happy surprise.
“You ok?” The voice was deep and masculine but a thread of tenderness laced the words.
Emmie's eyes opened to the deep stare of dark gray.
“You,” Her voice cracked out of her raw throat.
"It's ok, you don't have to talk," The gray eyes looked at her throat. Emmie looked around. She was propped against the church wall where only a few minutes ago she'd just been in a death grip.
“Max is gone.”
Emmie’s focus came back to the man in front of her.
“You saved my life,” Her words were barely audible.
“Here,” The man handed her his canteen of water then helped her take a sip. The water burned at first then eased down her throat.
When he tried to lift the canteen again Emmie shook her head, “Who are you?”
“I’m—Virgil,” He said it with hesitation as if unsure himself who he was.
“That man is a friend of yours?” Hadn’t they been together only the day before? Hadn’t the man in front of her been a part of Max’s group?
“Sort of… and sort of not.” She could tell by the way he spoke that he wasn’t a big talker. He didn’t bother to explain his cryptic answer and a tingle of her previous fear now ran down her spine.
“I need to get home,” She pushed her torso forward. Her head was still swimming.
“I’ll take you,” Virgil’s voice was stronger now. More commanding.
“I just need Red and I’ll be fine,” Emmie paused as she moved halfway then all the way to standing. Her face was hot and a line of sweat was starting at her hairline even though it was a cold night.
“You’re not fine,” Virgil’s hands braced Emmie. One around the waist and the other around her shoulder. His fingers were strong and Emmie remembered how strong the other man had been. Virgil had won that fight. She looked over at Virgil uneasily.
His jaw was strong and stubble had begun to grow in. He was taller than Max but not as wide. A fresh scratch leaked blood along his neck.
“You’re hurt.”
“Could have been worse.”
He tried to brush off his wound but Emmie was already ripping a line of cloth from her skirt. She took the canteen of water and saturated the cloth before placing it gently over the gash.
Virgil winced at the initial touch but didn’t move away. Emmie lifted the cloth to take another look. It was deep and Emmie knew it must be painful.
“Thank you,” Her eyes looked up into his and she could feel his pulse beat under her fingers.
He gave a half nod response. Attending to his neck Emmie hadn't realized how close she'd moved toward the man. He smelled of a woodsy leather and the heat of his breath touched her face.
“I should go,” She backed up with one hand reaching for Red. His gaze was holding hers the way it had every time she'd looked into those gray eyes. They were hypnotic as if he were speaking soft words to her with only a look.
Red’s tail swished and Emmie turned to look at the dark road that led to the Ward Ranch. A tense uneasiness teemed through her veins as she tried to see what lay in the shadows.
“I’ll see you home.” She could tell by the tone of his voice that Virgil wasn’t asking her a question and she knew there was no point in arguing the matter.
Emmie turned into Red but before she could get herself on top of her horse she was being lifted easily off the ground and in the next moment she was looking down at Virgil from atop her mount.
“How did you do that?” Emmie’s breath bloomed into the air.
“Do what?”
“You lifted me like—like it was no effort at all—like I weigh nothing.”
Virgil looked at Emmie for a beat, moving the reins off of Red’s neck and taking them into his hands.
“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but you aren’t very big.” Virgil smiled at her and Emmie found herself smiling back.
“I guess it’s just that there aren’t many men around here as strong as you are, or as your… Max.” Just the name made her feel uneasy again. “You may not believe this, but around here I can stand on my own in a fight against a man.”
"I do believe you and you don't have to worry about Max, you'll be safe as long as you're with me," Virgil's words came easily, his hand touching her knee lightly as if he could read her mind.
Virgil gave a little whistle to Red just the way Emmie normally did. Red’s ears perked up and he began moving forward onto the road leading away from town.
As she looked out into the shadows of the night Emmie realized that with the grey-eyed man as her bodyguard and despite all the evidence to contrary, she actually did feel safe.