Innocence and the Outlaw

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Chase watched Louisa go and chose to ignore the fact that her helping him went against everything he knew about her. Louisa was selfish and self-serving. It wasn't in her nature to do anything risky just to help someone else. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

He had a knife now. He could cut his hands free and once he'd done that he knew he could get Leah away from Boss. Chase Caldwell was not a man who wasted a second chance. This time he would be successful.

"What did she want?" Leah asked once she was close enough to him. Chase tilted his head back.

"To give me this." he said and Leah's eyes widened when she saw the knife in his hand.

"What are you going to do?"

"Cut myself free and then wait."

"For what?"

"Tig is planning something. I don't know what, but something, and I'm going to be ready for it. You are not going to die today, Leah. I can promise you that."

"What can I do?" Leah asked, eager to help. Chase just shook his head.

"Nothing until I tell you. Just go back over there and wait." he replied and Leah nodded before scooting away from him. Chase kept his face blank but inside he was smiling as he began to cut away at the ropes binding his hands.

***

Boss and the group of men who had been helping him finished tossing the last of the bodies into the hole they had dug and then Boss wiped his hands on his pants and turned to look at Chase, Leah and Chance in turn.

"Let's not throw the dirt over those bodies just yet. We're gonna have a couple more." he said with a grin.

"Killing her would be an awful big waste, Boss. I'd like to have her for myself." Yancy spoke up. "I'd keep track of her better than the chief did and I'd share her if ya asked me to real polite like."

"Sure, Yancy. Sure you can have her." Boss stated with a shrug. "I can't think of a better thing for that savage to see before I kill him than his woman in another mans arms."

Leah's heart began to thunder in her ears as Yancy walked to her. He kept his back to Boss and the other men and offered her a smile as he crouched down and brought himself to her level. She spit in his face and tried to move away from him.

"Now, don't be like that." he scolded as he pulled his bandana from his pocket and wiped his face clean. He winked. "Wouldn't you rather be out of those ropes than in 'em? And it'll certainly makes things easier on the chief when he makes his move if'n he ain't gotta worry about cutting you free."

Leah raised her brow and looked at him with surprise which made Yancy chuckle.

"Don't seem so shocked, princess. I might be a low down, no good son of a bitch but Chase has saved my hide a time or two and I pay back a debt. Now you gonna let me untie you?"

"Yes."

"But don't act too happy about it and give me away." he warned.

"I'm not stupid." Leah countered.

"Never thought you were." Yancy untied the ropes binding her and then yanked her to her feet. Leah cried out in pain when it felt as if her side was being ripped apart. She could see an apology in Yancy's gray eyes but his face was hard.

"Quit your damn bitchin. I ain't like that damn injun and I won't tolerate a single bit of lip offa you."

"Don't take her to the tent just yet." Boss spoke up as Yancy headed for his tent. Yancy stopped and turned to look at the other man questioningly. "We want her to get to see what happens to her lover don't we? And her brother? We'll show her what will happen to any man she tries to wrap around her finger to help her escape."