A Ransomed Heart Read Free

purposeful steps towards him, the stiff silk of her dress shaking with every step, mimicking the sound of a rattlesnake.  She was poised to strike at any moment and the man in her way was Logan.  This was not what he was expecting and he took a second step backwards to keep distance between himself and the angry girl.
    Annabelle clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth and then spoke very slowly:
    “Could you kindly tell me the meaning of this?” 
    The sun caught the red in her hair and made it appear that she was on fire.  The green dress blended with the earth and gave her the appearance she had sprouted from the ground like the very devil himself.  Every eye was glued to the beautiful, terrifying face, and even Logan held his breath.
    Then almost instantly the spell was broken.  From behind her a shriveled man pulled himself out the window and slid to the ground.  He seemed small and insignificant next to the stunning young woman, but he drew away enough attention that the group let go a collective breath of air.  Without saying a word to the woman Logan brushed past her and grabbed the scrawny man by the arm.  Mr. Mousse had sense enough not to resist and he looked forlornly at the girl as they passed by.  Logan refused to look at the glowing woman for now; he was sure he would lose all of his concentration if he did. 
    There was a horse waiting next to Kit, its stage tack had been removed and it stood waiting for its next commission.  Logan lifted Mr. Mousse effortlessly up onto its bare back.  Then he drew a bright white piece of paper from his pocket and shoved it roughly into the older man’s hand.  Then he spoke for the first time, his baritone voice echoing around them:
    “See that Mr. Sevier gets this.  It contains all the instructions. I expect to have my demands met in one week, and if I don’t, things will not end well.” 
    With that he slapped the horse’s rump and sent it dashing across the valley floor.  Annabelle watched in stunned silence, an uneasy feeling creeping into her chest.  Quickly she licked her lips and tried to keep a calm look on her face. She watched, her heart sinking as Mousse clutched to the animal and disappeared into the distance.
    Annabelle stood rooted to the ground scowling at the men in the gang.  They still had their faces covered and looked very much like a bunch of vagrants.  Their clothes were worn and mismatched, their hats varied from black felt, which their supposed leader wore, to old army caps complete with brass buttons, leather visor and chin strap.  One man looked very different from them all with his broad, bare chest and liquid black hair.  He was obviously a Native American and he rode a fine painted pony.  Her wandering eye soon fell to Logan’s now uncovered face.  She saw nothing but the fuzzy red that was again crowding her vision.  This man had no right ruining her day.  She glared at him viciously waiting for him to approach.
    Logan drew a deep breath as he turned back around to face her.  She was not what he expected at all.  At best he had hoped for a woman able to ride a horse, this girl looked able to break one.  Her dress was made of fine silk and her demeanor was that of a queen, surely he had the right woman.  She was what he needed and he was going to use her to his advantage, she just needed to know who was boss. Taking on his usual cool manner he pulled off his bandana and whistled a casual tune as he walked her way. When he got nearer to her he could see she was trembling.  Mistakenly he figured she was afraid, but when he stopped and observed her he could see every muscle in her body was flexed.  A faint smile played on his lips as he gave her a once over.  She was incredibly beautiful and very young, it would not be hard to get what he was looking for, and no one would give up such a prize. 
    “What do you want?” Her voice burned the air a bit with its staccato sound.
    A wicked smile flashed