Shadow Walker Read Free Page A

little else. He opened cupboard after cupboard and found nothing in the way of food, nothing edible at all. With difficulty he contained his anger. It wasn’t his custom to frighten helpless women. The girl had been brutalized and abused, making her distrustful of all males. If the lack of food in the house was any indication, Dawn had been starved as well as beaten. Dimly he wondered if Cobb’s gang had used her sexually. He thought they had.
    Cole returned with the salve and set it down on the table. “Is there water in the cabin?” Dawn nodded toward a bucket on the dry sink. “What about clean cloths?”
    “In the drawer. You don’t need to bother, I can do for myself. I always have.”
    “Just shut up and sit still.” Dipping the cloth in the water, Cole gently bathed Dawn’s face, surprised at the dirt accumulated there. When thegrime came away, he discovered a smooth golden complexion that promised to be without blemish once the bruises healed. He carefully dabbed at the drops of blood gathered at the corners of her split lips, and when she flinched he had the unaccountable urge to kiss the hurt away.
    Dawn squirmed uncomfortably beneath Cole’s gentle ministrations. Never had a man touched her with such tenderness or caring. Of course, she knew why he was doing it. He wanted the stolen money and would go to any lengths to recover it, even to treating a no-account half-breed with kindness and consideration, something she’d never had from any man.
    Cole dipped his fingers into the jar of salve and spread it over her bruises. The hardness of his expression and the cold calm with which he performed the chore did nothing to ease Dawn’s nervousness. She thought Cole was much too controlled, too tautly coiled, and waited for the explosion.
    Cole worked quietly beneath the skewering intensity of Dawn’s blue eyes. Conflicting emotions warred within him. He felt pity, compassion and, surprisingly, admiration. He strongly suspected that Dawn was lying about her knowledge of the train robbery and where the money was hidden. If she refused to tell him where it was, he’d be obliged to conduct a thorough search of the premises despite her objections.
    Cole stood back and regarded Dawn solemnly. “There. If the salve works, your face will be as good as new in a few days. Why did Cobb beat you?”
    “You wouldn’t understand.”
    “Try me.”
    She shook her head, spreading a curtain of tangled black silk around her back and shoulders. Cole appeared mesmerized, reminded once again of his beloved Morning Mist. Dimly he wondered if Dawn would turn out to be the beauty he suspected her to be. The facial bones beneath the bruises and swelling were good. Her cheekbones were high and cleanly defined, her blue eyes exceptionally clear and bright, and her lashes were so long and thick he was amazed that she could hold them up. He wrinkled his nose, thinking a little soap and water would do wonders for her appearance.
    “Very well. I’ll let that go for the time being, since you’re so reluctant to talk about it. It’s getting late. If you’re up to it, perhaps you can fix us something to eat. Tomorrow I’ll start searching for the money in earnest. Unless,” he said, regarding her solemnly, “you save us both a lot of trouble and tell me where it’s hidden.”
    “I told you, Billy …”
    “… Didn’t confide in you. I know. Very well, have it your way. What about that grub?”
    “I … there’s not …” She gave an eloquent shrug and refused to meet his eyes.
    “I think I already know what you’re trying to say. There’s no food in the cabin, is there? Cobb rode away without a thought for your welfare. Look at you. You’re skinny as a rail. How did you feed yourself during his absences?”
    Dawn wondered herself. It hadn’t been easy. Between Billy’s irregular visits she’d had to fend forherself. He never left any money, so it would have been pointless to go into town. After a time she’d