Shadow's Stand Read Free Page A

would please to ask him?”
“Don’t know why we have to go through this,” the sheriff muttered. “When a man’s facing death, he’s not going to quibble about taking vows he can abandon as easily as he makes them.”
“I would feel better.” She needed some illusion that this plan would work.
“You got a choice, injun.” The sheriff jerked his thumb in her direction. “Die now or marry up with this little woman and start a new life.”
“Why doesn’t she ask me herself?” The thief’s voice was smooth and deep and soothed her like fine tea on a cold day. It was very hard not to look up.
“It’s forbidden for her to ask you herself, you ignorant ass,” the sheriff shot back.
For once Fei was grateful for the rudeness of the men in this rough town. It saved her from having to respond or explain.
“So what’s your answer?”
The horse shifted, tightening the rope, and, for a moment, the thief couldn’t speak. Barney backed the horse up a step and when the thief found his voice, his arrogance was not diminished. “I want her to ask me.”
The sheriff drove the butt of his rifle into the thief’s stomach. He grunted and jerked in his restraints. The horse balked and danced out from under the tree limb. Smiling, Barney released the reins. With a slow slide, the thief reached the end of the rope.
Fei watched in horror as the thief’s legs clung to the horse while the rope tightened on his neck. For four heartbeats, he was stretched out straight, suspended between the tree and the horse. His already dark skin took on a darker hue. His feet kicked as the pony stepped out from under him. The men laughed.
“I guess he made his choice, then.”
“Looks like we’re having our hanging, after all.”
“No.” They couldn’t do this. “Cut him down.”
Nobody paid any attention to her and she realized she’d spoken in her native Chinese. Not that they would have paid attention to her if it were English. Their macabre game had begun. Fei Yen darted through the men, grabbed the thief’s calves and pushed up. With no result. The man was too heavy. Harsh laughter accompanied her efforts.
“No point in wasting your effort, girl. That boy’s hanging. Fate’s come to a decision.”
No, it had not! It couldn’t. The long American skirts tangled around her legs as she tried to jump and reach the rope. It was far above her. She controlled her breathing. Think. She needed to think. The man gasped and gurgled and kicked. His foot caught her in the side. She went down, amidst more laughter.
The men were getting the show they wanted. But what about what she wanted? Did it not matter? She’d worked too hard. Too much was at stake for their drunken play to interfere with her plans.
She pushed up onto her hands. Two feet from her position, a knife stuck out of a boot. Grabbing it, she ran back, climbing up the man’s body like a tree, ignoring the abrupt cessation of noise as her weight was added to the noose.
“Son of a bitch, would you look at that?”
Ignoring the men, she sawed at the rope, using every bit of strength she had. With a snap, it let go, throwing them to the ground. But it wasn’t enough. The noose around the man’s neck was still tight. Still cutting off his air.
She didn’t know what he did when he wasn’t stealing horses, but no one deserved to die like that, staring at the sky while they starved for air. No one.
“Damn, that’s one woman that’s hungry for a man.”
She ignored the growing threat around her and focused on the man. He started to struggle and buck, fighting for air. “Stay still.”
His gaze snapped to hers. Wild. Defiant.
She put the knife against his neck. “It is not your jugular I wish to cut.”
With a discipline that shocked her, he went still. Biting her lip, she wiggled the knife between his neck and the rope. “Maternal grandmother,” she prayed, “let this work.”
Blood welled as the knife slid like butter through a pinch of skin.
And please do not let me cut