The Rebel Wife Read Free Page B

in the woods. They’re not going to give up that easy.”
    Damn this was turning into a long, unpleasant night. Eye on the knife, he inched away. “So, how long do you plan to stay? It’ll be dawn in a few hours. You’re much better off leaving under the cover of darkness.”
    A moment passed. Then another. “I didn’t kill that soldier.”
    There was something different in her tone, softer, slightly vulnerable. He decided to press his advantage. “And yet, here you are, using my tent to hide from a Union patrol and holding me at knifepoint.” He dabbed at the gash on his neck.
    A rosy glow stained her cheeks. He kept his gaze fastened on her flushed face, refusing to apologize for any discomfort she might feel. She’d intruded on his sleep, threatened him, and now had the gall to defy him.
    “I’m sorry for hurting you,” she said. “But I couldn’t take any chances. There’s too much at stake.”
    “You mean your accomplice.”
    “Accomplice?” She frowned, then dipped her head in understanding. Pale eyes glistened with moisture. “Jeb. Yes, there’s him...” She swallowed and averted her gaze. “But there’s more than that.”
    Must be a hell of a lot more for her to behave in such a desperate manner. Even if she didn’t kill the courier, there was no predicting what she might do now. “May I ask a favor, Miss..? Ummm...I don’t even know your name.”
    “Does my name matter?”
    “Since we’re going to be spending time in each other’s company, it might be nice to know. And I presume you heard mine is Porter. Jack Porter.”
    She furrowed her brow as though considering a response.
    “Or you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want.” Always wise to give a cornered rattlesnake an out.
    She relaxed and gave a half shrug. “No harm in your knowing, I s’pose. It’s Louisa. Louisa Carleton.”
    “Nice to meet you, Louisa Carleton.” He donned the same smile he’d used earlier on the lieutenant, the one reserved for politicians, government officials, and newspaper editors. Anyone he needed to get on his side. “Now as to that favor I mentioned...since we’re on such friendly terms. Is there any way I can entice you to put down that knife?”
    Her shoulders and head came up. “I won’t give up my weapon.”
    “Nobody asked you to. Just tuck it away somewhere.”
    She wagged her head. “I don’t know...”
    “There’s no need to hold me hostage. I got rid of those men. If I’d intended to hand you over or try to escape, I certainly had the opportunity.”
    “Well...” She lowered the blade a notch, yet she continued to eye him with distrust. “Yes, well, I suppose that makes sense. But I know how to use this, so don’t try anything funny. And don’t go thinking you can entice me to do anything.”
    She put a hard edge on the word, turning her pretty mouth down in an ugly twist. Her clothes bordered on threadbare, besides being torn and filthy. Streaks on the dress looked suspiciously like dried blood. If he had to guess, he’d say someone had done a serious wrong by this girl to make her so wary and unpredictable. There was more to her situation than the Yankees, he’d bet his next paycheck.
    “Why are you hiding if you didn’t do anything wrong?”
    She held her ground. No telltale shifting or blinking. “It’s just like that Yankee officer told you. I was seen with that soldier, but I swear, I was only trying to help him. Not that those bluebellies would believe me. They’d hold me for as long as they pleased, asking questions, and...” She swallowed again. “I can’t afford the delay.”
    “Where are you in such a hurry to go?”
    “I need to get to Point Lookout Prison.”
    The prison? No wedding band adorned her left hand, though that didn’t mean anything. Many women donated their jewelry to the War effort. Still, he could think of only one obvious reason why a woman would take this kind of risk.
    “A sweetheart or husband?”
    Pools of sadness shimmered