Mail Order Bride: Captured Hearts: a Clean Western Historical Romance (Mail Order Brides of Gold Creek Book 6) Read Online Free PDF Page A

direction change. He turned every now and then and spoke to the other warriors in their own language, and each time he did, Molly was desperate to know what was said.
    “We’re going to head toward Ruby Ridge,” Antinanco said. “I am being led in that direction.”
    “Okay,” Mollie said, wondering at the possibility that she had left Ruby Ridge so full of anticipation of meeting Ira, when, in fact, he had been there all along. “Can’t we go any faster?”
    “No,” said Antinanco, who was already driving the horse at a light gallop. “If we move too fast we may miss signs that we need.”
    Mollie couldn’t quite understand what he meant, but she could only hope that they were accurate and that Antinanco knew what he was doing. They moved swiftly across the landscape in one elegant formation that never broke out of pattern, the horse hooves beating out a rhythm against the red earth in such regularity that it sounded almost like a symphony.
    Mollie prayed and pleaded with the Lord that they would find Ira and bring him to safety. Ever since she had discovered he was missing, she had felt as if she had known him her entire life. There was no question in her mind that he would be the one she would give her heart, soul and body to in marriage. He was the one.
    After what felt like eternity, Ruby Ridge became visible in the distance. Progress across the plain before it was painfully slow although they were speeding along at a pace at which Mollie had never ridden before.
    “There!” Antinanco yelled, pointing at a building, his eyes wide open and blazing with fury and spirit. “Nuuhá!”
    With one graceful swoop, as if on the wings of an eagle, they changed direction to follow his lead, storming toward the wooden ranch house he pointed at. There was no sign of life in the house that Mollie could see, but a sense deep within her told her they could be in the right place.
    Tying their horses up out of sight behind some bushes, the warriors got their weapons together, short spears and bows and arrows and daggers, and waited on Antinanco’s lead.
    “Stay here with Mollie,” Antinanco said to Huyana.
    She argued with him in their language but he said, “No.”
    She then bowed her head and obeyed, playing with the hem of Mollie’s dress. In reality, Mollie wanted to go in herself, desperate to finally see Ira and to do her part in freeing him, but she knew that it was not a sensible idea and was more than willing to follow Antinanco’s directions.
    Antinanco turned to his men and they spoke in their own language, their eyes glazing over and their bodies becoming more and more animated and vital as they jumped and hopped and moved together. When the excitement was at a fever pitch, Antinanco thrust his arm in the air.
    “Apak!” he hollered.
    The rest of the warriors followed suit and they stormed through the bushes and into the building.

Chapter 8
     
    Mollie looked up at the old wooden house, which she imagined must have been quite luxurious in its day. It was imposing, reaching three stories and with verandahs that wound their way around its every edge. After a few tense moments of silence, in which she wondered if they had really come to the right place, she could hear all manner of chaos breaking out, hollering and gun shots echoing within its wooden walls.
    It struck fear deep into her heart and she looked down at Huyana, expecting to see her afraid and ready to comfort her. The little girl stood stoic, her beauty fierce, staring at the house. She put her hands on her hips and stood firm upon the ground, watching the house with piercing eyes, as if she could see what transpired inside as it happened.
    Mollie saw movement around the side of the house on the top story verandah, so she walked to where she could get a better view and saw what she assumed must be a bandit, tussling with one of the Arikara warriors. She hated to see people fight and it set her heart beating so fast that she wondered if it would