OUT OF THE DARKNESS (THE PRESCOTT SERIES) Read Online Free PDF

manage the lines with Emma in your arms? I don’t wan t to get any closer.” A knot coiled tight in his stomach at the thought of leaving Margaret alone with the children, unprotected. “I’m going to leave the rifle on the seat within reach, just in case you need it.” He placed the lines in Margaret’s free hand.
    “All right, but be ca reful. Don’t take any chances.”
    The woods were eerily silent. No birds chirped. No ground creatures scurried into the underbrush. The forest appeared to wait with abated breath for the scene to unfold.
    Jason eased his weight to the ground. The creak of the wagon seat was the only audible sound. He scanned the terrain, first one direction then another. He gently stroked the horse’s neck nearest him to calm the skittish animal. The scent of whatever was on the trail agitated the team. Hooves stomped, nostrils flared as they snorted.
    Puffs of dust curled around his well-worn boots as he cautiously made his way the short distance. Not finding any disturbance on the ground, he figured whatever it was had come from the woods. Behind him, the horses shifted restlessly.
    The closer he came, the more the lump resembled a small person, yet he couldn’t see any arms, legs or even so much as a piece of flesh. Finally, he stood beside the thing. His eyes searched the forest again, making sure no one hid behind a tree or a rock waiting to strike. One last look over his shoulder assured him Margaret and the children were safe.
    Squatted , he cast one more wary glance into the woods then reached out to touch the dark mass. It was buckskin, dark and stiff from wear and being wet. Fringed leggings were drawn high up against its chest. The long, dark tresses covering the head was dirty, matted, and infested with sticks and leaves.
    This dirty piece of humanity was a woman. His gaze traced the curve of her hip. Why would an Indian woman be alongside the trail between his ranch and the only town around for miles? Most Indians left this area long ago. The only Indians he knew of came every fall to cut out five head of his cattle and then he wouldn’t see them again until the next fall.
    He shuddered to think what had happened to her if Indians had captured her. Damn, might as well get this over with and see if she’s dead. He would have to bury her before they could move on.
    Curled into a fetal position, h er arms and legs tucked into her stomach, she resembled a small child. But he could tell she was a woman, full grown, by her shapely backside. Jason grasped her shoulder and rolled her over. When her back touched the ground, she gave a deep moan of pain. For one brief moment, her eyes flickered open and stared directly into his with a bewildered expression, then closed when unconsciousness reclaimed her.
    “Jason?” Margaret questioned.
    He flinched. Absorbed in the rich color of the girl’s green eyes, he hadn’t heard the wagon move closer or realized Margaret stood beside him.
    “ I told you to stay in the wagon,” he growled more sharply than he would have otherwise. But the sight of those eyes had conjured up some very sensual images. Something he had never experienced before. For that brief moment, they seem to draw him into their depths. Sexual desire prowled through his body then came to rest in the center of his groin.
    “It looks like an Indian. Is it?” When he didn’t answer, Margaret poked a finger in his back. “Jason, is it an Indian? It’s wearing buckskins.”
    “No. No, it’s not an Indian.” Astonished to find himself still holding the girl’s shoulder, he forced himself to release her.
    “How can you tell? It’s filthy, and stinks to high heaven.”
    Margaret placed a lacy handkerchief to her nose and leaned over his shoulder.
    “Yes, I’m sure,” he explained as he stared do wn at the pitiful creature. “It’s a woman.”
    No India n alive had such beautiful jade-green eyes. Her eyes lured him to delve deeper into their depths, to lose himself in