Shadow's Stand Read Online Free PDF Page B

dismissed her as a bored wife come to a hanging for the dark thrill when he’d first seen her hiding in the shadows. Mousy had been his first thought, but then she’d come flying across the distance, grabbed a knife, scaled his body as if it was a welcoming oak tree, and well, hell, he’d changed his mind. The woman had the ferocity of a badger under all that quiet. She was beginning to intrigue him.
Taking the towel, she dipped it in the bowl and wrung it out before holding it out. “You should keep the cloth wet and around your neck. The coolness will help with the bruising.”
He took the cloth. The damp material was cold. “If the worst I get out of a hanging is a bit of bruising, I got off light.”
“You were very lucky.”
He shook his head, wincing as the tight muscles protested. “Any luck I had, you made.”
“I would disagree.”
Wrapping the towel around his neck, he gave her a smile, hoping to put her nerves at ease. The cool cloth did feel good. And hopefully it would lessen the swelling that was adding a harsh rasp to his drawl. He swallowed to ease the constriction. “I’ve noticed that you’ve got a habit of being contrary.”
Her gaze flashed to his. He took the look like a punch in the gut. So much was revealed there. Fear. Determination. Uncertainty. She didn’t know what to make of him. Didn’t know what to do, but she was clearly mixed up in something where she felt she was out of options.
“Just how desperate are you?”
Again a flash of those beautiful, exotic eyes, but this time impatience was the predominant emotion. “I married a man about to be hanged,” she snapped. “That would make me very desperate.”
She had a point. Cold water dripped down his chest. He flipped the towel end over his shoulder, stopping the flow. “That you did, but that doesn’t tell me why.”
Her mouth worked as she debated her response. Such a pretty mouth. A lush bow of pink temptation that made him think of hot nights and satiated mornings. Hell, maybe he’d just been too long without a woman and that’s why he reacted to this woman so strongly. Ducking the law and bounty hunters didn’t allow for much fun in a man’s life. As soon as he had the thought, Shadow dismissed it. He’d had plenty of whores who had let him know he was welcome. It wasn’t the opportunity that was lacking but the compromise in him. He at least liked the illusion of mutual pleasure in his encounters. A straight cash exchange for a woman parting her legs just wasn’t worth the effort it took to scrounge up an available one. The few women he used to visit had gotten married, so he’d ended up just doing without. Which was another oddity in his recent behavior. He’d never been a man who’d done without.
But in this instance, he wasn’t going to go without. At least when it came to information. If he was to protect Fei, he needed to know what he was up against. He removed the towel from around his stiff neck and dipped it back in the bowl. “Let me know when you’re done debating how much truth to mix with your lies.”
Surprise chased across her face and then her expression took on that serenity that he was beginning to suspect was her shield.
“You think I would lie?”
He wrung out the towel. “Yeah, I do, but let me save you the effort. I need to know everything you’re facing, if what you’re wanting is my protection.”
“Some of it is private.”
Wrapping the towel back around his neck, he countered, “If it involves my life and your safety, it can stay private, but private between us.”
While she debated that, he looked around the kitchen. The bright colors screamed a love of life. The order spoke of a need for control. The strange pots and spoons spoke of a different culture. He looked at her again. The Chinese kept to themselves. Out of self-preservation and because it was their way. How much scope did “private” cover for her?
“You did marry up with me for protection, didn’t you?” The last