Taken By Storm Read Online Free PDF

on whatever charges he creates—”
    She paused, and Burke wondered how many such painful memories she must have endured while helping people.
    She sighed and went on. “He then charges the families for the food and the cell.”
    “What if the family has no money?”
    “The prisoner starves to death and then the family is charged to remove his body or it’s tossed in the woods for the animals to feed on.”
    While the information disgusted Burke, it also gave him a shred of hope. “Then there’s a good chance I can buy my brother’s freedom.”
    “I’m not sure about that.”
    “Why?”
    “That someone who poached on Dunwith land was taken to Glencurry for imprisonment doesn’t make sense.”
    “What do you think is going on?”
    “That’s what we need to find out, but first we have to determine if it’s your brother being held at Glencurry.”
    “Tanin and I can go and find out,” Burke suggested, anxious that his brother might need his help this very minute and he was wasting precious time.
    “No. I will send what men I choose.”
    “I will not see my brother suffer,” Burke said firmly. “If I go and discover it is Cullen, I can make immediate arrangements to have him freed.”
    “How? You have no money.”
    That stopped Burke, but only for a moment. “I’ll make certain the earl understands that he’ll receive plenty of money in two weeks.”
    “In which time your brother will more than likely starve if he hasn’t already.”
    Burke raked his hair with his fingers in frustration. “I can’t stand by and do nothing.”
    “You’re not,” Storm assured him. “If my men ascertain it is your brother and they believe they can easily free him, then they will do so and return to camp with him.”
    “I want to be part of the rescue,” Burke insisted.
    “You would only be a hindrance. You are not familiar with Glencurry land or the manor itself. I will send men who know it well. The best thing you can do for your brother is to wait here.”
    “You ask a lot.”
    “I give a lot—your brother’s freedom.”
    Burke reluctantly admitted to himself that she made sense but it didn’t ease his annoyance. He made one more attempt. “I could wait along the trail.”
    “You can wait at camp, and that settles it.”
    Burke held his tongue, realizing she tested him.Would he follow her orders or not? If he didn’t, would she refuse to help him any further? He wouldn’t take a chance with his brother’s life. He would do as she instructed though it rankled him.
    “We’ll do it your way.”
    “We will always do it my way, Burke.” She smiled.
    He grabbed her chin and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Don’t count on that.”

Chapter 5
    S torm was relieved that they would reach camp shortly. She had kept her distance from Burke since last night. She was still stunned that he had kissed her—not that it was a passionate kiss. It was over as fast as it started. It was the idea that he had the audacity to even do it.
    And what had she done?
    She had stood there speechless and watched him walk away and bed down for the night. She had not even reprimanded him or warned him never to do it again.
    Why? Why hadn’t she reacted?
    The last time she had been kissed was by her husband, Daniel. It was a quick kiss good-bye. It was also their last kiss. No man had touched her lips since then, not until last night when Burke had kissed her.
    It had stunned her and made her consider Burke as a man and not just an annoyance. He wasn’t anything like her Daniel. Her husband had possessed a quiet strength and had often teased her about her demanding nature. He’d say it was her young age, she being barely twenty then.
    She was, however, now twenty-and-five years, no longer a young lass in more ways than just age. She wondered over Burke’s age. He seemed older to her, perhaps thirty or more, or perhaps life had made him appear older.
    Burke was the complete opposite of Daniel. The American was brash and