No Other Man by Shannon Drake Read Free Book Online Page A

Handsome, dignified. He was always
so careful to speak in low, well-modulated tones. His constituents knew him as
a kind man, a bene- I actor to so many worthy organizations, a strong man, always
willing to fight.
    God, they didn't begin to know how willing he was to fight,
or to what levels he would stoop to win whatever it was he wanted. Whom he
would hurt.
    Whom he might have
killed . . .
    She handed him the brandy the doctor had ordered. She stared
straight into his eyes as she did so. She didn't allow his fingers to touch
hers as she gave him the snifter. She hoped that God would forgive her for
praying that he would be a cripple even when this life ended and he rotted in
hell.
    She hoped as well that God would forgive her since it had
occurred to her to poison him when he had first fallen. It was Skylar who had
made her see that they could not. Not out of fear for the law or any hangman.
But for their own souls. "No, my God, we can't; don't you see, we can't
become what he is, we can't; we need to beat him in life, don't you see?"
    The doctor had turned to the table, sorting through towels
and liniments. "We shall begin here momentarily!" he said with forced
cheerfulness.
    The senator kept smiling as his fingers curled around the
snifter.
    "What a good girl you are, Sabrina!" he mocked.
"Such a comfort to me in my distress!"
    "I hope you die!" she said in a calm, even whisper.
    "But I won't," he promised her softly. "I'll
live a long life. And I'll see to it that I carry out all the responsibilities
I have regarding you, my dear. I'll care for you, I swear it. I do so enjoy
caring for you!"
    "You'll never even be able to attempt to touch me again,
you bastard!"
    "God takes care of the deserving."
    "Yes, he does."
    The senator started to laugh. The doctor turned. "Sabrina!
Ah, doctor! She is, indeed, the delight of my discomfort." The doctor
turned back to his work. The senator leaned toward Sabrina. She backed away a
step. His face lost the convivial smile that had fooled so many. His eyes
burned. "Now as to the other one ... well, she will have her comeuppance.
You think you're so clever; you little fools think that you're free. .. well,
you're not. She's dead! That's what she is. No matter that you were there with your
sweet, glib explanation of events ..."
    Sabrina took another step away from him. "I'll leave you
to your patient, and your work, Doctor," she said. She stared at the
senator a moment longer, lowering her voice. "You'll never find her!"
she promised very softly.
    She turned and exited the room.
    The senator watched her go, anger darkening his face. Then he
started to laugh. And he looked down at his blanketed knees and then at his
feet.
    God bless America. Oh, Lord, yes. God bless America.
    His toes were twitching. Twitching. Moving. Within a little
more time, days ... weeks ...
    He'd be walking again. But no one would know. No one. In
fact, she just might be the first to share
the joy of his recovery.
    When she tried to run.
    And he ran right after her.
    The fire flickered warmly against Hawk's
face. Ghosts of the past still seemed to dance within it, playing upon his
memory.
    When his father came for his mother, Flying Sparrow took on
the Christian name of Kathryn. She was still very young herself, and very
beautiful. Many warriors had wanted her over the years, but she had chosen to
remain with her father, and as a boy, Hawk realized that she had waited. That
she had believed in her heart that her courageous white warrior would return
for her. She had lived for that day, and for her son.
    She had been Thunder Hawk's support in all things. He loved
her. She was leaving. He was old enough to make choices for himself, yet...
    The white man had given him a Christian name as well. 1 le
was to be called Andrew David Douglas. The white man didn't try to influence
him. He came to him and told him that he would love him always and welcome him
always, just as he had made his place with the Sioux and knew that he