Passage West by Ruth Ryan Langan Read Free Book Online Page B

picked him up and used the old doll to make him laugh.
    When his eyes began to droop, she handed him over to his mother to be tucked into bed. Dropping a kiss on her aunt’s cheek, Abby bid the others good night and made her way in the darkness toward her wagon.
     
    *  *  *
     
    Flint Barrows leaned against the wagon and listened to the sounds of the women’s muffled conversation. He’d left his drinking companion sleeping beneath the chow wagon. Mordecai would see to it that Market made his way back in the morning.
    Seeing Carrie approach, his lips curved into a chilling imitation of a smile and he moved deeper into the shadows. As she passed, he slipped silently in step behind her. For tonight, the Market women were fair game. With James out of the way, they had no man around to look out for them.
    He watched the sway of her hips and felt the juices begin to flow. She and that crazy old aunt of hers always looked like they were going to a church social. While the other women in the train trudged along beside the wagons, those two rode inside, fanning themselves like queens. They weren’t anything special, he thought, feeding the hostility that always manifested itself in desire. They were just women. And Flint Barrows knew what he liked to do with women. All women.
    When Carrie stopped beside her wagon, Flint crept closer. If he moved fast, he could cover her mouth before she could scream. There’d be no one around to hear her struggle. With a grin, he snaked out a hand and caught her by the shoulder, jerking her backward against him. As her mouth opened, he clamped his hand over it and caught her around the waist, lifting her up into the back of the wagon. Before she could cry out, he was on top of her. Seeing her eyes widen with fear, he felt a surge of excitement. They were all alike. Young or old, it mattered not to him. Just as long as they knew real terror. The more a woman cried and lost control, the more excited he became. With one vicious tug her dress gave way at the shoulder, revealing pale creamy skin. His mouth covered hers, swallowing her cries.
     
    *  *  *
     
    As she approached the wagon, Abby smoothed down the skirt of her gown. It had been sweet of Aunt Vi and Carrie to make over one of her mother’s dresses for her. Now it was going to be even more difficult to have to be the one to tell them that they would have to walk alongside the wagon once the train left Fort Kearny. The journey to California was a long one. The extra weight of two women would have to be eliminated if the team was going to make it. Abby wondered how her fragile aunt would endure the trek. Dear Aunt Vi. If only she could have been spared this ordeal.
    Hearing a muffled sob, Abby paused. Was that Carrie crying? Had Pa done something to make her cry?
    “Carrie?”
    The sound stopped abruptly.
    “Carrie, what’s…” Drawing back the flap of canvas, Abby saw a man struggling with her little sister. Pinned beneath his weight, the girl was sobbing and thrashing.
    Abby’s voice was a hiss of fury. “Let her go!”
    The man looked up, swore, then shoved Abby backward with such force, she was flung against the rough bark of a tree. Crying out, she picked up a broken limb and sprang forward to strike him.
    He leaped down from the wagon and advanced on the slender figure brandishing the club.
    “So you like to fight, do you? Well let’s just see how long you can hold out against me.”
    In the glow of the firelight, Abby recognized Flint Barrows. His eyes were glazed. He reeked of liquor. “You animal. How dare you attack a helpless little girl.”
    “Little girl?” He laughed, and the sound sent shivers along her spine. It was the laugh of a madman. “If she’s old enough to bleed, she’s old enough to take.”
    With quick movements, he grasped the end of the tree limb and wrestled it from her hands. “Maybe you’d like to take her place.”
    As he advanced on Abby, he felt a sharp pain on the side of his head as he